f t January 13. 2010 M artin L uther K ing J r . Page ' 2010 s p e c ia l e d ii ion Correcting a Bush Injustice Renewing the fight for Civil Rights Civil Right Division signaled a drop in the enforcement of sev by J udge G reg M athis vestigate several allegations of eral major laws that promote George W. Bush’s term as civil rights violations but were equality and justice. president ended nearly a year often not allowed to do so by The division fded about six ago but America is still feeling their supervisors. Among the lawsuits per year in an effort to the effects of his presidency: an economic recession, two wars that drain both human and finan cial resources and a less than stellar reputation in the interna tional community. Thanks to a recently released report, we can now count ne glecting civil rights among the many injustices former Presi dent Bush and his administration inflicted upon this country. cases not investigated were al enforce anti gender and race According a report from the legations of voter intimidation discrim ination laws whereas, Government Accountability Of and violations of employee rights. under Clinton, it fded about 11 fice, which reviewed activities The report also notes that, such suits each year. There was of the federal Civil Rights Divi when compared to the tenure his also a decrease in actions taken sion from 2001 to 2007, lawyers predecessor, former President to enforce the Voting Rights Act, within the division wanted to in Clinton, Bush’s oversight of the a law that prohibits discrimina Though Bush is gone from office, the effects of his actions remain. tory electo ral rules. U nder went to President Bush. Clinton, the division filed four Though Bush is gone from suits per year; during Bush’s office, the effects of his actions tim e in office that num ber remain. dropped to two cases a year. Just as Obama has to work To many, it may seem that we tire le s s ly to clean up the economy, he will also have to work to boost the efforts of the Civil Rights Division. This par ticular area of government was allowed to falter under Bush and, as a result, many entities may have gotten away with serious over the last civil rights infractions. year. Subtle and not so subtle The President will not only discrimination and bias is alive have to clean up the department, and well in the work place. And, he’ll also have to put the most if you believe that the voting serious offenders on notice, let booth is free from such bias, we ting them know that their actions have to only think back to the will no longer be tolerated. 2004 election, where blacks in Greg Mathis is a retired Florida reported being turned Michigan District Court judge away from the polls. If you re and syndicated television show call, the controversial election judge. The Curse of State Lotteries Going for the gold by W illiam A. C ollins In not-so-ancient times, gambling was viewed as a tool of the devil, much like sex or liquor (this was before illegal drugs). People played the horses and the numbers through convenient newsstands and accommodating run ners. The mob organized this efficient system, and the judicious application of hot lead settled any disputes. Las Vegas was Satan’s embassy in the U.S., where he also practiced sex and divorce. • T im es change. Las V egas has morphed into a “family entertainment” center while gambling has cleverly donned the protective garb of “recre ation.” Other wagering centers have followed suit, as state after state and tribe after tribe have shed religious anathema and gone for the gold. The gaming industry is now con ducted in art-filled chambers of gov ernment, rather than in smoke-filled chambers o f crime. Some feel that's not such a big step, but at least it provides for public input. If the town fathers of Black Hawk, Colo., want to hitch their wagon to a towering casino, it gets voted on. If the gaming public in Missouri wants penny slot machines, there's formal debate. If Bethlehem, Penn., wants to try turning steel into gold by converting the aban doned mill to a casino, it's a public issue. These high-profile decisions generate plenty of ink because borhood w here people can only af ford to spend a little at a time. We'll make a big deal out of the w inners so poor folks will erroneously feel that they have a re a so n a b le shot at riches. This is how the devil has made his comeback. Only this time it's not the mob that is strewing temptation The gaming industry is now conducted in art-filled chambers o f government, rather than in smoke-filled chambers of crime. average citizens see themselves as stakeholders. Maybe not so much in terms of morality, but rather in terms of taxes, traffic, crime, image, jobs and various other side effects of a profit able if ethically challenged industry. As much as casino owners love gambling addicts, public pressure has forced them at least to keep an eye out to protect such folk, and to fund sup port groups to help them get treat ment. Not so with the states them selves. They are totally m ercenary. If we're going to extract money from the m entally ill, let's do it first-class. W e'll put wagering outlets in every convenience store and gas station. W e'll advertise on billboards and TV. W e'll go into every poor neigh- before the masses; it's us. Satan promotes other sly schemes as well. The recession is a hot one just now. With the resultant sag in gam bling revenue, some states have cho sen to throw another shovelful of dirt on morality's grave. New Jersey, for example, always in our nation's ethical spotlight, decided to reinstate smoking in casinos, look ing to attract more patrons. Illinois is looking at allowing free drinks on the gaming floor. The only potentially deeper degra dation of the industry would be to turn over the whole business to Wall Street. No doubt that's coming. William A. Collins is a former state representative and a former mayor o f Norwalk, Conn. better to the (Süditor Make Heath Care Better We've come farther along on health care reform than ever before in the bills that have come out of the House and Senate. Now it is time to combine the bills into something even better for our citizens. Americans need a public option for real competition, greater choice and lower costs. The House got that one right and it should be in the final bill. Both bills impose dangerous new restric tions on women's reproductive health care, especially the House bill, and need to be removed from the final bill. The Senate proposed taxing benefits packages on some working Americans. The House did better by putting a small surcharge on the wealthi est Americans. We also need to hold insurance com pa nies to the same anti-trust laws as other companies to prevent monopolies and price gouging. The House bill would fix this, so it, too, should be included in the final bill. Brian Anderson Southeast Portland