In this issue:

CNYurbanFREE

Celebrating urban life since 1989 April 2010 ● urbancny.com

The Constitution

EaglENEwspapErs

Art’s in Bloom this Spring his spring, despite threats of budget cuts, the arts community is rolling out new exhibitions for the

spring season. Beauchamp Branch of the Onondaga Public Library; Arts Across Campus at Onondaga Com-

munity College; Community Folk Art Center and more. The following is a snapshot of some of the art exhibitions that are featured this month, for more information log onto urbancny.com/entertainment or click on events.

See Moody’s new exhibit at the Beauchamp Library

Michael Moody’s New Exhibit featuring his posterized prints based on new ver-sions of his original oil paint-ings. Exhibit opens April 1st runs though the month at the Beauchamp branch of the On-ondaga County Library at Colvin and South Salina Streets.Art Biography

Michael Moody has been exhibit-ing his oil paintings since 1981. To date, he has participated in over 100 art exhibitions. Michael’s past exhibit history also includes being a participant in The Atlanta Black Arts Festival, The Philadelphia Black Arts Expo, The Heri-

T

The other high schoolBy Herm Card

“The city is our campus.” – Matt Williams, Principal, Institute of Technology @ Syracuse Central

Most Syracusans think of the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) as a body of some 23,000 students centered in four quadrants, each anchored by a high school. Unknown to most is the fact that slightly more than one percent of these students attend the “other” high school, the Institute of Technology @ Syracuse Central (ITC).

Housed in somewhat cramped (soon to be thoroughly revamped) quarters behind what was once the elegant Central Technical High School, ITC opened its doors in 2007, with the goal of not only preparing its students for college, but also to prepare them for entry into the technological professions of the 21st century.

According to Brian Nolan, the SCSD’s Direc-

tor of High Schools and Career Education, “We must create an educational foundation for our students based on skills required for the 21st century. It is our obligation to our children to prepare them for our global community. No longer can a “standard” be the accepted outcome. We need to create a new box, not just think outside of the box. That’s what ITC is all about.”A unique approach

The current facility has no gymnasium. You

might see students and teachers trekking to the YMCA or the War Memorial for physical education classes. The successful basketball team plays nohome games because it has no home court. Entrepreneurship classes are held at the nearby Tech Garden.

Internship Director Ken Ural coordinates collaborative opportunities within the busi-ness community and Ken Lerner coordinates

Herm Card

Syracuse’s Institute of Technology’s Bob Piraino, Ken Ural, Matt Williams, Ken Lerner.

Institute of Technology @ Syracuse Central

Please see Art, page 4

Please see School, page 8

Boyce WatkinsFox interview with Barack Obama was

disrespectful...page 5

Family funFair seeks performers

...page 4

Special coverageConsumers guide to

health reform...page 6

EditorialHefty, hefty, hefty

...page 3

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fInancesWhat’s new with the credit card industry?By James and Barbara

Peterson

The new credit card law is finally here. Banks now have to abide by the new regulations with regard to its terms and disclosures. It is indeed a landmark law whose purpose is to stop the banking and credit card industries from us-ing unscrupulous practices that put consumers deeper in debt.

How does all of this really affect our credit accounts?’ Let’s dissect the fine print on the back of our bills. You know, the fine print that required a magnifying glass.

Disclosures of the past were often too difficult to understand. You may have had

questions about the rates and fees, but you decided against calling your credit card company with your questions and concerns. After all, everyone knows that you need a doctorate in finance to be able to con-verse with the customer rep on the other end of the tele-phone. And to bring that customer rep back down to earth, it was in your best interest to inform him/her that you are the proud

owner of a doctorate in finance. No doctor-ate? Well, you were up the creek without a paddle. Their ethics and customer service skills were ‘out the window.’ Where were we? Oh yes, disclosures. Disclosures of the past. Fees and penalties for cash advances were difficult to locate on your statement. And the interest rate on paying down your balance was difficult to compute.

Disclosures mailed out after February 2010, cardholders can see how will see how many months it will take to pay off a balance if only minimum payments are made. State-ments will also show how much should be paid each month to pay off a balance within three years. We know, it all sounds too good to be true. But trust us, it’s true.

Let’s talk about grace periods. Be-fore the new laws took effect, many credit card companies sent out their statements in as little as two weeks before the payment was due. And the due dates changed from month to month. This meant that payments would not always have enough time to arrive to the credit card companies and get processed before the due date. As a result many consumers were charged interest, over the limit fees and late fees when they thought they were sending their payments on time.

Now that the news laws have passed, due dates must remain consis-tent. No more changing the due date if the wind blows east one month and a new due date when it blows west the next month. Monthly statements must me mailed out 21 days before the due date. Finance charges and late fees cannot be applied before that time period is up. As a result of the new laws passing, half of credit card companies have extended their grace

periods as long as 25 days. Let’s not forget about the awful

Service Fees. Before the new laws, banks could pretty much charge as much as they wanted. They could assess annual fees, activation fees and other fees. The annual fees were usually charged a few days before the due date, often times causing over the limit fees. This was mostly a problem for sub-prime credit cards – you know the ones that credit card issuing com-panies give to consumers who have poor credit scores. One of the most popular credit card companies that did this was Premier Bankcard, who charged $256.00 in first year fees for a $250.00 credit line. If you are trying to restore or repair your credit, good luck.

How has the new laws affected service fees. Well for starters annual fees will be capped at 25 per cent of the credit limit during the first year of use. After that there is no use. If you are trying to re-establish credit, your best bet is save $1,000.00 (or use $1,000.00 of your tax refund) open a savings account with a major bank (Chase, HSBC, Bank of America, etc) and deposit $1,000.00 into the savings. Wait 2 – 3 months and apply for a credit card or a loan. If you get turned down, ask the bank to secure the loan with the $1,000.00 you have in the savings account. Make you monthly payments for 5 – 6 months. In the seventh month pay off the $1,000.00 loan. Do the same thing at least two more times. Watch your credit score climb.

Universal default. What is it? Univer-sal default is if you are late making your monthly payment on one credit card or even you light and gas bill, another, totally differ-ent credit card would increase your interest rate on the credit card you have with them, even though you are paying them on time. Yes, you read that right. Some companies increased your interest if you paid your other credit card bills on or near the due date. Why were they doing that? Many of the credit card companies assumed that since you were paying that close to the due date, eventually you would pay late, so they increased your interest rate. No wonder it takes 18 or more years to pay off credit card debt.

What’s happened to Universal Default after the new laws have passed? Now credit card companies cannot raise interest rates on existing credit card balances. Interest rates cannot be raised during the first year an ac-count is open, unless the original agreement

spelled out a promotional rate for a limited time. Consumers with older accounts must be informed of any interest rate increase on new charges at least 45 days in advance. They must also be given a chance to opt out of the hike by canceling the account and paying down the balance at the old interest rate. If an interest rate is increased, the card company must review the account once every six months to assess whether the rate should be dropped. As consumers, you can always call and request that your interest rate be lowered, especially if you’ve paid on time for the last six months.

We touched on this earlier, let’s ex-amine Over the Limit Fees a little clos-er. Before the new laws were passed, banks set credit limits and routinely allowed charges to exceed those lim-its. When that happened, customers were charged an over-the-limit fee as high as $39. These fees were triggered by interest charges or late-payment fees that pushed a balance over the credit limit. What’s more, multiple over-the-limit fees could get charged in a single billing cycle if the balance was paid down and another charge pushed the balance back over the limit. All this before the new (next month’s) bill came out.

How has the new laws changed over the limit fees? The cardholder must specifically agree to permit transactions that exceed the credit limit. Only then can over-the-limit fees be charged. But the fees can’t be triggered by other fees or interest charges. Only one over-the-limit fee may be imposed during a billing cycle. No over-the-limit fees may be charged unless the cardholder has specifi-cally agreed to permit transactions exceed-ing their authorized credit limit. These fees can no longer be triggered by other fees or interest charges imposed by the card issuer, and only one such fee may be imposed dur-ing a billing cycle. In practice, several of the largest card companies have dropped these fees. Some banks are using pop-up boxes on their Web sites or other methods to obtain consumer authorization.

One last tidbit, credit card companies can longer issue credit cards to anyone under the age of 21 unless the applicant has a co-signer or show proof of adequate income. In 2008 84 percent of undergraduates (students under 21) had at least one credit card with average balances over $3,100.00. After the new laws passed, banks are not allowed to hand out gifts on or near campuses or at col-

Please see Credit, page 6

EaglENEwspapErs

Urban CnY, april 2010/3

opInIon editorial

The hall monitor

Ken

Urban CNY

Jackson

Hefty, hefty, heftyEvery year at this time Syracuse takes

on a sullen shade of gray as people tire of the snow and cold. At last the snow has melted in most places and will soon be gone altogether. After that final melt, our city resembles one big exploding Hefty brand garbage bag.

It hasn’t always been this way. Back in High school when I was in the Le Moyne College’s Upward Bound Program, we’d stay on campus during the week and return home for the weekend. Every week we’d go on a trip. One week the Upward Bound program took us to Philadelphia for aca-demic competition.

As we entered the city of Philadelphia we were a busload of kids, many of whom had never left Syracuse, our eyes were pasted to the windows as we saw up close the streets of “Philly.”

There was something that stood out, something that I couldn’t articulate that made this place different from Syracuse. It wasn’t the size of the place or the heat waves rising from the hot summer pave-ment.

Suddenly, from the back of the bus someone shouted, “This place needs a gi-ant wash cloth.”

That was it! Wash cloth. The city was filthy.

We craned our necks as we were es-corted to the confines of our local host college. Of course the college campus was pristine and well maintained. There were no tumbleweeds of trash making its way through the streets. But the most enduring image for me, and many of those on that trip, was the impression of the city being unkempt and filthy.

Within the next few weeks the nation’s sports fans eyes will be on Syracuse and the Carrier Dome, as we once again host a NCAA Regional Basketball match up. In short that means thousands of people will visit here, some for the first time.

What would people say as they enter our city of Syracuse?

Are we ready to receive guests? A Graffi-ti decorated wall greets you at the western entrance to the dome area, an unlit walk under a pigeon infested bridge, be careful if it rains your feet might get wet.

There’s also the building about to fall onto Route 81 that if we had another La-bor Day storm we wouldn’t have to worry about demolition.

As our days grow longer and the sun begins to shine on our city, I’m reminded of the commercial for a popular brand of trash bags.

Liter, liter, liter….hefty, hefty, hefty. Let’s pick it up y’all.

Sugar Tax: Taxing liquid candy Spoon out 10 level teaspoons

of sugar to see about how much sugar (actually high-fructose corn syrup) is in a 12-ounce can of regular soda pop. Spoon out 17 teaspoons for a 20-ounce bottle. Can anyone imagine consuming that much sugar at one time?

-From the Center for Science in the Public Interest

You’d think they were taxing tap water the way people are rebelling against the beverage tax on sugary drinks. The commercials in sup-port of the initiative show little fat kids rolling out of school on their way to die of Diabetes. The solution proposed by the governor and others involves taxing sugary drinks like Pepsi, Coke, etc.

From the initial public reaction you’d think someone was trying to take away something that’s in the Constitution or the Bill or Rights, Life, Liberty and the pouring rights of sugary soft drinks.

In the meantime, those who don’t want the tax are portrayed as Boston Tea Party partici-pants defending their sugar laden drinks until the end. Hysteria has been whipped up about spending these “sugar tax” funds for children’s health care - the critics are not moved. Some critics were blunt, “It’s like lotto, dedicated edu-cation funds -right?”

In the beginning I thought it was a bunch of mess with government intruding into the person-al consumption of legal products by individuals; it’s an individual rights thing, I thought.

Until I visited the Doctor and found that my Diabetes, which has been under control since it was discovered, is now on its way to being out of control. I remember growing up in a house that had a 6 pack of soda in the fridge at all times, milk, eggs, corn meal and Pepsi- the staples!

But since discovering a family history of Dia-betes we’ve changed the way we eat. Candied Yams aren’t as candied, and rarely does fried chicken make an appearance at a family dinner. The Pepsi has been replaced by Ice Tea or good old fashion water.

I have to avoid all of those things that were once good and tasty. I’m now urged by dietary constraints to turn in potato chips for a banana, switch from white bread to a whole grain prod-uct.

On the surface these warnings and precau-tions taken on behalf of children seem like the proverbial boogie man of conservatives “the Nanny State.” But when you start analyzing the data it’s startling that one in 10 people in this

area is a Diabetic! Authorities are sounding the

warning about Diabetes, child-hood obesity and the health risks for a generation of children.

We’ve eliminated gym in schools, now kids just play video games or watch television. When I was younger it just seemed like everyone was in better health, seeing an obese child was not

common, but today it’s the norm. There are a lot of little fat children rolling out of school and into our health system.

To help reduce the consumption of soft drinks, especially non-diet varieties, the Center for Sci-ence in the Public Interest makes these and other recommendations:

National and local governments should require chain restaurants to declare the calorie content of soft drinks and all other items on menus and menu boards.

The Food and Drug Administration should re-quire labels on non-diet soft drinks to state that frequent consumption of those drinks promotes obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, osteoporosis and other health problems.

Local, state,and federal governments should provide water fountains in schools, government buildings, parks, and other public spaces.

School systems and other organizations cater-ing to children should stop selling soft drinks (as well as candy and other junk foods) in hallways, shops and cafeterias.

State and local governments should consider levying small taxes on soft drinks, with the revenues earmarked for promoting health and fitness.

A national 2-cent tax on a can of soda pop would raise $3 billion annually.

Before you start crowing about “rights” and “personal responsibility, think of the child suffer-ing from a chronic disease that was preventable. Consider the fact that high fructose corn syrup has become a major food group crowding out what’s needed to provide decent daily nutrition.

When I was growing up fast-food was it! Hamburgers, sodas, pizza, McDonald’s, Burger King, the Red Barn, and who could forget Carrol’s. These establishments gave Americans a respite from the kitchen with a fast-food treat that would take you away from cooking that day. Today, fast-food has replaced the home kitchen as a place to get your daily nourishment.

As we consume more and more of these treats we may find our children contending with re-duced life expectancy due to the onset of chronic disease caused by consuming at our favorite fast-food joint or drinking your sugar laden Big Gulp.

4/Urban CnY, april 2010 EaglENEwspapErs

arts & entertaInment

tage Exalted in Baltimore and a few Everson Museum Biennials as far back as 1992. He was also a 2004 New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) recipient in the Painting category.

Michael is object oriented, figurative and practices a naive sense of realism. He continues to paint in oils on canvas with lots of color and attempts more so than not to emphasize inner city and multicultural venues. He uses current events and timeless portrayals of people amongst imaginary places as themes that everyone can relate to and identify with. Michael Moody is also a practicing Photographer.

Nothing is excluded and everything is considered, as this artist dances his brush across the canvas. He attempts to give each and every object its own personality and bal-ance within the confines of the total composition. This in the long run is how and why he defines and names his product as “Moodyart”.

Community Folk Art Center’s Annual Gala Saturday April 3

“Souljourn: A Celebration of Art, Music and Culture” will be held at the Genesee Grande Hotel in the Tiffany Ballroom located at 1060 East Gene-see Street in Syracuse, New York from 6:00 to 11:00 pm; April 3. Individual Tickets are $60 and tables of ten are available for $1,500, $750 or $550.

The Genesee Grande will prepare a gourmet dinner while five-time SAMMY Award winner; Ronnie Leigh and area DJ Jah Roots entertain guests. Community Folk Art Center will also hold a raffle and guests will be able to bid on a work by nationally recognized artist Tom Huff. In addition there will be a dance showcase from the Creative Arts Academy (CAA) students and the presentation of the Augusta Savage Spirit Award to this year’s honoree David MacDonald. At the end of the evening, one lucky

person from each table will take home an original David MacDonald centerpiece.

All proceeds will go to Community Folk Art Center programming.

A fabulous night of dining and dancing is in store, so be among the first to secure your tickets. Please feel free to contact Rosalyn Trotman at 442-2230 or cfac@syr.edu with any questions or for additional information.

“La Raiz Olvidada/The Forgotten Root,” a film by Rafael Rebollar

Corona, 7 p.m. April 15“La Raiz Olvidada” is a film about the legacy of the

African presence in three Mexican provinces. The his-tory of the Diaspora has gotten little attention by the media and this film provides a window into the lives of its descendants. “La Raiz Olvidada” traces a fascinating history focusing on the lives of contemporary Mexicans. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles. (50 min.) Free to the public.

Onondaga Community College Student Art Show

April 5 – 19 Exhibit hours are: Mon-

Fri: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sat and Sun: Noon – 6 p.m. at The Whitney Applied Technol-ogy Center, 1st Floor Atrium. Exhibition of student work from Onondaga’s Art and Photography departments. This annual event showcases some of the best work produced by Onondaga students in the academic year.

This exhibit is free and open to the public with free parking. The most convenient lot is Lot 13 in front of the Whitney building.

 Onondaga Community College’s Arts Across Campus is a year-round series of high quality arts and cultural programming designed to enhance student learning through the arts. Initiated by Onondaga Community College President Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D., in 2003, Arts Across Campus showcases community favorites and also welcomes to Central New York new and emerging artists, scholars and performers who stimulate the mind and soul. For more information about this event or other Arts Across Campus events, please call 498-ARTS (2787) or visit online at sunyocc.edu.

Community Folk Art Center Presents: Children’s Day Pinata Workshop

April 30 is Dia de los Niños (Children’s Day). Celebrate by making a piñata! Piñatas are popular in many cultures and have existed in Mexico for centuries. Participants will make their own colorful piñata in this two-part work-shop.

Workshop dates and times: 7 p.m. April 30 and 1 p.m. May 1

Instructor: Nelly Martinez Fee: $15 (includes all supplies) Registration and fee deadline: April 21 Workshops are open to both children and adults. Space

is limited, so reserve your spot today by calling CFAC at 442-2230.

Cinco de Mayo Closing CelebrationAt 7 p.m. May 5 a Cinco de Mayo Closing Celebra-

tion will be held in collaboration with La Casita Cultural Center. Free to the public.

Cultural fair seeking performersThe Westcott Street Cultural Fair will be held this

year on Sunday, September 19, 2010 from noon until 6:30 p.m. on the 500 block of Westcott Street in Syracuse. Famous for its community spirit and energy, the Fair creates one of Westcott Street’s busi-est days of the year, drawing thousands of attendees to its event each year. Festivities begin at 11 45 a.m. at the junction of Westcott and Euclid with a funky Parade down Westcott Street.

The Fair’s mission is to promote a strong sense of community among the diverse people who live and work in the Westcott neighbor-hood and to increase awareness of the attractiveness and viability of West-cott as a great place to work, shop, socialize and play.

The Westcott Street Cultural Fair is seek-ing a limited number of performing art-ists. Applications and information on the Fair are available on the Fair’s web-site

westcottfair.org or by requesting one at 703-6848.Performers representing all genres of music and

types of performing arts, as well as a diversity of ethnicities and cultures, are welcomed to apply to perform at the 2010 Westcott Fair. Participants are expected to have significant performing experience before performing at the Fair, and will be asked to include professional references and upcoming gigs on their application. Spots in this year’s event are limited and highly competitive.

All applicants must submit an applica-tion and either a sample of their work or a link to a web-site. Applications can be e-mailed to info@westcottfair.org

or mailed to the Westcott Street Cultural Fair 826

Euclid Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210. The deadline for

applications is May 1.For more information, visit

the fair’s website westcottfair.org or leave a message at 703-6848.

occ student art show setOnondaga Community College’s “Arts Across Campus” is a

year-round series of high quality arts and cultural program-ming designed to enhance student learning through the arts.

Initiated by Onondaga Community College President Deb-bie L. Sydow, Ph.D., in 2003, Arts Across Campus showcases community favorites and also welcomes to Central New York new and emerging artists, scholars and performers who stim-ulate the mind and soul.

For more informa-tion about this event or other Arts Across Campus even t s , please call 498-ARTS (2787) or visit online at sunyocc.edu.

‘Arts Across Campus’WHeN: april 5 – 19; exhibit hours

are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

WHere: The Whitney applied Tech-nology Center, First Floor atrium

WHaT: exhibition of student work from Onondaga’s Art and Photography departments. This annual event showcas-es some of the best work produced by Onondaga students in the academic year.

This exhibit is free and open to the public with free parking. The most convenient lot is Lot 13 in front of the Whitney building.

From page 1Art

EaglENEwspapErs

Urban CnY, april 2010/5

African-Americans in the news

What’s Up

Obama’s interview with Fox News was both disrespectful and problematicBy Dr. Boyce Watkins

The Democrats must pass health care reform. If they pass the legislation, they are still going to get hammered in the mid-term elections. If they don’t pass the bill, the hammering will only mul-tiply in its intensity. Right now, our Congress finds itself in a terribly complex situation, with terms like “reconciliation” and “deem and pass” being thrown around like profanity against a growing backlash from a portion of the American public. If we could go back in time, President Obama would never have taken on this issue.

I watched President Obama’s interview with Brett Baier on Fox News with intrigue. I wondered why Obama would want to appear on a network that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars undermining the White House. I then realized that Obama’s appearance is likely in line with the White House strategy of taking on the Republicans face-to-face. Rather than appearing to be an elitist leader who hides from his adversaries (as George Bush might have done), Obama is walking into one lion’s den after another, making his presidency even more interesting than it was when he arrived. Also unlike President Bush, Obama is savvy and intel-ligent enough to debate 100 Republicans in a single bound, the way Tiger Woods can dominate a golf course with scores of non-black competitors. Barack Obama is his own greatest asset.

What got the nation’s attention in last night’s Fox interview was Baier’s blatant disrespect for the president. In one instance after another, Baier would cut Obama off in the middle of his answers and wouldn’t let him finish his points. He was ap-peasing his right wing supporters by chopping the

presidency down to size, and putting Obama “in his place.” I could understand the source of Baier’s frustration, since Obama and the Democrats are not exactly listening to the Republicans as they put for-ward their talking points, and this was their chance to come after Obama.

The Baier-Obama episode was disturbing to quite a few Americans, and should have been disturbing to members of the right wing. As much as they may disagree with Obama and what he is trying to do, Republicans should realize that when they disre-spect the presidency, they are disrespecting them-selves. The idea that a Republican fringe is working to unravel our democracy in such a unapologetic way should cause all of us to take notice. Anyone who has witnessed this kind of uprising in a third-world country knows that the actions of Tea Partiers and others are incredibly problematic.

One must also acknowledge the significant racial undertones of Republican attacks on President Obama. Starting with Congressman Joe Wilson’s decision to yell “You lie!” in the middle of Obama’s address to Congress, we can see that there are some Americans who feel that having a black man in the White House is worth destroying the White House itself. The anger from those who are not accus-tomed to having a black authority figure has shed light on the worst aspects of their collective human-ity.

As a black professor who has taught white students for 17 years, I have personally witnessed this kind of resentment up close, especially if you are pursuing an agenda that the dominate major-ity does not appreciate. There is also the standard contention that minorities are not qualified for leadership positions, producing only small, fragile amounts of minuscule trust and respect that are easily undermined: the white professor who makes a mistake is believed to have made an error. The black professor who does the same thing is consid-ered unqualified for the job. The right wing doesn’t

hate Obama just because he’s black. They hate him because he’s an “uppity negro” who doesn’t agree with them. This story was predictable long before it ever took place.

In light of the terribly disrespectful interview that Brett Baier did with President Obama, I would love to see Republicans show enough integrity to condemn Baier’s treatment of the presidency and communicate that they’d like the health care debate to be one of mutual respect. By not allowing the president to speak and trying to yank the White House into a street fight, Brett Baier, Fox News and the right wing have debased the very government they claim to love. So, for every “Tea Party Patriot” who cheered while watching this interview, you might want to stop and realize just how unpatriotic you’ve actually become. This is how democracies die.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coali-tion and the initiator of the National Conversation on Race. For more information, please visit BoyceWatkins.com.

Do YOU Care – Part I: Have blacks lost their fight?By Mia Burse

Did I catch your attention?You may be wondering

what fueled my desire to write this piece. Some people did not want me to write about an experience I recently had in an East side restaurant on the evening of Tuesday, March 2nd, which is regularly patronized by residents of color. Despite my friend and I being regu-lar customers at the restaurant/lounge, we patiently waited for our food as we watched four tables (occu-pied by whites) that arrived after us with larger orders (and with the same food we ordered) get served first, receive their checks, and leave. Despite our dissatisfac-tion and discussion with management, we received poorly prepared food with a “take it or leave it” plop

of our plates on the table. 1.5 hours later (10 minutes before the kitchen was to close), ironically, the only two tables left waiting to receive their food and checks were occupied by blacks.

I’m a professional.I care about how I’m treated.I care about how my money is spent.That evening, I vowed to never go back. For a

while, I thought that perhaps I was overreacting, until I heard the stories of my friends, colleagues, and associ-ates who had experienced similar treatment at this establishment. It was good to know that I had a valid concern. Yet, these are some of the comments I received upon sharing my experience:

“As long as I get mine.” Never mind your fellow man. “We don’t know how to act!” I know how to carry myself like a woman – what does that

mean?“What’s a few dollars?”

It’s money that can saved, or spent someplace else that values me as a customer.

“There’s no place else to go…” Why not?“We can make things right with our spirit…they will

see we deserve better.” I wonder what would’ve happened if Rosa Parks went back

on that bus and sat in the back waiting for someone to see…“I’m over it.” Until it happens again the next time you go….All statements that I’ve heard in Syracuse. All state-

ments that leave me frustrated, yet spark my inspira-tion and desire to make a difference. Readers, I want to hear from you! When did we get so complacent around the city of Syracuse, that a deaf ear and blind eye have become the method of handling issues?

Mia Burse is a freelance writer and photographer. Email her your comments at mia_burse@yahoo.com. Part II: Through Their Eyes – The Black Youth Perpective on the City of Syracuse, will be published in the May Edition of Urban CNY Newspaper.

President Barack Obama sits down with Fox News’ Bret Baier to discuss his healthcare reform bill. Obama describes their conversation as “a little frustrating.”

6/Urban CnY, april 2010 EaglENEwspapErs

PETERSON SEWING SCHOOL

315-446-4668

lege-related events. Before they would entice students with offers of free t shirts and pizza if students filled out a credit card applications. All of this took place Mom and Dad on the college campus of your child. This was the only time credit card companies did not do a credit check. Why not do a credit check? If all you had to do was give a barely 18 year old kid a pizza in exchange for a lifetime of debt…wait a minute, we know you would not do that, you have scruples.

Just because it took an act of Congress to make credit card companies change, does not indicate they are going to do what the laws state they are required to do. Chances are credit card companies will continue with some of their unsavory credit tactics. It is up to each one of us to stop them by knowing what the new laws say and by reading our entire credit card statements every month. Remember, if you do not know your rights, you do not have any rights.

From page �Credit

Consumers Guide To Health Reform The sky is falling By Phil Galewitz, KHN Staff Writer

The health overhaul package passed by the House Sunday and sent to the Senate for final action is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

While the underlying Senate bill will become law as soon as President Barack Obama signs it, additional changes will occur if the Senate passes the reconcilia-tion-bill part of the package. The following is a look at the impact of the entire package, which would extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but also have an effect on almost every citizen. Here’s where things stand and how you might be affected:

Q: I don’t have health insurance. Would I have to get it, and what happens if I don’t?

A: Under the legislation, most Ameri-cans would have to have insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty. The penalty would start at $95, or up to 1 percent of income, whichever is greater, and rise to $695, or 2.5 percent of income, by 2016. This is an individual limit; families have a limit of $2,085. Some people would be exempted from the insurance requirement, called an individual mandate, because of financial hardship or religious beliefs or if they are American Indians, for example.

Q: I can’t afford insurance. What do I do?

A: Depending on your income, you might be eligible for Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor and disabled, which would be expanded sharply begin-ning in 2014. Low-income adults, including those without children, would be eligible, as long as their incomes didn’t exceed 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $14,404 for individuals and $29,326 for a family of four, according to current poverty guidelines.

Q: What if I make too much for Medic-aid but still can’t afford coverage?

A: You might be eligible for government subsidies to help you pay for private insur-ance that would be sold in the new state-based insurance marketplaces, called ex-changes, slated to begin operation in 2014. Premium subsidies would be available for individuals and families with incomes be-tween 133 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level, or $14,404 to $43,320 for individuals and $29,326 to $88,200 for a family of four.

The subsidies would be on a sliding scale. For example, a family of four earning 150 percent of the poverty level, or $33,075 a year, would have to pay 4 percent of its income, or $1,323, on premiums. A family with income of 400 percent of the poverty level would have to pay 9.5 percent, or $8,379. In addition, if your income is be-low 400 percent of the poverty level, your out-of-pocket health expenses would be limited.

Q: How would it affect the kind of insurance I could buy? Would it be easier to get coverage, even if I have health problems?

A: If you have a medical condition, the bill would make it easier for you to get coverage; insurers would be barred from rejecting applicants based on health status once the exchanges are operating in 2014. In the meantime, the bill would create a

By Ken Jackson

Now that the dust is beginning to settle on the Health Care reform the facts need to be sorted out for the American people. Lies and half-truths have been the hallmark of opponents to a bill that would eventually insure an additional 33 million people.

While walking my trusty dog Spike, a rabid “federalist” as he calls himself, railed against the bill and the Obama Administra-tion. “This is just more big government. We’re building a mountain of debt that’s un-sustainable. It’s just not going to work. My wife will lose her job because they mandate that all part-time workers be covered by health insurance,” he said (More was said but I try to make this column expletive free).

As I listen to uninformed or just simply lying political operatives it’s like watching Larry King interview Chicken Little. “Excuse me Mr. Little where is that piece of fallen sky.” (Sound: insert Crickets chirping).

Even though provisions were added per recommendation of Republicans they reject-ed the bill even going as far as saying that their party will focus on making repeal of Health Care Reform the centerpiece of the 2010 mid-term house elections. The mantra from those opposed to this bill is simple, “they’re ignoring the will of the American people,” South Carolina senator Jim DeMint writes in USA Today, “Everything our nation stands for is at risk when a president and a

Congress collude to violate the Constitution and ignore the American people.”

Newt Gingrich said, the Democrats “have destroyed their party much as Lyndon Johnson shattered the Democratic Party for 40 years with the enactment of civil rights legislation in the 1960s.”

For those Rush Limbaugh ditto heads; Sean Hannity handwringers and Glen Beck’s K.O.O.K.S. aka Keepers of Odd Knowledge Society, they’re making it appear as though “non-American born, socialist, arrogant,” Barack Obama snuck in and stole the nation’s treasury. (The bankers already did that) In 2008 we had an election, Barack Obama won and with him came majorities in both the House of Represen-tatives and the U.S. Senate. Candidate Obama’s campaign was unequivocal in his desire to introduce health care reform.

As a conservative friend said to me dur-ing an argument about the Bush Adminis-tration regarding spending and fallout over the war, “Ken, in order to make policy you gotta win elections.” Well, the election was won by Mr. Obama and what people are seeing is the consequences of standing by what you’ve said to the American people.

Imagine that, a candidate for president winning the coveted seat and then stick-ing to his word. So, it’s not the sky hitting “Chicken Little conservatives” over the head it’s the reality that President Obama is going to stick to his promises.

Special coverage of health care reform

Please see Health care, page 7

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Tesoros del Pueblo: El Arte Folklórico de México/Treasures of the People: The Folk Art of Mexico.

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Community Folk Art Center

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temporary high-risk insurance pool for people with medi-cal problems who have been rejected by insurers and have been uninsured at least six months. That would occur this year. And starting later this year, insurers could no longer exclude coverage for specific medical problems for children with pre-existing conditions, nor could they any longer set lifetime coverage limits for adults and kids. In 2014, annual limits on coverage would be banned. New policies sold on the exchanges would be required to cover a range of ben-efits, including hospitalizations, doctor visits, prescription drugs, maternity care and certain preventive tests.

Q: How would the legislation affect young adults?A: If you’re an unmarried adult younger than 26, you

could stay on your parent’s insurance coverage as long as you are not offered health coverage at work. In addition, people in their 20s would be given the option of buying a “catastrophic” plan that would have lower premiums. The coverage would largely only kick in after the individual had $6,000 in out of pocket expenses.

Q: I own a small business. Would I have to buy insur-ance for my workers? What help could I get?

A: It depends on the size of your firm. Companies with fewer than 50 workers wouldn’t face any penalties if they didn’t offer insurance. Companies could get tax credits to help buy insurance if they have 25 or fewer employees and a workforce with an average wage of up to $50,000. Tax credits of up to 35 percent of the cost of premiums would be available this year and would reach 50 percent in 2014. The full credits are for the smallest firms with low-wage workers; the subsidies shrink as companies’ workforces and average wages rise. Firms with more than 50 employees that do not offer coverage would have to pay a fee of up to $2,000 per full- time employee if any of their workers got government-subsidized insurance coverage in the exchanges. The first 30 workers would be excluded from

the assessment.Q: I’m over 65. How would the legislation affect se-

niors?A: The Medicare prescription-drug benefit would be

improved substantially. This year, seniors who enter the Part D coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” would get $250 to help pay for their medications. Beyond that, drug company-discounts on brand-name drugs and fed-eral subsidies and discounts for all drugs would gradually reduce the gap, eliminating it by 2020. That means that seniors, who now pay 100 percent of their drug costs once they hit the doughnut hole, would pay 25 percent. And, as under current law, once seniors spend a certain amount on medications, they would get “catastrophic” coverage and pay only 5 percent of the cost of their medications. Mean-while, government payments to Medicare Advantage, the private-plan part of Medicare, would be cut sharply starting in 2011. If you’re one of the 10 million enrollees, you could lose extra benefits that many of the plans offer, such as free eyeglasses, hearing aids and gym memberships. To cushion the blow to beneficiaries, the cuts to health plans in high-cost areas of the country such as New York City and South Florida – where seniors have enjoyed the richest benefits -- would be phased in over as many as seven years.

Beginning this year, the bill would make all Medicare preventive services, such as screenings for colon, prostate and breast cancer, free to beneficiaries.

Q: How much will this cost? Will it increase my taxes?A: The bill is estimated to cost $940 billion over a

decade. But because of higher taxes and fees and billions of dollars in Medicare payment cuts to providers, the bill would narrow the federal budget deficit by $138 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If you have a high income, you face higher taxes. Starting in 2013, individuals would pay a higher Medi-

care payroll tax of 2.35 percent on earnings of more than $200,000 a year and couples earning more than $250,000, up from the current 1.45 percent. In addition, you’d face an additional 3.8 percent tax on unearned income such as dividends and interest over the threshold.

Starting in 2018, the bill would also impose a 40 percent excise tax on the portion of most employer-sponsored health coverage (excluding dental and vision) that exceeds $10,200 a year for individuals and $27,500 for families. The bill also would raise the threshold for deducting unreimbursed medi-cal expenses from 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income to 10 percent. The bill also would limit the amount of money you can put in a flexible spending account to pay medical expenses to $2,500 starting in 2013. Those using an indoor tanning salon will pay a 10 percent tax starting this year. Q: What will happen to my premiums?

A: That’s hard to predict and the subject of much debate. People who are sick might face lower premiums than oth-erwise because insurers wouldn’t be permitted to charge sick people more; healthier people might pay more. Older people could still be charged more than younger people, but the gap couldn’t be as large. The bigger question is what happens to rising medical costs, which drive up premiums. Even proponents acknowledge that efforts in the legisla-tion to control health costs, such as a new board to oversee Medicare spending, wouldn’t have much of an effect for several years.

In November, a CBO report on how the legislation – which at that point had a tougher Cadillac tax – would affect premiums said big employers would see premiums stay flat or drop 3 percent compared to today’s rates. It also noted that employees with small-group coverage might see their premiums stay the same. And Americans who received subsidies would see their premiums decline by up to 11 percent, according to the CBO.

From page 6Health care

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arts & entertainment

Automatic Speleology featured at exhibition

davId BrOda

Automatic Speleology (main gallery), �010, Multi-channel video projections, LED lights, spotlights, glass resonators, robotic drummers and electronic sound, variable dimensions Photo courtesy of the artist.

“Automatic Speleology” is on exhibit at The Warehouse Gallery, 350 W. Fayette St., Syracuse.

In his first solo exhibition, DeRuyter-based Stiles has created “Automatic Speleology.” a three-part audiovisual work consisting of multi-channel video projections, LED lights, spotlights, glass resonators, robotic drum-ming and electronic sound. These elements are synchronized and orchestrated through a network of computers running software developed by the artist. As the title suggests, “Automatic Speleology” explores the depths of visual and aural space.

The exhibition is divided into the main gallery, the vault and the Window Projects

that can be viewed as one single work or variations on a theme: visual music. In the main gallery, each of the three projections is matched to its own voice or speaker. In the vault, the images from the main gallery are repeated and mixed with new images, yet the angle of projection has changed, the speed with which the images appear and disappear is dramatically reduced, the music becomes softer, and LED lights mirror the changes in the music. For The Window Proj-ects, Stiles mounted robotic drums onto the windows that are illuminated by spotlights of varied color.

“Automatic Speleology” is the result of a close collaboration between human

(programming of the software) and technology (the computer ‘running’ the software). The show does not simply run on its own like a prerecorded video or sound installa-tion. Rather, it creates itself, without repetition, presenting constantly changing sequences of images as long as the software and technical equipment con-tinue to function. The audiovisual work is happening and being created in real-time as we perceive it; a live performance, as it were, yet without a performer and where

the computer has replaced the conductor. A gallery guide accompanies the exhibition with an essay, “Automatic Performance,” by Anja Chávez, curator of contemporary art at The Warehouse Gallery and SUArt Galleries at Syracuse University. The catalog is avail-able at the gallery and online.

the Johns Hopkins Talent Development Program. As Principal Matt Williams says, in many ways, the city itself is the campus.

Students generally have the opportunity to define their own learning – basing their individual curriculum on their own inter-ests, and discovering a faculty and staff that pushes them to explore the highest levels of that interest.

According to Williams “Students might come here wanting to be a mechanic. We will teach them that, but we will expose them to the idea that they might aspire to be an en-gineer. We show them possibilities and give them the chance to succeed. We consider this ‘collaborative responsibility.’”

Dean of Students, Robert Piraino, says, “We are small. There are things we (as edu-cators) need to do that larger schools can’t. We greet the kids in the hall every day. We have 266 students – we need to know them all, and we do. We care about them and they know it – they know we won’t give up on them. They come to school, they don’t skip. We have not had any that would be considered dropouts.”

The concept of ITC seems somewhat at odds with prevailing thought at the New York State Education Department, where high stakes testing is highly valued as a

watermark of success. Much of what is learned by the students at ITC defies the type of testing prized in Albany, because is not easily quantifiable, and therefore, not an easy item to put on a pie chart.

A unique program, where students choose an adult staff member as a men-tor, creates a sense of community seldom achieved in most schools.

“We are trying to break out of the typical education mindset – we are creating open opportunities to learn. It’s a cross curricular environment.”

Students are at ITC because they applied to be there and were accepted. They apply because of their interests and are accepted according to their ability. Williams says that “Don’t think this is an elitist institution. The students represent the city.”

Because of the diversity of the facility itself, the city quality and the diverse student body, a unique energy permeates the build-ing. “We try to be a place that values students’ thoughts,” says Piraino. “We want them to be thinkers as part of their learning.” A student centered philosophy

The focus is on accomplishment not on scores – on learning, not on teaching. Students are encouraged to understand the value of education as opposed to the neces-

sity of it. They are given the opportunity to pursue goals that they may not know exist.

ITC operates under the driving question of “How do we make the decisions necessary to improve and enhance the quality of life on our planet?”

To that end, the relatively small size of ITC makes its unique two-program curriculum structure possible. The School of Engineer-ing and Design and the School of Human and Behavioral Sciences each lead to a New York State Career and Technical Education (CTE) certification, courses toward an as-sociates degree at Onondaga Community College and an International Baccalureate Program diploma.

Each school is organized around a team of teachers and focused on an identified field of study. The teams design projects, experi-ences and problems that model those found in the “real world.”

Therefore, the reality-based focus is able to concentrate on themes appropriate to the 21st century, with concentrations on: global awareness; financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy; health literacy; and environmental literacy.

“We want to break the mindset that some-times exists,” says Williams. “We operate on a basic education structure that is focused on

what we know is right. By getting bogged down in structure, bigger schools can miss out on what students need. We operate as a collective experience.

“We operate in a manner that means we have to understand what we are doing, where we have to break the established mindset – to think beyond the contract to some extent.

“State assessments are geared toward minimum competency. We are pushing our students to look beyond that.”

Clearly, Williams and Piraino (who is also an assistant baseball coach at Corcoran) are not content with minimum anything. Updating the building

The building itself is currently a priority in the SCSd’s renovation plan. Williams and Piraino are looking forward to the challenge that will be created as the building is expanded and facilities upgraded.

They agree that, “There is a sense of community here. We are all in this together. Part of the excite-ment here is to see what we can accomplish with limited facilities. The new building will be conducive to implementing our plan and our philosophy. The bottom line is that we are getting great results because we are making it happen.”

For more on programs, curriculum and application procedure, go to: http://www.scsd.us/~ITCentral/Index.html.

From page 1School