|
WEEK OF MAY 6 - 12, 2010
COHEN: UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS AWARDED $314K FOR SKIN DISEASE RESEARCH
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) today announced the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has awarded the University of Memphis $314,274 for skin disease research.
“The University of Memphis has always been known for its great research facilities,” said Congressman Cohen. “These new federal funds will help researchers learn more about the ties between biology and environmental health hazards. The more research we do, the better our chances of combating complicated skin diseases that affect families across Memphis and the country.”
The funds will be used to study the mechanisms by which exposure to dioxin causes skin cells to change, resulting in chronic skin diseases. Dioxins are some of the most toxic chemicals known and are formed as waste byproducts when chlorine-based chemical compounds are burned with hydrocarbons during chlorine bleaching, combustion of municipal solid waste, or as part of the production of PVC plastics and pesticides. The University of Memphis is conducting research to help doctors, scientists and policymakers better understand this complex issue.
NIEHS is one of 27 research institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mission of NIEHS is to reduce the burden of human illness and disability by understanding how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.
Back to top
Tennessee State Judge to Give Keynote Address at APSU Spring Commencement
Judge John W. McClarty
The first black state judge serving Tennessee’s Eastern Section – and an alumnus of Austin Peay State University – will be the keynote speaker at APSU’s 81st Spring Commencement on Friday, May 7.
The Hon. John W. McClarty (’71) will speak at both ceremonies, the first at 10 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. Both events will be held in the Dunn Center.
A native and resident of Chattanooga, McClarty was appointed Jan. 14, 2009, by Gov. Phil Bredesen to the position of judge of the Tennessee Court of Appeals Eastern Section. In March, the Judicial Performance Commission unanimously recommended to retain McClarty, a former Hamilton County Juvenile Court referee, on the state appellate bench.
During his 32-year law career, McClarty has tried numerous nonjury and jury criminal trials in the municipal, sessions, juvenile and criminal courts of Hamilton County and the surrounding area. He has handled million-dollar litigations throughout his career as well.
After graduating from Howard High School in Chattanooga in 1967, McClarty enrolled at APSU and four years later earned a bachelor’s degree with double majors in political science and history.
From 1971-73, McClarty served in the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division in the training office on the general’s staff. He received the Army’s Good Conduct Medal and the Army’s Commendation Medal.
He later received a Juris Doctor degree with honors from Southern University School of Law, ranking No. 5 in the Class of 1976. He also has attended the National College of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Public Defenders.
Following completion of law school, McClarty entered private practice as an associate in the law offices of Jerry H. Summers. In 1978, he opened his own office as John W. McClarty, Attorney at Law. He then entered into a partnership with Walter F. Williams and served as senior partner in the law office of McClarty and Williams from 1980 until 1991, when Williams was elected city judge of Chattanooga. He then completed his years of practice in the office of John W. McClarty and Associates.
In addition to having a judgeship, McClarty is an associate pastor of Warren Chapel A.M.E. Church. -- Melony Shemberger
Back to top
The Truth About Privatization in Metro Schools
Dr. Register Meeting in Secret with Contractors Since Last Year
New Documents Show That Contractors Were Providing Information on “Cost Savings” That Were Not Verified By MNPS.
(Nashville, TN) SEIU Local 205 released a series of internal emails (attached) that reveal that administrators at Metro Nashville Public Schools have been working behind closed doors to push forward a plan to privatize custodians and groundskeepers as far back as November, 2009. The union also found that Dr. Register’s statements of a $5 million dollar cost savings to the district were based on a claim made by one of the contractors who is bidding on the project, not through a scientific cost-benefit analysis or impact study (see page 1 of Attachment, Item #3).
As a result of an information request from MNPS, union officials discovered that school administrators have been contacting and meeting in secret with representatives of GCA Services Group, based in Knoxville, with regards to outsourcing as far back as November 18, 2009, though even those emails indicate that there had been previous communications before that.
Register had not mentioned any interest or inclination in privatizing these two departments until he released his budget on March 11. “Register has said that the reason he wants to outsource 700 custodial workers’ jobs is because of the economy, but he was negotiating with a contractor months before anyone even knew what the city’s revenue was,” said Doug Collier, President of SEIU Local 205, who represents support staff in Metro Schools. “Keep in mind that Register has privatized custodial services in his previous positions in Chattanooga and in North Carolina. He didn’t use the economy as his excuse then because he couldn’t. Now he could, and he has.”
Largely because of assurances by Dr. Register and School Board member Steve Glover that a savings would be seen, the Board narrowly voted to accept the budget by a vote of 5-4. “Dr. Register has not been a straight shooter with the School Board who hired him or with the public,” says Teresa West, a food service employee at MNPS. “He is claiming some kind of dire economic emergency, but now we know that he was just out to privatize our jobs.” West says that the $5 million savings that Register claims will happen from the privatization will have to be paid by taxpayers anyway since many custodians will have to go on public assistance once they lose their jobs or see their pay and benefits cut. “Because of his drive for privatization, Register has opened the district up to lawsuits since 88% of the workers affected are minorities and because GCA may have been given an unfair advantage in the bidding process.”
GCA Services, the company that school administrators were in contact with, is expected to bid on the custodial and groundskeeping contracts since their representatives were present at a March 26 question and answer session for prospective contractors. The bidding period on the contracts close this Friday.
Mayor Dean has yet to present his schools budget to the Metro Council and he has not taken a position on whether or not he will support the School Board’s proposal to outsource nearly 700 custodians and groundskeepers. He has until May 1 to present his version of the budget to the Council.
Fact Sheet from Register’s Budget
JUST THE FACTS: PRIVATIZATION, JESSE REGISTER, and BUDGETS… Oh My!
Privatization in Metro Schools
• Privatization of custodial work was tried at MNPS in the 90’s and was a disaster. In 1994, MNPS experimented with using a private contractor in 24 of the district’s 120 schools. By all accounts, the experiment was an unmitigated disaster. Because the contractor was hiring workers at low wages and did not provide health insurance or pension benefits, the ServiceMaster employees had no stake in the system. The schools did not get cleaned properly, there were supply and communications problems, and thousands of dollars of Metro property was stolen during this time.
Dr. Register’s Support for Privatization (and ServiceMaster)
• In 1997, as School Superintendant in Hamilton County, Dr. Register pushed to privatize all custodial services in Chattanooga, but then relented and decided just to get a management contract for a company called ServiceMaster. The ServiceMaster contract was a no-bid contract.
• In Chattanooga, when there was a merger of the city and county schools, Register reportedly told the custodians their pay would not change. However, it did. As a head custodian with the Chattanooga public schools, a Mr. Ables earned $11 an hour, making about $23,000 a year. Under the salary schedule for the unified school system, his pay range went to $7.15 to $7.70 an hour. That’s a 30%-35% pay cut.
• In his previous position in Statesville-Iredell County, N.C. , Register pushed for privatization of custodial services with ServiceMaster as well.
• ServiceMaster is currently hiring custodians in Ohio for $8.00/her, which doesn’t even meet the criteria of a livable wage for a single person without a spouse or children.
The Budget Proposal & Funding
• Contract monitoring costs are not factored in. Should MNPS outsource its custodial and groundskeeping work, there is no mention of how the contractors are going to be monitored and there is no expense for that built into the contract line item. Based on what we’ve seen in other school systems that used outside vendors for these support services, we should expect to see another 5%-10% added to the expense of outsourcing to monitor the contract.
• What about cutting other contracts? MNPS budget proposal has $11.6 million in professional service contracts in the budget—up from $9.9 million in 2007. That’s a 17% increase in three years. What are these contracts for? These are not teachers or administrators.
• Nashville could be leaning harder on the state for BEP funds. Nashville receives $1,130 less per student than the state average per student. This equates to $79.5 per year that our taxpayers and schools are shortchanged every year. Because of this underfunding from the state, Nashville has to give 67% of its sales tax revenue to fund schools instead of the required 50% that most other counties spend. Total extra cost to Nashville’s taxpayers to help fund other districts across the state, including Williamson County, is $125 million each year. SEIU supports the recent proposal by the Metro Council to sue the state of Tennessee to get its fair share of funding from the Basic Education Program.
Campus Recovery Efforts Underway While Commencement Still Set for May 8th
Campus personnel continue to assess the damage resulting from the weekend flooding of Nashville. Facilities housed in the building closest to Brown’s Creek and at the lowest part of the campus sustained significant damage. Yesterday employees from other offices pitched in to help clean up the print shop, which lost much of its inventory of paper and sustained damage to copying/printing equipment. The print shop is closed for now. Plant operations lost equipment and tools.
Some classroom/office buildings on campus are still without power, but plant operations personnel worked through the night, trying to resolve the problems. Generators were brought it, and personnel continue to work on these issues.
Because of the lack of electricity in some classrooms, classes were moved to other buildings so that final exam schedule could proceed.
All other campus services are functioning normally.
The campus is cooperating with the request from the mayor’s office to conserve water. Students and employees have been asked to reduce their water use. The campus sprinkler system has been turned off.
In their spare time between final exams, students continue to help Hands On Nashville’s relief efforts in shelters around the city.
Commencement will take place on schedule on Saturday, May 8, at 9 AM.
Trevecca Students Serving Others Affected by Flood
Trevecca students at Bellevue Middle
When Nashville was flooded, Trevecca students went to work to meet the needs of those displaced by the flood waters. Working with Hands-on Nashville and the Red Cross, they helped community members set up a shelter in Bellevue Middle School and staffed it around the clock from its opening on Sunday evening, May 2. They continue to work that shelter in 6-hour shifts.
They have helped in the shelter operated by Lipscomb University. Another group helped the Church of the Nazarene in Gallatin move furniture after its building was flooded this weekend.
In the afternoon they assisted at the shelter operated by the Shriner’s Temple.
With their classes canceled, students used that free time to volunteer wherever they were needed as the City of Nashville begins its recovery efforts from the weekend flooding.
Back to top Got to Communities
|
