Black lawmakers, Obama at Odds on Jobs

[QueEx]

<font size="5"><center>
Black lawmakers, Obama
split on minority job help</font size></center>



McClatchy Newspapers
By William Douglas
Wednesday, December 9, 2009


WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus and President Barack Obama are at loggerheads over what to do about African-American unemployment, which is higher than the national average and has reached nearly 50 percent among teens.

Black caucus members have been pushing for economic help for minorities since last year's financial crisis exploded, and they're growing frustrated with the White House's reluctance to offer remedies specific to the people it's affected the most.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"As a candidate, President Obama said in his speech on race during the Democratic primary, 'Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now,'"</span> Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., the caucus chairwoman, said Tuesday. <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"The facts speak for themselves. The Congressional Black Caucus recognizes that behind virtually every economic indicator you will find gross racial disparities. We believe that tackling systemic inequality requires specific, concrete and targeted action."</span> [

Obama, however, said he's not inclined to take that approach. In an interview last week with USA Today and the Detroit Free Press, Obama rejected creating minority-specific economic or jobs programs.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"I think the most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again,"</span> Obama told the newspapers. <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"I think it's a mistake to start thinking in terms of particular ethnic segments of the United States rather than to think that we are all in this together and we are all going to get out of this together."</span>

Caucus members were prepared to discuss their remedy for minority unemployment on the House floor Wednesday night. Ironically, however, a heated debate over a proposal for new financial regulations forced them to postpone their push.

Last week, 10 black caucus members who sit on the House Financial Services Committee boycotted a vote on that measure, which still passed the committee on a 31-27 party-line vote. The bill would place new restraints on Wall Street financial firms and require greater openness in the nation's central bank.

Undaunted, <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">black caucus members say they're crafting their own jobs and economic recovery bill, which they hope to unveil soon.</span>

Last month's national unemployment rate was 10 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For African-Americans, the jobless rate was 15.6 percent, while the unemployment rate for whites was 9.3 percent.

Young African-American men and women appear to be hardest hit. The jobless rate for African-Americans ages 16 to 19 was 49.4 percent last month, more than twice the 23 percent jobless rate for white men and women in the same age bracket, according to BLS figures.

"Recent African-American college graduates are unemployed at higher rates than their white counterparts and African-American workers remain unemployed an average of five weeks longer than the rest of America," Lee said Wednesday. "The gaps are very real."

However, Lee stressed that the caucus isn't feuding with congressional leaders or with Obama, the nation's first African-American president.

"The president is the president, and we want him to succeed," she said. "He has set out a broad executive agenda. We're Congress, and we have to advocate for our constituents. We're not seeking special treatment; we're talking about equal opportunity."

The exasperation of some caucus members over the White House's approach to the economy, health care and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has boiled over, however. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said last week that some of Obama's advisers needed schooling.

"I think that it is important for us to educate those people" around the president, she said. "We've got to get his people educated and moving. We have not brought these issues to him personally. It is important first to educate those people around him so they understand."

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he had a telephone conversation with Obama recently in which the president wanted to know why Conyers, the second-longest-serving House member, was publicly critical of him.

Obama "called me and told me that he heard that I was demeaning him," Conyers told The Hill, a congressional newspaper, "and I had to explain to him that it wasn't anything personal, it was an honest difference on the issues."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged Wednesday that Obama had contacted Conyers about comments the congressman made to news outlets.

"I don't know the exact words the president used," Gibbs said. "I think the president believed the criticism was untrue. Suffice to say, he reached out and touched someone. That's — only, like, older people in the room got that joke."



http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/80357.html

 

[SPECTRE1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployment

Slavery, Separate but Unequal, and now Backup Labor

It seems minorities are becoming unpaid backup labor utilized to keep labor wages, inflation, government, and workers in check in a capitalist system. Companies monetarily benefit (huge wealth transfer) off of you being unemployed and desperate for a job, therefore somebody needs to be taxed and benefits provided. They can lowball wages when they know you will step in to take it.

Share the pain of unemployment equally amoung all groups.

 

[g-money]

What would we expect from Obama but I must admit it's partly our fault. When we had individuals during his campaign to try and ask him specific questions on issues related to the black community there was backlash from the black community saying, "don't ask him anything like that because the other people (most whites) will get mad and not vote for him."

This thinking didn't make that much sense and it screamed powerlessness. Why I state this statement is a sign powerlessness thinking is because of the majority of black people that were democrats banned together and/or didn't vote for Obama he wouldn't have gotten elected either so it's the same on both sides. Unfortunately a lot of us don't think of ourselves in terms of power while we feel whites have that area monopolized.

Sorry I went on a tangent but I have been predicting this since November of 2007 and unfortunately we probably deserve whatever Obama throws our way.


http://uhurunews.com/story?resource_name=uhuru-organizer-speaks-out-on-why-the-struggle-with-obama

&

http://uhurunews.com/video/play?resource_name=uhuru-movement-challenges-obama-at-rally-video

Thanks for the article Que

 

[SPECTRE1]

When the ship starts sinking, blacks and hispanics are first ones to be tossed overboard.

 

[Deuterion]

When the ship starts sinking, blacks and hispanics are first ones to be tossed overboard.

This is not true at all. In reality, we are at the bottom of the boat shoveling coal into the engines and when the boat starts to sink we're locked down here and are the first to drown. You seen Titanic?

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

When the ship starts sinking, blacks and hispanics are first ones to be tossed overboard.

Hispanics?
in 2009 ....

Yeah...a few of them may get left behind...but a large percentage wont.
Why? Well because a large percentage i.e. the more hungry Hispanics will hold their elected officials accountable. And when you hold your elected officials accountable...you get statements like this:

When the unemployment rate for Latinos and Latinas is higher than 10 percent, it isn't just a problem for families worried about paying the bills or keeping their home. This is not just a problem for the Hispanic community. It's a problem for a nation…. Todos somos Americanos.

-Pres Obama

Instead of statements like this:

"I think the most important thing I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community, period, and that is get the economy going again and get people hiring again,"

-Pres Obama

Now am i saying that Mexicans and other non-Black groups are more unified than Blacks? No. Because truth be told...there's not one group on this Earth that has complete Unity.

Am i saying that Obama cares about Mexicans and all the other groups that he catered to more than he does Blacks? No Im not. What Im basically saying is Obama has no interest in the Black community at all. And the reason he not is because he's just playing politics.

He has to fight for the Hispanic vote, the White vote, the Gay's vote, the Asian vote, etc. But he doesnt have to fight for the Black vote. Why? Because he knows Black people wont criticize him nor hold him accountable. He knows that if someone tries to bring up something that he's doing wrong when it concerns Black people or anything else, he knows Black folks will say, "Black folks need to stop asking for handouts" and "what about da previous 8 years" just so they can justify why he ignores them.....lol. He knows him being Black is good enough for him to get the Black vote. So therefore he will ignore a large percentage of Black people.

he's just playing politics....and also protecting his life.

Most of OUR MONEY that he will put into this new job plan of his will be going to construction projects and stuff like that. Now i dont know about the area that you live in, but here in Chicago Black contractors and black construction workers dont get their fair share. Its mostly Hispanics (Legal and Illegal) and whites building stuff around these parts. And the reason theres so many disparities when it comes to jobs like that is because localized issues and because the government just throws money at a situation without attaching some form of regulations to it. When they dont set the rules, then incompetent Mayors, Aldermen/Women etc. take advantage and BS the people. When youre not the one that has to pay the money back.....then you sometimes get careless with the way you lend it out...and thats what the Obama Admin is doing.

all that "All I can do for the African-American community is the same thing I can do for the American community" is BS. Because he knows that in the society that we live in..things really dont work out that way. What works for Hispanics, Whites, Asians is not guaranteed to work for Blacks because thats the way its been set up. Until Black folks stop acting like emotional dummies and educate themselves on whats really going on....then we'll always be left behind.

Some people are slowly but surely starting to sense the BS within Obama and his Admin. With that being typed, the only way that he'll serve more than 4 years in office is if they cheat like Bush, the Repubs do another McCain & Palin type move or something happens in 2012 and they have to enforce Executive Directive 51.

with that being typed....in my mind...Obama is not the President of all American people....he's just a puppet and will continue to be one. He was just put in office to sign his signature for 4 years..and thats all.

 

[Cruise]

with that being typed....in my mind...Obama is not the President of all American people....he's just a puppet and will continue to be one. He was just put in office to sign his signature for 4 years..and thats all.

Yeah, I don't really get the sense he has a clear vision where he wants to go.

When "W" and Clinton got in office, it really felt like there was a real break from the previous administrations.

But, with Obama, it just seems like he is just continuing the status quo, like Bush I did after Reagan.

It makes Obama feel like a placeholder President.

If he is 1 and done, and he doesn't do anything for "black people" specifically, I think there will be a huge sense of disappointment among non-whites.

If a "black" President won't help, what hope is there?

 

[Lamarr]

If he is 1 and done, and he doesn't do anything for "black people" specifically, I think there will be a huge sense of disappointment among non-whites.

If a "black" President won't help, what hope is there?

Honestly, what were the expectations coming into his presidency?

 

[Cruise]

Honestly, what were the expectations coming into his presidency?

Well, the impression I got was greater freedom for "black people" in this country.

It wouldn't have hurt to say he was going to start a job training/skill building program for inner-city youth in his first months as President.

Instead, things got more oppressive. And, I don't see things getting any better in the next 4 years, with his wars and healthcare.

When Obama's first priority was helping the very people who caused the crisis, it may have set a terrible precedent.

Who expected him to do that as President when they voted for him?

It could be Obama's Katrina.

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

It wouldn't have hurt to say he was going to start a job training/skill building program for inner-city youth in his first months as President.

True

Now many say the President doesn't work on localized situations like that, and in a sense he's not supposed to. But because he sign's his signature so freely.... and because he actually doesnt take control and basically lets the incompetent people under him make all the decision....thats why money is being mismanaged...thats why the health Care bill is having trouble passing..thats whay.... blah blah blah etc.

Obama admitted last night on 60 mins that its somewhat the governments fault that the Banks are doing what they want to do with the money that was giving to them. But guess what Mr Pesident...You and Bush helped give it to them....and neither of you have actually took a strong stance on how their mismanaging the money and not helping the American people...even though the American people are helping them.


watch this whole 60min interview that Obama did last night. or if you dont want to.... or fast foward to the 14:50 mark and see how aggravated Obama looks when Steve ask's him if he'll be involved in future projects.....lol. he knows how people perceive him, but he's not doing anything to change that perception. just like Bush, he's not being a President nor taking control.

[FLASH]http://www.megavideo.com/v/VR7MZ0WV9a035a0767fd2fbefbf33bf46bbbf777[/FLASH]



i know the last 8 years..or hell...the last 16+years have been rough. but soon or a later we're gona have to start focusing on whats going on right now. In a sense, Obama has options. he cant be forced to cosign BS that he doesnt wanna cosign. So therefore..why is he doing it? If he fears that he'll be hurt if he doesnt..then step down.....dont just fuck up the lives of millions for the sake of making evil, crooked people happy.

but anyways....like i said, he has options, he's just not using em. he's just allowing himself to be controlled..which makes him weak.

i know he's in a tough spot..but he shouldnt allow other people to shape his legacy.

 

[Lamarr]

It wouldn't have hurt to say he was going to start a job training/skill building program for inner-city youth in his first months as President.

True, but IMO, the scope of the Pres is to shape a 'national' agenda. These "lawmakers" who are at odds with him just voted for a $787 bn stimulus package, these "lawmakers" couldn't bring any of that to our communities?

In this instance, I'll side with the Prez. But a few policies need to be addressed to change our current direction. One thing Obama could do is address the immigration issue. While its a sensitive issue, that shit is negatively affecting the "black" employment levels. When I say address the issue, I mean enforce current laws with employers!

Is that me just being insensitive?

 

[Panameno718]

What we need to do as African-Americans is unite and stop depending on big government look at what has happend with the Government's War on Drugs, War On Poverty, and the No Child Left Behind, we really think they are going to fix Health Care and Obama is going to look out for you than I have a bridge to sell you . Obama's allegiance is only to his corporate masters who have put him in the position that he is today and not to the American people.

 

[Cruise]

Now many say the President doesn't work on localized situations like that, and in a sense he's not supposed to.

If a President comes from a certain state, people aren't surprised that state does well during his term in office.

Is having a Chicago politician as President doing anything for the community in Chicago?

Or, can I expect the south side of Chicago to be no better off in 2012 as it was in 2008?

One thing Obama could do is address the immigration issue. While its a sensitive issue, that shit is negatively affecting the "black" employment levels. When I say address the issue, I mean enforce current laws with employers!

Is that me just being insensitive?

You are for immigration controls?

I've finally accepted the Bush attitude on immigration.

No limits.

People should be allowed to go and live wherever there is room and opportunity and they know and respect the laws of the land.

 

[Lamarr]

You are for immigration controls?

I've finally accepted the Bush attitude on immigration.

No limits.

People should be allowed to go and live wherever there is room and opportunity and they know and respect the laws of the land.

I see this argument a lot from 'true' free market advocates.

The immigration issue wouldn't be so bad if we had a bustling economy because we would be looking for workers to fill positions as our productive capacity expanded. However, that is not the case at this moment. In a lot of instances, wages are decreasing as a result of excess manpower.

I'd just stick to the statement that our 'community' would benefit the most, in terms of jobs, from the enforcement of current immigration laws.

 

[nittie]

Friday, October 30, 2009
Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Investigation

The Washington Post is reporting that House ethics investigators have been scrutinizing the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry



Ellen Nakashima and Paul Kane staff writers with the Washington Post are reporting the a number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being investigated for defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July.

The document also disclosed that ethics committee staff members have interviewed House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) about one element of the complex investigation of his personal finances, as well as the lawmaker's top aide and his son.

Rangel said he spoke with ethics committee staff members regarding a conference that he and four other members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended last November in St. Martin. The trip initially was said to be sponsored by a nonprofit foundation run by a newspaper. But the three-day event, at a luxury resort, was underwritten by major corporations such as Citigroup, Pfizer and AT&T. Rules passed in 2007, shortly after Democrats reclaimed the majority following a wave of corruption cases against Republicans, bar private companies from paying for congressional travel.
According to Wapo Rangel said he has not discussed other parts of the investigation of his finances with the committee. "I'm waiting for that, anxiously," he said.




There is more.. According to Wapo, Politico, and The LA Times, the committee did not detail the two newly disclosed investigations. However, according to the July document, Rep. Maxine Waters, a high-ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, came under scrutiny because of activities involving OneUnited Bank of Massachusetts, in which her husband owns at least $250,000 in stock. Waters arranged a September 2008 meeting at the Treasury Department where OneUnited executives asked for government money. In December, Treasury selected OneUnited as an early participant in the bank bailout program, injecting $12.1 million.

Could be wrong but I think they are trying to cover their own asses.

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

Could be wrong but I think they are trying to cover their own asses.

Maybe.
But Im really not concerned with the CBC anyways. I mean, i respect what theyve done over the last 30+ years..and i respect some of their members. But nobody is really worried about the CBC....thats why they get ignored. All im concerned about are the people in this country that are trying to make it via doing things the right way......but cant get through the door.

If a President comes from a certain state, people aren't surprised that state does well during his term in office.

Is having a Chicago politician as President doing anything for the community in Chicago?

yes..but only in my neighborhood...which means nothing if you look at things on a broader scale.

Since Obama has become president...his next door neighbor's have sold their house for almost 50 times more than what they paid for it, the local restaurants, stores, parks etc. around this area have been getting plenty of sightseers/business.....little stuff like that. But overall, no big change like increase in jobs, decrease in crime rate, etc. You may have a few reg folk here and there that got motivated because Obama won....but overall, the main one's that prospered from Obama winning are the people that either had money or had money but lacked integrity.

Or, can I expect the south side of Chicago to be no better off in 2012 as it was in 2008?

i actually dont know.
if some form of positive change does come...it will be via reg ol' Chicagoans...not Obama, Mayor Daley, etc.

 

[QueEx]

<font size="5"><center>
CBC Members Vow to Escalate Protests
if Black Economic Woes are Ignored </font size></center>


by Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA Editor-in-Chief

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The 10 Black members of the powerful House Finance Committee are still being applauded by Black Press and other Black leaders this week for boldly boycotting a committee meeting in order to force a $4 billion allocation to benefit the Black community. They have told the NNPA News Service that they plan to escalate protests if lawmakers continue to ignore the suffering of their constituents, including advertising discrimination against Black newspapers.

“We’re out of the box, we’re full speed ahead and we are not going to sit back and watch our communities suffer in silence,” says U. S. Rep. Maxine Waters, the ranking Congressional Black Caucus Member on the Committee, who led the Dec. 2 boycott.

“The 10 African-American members of the Financial Services Committee have cooperated with the leadership, we have cooperated with the administration, we have supported the bail out and now we’re saying, what do we get for all of this cooperation?What are we delivering to our communities? And the answer is little or nothing.”

Describing horrid conditions in their districts that clearly illustrate disparate suffering in the African-American communities, each of the 10 members – in separate interviews - described what their constituents are dealing with and told why they must continue to act.

“Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are being bombarded with requests for assistance by minority businesses that have no capital,” continued Waters. “The banks won’t lend them any money. They’re either closing down or threatening to be closed down. The joblessness is off the scale. Not only do we have long lines seeking unemployment, but on Thanksgiving Day around the country - including the scenes that came out of Atlanta and Los Angeles – there were thousands of people standing in line for turkeys and turkey dinners. In Los Angeles, I walked a four-block square place where they were giving out baskets. In that line were the disabled. One lady was 94 years old.”

Joblessness, frustration, hopelessness – the sentiments are synonymous from state to state. “They’re going through a tremendous, tremendous desperation effort,” said Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.). “Even if you look at all of your own newspapers, advertising dollars are not there. We sit here as Congress people with tremendous leverage and power. It was so important for us to use that leverage.”

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is supportive of the Financial Services Committee’s stance and said in a statement following remarks by President Barack Obama on job creation and economic growth. “President Obama’s speech was another sober reminder of the important work we must do to grow our economy and create jobs. While we agree with the president that support for small businesses, infrastructure investment and green jobs is essential, we also believe that much more needs to be done, particularly for those Americans who are hurting most.”

What the 10 Black members did was boycott the committee’s final vote on a broad-sweeping financial overhaul bill. Instead, they were over at the White House trying to obtain greater funding for economic advances in the Black community. The vote passed narrowly, but the CBC’s action effectively forced $4 billion to the table to go directly toward helping people keep their homes after they’ve lost their jobs.

In addition to the needs of Black businesses, home owners and the jobless, a news release describing the boycott specifically cited the importance of spending federal advertising dollars with Black newspapers.

“Like other businesses, access to capital has been a challenge for this industry as well. With declining ad revenues, newspapers everywhere are struggling to survive,” the statement said.

Danny Bakewell, chairman of the 200-member National Newspaper Publishers Association, was credited by several members for helping to spark the protest by his firebrand lobbying
around Capitol Hill.

Bakewell said he is delighted at the stance taken by the CBC, but much more must be done to recognize the power of the Black Press to the nation. “We have been the backbone and the foundation on which America was built.

And in this case, what we are realizing is that we continue to be the foundation on which many of these corporations make their profits and develop their brands throughout the country and we’re not going to continue to sit idly by and let them do that while the very fabric of our community is crumbling from within.

We’re serving notice on General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and other automotive companies and the automotive industry that there will be no more business as usual.”

Bakewell, NNPA Foundation Chair Dorothy R. Leavell, Dallas Examiner Publisher Mollie Belt and Chicago Defender Publisher Michael House have begun a series of meetings with corporations and have already made inroads.

“We’ve met with AT&T. They have been very receptive. They represent what we believe at this point we can say is a good corporate citizen,” Bakewell said. “We’re not asking for a bail out or a hand out, we’re asking for reciprocity and respect.”

Bakewell explained that the Black community, Black newspapers included, are being shortchanged for the dollars they spend with businesses and corporations.

“We’re asking what percentage of the market share do we represent a company’s business, their profit margin? If we represent one percent, we don’t expect to get anything more than one percent. But, if we represent 50 percent, we expect to have 50 percent of their resources and their effort going to strengthen their brand and building their brand in our community.”

In order to avoid legal ramifications, the committee agreed to target the money toward communities with the most devastating socio-economic impact rather than by race. That includes most of the CBC districts.

“Across the country, it is absolutely shocking,” says Rep. Al Green (D-Texas). “It is very unfortunate that we have to make this commentary, but the truth of the matter is that there are people who are suffering and who have not been identified properly…We cannot leave these communities behind. If it goes to the areas where the unemployment is the highest, it covers the people who are suffering the most.

Green says his office has found that the federal government spends about 5 percent of $4.3 billion for ad-related expenditures on small business and minority businesses.

“We can do better than that,” he says. “These newspapers, not only do they benefit from the ads, but the community benefits from the message that the ads bring to the community because it goes to a corner of the community that is not penetrated by other newspapers.” Part of the money will come from the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program).

“There’s no more troubled assets than a job and your home,” says Scott. ''So, now we are using our muscle to address the high jobless rates in our communities and the high foreclosure rate.”

CBC members are hoping to get even more as they continue to use creative ways to call attention to the swelling problems in the Black community that have shaken up the offices of the CBC members.

“The traditional role of a member of Congress before the economic downturn was to basically intervene with the federal government agencies on behalf of constituents, people didn’t get their VA checks or social security checks or they were needing help getting their travel documents or visas or passport,” says Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.). “But, disproportionately now, people are calling for grassroots down in the community help. I need food, I need housing. I need to be protected from a foreclosure. I need assistance with mortgage modification, I need you to find me a job. Businesses are calling saying I can’t find any loans, I can’t get credit.”
They’re receiving the calls and emails everyday, says Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.

“They say when’s our turn?” Ellison recounts. “‘We need real jobs programs. We need something to help small, minority businesses. We need to know that there is a vibrant, historic and very strong African-American business community here in the United States and in my state of Minnesota. It really struck me that every single industry is being severely impacted.” Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) says his district has been hit especially hard in homeownership.

“My district in the city of New York is number one in foreclosures. So, more people are losing their homes and thereby losing wealth. And so much so that I’ve had to get not-for-profit organizations that have expertise in helping individuals work through these problems,” he said. “We really can’t make a decision in trying to save people’s homes. So they’re feeling that the dream that they had, the American dream of having home ownership, they had it, but they’re losing it and as result losing their credit, which might mean they may not be able to gain it again.” Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) says it’s like the life blood flowing out of the communities.

Missouri, like the rest of the country, is hemorrhaging, especially in the African-American community from the economic woes of this country…There is no job creation, there is no rescue or bailout for those African-Americans who have been caught in a cycle of home foreclosures, job losses and health care benefits, all of that is precarious to our community, unique to our community.

Rep. Eldridge Cleaver (D-Mo.) says his constituents are wise to the fact that they’ve been neglected while big businesses were bailed out.

“It is not just impacting the uneducated, it’s impacting the entire community. We gave General Motors billions of dollars. They don’t advertising in Black newspapers. They don’t advertise on Black radio. That’s not right. And there’s no reason for us to remain passive or silent as that’s happening.”

CBC members have known all along about the disparate treatment of Blacks. But recently they were enlightened to the point of taking their consciousness to a new level of protest.

“As we worked through the process of getting to the point where we were going to vote for the final Wall Street bill, it became more and more difficult for the 10 members of financial services to vote for it because it felt like we were navel gazing,” said Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) “We saw that we were presiding over the entire collapse of the Black economy.

We had to make a decision about how to get attention on a whole sector of our economy that was about to go under. It wasn’t like the Black community was getting a hair cut, we were being beheaded.”

With the Black unemployment rate surpassing 15 percent while the overall rate is at 10 percent, there is one cry above all others for which the CBC vows to continue to stand: “Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs,” lamented Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) “We’re dealing with so many contentious issues in congress, to see people who are bold and unapologetic, you can’t do anything but respect it whether you agree or disagree philosophically, the boldness that comes with that stand can’t be overlooked.”



http://www.blackpressusa.com/News/Article.asp?SID=3&Title=Hot+Stories&NewsID=20535

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

CBC Members Vow to Escalate Protests
if Black Economic Woes are Ignored

Them and what army?
Thats why they're not taken seriously.
While they ask the Obama admin for assistance with bringing jobs to the Black community, the same Black community that they fight for just sits and marvels over the fact that a Black man is somewhat running the country...

Until the millions of TAX PAYING, VOTING Black folks thats struggling grow some balls and fight for whats entitled to them...then theyll never see jobs or anything else that wil help bring them some economic power.