Volume 143, Issue #6
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CHINATOWN COMMUNITY SPLIT OVER PLANS
The construction of City College’s new Chinatown / North Beach Campus is still in the design stage but community members are still apprehensive about a proposed 17-story glass building at the intersection of Kearny and Washington streets.
The environmental impact report will be released later this month. It will review several designs and calculate the effect the proposed buildings would have on traffic, wind, shadows and other environmental factors.
e-mail:adixon@theguardsman.com
COLLEGE FUNDS DIVERTED TO CAMPAIGN BY LARRY SIMPSON STAFF WRITER While City College was on spring break, an article in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 7 indicated that an administrator’s fund raising efforts for a 2005 bond measure had violated state law. The article, written by Lance Williams, highlighted three contributions to the Committee To Support Our City College that came from vendors who had recently negotiated contracts with the college. Of those three contributions, at least one was apparently a rent payment to the college; it should have gone to the general fund, but was improperly steered to the political fund instead. Two donations were returned to the vendors by the college, under suspicion of wrongdoing. Administrators deny any intentional impropriety in their campaign efforts, blaming the illegal diversion of public funds on political inexperience. “We are educators and administrators first. Politics is not our profession, education is. So while we have front page headlines and the word campaign is injected, this story is about creating the finest City College in America and we are on our way to being that institution,” said Chancellor Philip R. Day, Jr. Responding to the resulting concerns from the community, City College Board of Trustees members Milton Marks Jr., Julio Ramos, and John Rizzo called an emergency public meeting on April 10 to discuss the article. At that largely attended meeting, a clear call for a far-reaching, independent investigation on the charges was made. The next day Chancellor Day released a statement in which he said, “I believe it is a given that the Board, with the concurrence and support of the Chancellor and the entire college community, will be utilizing the services of an objective/outside third party to review the matter.” The Board of Trustees decided in August 2005 to put bond measure on the ballot for $246.3 million to expand the college. Vice Chancellor Blomquist told the Chronicle that lawyers retained for the bond measure advised administrators to go to vendors for donations. That’s when Blomquist approached the Bay Area Motorcycle Training Inc., a company operating in a City College parking lot, whose contract was up for renegotiation. Blomquist offered the company a two-year extension on its lease at a discount if $10,000 did not go to the college’s general fund, but to the Committee to Support Our City College. At the meeting, company president Samuel Lepore told the board he did not know he was making a political contribution at the time. “In fact the word “contribution’ was never mentioned in the discussion. Perhaps I misunderstood the situation, but my understanding was that City College was asking for an advance for monies due over time and that City College intended to give that money to the committee.” At the end of November Lepore received a major contribution from a law firm representing the committee. At first confused, Lepore called the firm for advice on whether or not to fill out the forms, and was told it was no problem. “I filled out the form and days later I heard from the Ethics Commission that I had violated any number of laws in terms of time of reporting, and my company was subject to thousands of dollars in fines,” said Lepore. The problem with Lepore’s payment was rectified when it was brought to the attention of the administration because of a San Francisco Chronicle inquiry about the donation. The campaign committee paid him back in full and he issued a new check to the City College general fund. The Board of Trustees met on April 10, to further discuss the allegations. They passed a resolution, # 070417-B1, which authorized the contracting of an independent investigator to look into the allegations. The cost for the investigator will not exceed $75,000 and their employment will not be concluded until the investigation is completed. It is unknown how long the investigator will be needed or where the money will come from to pay their salary. e-mail:lsimpson@theguardsman.com
HEALTH CARE COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE As health care costs continue to rise at an exorbitant rate every year, the American Federation of Teachers is stepping in to support City College faculty in their fight to keep health care costs down. The local, AFT 2121, currently supports 1,155 current faculty and 575 retired teachers. The average health coverage cost of per employee stands at $607 per month, and $7,290 for a year. “Instead of three to four percent increases in health care costs, you see 12 to 15 percent [every year],” said Chris Hanzo, executive director of AFT 2121. Hanzo also said that even though costs for health care continue to rise quicker than the average salary, the overall quality patients receive is declining. AFT will join the California Health Care Coalition (CHCC), an organization that “builds coalitions of school district unions and employers to directly confront hospitals and medical groups over issues of costs, accountability and quality,” according to AFT 2121. This will give the union, with the support of CHCC, more power, the local said, to “scrutinize which hospitals perform better and which procedures and practices are more cost effective.” Within this system, “You force doctors and hospitals to be more accountable to patients,” Hanzo said. Additional efforts are being made to support a plan known as the single payer initiative. Such a plan allows government to negotiate directly with health care providers, instead of incurring steep costs from insurance companies, according to the local. The plan, known as SB 840, authored by state senator Sheila Kuehl, and endorsed by the union, will be put through the legislature later this year. AFT 2121 and the San Francisco Labor Council will sponsor a rally for affordable health care at Ram Plaza on the Ocean Campus at noon on Monday, April 30. e-mail:newseditor@theguardsman.com
U.S.-GERMAN RELATIONS STRAINED BY IRAQ WAR
Karsten Voigt, coordinator of German-North American cooperation at the German Foreign Office, appeared with philosophy instructor Stephan Johnson to discuss German-American relations as part of the “Compelling Conversations” series on April 10 at Diego Rivera Theater. Germany disapproves of the Iraq War but would like to maintain positive relations with the United States, Voigt said “We have a different view on Iraq, but we don’t want to change our alliance [with the U.S.],” Voigt said. Although Germany has let the United States use German bases during the war, it has refused to send troops to Iraq. Voigt said the German constitution has strict requirements for defining war, and the Iraqi situation does not meet them. “It would not have been a legitimate war,” Voigt said, adding that the German government could have been put on trial if they had participated. “Germany had to say no to America for the first time.” The Iraq War has been an obstacle in Voigt’s efforts to maintain open communication between the United States and Germany. The rhetoric used by the Bush administration at the start of the war, such as “War on Terror,” didn’t go over well in many European countries, including Germany. “The same language which might help in the U.S. might be counterproductive within Europe,” Voigt said. “They (the Bush administration) thought we were softies, because we didn’t use the same language.” “We thought the Iraq War had nothing to do with terrorism,” Voigt said. “Saddam Hussein was a bastard, but he had nothing to do with al-Qaida,” Voigt said. “It might have provoked more terrorism.” e-mail:srice@theguardsman.com
DEFENDING STUDENT JOURNALISTS A panel of journalists, educators, and legal experts on students’ rights as journalists was held at the Rosenberg Library on the Ocean campus on March 28. The forum, entitled “In Defense of the Student Press,” was hosted by the City College Press Club, the Department of Journalism, and the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. High school publications and college journalism programs were invited. The goal was to create a dialogue on the rights of student journalists and the climate of student journalism. Approximately 15 students attended. The two-and-a-half hour panel was followed by a reception. Legal ramifications were discussed by James Ewert, chief counsel of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and James Wagstaffe, attorney and partner of Kerr & Wagstaffe. Rachele Kanigel of San Francisco State University’s journalism department and Robert Ovetz of the College of Marin also sat on the panel. They have been involved in issues surrounding students’ First Amendment rights. Ovetz became involved in student free speech while teaching at Art Institute of California–San Francisco. He said he believed he was fired after complaining about the administration’s censor of a controversial student-produced magazine. Kanigel also advises the SFSU “Golden Gate Xpress” publications. Emerson Sosa, a Jefferson High School student and editor-in-chief of its’ newspaper the Tom-Tom, also attended. e-mail:newseditor@theguardsman.com
STUDENT FIGHTS FOR HOMELESS
An initiative to support the organization of a non-profit, low-income housing project for homeless students was proposed tothe Associated Students at the meeting March 14. Toby David Meyers, a 28-year old City College student and founder of the Student Housing Initiative, outlined the goals of the project to be presented at a college conference this month. “We’re going to put forth the articles of incorporation for approval,” Meyers said. “elect a student committee, schedule a time to meet with the board of directors and other associated parties and then start fundraising.” Meyers hopes to purchase, not rent or lease, housing from real estate brokers in order to keep the buildings in permanent student circulation. When asked if he would be run for president of the student committee, Meyers said he might, but it is important for him to use the Student Housing Initiative for his own benefit as well. Meyers, a San Francisco resident for nearly two years, has been in and out of homelessness since he was 17 years old. “I want to transform my need into something useful, rather than having a burden,” he said. “That way, many needs are met.” Meyers said he had the project in mind for a long time, but it has been on paper for only a couple of weeks. “The hard part,” Meyers said. “Is going to be convincing the county to allow us to host low-income people at an affordable price.” The Conference on the Student Housing Initiative will be held at the City College Ocean campus on April 26. e-mail:bmarsh@theguardsman.com
IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR BELOVED GALOMA BREE GUTU 1978-2007
On Wednesday, April 4, 2007, our beloved Bree Gutu passed away due to heart complications. Bree struggled for a long time battling this condition, but never lost her determination to fight it. She is survived by her parents – Mapusaga & Gutu Gutu, Jr. and nine siblings: Li’i, Sanna, Gyna, Candace, Wesley, Wyatt, Brian-Gutu, Brandon-Sofeni, & Brandy, and fiance Alesana. She was the matriarch of the Student Union and embodied everything that we at Students Supporting Students (SCube) are about – cultural pride, education for all poor and oppressed people, and community. She will greatly be missed, but never forgotten. She was a Peer Mentor at SCube for five years, the founding President of the Polynesian club, and graduate of the School of Unity and Liberation’s (SOUL) 2005 Summer School. Before starting at SCube, she was involved in gang-violence prevention programs and counseled San Francisco youth with Girlz and Boyz Against Gang Violence (GABAGV), the Young Men’s Christian Church, Mission Playground, and United Playaz violence prevention program at Balboa High School. As a long time student at City College, she participated in a multitude of student-led campaigns to demand education for low-income students of color, culturally relevant classes, and increased services for underrepresented students. One of her most proudest accomplishments was the creation of IDST 45 – the first and only course focusing on the Pacific Islander experience in the U.S. at City College. Bree had a vision for making City College a home for students historically neglected by the educational system. She was an important advocate for the Asian Pacific American Student Success (APASS) program. And most recently wanted to create a program designed specifically for addressing the needs of Polynesian students at City.Most of us that knew Bree, cannot imagine City College without her bold, warrior spirit. She had a natural ability to command the respect and attention of many in a gentle, yet powerful way. She is the heart and soul of the Student Union and gave so much of her life in order to create a community for others. Despite her many accomplishments, there was still so much more that she wanted to achieve. Her vision is carried out in every single one of us and we know that she has left us with a responsibility to continue the work that she started. Our deepest condolences go out to the entire Gutu family, and to Alesana – her soul-mate, partner, and “love of her life” who recently transferred from City College to play football at Kansas State University. A memorial service for Bree will be held on Friday, April 20, beginning at 4:00pm and lasting all night, at the First Samoan Congregational Church at 260 Sagamore Street in San Francisco. In addition, we would like to make a special request of the City College community to support the Gutu family. Cards and donations would be greatly appreciated and may be mailed to: Mr. Gutu Gutu, Jr., 840 4th Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066. Mabuhay Bree! Long live Galoma Bree Gutu! Manatua Pea Oe! We will always remember you! Your struggle continues through everyone whose life has been transformed by you. We will never forget. In love and solidarity, The SCube Staff—Jeanne, Claudia, Nelly, Gene, and Mariana
BAYVIEW DISTRICT CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW LIGHT RAIL
After 40 years of service the 15 bus line was discontinued on April 7, 2007 to make way for the new T-Third Street light rail. To celebrate the opening of the Third Street light rail project, MUNI held a celebration at the Bayview/K.C. Jones Park, located at 5701 Third Street, right across from the Carroll Avenue T-Third stop.
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"Toby" David Meyers, a homeless student and co-founder of the Student Housing Initiative, helps lead the fight for low-income housing.
Galoma Bree Gutu. July 6, 1978-April 4, 2007