Prohibiting the use of racial or ethnic profiling by law
enforcement officers
Prohibiting acts of harassment at schools, and
Requiring that the Department of Education provide voter
registration forms to high school students.
Many resolutions dealing with issues affecting a wide variety of
people were also voted in, including one that calls upon government
officials to protect and uphold First Amendment rights to freedom of
speech, association and assembly at the Republican National Convention.
Another resolution rejected the Mayor’s ill-conceived educational
policy of retaining third graders based upon their scores on the
standardized English language and math examinations, while yet another
called for the legalization of marijuana in connection with medical use
for certified patients.
Also voted in enthusiastically was the legislation offering the
Council’s full support for the "Invisible No More!" campaign that is
dedicated to winning home health aide contracts that mandate a Living
Wage of $10 an hour by 2006, health benefits for home health aides and
their families, paid vacation time and sick leave.
What’s more, the Council overrode the Mayor’s veto of the Equal
Benefits Bill, which requires that companies contracting with the City
provide benefits to the domestic partners of their employees, just as
they do to their employees’ spouses.
Councilmembers spoke forcefully, urging their colleagues to vote for
their legislation or thanking them for having done so.
For
instance, in asking for support of his Young American Vote Act, Council
Member Eric Gioia declared that making high school graduation day voter
registration day would result in the registration of approximately
30,000 young voters every year. "Within a decade we will register an
entire generation of voters," he said. And he spoke of the fact that
when the US Constitution was drafted, unfortunately "We the people"
didn’t mean all the people. "To vote in this country you had to be a
landowner, a man, and you had to be white," Gioia stated. And he pointed
out that each time barriers from voting have been removed and the amount
of people encouraged to participate widened, democracy has flourished.
Council
Member Margarita Lopez raised her voice in behalf of the Invisible No
More! Campaign. She spoke about the despicable way home health aides are
taken advantage of by callous companies that refuse to pay them
properly. "These people take care of ill and disabled people, and they
themselves can become disabled by the work they do," Lopez stated. "It’s
time for us to stop this exploitation."
Council
Member Phil Reed spoke about his resolution to legalize marijuana for
medical use, stating that they’re asking the State Legislature to
recognize the long suffering of many critically ill and terminally ill
people and to provide the opportunity for them, in discussion with their
doctors, to perhaps use marijuana to relieve their pain. He thanked
several councilmembers for their early support of his legislation, "for
getting beyond the titillation of the dialogue and recognizing that the
suffering of hundreds of thousands of people here in this state and city
could possibly be alleviated."
Council
Member Alan Gerson was impassioned as he highlighted a different kind of
suffering he seeks to alleviate: that of school children who are taunted
and teased by their classmates. "Whether it’s because they’re lesbian,
gay, bi-sexual or perceived to be;" he said, "whether it’s because of
their race, religion or ethnicity; whether it’s because of their
appearance, or just because they don’t fit in for any reason or no
reason at all - for too many young people going to school is defined by
the pecking order in a most cruel and awful way."
He went on to say that the greatest shame is the complicity by
governmental and bureaucratic officials who accept this as just part of
growing up and don’t bother to do anything about it. "We talk about
human rights in so many contexts," Gerson concluded, "but we must
remember that human rights and dignity begin in the school yard, in the
school room, and it must begin here in this body by passing this bill."
Council
Member Yvette Clarke commented that she was proud to cast her vote to
prohibit of the use of racial or ethnic profiling by law enforcement
officers. "That’s a law whose time is overdue - as is the prohibition of
the harassment of students in school," she said. Referring to those two
laws coupled with the Equal Benefits Bill, Clarke said, "We can’t afford
to discriminate against anyone. Our city is a conglomeration of many
different types of families and they need the opportunity, just like the
more traditional nuclearfamily, to receive sorely needed
benefits. So without any reservations, I vote aye on all."
he last
City Council meeting was a pleasure to attend because many
excellent pieces of legislation were voted into law.
For
instance, in asking for support of his Young American Vote Act, Council
Member Eric Gioia declared that making high school graduation day voter
registration day would result in the registration of approximately
30,000 young voters every year. "Within a decade we will register an
entire generation of voters," he said. And he spoke of the fact that
when the US Constitution was drafted, unfortunately "We the people"
didn’t mean all the people. "To vote in this country you had to be a
landowner, a man, and you had to be white," Gioia stated. And he pointed
out that each time barriers from voting have been removed and the amount
of people encouraged to participate widened, democracy has flourished.
Council
Member Margarita Lopez raised her voice in behalf of the Invisible No
More! Campaign. She spoke about the despicable way home health aides are
taken advantage of by callous companies that refuse to pay them
properly. "These people take care of ill and disabled people, and they
themselves can become disabled by the work they do," Lopez stated. "It’s
time for us to stop this exploitation."
Council
Member Phil Reed spoke about his resolution to legalize marijuana for
medical use, stating that they’re asking the State Legislature to
recognize the long suffering of many critically ill and terminally ill
people and to provide the opportunity for them, in discussion with their
doctors, to perhaps use marijuana to relieve their pain. He thanked
several councilmembers for their early support of his legislation, "for
getting beyond the titillation of the dialogue and recognizing that the
suffering of hundreds of thousands of people here in this state and city
could possibly be alleviated."
Council
Member Alan Gerson was impassioned as he highlighted a different kind of
suffering he seeks to alleviate: that of school children who are taunted
and teased by their classmates. "Whether it’s because they’re lesbian,
gay, bi-sexual or perceived to be;" he said, "whether it’s because of
their race, religion or ethnicity; whether it’s because of their
appearance, or just because they don’t fit in for any reason or no
reason at all - for too many young people going to school is defined by
the pecking order in a most cruel and awful way."
Council
Member Yvette Clarke commented that she was proud to cast her vote to
prohibit of the use of racial or ethnic profiling by law enforcement
officers. "That’s a law whose time is overdue - as is the prohibition of
the harassment of students in school," she said. Referring to those two
laws coupled with the Equal Benefits Bill, Clarke said, "We can’t afford
to discriminate against anyone. Our city is a conglomeration of many
different types of families and they need the opportunity, just like the
more traditional nuclear family, to receive sorely needed
benefits. So without any reservations, I vote aye on all."
