Compiled by Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO– U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) on Sunday, Jan. 18, linked the Civil Rights struggles of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King with the proposals being forwarded by President Barack Obama to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans.
About King: the senator said in a statement issued by his office: “The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the great leaders in American history and we must continue the fight to achieve his extraordinary vision. We must never forget his heroic efforts to end segregation and racial injustice. It is also important, however, to remember that he fought for a society in which all people had good jobs at good wages and that quality education and health care were available to all. At a time when we have an almost record number of Americans living in poverty, obscene levels of income and wealth inequality and millions working longer hours for lower pay, we still have much to learn from Dr. King’s extraordinary life.”
Concerning the President’s tax proposals, which are expected to be unveiled Tuesday night during the State of the Union address, Sanders said: “At a time of obscene levels of income and wealth inequality, President Obama’s plan moves us in the right direction. I look forward to working with the administration to adopt a tax system that eliminates unfair tax loopholes that only benefit the wealthiest people and largest corporations and to increase the take-home pay of working Americans.”
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Executive Branch
CIA DEPUTY DIRECTOR – David S. Cohen, newly appointed deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is a former Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the Treasury Department, where he led efforts to identify and disrupt “financial support to international terrorist organizations, proliferators of mass destruction, narcotics traffickers, and other illicit actors posing a threat to national security,” according to a CIA press release. CIA Director Director John Brennan said that Cohen, who assumes his position in February, “brings a wealth of experience on many of the issues that we focus on as an Agency and I look forward to his insights, expertise and energy as we address the growing number and diversity of national security challenges facing America today.”
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WALL STREET REFORMS—In a recent Op-Ed for the Washington Post, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has warned against efforts in Congress to weaken consumer financial protection from Wall Street abuses. “Their focus — which includes weakening the newly created and already effective consumer watchdog agency, eroding transparency in the derivatives markets and underfunding the regulators in charge of enforcement and oversight — amounts to an agenda that would take us back to the dangerous conditions that existed before the financial crisis,” Lew wrote. He noted that in the opening days of this current session of Congress, “we saw a bill debated and appropriately defeated on the House floor that would have reduced investor protections and undermined the Wall Street Reform Act in several ways, including by needlessly delaying implementation of the Volcker Rule, which limits speculative trading by banks. We are also prepared to oppose more disguised attacks on financial reform, such as bills that would make it easier for opponents of Wall Street reform to use the courts to stymie the regulatory process when their efforts are unsuccessful in Congress.:
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FED ADVISORY BOARD — The Federal Reserve Board, chaired by Janet Yellen, has announced the formation of “a new advisory council that will be comprised of individuals with consumer- and community development-related expertise.” The Community Advisory Council (CAC) will provide “information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on a wide range of relevant policy matters and emerging issues of interest. The CAC will meet semiannually with the Board in Washington to offer diverse perspectives on the economic circumstances and financial services needs of consumers and communities, with a particular focus on the concerns of low- and moderate-income populations. The fifteen CAC members will serve staggered three-year terms and will be selected by the Board through a public nomination process.”
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U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) mourned the passing of Sister Ann Keefe of the Sisters of St. Joseph, saying she “left an indelible mark on Rhode Island and her dedication, spirit, and generosity to others will be missed by everyone. She was a remarkable and strong woman who took action to help the poor, empower workers, advocate non-violence and promote justice for all. She championed causes that have helped countless Rhode Islanders, founded community organizations that continue to create opportunity for so many, and leaves behind a great legacy. Her passing is a tremendous loss for Rhode Island and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Sister Ann.” The nun spoke of her work in the video below:
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Local Government
RACE RELATIONS — The U-T editorial board recently interviewed two pioneering African-American local elected officials, former City Councilman and County Supervisor Leon Williams, and former School Board President, Rev. George Walker Smith to discuss San Diego race relations over the years. In an article published Sunday, Jan. 18, in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Williams recalled that police used to keep watch with guns drawn over a park where African-American children were playing. “I made them conscious of the fact that they’re peace officers, not storm troopers,” he told the editorial board. In contrast, said Williams, when he worked with a program called Neighborhood Youth Corps in the 1960s, “I had a lot of contact with Bill Kolender as a sergeant. So when I got on the City Council, I pushed the city manager, let’s get Bill Kolender (as police chief) and we did. He changed a lot of the attitudes.” … After serving as police chief, Kolender worked as a special assistant to the publisher of the Union-Tribune Publishing Company, and later was appointed by Governor (and former San Diego Mayor) Pete Wilson as director of the California Youth Authority. He was elected in 1994 as San Diego County Sheriff, and was reelected in three times before retiring in 2009.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Your comment may be posted in the space provided below or sent directly to the author at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com