Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 29, 2004, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
7A NEWS/lElie CJarlotte SoM Thursday, April 29, 2004 Caucus’immediaie fUhireispoiiiGalonly Continued from page 1A Bill James, a longtime cau cus critic. The BPC was fined $4,500 and its general fimd ordered closed, limiting the caucus’ fund raising to political giving only. But will being a full-fledged PAC make much difference? “It doesn’t sound a death knell, it just McCain forces us to be more inventive in terms of fund rais ing,” BPC Chairman Franklin McCain said. “We’ll have to reach out to more people.” “They’ve always been a PAC,” said Ted Arrington PhD, chairman of UNC Charlotte’s political science department. “TheyTl have to keep a better track of the money. It’s a tough time, but theyll survive. They’re a pretty hearty group.” “I would think it’s a major setback,” said Geneal Gregory, a caucus member for 22 years and official with the Mecklenburg Democratic Party. “It’s taken the State Board of Elections to say you need to regroup.” The change to full-time PAC will end contributions for community-oriented pro grams and support from black churches, which are- banned from political giving as a tax-exempt entity. Also, individuals who they don’t agree with the caucus’ pro gressive positions but may have backed community pro grams will likely disappear. “It means everybody who makes a contribution could be considered a member of the PAC,” McCain said. “Churches would be limited. We just have to go after indi viduals to join us.” The elections board’s actions — which included fines - confirmed long-term problems with the caucus’ accounting practices. The difficulties, caucus insiders say, can be traced to a grow ing disconnect between lead ership and membership. McCain, who became presi dent last June and was not involved in the Cunningham loan, said caucus bylaws now require executives imdergo training sessions on state election law. He attrib uted past mistakes to legal ignorance and overzealous ness. “I think there are one or two persons in the caucus who were perhaps over- enthusiastic,” McCain said. “There was no deliberate plan of deception. Our books were always open. We’re not that stupid” not openly defy election laws. Gregory contends the cul ture that led to sanctions in the first place hasn’t been dealt with by caucus leaders. “How do you change the bylaws when you don’t com municate” vdth caucus members, she asks. “It is a lack of communication from the top down. They have not received any correspondence fi'om the top dovra and there needs to be an overhaul from the top down.” The caucus’ strength has never been its ability to raise money, which is the province of regulated professions and business on the state and national level, Arrington said. Mobilizing black voters - nearly exclusively to Democratic candidates — is what makes the BPC a force in local elections. ‘They’ve never been a major financial power like real estate (professionals) or Bank of America,” he said. “It’s the organizing that gets people to contribute.” That will continue, Davis said, but it comes at a price. “If we don’t do better, we may be back again and this time somebody’s going to do some jail time because you just can’t go violating the laws of North Carolina,” he said. “But more than any thing, ' I hate to say Bill James was right.” • The caucus is accepting nominations for officers through May 14. lb submit a nomination or for informa tion, call Shirley Fulton at (704) 358-8144. Initiative to curb tobacco use Continued from page 6A be held across the countiy. Among the activities planned: The National Urban League will teacb youth to become peer-to-peer anti-smoking trainers and will expand its health education and behavior modification initiative targeting urban and other Afncan-American families and neighborhoods; • The NAACP will form a health advocacy work group that will make tobacco control a part of the organization’s health agenda as well as establish a health advocacy presence on its national website, NAACP.org; • The Congressional Black Caucus Fovmdation will conduct tobacco control pre vention and cessation initiatives at 10 histor ically Black colleges and universities and col lect data that will subsequently be dissemi nated through CBCF publications; • Tbe National Conference of Black Mayors Inc. will heighten awareness about second hand smoke in Afiican-American communi ties and work to collect 100,000 commitment forms finm households promising to partici pate in second-hand smoke reduction. The NCBM will also provide cash awards to municipalities for carrying out innovative local programs to reduce exposure to second hand smoke and • The National Association of Neighborhoods wfll serve as the coordinating and managing partner of the overall initiative and six key annual events. The NAN will also form and facilitate a policy committee, com posed of Legacy and coalition members to oversee the initiatives. The coalition is already being viewed as set ting a precedent for future collaboration against social ills in the black community. “Each of us has the Afifican-American com munity as a constituency and we tend to work separately to solve the same problems,” says NNPF Chairman Brian Tbwnsend, publisher of the Precinct Reporter in San Bemadino, Calif “This time well be able to provide a focused, centered and viable solution to a health issue. Well have all of these groups working together on the same issue focusing on similar solutions at the same time with dialogue. And so for the first time ever, we should see a real dent in that issue. In fact, it should inspire us to find some other issues in our community where we can come together at the same time in a focused venture to solve those issues as well.” About 45,000 Afncan-Americans die from tobacco related deaths each year. If current smoking patterns of Afiican Americans con tinue, an estimated 1.6 million black people currently under the age of 18 will become reg ular smokers, and about 500,000 of them will eventually die of a smoking-related disease. Under the grant, each organization will receive $250, 000 per year, for a total of $750,000 over the three-year period. George E. Curry, editor-in-chief of the NNPANews Service, will moderate town hall- style meetings around the country with a goal of increasing awareness of the dangers of tobacco and its harmful affects on the health of Afncan-Americans. The “African American Partners for a Tobacco-Free Society” marks a new direction on the part of the American Legacy Foundation. The project was awarded through Legacy’s Priority Populations Initiative. PrimeCare Medical Center Hans M. Kwaku, MO, MPH “Out Emphasis Is On Quality Heoithtore” Anthony Searles, MD, JO Ask us abestser iww sWrof-ib-ort fsdiisy - Internal Medicine comprehensive Diabetic Urgent Care Sports Physicals Pre-Employment Health Screening X-RAY Services Kim Neely, PA-C Management (Available onsite through our Diabetes Resource Center) ^ •Recently recognized by the i,. » ' [• prestigious American Diabetes Patrick E. Evive, If A Association MD, FACP ’ |L, ' Dpen Mon., Tue., Wed., Fri. • 9am-6pm Thurs., 9am-8pm - Sat., 9am-2pm 704.335.0806 3627 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216 www.Primemedical.oru We accept most Major Commercial Insurances, Medicare, and Medicaid HMO’s ^HairisTeet^ IHr iPr S B
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 29, 2004, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75