Monthly Archives: January 2020

The Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP), the non-profit economic development organization supporting all the communities in Hays County and Caldwell County, including Buda, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Lockhart, Lulling, San Marcos and Wimberley is requesting community input to help guide the Greater San Marcos regions economic development strategic plan for the next five years Vision 2025.

The Vision 2025 planning process will be conducted over a six-month period in collaboration with city and county governments, private businesses, educational institutions, local economic development partners and many other community members/stakeholders across the Greater San Marcos region. GSMP is leading this comprehensive process to assess and enhance the regions competitive position to support thoughtful, diverse, intentional and sustainable economic growth.

To ensure everyone in the region has the opportunity to provide input on Vision 2025, community members/stakeholders are being asked to participate in an online survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GreaterSanMarcos2025 through Friday, Feb. 7. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and responses are entirely anonymous. Participants will be asked to evaluate the regions strengths and challenges and provide suggestions as it relates to job creation and improving the economy. The online survey is managed by Market Street Services who is also facilitating the development of Vision 2025. Market Street Services is regarded as an industry leader in the development of economic development strategies for communities across the country.

As Co-Chairs of the Vision 2025 Strategic Planning Process, Dr. Denise Trauth, Mr. Anthony Stahl, Rep. John Cyrier and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to complete the Vision 2025 Greater San Marcos Community & Business Survey, said Patrick Rose, immediate past chair of the GSMP. The success of our regions economic growth within Hays and Caldwell counties, over the next five years, will depend upon an insightful and well-informed strategic plan. Your feedback on this survey will help us begin the strategic planning process with the best possible perspective. Thank you for your consideration, as we know and respect the value of your time.

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GSMP seeking community input on Vision 2025 - Hays Free Press

New York, NY.With dailyrace motivated hate crimes happening globally,pausing to participate in a National Day of Racial Healing (#NDORH) is vitally important. On Tuesday, January21, 2020, many organizations, individuals, and communities will be taking collective action during the W.K. Kellogg Foundationsfourthannual National Day of Racial Healing to celebrate our racial diversity and reinforce and honor our common humanity. Among these organizations are the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Anchor Institutions (The Anchors). The Anchors will be creating space toexplore our common humanity and build the relationships necessary to create a more just and equitable world.

The racial equity groups have a formal partnership that has seen them work collaboratively over the past8years to clear barriers toa racially inclusive democracy, champion the humanity of undocumented communities and communities of color, organize to stop mass incarceration and end the criminalization ofNative, Black,Latino,and Asiancommunities.

The purpose of the National Day of Racial Healing is to:

1.Reinforce and honor our common humanity, while noting and celebrating the distinct differences of our various communities.

2.Acknowledge the deep racial divisions in America that must be overcome and healed.

3.Commit to engaging people from all racial and ethnic groups in genuine efforts to increase understanding, communication, caring and respect.

The racial equity organizations have participated in the National Day of Racial Healing since its inception in 2016. The day was established by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and its Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation grantees and partners. The day is a call to action to mobilize communities, organizations, and individuals across the United States in support of truth, racial healing and transformation.To participate in local events, please check theNational Day of Racial Healings website.Participate online by following the hashtag #HowWeHealor joining the national livestream.

TheAdvancement ProjectNational Office,Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum,Demos,Faith in Action,National Congress of American Indians(NCAI),National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP),National Urban League,Race ForwardandUnidosUSare a collaborative of nine leading national racial equity anchor organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together, we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families, and communities no matter the color of their skin have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

Advancement Project, National Office:

If we fail to confront racialized bigotry and hatred in our nation, our only expectation can be the perpetuation of the countrys racialized system of oppression. While we must acknowledge the fact that deep-seated racial divisions continue to propagate institutional injustices, we, like our ancestors must engage people from all backgrounds in sincere attempts to elevate the humanity of all people.

Judith BrowneDianis,Executive Director, Advancement Project, National Office

Asian andPacificIslanderAmericanHealthForum:

In an age when our country is divided, it is important to pause and reflect on our racial diversity, truth telling,and trust building. They are the foundation of our great nationfrom the Atlantic to across the Pacific, including our diversity, and shared history that continues to preserve and sustain our democracy. Today on the National Day of Racial Healing, we must come together as a nation and celebrate our successes and most importantly, remember that there is stillworkto be done to heal our communities from racial injustices. As we find solutions and act to bridge gaps in our communities, we move closer to a more equitable and prosperous country.

Kathy Ko Chin, President & CEO, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

We are in a critical moment in this country where the far-reaching roots of racism is breeding new virulent forms of white nationalism,said Demos President K. Sabeel Rahman. If we hope to realize the promise of a truly inclusive democracy, starting today we must be willing to engage in radical conversations about race, commit to dismantling systems of power that harm Black and brown communities, and together embrace a bold vision for racial equity.This is the only path to healing as a nation.

The National Day of Racial Healing sets in motion a constant reminder that we all are in need of healing, and that healing must begin by letting our collective guards down and opening our hearts and minds to understanding each other. This is a country whose potential to be great on all fronts is constantly hindered by our inability to get out of our own way and stop tripping over the false narratives that have held us back. Dr. King knew that in order to change legislation and make a better world for future generations, we needed to change how we see ourselves in order to help others. It is through healing that we can operate from a place of respect, faith, and love and begin to create a Beloved Community.

Rev. Alvin Herring, Faith in Action Executive Director

National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples:

In the face of rampant hate crimes that threaten the future of children across this nation, white supremacy and threats on our right to vote, now more than ever, it is crucial that people of color mobilize and voice their experiences in order for us to achieve a just America, saidDerrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP.On this Day of Racial Healing, we encourage all people of color to share their stories and start the essential conversations needed to create a path towards an equitable society.

National Congress of American Indians:

Despite what some proclaim, Americas greatness depends not on the degree to which this nation advances policies of racial and economic inequality that privilege one group of people at the expense of all others. To the contrary, Americas greatness has always risen and fallen on the degree to which this nation embraces its incredible diversity and provides equal footing to all Americans to seize opportunities enabling them to realize their full potential. As the first peoples of this land, Native people are an integral part of the American mosaic, and we will not rest until we secure our rightful place in this countrys future, and equal opportunities to thrive.

Kevin Allis, CEO,National Congress of American Indians

We have been dismayed to see a devastating surge of racial tension and violence over the last few years, saidMarcMorial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. Finding a way to move forward with unity and respect for one another is a matter of survival for our national identity. National Day of Racial Healing is more than a way to embrace diversity and inclusion, but also an opportunity to confront the institutional biases that confront us at every turn. We at the National Urban League are grateful the opportunity to work together with our brother and sister partners in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity AnchorInstitutions, andcommitted to a robust and meaningful national dialogue.

In order for us to achieve racial justice, we must take steps towards a multiracial, democratic society, free from oppression and exploitation, in which people of color thrive with power and purpose,said Glenn Harris President of Race Forward. We must see through the intentional and structural efforts to divide our communities and work towards a shared understanding and shared liberation. This National Day of Racial Healing serves as a continued reminder that organizing is possible, that mobilizingenmasse is inevitable, and that racial equity is achievable, when we commit to trust, love, and the collective advancement of justice.

A few months after a shooter killed 22 people and wounded 24 others in El Paso, TX after being motivated by the white nationalist-inspired myth that Mexicans were systematically replacing White Americans, the need for racial healing in our country has never been greater. As the Kellogg Foundations National Day of Racial Healing recognizes, it is not enough for us to simply call out these and other racially-motivated rhetoric and incidents. We must also come together as Americans, and as human beings, to confront, engage and ultimately transcend the challenges of a diverse nation in order to fully benefit from its promise.

JanetMurguia,President and CEO ofUnidosUS

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Leading Civil Rights and Racial Justice Organizations Support and Applaud the WK Kellogg Foundation's National Day of Racial Healing, January 21, 2020...

Portland police said Friday that there have been five deaths among 11 drug overdoses reported in the city so far this month, another sign that the opioid crisis still rages in Maine.

This is a concerning spike we felt necessary to advise the public about so that users and families know what resources and help are available to them, Police Chief Frank Clark said in a statement. We will continue to work with our law enforcement, public health, and prevention partners in hopes of turning the tide on this epidemic.

The recent victims were: a 49-year-old woman, a 22-year-old man, a 24-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man. One of the deaths was an intentional overdose, police said, and all are still under investigation. Police said opioids are the suspected cause in at least two of the five fatalities, and methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana, or spice, were also involved.

On Thursday, state officials released new data that showed a slight increase in overdose deaths in Maine for the first nine months of 2019, reversing a 15 percent decline from 2017 to 2018. From January through September of last year, 277 people died from drug overdoses, putting the state on track for 369 fatal overdoses for the entire year. That would be a 4 percent increase over 2018.

Gordon Smith, the states first director of opioid response, said the statewide numbers are disheartening but many efforts to provide broader access to naloxone and expand needle exchange programs are only now getting underway. He also pointed to gaps in Maines response to the crisis, including a lack of recovery coaches and recovery houses to complement the availability of medication-assisted treatment.

Although few communities have been spared from the opioid crisis, Portland has carried a heavy burden 318 overdose deaths from 2008 through 2018.

Portland police said they are working to identify traffickers and highlighted a recent arrest that involved the seizure of 375 grams of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that has supplanted heroin as the most lethal drug.

Police also noted that the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, sometimes called Narcan, is available without a prescription at pharmacies. Portland Public Health also offers no-cost Narcan, as well as overdose recognition and response training. A community training and Narcan distribution event will be held Wednesday, starting at 4:30 p.m. at 103 India St. The training is free and open to the public.

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Five overdose deaths so far this month have Portland on alert - Press Herald

On Monday, the nation honored the towering legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But the progress he demanded remains unfinished, and nowhere more than in the deeply segregated neighborhoods many of us call home. Dr. King understood that where a person lives determines so many of their opportunities, including access to good jobs, schools, health care, food and safety. Barely a week after Dr. Kings assassination, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act with overwhelming bipartisan support in recognition of this truth.

In the more than 50 years since its passage, the Fair Housing Act has helped fight discrimination in mortgage lending, zoning restrictions that prevent people from being able to choose where to live, and local landlord abuses. In 1973, the United States government used it to charge Fred Trump and his son, our current president, with housing discrimination. Rather than fight those charges, the Trumps signed a consent decree requiring changes to the way they managed their properties. The Fair Housing Act was the only backstop for the people the Trump family discriminated against, and now the Trump administration is seeking to gut its protections.

Key to those protections are two principles established by Congress and enforced by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where I was secretary under President Barack Obama. The first is disparate impact, which makes clear that policies or practices that discriminate against people of color or other protected groups are illegal even without proof they are intentional. For example, if white couples are regularly approved for mortgages but black couples with the same qualifications are rejected, the bank must fix their loan process, even if its employees didnt have racist intentions. Under disparate impact, its the results that matter.

The second is a mandate that communities affirmatively further fair housing, which requires government to promote greater opportunity and integration as well as fight discrimination. For example, if a citys affordable housing is all located in black neighborhoods with failing schools, limited transportation, and poor health care, that city must make an effort to fix the problems in those neighborhoods and build new affordable housing in other neighborhoods, in addition to ensuring theres no racial discrimination when any of the individual apartments are rented out.

Both of these principles come from the Fair Housing Acts recognition that outlawing intentional discrimination is not enough for people of color to overcome the consequences of centuries of oppression. This is especially true because the Federal Housing Administration and other federal agencies deeply embedded racial segregation into our neighborhoods through government-mandated redlining and other practices. Given this history, eliminating overt instances of intentional discrimination, while necessary, isnt enough.

At HUD, I codified and strengthened these principles. In 2013, the agency issued a formal disparate impact regulation based on decades of unanimous judicial consensus. And in the most important civil rights decision involving housing in a generation, the Supreme Court upheld the disparate impact principle in 2015, recognizing it as consistent with the central purpose of the Fair Housing Act. I also began improving HUDs approach to affirmatively furthering fair housing and my successor, Julin Castro, completed it with a regulation in 2015.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration is now taking steps to dismantle this progress. Last year, the administration issued a proposed regulation that would gut the disparate impact standard. The proposal imposes nearly impossible requirements on those who would bring a disparate impact claim, and insulates the insurance industry and other businesses that rely on technological algorithms in their decision-making, even when they generate bias.

And this month, HUD issued a proposed rule that would fundamentally undermine the affirmatively furthering standard. The proposal would largely strip away the expectation that communities provide housing that fights segregation and increases opportunity, weaken penalties and reinstate a discredited enforcement process. In addition to the obvious conflict of interest for a president who was prosecuted under the Fair Housing Act and stands to benefit personally from these proposed rules, they are reckless and wrong for three key reasons:

First, housing plays a key role in advancing economic opportunity and closing the wealth gap between people of color and white Americans. African-Americans and Latinos have less than one-tenth and one-eighth, respectively, of the household wealth of white Americans, and homeownership remains the largest source of wealth-building for most families. Moreover, where a family lives determines access to jobs, schools, and a healthy environment. If we believe our childrens futures shouldnt be determined by the ZIP code where they grow up, we need the disparate impact and affirmatively furthering standards to weed out and replace unjustifiable policies that limit opportunity.

Second, how we rent or buy a home is changing, as technology upends the traditional way we figure out where to live. From real estate apps to the hidden algorithmic box that determines credit scores and access to mortgages, our housing choices are increasingly driven by online tools and digital determinations. This makes it harder to understand if the creators of the algorithms intended to discriminate, even as research shows that bias is often built into them. By enabling us to test whether they lead to different outcomes, the disparate impact standard serves as a critical check to ensure that technological tools advance legitimate business and consumer interests without discriminating. The affirmatively furthering principle complements this protection by requiring that we go further than minimizing harm, by actively working to level the playing field and build more equitable communities.

Third, untested new rules that will no doubt be litigated for years can create chaos in our housing markets. The decades-long consensus on the disparate impact standard means that everyone with a stake in housing from residents and local governments, to real estate developers and the finance industry should know what to expect and how to conduct their business. And HUDs retreat from a focus on racial segregation in affirmatively furthering raises serious doubts about whether the new rule meets the basic mandate of Congress.

The Fair Housing Act was enacted with bipartisan support and championed by Democrats and Republicans alike over five decades because it aligns with fundamental American values: fairness, freedom of choice and opportunity for all. Instead of undermining these values, the Trump administration should honor Martin Luther King by withdrawing its proposed rules.

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The Trump Administration Is Clearing the Way for Housing Discrimination - The New York Times

Two years after the #TimesUp movement began, major film festivals are making a move to break into the majority white male ranks of Hollywoods gatekeepers.

The Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest, Tribeca, Bentonville, Athena, ATX Television Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will reserve a portion of their credentials for members of the Time's Up Critical database, according to an exclusive report from Variety. The opt-in database is comprised of entertainment journalists and critics from underrepresented groups.

By encouraging industry leaders to be more intentional about who gets invited to their press junkets, screenings, red carpets, and other events, this database is one way they can work to dismantle the systemic barriers for critics of color and other underrepresented individuals, Tina Tchen, president and CEO of the Times Up Foundation, told Variety. Together, we can ensure these voices are represented and heard.

In a review of critics of the top 300 grossing films between 2015 and 2017, The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that 83 percent of them were white and 79 percent were male. Women of color made up the smallest demographic of critics at 4 percent.

The Time's Up Critical initiative seeks to increase the number of female and underrepresented critics and reporters in the entertainment industry by linking publicists directly with them. Started two weeks ago, the database has amassed about 400 listings, according to Variety.

Over the past two years, we have ramped up TIFFs efforts to invite new voices from underrepresented communities into the festival conversation as accredited journalists, Cameron Bailey, TIFF co-head and artistic director, told Variety. We stand with Times Up Critical in working towards a world where the people who interpret and assess our films reflect the diversity of the films themselves and the audiences who greet them.

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Sundance, SXSW and other major film festivals agree #TimesUp - The Hill