School Budget Cuts
In Other Words wants to hear how budget cuts are affecting your school. Leave us a comment or send us your pictures and videos.
Our email address is inotherwords@kqed.org.About In Other Words
In Other Words is part of the Digital Natives project, a CPB funded partnership between Youth Radio and KQED Public Media.
Jedi Mastering Racial Profiling
By King Anyi Howell
As someone who has been a target of racial profiling several times, and was even arrested in front of my home and held in jail over the weekend for fitting the description of a burglar, I’m paying close attention to the White House hops invitational.
People joke that I’m King Anyi Howell, the King of getting pulled over, and they suggest that because I drive a Cadillac, I’m more susceptible to racial profiling. But I can say with confidence that Cadillac designers never said to each other, “Yes! With this year’s model we focused on a scientifically advanced design that will get people of color pulled over and searched!”
I’ve been pulled over in an assortment of vehicles, foreign and domestic, often searched and rarely ticketed. Heck, I’ve been “pulled over” while on a bike and even on foot, belittling the term DWB — driving while black. No it’s more like LWB, and getting a citation for living while black makes me feel like something less than a real citizen. And I certainly don’t feel served or protected. For many black people, police scrutiny is a given, and pretty institutionalized. But so is the “F the police attitude” that many people of color hold about the cops – neither side gives. Once you’ve been unduly sidelined by police, you lose trust in them as both enforcement and protection – the protection you’re paying taxes for. If you’re a victim of crime, you don’t call the police. If someone breaks into my house right now, I say, damn, what do I do now?
And I’ve been profiled so often that I’ve developed almost an art form for asserting my rights, while not offending the officer while doing so. I read recently that black men, when pulled over, have to be some odd combination of Samuel L. Jackson and Sydney Poitier, the former being known for his aggression and the latter for his eloquence. It may sound appalling to some, but that’s exactly the tightrope I’ve learned to walk in dealing with the blue line of racial profiling. Creating a customer care persona, cheerfully providing necessary information to police, while showing interest in their work, even though in reality that is a complete role reversal. I’m the customer.
There’s an unspoken understanding between the offending cop and me when I get pulled over. We both know it’s not necessarily because a taillight is out, or my music is playing too loudly. And we both know it will likely end up in some sort of search, and as cops often tell me, it’s because my sweater and my skin match those of some dude who committed some crime last week.
I don’t act indignant because I’m the Jedi master – employing mind control to get us both out of the situation as quickly as possible. But once I’ve turned the corner, then I turn my music back up. Because after all, that’s why I bought it. If our forefathers had cassette decks on their horses, they’d probably want to play their music loud, too. That’s life, liberty and happiness all in one action. That’s the whole balancing act. I know how to not lose my cool and how to assert my citizenship at once.
No matter the details of what actually happened on Henry Louis Gates’ front porch, there’s again an opportunity for national acknowledgment of a divisive problem. It might take the form of increased candor about this issue from both police, and the people of color who are wary of them. It might lead to some policy changes, like a racial profiling task force.
No matter what follows from the beer at the White House this afternoon, I don’t doubt racial profiling will remain a sobering issue in my life for some time to come.
To hear an audio version of this story visit Youth Radio.org.
A 'Tonik' for Your Pain
Are you a thrill-seeker, a part-time daredevil or a calculated risk-taker? A health plan aimed at 19-29 year-olds would be happy to let you be any of the three—for a deductible of course.
Tonik Health Insurance is for young (aka high-risk but healthy) people and is owned by Blue Cross. Their marketing campaign, which is advertised heavily on younger-oriented sites like The Huffington Post, looks more like an iPod commercial than a place to buy health insurance.
And, that’s the idea. Tonik has won awards for its unique marketing, and has grown more popular as more and more young people find themselves without jobs that offer coverage.
Ryan Simon has been on Tonik since he was 20. Now 23, he has mixed feelings about his “calculated risk-taker” plan. After he aged out of his family insurance, Simon’s father found the Tonik plan and suggested he take a look.
“He told me to look through the fine print, but at 20 I wasn’t adept at researching health insurance. I think most people, however old they are, don’t understand health insurance,” Simon said.
Tonik is designed for Simon’s demographic—referred to by insurance companies as “young invincibles”. Young invincibles are 19-29 year-olds who have recently graduated or who don’t get insurance from their jobs. There are over 13.2 million “young invincibles” in America, and they make up over 30% of the uninsured population.
Tonik’s approach is that getting stuck with a deductible is better than the risk of going uninsured.
"Those people that choose to go uninsured are literally putting their financial futures at risk," said Richard White, a vice president with Wellpoint Blue Cross Blue Shield told CBS. "They're literally one accident away from having their future impacted by a costly accident."
Young invincibles are great for insurers because they tend not to get sick and go to a doctor as much as older people. They are more likely to engage in high-risk behavior—in Simon’s case, riding a bike daily without a helmet.
When Simon got into a bike accident last winter he thought he knew his arm wasn't broken, but thought he should get it checked out.
“I was at the hospital for 3 hours, they took a couple of x-rays, gave me a shot, a pill and I spoke with a doctor. And that was $3000.” Under the Tonik plan’s deductible, that visit cost him over $1000. For Simon, that meant a month’s salary.
Tonik's advertising argues that cost is better than the alternative. One ad features a cartoon figure with an African mask dancing. The caption reads: "There’s a reason the phrase isn’t you should see a witch doctor for that.” The dancing figure fades and the ad simply reads, “There’s no substitute for professional medical help”.
Tonik's approach is so weird in comparison to other health plans that it was even the source of a sketch on The Daily Show when it was launched in 2005.
Although Simon admits Tonik’s advertising is effective, he has mixed feelings about it.
“It’s pretty condescending to make young people feel more comfortable with health insurance by using certain graphics and taglines. A health insurance provider is not something you need to feel automatically comfortable with—it’s something you need to understand.”
Now that Simon understands the fine print, he’s looking to switch to a plan with better coverage. But until then, like so many Americans, he’ll have to settle for health insurance that’s just good enough.
Obama's Drug Czar Against Medical Marijuana
I was surprised to see this article about the harsh statements from Obama's drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske. After Measure F passed in Oakland this week, taxing medical marijuana dispensaries at a higher rate, I guess the Feds felt the need to comment. While they don't oppose the new taxes, I'm surprised that the Obama administration would take a stand against medicinal marijuana. Here's what Kerlikowske said:
"Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine," he said.
Kerlikowske said he can understand why legislators are talking about taxing marijuana cultivation to help cash-strapped government agencies in California. But the federal government views marijuana as a harmful and addictive drug, he said. "Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit."
While I'm glad that Obama's Attorney General has said the federal government won't be shutting down the dispensaries anymore in states where medical marijuana is legal, this statement seems like a mixed message. Once again, I think the public is ahead of the politics on this issue.
Previously:
- The Risks and Benefits of Medical Marijuana
- Ballots Due for Oakland's Marijuana Tax
- Oaksterdam To Smoke Out Town Debt
Oakland Passes “Respectability Tax” for Pot Clubs
By: Orlando Campbell
You’d think youth in Oakland, California would be celebrating a watershed moment of cultural distinction – becoming the first city to levy a tax specifically aimed at the sale of marijuana…
Measure F was one of four local measures that passed this week, designed to bring more money into the struggling city by the bay.
Measure F’s overwhelming success is seen as a major victory for local cannabis clubs who actually went to the city requesting that they be taxed more. It may seem weird for any business, or human being for that matter, to actually want to be taxed more, but for cannabis clubs, it’s about building a positive relationship with the city, and moving towards a day when marijuana could become completely legal. In short, the vote further legitimizes the local medical marijuana industry. How can the government, police, or any other official hate on weed, when weed is paying the bills?
Various cannabis clubs, and Oaksterdam University, which educates students in the business and botany of legal marijuana, are right around the corner from Oakland city hall and nearby the youth organization where I work.
Ballots Due for Oakland's Marijuana Tax
By Youth Radio
Oakland voters must return mail-in ballots by Tuesday, July 21, 2009 to weigh in on the Oakland's marijuana tax, Measure F. The measure asks voters, "Shall City of Oakland's business tax, which currently imposes a tax rate of $1.20 per $1,000 on "cannabis business" gross receipts, be amended to establish a new tax rate of $18 per $1,000 of gross receipts?" If passed, the higher business tax will generate much needed revenue for the city. It would also help establish cannabis sellers as legitimate businesses.
Some cannabis vendors who want measure F to pass are also vocal about their support for full legalization of marijuana for individuals 21 or over. Many see passage of Measure F as a positive sign for full legalization of marijuana in the future. On KQED, guests discuss a bill a California lawmaker has introduced to "tax and regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol." U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has also indicated that the Obama administration may end raids on pot dispensaries in California.
Is Measure F the beginning of major drug policy changes not just in Oakland, but in California and the U.S.? YMI's Rachel Krantz spoke with a representative from Oaksterdam University about why they are advocating for passage of Measure F as a good opportunity for Oakland.
Click here for a video tour of the university, which provides students with horticulture, business, and legal training of the cannabis industry.
Youth Radio Asks “What’s the Next Moon?”
Hear what the folks at Youth Radio hope will be the next giant step for mankind.
Challenging Oakland's Superintendent
By Youth Radio
The Oakland Unified School District's new superintendent Tony Smith faces daunting budget problems and pressure to raise academic achievement. He's been reaching out to community members, which has helped people keep an open mind about him, at least for now. However, many wonder what he can do to help fix Oakland schools when both the city of Oakland and the state are facing unprecedented budget woes. How can he prevent another state takeover? YMI's Venus Morris just graduated from an Oakland high school and has a challenge for the new superintendent, which aired on KQED. She and Pendarvis Harshaw also had the opportunity to question Superintendent Smith in this video interview:
University of California's Budget Woes
UPDATE: 7/17/09
On Forum today, a discussion of the recent University of California Board of Regents decision to approve a furlough plan. The move is aimed at reducing the effects of $813 million in state budget cuts. The vote was 20-1 to force more than 100,000 employees to take up to 26 unpaid days by Aug. 31, 2010. Unions representing about 40 percent of UC employees will need to accept the furloughs.
The furloughs amount to a pay cut of up to 10 percent. Additionally, higher-paid employees will take more furlough days than lower-paid workers. The furloughs begin on Sept. 1 and are expected to make up for one-quarter of the state cuts.
The university will account for the remaining cuts by including campus-specific cuts that will impact library hours, faculty hiring and other operations.
University leaders also say that UC would dip into reserves to pay for Cal Grants for about 46,000 students whose scholarships are likely to be delayed by the state's budget problems.
7/16/2009
On California Report, a story about how state budget woes are impacting California higher education. Today, University of California regents are expected to approve spending cuts to offset the more than $800 million the university won't be getting from the state. Many people are opposed to these cuts and warn that the cuts will scare away valued researchers from the UC system. YMI's Denise Tejada has more specifics on what the potential cuts entails.
Oaksterdam to Take on City Debt
Oakland has taken a big hit from the recent economic crisis. Now medical marijuana dispensaries want to help ease that burden with an offer to be more highly taxed.
Bad puns aside, the proposed Measure F in Oakland would raise the taxes on medical marijuana dispensaries in Oakland from $1.20 per $1000 of revenue to $18 per $1000. The measure will be voted on in Oakland on Tuesday and was actually proposed by the marijuana dispensaries themselves. So why would the medical marijuana community want to be taxed so much higher?
“We want to form a partnership with the city,” said Salwa Ibrahim, executive assistant for Oaksterdam University. The university itself is not a medical marijuana dispensary. Instead, the institution holds classes training students to grow and even bake marijuana. Classes are open to students 18 and older and cost about $500 a semester.
“Allowing them to tax us more would bring a lot more resources for the city,” said Ibrahim. “Oaksterdam is not only trying to spearhead the use of medical and recreational marijuana use, we’re also trying to revitalize our community and make Oakland a better place to live.”
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Oakland made nearly $20 million in revenue last year, and the proposed increase in taxes would mean at least $300,000 in additional revenue for Oakland.
Read more
Californians support a cigarette tax, but do their legislators?
On California Money, a new poll finds that 73% of likely voters would support a tobacco increase to address the state's budget crisis. The polling found that support was strong across party lines. However, Gov. Schwarzenegger has vowed to veto any piece of legislation that includes a tax increase. Democrats in the state legislature also don't seem that interested in this particular tax. They've recently dropped their push for a tobacco tax increase.
At YMI, Jennifer Obakhume discusses her own first smoke and the recent bill Obama signed into law. The bill cracks down on the marketing of cigarettes to youth. As he signed the measure into law in a Rose Garden, Obama said it would help stem the “constant and insidious barrage of advertising” that each year draws millions of teenagers into a lifelong struggle to quit. “I know,” Obama said. “I was one of those teenagers. I know how difficult it is.”
As Obama calls for limiting youth marketing of cigarettes, the military is raising questions about its own smoking culture. Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Sec. Robert Gates to call for a ban on the use of tobacco products by troops and an end to its sale on military property. While many soldiers cite smoking as a stress reliever, proponents of the ban say that tobacco use is extremely costly for both the Pentagon and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
-
RSS FEED
Subscribe to our blog feed and you'll never miss a post!