May 2,2012, 6 pm
The William Bross Lloyd Jr. Lecture
Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Toward Freedom Program of African Studies, 620 Library Place, Evanston, Illinois
Prof.
Horace Campbell, Syracuse University
with
introductory remarks by Greg
Guma, former TF Editor
Sixty years ago at the
height of the Cold War William Bross Lloyd Jr launched the newsletter Toward Freedom, one node in a network of international
activists that has carried the vision of a world ethic that
honors the human spirit and the right of individuals to freedom of thought and
creativity.
This 60th anniversary
lecture will focus on the seismic changes in
International politics since the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in
January 2011. Drawing from the inspiration of the youths of Tahrir
Square Professor Horace Campbell will interrogate the call from Samir Amin to be audacious in conceptualizing alternatives to the political
and economic dominance of the ruling one per cent.
Campbell will
reflect on the rapid economic growth in Africa and the implications for the
Union of the Peoples of Africa in the changed world economy. In order to
heal the planet from rapacious forms of economic relations and exorbitant
consumption it is necessary to embark on a new system that enables equality and
mutual understanding. Hence, there must be a quantum leap from the current
neo-liberal system to a new social system that is not based on discrimination
and hierarchies. Drawing from the present thrust for Reparations and
Reconstruction toward a multi-polar world, the lecture will examine the
multifaceted transformations necessary to rise beyond the linearity and
concepts of ‘modernization.’
The talk will
challenge intellectuals in the academy to transcend old images and ideas of
Africa with the call for boldness in formulating political alternatives to the
existing system. A “humanist consensus” rather than a Washington, Beijing, or
any other kind of consensus, is now necessary to work for world peace in a
moment of crisis when the triggers’ of war are poised to engulf humanity into
greater conflagrations. In this quest centers of learning will be encouraged to
join the new process of re-education to break the dominance of the exploiters.
The Speakers
Horace Campbell is
Professor of African American Studies and Political Science at Syracuse
University in Syracuse, New York. He is the author of Rasta and
Resistance From Marcus Garvey to Walter Rodney; Reclaiming Zimbabwe:
The Exhaustion of the Patriarchal Model of Liberation; and Pan
Africanism, Pan Africanists and African Liberation in the 21st century. His
most recent book is Barack Obama and 21st Century Politics: A
Revolutionary Moment in the USA.
Greg Guma met William B. Lloyd in the 1970s, succeeded
him as editor of Toward Freedom in 1986, and helped to bring
the organization to Vermont. He served as editor for more than a decade,
expanding the publication's scope from the end of the Cold War to the start of
the digital age. In Burlington, the state’s largest city, TF found a second home that has nurtured the publication and its
educational work for the last 26 years.
Greg's introduction will feature a new documentary (see above) examining the events surrounding the launch
of Toward Freedom as a Chicago-based international newsletter,
the legacy of the Lloyd family dating back to Henry Demarest Lloyd, and the publication's accomplishments over 60 years. In person he will also recount TF's early
coverage of colonial struggles and the non-aligned movement, writing by Lloyd
and others on independence movements, and
the relevance for our time.
As most students went to classes at
Burlington High School on Thursday morning about 40 students, most of them English
language learners (ELL) from Somalia, gathered at the school's entrance for a surprise protest.
Angered after seeing a newspaper article posted
on a school bulletin board that described them as “statistical outliers” who
lagged behind, they overcame embarrassment and delivered their message with youthful
energy and creativity. They feel unfairly judged by outdated tests and object
to statistical analysis that correlates poverty with poor academic performance.
They also made it loud and clear that,
despite any progress or the promises of change ahead, racism remains a real and
persistent problem in local schools.
Their goal, chanted while marching around
school property, was to “end racism at BHS.”
^^^
When the findings of the Diversity and Equity Task Force
established by the Burlington School District were released last October Vince
Brennan was almost as optimistic.
As Task Force Chairperson and a Progressive member of the City
Council he saw in the year-long effort the “noble ideal of building a better
future.” Six months later what he sees instead is “fear and a loss of hope for
change.
Last Monday, during the city council’s first working session with
the new Weinberger administration, he had some strong words for BSD
Superintendent Jeanne Collins after a report was delivered by school officials
on the new strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion.
In a commentary submitted to the Burlington Free Press in late
March – but not published – Brennan questioned whether Collins was “really
being true to her words about free speech or is picking and choosing who to
silence.”
Councilor Vince Brennan
The school system needs “new leadership,” Brennan concluded. He
was calling for the superintendent’s replacement because she had declined to
intervene after Math teacher David Rome issued a pointed refutation of the
report’s findings.
Brennan’s commentary was written in response to a Burlington Free
Press op-ed that said he was wrong to criticize Collins for not speaking out
about Rome’s rebuttal. The teacher’s questioning of statistics and conclusions
cited as the basis for the school system’s strategic plan undermined the
report’s initial public reception and has raised fresh questions about racism
in the schools.
Brennan insists he does not want to silence Rome, despite
suggestions in the press that it is a free speech issue. But he does think that
“not participating with the Task Force while it was assembled and then
condemning the whole process after it was accepted is exercising what
researchers call ‘privilege’ based on race.”
Disparities and disagreements
Schools in Burlington are considerably more diverse than most in
Vermont. Students of color—Asian, Black, Latino, Native American and
Multiracial—make up 27 percent of student body, according to school district
figures. About 15 percent are English language learners from other countries.
Over 60 languages and dialects are spoken by their families. Statewide, the ELL
population has more than doubled in the last ten years.
Minorities will be more than 50 percent of the US population by
2042. Although the white community may be able to maintain the status quo, the
report argues, doing so will create “an inhospitable climate for students and
families of color and will severely limit the potential of all our students to
succeed in a rapidly changing environment.”
With these and other trends in mind the Task Force attempts to
make the case for rapid change with a portrait comprised of “statistically
measured facts” about the local system. The report states, for example,
that the dropout rate for African American students is measurably higher, that
“students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch” are 25 percent less
likely to graduate, and that “there is nearly a one in five chance that an
otherwise qualified student of color did not take the SAT or ACT exam.”
It also notes that minority students “are extremely
over-represented (60%) in being punished through out-of-school suspensions,”
and although students of color make up 27 percent of the student body, they
represent only 13 percent of those passing Algebra 1.
The strategic plan that has emerged from this analysis involves
top-to-bottom change in educational policies. That includes ongoing training
and professional development for all employees, hiring more people of color
along with “culturally competent” staff, leadership and accountability by the
school board and administration, increased transparency, and incorporation of a
“multicultural mindset” into curriculum, hiring and other policies that “values
cultural pluralism and affirms students from all backgrounds.”
In a section on what needs to be done during the next year to
change the local climate, the primary objective is to “infuse the district with
the message that the social and educational climate in our schools requires
urgent attention to erase many negative stereotypes, subtle and overt
behaviors, assumptions, and decisions that favor conventional, white upper
middle class Judeo-Christian values and beliefs.”
Rome’s response focuses mainly on statistics he has found
inaccurate, but he also calls the report’s references to Judeo-Christian
culture inflammatory and divisive. “The use of this phrase is truly an insult
to the professionals who work with individuals at BHS to make the school as
inclusive and welcoming to as many students as possible,” he writes. At least
one other teacher has publicly agreed with him.
Rome’s central argument is that factual errors in the report have
produced “false conclusions leading to a reaction by the Board and community
members that the school system is badly flawed and in need of drastic repair
when, in fact, it is doing a remarkably fair and equitable job.”
The Task Force cites a 5 percent dropout gap between African
American and White students, but Rome notes that only one African American
dropped out of the senior class last year. He adds that it is unfair to expect
newcomers to the country to graduate within four years. On math performance he
argues the figures actually indicate improved course completion for students of
color. He also disputes suspension statistics cited in the report.
Sara Martinez De Osaba, director of the Vermont Multicultural
Alliance for Democracy, sees such criticisms as an attempt to “negate that
there are disparities.” Like Brennan she describes Rome’s critique as an example
of “white privilege.”
Developing the new roadmap
The process that led to the new plan began in 2008 with an attempt
by the board to define diversity. “We are a community of many cultures, faiths,
abilities, family constellations and incomes, birthplaces and aspirations,”
said the resulting statement. “The depth and richness of this diversity is our
strength when we work toward a common goal.”
The Task Force on Equity and Diversity was created two years
later, and initially grappled with the hiring of a new principal for the
Integrated Arts Academy. Since the district “faced extensive needs in
recruitment and hiring of teachers and staff of color,” it focused in the early
months on human resource questions. A Town Hall meeting and three other community
input events helped to inform the work.
After the report was completed and accepted by the school board
last fall a town hall-style gathering was staged in February to present the
findings and strategy. About 120 people attended. By then Rome had released his
rebuttal and the local mood gradually turned less hopeful.
According to the Task Force “troubling educational disparities
exist in Burlington along race and socioeconomic status. They represent an
‘opportunity gap’ as well as a shortfall in the overall number of high school
graduates and potential college grads.” The situation produces “inequalities of
all kinds which in turn have multiple long-term effects.”
BSD’s plan describes broad-ranging changes in leadership, human
resources, climate and curriculum. Within the next year, for example, one
objective is system-wide staff training aimed at creating an “anti-racist and
culturally responsive curriculum to support all students.” The idea is to have
teachers “consistently reference the multicultural nature of their teaching
tools, noting the contributions and accomplishments of distinguished
individuals from a variety of cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic
backgrounds. “
One example in the plan discusses teaching about westward US
expansion. Rather than focusing on the perspective of hunters, pioneers, the beginning
of the industrial age and the harnessing of natural resources, the report
suggests that curriculum should look at the impacts on different groups and
cultures, as well as the role of various institutions “in achieving specific
outcomes.”
Curriculum activities during the first year are expected to
include an online resource guide for teachers; workshops and use of diversity
coaches; advisory groups at each school; an Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Guidebook that presents “the rationale for using an anti-racist, culturally
responsive and socially just method of inquiry;” and development of working
definitions for key terms like “anti-racist,” “culturally responsive,” and
“social justice.”
To jump-start that process the report includes a six-page glossary
of terms. Defining “anti-racist education” it notes that racism is not only
manifested in individual acts of bigotry but also in policies like “failure to
hire people of color at all levels and the omission of anti-racist regulations
in faculty and student handbooks.”
Cultural competence involves “being aware of one’s own
assumptions” and “understanding the worldview of culturally diverse and
marginalized populations,” the report explains.
Two key concepts are “institutionalized racism” and “privilege,”
both of which came up during the city council’s review of the plan.
The glossary explains that “institutionalized racism” is seen in
“processes, attitudes and behavior which totals up to discrimination through
unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, and racist stereotyping which
disadvantages people from ethnic minorities.”
“Do you believe while privilege exists?” Brennan asked Collins
during an extended question period during the council meeting. Absolutely yes,
she answered. Ward 1 Democrat Ed Adrian agreed.
But Ward 7 Republican Paul Decelles was troubled by the question
and asked, “Could you explain what you mean by that comment you just
made.” He didn’t get a direct response but the report includes a
definition.
White privilege, it says, “helps explain how white people –
relative to people of color and who do not present as part of the white racial
group – and despite their intentions, are ‘advantaged’ to access and
opportunities over people of color and those who do not appear to be in the
white racial group.”
Voicing frustration and dissent
Faulty research and conclusions by the task force are pointing
Burlington in the wrong direction to address the real problems, Rome argues.
“Hiring teachers of color has little, if any, correlation to student
performance, but hiring competent teachers, regardless of color, does."
He also suggests that the district should focus on “improving the
economic situation of lower socio-economic families and educating them about
the link between academic success and their future.”
Beyond questioning the statistics used as a rationale Rome also
finds fault with the report for failing to mention areas of local success, a
list on which he includes a higher rate of students of all colors going to
college than the state average, a knowledgeable staff with “a great
amount of diversity and cultural experiences,” student resources like the
Homework Center and Shades of Ebony, and “the conscious choice that
most staff members make to work at BHS precisely because of the diverse student
population and the high level of professionalism of the staff.”
Rome also claims that both teachers and students were excluded
from the task force report committee. “At no time were teachers interviewed or
questioned for their expertise about the veracity of the comments made at the
meetings or discussions in an effort to get their input for further
discussion,” he charges. As a result the report’s release was “a blow to
morale” that he claims has upset many teachers.
As evidenced by the Thursday protest many ELL students at the high
school are also frustrated and upset. According to De Osaba, who put out
a call to local activists to show up in support, students are offended by the
suggestion that they are “statistical outliers.” The term does not appear
in Rome’s report, but she says that he has used the term in a hand out. Others
claim that he has brought up the dispute in class.
Like teachers who feel their efforts have been undervalued,
students attending the protest were angry and disappointed by the sense they
are being blamed for the school’s problems. The ELL curriculum used at the high
school is outdated, they charge, and they don’t want to be judged on the basis
of unfair testing.
“BSD has been beleaguered with racism issues
since the '80's,” De Osaba contends. She adds that tensions
are increasing because many steps identified years ago by the school system
have not been taken. “None of this is the fault of the African ELL
students. They are not running the schools.
UVM faculty member Denise Dunbar, who also attended the protest,
points to the emotional toll of social isolation and humiliation faced by
students attempting to learn English and adjust to a new society. Some
statistics in the plan may be off, she acknowledges, but the problems should
not be minimized and cannot always be measured.
Collins sees things similarly. There is room for debate about the
math, she admits. But despite some suggestions that the report should be
rescinded she continues to think the conclusions and strategies are on target.
That position hasn’t been sufficient for Brennan or others who
believe that failing to respond to criticism by Rome has undermined what the
district is trying to accomplish and should be grounds for administrative
change. De Osaba goes farther, charging that the administration condones the
Rome’s report by not taking steps to refute or stop him.
Collins insists that a greater concern is “silencing any voice in
this important conversation.”
Racial disparities in
Burlington schools turned out to be the main event at the first working session
of the City Council since a new mayor took charge. Students of color are
now 27 percent of the student body in public schools. According to a Task Force
report more Black students drop out of school. They're less likely to take SAT
tests and more likely to be suspended. The report is supposed to set the stage
for a strategic plan to address diversity, equity and inclusion.
^^^
On April 16 School Superintendent Jeanne Collins joined Board Chair Keith Pillsbury and staff members to outline some of the efforts that led to the report and its recommendations. But not everyone is satisfied. Some teachers say they've been excluded, and several residents at the Council forum pointed to ongoing problems. Here's a video report. A closer look at the recommendations and strategy will follow soon. FURTHER READING: Task Force Report on the Recommended Strategy for Diversity,Equity and Inclusion for the Burlington School District
Burglaries
and violent crime are on the rise in Vermont's Queen City, and the primary reason is substance
abuse. That's what Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling told a Neighborhood Planning
Assembly.
During a lively panel discussion on April 12 Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J.
Donovan argued for a balance between accountability and treatment, and outreach
team leader Matt Young warned about "serious functional impairment," which involves poverty, culture, entitlements, and mental health issues. Take a look...
“The
numbers of the last three years for burglaries citywide look like this,” Burlington Police Chief Schirling reported early in the forum, “247 reported in 2009, 294 reported in 2010, and 380
reported in 2011. So, a substantial increase.”
Two
things are “in play,” he explained. “The first is intractable opiate and
substance abuse addiction. Sort of secondary, but quite a bit further behind
that, are folks that are I guess for lack of a better word, career criminals.”
During
a question period residents expressed support for police and corrections
officials. But some also complained about noise and other “quality of life”
offenses, and one resident said some of his friends and colleagues are “talking
about leaving because it is at a tipping point.”
@
The
discussion, held during a regular NPA meeting at Edmunds School near downtown,
included Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan, University of Vermont
Dean of Students David Nestor, Champlain College Director of Residential Life
Ashley Mikell, Community Corrections District Manager Debbie Thibault, Rain
Banbury of Burlington Parellel Justice, and Matt Young, who heads the Howard
Center’s street outreach team.
Donovan
agreed with Schirling’s general assessment and said substance abuse is becoming
an epidemic in Vermont. “It’s not just a Burlington issue.”
The
prosecutor pointed to a recent comment by Public Safety Commissioner Keith
Flynn that more people are dying in Vermont due to opiate overdoses than from
highway fatalities. “And we’re a rural state,” Donovan added. “Our jails are
full in Vermont. We have a corrections budget of $140 million and a recidivism
rate, depending on who you ask, of over 50 percent.”
Thibault
reported that the number of people under Corrections Department supervision has
actually decreased by 14 percent since last year. That is because treatment
courts and rapid arraignment have been effective, she said.
Probation
officers, who work in specialized areas, currently have about 30 people on
their caseloads. “With a smaller
caseload we can focus on more serious offenders,” Thibault added. She said that
should allow more direct supervision, seeing people more often, and more work
by community corrections officers.
In
2009 the violent crime rate in Burlington was 29 percent lower than the national
rate average, according to FBI figures. But the property crime rate was almost
50 percent higher.
Donovan
said the solution is balance. “People who commit crimes must be held
accountable,” he argued, “but we also have to look at the back end of putting
people in jail” since they will eventually get out.
“It’s
in our collective interest to plan for that release,” he said.
One
obstacle is that Vermont’s treatment facilities have long waiting lists. “And
it’s no secret what people are going to do when they’re not getting treatment.
They’re going to burglarize, they’re going to rob,” Donovan said.
@
Young
noted that even though treatment is available for most of those who want it, many
people who feel disadvantaged “are disabling themselves when they are unable to
find employment. They see other people getting disability and they believe a
lack on employment opportunities means they are disabled.” The resulting frustrating
leads to “acting out,” he said.
Young
said that the state defines this as “serious functional impairment,” while the
Police Department and courts are seeing “severe and persistent functional
impairment. This is very difficult to address. There is poverty involved,
culture, entitlements, and mental health issues.”
@
Nestor
acknowledged that although UVM students are sometimes the victims of crimes, “they
may well be perpetrators of crime.” He added the university works with the
police and service providers to hold students accountable for crimes committed
off campus and get them into restitution programs.
The
list of common “nuisance” or “quality of life” offenses involving students includes
noise, open containers and underage parties. Nestor estimates that UVM students
are involved in about 250 off campus “infractions” a year. Drugs and alcohol
are often involved.
During
the recent mayoral race Bram Kranichfeld, a city council member who sought the
Democratic nomination, criticized UVM’s response to noise, vandalism and drug
dealing with a memorable line. “Right now they
have a more serious internal response to overdue library books than noise
complaints,” he charged.
Ward 6
NPA Co-facilitator Neil Groberg repeated the line as part of a question about
whether local schools can do more to make students accountable.
In
response Nestor mentioned the question about whether the school could keep
students from graduating if they get into trouble off campus. “We’re asked our
legal counsel to look very closely at that,” he said, “and quite frankly, the
words comes back that we really can’t begin to make that kind of nexus. We are
certainly doing things to hold students accountable.”
If
students don’t pay parking tickets, for example, Nestor said the university
checks ticket lists against campus registrations and contacts the students. “We
talk about the expectation that the institution has for them to be good
citizens,” he said. “We’ve been able to get some good results.”
The Burlington Planning Commission met this week to look over a new Climate
Action Plan calling for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by
2020. But emissions actually increased 7
percent locally from 2007 to 2010. The Vermont city has been working on climate issues for more
than a decade. According to consultants the top three strategies are more
energy efficient homes and commercial buildings, and less driving.
Burlington’s
Climate Action Plan calls for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020. Reaching that goal means a 1.5 percent annual drop for the
next eight years. The goal was set in 2008 after the city conducted a local inventory.
Nevertheless,
the 2012 update of the plan, which incorporates the results of a new inventory
conducted by consultants in 2011, reveals that emissions actually increased 7
percent overall from 2007 to 2010. Emissions traceable to city government activity
rose 15 percent, while the community’s emissions went up 6 percent.
“Our
transportation emissions did not decease, they didn’t hold steady, they
actually went up 22 percent,” noted Burlington Planning Commission member Lee
Buffinton on Tuesday at a public hearing on the plan. “You really have to dig
through to even find that.”
The
Commission called the hearing to review the new findings and strategies, which
are slated to become part of a revised Energy Chapter in the Municipal
Development Plan. Future city projects and programs affecting transportation
and development will have to conform to the standards in the plan. That
includes zoning, subdivision regulation, impact fees and capital improvements.
In
1998 Burlington’s City Council formed a Climate Protection Task Force and passed
a resolution to reduce emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. An 18-month
process led to the city’s first Climate Action Plan, adopted in May 2000. A
2007 inventory showed that Burlington generated 397,272.4 tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent (tCO2e). The goals were a 20 percent reduction by 2020 and an 80
percent reduction by 2050, which would require an annual 2 percent decrease.
In
2009 Burlington used American Recovery Act funds to hire Spring Hill Solutions,
a clean energy consulting firm, to prioritize more than 200 “mitigation actions”
generated by eight working groups during a extensive community process. The
resulting plan is expected to become a framework for measuring and reducing
greenhouse emissions and other climate change impacts.
According
to Spring Hill, three approaches offer Burlington the largest “carbon bang for
each investment buck;” in other word, the greatest potential for both carbon
reductions and cost savings. They are the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
program, which provides property owners with help making energy efficiency and
renewable energy improvements; reducing the number of miles driven by local
residents by combining trips, telecommuting, carpooling and using alternatives
to the automobile; and requiring any new commercial construction to follow performance
guidelines that reduce energy use by at least 20 percent.
“Collectively,
these three strategies comprise nearly half of the estimated carbon reductions
and will save the City, citizens and other stakeholders more than $14 million
each year,” the Plan states. Implementing all 17 of the strategies identified would
produce a 12 percent reduction in emissions from the 2007 level.
The
inventory of city government indicates that while emissions from electricity decreased,
those from natural gas rose by 25 percent. Increased fuel use by the city’s
vehicle fleet also affected the total. For city workers, “the average commute
distance rose to nearly 13 miles (one way) in 2010 and 75% of employees drove
alone to work,” the document notes.
Among
the bright spots is Burlington’s municipal electric department, which has a
tradition of seeking “clean power mixes and providing energy efficiency
programs.” This has resulted in lower emissions from the BED grid. New England’s
grid “provides cleaner electricity than the National Grid, but not as clean as
the Burlington Electric Department Grid,” the plan says.
Progress
is also evident at the Burlington International Airport. Consumption of both electricity
and natural gas has decreased, although emissions went up by 3 percent. In the
last three years the airport has pushed energy efficiency by replacing
lighting, air conditioning and heating equipment, and upgrading to digital
controls.
Emissions
from electricity and natural gas also dropped in the community. But transportation
is the largest source of greenhouse gas. “With emissions increasing by almost a
quarter since 2007, much work needs to be done in this sector, including
changing habits and enacting policies,” the plan concludes.
City of Burlington - Community Emissions by Source
Of
total community emissions 51 percent came from transportation in 2010, “indicating
that a reduction in annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by Burlington residents
could have the biggest impact on helping the city meet its emissions reduction
target.”
Planning
Commissioners also expressed concern about the absence of any reference to climate
justice or equity issues in the plan. The omission, initially noticed by
Burlington Rep. Kesha Ram, led Commission Chair Peter Potts to suggest that the
public hearing remain “open” until the planners meet on May 8. In the meantime, he asked Planning and Zoning
staff member Sandrine Thibault to research equity and other lingering questions
for a subsequent discussion.
“I
really commend the city of Burlington for doing this,” said Nathaly Agosto
Filion, who attended the hearing. Fillion, who works for the Montpelier-based Institute
for Sustainable Communities, pointed to a recent study indicating that, in tracking
the amount of emissions reductions, “the most important thing is the buildup of
community engagement.”
The
Burlington plan focuses on economic and emission impacts of various strategies,
but does not go into other potential benefits such as increased water quality,
improved soil retention, improved health and safety, or new educational opportunities.
Once
the plan is approved changes in government policy will be facilitated by the
Burlington Sustainability Action Team, formed by Mayor Kiss in 2008. Among
other tasks the team is expected to make sure this plan and other municipal
rules are consistent.
Beyond
the three top priorities high impact strategies include putting solar PV panels
on school building roofs; retiring five percent of government’s vehicle fleet
and replacing a quarter of the city’s vehicles with hybrids; increasing the
urban tree canopy by planting 588 trees a year; and a digester system for solid
waste that generates electricity and heat, reduces emissions and creates a
bi-product that can be sold as bulk compost.
Copies
of the 2012 Climate Action Plan are available online or from the City of Burlington's Department of
Planning and Zoning.
Organization Day in Burlington is an opportunity for those leaving and joining local government to celebrate the transition with one another and members of the public. The agenda is normally brief and ceremonial, and the mood conciliatory, if not exuberant.
With Democrat Miro Weinberger officially becoming the city’s 42nd mayor, this time was no exception. The ceremonies were held on Monday night, with a reception at 6 p.m. and swearing-in ceremonies at 7 in City Hall.
^^^
The formal agenda began with the selection of four escorts to accompany the new chief executive into the packed auditorium. The group chosen reflected the city’s complex balance of political power: Joan Shannon, a Democrat elected City Council President later in the evening; Vince Dober, one of two Council Republicans after the departure of Kurt Wright; Vince Brennan, one of three Progressives; and Independent Sharon Bushor, later appointed to the influential Board of Finance. In the epic local election that concluded on March 6 with Weinberger’s 57 percent victory over Wright and Independent Wanda Hines, Shannon had backed Weinberger, a fellow Democrat. Bushor, Brennan and Dober supported Wright. The upbeat mood in Contois Auditorium nevertheless telegraphed the message that it's time to move on and unite – at least for a while -- as the new administration grapples with troubling financial realities.
Judge William Sessions III swears in the new mayor.
After he was sworn in by US District Judge William Sessions III, Weinberger explained, “We have an immediate budget gap and a number of long-term, unfunded obligations and liabilities that we can no longer kick down the road.” When the mayoral race began six months ago, there was “a mood of anger and anxiety about our future,” Weinberger recalled. But the local vibe “has already shifted dramatically. As we gather tonight our community is filled with optimism and a renewed sense of common purpose.” It’s an observation he makes frequently these days, reinforced by the recent campaign visit of Barack Obama. Weinberger talked with Obama and received a shout out during the President’s speech to almost 5,000 people at Patrick Gymnasium. To hit the ground running, Weinberger asked the new council to appoint Paul Sisson as Interim Chief Administrative Officer for the next three months. On almost any other occasion that would have involved an extended discussion of Sisson’s qualifications and a candidate interview with the Board. Republican Paul Decelles made essentially that point when proposing that the decision should be delayed for two weeks. “I think a more appropriate time would be at our next meeting, where the board of finance could look at Mr. Sisson's credentials, talk to H.R., have a work session, meet Mr. Sisson and then approve his confirmation," he argued. Sisson, who co-chaired Weinberger’s transition team and vetted other candidates for appointment, has also examined the draft city budget developed by the exiting Kiss administration as chair of the mayor’s budget team. A UVM graduate, Sisson spent 26 years with KPMG, a huge audit, tax and advisory services firm. By 1888 he was a partner, retiring in 2004. Since then he has been a self-employed financial consultant specializing in work with energy companies. Karen Paul, the Council’s other Independent, expressed the prevailing reaction. While she would have preferred to meet with the proposed Interim CAO before voting on him, "I do think that it is only fair that we give the mayor the benefit of the doubt." In the end only Decelles and Max Tracy, one of the two new Progressives on the city council, voted no.
The Leadership Team
Things went more smoothly for Shannon, who was elected Council President to replace Bill Keogh without a challenge. Paul said last week that she was planning to seek the post, but withdrew her bid, another sign of the conciliatory atmosphere after more than two years of displeasure with the previous administration. Paul will retain her position on the Finance Board, the only holdover from the previous leadership.
Wright receives kudos.
Former Mayor Bob Kiss, who stepped down after two terms, did not speak during the ceremonies. Weinberger reached out instead to his main opponent in the race, Wright, who was seated directly behind him. Presenting Wright with a proclamation he thanked the retiring city councilor and three-time mayoral candidate for his contributions. Wright continues to represent Burlington in the state legislature. In his inaugural message Weinberger talked about “the paralyzing loss of trust between the Mayor’s Office, this council and the public,” but pledged “a new era of collaboration and cooperation between the Council and the Mayor’s office. This is the only way we can make the progress we were each elected to achieve.” Many of the city’s financial challenges will be monitored most closely by the Board of Finance, a committee that includes the mayor, his just-appointed CAO, Council President Shannon, and three other councilors. While it may look like Weinberger has at least three of six votes secured, Shannon will be an ex-officio (non-voting) member. The other three members elected by the council – also without opposition, in an arrangement made in advance – were Paul, Sharon Bushor and Decelles. The latter two backed Wright during the campaign. Although Bushor often votes with council Progressives she was nominated by Republican Decelles, who was in turn nominated by Dober. For the first time in years the Finance Board will not have a Progressive Party member. To make decisions, however, the Democratic administration will need at least one non-Democratic vote.
Excerpts from a New Chapter
Less than a month after winning his first race for public office, Weinberger touched on many of the same themes he and Wright stressed on the campaign trail --municipal projects stuck or stalling, too many children living in poverty, housing costs so high that they “threaten to force the middle class out of our city. Even amidst a deep national housing recession this chronic, decades-long pressure has not subsided.” Weinberger also acknowledged Burlington’s increasing diversity, calling it a “welcome trend” that can “make the community stronger” rather than divide it. The comment suggests a cultural and generational change that the recent election outcomes also reflect. Most of the speech reiterated well-worn campaign themes. Weinberger's message to the public and the press, for example, was the promise of “straight talk and engagement.” When questioned last week by the Burlington Free Press about whether meetings of his transition team were recorded and public, he had to admit they were not and noted, somewhat defensively, that such private meetings aren’t cover by state law. On the other hand, Weinberger also contended at the press conference to announce Sisson’s selection, “We intend to be an administration that is asking not “Can we protect this information, but can we make it public?’ That’s how we’ll go forward.” He also had encouraging works for the business community, the promise of “innovative partnerships” in a culture “where you continue to grow and thrive,” as well as for city workers. Despite being the CEO he chose to stress that he is also one of 600 city employees. “Tonight I become one of you,” he claimed. The main metaphor in the speech was the idea that Burlington is turning a page and “beginning a new, more hopeful chapter.” The underlying message is a call for teamwork and the promise to balance change with continuity. “As Vermonters, we know we must live within our means,” Weinberger said. “We will return to this combination of prudence and ambition that has served our city so well over the last 30 years.” It was subtle but unmistakable reference to the decades of Progressive administration that began in 1981 with Bernie Sanders. A related reference came near the end when he made another promise. “We will remain committed to fighting for the just society that proudly separates Burlington from so many other communities,” he said.
Welcome to (Occupied) Burlington
The formal business was over in less than an hour, following by a reception in City Hall’s cavernous hallway. An extra-parliamentary encounter there with several members of the Occupy movement provided one more example of how different politics can sometimes be in Burlington. Rather than interrupting the transition ritual, or assuming how the new mayor will react to the movement, the activists waited for the reception, then presented Weinberger with a welcome basket and a homemade “ch’occupy” pie. Weinberger thanked them, and the crowd in the hallway – not just the activists – used the “people’s mike” to repeat the new mayor’s response. Like the earlier ceremonies the moment was relaxed and guardedly hopeful. The Occupy delegation also brought some “suggested commitments” for Weinberger’s administration to consider. Highlights include at least one year-round shelter for those suffering from substance abuse related issues, submission of any proposed changes on the Church Street Marketplace to rigorous public review, a food garden in City Hall Park, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, anti-oppression training for the police, and publicly recognizing an upcoming May 1 mobilization, “The Day Without the 99%, when local Occupy supporters will join protesters worldwide. Since it was a night for celebration, however, no one pressed the new mayor on how he felt about the movement's 11 local proposals. Instead, Occupy activists plan to return for answers later this month, starting with the city’s position on upcoming May Day mobilizations in Burlington, Vermont and around the country.
One day before taking office as Burlington's new mayor Miro Weinberger announced a key pick -- his choice for the city's chief administrative officer. He chose Paul R. Sisson, a professional audit manager who he met via the ECHO science center on Burlington's waterfront. Sisson, who recently co-chaired the new mayor's transition team, said the top priorities were a balanced budget, a review of departments and systems, and protecting the city's credit rating.
...Then holds a Pre-Inaugural Party
After announcing his pick for city CAO Burlington's mayor-elect held a celebratory party for friends and supporters in a new wing at ECHO, the city's lake aquarium and science center. Two days after meeting President Obama, Miro Weinberger talked about a sense of optimism he has been feeling, pointed out City Council newcomers and ex-governor Kunin in the crowd, and accepted a gift from the ECHO staff for his volunteer work.
Greg Guma grew up in New York City and moved to Vermont in 1968. Since then he has been a newspaper journalist, magazine editor, college educator, public administrator, community organizer, federal projects director, bookstore owner, self-taught historian, and CEO of the Pacifica Radio Network.
Posts
