Local chaos
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
I wrote this before the scheduled meeting at the Broward County School Board to discuss Superintendent Robert Runcie, and the PROMISE program.
I know that I’m supposed to be writing about: “Where do we go from here”, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked and directed in the same named speech. However, situations dictate differently. Even though the insinuating premises of the “elephant in the room” namely racism is still as prevalent today yet, it is disguised like the creature in the movie ‘Predator’ and it’s hard as hell to see and thus far as deadly.
Today we find people of color disproportionately affected by the stigma of hate masked in familiar and unfamiliar costumes, i.e. racism, bigotry, homophobia and fear just to name a few.
Even in the after math of the Stoneman Douglas massacre, people are using this heart wrenching tragedy to cover their innermost fear of accepting the difference of people who don’t look, act or have clout like “them”.
It appears that the conversation of the “elephant in the room” is one sided; therefore no one will benefit anymore.
There are those who have placed the blame on two aspects (law enforcement, education) of a crippled society where there is enough culpability for all of us to be held accountability in a moral court for justifiable neglect.
There are those who have decided to attack a program within our school system along with our school superintendent, and yes there is a Black component to both.
Robert Runcie, Superintendent of the Broward County System, is Black, and the Broward County Public Schools Program and Collaborative Agreement on School Discipline (PROMISE) is a program that was created as a disciplinary initiative that stresses involvement and deterrence. Through the PROMISE program, students receive behavioral supports, counseling and mentoring in an environment focused on helping them make better choices.
This program came about because of the glaring statistics that showed Black students being suspended and dealt with unevenly with educational interventions and their behaviors which led to higher incarceration than white students.
Because Runcie and others believe that Broward County Public Schools should be commit to keeping “all” students involved in school and out of the Juvenile Justice System, there are those who want to “cherry pick who those students are.
As it is stated in the Executive Summary of the Eliminating the School-to-Prison Pipeline, “We take great responsibility towards achieving our mission – to educating all students to reach their highest potential. We believe the potential of each of our students is worth developing, including our youth who are at risk of engaging in delinquent or criminal behaviors, and those already involved in the juvenile justice system.”
Broward County Public Schools set a goal to transform methods that would keep students involved in classrooms and out of courtrooms, and now some are saying because of this program there are those who need to be in the court rooms because of the program, and they don’t look, act nor care like each other.
The following is a reprint from the Action Summary of the City of Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency Board.
The ills of regentrification. As grand momma use to say: “it’s like pouring salt into a wound.” Not only did the CRA Board give the LA Lee YMCA/Mizell Center Project $10 million, they just gave them another million plus dollars.
CRA Chairman and Board of Commissioners Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency
FROM: Lee R. Feldman, ICMA-CM, Executive Director DATE: April 3, 2018
TITLE: Resolution to Approve Budget Amendment – Appropriation of $1,050,529 from the Mizell Center Upgrade Project to the Development Incentive Program Fiscal Year 2018
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners approve the transfer of $1,050,529 from the Mizell Center Upgrade Project to the Development Incentive Program FY 2018.
Background
On August 22, 2017, the CRA Board of Commissioners approved a Development Incentive Program (“DIP”) Loan Letter of Intent for an economic development loan in the amount of $10,000,000 to the Young Men’s Christian Association (“YMCA”) of South Florida for the construction of a new facility at 1409 Sistrunk Boulevard presently known as the LA Lee YMCA/Mizell Center Project.
The redevelopment of THIS SITE was previously approved as Capital Project P11987; however, the approval of the DIP award for LA Lee YMCA/Mizell Center Project represents a change in redevelopment strategy for this redevelopment project. Consistent with this new redevelopment strategy, the CRA is requesting the closing of Capital Project P11987 and the transfer of remaining funds totaling $1,050,529 into the Development Incentive Program for the redevelopment of this site.
A transfer of CRA funds from the Mizell Center Upgrade Project to the Development Incentive Program is needed TO COVER COSTS OF THE YMCA PROJECT. There is an associated item on the April 3, 2018 City Commission Regular Meeting.
Consistency with the NPF CRA Community Redevelopment Plan
The project is consistent with the Northwest Progresso Flagler Heights (NPF) CRA Community Redevelopment Plan which provides for the development of commercial nodes to help revitalize the Sistrunk Corridor.
CR-3 18-0251 Resolution to Approve Budget Amendment – Appropriation of
$1,050,529 from the Mizell Center Upgrade Project to the Development Incentive Program Fiscal Year 2018
ADOPTED
Aye: Commissioner Moraitis, Commissioner Glassman, Commissioner McKinzie and Commissioner Sorensen 4 – Not Present: 1 – Chair Trantalis
There is a way to remedy the political activities, aspirations and noncommittal behaviors of those in office to the people they serve-VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE
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