Cultivating Healthy and Sustainable Neighborhoods at Manual High School Saturday June 28th, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Come and learn what we can do to improve communication and connections in our community.

This annual event is being held at Manual High School Saturday June 28, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

To register you have to connect Heather Barry by calling 720 865 9103. They will have sign language interpreters CI. CT, SC:L and if there are questions about this please contact 720 913 8487.

Mayor Hickenlooper is opening the event at 9:00 a.m. and Councilwoman Carla Madison.
Neighborhood Vital Signs will be a major topic of the morning by Bill Fulton of the Civic Canopy and Barbara Fromwell with Denver's Community Planning and Development.

This is followed by workshops including consensus building, foreclosure, green your neighborhood, neighborhood safety, inclusive problem solving and Blueprint Denver. Lunch follows and a discussion of "How the Democratic National Convention" will impact the neighborhood.

Involvement in the community is vital and Vital Signs is a means for sharing and community coalition building. Please put this important event in your plans for this Saturday June 28th at Manual High School.

Muhammad Ali: Stood Tall for the Rights and Principles of Expanded Democratic Process

On June 20, 1967 Muhammad Ali was convicted of violating the laws, sentenced to prison and stripped of his world heavy weight boxing title. Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted. He stands defiantly as one of the ultimate sports heroes of all time for violating the draft of young people to serve in the wars we have created abroad. He was inscrutable in his conviction that all people have certain inalienable rights to vote with their conscience against tyranny.

Although the Supreme Court over turned the ruling, Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of his generation, returned to the ring to regain his title, not for the purpose of earning the title alone, but for the rights and privileges of all oppressed peoples. He stands on the precipice as the giant of leaders, which we sorely need to return to the public domain.

In the Olympics in China and throughout the world we need his ilk to combat the injustice of dictators and obsession of despots like the present leaders of the United States, Great Britain, Israel, Russia, China, many other industrialized nations, and in many less developed nations of the world. We need to call upon the wisdom and courage of leaders of the world of sports to raise their right-gloved fists in solidarity with all oppressed people in ending slavery, famine, exploitation of children, abuse of power of sovereign nations, gluttony of the world’s resources and the devastation of the earth. We need to raise our voices in solidarity with the working poor that their freedom and courage is not a voice that goes unheard.

Between Aurora, Denver, Lakewood, Englewood, Commerce City, Thornton, Boulder, Longmont, Centennial, Parker, Castle Rock, Golden, Broomfield, The Denver Regional Council of Governments, the Metropolitan Area County Commissioners, the Metro Mayor's Caucus, the Municipal League, the Chamber of Commerce and any other official government entity we must devote our talents and energies to a plan of action. Representative from these entities will create a plan of action for emergencies that includes indigent people from families, motels, those who are about to be evicted, those who are discharged from any institutions of their jurisdictions, anyone who is a new member of these communities, or who is passing through on their way elsewhere, and is in a situation where they require emergency assistance. These people will receive a service which includes and is not limited to, shelter, counseling, a discharge plan, and direct services leading to a safe, stable and humane response to their predicament. It is time to develop a disaster relief effort in response to any catastrophe that involves all of the entities of the community at large and a public-private covenant, which will provide the necessary response in any and all circumstances.

A board should be directed to develop this proposal with a timeline to finish the recommendations to every entity by the beginning of 2010.

The costs for all staples have risen sharply. The costs for all basic living expenses continue to escalate. In this time of scarcity who is impacted by these shifts in the financial stability of people?

Children are impacted the most as soaring costs mean that there are inadequate places for families to maintain stable homes. In Europe there have been extraordinary demonstrations by fishermen and truckers, across the borders of the Common Market. The effects of the strains of economic hardship are more directly felt by the people living below the federal poverty levels, people who are elderly, people with dementia, people who are living marginally are all suffering. Children are not able to find work and the older Americans are working more in entry-level jobs, and as long as possible.

Economic conditions are impacting the quality of life of hereto before unheard numbers, in ways that rival the experience of the 1930's. People think that there will never be an opportunity to live in their own homes. The demand on social services is ever increasing the pressure on the poor to survive. The impact of these changes is most directly felt among the young, who have less and less opportunities to survive. The emotional and physical stress on their psyches creates a crisis for the main proportion of our country's people.

In responding to these times we must funnel our energies on grassroots efforts to work across all spiritual, social service provider, business, citizen and community lines to provide an emergency response network. We need to come to the table as partners to make sure that there is a disaster relief model, such as in catastrophes that prevents people from losing their will and feeling hopeless. This challenge must be born by all of our social, economic and political infrastructures.

Sixty years ago the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Created the International Declaration of Human Rights on June 18, 1948. This document, like the Magna Charta in 1215, stands as a legacy of the best of the principles of cooperation and equality for all of the earth's citizens. These are rights that in this time are ignored more and more by this nation. Ms. Eleanor Roosevelt was the mainstay of this epic work.

What stands out in this document is that the rights and freedom of people who are oppressed both here and abroad is guaranteed. In this document we see that people from all nations struggled with the best and boldest principles of self-determination and interdependency of diverse cultures and peoples. The document also insights us to protect families, children, and provide for social and economic stability. How many nations, who were signers then, have violated almost everything in this great witness to our lives as independent and sovereign nations and thwarted the inalienable rights just as the present Executive branch of our government threatens our rights as people

Proclaims this Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the people of member states themselves and among the people of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed by nature with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, property or other status, or national or social origin.
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4
1. No one shall be held in slavery or involuntary servitude.
2. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 5
Everyone has the right to recognition, everywhere, as a person before the law.
Article 6
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law against any discrimination in violation of this declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 7
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.
Article 8
In the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
Article 9
1. Everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.
2. No one shall be held guilty of any offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute an offense, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed.
Article 10
No one shall be subjected to unreasonable interference with his privacy, family, home correspondence or reputation.
Article 11
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own.
Article 12
1. Everyone has the right to seek and be granted, in other countries, asylum from persecution.
2. Prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations do not constitute persecution.
Article 13
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality or denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 14
1. Men and women of full age have the right to marry and to found a family and are entitled to equal rights as to marriage.
2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the full consent of both intending spouses.
3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection.
Article 15
1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 16
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 17
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 18
Everyone has the right to freedom of assembly and association.
Article 19
1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through his freely chosen representatives.
2. Everyone has the right of access to public employment in his country.
3. Everyone has the right to a government which conforms to the will of the people.
Article 20
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security, and is entitled to the realization, through national effort and international cooperation, and in accordance with the organization and resources of each state, of the economic, social and cultural rights set out below.
Article 21
1. Everyone has the right to work, to just and favorable conditions of work and pay, and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone is free to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 22
1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living, including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and to social services, adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, and to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
2. Mother and child have the right to special care and assistance.
Article 23
1. Everyone has the right to education. Elementary and fundamental education shall be free and compulsory and there shall be equal access on the basis of merit to higher education.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality, to strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedom, and to combating the spirit of intolerance and hatred against other nations and against racial and religious groups everywhere.
Article 24
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure.
Article 25
Everyone has the right to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement.
Article 26
Everyone is entitled to a good social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set out in the declaration can be fully realized.
Article 27
1. Everyone has duties to the community which enables him freely to develop his personality.
2. In the exercise of his rights, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are necessary to secure due recognition and respect for the rights of others and the requirements of morality, public order and general welfare in a democratic society.
Article 28
Nothing in this declaration shall imply the recognition of the right of any state or person to engage in any activity aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms prescribed herein.

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Though Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama said his choice of words were not the best, when speaking about the bitterness of the people of Pennsylvania I agree with his first assessment. Not only am I bitter, but I am mad as hell! That does not mean I have no hope, as a matter of fact it makes me more determined to work with our new President to improve conditions in whatever way I can.

This Bush Administration has led us into a depressive recession which has left the American people in the worst financial state since the Great Depression. Horrendously, it seems that the presumptive Republican nominee for President, John McCain intends to carry out many of the same failed Bush policies.

Let me itemize why I am bitter and mad as hell. First, there is this illegally declared war based on false premises. In addition to the astronomical financial cost of this war, there is the great HUMAN toll, the loss of the lives of so many of our young service people. Many thousands suffering from both mental and physical deterioration. Some of them come home looking like robots with artificial limbs to replace the good limbs that God gave them. To compound the problem they have to fight for proper diagnoses and treatments of their diseases, especially if their maladies are caused by post-traumatic syndrome. How many countless innocent Iraqi women and children have either been killed or displaced? They are human beings, too. All life is valued and valuable.

The cost of the war, which McCain indicates should be extended, has caused this devastating economic debacle that we are faced with where thousands of homes are being foreclosed causing a devaluation of other area properties.

Despite the fact that we are pouring tons of money into Iraq, a lot of the money is being misspent, misappropriated, misused and unaccounted for. All the while we are neglecting the American taxpayer who is paying dearly for this war. Has Haliburton ever reimbursed our treasury for over billing the U. S. government? If so, why don’t the American people know about it. We need an accounting of that money because it belongs to us.

Next. there is the collapse of many financial institutions where mismanagement and greed have caused them to fail; and yet, the CEO’s who presided over this chaos leave with astounding severance pay. The employees of these companies and the investors are left holding the empty bag. Never have there been so many banks and financial institutions to fail since the Great Depression.

Unemployment is rampant; and, the few jobs there are, are in the fast food industry or the service industry where workers are paid minimum wages and usually with no benefits or chances for advancement. It is painful to see some of our best jobs being outsourced with no comparable jobs replacing them. I want to buy American, but almost everything in the stores, whether they are clothing or household goods, are made outside this country. It pains me when I see to many foreign cars while American automobile manufacturers are having to suspend operations in their plants across the country. The manufacturing industry was a route to the middle class for people without a lot of formal education. The trades provided them a good standard of living.

Now, let’s look at the failure of government oversight responsibilities to monitor industries. Their failure has caused us to import goods and services that are harmful to humans and their pets. What about the safety of our children who are exposed to excessive lead in these imported toys from China? What about the safety of our airline industry where passenger lives could be in jeopardy because of failure of oversight?

We are allowing our infrastructure to become obsolete and unsafe because we are spending billions of dollars attempting to restore and rebuild what we have destroyed in Iraq.

Many American schools are turning out test takers and not students who will be competent enough to compete in this global economy. Education is under-funded. Many schools are outdated, filled with asbestos and ill equipped, especially in the inner cities. Many students graduate unable to comprehend basic math, science, reading and writing skills. We are lagging behind the education systems of China, Japan, India and Germany. In many of these countries the children are at least bi-lingual and many are multi-lingual. Many American children are not even proficient in their own English language.

It is for these and many other reasons that I am bitter and mad as hell because I see the American people being short changed; and that is neither just or fair.

I must address the ridiculous statements of both presidential candidates calling Senator Obama elitist and out of touch with the people. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s just that, unlike the other two, Senator Obama speaks the truth which is often hard to hear. There is no point in sugar coating the conditions in this country. That is why Senator Obama decided to run for office because he is committed to make the necessary changes to bring us back to our glory days when American people lived better than most people in the world, and where America was respected and even envied by many of the world’s people who tried to model our successes. It is because Senator Obama knows from personal experience what it means not to be privileged, he is bonding with, has established rapport with, and is determined to elevate the status of ordinary people by bringing an end to this war. He will bring our troops home so they can tend to their homes and families and provide for them. Regardless of how Hillary and McCain tried to spin things, thinking Americans knew exactly what Obama meant.

How ludicrous is it for a woman whose worth since leaving the White House is one hundred nine million dollars and a man who married a woman whose family made a fortune in beer distribution to call a man from an humble background an elitist.

Initially in response to the housing crisis, McCain said people who were losing their homes were irresponsible and the government should not bail them out. Yet all the while McCain supported bailing out financial institutions which were mismanaged.

Let’s all just get real and admit that we are not pleased with the way this Bush Administration has led us down the garden path. It is time for the CHANGE THAT WE CAN BELIEVE IN WITH SENATOR BARACK OBAMA. That is why the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee is Senator Barack Obama.

For Further Information: Contact: Helen L. Burleson, Doctor of Public Administration
(708)747-0919

After seventy-five years of a minimum wage real wages have declined at a time when unprecedented wealth has risen. Poor workers are a common refrain across the heartland of America. The real issue is not a minimum wage it is a standard of living. The quality of life for basic workers needs protecting. A child born in the world must be cared for in an appropriate way. Child labor laws and the right to decent education were also mandated more than seventy-five years ago. It is clear that a working mother who cannot afford childcare or a solid foundation for her family does not promote a standard of living, which is reasonable.

Instead of a minimum wage let us provide a package of quality of life for Americans. In this package would be standards of childcare and early natal care. There would be education that was guaranteed and a safe and adequate environment in which to live.

The same recommendations as the Koerner Commission Report in 1968 are a reasonable start:
No child in an unsafe place; Families that are able to play in safe and caring environment; No one left in a situation that threatens the safety and welfare of the child; Access to the best education and alternative approaches for the care and training for the children; opportunities for development and emotional, spiritual health throughout one's lifetime; a place that cradles and cares for young mothers and ushers them into the world with dignity; the same approach is necessary at the end of life; and finally, that well being of the community foster interdependence and respect for every member's contribution to the neighborhood. We are all citizens and we are all capable of making a change if we create public policy that embraces each person as a vital member of society.

The War of the Worlds: Those With Wealth and Those Without

This is a place between turfs. On one hand there is the changing topography of the condos and the people who have lived there in the hood for eons. Jesus Saves Mission has been on the south side of Park Avenue West for 115 years. On the northwest side of the street is the relatively newly built Samaritan House. Both establishments serve 1,000's of homeless people annually. Both have overflow emergency shelters for hundreds of men and families. The Rescue Mission serves meals three times every day. Countless numbers of people pour into these centers for indigent care for a plethora of services. Both institutions have long built their reputations on serving homeless people. Samaritan House is a Catholic Charities organization. The Rescue Mission has long been an advocate for basic human dignity and saving the spirits of lost people.

Curtis and Ball Park Community Neighborhoods want the homeless to receive care for their addictions and loss of self-esteem. Homeless people are a public nuisance in the community. Bernie O'Connell was assigned to work out of the St. Francis Center, at 2323 Curtis Street in this park as an outreach worker for more than two years. He is frustrated that solutions to the intensity of the problems people face is losing ground in a genuine effort to altar the conditions of homeless people. The community cannot afford the expense of the quality of life of the transient residents. Bernie knows that these issues are unresolved and exasperated by the tension between the groups.

The park is named for a homeless person who was a community leader. These days people who are homeless are camped outside both the St. Francis Center and at Maestras Park. The City and County of Denver are attempting to change the demographics of their community. Unfortunately there are more homeless people of every type possible camping, more than there have been at any time before. With the Democratic National Convention only a couple months off there can be no doubt that this is a great embarrassment for the city. The other part of the thoroughfare that traverses this community is that it crosses Broadway, the main street to Brighton Blvd and by Coors Field to I-25 and 38th Avenue.

The city's plan of action is for this eyesore to disappear. In listening to Leah Dougherty and Chantal, the Mayor's representative at the Tattered Cover Bookstore on the Democratic National Convention, the issue must be a serious matter to the people convening the convention. Denver promotes the work that they have done on homelessness as a model to the world. It is impressive what has been done up until this time. With the summer coming the economy and the hardships of raising money for the convention have derailed the efforts to genuinely change the plight of the most difficult citizens of the neighborhood.

We cannot provide services and places for these difficult individuals, or encouragement for social services, which are also strapped for funds, or the community to provide resources to do more than they are doing. All of us are losing in this battle to reduce homelessness in ten years or anytime. This conundrum has been intractable for 150 years. In the beginning the issues were even more entrenched. Anyone making a claim to end homelessness must be unaware that the virtual need for industry and the military is for a cavalry of poor. America is built on the bedrock of their broken backs and spirits.