Washington Informer

Enjoying the Informer
The Washington Informer really should be commended for its innovative coverage. There are many newspapers in the city to choose from, but none takes the time to engage the community the way the Informer does. In addition to covering stories about D.C. and Prince George’s County, the stories are always from the perspective of the people. The last thing I want to read is the same information I just saw on television or heard on the radio. The new look is crisp and clean and the design elements are powerful. As the demographics of the city shift and grow to include people from all walks of life, it is good to know that the Informer continues to put native Washingtonians and our concerns to forefront of their coverage. Keep up the great work.

Harold O. Wambu
Northeast, D.C.

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Kudos to the Washington Informer
I just purchased my tickets to Europe based on the great Jaunts… with Shantella Sherman spread in your paper. For years I have wanted to travel abroad but felt intimidated by the idea of going somewhere unfamiliar. Ms. Sherman made Europe sound so exciting and welcoming that I decided to book a trip for next spring. The articles were also humorous and witty; something I would not have found in other publications.
Even more exciting is that two of my sorority sisters will be joining me. They, too, have become fans of the Jaunts series and found that the information Ms. Sherman provided answered a lot of the questions they had. Great job! Cannot wait to see where Jaunts takes us next.

Melissa Fisher-Fox
Wheaton, Md.

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Great Council Coverage
Thanks for providing great coverage of the D.C. Council. It is always good to have a newspaper that can keep the public informed about the things its leaders are doing. Each week I am pleased that James Wright and Ben Koconis are going the Council hearings and neighborhood meetings to ensure that those of us who cannot be at these meetings know what is happening.

Yasmine Tutt
Northwest, D.C.

By Rev Jesse Jackson Sr

March 12, 2011

The jobs numbers were hailed as good news on Friday, with employers adding more than 200,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate ticking down to 8.8 percent. Less attention was given to the downside of these numbers. Black unemployment remains about twice as great as the national unemployment average — and is going up, not down.

What is going on here? To some extent, this reflects the old patterns: Minorities are the last hired and the first fired, and the last to be brought in and the first to go.

But it is more than that. The stepladders that hard-working minorities could climb into the middle class are being dismantled. With the migration to the North after World War II, African Americans flooded into cities and eagerly sought jobs in the growing manufacturing sector. But manufacturing has been in decline since the 1980s, as companies began shipping more good jobs than goods abroad.

Then African Americans with growing educational achievement sought employment in the public sector, particularly at the state and local level. As more equal opportunity opened up, they found work as teachers, managers, sanitation workers, cops and firefighters. But now, layoffs of public employees are spreading, and minorities often are those with the least seniority and the first to go. Latinos and blacks also flocked to the residential, often non-union, construction industries, but these were devastated when the housing bubble burst.

This Great Recession has been a Great Depression for young people. Hit with trillions in losses in retirement accounts and housing values, older workers struggle to hold onto their jobs longer. With jobs growth slow, openings for the young are scarce.

Here again, there is a racial divide. Over 40 percent of all African Americans between ages 16 and 19 are unemployed, compared with 21 percent of all whites of that age. This is, without question, a social catastrophe. Young people are graduating from high school or college into the worst jobs situation since the 1930s. Without jobs, they lose skills, discipline, dignity and hope. Economists tell us that those who lose months to unemployment often take years to catch up with their peers, if they ever do.

Beneath this is the continued legacy of discrimination in America. Young African Americans still suffer the disadvantage of unequal opportunity from the start. Too many are born into poverty, raised in broken homes, suffer the savage inequality that comes from the absence of affordable pre-K programs in underfunded public schools trying to cope with the absence of good teachers who flee to affluent suburbs. Urban residents also suffer from the rising cost of and decreasing access to mass transit, making it more and more difficult to get to jobs that might be available in the suburbs.

In Washington, the focus has turned to cutting deficits, not to creating jobs. With interest rates near zero, and businesses sitting on trillions waiting for customers, even conservatives have a hard time arguing that “cut and grow” works. They suggest that businesses aren’t hiring because they are worried about potential future tax increases or befuddled by regulations, or lack confidence in the future. More likely, they simply lack customers, as 25 million are still in need of full-time work, wages are not keeping up with rising costs of food and gas, home values are continuing to sink, and Americans continue to tighten their belts.

This is a national emergency. We cannot allow mass unemployment to be the new normal. We cannot write off an entire generation. At the current rate of jobs generation, it will take six years to make up the jobs lost in the Great Recession. Young people can’t wait six years to get to work. The long-term unemployed can’t wait six years for jobs to come back.

We need a National Commission on Jobs and the Young. We need to focus on the depression that is devastating the newly emerging black middle class and snuffing out hope among the young. And if Washington can’t hear this yet, we’ve got to raise our voices and demand that they listen.

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

March 22, 2011

Tsunami, earthquake and nuclear horror in Japan. Revolution throughout the Middle East. Grim austerity in much of Europe. America scarred by 25 million people in need of full-time work, and by pressure on wages and benefits. In Egypt, the unemployment of one in four young people led directly to the uprising. In the United States, unemployment among young people nears that level.

 We live in troubled times.

 In America, we learn how corporate corruption and government timidity delayed action on the nuclear plants in Japan, worsening the crisis and putting lives at risk. But aren’t we in this country facing our own tsunami choice? We’re in crisis. Fundamental changes are needed. Yet both parties in Washington seem divorced from the reality that faces us. Both seem to assume there is a recovery, and are turning to how much to cut from the federal budget. Both seem to assume that America can go back to the economy that we had before the Great Recession.

 But for working families, there is little sign of a recovery. Jobs are still scarce; homes are still under water and being foreclosed upon; wages and benefits are still being cut, and vital public services are being dismantled.

 Our old economy cannot — and should not — be recovered. It was built on unsustainable disparities such record trade deficits, Gilded Age inequality and a declining middle class. Wall Street’s bubbles overwhelmed the real economy.

 If we are to rebuild a strong economy with a broad middle class and the opportunity for all to participate in its widely shared blessings, then wrenching and fundamental changes are needed. Consider even a partial list:

 We must transform our energy system, for global warming is accelerating faster than even the alarmists predicted. This requires a bold strategy for building solar and wind energy, deciding about nuclear power, retrofitting homes and buildings, transforming our transportation system and much more. Yet, in Washington, denial dominates the Republicans in the House. The result is that little progress is being made.

 We must rebuild our ability to make things in America, and dramatically change our global strategy. That will require unilateral steps at home and an intense global dialogue to reduce imbalances that all agree can’t be sustained. Yet, Washington is repackaging old trade accords, ignoring ever more aggressive Chinese mercantilism and watching as the trade deficit begins to rise again.

 We must empower workers to capture a fair share of the profits and productivity they produce. Without a broad middle class, there is neither sufficient demand to make the economy work nor sufficient revenue to support vital government services. Yet in Washington, the debate focuses on lowering top tax rates even more, and on protecting tax breaks to the richest Americans.

 Instead of debating ways to empower workers, Republican governors across the country are leading an attack designed to strip workers of their basic rights to bargain collectively.

 We must fix our health care system or it will bankrupt everything. Yet, House Republicans argue only for repealing the reforms that began to curb the excesses of the insurance companies that drive up prices.

 We need a clear strategy for moving to full employment. The largest and most diverse generation in American history is graduating into the worst jobs market since the Great Depression. We cannot afford to squander their talent, their energy and their hopes. And yet, in Washington, their plight is simply ignored.

 There is more — spending less policing the world in order to rebuild America, curbing the big banks, revitalizing our schools, sensibly getting our books in order. But it is as if we are in an old movie house with a broken projector endlessly repeating the same scenes. House Republicans argue for returning to policies like deregulation, top end tax cuts and attacks on workers that drove us into the mess. Democrats remain compromised and divided.

 So for those American commentators who decry the Japanese corporate corruption that impeded response to the nuclear disaster, one word of advice: Do not throw that stone without looking at the glass around you.

In last week's story, Gray Seeks to Jumpstart Agenda, staff writer Barrington Salmon incorrectly stated that Councilmember Jim Graham was being investigated by the FBI. Graham is not under investigation. Graham was offered a $2600 cash gift by an FBI informant, which he refused to accept.

World AIDS Day is Dec. 1 and each year it represents an opportunity for people around the world to unite in the fight against HIV. "Getting to Zero" is this year's ambitious theme. The theme, which will be used until 2015, seeks to rally the world around a simple vision: "Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, with approximately 50,000 Americans becoming infected with HIV each year. In the District of Columbia, the latest HIV/AIDS data indicates 3.2 percent of the city's population is currently living with HIV/AIDS.

The good news is in 2010, the District increased HIV testing, supporting 110,000 tests. The District also improved in connecting more than 75 percent of people into care and treatment within three months of their HIV diagnosis. Last week, Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced a new public-private partnership between the D.C. Department of Health (DOH), Department of Human Service (DHS) and Family and Medical Counseling Services, Inc. , supported by Gilead Sciences, Inc., to offer free HIV testing at the DHS Anacostia Service Center located in Southeast.

The District's response to HIV/AIDS is admirable, but as long as HIV/AIDS-related infections, discrimination and deaths continue, none of us can rest comfortably. Quite frankly, we're not at "zero" yet.

The streets of D.C. are not nearly safe enough for anyone who lives, works and wants to enjoy all this beautiful city has to offer. It's gotten better since the mid-80's when the District was once called the "murder capital of the world." But with three shootings that took the lives of three victims over the Thanksgiving holiday, the fact remains that our neighborhoods are not as safe as they should be. The victims, however, are our neighbors. They are mostly young African American men with families and friends who still suffer from their loss. Not knowing why the life of their loved one was taken, or by who keeps the painful wound open endlessly. Which is why two Washington residents started Homicide Watch D.C., an award-winning website originally launched last year, and relaunched again this past August. Laura Amico, founder and editor, and Chris Amico, journalist and web developer, say on their website that, "as D.C. residents, we believe that how people live and die here, and how those deaths are recognized, matters to every one of us. If it matters how someone is killed in Cleveland Park, then it matters how someone is killed in Truxton Circle, Ivy City, Washington Highlands or Georgetown. If we are to understand violent crime in our community, the losses of every family, in every neighborhood must be recognized. And the outcome of every trial — be it a conviction or an acquittal — must be recorded." It is not the policy of this publication to cover crime news, but we appreciate the Amico's work on behalf of the loved ones in this city we all call home. Visit www.homicidewatch.org.

News of the sentencing of former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, along with the recent FBI raid on the home of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas (D), and the sexual harassment/adultery allegations that led to the suspension of Republican candidate Herman Cain’s race to the White House, have many area voters agonizing over the future for African American candidates vying for public office. Johnson broke the public trust, while Thompson, who has not been found guilty of breaking any laws, still stands under a cloud with several District council members under investigation for possible ethics violations. Fact: last week was a bad week for Black elected officials.

Some voters blame it on racism that Black elected officials seem as if they are being targeted. Others credit social media for its role in exposing potential wrongdoings of politicians and then blasting their unconfirmed illegal acts to the world, casting a negative light on their service and their commitment to serving their constituents. This recent spate of alleged bad boy politicians already has folks wishing for the end of their tenure and predicting that fewer African American candidates will end up serving the District the next time. The truth is, the pontificators may be right, especially if the demographic shifts in the District play out similarly at the polls. But Black voters must remain active and engaged, despite the actions of a few. And Black office seekers must be encouraged to enter political races and equipped to handle the tough personal and physical challenges they will surely face.

The hard fought gains for Black political power won just 40 short years ago cannot be lost so soon.

The real winter season is just days ahead as snow is finally making its way into the forecasts. With the snow, comes broken tree limbs, snapped electrical lines and possibly hours, days or even weeks without electricity. This scenario has caused Pepco, the area’s largest electric utility company, to be vilified by residents and the media for its apparent inability to make repairs in a timely manner and to get their customers back online without any additional material loss.

Pepco officials say they have listened to their customers and are demonstrating in a number of ways the proactive steps they are taking to make sure this winter’s experience is significantly better for their customers than seasons past. It’s what they call their Reliability Enhancement Program, which focuses on six crucial areas Pepco will address over the next five years to “enhance reliability” to “reduce the frequency and the duration of power outages.” A Blue Ribbon Task Force has been established to get customer feedback regarding personal experiences on the advantages and shortcomings of Pepco’s service.

We encourage our readers who also happen to be Pepco customers living in Wards 1,2,6 and 7 to join a virtual town hall meeting via telephone next Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 7p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We commend Pepco for providing such a novel opportunity to allow residents to let their voices be heard. Everyone needs to join this preventative bandwagon to help eliminate the problems even Pepco hopes to avoid happening again this year. Call 800-648-7148.

Nearly one of eight District households and one of two children are struggling against hunger in the nation's capital, according to recent reports. On Thursday, Councilmember Michael A. Brown (I-At-Large) and colleagues introduced the new Food Stamp Expansion Bill to address the growing crisis.
Alexandra Ashbrook, Executive Director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, Ed Lazere,

Executive Director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and officials from D.C. Departments of Human Services and Environment joined Councilmember Brown at a press conference at the Wilson Building on Tues., March 10 to address the hunger issue.

Last month, 31.8 million Americans applied for food stamps, and anti-hunger advocates warn the numbers will get worse as the recession deepens.

D.C. Hunger Solutions reports that the District ranks 19 out of 51 states in terms of the number of households facing “food insecurity” and that 32,000 households - almost 12 percent of all households - in the District of Columbia were food insecure in 2005-2007, an increase of nine percent from 2001 - 2003.

“The data bears out of my personal belief that far too many District residents, like others around the country, are falling through the cracks. I will do all I can to continue to look for innovative solutions and resources to alleviate the burden and hardships our residents face in these trying times,” Brown said.
“The Food Stamp Expansion Act of 2009” will increase support systems for residents struggling to feed their families by expanding eligibility and increasing monthly benefits for D.C.’s food stamp program. The expansion will also bring new federal funds into the District to help stimulate the economy.

We are fortunate to live in an age when prescription medicines are readily available to cure or treat everything from hypertension and ulcers to cancer and Alzheimer’s. Every day, millions of Americans rely on these medicines to live longer, healthier, more productive lives.

Every medicine – prescription or otherwise – carries with it potential benefits and risks. If your doctor prescribes a medication, it is because he or she believes the benefits to your health outweigh the risks or side effects. Still, it is essential for you, the patient, to understand your health condition and treatment options, and to ask questions about your prescription medicines. An informed patient is better able to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks associated with their prescription drugs.