(I just updated this piece with a point that I forgot to mention. You will find the update at the end of this posting)
The city of Los Angeles has its first Hispanic mayor in over 100 years. This may be a victory for diversity in government, but there is yet another milestone that has been delayed for numbers of years for this city–literacy amongst its workforce.
Living here in a Los Angeles suburb, the mayoral election campaign has been the hot issue on all the local radio and TV networks since the beginning of this election season. It is during this season where constituents get to hear all of what is right and wrong with the city. Listing to a local radio station recently, I came across this bit of unbelievable information:
51% of the workforce in Los Angeles is illiterate
I knew that it would be pretty high considering the fact that we have a high number of illegals that live and work out here, but 51%? I just could not believe my ears.
Then I turned to the Internet for some more factual information behind this claim. Here is what I was able to find:
It classified 3.8 million Los Angeles County residents as “low-literate,†meaning they could not write a note explaining a billing error, use a bus schedule or locate an intersection on a street map.
And despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent in public schools over the past decade to boost literacy rates, functional illiteracy levels have remained flat because of a steady influx of non-English-speaking immigrants and a 30 percent high school dropout rate, authors of the report said. (source: LA Daily News)
And this…
According to the report, an astounding 3.8 million Los Angeles adults (or 53 percent of L.A. County’s working age population) have low literacy skills, posing a serious barrier to their employability and workforce productivity. (more..)
The last quote was taken from a report written last year (2004). So it appears that the actual illiteracy rate may be in the neighborhood of 53% as of last year! The fault of this problem also lays on the doorstep of former mayor Hahn and those that preceded him. Here is one more:
Despite the fact that there are more books being published in Spanish, said Antonio Mejillas of Los Angeles Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion, “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that reading is down.” Readership of La Opinion, he said, which claims to reach 452,640 readers daily, has not increased recently. There is very little coverage of books and literature in the entertainment sections of the newspaper.
“After discussion groups and research,” Mejillas says, “we found that readers aren’t interested in literature.”…more
One of Villaraigosa’s favorite taglines (like all other politicians) has been “The city of Los Angeles is ready for change and new leadership”. Yet after browsing his campaign website under Homeland security, he makes no mention of the current border situation that is contributing to this extremely high illiteracy rate in the city.
Here you have a city that is home to some of the most richest Liberals (people who claim to speak for the poor) in the world, yet for some reason the poor amongst them are still not able to read. This is further proof that simply throwing money at the situation will not fix this problem of illiteracy. As I have mentioned on this site many of times in the past, without the poor, Liberals do not have a cause. Think about it, some of America’s most harshest critics who greatly profit from Hollywood seem to lack the ability or concern to at least equip at least one school with all of the latest tools that it needs to provide a great education (no it is not their responsibility, but it would add some validity to their concern for the poor). Instead, you will find many of these “actors” (not all of them) going down to LAX, flying over poor neighborhoods in order to take care of the poor in another country only to accuse America for not doing enough for the poor. Go figure! We have some of the most highest taxes in the nation and still most of our schools are crap.
Villaraigosa’s relationships with both the past and present presidents of Mexico is further proof that the illegal immigration situation is not going to get any better.
I personally want to see this border issue resolved for two reasons: #1- So that the sovereignty and safety of this nation is intact. and #2 - I am tired of seeing the plight of Mexican people (like blacks) being used as political fuel to bolster someone’s political ambitions. Mexicans, like Haitians (hmmm, I won’t touch that right now) and other people who come from an impoverished situation deserve a second chance. If that “second chance” means relocating to America, I say “let them come”;however, it has to be done legally. For some reason, demanding ANYTHING from the poor and needy these days has become a great sin.
This problem is not new to the city of L.A. Until Villaraigosa (like Bush) deals with the illegal immigration issue head on, Los Angeles will continue to be known as the city of the illiterate.
>>You may be wondering “Where do blacks fit in all of this?”. The answer is simply many of us are not fitting in like we used to. In a city that is increasingly becoming a requirement to speak Spanish, many blacks are moving out of the city and relocating either to another county (Riverside or San Bernardino), or out of state altogether. This has kinda been a blessing in disguise because blacks are finding much better housing and employment opportunities elsewhere. But again, this is another loss for the city.
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Another point I forgot to mention
Black Americans who choose to stay silent on the issue of illegal immigration and border control only shoot themselves in their own foot.
It has been the repeated message of the Democratic party that it is the middle and low class that has been taxed the greatest. Why then will these same Democrats not point out that in states where illegals are given health care, and other assistance AT THE EXPENSE OF THE TAXPAYER, it is the poor and the minimum wage earners amongst us that feel the brunt of it since it is they that pay most of the taxes in this country?
Seems to me that they have found themselves a new nig–.
About 5 years ago, I said the time will come when blacks will become the second largest minority to Hispanics. I also said the political and social repercussions will not only be evident, but severe. We have leveraged our political capital to a party (Democrats), that have other fish to fry (gay rights, abortion, environment, consolidation of union power, etc), while we have nothing to show for it. So, we are visited in Black churchs by Democratic politicans the 3 Sundays before the election, and it’s off to frying more fish. The Hispanic community is culturally intact, and politically unalligned to any party. This is how they help elect Republicans in some states, and Democrats in other states. This is also how they, on a national scale, get billions of dollars in government funding to get free healthcare and other social services. This in light of the fact that MANY ARE HERE ILLEGALLY. This my friend is how you leverage political capital. No one wants to be the one to anger Hispanics (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Central Americans), because they are everywhere and they are out for results, not rhetoric.
I’m sure the illiteracy and poverty level in the Hispanic is higher than the Black communiy’s, so how can we get that kind of political juice as a people? Here a few suggestions:
1. Get rid of all self appointed Black leaders and national spokespeople. When people see them they don’t see “Black Representaives”, they see Democrats. All dialouge ends there. The fact that many black poliitical leaders are “Reverends”, who do not address the result of our actions in our community towards each other diminishes their credibility.
2. Follow the political model Hispanics use of “Squeezing Politicans” from both sides of the spectrum. Dump the “Black = Democrat” mentality. Emperical data will show that the benefits of political loyalty to a party by minorities has waned. While white have the luxury of being loyal to party, we do not. Hispanics have figured this out.
3. Support politicans with a new message, because they will get more done. Politicans tied to the old gaurd, regardless if Republcian or Democrat, are just new editions of the same book. Villaraigosa had a message that inspired not just Hispanics, whites, Blacks, and Asians had to have liked what they heard too.
4. THINK!!! We used to compete with only whites. Now we compete against everyone, particularly Hispanics. They are not being moving up the political food chain because of being pissed off at the “Man’, and making one group of politicians jump through hoops (Republicans), while giving other politicans a free pass (Guess who). They are moving up by making every politician, of every stripe, in every local area give account to their needs and concerns.
5. Finally….no longer support politicans who do not have anything on the table to offer except for slogans and rhetoric. Bush tried to reach out to the Black community with Faith Based Initiatives, and business friendly ideas. Most of us turned our noses up and said “You can’t buy the black vote”. WHAT!? Of course votes are bought…It’s the American way. We were supposed to snatch that out of his hand so fast, his arm should have been ripped off. And if we had been more active and less obstinate in the No Child Left Behind legislation process, we could have left him wearing nothin but his drawers and t-shirt. Money = Results, i.e. Millions being spent on healthcare for illegals in California alone, and everyone pretending like there is no illegal immigration problem.
“Bush tried to reach out to the Black community with Faith Based Initiatives, and business friendly ideas. Most of us turned our noses up and said “You can’t buy the black vote”. WHAT!? Of course votes are bought…It’s the American way.â€Â
The response wasn’t ‘You can’t buy the black vote’ but ‘How do these items help us?’
If blacks believed religious leaders were corrupted by money and power before the faith-based initiative legislation, this certainly would boost their rein.
If ‘business friendly ideas’ consist of three tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, no thanks. The EPI reports Black American unemployment has risen, not fallen, during this economic recovery. Some of us remember Reagan’s trickle-down theory and heard the same tired rhetoric that Bush today professes.
We cannot forget another ‘business friendly idea’: a bankruptcy law that enriches the banking industry.
The NCLB Act has so many loopholes in it that it is virtually toothless. School systems have many methods to get around the regulations:
- Short-change special education programs for the financing of the NCLB requirements
- ‘Recommend’ failing high school students into the night school program which is not monitored by the NCLB regulation, thus meeting the graduation requirements. Night school graduation rates hover around 40%.
- Transfer students from schools meeting the NCLB testing regulations to schools that fail to meet the testing requirements.
For some reason, Republicans seem to think Black Americans are stupid. They believe Blacks cannot comprehend the gifts presented by the Republican Party. Perhaps, the offerings are really seen for what they are, fool’s gold.
Re: EG
The problem with your response is that, everything is filtered through the prism of “What Republicans are offering is fools gold”. If you were to examine what what is in your right courtesy of the Republicans “Fools Gold”, and what is in your left hand from the Democrats “Nothing”, your pseudo-analysis would end.
Try to stay with me on this, Okay?
The Top 1% of income earners earn about 15% of the total income earned by all wage earners, yet they pay almost 30% of all individual income taxes.
The Top 1% of taxpayers pay 29% of all taxes.
The Top 5% of taxpayers pay 50% of all taxes.
The Top 50% pay approximately 90% of all taxes
So with the rich paying most of the taxes, any cut would benefit them directly. What you forgot to mention is, as more blacks are moving into the middle class, we too are the recipients of tax cuts. For 2000 (Clinton) I paid $700.00. Under Bush, I get back $4,500, and I am not even affluent, yet alone rich.
Black unemployment is rising, this is true. You think it has anything to do with the increase in illegal immigration? The two largest minorities in the country (Blacks 13%, Hispanics 15%), are appearing to switch places. Employment for one is going down FOR LOWER-MIDDLE WAGE JOBS, while it is increasing for the other. Political clout for one is on the rise, while the other is almost nil. The Hispanic worker is the cheaper worker, becasue the employer does not have to pay benefits or taxes. But what about the increase in Black business owners, and blacks who pursue college and graduate degrees. Is unemployment for them on the rise too?
Do you, as an intelligent person see a correlation between literacy and quality of employment, or employment at all? It has been said that many illiteracy among this generation of blacks and Hispanics is approx. 40%-50%. Here in Ga, it has been reported that the same percentage of said minorities are graduating with a HS diploma. It seems the two demogrphics are running equal, as it pertains to their social adversities.
You also brought up the NCLBA. Two questions: 1) What were the other efforts at education reform that you know of?…I’ll give you a clue, there weren’t any. Which brings me to my second question. If the education union/beauracracy is entertwined with the Democratic Party, and a Republican administration is attempting reform of some sort, do you think they will work together or will they attempt to oppose any measure, even if it is good or productive? Instead of the black community using their voice, we sat by and complained about the Republican party, WITHOUT DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE DEMOCRATS TO PROVIDE A BETTER SOLUTION. Political parties oppose each other, that is why it’s called Politics. But you should never confuse Democrats opposing Repunblican initiatives with looking out for your best interest. We were not part of that process, and devoid of any opinion, and yet many expect us to reap the harvest. Even in a rooom full of the most well intention whites, we still need a voice of accountability, not of partisan opposition.
A politican offers you A. You counter with B. The end product is C. As I said, Political Leverage. At this point, we have a lot of legitmate concerns, and a powerful voting block, and no voice because we view Republcians as the enemy. They are the means to an end..No more, no less. When an illegal alien, earning low-medium wages, can influence fiscal and social policy by leveraging the political clout of their community to elect Republicans and Democrats alike, they understand the “Means to an End” principle. When we cry about “Fools Gold” to the party holding all three branches of the government, and support a party that offers nothing because they speechify about “The Struggle of Blacks” the four Sundays before an election, and wonder why our hands are politcally empty, then maybe we have more to learn than we would like to admit
Chris -
You may have assumed that I would defend Democrats’ actions in these topics. I can not and will not. I am a registered Independent and vote for both Democrats and Republicans.
The fool’s gold phrase, in many cases, can be used against the Democrats’ initiatives.
Both parties are too beholden to special interest groups and constituencies.
In summary, I don’t believe the Republican or the Democratic party serve the best interests of black folk. Individual politicans may look at the interests of groups but not parties.
EG,
I wish I could say you are wrong, but you hit it on the head. Both parties are so focused on special interests, that they ignore the everyday citizen 70% of the time. I too am independent, but I am conservative on many issues. I think the black community have concerns that are different than many other communities. Red staters that vote Republican just want the government to operrate efficiently, and leave the difficult issues (Abortion, gay rights, gun control) to the states. Their approach is one of being “Hands Off”. While Blacks may agree with their white counterparts on the above issues, what do we do about Affirmative Action (Which I support from the grad level of school throughout the corporate ranks), or minority business investment, or neighborhood reinvestment.
The Hispanic community is gaining political momentum. Areas that were predominantly lower to middle class black here in Atlanta, are now split with Hispanic. As the shift continues, our representation in government will cede to the Hispanics. And to the uninformed, we all may be brown, but the vision of their leadership does not include uplifting/empowering the black community.
I am not saying we see different things when we look out of our windows. We see the same things. I am just suggesting following a more successful political model. Certainly if illegal immigrants can dictate a some of the policies in this country, then legal citizens (On the backs of whom this country was built upon) can get in on the action.
Peace
I suspected that we saw more alike than different.
For example, the illegal immigrant issue is being ignored by both parties. I must admit my surprise by the Republican party, given the Pat Buchancan faction of the party. And Jesse Jackson’s jaunt to Mexico to fleece President Fox shows who’s numero uno in his book.
I believe you support Bush on some issues but not the national party on their entire platform.
That’s why I support candidates, not parties.