apriljoydamian's blog

Crossposted on Young People For

I was perplexed as I read a recent NY Times article on the House approval of $700 billion economic bailout package. Numerous questions ran through my mind: How did we get in this mess? Is $700 billion really necessary? More recently, will $700 billion do the trick? The more basic questions: What does $700 billion look like, and where will it come from?

Maybe someone can explain to me how the United States, a country that prides itself in a capitalist system and promotes laissez-faire/letting the market take care of itself, can all of a sudden call on the government when the free market becomes a prisoner of itself. Moreover, how can the bailout be justified as CEOs of failing banks and lending companies are provided with a golden parachute?

The kings of Wall Street has gotten off easy vis-a-vis golden parachutes and the recent bailout, while Main Street's problems with foreclosures is rewarded with a $700 billion bill for Wall Street's mistakes.

The Center for American Progress made the following juxtaposition of the housing crisis on Main Street with the golden parachutes on Wall Street:

2,203,295: Number of foreclosures reported in 2007. That’s a 75 percent increase over 2006 numbers.

12 months: Number of consecutive months of declining house prices, as of December 2007.

…While CEOs of the companies that led us down this path have been let go with golden parachutes.

Countrywide’s founder and CEO Angelo R. Mozilo

$704 million: Countrywide Financial Corp. net loss in 2007.
11,000: Number of workers Countrywide laid off between July, 2007, and January 29, 2008.
$37.5 million: Approximate value of cash severance payments, consulting fees, and perquisites (including private airplane use) that Angelo Mozilo, founder and CEO of Countrywide, gave up after Countrywide’s merger with Bank of America.
$23.8 million: Estimated value of Mozilo’s company retirement plan in December 2006, the last year for which data are available. Mozilo did not forgo these benefits.

Merrill Lynch’s former Chairman and CEO E. Stanley O’Neal (ret. Oct. 30, 2007)

$161.5 million: Value of securities and retirement benefits that Stanley O’Neal walked away with from Merrill Lynch when he retired. O’Neal did not receive a traditional severance payment.
$7.8 billion: Merrill Lynch net loss for all of 2007.

Citigroup’s former Chairman and CEO Charles Prince (ret. Nov. 4, 2007)

$17.4 billion: Citigroup write-downs on subprime related direct exposures in 2007.
$9.83 billion: Citigroup’s 2007 fourth-quarter loss.
$40 billion: Approximate value of Prince’s retirement package, shares, and options in Citi stock upon his retirement in November, 2007.

So, how much are the heads of Wall Street hurting, and when will the time come when Main Street Americans are rewarded with a $700 billion bailout without the latter being negatively labeled as "welfare"/"government handout", or even, socialism?

I was reading a recent article from John Gray of The Observer, a UK publication, whose title/subtitle read: "A shattering moment in America's fall from power: The global financial crisis will see the US falter in the same way the Soviet Union did when the Berlin Wall came down. The era of American dominance is over" In the article, Gray takes note of the “interaction of debt and war” in determining the future of an empire, and cites the British and Soviet Union empires as historical examples. Nevertheless, I must ask, weren’t there Americans who realized that the fall of the United States as a world empire was already taking place before the crash of Wall Street?

In my current fellowship placement at The Greenlining Institute, a multi-ethnic public policy and research advocacy organization, we address systemic inequities. The Green Assets/Sustainable Development Program for example, looks at low-income populations and communities of color accessibility to a world that is increasingly “going green.” This team looks at corporate responsibility and government regulation since history shows that corporations have maintained unsustainable energy practices that have disproportionately affected low-income people of color. For example, the expansion of the Chevron refinery in Richmond, California , contributed to high rates of neurodegenerative diseases and asthma in its population, 49.8% of which is African American. The Higher Education Team looks at predatory lending to and credit card debt among college students, and how California is able to continue expanding its prison system while decreasing financial aid and raising college tuition. Our Media Academy takes a critical look at mainstream media and how certain news make headlines while other issues that matter to our community go unnoticed. Thus, the Academy serves to take back media and feature stories that matter to Greenlining, our Coalition, and the communities we serve. As part of the Bridges to Health Team, as I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I look at language and cultural competency in telemedicine, or, the use of technology in accessing health services. Some of my other colleagues are looking at diversity in the University of California’s medical schools, or lack thereof, and how this contributes to a health workforce that is unable to provide quality care to the diverse communities of California.

But, the Founding Fathers have shown when they split from the English King, you can only maintain your power and suppress your people for so long until the pedestal is pulled from your feet. In our situation, America can only intoxicate, lock up, and keep its citizens from being viable contributors society vis-à-vis having access to a decent education and being competitive in the job market, for so long until it too, must face the karma of injustice and meet its end.

So what do we now?

As my time at Greenlining has reaffirmed, maybe we can start by not obsessing over our stock options and instead, begin to invest in people.

Bumped. --Craig

Crossposted at Young People For

One of my fellow YP4 Leadership Academy participants and myself attended the debate watch party last night hosted by San Francisco for Obama. We predicted that McCain would address the audience and viewers at home as "friends" (even though he should be talking directly with Obama out of respect and given that it's a debate), and Obama would share his "hope" for the country by bringing "change" to Washington. Nevertheless, additional phrases/terms were added to the pot: "Wall Street v. Main Street," "strategy v. tactic," and how about that "bracelet"?

After the debate, I listened to various analysts and read blogs and editorials representing different parts of the political spectrum. One commentator summed up the debate as a competition between experience and judgment, which is a salient point. While I honor and pay my respects to McCain and his military service as a POW, his experience doesn't necessarily guarantee he makes sound military/national defense and security judgment. His initial and continued support of the war in Iraq is a case in point.

I began to discuss the debate with my parents earlier this afternoon, and my father was already looking forward to seeing the first (and only) VP debate next week. Once again, I thought about this theme of experience and judgment. I was particularly taking a closer look at McCain's VP selection, Gov. Palin, and reconsidering if such a move was strategic or tragic?

While her identities as a hockey mom and Washington outsider might have intially appealed to disgruntled Clinton supporters and helped McCain with the "women vote," how long will the postive craze over Palin last? When will more of the public, particularly those who are eligible and registered to vote, be made aware of Palin's judgment as mayor of Wasila to bill sexual assault victims for the cost of rape kits and forensic exams? Biden, in contrast, drafted the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, in which he included "provisions to make states ineligible for federal grant money if they charged rape victims for exams and the kits containing the medical supplies needed to conduct them." McCain voted against Biden's initiative. Again, a question of judgment.

The more I listen to Palin and observe her resort back to her talking points when posed with questions on foreign policy (as in the case of the interview with Katie Couric), I worry that she would be second-in-command to the oldest first-term U.S. president.

Palin: strategic or tragic? And for whom?

Bumped. --Craig

Crossposted at Young People For

One month has passed since I've begun serving as a Health Fellow at Greenlining Institute, a multi-ethnic policy advocacy organization, courtesy of Young People For's Leadership Academy. Before commencing my fellowship with Greenlining's Bridges to Health Team, I had some prior knowledge about coalition building. I recognized that there are different entities involved in coalition building, and therefore, different opinions (even voices of dissent), whose alliance exists to achieve a common purpose. When I came to Greenlining, I was immediately drawn to the organization's leadership in and success with coalition building. How do you build a coalition? What are the factors that must be taken into account in determining coalition membership? As the coalition expands, does decision making become less time efficient?

The formalized Greenlining Coalition's history traces back to 1979, though as the description indicates, several of its members had been collaborating since 1971. The Greenlining Coalition describes its unified purpose as the following:

The basic ideology that unifies the coalition is the understanding that increasing the size of the pie for all communities makes more sense than fighting for crumbs. Beyond ethnic diversity, the coalition represents diverse constituents that include faith-based organizations, minority business associations, community development corporations, health advocates, traditional civil rights organizations, and minority media outlets.

As noted, the Greenlining Coalition is comprised of about 40 organizations, representing the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of California. Can you actually have the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on the same coalition as the First AME Church? Can business groups work with faith-based organizations? When both parties share a common purpose of empowering and creating more equitable outcomes for underrepresented communities, the answer is, sure you can. In fact, history shows that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s effort in organizing and promoting the economic advancement of union workers was aligned with his leadership role at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

While my work with Greenlining thus far has reaffirmed the strength in building a coalition that represents the communities it is intended to advocate for and serve, I am gradually learning about the processes involved in determining acceptance into the coalition. Just because your group's mission statement is aligned with the Coalition's, does not guarantee automatic membership. How well would your organization work with the existing coalition members? Is your mission statement just words, or is your organization and staff truly putting the intended mission into practice and addressing the needs of the target population? Does your organization have a track record of putting the community's needs above your own group's interests?

As I am learning about coalition building through Greenlining, I am, as expected, coming up with more questions than answers. As the Young People For Leadership Academy has taught me, and Greenlining has reaffirmed, community organizing and advocacy is a life-long learning process. I'm constantly adding more skills to my toolbox while the needs, even demographics, of the communities I serve, continue to change. At this point, I have no clear-cut responses to my inquiries, but will be sure to share updates on my understanding of coalition building.

Bumped. -- Craig

Crossposted at Young People For

On occasion, my friends and I tune in to Fox News to hear the latest attacks from right-wing conservatives. One of my rather opinionated friends commented on how "frightening" and "awkward" these Fox commentators appeared. It was as though they were unknowingly disturbed by the inaccuracy of their reports. In contrast, as I reflected on my experience thus far with the progressive movement, most recently with Young People For, I thought that my friend's words were not all fitting for the fellow activists I've met through my social justice work; in fact, the face of the progressive movement is quite attractive.

As noted in my previous blog, I am currently participating in Young People For's (YP4) Leadership Academy with 20 other fellows. Prior to my involvement with YP4, I was already engaged in numerous student-led and youth development programs. As an undergraduate, I was fortunate enough to obtain seed money from Cal Corps at UC Berkeley to start South of Market (SoMa) Scholars Mentorship Program, a one-on-one mentorship program whose mission is to provide academic and social support for low-income adolescents of color in the Bay Area. However, my experience in student/social activism, as rewarding as it is, also has its share of shortcomings. While some funding has been provided for student-led programs, there has been little investment made in the leadership development, both the professional and personal aspects, of the young activists who are at the forefront of this organizations.

Here comes the Young People For Leadership Academy.

I knew I was set on integrating my passion for social justice and empowering disadvantaged communities with my interest in health and medicine. Nevertheless, I still had personal concerns. How would I balance my personal and professional life? Would I be able to fulfill my responsibilities as a wife and mother while continuing to actively advocate for the medically underserved? How?

Through my experience in the YP4 Leadership Academy thus far, I have been able to explore these questions, and then some. I have met other young progressive leaders who have the same concerns. I have been connected and placed with The Greenlining Institute, a multi-ethnic research and policy advocacy organization, through which I have developed relationships with older professionals who have successfully balanced their personal responsibilities with their social activism. Thus, in the process of nurturing and creating a healthier world, I have accepted that it's okay, even necessary, to take care of my own needs. No need to let myself go-- I can help keep the progressive movement sexy.

My name is April Joy Damian, a guest blogger from Young People For (YP4). I graduated from UC Berkeley in Ethnic Studies, completed a post-bac program at City College of San Francisco, and am currently participating as a YP4 Leadership Academy Fellow prior to beginning medical school.

I first heard about YP4 through an email from a partner organization. My initial reaction to the name of the organization was, "Young people for what?" Intrigued by its name, I decided to visit the YP4 website where I noticed that various issues pop up after the title "Young People For," including, but not limited to, public education, religious freedom, and environmental protection. Thus, while the YP4 home page provides the organization's mission, YP4 in my own words, encourages young people to come up with the process (how) and substance (what) while providing the tools to allow young leaders to achieve both. Rather than dictate what issues are important and the best mechanisms to address these, YP4 challenged me to take a stance on a social concern and to take ownership of how to best resolve it.

As mentioned earlier, I am currently participating in the 2008-2009 Young People For Leadership Academy. The college bubble, both at UC Berkeley as well as at City College of San Francisco, was a mixed blessing. It was in college that I discovered my unique role in the progressive movement and passion to serve as a leader in social justice. I was fortunate enough to meet other like-minded students with whom I was able to build a network of support. As graduation drew closer and medical school was just around the corner, I knew that the end of college did not necessarily mean the end of my "social justice phase." Rather, I wanted to my involvement in the progressive movement to be my way of life. The Leadership Academy was just the right antidote.

As noted in a previous YP4 blog on the Leadership Academy, my participation in the program has provided me with the post-college/pre-grad school support system I need to continue in my progressive work in medicine/public health. The program has weaved a beautiful balance between developing my capacity as a young professional through mentorship and coaching sessions with Cathy Wasserman, while nurturing my humanity and need to laugh, cry, and even simply rest. Through the Leadership Academy, I hope to grow in my leadership capacity both in the professional and personal realms. I hope to have my character, values, and opinions challenged, while also challenging my 20 fellow participants and program staff to think differently.