EN :: minguo.info - democracy for the world

The following comes from advocate Frank Reiser’s Adjunctsaurus blog, a New York-focused website that has become an important center for information on the experiences of adjunct professors in midst of an epic fight, in New York and nationwide, for their right to fair working conditions on college campuses. Take a look:

-

In September of 2013 the adjunct faculty at Nassau Community College went on strike protesting three years of inaction in negotiating a new contract. Only two-hundred of over a thousand union members struck for a period of one week. The union’s executive committee, disappointed in the turnout after having had a resounding pro-strike vote, called off the strike. (see posts at Adjunctsaurus blog documenting the administrations pre-strike threats).

New York State’s Taylor Law prohibits public employees, even part-time workers, from participating in any type of job-action. The NYS Public Employees’ Relation Board exercised their authority and levied Taylor Law penalties against those who struck and the union as a whole. PERB ruled in December to fine the striking union supporters two days gross pay for each day out of class plus eliminated the union’s right to dues collection through payroll deduction. The strike failed, it was ended, and the adjunct union and its members have paid the fines in accordance with NY State law.

The vote requested of Nassau Community College’s Board of Trustees by Acting President Kenneth Saunders on March 15 to fire adjuncts who went on strike for a week last September will be retaken on May 1. Although the president’s request to support his plan for mass termination passed 5 to 2 the vote was ruled improper as having been held in executive session but not listed on the meeting’s agenda.

WE NOW KNOW IN ADVANCE! Help us prepare to act.

The public meeting will be held in the administrative tower, 11th Floor, May 1, at 7:30 pm, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY 11530

If you wish to speak to the board at the meeting there is an audience microphone but you must list your name in advance by calling 516-572–7205 or emailing Acting President Kenneth Saunders at: Kenneth.Saunders@ncc.eduv

Minutes from the Executive Session of the NCC Board of Trustees Meeting of Board from March 18, 2014 on the mass adjunct firing are available at the university website. A vote will be taken at the May 1, 2014 meeting on the following resolution:

WHEREAS IN MARCH 18, 2014, A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED THAT THE BOARD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICER LAW, SECTION 105, FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES: 1) TO DISCUSS MATTERS RELATING TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING INVOLVING THE NCCFT AND THE AFA; AND 2) TO DISCUSS MATTERS INVOLVING LITIGATION RELATING TO THE LABOR DISPUTE WITH THE AFA, AND

WHEREAS, ON THE SAME DATE, WHEN THE BOARD WENT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE COLLEGE’S ATTORNEYS RECOMMENDED THAT THE ACTING PRESIDENT TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS: (A) THE TERMINATION OF ADJUNCT EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THE AFA WHO ENGAGED IN A STRIKE, AND (B)

THE SUSPENSION OF RELEASED TIME RIGHTS AND PAYMENTS FOR RELEASED TIME RIGHTS OF AFA OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES WHO CAUSED, ENGAGED IN OR ENCOURAGED SAID STRIKE, AND (C) THE SUSPENSION OF SENIORITY RIGHTS OF AFA MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN SAID STRIKE, AND

WHEREAS, THE ACTING COLLEGE PRESIDENT THEREUPON STATED THAT HE WOULD TAKE SUCH ACTIONS ONLY IF THERE WAS A CONSENSUS OF BOARD MEMBERS IN SUPPORT OF HIS DOING SO, AND

WHEREAS, AT LEAST ONE TRUSTEE PROTESTED THAT THIS MATTER WAS NOT SPECIFIED IN THE MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION AND COULD BE DISCUSSED ONLY IN PUBLIC SESSION, AND

WHEREAS, THEREUPON AND NEVERTHELESS, EACH TRUSTEE WAS ASKED TO STATE SUPPORT OR NON-SUPPORT OF SUCH ACTIONS, RESULTING IN 5 IN FAVOR AND 2

OPPOSED, AND WHEREAS, THE BOARD’S CHAIR ANSWERED ONE TRUSTEE, WHO REMARKED THAT THE ITEM HAS FAILED BECAUSE IT LACKED 6 VOTES, BY PRONOUNCING THAT IT WAS NOT A VOTE, BUT A CONSENSUS IN FAVOR OF THE ACTIONS, AND

WHEREAS, DESPITE AT LEAST ONE TRUSTEE’S DEMAND THAT THE RESULT OF THE VOTE BE ANNOUNCED AT THE BOARD’S SUBSEQUENT OPEN MEETING, THE CHAIR REFUSED TO ALLOW SUCH PUBLIC NOTICE OF SAID ACTION, AND

WHEREAS, IT IS MORE FITTING AND PROPER THAT THE AFORESAID ISSUES BE DECIDED IN PUBLIC SESSION.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,

THAT THE ACTING PRESIDENT IS DIRECTED TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS: (A) TO TERMINATE ADJUNCT

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THE AFA WHO ENGAGED IN A STRIKE, AND (B) SUSPEND RELEASED TIME RIGHTS AND PAYMENT FOR RELEASED TIME RIGHTS OF AFA OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES WHO CAUSED, ENGAGED IN OR ENCOURAGED SUCH STRIKE, AND (C) SUSPEND SENIORITY RIGHTS OF AFA MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN SUCH STRIKE.

Kenneth Saunders, Acting President, Nassau Community College

 

 

Adjunctsaurus is an opinion blog about college teaching from an adjunct’s perspective. The material is drawn from my experiences in the biology department at Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY. I hope the information and documents posted will serve as a resource for others in higher education seeking information about similar circumstances.

 

 

For the first time since the complete withdrawal of the United States military in 2011,  citizens across Iraq have gone to the polls to vote in their country’s parliamentary elections amid a very real threat of violence and intimidation. Violent threats from the reinvigorated insurgency are taken seriously by officials and Iraqi citizens as the country has recently seen the highest level of violence since the height of the sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007.

There are few places in the world that have seen more suffering in the 21st century than the fault line between Sunni and Shiite Iraq that has been carved with immense violence. Since the US pullout, it was always known the elections were going to be something of a challenge even with the best intentions of the government. Recent reports are that more than 50 polling stations have been attacked throughout the country and dozens of people have been killed as a direct result of violence that has been related to the election. Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in violence between Sunni insurgents and the Shiite led government that now threatens the capital after engulfing provinces in Iraq like Anbar province on the Syria border.

Despite the high level of violence, many Iraqi’s were determined to get to the polls whether they drove to the polls or made long walks through the desert to get to the polls. “Today is a big success and even better than the last elections, even though there is no foreign soldier on Iraqi soil”, Prime Minister Nori Al Maliki said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Even without the United States in Iraq, the country plays a role as the Iraqi army still buys equipment from the United States, mainly fighter jets and helicopters. Although the United States still plays a significant set of cards inside the country, Iran has been struggling with the United States to become the main superpower in the gulf region and has been using Iraq as a place to establish itself throughout the region.

With various political parties taken part in the election, it is certain that no party will win a majority. On paper the diversity of Iraq’s political scene is commendable. In a fair vote (still in question), Prime Minister Nori Al-Maliki has plenty of Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish competition. But facts on the ground remain the facts for the Iraqi people: large parts of the country are not in government hands but in Al-Qaeda’s instead. Although no party will win the majority, Maliki declared on Wednesday that a victory for a third term was ‘certain’.  George W. we would like your opinion (after the vote please).

 

Conservative scholar slams Ted Cruz’s call for unlimited sums of money in politics (via Raw Story )

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) at hearing on Tuesday said Americans should be free to give unlimited sums of money to politicians such as himself, but campaign experts — including one from a prominent conservative think tank — panned his proposal. The…

 

GOP in Internal Clash?

Democrats To Schedule Vote To Reverse Citizens United (via Liberaland)

Senate Democrats will schedule a vote this year on a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision that allowed much more corporate money to poison the election process. The Senate will vote on an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom…

 

Iraqis brave attacks to vote for ‘change’ (via AFP)

Braving the daily bombings that have scattered his 12 grandsons across Europe, Jawad Said Kamal al-Din, 91, hobbled to a Baghdad polling station on Wednesday to vote for “change”. At a VIP polling station in the capital’s heavily fortified Green Zone…

 

World’s Bravest Voters

California Medical Industry Gave $110 Million On Initiative Campaigns This Election Cycle – Half Of The $223M Spent On Initiatives Over The Previous Decade, Says Consumer Watchdog Campaign (via PR Newswire)

National Institute On Money In State Politics Releases New Graphic Showing $315 Million In Total Political Giving By The CA Medical Industry, 2002-12 SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The California medical insurance industry…

 

California Medical Industry

2014 Elections: Motivating Undecided Voters (via Wall Street Journal Digital Network)

Joel Benenson, pollster for the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns, and Neil Newhouse, pollster for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, discuss how each party aims to motivate undecided voters. From WSJ’s Capital Journal event.

 

A Long Quest for Undecided Voters?

After Worst Voter Turnout In Nation, Hawaii Enacts Strong Progressive Voting Rights Law (via www.jobrny.com)

Voters cast their ballots at Waikiki Elementary on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 in Honolulu CREDIT: AP Photo/Marco Garcia There aren’t many categories where Hawaii would find itself looking up to states like Oklahoma and Kentucky. Yet in voter…

 

Abuja, Nigeria demonstration to #BringBackOurGirls, 29th Apr 2014

“Village elder Pogo Bitrus was quoted by Agence France Presse  saying, ‘From the information we received yesterday from Cameroonian border towns our abducted girls were taken… into Chad and Cameroon,’ adding that each girl was sold as a bride to Islamist militants for 2,000 naira — $12.”

BY AUGUSTIN:

On the April 29th 2014, in the afternoon, mothers were demonstrating of Abuja, Nigeria, to protest the 234 abducted schoolgirls. Making noise, one way or another, is just about our only weapon in our arsenal. Politicians won’t move forward unless we show that masses of people demand them to. I think, given our limited human resources, is that starting a phone/letter campaign to some targeted, key individuals is our best option. We can see how many people actually join in the effort.

People are welcome to use whatever tool they like the best and that offer the best opportunities for connections and coordination. The wiki pages at Minguo.info are designed to list all the places and all the ways people campaign for the release of the girls. We are not limited to any single tool. I have already (roughly) outlined several types of action we could take, depending on time and manpower, ranging from marches (demonstrations), letter writing to influential people, offering specific skills to help the cause, etc. Have a look at all the sub-sections at Minguo.info

http://en.minguo.info/wiki/forgotten/schoolgirls/action

Importantly, we want to work hand in hand with other similar activist networks elsewhere on the internet. If we know about them, we can promote them, too. But right now, it really depends on manpower. 172 followers in 24h would have been excellent for a normal account, but it’s much less than what we could have expected. And how many of those followers are willing to come up front and offer to do more… I don’t know.

So, I think that at this stage we can work on promoting https://twitter.com/BringGirlsBack and asking for more follows. This is the source of our manpower.

Democracy Chronicles, a dedicated source for news on the all important effort to establish and strengthen democracy across the globe, has made amazing progress with our Kickstarter campaign to raise a war chest for an election reform documentary supporting its publishing vision: “The Design of a Broken System” by director and DC writer John Amaruso.

Democracy Chronicles has always been geared toward forward-thinking political readers who want a more meaningful reading experience about the democratic world and its challenges in a sleek, unbiased form.

http://kck.st/RvMg0v

“We want to expand the conversation beyond what’s discussed in the regular media to create a more all encompassing, in-depth conversation about democracy and the modern world,” said Adrian Tawfik, Democracy Chronicles founder and Editor-in-Chief. “By taking a more targeted approach to what is really newsworthy, we believe we can gain deeper insight into the modern world no matter where in the world you are. Our vision is to create a place where the connection between the dual challenges of improving elections in the democratic world, like the United States, and building election systems in the non-democratic world is curated and refined to have the most positive possible future impact.

“Democracy is a big part of forging the future, no matter where in the world you are, but the United States is in a deep political crisis causing economic damage to what is essentially the most competitive large economy in the world.” Democracy Chronicles is not cluttered with advertising, emphasizing a design that uses select, powerful photography and graphics to compliment and enhance the storytelling.

“The news market is lacking a multimedia, interactive publication focused specifically on democracy,” Adrian said. “We strongly believe that our narrative and our creative journalism coupled with the passion of our activists across the world will enable a meaningful discourse about the future in a focused and entertaining form.”

Democracy Chronicles will also feature a new series of original video content on democracy including an upcoming documentary on election reform that is already in the works. As part of the schedule for a blitz of content creation. The new documentary will be anchored by interviews with prominent public figures including politicians, activists, and experts.

“We want to build an online video section that provides an extension of Democracy Chronicles focus on elections and uniquely connects to our readers with our editorial vision,” Adrian said.

While Democracy Chronicles has traditionally focused on written content, the new plans are a clear commitment to utilize internet video to stay at the forefront of the political conversation.

“We are a modern online news media company and that means we’re also at some level a technology company,” said Adrian. “The digital publishing sphere is still a very new space and our goal is to make Democracy Chronicles available on whatever platforms and devices the future may bring. Essentially, Democracy Chronicles is a magazine about the future, of the future, and for the future.”

The Democracy Chronicles campaign runs for 60 days and has only just begun. This project will only be funded if at least $1,776 is pledged.

 

About Democracy Chronicles: Democracy Chronicles is a modern news media company exploring the global modern democracy movement through powerful, investigative journalism. Democracy Chronicles was founded in 2011 and is independently owned and operated in New York City.

 

Election Reform Filmmakers

• Director and Writer: John Amaruso of Next Gen News Junkies
• Cinematographer: Rob Martin of Digital Image Studios
• Producer: Adrian Tawfik of democracychronicles.com

 

OUR CAMPAIGN SO FAR: 10 backers $647 pledged of $1,776 goal 49 days to go

NALEO Educational Fund to Host Briefing on Latino Electorate Projections and Potential Impact of Voting Law Changes in 2014 and Beyond (via PR Newswire)

Nearly 25 million Latinos will be eligible to vote this year, including seven million Latinos residing in jurisdictions that lost proactive protections under the VRA post-Shelby Co. Poll finds widespread support for voting rights among likely voters…

 

Oligarchs and America

Iran ex-president Khatami urges freedom for political prisoners (via AFP)

Iran’s former president Mohammad Khatami has called for the release of political prisoners and urged an end to house arrest for two leaders who alleged fraud after the 2009 election. In remarks published by ISNA news agency, Khatami, in office between…

 

Iranian Political Prisoners

These Indian parliament candidates are accused of serious crimes, including murder (via GlobalPost)

Enlarge Kameshwar Baitha and his wife show the victory sign at Parliament House in New Delhi in June 2009. One of the most feared Maoist commanders he contested India’s 2009 general election from inside a jail, with a 500,000 Indian Rupee reward on…

 

India Parliament Candidates Accused of Murder

Latino-Americans Are a Powerful Voting Bloc

NALEO Educational Fund to Host Briefing on Latino Electorate Projections and Potential Impact of Voting Law Changes in 2014 and Beyond (via PR Newswire)

Nearly 25 million Latinos will be eligible to vote this year, including seven million Latinos residing in jurisdictions that lost proactive protections under the VRA post-Shelby Co. Poll finds widespread support for voting rights among likely voters…

 

Resurrect Voting Rights Act

THE ’13 RACE, THROUGH IMMIGRANTS’ EYES (via City Limits)

Many of New York’s immigrants will be voting Tuesday. Others can only watch. But almost all are mindful, advocates say, of how important local policy is to their future in this city. “I believe that slavery is not abolished. Slavery has been transferred…

 

Are you an elitist? Class warfare and the new nobility (via http://www.theonehundredthmonkey.co.uk)

Charles Hugh Smith Class warfare reflects a dysfunctional divide-and-conquer society. One of the easiest ways to put someone on the defensive in America is to accuse him/her of being an elitist. The power of this accusation derives from a complex mix…

 

Infighting in Zimbabwe’s main opposition intensifies (via AFP)

Infighting in Zimbabwe’s main opposition party intensified Saturday, with a splinter group announcing it has suspended leader Morgan Tsvangirai for violence and violating the party’s constitution. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) faction said…

 

Shakeup in Zimbabwe Opposition

This is a film about legalized corruption and a government dominated by big money - also known as the United States. The Design of a Broken System, produced by Democracy Chronicles, aims to answer simple questions: Why doesn’t American democracy work? What is the root of Washington’s dysfunction? What can we do to fix it?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adriantawfik/democracy-film-the-design-of-a-broken-system

After going around the country, we found one fundamental issue that precedes all others – the issue of election reform. Change is very difficult in the electoral arena, and for good reason. Why change the rules of the game if you’re the only one who can possibly win?

The Design of a Broken System aims to take the issue of ELECTION REFORM and present it in a concise way that analyzes the current system and proposes alternatives which are advocated by our country’s leading analysts and researchers. With your support, we can continue our mission, and follow candidates and officials as they move their way through our political system in hopes of reforming it for future generations.

Our goal on Kickstarter is $1,776, but we have an end goal of $15,000 in order for this film to be produced and distributed to a wide audience. With your help, we can reach this goal and bring to you a film concept that up until this point, has been repeatedly buried by mainstream media.

We thank you for your support, and with your help, we can reshape the political dialogue in this country.

Thank you again.

Rob Martin, Cinematographer/Editor

Adrian Tawfik, Producer

John Amaruso, Director/Writer

Official Twitter:

@BrokenSystemDoc


Official Facebook:

facebook.com/DesignofaBrokenSystem

#DBSDOCU

Fox’s Kelly And Stirewalt Fearmonger Over Popular Vote Deciding Presidential Elections (via http://crooksandliars.com)

By Heather April 22, 2014 6:00 am – Comments The horror!!! Fox’s Megyn Kelly and regular Chris Stirewalt fearmonger over the possibility of states ditching the Electoral College and using the popular vote to determine our elections instead. The horror…

 

Against National Popular Vote?

Conservative Non-Profit’s Tax-Exempt Status Revoked (via http://crooksandliars.com)

Well, no wonder the right wing is all a-flutter with hate for the IRS. It seems one of their own has been smacked down hard. When Ginni Thomas folded up her Liberty Central tent to become a lobbyist and link baiter for Tucker Carlson, she handed the…

 

IRS Moves Against Conservatives…

Some Hong Kong finance workers to join pro-democracy protest (via AFP)

Dozens of Hong Kong’s finance professionals have vowed to join a pro-democracy street protest which could shut down traffic in the Central business district later this year. The group of some 70 bankers, traders and other professionals said they would…

Bankers Join Occupy in Hong Kong

 

ANC alleged mattress handout under scrutiny before polls (via AFP)

South Africa’s government corruption watchdog is looking into an allegation that the ruling ANC party handed out state-paid mattresses in election campaigns ahead of general polls on May 7, a spokesman said Tuesday. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela…

 

Does This Threaten South Africa’s ANC?

After seeing Democracy Chronicles’ excellent kickstarter trailer for Design of a Broken System, and hearing John Amaruso’s smart ‘plea’ for electoral reform as the #1 overarching issue that will engender all the other major issues we face, I couldn’t help but come up with the following simple example (below) to provoke a thoughtful discussion on voting-method reform.

Thanks …and good luck with the documentary!

 

——————————————————

 

Let’s play: “What’s the best voting method?”

Instructions: Please answer the simple Question #1 before tackling the difficult Question #2

Question #1:
Three friends want to select one of thirty nearby restaurants that will most likely provide them with the greatest overall satisfaction as a group. What voting method should they use?

Question #2:
Three-hundred million people want to select one of thirty candidates who will most likely provide them with the greatest overall satisfaction as a collective group (the very essence of “democracy”). What voting method should they use?

Conundrum?:
If your answer to Question #2 is different from your answer to Question #1, please explain at what point (the precise # of voters in the electorate) that you changed your voting method, and changed it to what method, and WHY?

 

ANSWER BELOW…