____________________________ ^ 'ÍJ n rtla u ít ©bsseruer________________________ ocioberzy.zooa
Racial Wealth Gap W idens Voters Have Election Doubts
(A P ) — T he enorm ous w ealth
gap betw een w hite fam ilies and
blacks and H ispanics has grow n
wider.
A private analysis o f governm ent
data finds that w hite households in
the U.S. had a median net worth o f
greaterthan$SM,(MX)in2()O2,11 times
m ore than Hispanics and m ore than
14 tim es that o f black A m ericans, the
Pew Hispanic C enter said in a study
released Monday.
A frican A m ericans w ere slow
est to em erge from the econom ic
dow nturn that started in 2(XX) and
ended in late 2(X) 1, the report found.
Net worth accounts for the values
o f item s such as a hom e and car.
checking and savings accounts, and
stocks, m inus debts such as m ort
gage, car loans and credit card bills.
G reater w ealth m eans a g reater
ability to w eath er a jo b loss, e m e r
g ency hom e repairs, illness and
o th er unexpected costs, as well as
being able to save for retirem ent or
a c h ild ’s colleg e tuition.
Doublespeak and
Common Sense
in Education
For the last four years, we have been fed a steady diet o f O rw ellian d o u b le
By
Reg Weaver,
President,
N ational
E ducation
Association
speak. leg islatio n that allowed for increased air-p o llu tio n was nam ed the
C lear Skies Act. T h e H ealthy Forests Initiative was a w indfall for the logging
industry. A nd the Patriot Act actually curtails the rights o f A m erican citi
zens in th e nam e o f freedom .
But to m y m in d n o th in g was m o re cynical than to label as school refo rm the
so-called N o C hild I eft B ehind Act. W hy d o I call it cynical? C ertainly not
because it called for raising stan d ard s o f achievem ent in o u r public schools
o r required highly qualified teachers in the nation's classroom s. The 2.7 m il
lion m em b ers o f th e N ational E ducation A ssociation - classroom teachers
and o th e r ed u catio n professionals - have w orked for those things for years.
We take issue with th e way the bill was crafted.
You see, w ith its com plicated m ath em atical form ulas for scoring tests,
Cloud cast by
memories of
2000 in Florida
(A P ) — M em ories o f F lo rid a’s
co n tested 2000 presidential elec
tion and a grow ing num ber o f pre
election law suits are m aking A m eri
can s skeptical about a voting pro
cess they on ce took for granted.
Six in 10 o f those surveyed in an
A sso ciated Press poll say it’s likely
there will not b e a e le a r w inner in the
presidential race by Nov. 3 - the day
a fter the election. A bout h a lf say
they fear the results w ill be c h a l
lenged in court, according to the
poll co n ducted for the A P by Ipsos
Public Affairs.
B oth D em ocrats and R epubli
can s w orry about the possibility o f
an u nresolved election - though
D em ocrats express m ore w orries.
W ith both political parties putting
th o u san ds o f law yers on call for
E lection D ay, a m ajority o f voters
ex p ect the election results w ill be
ch allen g ed in court.
A m ajority say they are confident
the vote count in their ow n state will
be accurate. But few er than half o f
D em ocrats say they are ‘very confi
dent” their state’s vote count will be
accurate, w hile three-fourths o f R e
Sen. John Kerry (left) gets a big presidential campaign boost
from former President Bill Clinton during a rally in Philadelphia
Monday. It was Clinton's first public appearance since he
underwent heart by-pass surgery last month.
publicans feel that way.
In the closing days o f the cam
paign, the national parties are keep
ing especially close tabs on Florida,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and New
M exico, all presidential battleground
states w here a challenge to a close
race m ight be lodged Nov. 3.
M ore than h a lf in the poll, 54
percent, say they think the vote
count in Florida in 20(X) w as not fair
and accurate, w ith R ep u b lican s
overw helm ingly saying it w as and
D em ocrats overw helm ingly saying
it w as not.
E lections officials in m any states
are taking steps to im prove secu
rity at polling places but are looking
for w ays to heighten readiness w ith
out posting arm ed police.
A lm ost h a lf in the poll say hav
ing arm ed police at the polls w ould
m ake them m ore inclined to vote,
w hile about on e in six say it w ould
m ake them less inclined. M inority
voters w ere m ore likely than w hites
to say arm ed police w ould m ake
them less inclined to vote.
N CI.B provides at least 37 different ways for a sch<w)l to fail. So far, 27,(XX)
public schools, including som e o f the nation's to p blue rib b o n institutions,
have stu m b led according to NCLB. R ather th an help schools succeed, N CLB
actually sets u p the n atio n ’s schools to fail, an d th en provides p u n ish m en ts
I urge
w hen they do. Why, if I didn't know better, I’d think th e g o v ern m en t was
trying to destroy public edu catio n rath er th an im prove it.
you to
N ow every parent know s that children learn at different rates, so m eth in g
exercise
ap parently forgotten by the au th o rs o f the bill. NC.l.B requires all children,
your right
w h eth er they are recent im m igrants, learning disabled o r hom eless, to m eet
the sam e stan d ard s at the sam e tim e, as if they were m ach in e p arts p ro
to vote
d uced in a factory instead o f children w ith individual needs an d abilities.
Dr. D avid I’astrict, su p erin ten d en t of th e M arion C en ter School D istrict in
First Black Admiral Dies
R etired V ice A dm . Sam uel Lee
G rav ely Jr., the first black naval
o fficer to becom e an adm iral and to
co m m an d a w arship and a fleet,
d ied Friday at the N ational N aval
M edical C enter in B ethesda, M d„
after a stroke. He w as 82.
G ravely began his 3 8 -y ear N avy
c a re e r as a fire m a n a p p re n tic e in
1942 an d in the 1960s m ad e h is
to ry by b e c o m in g a c tin g c o m
m an d in g o ffic e r o f the d e s tro y e r
U S S T h e o d o re E. C h a n d le r. D u r
ing the V ietn am W a r he c o m
m a n d e d th e d e s t r o y e r U S S
T a u ssig a n d the g u id e d m issile
frig a te U SS Jo u ett.
S u b s e q u e n t a s s ig n m e n ts in
c lu d e d c o m m a n d o f a c ru is e r d e
stro y er g ro u p , the 11 th N aval D is
tric t and th e T h ird F leet in the
Pacific.
Samuel Lee Gravely Jr.
Indiana su m m ed th e problem u p recently w hen he said, “1 believe p h ilo
sophically in NCI.B, bu t 1 d o n 't believe that all children should be held to
th e sam e stan d ard at th e sam e tim e. It just flies in the face o f co m m o n
C ,' c ^ l o r t l a n h
sense"
EDiron-iN-CHiif.
nea
ab o u t helping schools, n o t labeling an d p u n ish in g them !
NATIONAL
If you to o believe in the pow er o f ed u catio n , an d that every child deserves a
EDUCATION
great public school, I urge you to exercise y o u r right to vote. W h eth er this is
ASSOCIATION
n e a .o rg
th e m o st im p o rtan t election in o u r lifetim es is so m eth in g that o n ly histo ry
in today’s upsid e-d o w n w orld, NEA believes th at school reform sh o u ld be
can decide, but we can be sure that w hatever we decide this election year, it
will have a lasting effect o n o u r children’s futures an d o u r public schools.
If your right to vote is challenged in your precinct, you have the right to cast
a provisional ballot, a ballot that will be held until the question of your eligibility
is resolved through complete and proper channels.
Don’t be turned away. Demand your right to a provisional ballot. Even better,
get involved with the citizens who are monitoring this election for fairness
through the voters rights protection program.
The great decisions facing our nation must be determined by the people—our
seniors, young adults, men and women alike.
P aid fo r by th e A m erican F ed eratio n o f G o v e rn m e n t E m p lo y e e s, A F L -C IO .
«
B
Portland Observer, POBox3137,
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This year, every vote has meaning. This year, every person’s vote must
be counted. But before you go to the polls, make sure you know your rights.
For m o re in fo rm atio n o n v o te r rig h ts, g o to w w w .afg e.o rg /k n o w y o u rrig h ts
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DO N ’T
BE
TURNED
AW AY
Vote on November 2nd.
It’s your right!
It’s your responsibility.
P u b l is h e r :
E d it o r . M
professionals o f th e NEA can get behind. As revolutionary as it m ight so und
fo r Every Child
Established 1970
C harles H. W ashington
i c h a e l L e ig h to n
R e p o r t e r : Jaym ee R. Cuti
D is t r ib u t io n M a n a g e r : M a r k W a s h in g to n
C r e a t iv e D ir e c t o r : P a u l N e u fe ld t
O f f ic e M a n a g e r : K a th y L in d e r
C o m m o n sense. Now there’s so m eth in g th e teachers an d ed u catio n su p p o rt
G irat Public Schools
(D b a c ru c r
USPS 959-680
4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King. Jr. Bivd., Portland, OR 97211