Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton Have A Tiff-A-Rooney-Dooney-Ding-Dong
So when The Good Rev. Al Sharpton gets into a slight tiff with Tavis "Accountablity" Smiley who's side does The Snob choose? Mama Snob is permenantly on Team Al, so I won't ask her opinion. She'll just go "Tavis who?"
I wish I had a BIG, HUGE opinion about this (becuase I know how ya'll love me going on a big, huge CRAZY PANTS opinion tear about things), but I don't. I think Tavis is full of it. (Booo-ring) and that the good Reverand is ... well, IT'S AL! I just can't.
Anyway, I'm going to let the man my day job boss calls my "boyfriend" because I quote him so much on the New Security Action blog, TAPPED's Adam Serwer take this one:
Smiley has taken the same sort of position that Republicans take on national security issues -- Republicans say Obama doesn't say "terrorism" enough, while Smiley doesn't think Obama engages in enough direct public advocacy on behalf of black Americans. Smiley doesn't actually engage on the question of whether or not Obama's attempts to de-racialize black issues have been successful; he just seems to think that if Obama simply talked about black issues more, problems would get solved.
It seems strange, but it's Sharpton who supports Obama's decision to de-emphasize race, while Smiley wants more racial grandstanding. While both men have been justifiably ridiculed for continuing to play the increasingly archaic role of "racial spokesman," it's funny to think that over the years Sharpton is the one who has mellowed, while Smiley still seems mired in the identity politics of the mid-1990s.
Al Sharpton, Barack Obama, Politics, Tavis Smiley, media, race 
Reader Comments (21)
I thought it was two divas with big egos going back and forth about "I didn't say that" and "Yes, you did". I don't particulary care for either of them. I thought that the conversation should have been handled off air. Hiowever, both are attention whores so I guess this helps get them more publicity.
Cosmic, you have a point about the attention-whore part but this started with Tavis going on the Tom Joyner Show and calling out Rev. Al, Ben Jealous and Dorothy Height for saying something they didn't say- that the President didn't need a 'Black Agenda'. Then he basically advertised yet another symposium with the usual suspects (Cornel West and Michael Eric Dyson) to talk about it and said Rev. Al would be there. Around 20 minutes after he spoke, Rev. Al called Tom Joyner to refute what Tavis said. And he had a point too, if Tavis had such an issue with what was said in the NYT article (which, btw, he never mentioned on the TJMS) why didn't he just call Rev. Al privately? I think Tavis was trying to pin him down into being on his symposium. Did you hear Tavis trying to cajole him into appearing? And I loved Rev. Al saying someone more objective should be chairing this event. And like Rikyrah pointed out on JJP, just WHO is funding this event? It's free to the public. But wait, Tavis disbanded his State of the Black Union because he felt there was not a need for it anymore. What does that mean for a 'Black Agenda'?
OK. Tavis tried to call out the Rev Al, hood style, maybe not expecting him to answer back so soon. Then Rev Al gets upset that Tavis misrepresented him. Ok. So Rev Al decided to go straight to the hood and use his radio show to trump Tavis--actually to crush him. And why? What he said that Tavis didnt do (speak to him in private) he now goes on to not do himself. So he goes Muhammed Ali on Tavis, beating him down, and for what? Street cred? He could have used a little more finesse in dealing with Tavis rather than stooping even lower than he accuses Tavis of doing!! Wooooowwwwww! And we are relying on these people to call forums and discussions that are supposed to bring results for black people? Black people, we're on our own--so we better start building for ourselves! The gubment and the "leaders" dont seem capable.
A hit dog will holler. If you listen to the exchanges between those two you hear indignation in Rev. Al's voice. I wonder why. Perhaps Tavis and Dyson are not the best individuals to call Al out. Their entrepreneurial interests and need for attention calls into question their credibility. All I know is that someone needed to say something.
I never saw Rev. Al as a poverty pimp or a spokesperson for black folks. I did see him as a progressive advocate. Sometimes he went too far, sometimes he was just on the wrong side of history. Others times he was right and he fought the good fight. We all know if Bush (or any Republican or any other politician) had promised to close down Gitmo and then did not do it or continue to greenlight torture in black sites, Al would leads marches to protest. If any other politician had increased the number of troops in Afghanistan-forcing people of all backgrounds into extended tours of duty, Al would march. If anyone had backed away from the public option, Rev. Al would call him a coward. If black unemployment was 25% under any other president, Al would bombard media outlets stating why this bad for all Americans.
Obama effectively destroyed that figure. Obama knew just how to shut Al up: give him some attention and let him think he has a seat at the table, lull him into assuming that he has some legitimacy. Now Sharpton is on mute.
Who's going to question why there can be a Brown agenda, a green agenda but no black agenda if Al and his press and curl won't.
just wow. i'm with you and adam on this one. but i could have done without the he said-he said.
Snob,
You may not be giddy about this, but if this scuffle came in powdered form I'd be in a recovery program right now.
I want to publicly thank the sweet baby Jesus for allowing someone to finally call Tavis Smiley out on his self-serving, pea-cocking, muck-raking, junk-swinging, President-hating crap.
This guys' needed a swift kick in the jewels for years now. I damn near caught the Holy Ghost listening to this!
What part of the President's agenda isn't beneficial to Black Americans?
Every single one of us is deeply concerned about having access to good jobs that allow us the opportunity to provide for our loved ones. Every single one of us would sleep better at night knowing that if--God forbid we get sick--we won't go broke trying to cure whatever illness we've acquired. And I'd wager next month's mortgage payment that every single one of us would like to live on a planet that isn't falling apart from abuse.
So thanks Al. That hater and his crappy time slots have been like a splinter in my heel for a little while now. Glad to see you take him down a peg or two. Actually, four.
I can only hope that soon, someone other than Larry Summers calls out Cornel West for his rhyming, non-academic related foolishness.
And since I brought him up, can I say something else? If Smiley and his banter-happy running buddy West REALLY wanted to do the most good for the black community, they'd both shut the hell up, MAN UP, find a good woman to settle down with, adore, support and marry that woman, then work silently and consistently to raise the strongest, most successful black family in the history of the diaspora.
Because that act alone would benefit the black community far more than any hundred-mile-per-hour prattle tumbling out of that stuttering mouth of his would.
I'm with Al Sharpton on this (I'll hold on the rev part). I think that Sharpton has more wisdom in dealing with issues that sweep a broad group of people. As a race, we are VERY diverse in our opinions, and therefore the so called 'black agenda' would fall apart. The agenda should be kept an American agenda--for all Americans. For the better development of this country and for helping get the economy back on track. Special interests, yes, even if it's my own race, should be dealth with within the race.
I totally agree with Snobfanforeal because Tavis has been sounding like a bitter azz for a minute now. President Obama is the President of the entire nation - not just Black folks. If Tavis had any good intentions surely he could have found another, better way to raise this issue.
did tavis lie????
no! tavis has never lied!
he has been clairvoyant about obama in every way!
the truth hurts!
he stung al!
kudos to tavis!
http://aliciabanks.vox.com/library/link/6a0123ddb39306860b0123f1a9e56f860f.html
peace,
alicia banks
eloquent fury
Obama is a poser, Al was a hit dog that hollered and Tavis is rgiht. That is all.
Tavis has a lot of nerve regarding Black Issues. How many Black people have you seen on his program?
Pimping Ain't Easy!!!
Does anyone else smell the "pee" besides me. It just seems like a pissing contest to me.
I will say that I feel some black leaders like Tavis contradict themselves. They are quick to say it's not Black History, it's American history. If I' not mistaken there was even a segment of the black leaders that said it's not (just) a black agenda but it should be an american agenda. Now all of a sudden they want it labeled as the black agenda. How much quicker do you want the Republicans to say "hayle nah?"
Like one other commenter said, what part of the agenda is not the black agenda? I'd like to ask Tavis and his supporters to go back and read Tavis' book about the black agenda and see just how much of it is totally left out of Obama's plans. Are we not under or un-employed? Are we not under served in healthcare. Are we not under educated?
But true to form with us, when we don't get what we want, when we want...we wanna cry foul. I don't think Obama should be above scrutiny by any means, but there is something to be said for being reasonable and patient. And in the meantime, can we please shed light on the havoc the Republicans are trying to wreak on us? This is exactly what THEY want...and we are reading from their script entirely.
Wake up people, can't you see when we're getting PLAYED?!?!?!?
as someone who followed it from the beginning:
1. Rev. Al was sitting at home, in his rollers, when Tavis came on the TJMS to lie on Rev. Al.
2. Prof. Ogletree first called in, politely, in that Harvard way, calling Tavis a liar.
3. As someone else posted elsewhere, never mess with a Black man unafraid to get on tv with permed hair in 2010 - especially before he's had his morning coffee. Rev. Al had none of Ogletree's Harvard politeness. He blasted Tavis. Using words like BUCKDANCE, let's just say Rev. Al threw down. Rev. Al even provided context for him and Tavis, recounting their skirmish at John Johnson's funeral.
4. Rev. Al, who usually has on Ogletree on Tuesdays, began his show with their discussion. Then, Tavis calls in and there the fun starts.
a note from the hometown here.
Tavis is from LOS ANGELES. He's never lived nor worked in CHICAGO - why the hell he gotta do his Obama Hateration Fest in Chicago?
Did you find out WHERE this Hateration Fest is to be held? In the Pavillion on the campus of Chicago State University named for EMIL JONES and his late wife.
YES, THAT EMIL JONES.
I made a point to listen to out local radio station. The host is one of those ' know everybody and anybody', and he had on, one of his regular callers - activist type, always into giving the good fight. This guy hasn't said a positive word about Obama since about February of 2009. He was like, ' I know everybody who would remotely be invited to something like this. Made my calls. DON'T NOBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.'
The host, who is a similar type said ' me either. My phone calls turned up ZIP'.
Well, if Tavis is doing all this organizing, who the hell is going to be there, if NOT these folks?
And MAYBE, just maybe, a part of me is appalled by any mofo who CHOOSES to go into business with a PEDOPHILE, actually thinking that he can even UTTER the word - ACCOUNTABILITY.
I lost interest in Tavis after he flounced off TJMS with his lip stuck out and sat in the corner. I love Rev. AL and you betta listen to Mama Snob-she got wisdom and age on her side. I personally saw the Rev. buy a young bro lunch at Sylvia's in NYC and counsel him. Didn't eavesdrop, but it was clear that he was providing a regular looking brother some guidance and mentorship and a meal. That impressed me. Essence did a real nice story on him and his wife (when the Black Love issue actually featured a Black man that LOVED a Black woman) and his family. I actually appreciate the fact that AL has made mistakes and has been wrong, but keeps going and is about what is good for black people. Tavis goes and sulks and makes sure the whole world knows he is jealous of Obama. AL does what he does and is relatively conisistent. But there is the side of AL that still helps the avg. person in his church or in the community. I don't think Tavis would have the time....
Anybody who is publishing R. Kelly's "memoirs" is in no position to be talking about accountability. What about accountability for the sexual exploitation of young black females, Tavis?
r. kelly pissed on one baby groupie
the blackish obama pisses on millions gobally each day and calls it corp green rain
which is worse????
i see many black people on tavis' excellent show
ie
harry belafonte!
http://aliciabanks.vox.com/library/link/6a0123ddb39306860b0123de01ba14860c.html
@alicia backs
You are full of crap and just lost all credibility for your excuses for R. Kelly. You care nothing for black people if you can dismiss the sexual exploitation of young black girls. Having people on tv and talking is the easiest job in the world, which I guess is why Tavis does it. If he has real solutions then he should run for President himself.
Oh and stop posting those links. They don't work and nobody cares.
Yes Emma!! Great comment!
Thank God MOST of the Oama-Stans are mostly quiet now-a-days.
Unfortunately, the POTUS is weak and his health-care agenda is a joke...And I am not too happy with he way Obama is being a human slinky--NO backbone....NONE, Zero, NADA...
I voted for the President, and he's NOT really doing a great job. The Republicans ROLL him, the blue dogs do NOT fear him and he hates confrontation....God the POTUS needs a real SPINE here....
Lord help African-Americans when the POTUS brings up Illegal Immigration. Some of the Omama-stans I know already see blood in the water, as they gt the feeling that the POTUS is likely to give Illegals a LOT of goodies.
On Tuesday, February23, Tavis Smiley went on Tom Joyner's Morning Show and did a commentary indicating that Rev. Al Sharpton, Ben Jealous, Charles Ogletree, Valerie Jarrett, Marc Morial, and Dr. Dorothy Height said that President Obama doesn’t need a Black agenda. In doing so he not only grossly distorted Sharpton's comment that the president didn't need to "ballyhoo" a Black agenda, but he also left the impression that President Obama was ignoring the plight of the Black community - which is blatantly untrue.
So yes, I was quite angry - and one of the things that set me off was his disingenuous self-righteousness. He said:
"I choose to identify with the underprivileged. I choose to identify with the poor. I choose to give my life for the hungry. I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity. This is the way I’m going. If it means suffering a little bit, I’m going that way. If it means dying for them, I’m going that way. Because I heard a voice saying, ‘Do something for others."
For a man who loves to quote scripture, he seems to have missed King James 3:14 - "But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth." One would have to be blind to believe that Tavis is less than envious of President Obama, or that he doesn't have selfish ambition in his heart. And one would have to be a fool to believe that Tavis is willing to die for the hungry. Personally, I don't see that kind of selflessness in his character. And while he may indeed be genuine about hearing voices, whose voice he's hearing should be up for serious debate.
But I was angered even more by his hypocrisy. It was clear that he requested to go on the Tom Joyner show (after giving up his spot as a regular commentator on the show well over a year earlier) to create a controversy just to promote an event that he organized in Chicago for later this month. In his commentary he said the following:
"I know 'What’s going on.' I know “We shall overcome,' but I don’t know this new tune, the president doesn’t need a Black agenda. And I’ve been hearing from other members, Tom, of our Black chorale, all across America as well, who either, like me, don’t know these new lyrics or have heard the song but ain’t down with singing it. That said, it’s time for a choir rehearsal so that we’re all singing from the same page. And so, our choir rehearsal will be held Saturday, March 20, in Chicago at 8:00 am, at Chicago State University, with Dr. Wayne Watson. Now, for all of those who can’t attend the choir rehearsal in person, this rehearsal will be broadcast[ed] on national television."
Don't forget to Mark you're calendars, now. That's Saturday, March 20, at . . . He sounded like he was doing a used car commercial.
Tavis is also fixated on accountability, and how "he choose to identify with the underprivileged," yet, as I pointed out two years ago in my article, The 2008 State of The Black Union, while he may choose to identify with the underprivileged, he hangs out with the heads of corporations - and you're known by the company you keep:
". . . how accountable is it to produce a show called The State of the Black Union then sponsor it with companies that are largely responsible for the very conditions that you're complaining about? One of the sponsors was Allstate Insurance–a company that is alleged to have denied the claims of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims. One victim, Michael Homan, alleges that Allstate denied his claim based on their position that Katrina wasn't windy enough. Another sponsor was Exxon/Mobile–a company that's raking in record profits while many Black people have to flip a coin to decide whether they're going to eat or put enough gas in their car to get to work. Wal-Mart was another sponsor–a company that's committed to blocking collective bargaining, providing their employees fair wages and healthcare, who destroy jobs by running other businesses out of the community and purchasing their merchandise from outside the United States, and who humiliate their customers by searching them before they leave the store."
Is that accountability? Does it sound like any of those companies are committed to a Black agenda? It sure doesn't sound like it to me, and I'm a mere heathen who's not willing to die for any cause. As a former Marine I was taught that we don't willingly die for anything - boot camp 101. "A Marine only dies, because he failed to duck.
I was also angry with Tavis because he's preaching to the Black community through ignorance. He's trying to lead Black people while he himself is obviously ignorant of history. He seems to be completely unaware of the fact that Richard Nixon also had a Black agenda. Nixon was the president who signed affirmative action into being, and when he did it, he had his tongue firmly implanted in his cheek.
Prior to AA we had a thriving civil rights movement. Not only Blacks, but thousands of whites were out marching with Martin Luther King, demanding equal opportunity for Blacks people.
Then President Nixon said, Ok, they want to fight for the rights of Black people, let's see how they feel when I allow Blacks to start taking their jobs and replacing their kids in the universities - and his scheme to undermine the Black movement worked like a charm.
While we were busy celebrating our shortsighted "victory," our victory led to USC v. Bakke, the emergence of Ronald Reagan, and White folks flooding into the Republican Party in droves. These people were far from racists, but it's human nature to protect one's own interest. Thus, Bakke's lawsuit against affirmative action brought White support for the civil rights movement to a screeching halt, and led directly to Ronald Reagan and the Republican era.
And what did we get in return? The only people in the Black community that benefitted were those who needed the help least. The cream of the crop was skimmed out of the community and went to work for large corporations. And with them, they took all of the talent, imagination, entrepreneurial skills, role models, and jobs. That, in turn, left young Black people with no one to look up to in the community but drug dealers.
Then thirty years later Barack Obama arrived on the scene, and the GOP was caught completely off guard. They were shocked. Where did he come from? But more importantly, where did all these people come from who're willing to vote for a Black man for president?
I'll tell you where they came from. Those were young Whites, and the closet moderates and progressives that fled the Democratic Party during the Affirmative Action era. They were so anxious for a change from the GOP that they got behind Obama even before Black people saw the light - that's why I'm so critical of Obama for failing to firmly initiate the change that he promised, an accommodation to the GOP that may, indeed, lead to his downfall.
But while I strongly disagree with his policy to be less than firm with the GOP, Obama is a very astute and intelligent man, so he's not about to listen to the rantings of Tavis Smiley. He understands history, and he's not about to make the same mistake twice.
Affirmative Action was a wonderful initiative, but as a result of it, the Black community was bamboozled into making the biggest political mistake in modern history - allowing AA to be based on race rather than need. Had it been based on need, it's roots would have reached down into the Black community to those who needed it most. It would have also included poor Whites, which would have prevented the GOP from using it as a weapon against us.
So as a direct result of the very kind of policy that Tavis Smiley is advocating, the GOP was able to turn AA into a liability for the Democratic Party that destroyed the most effective progressive coalition that this country has ever known. It was AA that allowed the GOP to turn the term "liberal" into a curse word in the political lexicon.
AA was also used to create Judases like Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, and Alan Keyes - and they're not the only ones. Anyone who has ever worked in a major corporation or a government agency knows that these Judases are sprinkled throughout our workforce. As we speak, I'm investigating a piece on the Los Angeles District of the U.S. Postal Service where I have absolute proof that minorities (including veterans) are being forced under the threat of losing their job to work as much as a half day (daily) without pay.
Think about that - I have proof that Blacks and Hispanics who have risen to positions of authority due to Affirmative Action are now being used, and given huge bonuses, as overseers in a United States Government agency to enforce slave labor in the twenty first century! It's been going on for years (I have documented proof of that as well), and the unions and the Inspector General's Office know about it (also documented), and they're doing absolutely nothing about it.
So yes, I'm angry, because Tavis is a corporate tool and manipulator. While he's trying to keep the people focused on the last war in order to promote his own interests, the powers that be have moved on to a class war. They don't care any more about poor White folks than they do Black people - the healthcare debate should demonstrate that to anyone with any sense at all. Sen. Joe Lieberman just told the White folks of Connecticut to go to Hell.
So if the people would open their eyes they'd see that Tavis' self-serving nonsense is an unnecessary distraction. Blacks, and Whites, are now under the gun. So this is no time to be distracted by a self-serving wannabe. He's not one of us, the poor and middle class struggling to survive - he's made a few dollars. His chumminess with Walmart and those who oppress us clearly demonstrates that he's one of them. But don't take my word for it - ask the people of Inglewood, Ca. whose agenda he promoted during their battle with Walmart.
Obviously, the only thing that will satisfy Tavis and his cohorts is for President Obama to throw his fist in the air every time they play Hail to the Chief. While Tavis is demagogueing the issue to promote his own agenda, here's what the president is doing for ALL of the people, including the Black community:
Obama Initiatives
- Spur Job Creation: “In addition, to help those most affected by the recession, the Budget will extend emergency assistance to seniors and families with children, Unemployment Insurance benefits, COBRA tax credits, and relief to states and localities to prevent layoffs.”
- Reforming the Job Training System: “The Budget calls for reform of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which supports almost 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide and a range of other services. With $6 billion for WIA at DOL—and an additional $4 billion in the Department of Education—the Budget calls for reforms to improve WIA.” Strengthen Anti-Discrimination Enforcement: “To strengthen civil rights enforcement against racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, religious, and gender discrimination, the Budget includes an 11 percent increase in funding to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. This investment will help the Division handle implementation of a historic new hate crimes law. The Budget also provides an $18 million, or 5 percent increase, for the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC), which is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee. This increased investment will allow for more staff to reduce the backlog of private sector charges.”
- Support Historically Black Colleges and Universities: “The Budget proposes $642 million, an increase of $30 million over the 2010 level, to support Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In addition to this discretionary funding increase for MSIs, the Administration supports legislation passed by the House of Representatives and pending in the Senate that would provide $2.55 billion in mandatory funding to MSIs over 10 years.”
- Help Families Struggling with Child Care Costs: “The Budget will nearly double the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-class families making under $85,000 a year by increasing their credit rate from 20 percent to 35 percent of child care expenses. Nearly all eligible families making under $115,000 a year would see a larger credit. The Budget also provides critical support for young children and their families by building on historic increases provided in ARRA. The Budget provides an additional $989 million for Head Start and Early Head Start to continue to serve 64,000 additional children and families funded in ARRA.”
- Reform Elementary and Secondary School Funding: “The Budget supports the Administration’s new vision for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) … The Budget provides a $3 billion increase in funding for K-12 education programs authorized in the ESEA, including $900 million for School Turnaround Grants, and the Administration will request up to $1 billion in additional funding if Congress successfully completes ESEA reauthorization.”
- Increase Pell Grants: “The Recovery Act and 2009 appropriations bill increased the maximum Pell Grant by more than $600 for a total award of $5,350. The Budget proposes to make that increase permanent and put them on a path to grow faster than inflation every year, increasing the maximum grant by $1,000, expanding eligibility, and nearly doubling the total amount of Pell grants since the President took office.”
- Help Relieve Student Loan Debt: “To help graduates overburdened with student loan debt, the Administration will strengthen income-based repayment plans for student loans by reducing monthly payments and shortening the repayment period so that overburdened borrowers will pay only 10 percent of their discretionary income in loan repayments and can have their remaining debt forgiven after 20 years. Those in public service careers will have their debt forgiven after 10 years. The Budget also expands low-cost Perkins student loans.”
- Prevent Hunger and Improve Nutrition: “The President’s Budget provides $8.1 billion for discretionary nutrition program supports, which is a $400 million increase over the 2010 enacted level. Funding supports 10 million participants in the WIC program, which is critical to the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. The Budget also supports a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization package that will ensure that school children have access to healthy meals and to help fulfill the President’s pledge to end childhood hunger. The President continues to support the nutrition provisions incorporated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).”
- Revitalize Distressed Urban Neighborhoods: “The Budget includes $250 million for HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program, which will target neighborhoods anchored by distressed public or assisted housing with physical and social revitalization grounded in promising, measurable, and evidence-based strategies.”
- Increase Funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program: “The President’s Budget requests $19.6 billion for the Housing Choice Voucher program to help more than two million extremely low income families with rental assistance to live in decent housing in neighborhoods of their choice. The Budget continues funding for all existing mainstream vouchers and provides flexibility to support new vouchers that were leased and $85 million in special purpose vouchers for homeless families with children, families at risk of homelessness, and persons with disabilities.”
- Preserve 1.3 Million Affordable Rental Units through Project-Based Rental Assistance Program: “The President’s Budget provides $9.4 billion for the Project-Based Rental Assistance program to preserve approximately 1.3 million affordable rental units through increased funding for contracts with private owners of multifamily properties. This critical investment will help low-income households to obtain or retain decent, safe and sanitary housing. In addition, the Administration requests $350 million to fund the first phase of this multi-year initiative to regionalize the Housing Choice Voucher program and convert Public Housing to project-based vouchers.”
- Promote Affordable Homeownership and Protect Families from Mortgage Fraud: “The Budget requests $88 million for HUD to support homeownership and foreclosure prevention through Housing Counseling and $20 million to combat mortgage fraud. In addition, the Budget requests $250 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation’s (NRC) grant and training programs. Of the $250 million, $113 million is requested for foreclosure prevention activities, a $48 million increase (74 percent) over 2010.”
- Fight Gang Violence and Violent Crime: “The Budget provides $112 million for place-based, evidence supported, initiatives to combat violence in local communities, including $25 million for the Community-Based Violence Prevention Initiatives that aim to reduce gun and other violence among youth gangs in cities and towns across the country, and $37 million for the Attorney General’s Children Exposed to Violence Initiative, which targets the youth most affected by violence and most susceptible to propagating it as they grow up.”
- Expand Prisoner Re-entry Programs: “The Budget provides $144 million for Department Justice prisoner re-entry programs, including an additional $100 million for the Office of Justice Programs to administer grant programs authorized by the Second Chance Act and $30 million for residential substance abuse treatment programs in State and local prisons and jails. In addition, the Budget provides $98 million for Department of Labor programs that provide employment-centered services to adult and youth ex-offenders and at-risk youth..”
- Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant Program: “The Budget provides $4.4 billion for the Community Development Fund, including $3.99 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Formula Program (CDBG), and $150 million for the creation of a Catalytic Investment Competition Grants program. The new Catalytic Competition Grants program uses the authorities of CDBG, but will provide capital to bring innovative economic development projects to scale to make a measurable impact.”
Eric L. Wattree
wattree.blogspot.com
Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.
This selection of [url=http://www.uggsbootstalluk.com]ugg boots brooks tall[/url] only choice is the same.
How to solve this conflict problem ? [url=http://www.uggsboots-saleuk.net]ugg classic argyle knit black[/url] would be a good choice for them.
thank you for visiting our website. here we mainly introduce leading product [url=http://www.myuggshop.us]kids ugg boots cheap[/url] .
[url=http://www.uggclassicmini.eu]uggs paisley[/url] is indeed the world's best shoes.
Money can`t buy Happiness? Whoever said that doesn`t know where to buy [url=http://www.uggbaileybutton.uk.com]ugg classic short leopard[/url].
We have produced many kinds of [url=http://www.uggs-boots-sale-uk.com]ugg pink boots[/url].
So if you want to be a fashion icon,[url=http://www.uggknightsbridgeboots-uk.com]ugg kids classic[/url] is the best choice.
Treat yourself to the [url=http://www.uggs-boots-ie.com]ugg classic mini chestnut[/url],fast delivery and no sales tax.
discount [url=http://www.uggs-boots-ie.com]ugg classic short eggplant[/url] sell in a low price.FREE Shipping worldwide.
We specially guarantee the lowest prices [url=http://www.cheapuggs.biz]classic tall uggs boots metallic pewter[/url].