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JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

VOLUME 22 NO. 25

‘THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY… …is my friend.’ America and Iran discuss possible cooperation as the decades-long regional war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims heats up again.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS

IRAQ – The weeklong onslaught by the al-Qaida splinter group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, pushed the United States and its longtime rival Iran on Monday to discuss collaborating against a common foe, although the White House ruled out any joint military operations. ISIS groups, who are radPOOL/MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA/MCT ical fundamentalist Sunni Unidentified people mourned beside gravestones in Section 60 of Arlington Na- Muslims, reportedly have tional Cemetery in 2012. It is the final resting place for the majority of casualties taken control of banks – including one of Iraq’s three at the cemetery that died from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prevention, not punishment Scott signs bill to overhaul juvenile justice system

tial successor to al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden. ISIS considers Shiite Muslims to be apostates, including the Alawites who lead the Syrian government and the Shia majorities in central bank branches – Iraq and Iran. and tons upon tons of military equipment and sup- Oil shut off plies, including dozens of The oil refinery in the armored vehicles, many of which were supplied by the town of Baiji supplies at least 40 percent of Iraq’s United States. Conservative estimates gasoline production, makof the value of the Iraqi and ing it one of the most cruforeign currency, as well as cial facilities in a country gold bullion, that’s proba- that, despite its oil wealth, bly now under ISIS control must import gasoline to stretch to the hundreds of feed the foreign-made automobiles that have floodmillions of dollars. U.S. officials consider ISIS ed Iraq since U.S.-led forces a highly potent extremist toppled Saddam Hussein in group, and its leader, Abu 2003. Bakr Baghdadi, a potenSee IRAN, Page A2

RUBY DEE / 1922-2014

‘In This Thing Together’ In this June 2002 file photograph, husband and wife Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee attended the Third Annual Directors Guild of America Honors. The legendary stage and screen actress, a notable figure in the U.S. civil rights movement, died at her New York home on June 11 at age 91. For a reflection on the accomplishments of Ruby Dee, see page B1.

BY MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill rewriting laws that govern the state Department of Juvenile Justice, reinforcing an emphasis on prevention, intervention and the rehabilitation of youthful offenders. The measure (HB 7055) formalizes the department’s strategy of shifting funds to prevention programs, with the aim of keeping kids out of the juvenile system in the first place. It creates criminal penalties for abusing or neglecting teens of all ages in the department’s custody and requires DJJ to provide the Legislature with annual reports on the outcomes for all its programs. Also Tuesday, Scott named the department’s deputy secretary, Christy Daly, as interim Wansley secretary to replace Secretary Walters Wansley Walters, who will retire at the end of June.

Better system DJJ’s shift in philosophy is based on Walters’ premise that many children in the system – and their families – are dealing with ongoing abuse and violence, so that a punitive approach to their behavior problems is likely to be counter-productive. “Trust me, if they’re a really serious offender in this state, they’re going to the adult system,” Walters said Monday on a visit to juvenile-detention facilities. “So any child that’s in our care is one that a judge and a state attorney felt could be rehabilitated. “Why, when we get these children, would you think that beating them down, taking away their identity, stripping their spirit down – and think that when they come out, they’re going to do just great with that? It’s ridiculous.” Her strategy, known as trauma-informed

GLOBE PHOTOS/ ZUMA PRESS/ MCT

See JUSTICE, Page A2

Obama to sign order curbing discrimination against gays BY CHRISTI PARSONS AND MICHAEL A. MEMOLI TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU/MCT

WASHINGTON – President Obama plans to sign an executive order forbidding companies that do business with the federal government from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, fulfilling a goal that gay rights organizations have sought for years.

ALSO INSIDE

Currently, no federal law bans discrimination against gay and transgender individuals. Twentyone states and the District of Columbia bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but in the remaining 29 states, employers are free to fire, demote or otherwise discriminate against workers solely on the basis of sexual orientation. Obama had tried for the last several years to get Congress to pass an anti-discrimination law that would apply to most employers in the country. But with those efforts going nowhere, he has now directed his staff to draft an executive order that would ban discrimination by federal contractors, White House officials said Monday. Because companies that do business with the government See ORDER, Page A2

SNAPSHOTS FLORIDA | A3

Attorneys make move to help the poor

NATION | A6

Case shows why veterans are so frustrated SPORTS | B4

COURTESY OF THE MAULDEN-LOCKES/MCT

Chris Maulden-Locke, center, and Doug Maulden-Locke, right, a same-sex couple, adopted their daughter Mya in Maryland in February.

COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN: THE RETURN OF THE UNJUST, GREEDY WEASELS | A5

Baseball great Tony Gwynn dies at 54

IRAN from A1

But on Tuesday, the Iraqi government shut down the refinery after insurgents allied with ISIS fired mortars at the remaining security forces in the area.

Terrorists selling oil? The Baiji facility is so crucial that oil industry analysts think that even if it’s lost to ISIS, the government probably would allow it to go back online. “Even if ISIS controls it, the government will likely eventually have to allow it to go back online, because they need the gasoline for the economy despite ISIS making money off the output,” said one expert who asked not to be named because of his dealings with the Baghdad government. The government would not have to deal directly with the terrorists, the expert said, because “once the gas is in trucks and sent to a middleman, it’s impossible to determine where it came from and, frankly, nobody cares anymore.” Getting the refinery online might represent additional tens of millions of dollars a day for ISIS – perhaps making it the wealthiest terrorist group in history.

Military protection In another sign of the growing danger, President Obama notified Congress that he was sending up to 275 U.S. military personnel “to provide support and security for U.S. personnel

FOCUS and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,” and the United Nations announced that it was moving nearly 60 staff members from Baghdad to neighboring Jordan. Obama also is considering sending 100 or fewer special operations troops to Iraq to advise its armed forces as it battles the insurgents, according to a senior U.S. official. After Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the United States was open to working with Iran, his top deputy, William J. Burns, met with Iranian diplomats on the sidelines of nuclear negotiations in Vienna. They discussed possible cooperation to help stop ISIS.

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

Insurgents take more ground Iraq’s largest oil refinery has been shut down and its foreign staff have been evacuated as insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) take control of more cities and towns. Territory, cities controlled by ISIS Oil refinery

Fighting Pipelines

Progress undone

TURKEY Tal Afar

Mosul Kirkuk

Baiji

SYRIA

Tikrit Fallujah Taji

Baquba

Iraq’s largest oil refinery at Baiji is surrounded by ISIS forces

Ramadi

Baghdad

IRAN

IRAQ

Taking up arms The likely breakup of Iraq into feuding ethnic and sectarian bastions accelerated last week as Iraq’s senior Shiite Muslim cleric broke years of support for the central government and decreed that every able-bodied Shiite man had a religious obligation to defend the sect’s holy sites from rebellious Sunni Muslims led by ISIS. In answer to the call, thousands of Shiites – many with militia experience from the sectarian war that pitted Sunnis against Shiites and killed thousands from 2006 to 2008 – flooded cities to receive weapons, enlist in organized units and receive their orders. Hours later, Obama made it clear that the United States was unwilling to commit itself to the defense of a government that had been unable to resolve Iraq’s ethnic and sectarian differences.

Oil fields

try’s longtime strongman, Saddam Hussein, to flee. In setting up Iraq’s new army, the United States insisted that only a multi-ethnic force could overcome the country’s ethnic rivalries.

“We’re not going to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation in which, while we’re there, we’re keeping a lid on things, and after enormous sacrifices by us, as soon as we’re not there, suddenly people end up acting in ways that are not conducive to the long-term stability and prosperity of the country,” Obama said. Analysts and military officials said sending U.S. military advisers may prove unavoidable in order to reverse the insurgents’ momentum. Without U.S. experts to guide drones and manned aircraft to targets on the ground, airstrikes may prove ineffective or be more prone to accidentally hit civilians.

Basra 75 km 75 miles

KUWAIT

Longstanding problem The crisis in Iraq has roiled the entire region and prompted urgent international calls for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s to mend political fences and forge national unity against the attackers. AlMaliki, a Shiite, has been criticized for favoring his sect and excluding Sunnis from posts of power. The problem of national reconciliation is certainly not a new one in Iraq. The United States has been calling for Iraq’s Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds to compromise with one another almost from the day U.S. troops marched into Baghdad and forced the coun-

But al-Maliki, an Arab Shiite, made few overtures to the other groups. After the United States left Iraq in 2011 under a timetable set by President George W. Bush, al-Maliki moved to undo the trappings of inclusiveness the United States had insisted on. He ordered the arrest of a Sunni vice president, Tariq al Hashemi, and accused him of running death squads; Hashemi evaded arrest by fleeing to Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, where he was greeted with open arms. Within a month of the U.S. troops departing, American officials in Iraq were bemoaning divisions among Iraqi officials, calling it a “real crisis” and warning that “our relationship, all the things we want to do,” depend on “a resolution through constitutional means” of issues.

Standing with Obama Now, even as the onslaught by ISIS threatens Iraq, Obama’s insistence on political reconciliation before military help has support from people who know Iraq well. “It’s a horrible thing that is happening. It is traumatic and horrible,” retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, who commanded U.S. forces in northern Iraq in 2007 and 2008, said of the ad-

vance by the Islamic State. “But they knew it was happening. We tried to tell them this would happen unless they were more inclusive.” Hertling said Iraq might well be better off without al-Maliki. “The trust between government and its forces and people is based on past behaviors and performance,” he said. “And in some circles, both inside and outside Iraq, Maliki has lost all trust.”

Different goals Although U.S. and Iranian officials both back al-Maliki’s government, they have widely divergent goals. Even informal cooperation between the Obama administration and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani would be highly sensitive in both capitals as well as elsewhere in the Middle East. America’s closest regional allies, Saudi Arabia and Israel, fear any alliance to stop the growing bloodletting in Iraq could weaken their strategic position against Iran, their top regional rival. Analysts say the U.S. and Iran are likely to agree to only limited cooperation at best, if Obama chooses to order airstrikes or other direct military action.

By Mitchell Prothero, McClatchy Foreign Staff; Paul Richter, Laura King, Neela Banerjee and Nabih Bulos, Tribune Washington Bureau; and Nancy A. Youssef and Lesley Clark, McClatchy Washington Bureau (MCT).

ORDER from A1

make up about a fifth of the U.S. work force, gay rights advocates say the change could provide employment protections for about 11 million workers whose rights are not protected under state laws. Beyond the practical impact, the executive order, putting discrimination against gays and lesbians in the same category as racial or gender discrimination, marks another symbolic milestone for gay rights activists.

Political timing?

BETHANY MOLLENKOF/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

A new arrival at a girls’ juvenile detention center has her handcuffs removed.

JUSTICE from A1

care, is based on the idea that children and young adults can be rehabilitated by addressing the painful experiences they’ve endured, such as family violence or addicted parents. “It’s seeing the kids and asking, ‘What’s happened to you?’ instead of ‘What’s wrong with you?’” said department analyst Maureen Honan. “And it’s a completely different approach, completely different mindset.”

Death as catalyst The section of the bill criminalizing the abuse and neglect of teens of all ages in detention facilities stemmed from the 2011 death of 18-year-old Eric Perez in the Palm Beach Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Perez died after receiving blows to the head in what was later described as “horseplay” with the guards, and after he pleaded for medical help for hours. Nine guards were fired as a result, but the state attorney was unable to charge anyone because the law only allowed for a charge of neglect on a youth up to age 18. Perez’ death was followed by the 2012 arrest of a guard at the Milton Girls Juvenile Residential Facility for battering a 15-year-old girl. A

surveillance video surfaced in which guard Shannon Abbott appeared to slam the girl into a wall, throw her to the ground and pin her for 20 minutes. Abbott filed an incident report saying the teen resisted, which the video appeared to contradict. Facility staff didn’t report the incident to the department until two days later – and only after the Department of Children and Families verified the abuse reported by the teen to a hotline. In the aftermath of the incident, DJJ transferred the girls in the Milton facility to other programs, and the private provider that ran the facility terminated its contract with the department.

Changing mindset “Changing the old-school mindset and morphing people’s ideas and beliefs about kids, I’m sure, has been very rough for (Walters),” said Melanie James, program director of the Walton County Youth Development Center in DeFuniak Springs. “But she cares about people – a lot – and her responsibility is to make sure we care about these kids.” James said the 38 young men currently in her facility are really “normal kids.” “I’ve made decisions as a teenager that probably could have landed me in a (juvenile detention) program,” she said. “So for me to walk into a

building and feel holier-thanthou and better than the population I serve is really hypocritical.”

Facilities tour Walters and Daly toured two facilities in the Panhandle on Monday. The Walton facility, which serves highrisk and moderate-risk boys, is still surrounded by razor wire on the high-risk side, but Walters said the razor wire would soon come down. The rooms are painted with slogans and cartoons that the young men voted on. “Every storm runs out of rain.” “Do your best today. No regrets tomorrow.” The Panhandle tour ended at the Twin Oaks Academy II in Liberty County, deep in the Apalachicola National Forest. Director Donald Lasseter said his low-security facility, which used restraints on the boys 53 times in 2008, only had one such episode this year; his goal is none.

One-way lock The 12 boys at Twin Oaks are ages 10 to 13. They receive mental-health services along with their education and vocational activities. Lasseter, who started at the facility as a nurse, proudly demonstrates the one-way lock that allows boys to feel safe in their rooms but to leave when they like. Mary Mills, DJJ’s regional director for the Northwest

Florida facilities, including Walton and Twin Oaks, said seven of her 13 programs had no incidents involving restraints in the first quarter of this year. “Kids will be whatever you expect them to be,” she said. “If you believe they’re a thug, they’ll leave a bigger thug than when they came in.”

Transition services The bill signed Tuesday also allows the department to provide transition services for more young offenders as they leave residential detention. According to the department, up to 30 percent of youths in detention are released with no oversight, although those who re-offend are likely to do so within four months of release. David Utter, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center and a frequent critic of the department, praised Walters for using data to drive her policy changes. As to the rewrite bill, Utter and Tania Galloni of the Southern Poverty Law Center said it was only a start. “We have a long way to go,” Galloni said. “While smaller facilities are better, it is community-based alternatives that work. “The state continues to fall short of bringing practices in line with what’s proven to work over reliance on costly, dangerous, ineffective incarceration.”

The Family Research Council, a prominent social conservative group, accused the White House of timing Monday’s announcement to “curry favor with activist organizations” and noted that Obama was scheduled to speak to a fundraising gala of prominent lesbian and gay activists Tuesday evening in New York. “While the president prepares to address a New York gathering of gay rights supporters, the American people will be left to sort out the costs to religious and constitutional liberties resulting from this executive order,” said Peter Sprigg, a policy analyst for the group. The timing in part reflects political reality in a congressional election year – a tough one for Democrats – and a strong drive among party leaders to energize progressives as they head into a summer of fundraising. The announcement coincided with LGBT Pride Month, held every June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, when members of the gay community rose up against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Obama marked the 45th anniversary of that event at Tuesday’s Democratic National Committee LGBT gala, where he received multiple standing ovations. Many of the wealthy gay activists who were present are trying to figure out how generous to be with Democrats at the midpoint of the Democratic president’s second term, and leaders of gay activist groups are well aware of the Democrats’ need for money in a year in which control of the Senate likely will turn on a handful of hotly contested races.

Long campaign The decision to sign the order caps a long campaign by gay rights advocates, who have expressed repeated frustration this year that Obama had not yet acted. White House officials had defended the delay, saying they did not want to act unilaterally so long as there seemed to be a reasonable possibility of congressional action. Although aides had suggested as long ago as 2011 that the outline of an executive order was ready, it wasn’t until this spring that the White House began to edge toward action. Nearly 200 members of Congress wrote the president a letter in March asking him to sign the order. The list of signatories included all 17 of the Senate Democrats seeking re-election, even those from conservativeleaning states. Aides to the president did not say when the order would be completed or when the president might sign it.

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

FLORIDA

Attorneys file petition to boost Bar dues Increase would be used to help poor BY JIM TURNER THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

TALLAHASSEE – A coalition of attorneys, including former Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero, filed a petition Monday with the state’s top court seeking to hike fees on lawyers to help fund legal services for the poor. The Florida Bar wasted no time reaffirming its opposition to the effort to increase Bar fees by $100, noting there are lawyers struggling to make ends meet. Bar President Eugene Pettis said the Bar doesn’t oppose the intent of the petition, rather how the funding “crisis” and the continued delivery of legal aid is addressed.

Wants cap raised The “Access to Justice Petition” requests the Florida Supreme Court to raise the $265 cap on The Florida Bar’s annual membership fees, with the added charge going to The Florida Bar Foundation, which funds legal aid to the poor. “At the moment, thousands of Floridians go without access to justice because they cannot af-

Eugene Pettis said the Florida Bar is working on alternative measures to help people access legal assistance. ford legal services,” Cantero said in a videotaped release on Monday. “By raising our dues by this modest amount we have the ability to change that simple truth.”

Decreased legal aid Legal-services groups receive money from The Florida Bar Foundation, counties and the federal government. The chief

source of the foundation’s funding is interest from lawyers’ trust accounts, but that has suffered in recent years because of decreases in interest generated from the accounts. The legal aid fund has dropped from $44 million in 2008 to $5.58 million in 2012. Money from counties also has been reduced because propertytax collections suffered after the state’s real-estate bubble burst. In addition, Gov. Rick Scott has vetoed money the Legislature placed in the state budget for “civil legal assistance” the past four years. The foundation has supplemented funding for legal services with money from reserves, which it projects will run out by 2017. The foundation has earmarked about $15 million for legal services this year.

Alternative measures The Bar’s Board of Governors unanimously voted in March to oppose the petition to increase dues. The foundation has voted to remain neutral on the issue. Pettis, in a conference call with reporters Monday, said the Bar is working on alternative measures to help people access legal assistance. The Bar’s Board of Governors is also looking to provide

a $6 million loan to serve as a “bridge” the next two years, until the alternative programs can be created and implemented. “I don’t think putting $10 million a year, in this year or next year, is going to resolve this problem until we look at a long-term solution,” Pettis said. Kent Spuhler, Florida Legal Services executive director, argued the Bar foundation shouldn’t be borrowing money while in a fiscal crisis. “That’s certainly what we tell our clients, cut up the credit cards, stop the bleeding,” Spuhler said.

First increase since 2001 Spuhler said the petitioners intend to ask the court to expedite the case, which could take 18 months, so that it’s decided before the 2015 membership fees are due. The court is expected to set a comment period for Bar members to chime in. The fee increase would be the first since 2001. Kristine Knab, Legal Services of North Florida executive director, said the program helps take the burden off other social services. “If we can help somebody get an injunction for protection and a dissolution of marriage, who

is a domestic violence victim, they may not need the services of Refuge House (a program that serves victims) as often or as much, and they’re already overloaded,” Knab said. “Additionally, if you don’t have access to civil litigation, oftentimes those will escalate into criminal disputes. So you have more law enforcement that is needed, you have more people at risk of harm, you have more medical attention that is needed.”

About 99,000 members More than 520 lawyers have signed the petition. The Bar has nearly 99,000 members. The state has seen a decrease in the number of lawyers working in legal aid, which had the equivalent of 449 in 2010, but stood at 373 by the end of 2013. In 2012, legal-aid lawyers handled 89,720 cases. More than half of the cases dealt with family issues, such as divorce or child custody, and housing cases, like foreclosure. Pettis said Bar members also contribute significantly in legal aid, providing about 1.7 million hours of pro bono work in 2012-2013, which could be seen as $340 million in in-kind assistance.

Opa-Locka teens learn the art of interviewing during hiring fair SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

Nearly 150 teens reported to Sherbondy Village Community Center in Opa-locka on June 10 for the Summer Youth Job Hiring Fair for students 14-18. For young people to participate in the fair, they had to be accompanied by a parent or guardian and come “Dressed for Suc-

cess” for an on-the-spot interview. “I recognized a need in the city and wanted to give our kids the upperhand,” Opa-locka Vice Mayor Joseph Kelley said as he spoke with mother of eight, Tashanequea Coalpepper, who wanted her 17-year-old to understand the importance and the advantage of developing work skills in a profes-

sional environment. She commented, “I was disappointed when I discovered that cursive writing was no longer being taught in public elementary schools, but, I told Delvonte (her son) that he will still need the skill to sign payroll checks.”

Wealth of information Kelley affirmed, “If hired,

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PHOTOS BY DAVIS NORRIS

High school students, ages 14 and up, complete applications in the Sherbondy Village Gym at the City of Opa-locka Job Hiring Fair on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. he will gain exposure to strong examples of work procedure, be mentored by experienced staff members and gain a “learning by doing” experience to help cultivate many of the skills needed to be carried into the future. “These young people will have the opportunity to take advantage of a wealth of information and resources, which will also assist the students in developing a clearer vision of their future goals, all while getting paid to increase their worth in the job market.“

Interviewing skills This year, Cora Eutsay from Career Source South Florida conducted a brief preliminary information session to provide the students with direction in work etiquette and interviewing techniques, along with handout tools on writing cover letters/resumes. The students then were led to tables where selected staff members of several city departments conducted interviews and discussed each participant’s area of interest and/or expertise within the jobs categories that were made

Vice Mayor Joseph L. Kelley, host of the City of Opalocka Summer Youth Job Hiring Fair, stands with Cora Eutsay of Career Source South Florida. available through the program. Jaquez Lane, 16, a junior from Miami Norland Senior High School remarked, “I hope this will be my opportunity to display that I am a diligent worker, who listens and comprehends well.” His mother, Nakia Moore,

interjected, “Jaqueez had the highest FCAT writing score in his school and has great math skills so his dream job for the summer would be in the clerical or finance department since he will be majoring in accounting when he attends college next year.”

Governor signs medical marijuana bill NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill (SB 1030) to legalize a form of medical marijuana that supporters say will help children who suffer from a type of epilepsy that causes severe seizures. The substance, known as "Charlotte's Web," purportedly does not get users high. The bill drew heavy debate during the spring legislative session and came as voters prepare to cast ballots in November on a far-broader constitutional amendment about legalizing medical marijuana.

POW-MIA chair An empty chair, set up to honor people who have been prisoners of war or remain missing in action, will be the latest feature of the Capitol complex, under a bill (HB 731) signed last week by Scott. Meanwhile, a separate bill on his desk would add a fifth state hall of fame to recognize the contributions of Floridians, this time for tourism, to the Capitol rotunda. "The POW-MIA chair of Honor Memorial will be a reminder to all Floridians of

those Americans who have been prisoners of war or are still missing in action, that we should never forget their sacrifices in service to our great nation," Port Orange Republican Sen. Dorothy Hukill, the Senate sponsor of the POW-MIA bill, said in a prepared statement. The POW-MIA Chair is to be built and maintained by the Florida chapters of Rolling Thunder, Inc., a non-profit that publicizes the plight of American POW-MIAs.

Tourism hall of fame Meanwhile, the proposed tourism hall of fame (SB 398), sponsored by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, would recognize people in the tourism industry who have made significant contributions to the economic climate and well-being of Floridians, according to the legislation. Wall space in the Capitol rotunda is also set aside for halls of fame honoring Florida artists, women, veterans and civil-rights leaders. Space is also set aside for the Florida Fallen Firefighter Wall of Honor and a memorial dedicated to Florida's Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

EDITORIAL

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

Perceptions of equality A recent interview of Morgan Freeman by CNN host Don Lemon lit a firestorm of conversation. Freeman argued that his personal success, and that of Lemon’s, made it clear that racism was not a factor in closing America’s growing problem of inequality. Freeman argued that inequality was a crisis because a vibrant middle class was needed for the growth of the economy and stability of society, and the current chasm between the 1 percent and the 99 percent was unhealthy. Clearly, Freeman’s views on inequality are incontrovertible, so why the storm about his statement on the role of race?

WILLIAM SPRIGGS TRICEEDNEYWIRE

Position of Blacks Recent work by business school professors Clayton Critcher, of the University of California—Berkeley, and Jane Risen, of the University of Chicago, note that people’s views about the role of racism in America’s inequality is shaped by their knowledge of AfricanAmericans who succeed outside the realm of current Black success, like professional sports or music. When shown pictures of African-American business

leaders, for instance, even in the context that the individual is an exception, the respondents become less sympathetic toward the racial polarization of American life and its role in holding down African-Americans. But the narrative used to explain high poverty, high unemployment and low wealth among African Americans is important, not just to race relations, but because the story line Americans buy in accepting the tenuous economic position of African-Americans is integral to the story line of accepting American inequality broadly. How does one explain how America alone as a democracy is so accepting of

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: IMMIGRANTS

levels of inequality that are closer to Mexico and Turkey than to France, Canada or Denmark? How do we elect politicians that benefit the 1 percent to such extremes, and are in the process of destroying class mobility — once the key to America’s core identity?

True equality But in the era since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Medicare in 1966 (ending segregation in health care) and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, Americans have been forced to reconcile racial inequality with the American ideal of social mobility. Don’t we now have equal opportunity? Isn’t that enough to assure equal outcomes? One resolution is as ancient as the forces that held slavery together — racism, an abiding belief that AfricanAmericans are inferior in

character and culture. The other is to understand the many layers of inequality and their interaction with the lack of wealth, income and employment with ongoing policies. A third is to understand that racism is still an ugly factor in American life. I think those who disagree with Freeman think his dismissal of race was an assumption that equal opportunity exists. If African-Americans are not held back in moving up the class ladder, then how can anyone in America claim to be held back? If the economic game in America is fair and not rigged against AfricanAmerican success, which Americans can call foul?

Discrimination continues Just as the victories of Owens and Louis did not mean the end of segregation or discrimination, neither does the victory of President Barack Obama mean the end of Donald

Sterling’s sprawling Los Angeles real estate empire that discriminated against black and Latino tenants. The 1 percent benefit from a different set of rules, from lower marginal tax rates to bigger tax deductions for their homes, savings and health. Blaming African-Americans for not seizing the day and rising to the top is an indictment of the 99 percent. Racism is not an “excuse,” but a way to understand the rules are not fair, this is not a lack of will, but acknowledgement rules are rigged for multinational corporations to give away our jobs and Wall Street to steal our homes. It is an understanding that inequality is not a natural state, but is manufactured.

William Spriggs has been Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Labor since June 2009. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.

Sgt. Bergdahl becomes political football

DAVID FITZSIMMONS, THE ARIZONA STAR

Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 215 Happy 10th birthday, Wig! Smart, independent, a critical thinker, passionate about choral singing and performing, a hardcore gamer, a high performer in elementary school, a loving brother, son, cousin, nephew and grandson, and a future Morehouse Man. Congrats, Charles W. Cherry III, from your proud dad. You are now an “old man” in double figures! Iraq: Right wingnut broadcaster Glenn Beck said it best: “Not one more. Not one more American life, dollar, arm, leg, eye…” should be sacrificed in Iraq. Modern Iraq is not even a real selfdetermined country. European empires carved its most recent borders out in the early 20th Century just like sub-Saharan Africa was – without regard to ethnicity or religious ties. Iraq’s current government was stitched together by arrogant, naïve American leadership during the George W. Bush administration to justify “Mission Accomplished.’ This is a religious civil war between ‘brothers’ that has been ebbing and flowing for more than 1,400 years, when Islam split itself into two major branches, roughly similar to how Protestants split from Catholicism. Until Sunnis and Shias in the Middle East get enough of killing and maiming each other, there’s nothing anyone can do, just like neither the British nor the French could have stopped America’s Civil War…

QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER

Dick Cheney & GOP: I LOATHE the former vice-president. He, Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, and a bunch of trash-talking neoconservatives are primarily responsible for convincing George W. Bush and Congress to spend $800 billion on a boondoggle that resulted in an estimated 1.5 million Iraqi dead, and more than 4,400 American dead and 32,000 wounded. Bush, at least, has retreated to Texas, generally out of the public eye. Cheney’s lack of humility and self-awareness is appalling, given the blood on his hands. Every Republican should denounce him as a cancer on the party. I won’t wait for that…

Contact me at ccherry2@gmail.com; holler at me at www.facebook.com/ ccherry2 and ‘like’ the Florida Courier and Daytona Times pages. Follow the Florida Courier (@flcourier), the Daytona Times (@daytonatimes) and me (@ccherry2) on Twitter.

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The freeing of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after five years in Taliban captivity in exchange for five Taliban captives held in the military’s Guantanamo Bay prison has generated more fury than celebration. Republican legislators rail that the Taliban prisoners are murderous, with Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, claiming that three of the five are likely to return to the battle. Some are outraged the president “negotiated with terrorists,” cutting a deal with the Taliban.

No welcome home party Democratic legislators led by California Senator Dianne Feinstein are in high dudgeon because they weren’t given 30 day notice, as required by law. Some in the military are furious because Bergdahl was captured when he left the base alone without permission. American soldiers reportedly lost their lives in the effort to find him. Some scorn Bergdahl as a deserter, if not a traitor. The president has been savaged for making the trade. Bergdahl’s father has received death threats in emails. His hometown canceled a scheduled celebration, worried about violent demonstrations by outsiders. All this, to my mind, says a lot more about the horrible divisions in America, than the actions of Sgt. Bergdahl or the president.

REV. JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. TRICEEDNEYWIRE

plies to every soldier. It doesn’t apply only to the courageous or the brave. It doesn’t apply only to Whites or Blacks. It doesn’t apply only to officers and not privates. We leave no man — and in today’s military, no woman — behind, period. As for negotiating with the Taliban, they were holding Bergdahl captive — reportedly keeping him in a metal cage in the dark after he tried to escape. Who else would we negotiate with? It doesn’t do any good to negotiate with our friends. To free a prisoner of war, the president has no choice but to negotiate with our enemies. The president would have been wise to inform the nabobs of the Senate ahead of time. But given the need for absolute secrecy, one can imagine why he was reluctant to involve them, no matter how senior their rank. As for the exchange with the five Taliban prisoners, the reality is that they would have to be tried and executed or released eventually. Locking people up in Guantanamo without charges or trial is a disgrace to America’s principles. But even then, we aren’t going to keep these folks in prison forever.

ing to an end. Trading these prisoners to free an American POW is just common sense. Are the freed Taliban future terrorists? Who knows? They’ve been in prison for over a decade. They are “graybeards” now, and their world has changed dramatically. They are going to be held in Qatar for a year. All the fulmination about the threat they pose is simply political posturing. No one really knows. What we can expect is that they will be under close watch. According to military reports, Sgt. Bergdahl is too emotionally unstable to return home yet. Clearly he was under acute mental stress five years ago when he essentially committed a suicidal act — leaving a base to go into hostile territory in Paktika Province alone and unarmed. If he was unstable, he wasn’t alone. According to a military study at the time, more than one in five soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan in 2009 were suffering from acute stress, depression and/or anxiety. Secretary of State John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, got it right when he said it would be “offensive and incomprehensible to consciously leave an American behind, no matter what.” We should be proud of that tradition, not sacrifice it to partisan politics or senatorial privilege.

Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., is the founder and president Not ready for home of the Rainbow PUSH CoWho else but The U.S. is getting out of alition. Write your own the Taliban? Afghanistan. The longest response at www.flcouriThat proud principle ap- war in our history is com- er.com.

The lies about ‘illegal immigration’ In a recent conversation with a colleague, she expressed great indignation about “illegal immigration” and how all those Latinos smuggling themselves into the United States “are taking jobs away from Black folks.” She thus joined many other people in this country who refuse to recognize one basic fact: There is absolutely no way that millions of people can be smuggled into this country. If that many people are entering this country “illegally” someone is letting them in. That is a fact known to every reporter and correspondent from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, MSNBC and to every politician ranting about “illegal aliens.” Yet, not a single one of them will focus on and report on the role that significant sections of American industry play in this ongoing drama, most notably, agriculture, construction

A. PETER BAILEY TRICEEDNEYWIRE

and “fast foods.”

Industries benefit Those industries benefit greatly from exploiting the cheap labor provided by the so-called “illegal” immigrants. They have a captive labor force that can’t complain about wages or working conditions because of the threat of deportation. If an industry can’t have free labor, the next best thing is a captive one that can’t give it any trouble at any time. What those industries also have are journalists and politicians who almost unanimously ignore their pivotal role in the immigration debate. Instead, they go on and on about how terrible it is that the

United States can’t close its borders. The most strident opponents of this situation never even mention the beneficiaries of cheap, hapless labor. Instead, they focus all their fake anger at the poor people who are being exploited. By the way, most of the people in this country go along with this “game” because the industries’ exploitation of cheap labor allows them to buy fruit, vegetables, and homes at lower prices. Thus, the entire country benefits from a 21st Century version of peonage, just as it built its original wealth on the enslavement of African people and the theft of the land from the indigenous peoples who lived in what is now called the United States of America.

A. Peter Bailey is an American author and journalist. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

Return of the unjust, greedy weasels This column is not about the recent story making headlines in New York City on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to lift a ban on pet ferrets. But it is about weasels. Age-old weasels still causing Americans pain and suffering and blocking progress towards a better, safer America for all. Sojourner Truth was a brilliant but illiterate slave woman, a great orator, and a powerful presence who possessed great courage. She challenged the racial and gender caste system of slavery by suing for the return of a son sold away from her. She got thrown off Washington, D.C. streetcars but kept getting back on until they changed the rules and let her ride. She stood up with fiery eloquence to opponents and threatening crowds who tried to stop her from speaking. When a hostile White man told her that the hall where she was scheduled to appear would be burnt down if she spoke, she replied, “Then I will speak to the ashes.” When taunted while speaking in favor of women’s rights by some White men who asked if she was really a woman, she bared her breasts and allegedly famously retorted, “Ain’t I a woman?,” detailing the backbreaking double burden of slav-

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST

ery’s work and childbearing she had endured.

A little weasel in it When heckled by a White man in her audience who said he didn’t care any more about her antislavery talk than for an old flea bite, she snapped back, “Then the Lord willing, I’ll keep you scratching.” And when decrying her exclusion from America’s life and professed freedoms during a religious meeting where another speaker had just praised the Constitution, she told this story: “Children, I talks to God and God talks to me. I goes out and talks to God in de fields and de woods. Dis morning I was walking out, and I got over de fence. I saw de wheat a holding up its head, looking very big. I goes up and takes holt ob it. You b’lieve it, dere was no wheat dare? I says, God, what is de matter wid dis wheat? and he says to me, ‘Sojourner, dere is a little weasel in it.’ Now I hears talkin’ about de Constitu-

EDITORIAL

VISUAL VIEWPOINT: IRAQ WAR AND THE PRESIDENT

tion and de rights of man. I comes up and I takes hold of dis Constitution. It looks mighty big, and I feels for my rights, but der aint any dare. Den I says, God, what ails dis Constitution? He says to me, ‘Sojourner, dere is a little weasel in it.’” The version captured here in an 1863 edition of the National Anti-Slavery Standard shares a flaw with many existing accounts of her speeches—they were often written down in the mock Southern dialect that 19th-century readers identified with all slaves, despite the fact that Sojourner Truth was born and raised in rural New York as the slave of a Dutchspeaking family, spoke Dutch as a child, took pride in speaking correct English as an adult, and re- they know they have been promportedly sounded like White New ised, and build a just America for themselves and their children. York peers. The struggle for a fair playing field for all Americans and their chilGet the weasels out But the point still comes across dren must accelerate and reach very clearly. Since Sojourn- a mighty roar today when these er Truth’s day, Black and White core values are so much under atand Brown and other excluded tack. America is still struggling to live and marginalized women—and men—have been trying to ferret up to its creed enunciated in the out the unjust and greedy weasels Declaration of Independence and still eating away at the core of the overcome its huge birth defects Constitution and the promise of built into the implementation of equal opportunity in our national our political and economic syslife, gain the rights and freedoms tem: Native American genocide,

PAT BAGLEY, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

slavery, exclusion of all women and non-propertied men, including White men, from America’s political process. We have come a long way but these deepseated cultural, racial, economic, and gender impediments to a just union challenge us still. We must remain vigilant in rooting them out and moving ahead as many attempt to move us backwards.

Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Republicans should learn from Cantor’s mistake Last week’s defeat of House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor sent shock waves throughout D.C. like I have never seen before. But, in Cantor’s defeat, I see great opportunity for the Republican Party to make inroads into the Black community. Cantor represents Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, which is a suburb of Richmond. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, it has a population of 757,917 (74.3 percent White, 17.1 percent Black), median income of $ 64,751. In other words, it is the definition of a middle-class district. The district is rated as a solid Republican (R+10). Before we can understand how Republicans can learn from this, we must understand why Cantor lost. It was a total repudiation of the lack of leadership and vision within the Republican congressional leadership.

RAYNARD JACKSON NNPA COLUMNIST

out of work? How could he justify giving in-state tuition to illegals when American-born Americans can barely afford college? How could Cantor justify illegal children getting accommodations at a 5-star military base when American children are being moved from homeless shelter to homeless shelter? Cantor’s constituents (Black and White) were asking him some very simple questions: Who is looking out for me and my interests? My husband has been laid off and has been seeking employment for two years, so we can’t afford to send our child to college. Why are our tax dollars going to Wrong justifications pay for the education of those in How could Cantor justify sup- the country illegally? Where is porting amnesty for illegals when the help for those of us who were there are 50 million Americans born here?

With 17.1 percent of Cantor’s constituents being Black, he should have known that he was on the wrong side of the amnesty issue. Blacks are the single largest demographic group that opposes amnesty, despite support from such Black groups as the NAACP, the National Urban League, and the Congressional Black Caucus. These groups do not reflect the views of the average Black voter. If Cantor had some Blacks on his staff and working in his campaign, he would have known that.

Open to change If Cantor had some credible Blacks around him, he would have known that Blacks are thoroughly disillusioned with Obama and his policies and they are willing to look at supporting a “viable” Republican alternative. Republicans fail to see that immigration is a cross-over issue that unites both Blacks and Whites. Paul E. Peterson, professor of government at Harvard University, wrote in the Wall Street Jour-

Crespo can do it I’ve thought this for quite some time but now I can finally say, “Yorubas make good babies!” The late Silo Crespo was my religious leader and the man that motivated and inspired me to practice the African religion of our ancestors. When visiting Temple Unity in Miami to get my Yoruba prayer on, I would see this young guy running around that grew up to be very active in politics. Today, I am proud of that young man. Silo’s son, Henry Crespo worked his way from being active in the Dade County Democratic Party to become the President of The Democratic Black Caucus of Florida! You know, when you’re right, you’re right and when you’re wrong you’re wrong and The Gantt Report will call you out and write the truth about you regardless of your race, your creed, your color or your political affiliation. It is with great pleasure to announce that the Florida Democratic Party finally has someone that most Black citizens and most Black voters can follow, can support and can trust will stand up and speak out about political issues of interest to African Americans!

Subject to change Regular readers of The Gantt Report know I am slow and somewhat reluctant to endorse or hang my hat on Democratic, Republican or any political candidates, political officials or political activities because politics and politicians are subject

Not the same everywhere LUCIUS GANTT THE GANTT REPORT

to change sometimes at the drop of a hat. But Henry Crespo seems to be willing to ride or die with the millions of Black Democrats that he represents. Crespo recently put together a very successful conference in Central Florida to allow Black Democrats to meet and to discuss the political issues of 2014. “We had a great turnout and realize that the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida represents 1.1 million Black voters in the Sunshine State, said DBCF President Henry Crespo. “We have a lot of work to do to get Democratic candidates that support issues important to Blacks elected in this year’s elections.” The conference’s theme was “All in to Win 2014: The Year of Action” and featured a women’s empowerment breakfast, a founder’s luncheon, a Black media meeting, various breakout sessions and a gala because a Black meeting wouldn’t be a meeting without a party! Attorney Ben Crump attended along with some parents of murdered children to discuss “Stand Your Ground” and other Florida laws that concern Black Voters. Several local, state and federal candidates and political incumbents spoke about political issues.

A prominent Black newspaper publisher explained to the crowd that, “The plight for Blacks in any one place is the same for Blacks everywhere.” What’s next for the DBCF? According to President Crespo, “We’re going to put the work in in the trenches!” The Gantt Report hopes the Florida Democratic Party will respect President Crespo and all Black Democrats and spend some significant Democratic dollars with Black media and Black political professionals in Florida in 2014. If the Florida Democratic Party ignores the DBCF and the independent Black voters that historically cast ballots for Democratic candidates, Florida’s Democratic local, statewide and federal candidates won’t be able to win a rat race in Florida and certainly not a political contest. Democrats can dominate Florida politics again like they once did but they must abandon the devilish idea that Black voters and professionals should be ignored and disrespected. Democrats can start by getting behind and funding efforts controlled by Henry Crespo.

Buy Gantt’s latest book “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing” anywhere fine books are sold. Contact Lucius at www.allworldconsultants.net. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

nal, “Gains under the Obama administration by all students range between minimal and nonexistent, and the Black-White gap on test scores threatens to widen after having narrowed steadily over the previous nine years [the Bush years].” Obama has done everything in his power to sabotage Blacks having access to better educational opportunities. Just last year Obama’s Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block Louisiana’s tuition voucher program, which has produced significant improvement for Blacks and Hispanics. The Washington Post’s editorial board blasted Obama stating that he wanted, “to trap poor black children in ineffective schools.” Mixed messages coming from our congressional leadership is fueling the anger that was on display in the Cantor race: We Republicans claim to support the middle class, fight for Americans, support our troops, and represent “real America.” Last time I checked, America is a very diverse nation, but it is

not reflected within our congressional leadership, their staffs, or their advisers. Cantor surrounded himself with his usual White consultants who had no one around them with a different perspective on any of the issues. This campaign was exhibit A in why diversity is necessary within our party. But, can someone explain to me how a national party leader in the 21st century doesn’t notice that he has no Blacks on his personal or leadership staff? He’ll have plenty of time to think about it in coming years. Meanwhile, other Republicans need to take heed.

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.

Obama helping to break stereotypes of Black fatherhood Sunday was Father’s day, and President Obama is urging fathers to get more involved in their children’s life. President Obama is a great role model for all fathers, but he is especially an inspiration to Black Fatherhood. There is love in his relationship with Michelle, and we also experience love when he interacts with his daughters. In his weekly address Obama said, “Because there’s nothing more precious in life than the time we spend with our children. There’s no better feeling than knowing that we can be there for them, and provide for them, and help give them every shot at success.” President Obama tries extra hard to be a great father, because his own father was absent. Obama says he tries to be the father and husband his family didn’t have. “He says being able to have a child doesn’t make you a man, but having the courage to raise one does.”

Stereotypes run rampant

ROGER CALDWELL GUEST COLUMNIST

rities such as Bill Cosby or Don Lemon berates young Black fathers, we begin to think that the majority of Black fathers are not engaged in the raising of their children. At times it even appeared that President Obama was shaking his finger at Black fathers, and telling them that they need to do a better job at taking care of our children.

Exception or rule? As the media continued to promote the story of the uneducated and shiftless baby making daddy, a stereotype was created, and this behavior became the rule as opposed to the exception. If Black folks continue to allow mainstream media to tell our story, it will the majority of times be negative. There will always be wonderful Black couples, and as more Black men learn the positive men organizations in our community, more Black fathers will get involved. As Black men, we must begin to tell our story to mainstream America. In life there is no all good and there is not all bad. There is diversity in the Black community, and the majority of Black fathers are trying to help raise their children. Some have made mistakes and don’t live with the mother, but they all have the capacity to love, and their children mean the world to them.

Black fathers in America are portrayed by the media as baby makers, and disinterested in fulfilling their roles as fathers. There are stories in the media were some Black fathers have 15 children and some have over 20 children. This gives America the impression that Black men have a variety of partners, and they are only interested in making babies, and the single mothers are forced to go on welfare. “We must realize that much of the story told about the black man presents him as a thug, caveman and halfanimal who doesn’t have the capacity for responsibility or love. What’s entirely unfortunate is that some black men chose to believe these images about themselves, and it’s time to start reframing the conversation,” says Dr. Boyce Watkins. This stereotype is believed by evRoger Caldwell is the founder and eryone in America, including African Americans, because this is all they see. CEO of On-Point Media. Write your When African Americans hear celeb- own response at www.flcourier.com.

NATION

TOJ A6

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

Records snafu boosts concerns over veterans hospital Problem at Virginia center highlights why VA patients in country are so frustrated BY JEREMY M. LAZARUS TRICE EDNEY NEWS WIRE

After a few days of feeling weak and nauseated, Army veteran Steffani Lynn Yates went to the medical center she trusts with her health care — the McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in South Side Richmond, Va. On her second visit a few days later after the problem did not clear up, Yates was surprised when the doctor examining her in the emergency room asked her if she had taken any illegal drugs. “I don’t use drugs. I never have. I don’t even know what they look like,” said the 60-year-old South Side resident who is employed as a sandwich maker for a company that supplies supermarkets. When she asked the physician for an explanation, “he told me my medical records showed I had a history of cocaine use. I was shocked. And he said my records showed that I had tested positive for marijuana use in 2000. There’s just no way.” Leaving in a huff, she placed a request for a copy of her medical records with the hospital on June 2. She was told it would take 20 days, but just three days later a package was delivered to her home on nearby Royall Avenue, where she lives with her truckdriving husband. When she opened it, she found a letter from the hospital’s Record Processing Unit stating the enclosed paper-

CHRIS ADAMS/MCT

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Sarasota, and Alcee Hastings, a Democrat from Miramar, confer during a special hearing of Florida lawmakers on June 12 in Washington, D.C., to explore problems in the Department of Veterans Affairs health system. Testifying is the Florida chapter president for the Korean War Veterans Association. work was a response to her request.

Not her records As the Richmond Free Press has confirmed, there was one big problem with the paperwork: “The records I received were for someone else, actually a male individual I have never met,” she said, quipping, “I went to the hospital a woman and came out a man.” For her, it was nothing unusual. She said the hospital sent her the wrong records the last time she requested her paperwork about five years ago. The hospital did not respond to a request for comment about this snafu, which appears to be an egregious breach of patient privacy

laws — raising questions about McGuire’s ability to handle record keeping. For the hospital, this snafu couldn’t have come at a worse time. Yates provided her story amid a huge uproar over patient services at McGuire and other Veteran Administration (VA) hospitals. The hospitals are now having to defend themselves from claims they are keeping patients, particularly new patients, waiting for months to see a doctor.

Months to see doctor An audit the Veterans Administration released this month added fuel to the fire. According to the report, McGuire keeps new pa-

tients waiting up to 72 days to see a primary care physician, among the longest wait times among the 731 hospitals in the VA system. The average wait at Richmond’s VA complex is apparently the worst among Virginia VA hospitals. The average waits to see doctors at VA hospitals in Hampton and Salem averaged 68 days and 34 days, respectively, according to the audit. Nationally, 57,000 patients have been on waiting lists for three months or more and have yet to get their first appointment, the audit found. These patients, the audit acknowledged, represent only about 2 percent of more than 2 million patients the hospital system see in a given year.

Racial bias complaints McGuire officials are disputing the accuracy of the audit’s figures. According to spokeswoman Darlene Edwards, the wait time for an appointment currently averages no more than 37 days, and could be lower. The wait time for new patients requesting primary care has been and continues to be a focus of our staff,” she responded in a statement. “We continue to address this through adding new staff members, additional clinic appointments and rural health outreach initiatives.” And veterans appear to support the hospital’s view. There has been no

groundswell of complaints from veterans who use the hospital about long waits for an appointment. Indeed, the hospital is most notorious for the findings of racial bias against the management. Employees have repeatedly had their complaints of discrimination upheld, including a class action lawsuit that found the hospital favored White employees when it came to merit awards. The hospital also has faced its share of lawsuits over the care and treatment of patients.

This story is special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Richmond Free Press.

Study shows young adults healthier after passage of Obamacare BY NOAM N. LEVEY TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU/MCT

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WA S H I N G T O N— E x panding the number of young adults with health insurance appears to have improved their health and saved them money, according to a new study that is among the first to measure the effect of the health care law that President Barack Obama signed four years ago. Starting in 2010, the Affordable Care Act allowed adults under age 26 to remain on their parents’ health plans, the first coverage expansion to take effect under the law. Previous surveys have indicated that this provision, which remains among the law’s most popular, allowed millions of young adults to get health insurance over the last several years. The new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests the coverage expansion also measurably increased the number of young adults who reported that they are in excellent physical and mental health.

Controversial issue Researchers also found a significant drop in how much young people were paying out of pocket for their medical care after the law went into effect. “The health insurance that people are gaining seems to be doing what it is supposed to do,” said Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, a pediatrician at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and the lead author of the study. The question of whether giving people insurance makes them healthier, in addition to protecting them against financial risk, has remained controversial as debate over the fed-

ANDRE CHUNG/MCT

Tania Ruiz, a navigator with La Clinica del Pueblo (left), helps Jose Morales, 23, of Washington, D.C., in February as he considers signing up for health care. eral health law rages. The new research from Harvard University adds to growing evidence about the positive effects of insurance. Last month, a study of Massachusetts’ trail-blazing 2006 health law found a decline in mortality rates after the state began guaranteeing health insurance. That study’s lead author, Dr. Benjamin Sommers, also co-authored the new paper.

By the numbers In the study of young adults, researchers used survey data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to compare the experiences of young adults, ages 19 to 25, who were eligible for coverage under the law, to those 26 to 34, who were not. The study covered the eight years before passage of the health law and one year after. Insurance coverage increased markedly among the young adults, while declining slightly among the older group. At the same time, young adults’ annual out-ofpocket medical expenses, including copays and deductibles, declined from an average of $546.11 in the period before the health law to $490 in 2011. By contrast, annual outof-pocket medical costs for the older group increased

from an average of $626.66 to $644.82. Younger adults also reported feeling better, with nearly 31 percent reporting themselves in excellent physical health after passage of the law, compared to nearly 27 percent giving that rating before.

Lower for older The older group experienced a decline in self-reported health, with 21 percent reporting excellent physical health after passage of the law, compared 23 percent before. How insurance may have contributed to the apparent health improvements remains unclear. The researchers did not detect any meaningful increase in the use of health care services among young adults after 2010. Their use of primary care remained constant, while it declined among the older group in 2011. Chua speculated that the additional protections from having health coverage may contribute to a greater sense of security and health, a phenomenon that other research on coverage expansions has detected. Tracking the young adult population over more years after they gained coverage may further explain the health effects of insurance.

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RUBY DEE: 1922-2014

A star on every stage A look at the extraordinary life of the legendary actress, activist, playwright and screenwriter BY BETSY SHARKEY LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT

Ruby Dee packed a lot of power in a tiny package. Barely topping 5 feet, 2 inches, she nevertheless loomed large. Still, there was a softness alongside the steel, a smile gracing her face more often than a frown. There was a kindness in her eyes, a sense inclusion she exCOMMENTARY of tended to a world that didn’t always reciprocate. She was married for nearly 60 years to her artistic and activist soul mate — actor Ossie Davis, who passed away in 2005 — an accomplishment not many in Hollywood can claim. Dee, who died June 11 at age 91, made her mark on the craft early on in the groundbreaking Broadway staging of “A Raisin in the Sun” in 1959. She played Ruth Younger, wife to Sidney Poitier’s Walter. It would earn three Tony nominations — for the play, director Lloyd Richards and Poitier.

Praised at Tony Awards Sunday, June 8, it felt as if things had come full circle. The much-praised revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s moving dissection of a struggling Black family living on Chicago’s South Side would take home three of Tony’s top awards, including one for Sophie Okonedo, playing Ruth more than a half-century after Dee made the role iconic. That night a weeping Audra McDon

Ruby Dee is honored in 2008 at the NAACP Image Awards.

See RUBY DEE, Page B2

From Ruby Ann Wallace to Ruby Dee

with Jules Dassin’s “Up Tight!’’ 1972: Ruby compiles and edits “Glowchild,’’ an anthology of poetry written by young people.

1922: Ruby Ann Wallace is born in Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 27 to Edward and Gladys (Hightower) Wallace.

1975: Ossie and Ruby begin a weekly radio show, “The Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee Story Hour,’’ on National Black Network.

1939: Ruby graduates from Hunter High School in New York and enters Hunter College in he fall. After her mother left the family, she was brought up in Harlem by her father, Marshall.

1940: She joins the American Negro Theatre, making her stage debut in Abram Hill’s “On Strivers Row.’’ 1941: She marries singer Frankie Dee Brown, to whom she was married until

1943: The actress makes her Broadway debut in “South Pacific’’ (no relation to the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical).

1987: Ruby’s “My One Good Nerve,’’ a book of poetry and short stories, is published.

1944: She graduates from Hunter College.

1946: Ruby meets Ossie Davis when she auditions for the Broadway play “Jeb,’’ starring. Both were cast in the play.

1991: Ruby wins an Emmy award for her performance in “Decoration Day.’’

1950: Their first child, Nora, is born

1956: Third child, La Verne (now known as Hasna), is born. 1958: Ossie introduces a motion calling for Actor’s Equity to support Paul Robeson’s bid to have his passport reinstated. One week later, he and Ruby are subpoenaed to testify at a New York House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing. 1959: Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun’’ is the first play by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. Ruby originates the role of Ruth. 1963: Ossie and Ruby are emcees at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

1989: Ossie and Ruby co-star in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,’’ for which they both win an NAACP Image Award. 1995: The couple receives the National Medal of Art from President Clinton.

1948: On Dec. 9, Ruby and Ossie were married.

1952: Ossie’s playwriting debut, “Alice in Wonder,’’ is staged with Ruby in the title role. Their second child, Guy, is born.

1976: Ossie and Ruby partner with her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, to produce the film “Countdown at Kusini’’ in Nigeria. 1980: Ruby and Ossie form a family production company, now known as Emmalyn II Productions Company, Inc/Dee-Day Enterprises. With Ossie and Ruby begins its three-season run on PBS

2 1. An autobiography is released on the couple’s 50th anniversary. 2. Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee star in “A Raisin in the Sun.’’ 3. Ruby Dee speaks at the March on Washington in 1963.

Along with James Baldwin, John O. Killens, Clarence Jones and others, they form the Association of Artists for Freedom, which calls for a boycott to protest the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

5 4. The actress is nominated for an Oscar for her role in “American Gangster’’ with Denzel Washington.

1998: The couple celebrates their 50th anniversary with the publication of their joint autobiography, “With Ossie & Ruby: In This Life Together.’’ 2004: Ruby and Ossie rreceive the Kennedy Center Honors.

5. Ruby and Ossie star in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.’’

2005: Ossie Davis dies in Florida.

1965: The Committee of Concerned Mothers, formed by Ruby Dee, Juanita Poitier, and others, raise funds to buy a house for Betty Shabazz, Malcolm’s widow, and their six daughters.

2014: She dies June 11 at age 91 at her home in New Rochelle, N.Y.

1968: Ruby makes her screenwriting debut

2008: Ruby receives her first Oscar nomination for playing Mama Lucas in “American Gangster.’’

– Compiled by Florida Courier staff. Information used in this timeline came from www. ossieandruby.com, the official website for Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis.

EVENTS

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Hollywood: Actor and comedian Chris Tucker has a show scheduled July 12 at Hard Rock Live Hollywood. Fort Lauderdale: Tickets are available now for the “American Idol’’ tour on July 19 at the AuRene Theater at the Broward Center. Boca Raton: John Legend’s The All of Me Tour makes a stop at the Mizner Park Amphitheater on July 27. Fort Lauderdale: The Common Kings will be at the Culture Room on June 20 for an 8 p.m. show. Coral Gables: The MasterMinds Episode concert featuring Rick Ross and Jhene Aiko takes place on June 20 at the BankUnited Center.

DR. ELMIRA MANGUM

The president of Florida A&M University will keynote the FAMU National Alumni Association Broward County Chapter “Unity Day” celebration on June 28 at 7 p.m. at

Miami: Tamela Mann and Vashawn Mitchell are scheduled at the James L. Knight Center on Aug. 16 for a 7 p.m. show. Hollywood: The Wayan Brothers will perform a show at Hard Rock Live Hollywood on Aug. 15. Orlando: The Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion takes place over Labor Day weekend. More information: www.blackamericaweb.com.

CUBA GOODING SR. DAZZ BAND

Eatonville will celebrate Juneteenth on June 20 with an old-school concert at its Eatonville Freedom Festival featuring the Dazz Band, The Manhattans, Slave, Norman Conners, Carl Carlton, Miles Jaye and Tom Browne. More information: www.juneteenthfreedom.com. VICTOR WATKINS PHOTOGRAPHY

Cuba Gooding Sr. presents a Sweet Soul of the 70’s Benefit Concert on July 19 in Daytona Beach. The concert will feature Cuba Gooding and the Main Ingredient, Peaches & Herb, The Emotions and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes. The concert will help the “Keep a Kid from Sleeping Under the Bridge’’ scholarship project. More information: www.Cuba-Gooding.com.

West Palm Beach: The Lionel Richie: All the Hits All Night Long tour featuring Cee Lo Green stops at the Cruzan Amphitheatre on July 15. Clearwater: The crooner Maxwell is coming to Florida. He will make stops in Clearwater, Orlando and Jacksonville in August. More information: www.musze.com.

Dolphins’ rookie class spend a day coaching Special Olympics athletes SPECIAL TO THE COURIER

The Miami Dolphins’ rookie class, along with General Manager Dennis Hickey, coached, refereed and ran a fun fitness circuit on Monday for Special Olympics athletes at University High School’s Gloria Dei Field in Fort Lauderdale. “I think the athletes are having as much fun as the (Special Olympics) athletes out here, and they are doing a great job with them and it’s a lot of fun,” Hickey said. “It’s important for us and it’s been an emphasis for the Dolphins to be giving back to our community and being involved and making an impact. Our guys have done a great job with that this offseason and we look forward to continuing that.”

Smiles all around All 31 rookies were in atten-

dance to coach the Special Olympics athletes in a game of flag football. Dolphins first-round draft pick Ja’Wuan James spoke on his experience saying, “This was my first time working with the Special Olympics group and it was fun, and it’s great just being out here and coming out here with all the other rookies and just having a good time.” He continued, “Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces, being excited and us celebrating with them – it was pretty cool.” About 45 Special Olympics athletes ranging from teens to young adults enjoyed a day filled with sunshine and football. Dolphins second-round draft pick Jarvis Landry said of his experience, “It means the world to see the character of these guys in the situation they are in and be able to show support to these athletes and give back.’’

COURTESY OF MIAMI DOLPHINS

Miami Dolphins players interact with athletes with Special Olympics during an event on June 16.

RUBY DEE from B1

ald, in accepting her Tony for “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” would cite Dee among all the “strong and brave and courageous women” whose shoulders she and so many others stand on. Many called Dee and Davis the quintessential Black power couple. I thought them more an empowered couple — facing down discrimination, refusing to be stopped by barriers, racial and otherwise, every step of the way. Their influence is what earned them the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, one of the many that would recognize their contributions.

All-seeing matriarch

1. This image was created and published in 1962 by photographer Carl Van Vechten.

Oscar-nominated performance

WIKIPEDIA

2. Ruby Dee arrives at the Oscars in 2008. 3. The couple is referred to as “Mr. and Mrs. Broadway’’ in the February 1961 Ebony issue. 4. The actress was an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Dee often made big waves in smaller roles that somehow perfectly suited her substantial talent. In the 1979 TV movie “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” based on the life of the late Maya Angelou, Dee made her few minutes as Grandmother Baxter memorable. An authority figure, Grandmother Baxter provided a safe haven for Angelou and her brother for a few critical months. One of the many strong figures who would shape the future poet laureate’s view of a woman’s place in this world, Dee infused the character with warmth and wisdom. Spike Lee astutely put Dee in his films early on: As Mother Sister, the all-seeing matriarch of the simmering Bed-Stuy neighborhood in 1989’s “Do the Right Thing,” in 1991’s “Jungle Fever” playing opposite Davis as parents of the film’s compromised man portrayed by Wesley Snipes.

Dee never really stopped working, forever roaming across TV, stage and film, wherever the work took her — more than a hundred credits in all. There is no word on when or if her final film, “King Dog,” will be released. But it is another redemption story, one of triumphing against the odds. I think one reason Ruby Dee’s Oscar-nominated turn in 2007’s “American Gangster” resonated so deeply is that Mama Lucas, mother to Denzel Washington’s mobster, was so fierce. A no-nonsense woman who started with nothing, spoke her mind and didn’t suffer fools, including her much-loved son. The “Gangster” scene is extraordinary for its honesty as well as its intensity, a few minutes that nevertheless demanded that attention be paid. With an elegant staircase rising in the background, mother confronts son about his destructive ways. Her “Don’t lie to me” admonishment is delivered like acid on a wound. The slap across his face that follows carries a sting you can almost feel. That performance seemed very much a reflection of the way Dee lived her life: insistent that her voice be heard, whether the stage was artistic or political, unwilling to stand in anyone’s shadow.

TOJ

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

HEALTH atitis C virus that attacked his liver for years has become virtually undetectable in his blood. “That’s the story with Sovaldi,” Roth said. “Everybody who takes it goes undetectable. The absence of that virus has made changes that have opened my eyes. I’ve noticed changes in my mental abilities, my energy. You don’t know until you feel better what you’ve been missing. It really is a miracle drug. It really truly is.”

About the virus

BOB ECKER/MCT

Joel Roth, 65, of San Rafael, Calif., is a long-suffering hepatitis C patient who is taking Sovaldi, which costs $1,000 per pill, or $84,000 for a 12-week treatment course.

New, costly hepatitis C wonder drug shakes up the health care industry BY TONY PUGH MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU/MCT

WASHINGTON — When the harsh side effects of his hepatitis C medication forced Joel Roth to stop treatments last year, the only hope for his ailing liver was Sovaldi, a new wonder drug by Gilead Sciences Inc. that would hit the market later that year. In December 2013, Sovaldi won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Roth, of San Rafael, Calif., was placed on a 24-week treatment regimen. The cost: $168,000, or an eye-popping $1,000 per pill. In the first quarter of 2014, 30,000 U.S. patients

were treated with Sovaldi, generating a whopping $2.3 billion in sales for Gilead, of Foster City, Calif. The company says Sovaldi’s price reflects its 90 percent-plus cure rate for hepatitis C and the savings that produces by cutting patients’ long-term treatment costs, which can include hospitalizations, surgeries and even liver transplants. But private insurers, drug benefit managers, health care advocates and Medicaid officials say the drug’s steep price tag will drive up insurance premiums, limit patient access and squeeze the budgets of state Medicaid programs, which have a disproportionate share of hepatitis C patients.

$11,600 copay Adding to the furor: Sovaldi costs far less in countries that regulate prescription drug prices. In Egypt, a full 12-week course costs only $900. The controversy has made Sovaldi “Exhibit A” in the health industry’s growing unease about the rising cost, development and use of expensive specialty drugs to treat complex, chronic conditions. “Sovaldi is the canary in the coal mine, alerting us that disaster is coming unless something is done to prevent it,” said John Rother, chief executive of the National Coalition on Health Care, a nonprofit, nonpartisan collection of groups representing business, unions, medical so-

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cieties, insurers and others working to improve the health care system. “Unfortunately, the problem is far bigger than one drug. We are talking about a tsunami of expensive medicines that could literally bankrupt the health care system.” Even though Joel Roth’s Medicare drug plan paid for most of his Sovaldi treatments, he still had to come up with an $11,600 co-pay. “I didn’t even have that much ready credit on my credit cards,” he recalled. “I was depressed. That was a showstopper.”

Great results A health information technology worker and actor, Roth, 65, earned too much to qualify for programs that help with prescription drug costs. So he wrote Gilead’s patient assistance program asking for help. “I got a call back about two weeks later and the lady said, ‘We’re going to send you your medication for free for six months,’ and I just about cried on the phone,” Roth said. Now 12 weeks into his combination therapy of Sovaldi and another medication, Roth said the hep-

A contagious liver disease, the hepatitis C virus is usually spread by infected blood. Transmission can occur through sexual activity, intravenous drug use or transfusions with infected blood. Baby boomers born between 1945 and 1964 have the highest infection rates. The virus can be a mild illness that lasts just a few weeks. But in 75 percent to 85 percent of those who become infected, it remains in the body for years, causing long-term liver damage like cirrhosis or cancer. Some cases require liver transplant surgery, which can cost more than $500,000. Before Sovaldi, patients like Roth were treated mainly with interferon, a protein produced by the human immune system to defend against viruses and other outside agents. It requires weekly injections for up to a year. The side effects, which forced Roth to discontinue treatment, can include flu-like symptoms, headaches, depression, insomnia, dry mouth, diarrhea and even hair loss. It has a cure rate that ranges from 35 percent to 75 percent.

Taken months at a time Sovaldi, which is used in combination with other medications, is typically taken for three to six months, has few side effects and has shown a 90 percent-plus cure rate. Patients taking interferon typically cut their treatments from 48 weeks to 12 weeks once they begin taking Sovaldi. “That’s a lot less interferon than they used to take, but it’s still 12 weeks of medication with a lot of side effects,” said Dr. Andrew Muir, clinical director of hepatology at the Duke University Medical Cen-

Appeals court rejects WellCare plea for restitution

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A federal appeals court last week rejected arguments by WellCare Health Plans that the Tampa-based HMO should receive restitution from former executives who were convicted in a major Medicaid fraud case. WellCare contended it was a victim of crimes committed by former Chief Executive Officer Todd Farha, former Chief Financial Officer Paul Behrens and former Vice President William Kale. WellCare said in court documents that it “suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” including restating financial statements and defending against costly litigation, as part of a case that started in 2007 with FBI agents raiding company headquarters. But the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on June 13 agreed with a lower-court judge that WellCare was not entitled to seek restitution as a victim. In part, the appeals court pointed to an earlier deferred-prosecution agreement in which it said the company

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ter in Durham, N.C. “The goal is to have every patient have an interferonfree regimen. And we will have that for everybody by the end of the year.” That’s because new hepatitis medications that eliminate the need for interferon are already in the pipeline and should be available by the end of the year. “It is an exciting time,” said Tom Nealon, national board chairman of the American Liver Foundation. “Because of new medications, for the first time, we have the opportunity to cure more than 90 percent of patients infected with hepatitis C and offer people a better quality of life while undergoing treatment.”

Comparing the cost For the 3 million-plus Americans with hepatitis C, Sovaldi, the brand name for the drug sofosbuvir, has proven a godsend. But its price has roiled the health care industry. Other drugs that treat rare conditions and complex ailments have cost more than Sovaldi, but “there has never been this high priced a drug for this common of a disease,” said Dr. Steven Miller, chief medical officer at Express Scripts, a St. Louis firm that manages prescription drug benefits for health plans, private employers and the U.S. Department of Defense. “Usually when a drug company can spread out their earnings over a lot of people, they usually price more moderately. These people have decided that they are going to make all of their money back in the first year alone,” Miller said of Gilead. In 2011, Gilead paid $11 billion to purchase Pharmasset Inc., the Princeton, N.J., company that originally developed Sovaldi. In a statement, Gilead spokeswoman Cara Miller said Sovaldi’s price is comparable to other hepatitis C virus drug regimens. “Sovaldi reduces total treatment costs for HCV — taking into account the cost of medications (including those for side effects or complications) and health care visits — and it represents a finite cure, an important point to consider when comparing the price of a pill or bottle to the lifetime costs of treating a chronic disease,” according to her statement.

admitted to being a co-conspirator. “In short, WellCare is responsible for the acts of its top-level executives, and the company admitted to being a co-conspirator,’’ the opinion said. “It cannot now deny those undisputed facts. By asking for restitution from its top-level executives, WellCare seeks restitution for its own conduct – something it cannot do.” Farha, Behrens and Kale were sentenced last month to federal prison for their roles in the wrongdoing.

Report: Hospitals, patients have faced drug-resistant germs Florida patients during the past six years have been infected by germs that are resistant to virtually all antibiotics, but state health officials allowed hospitals to handle the problem discreetly without alerting the public, The Palm Beach Post reported on June 13. An investigation by the newspaper found that 12 outbreaks statewide of what is known as CRE have affected at least 490 people, though it’s unknown how many of the patients have died. The Florida Department of Health first learned in 2008 that a drug-resistant germ had spread to 10 people in Broward County during a single month, with seven of the people at a long-term care hospital, the newspaper reported.

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SPORTS

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

STOJ

James: ‘We need to get better at every position’ Heat superstar makes no secret that team needs to upgrade

cret that the Heat needs to upgrade. Shane Battier is retiring, Greg Oden never panned out, Michael Beasley fell out of favor once again and Mario Chalmers faded badly in the Finals. All those players could be gone next season, but that’s just the beginning of the Heat’s long freeagency checklist. Contracts for Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, James Jones and Toney Douglas also expired after the NBA Finals. The bottom line is if the Heat’s dynasty is to continue into the next decade like Pat Riley has envisioned, then it would help if James, Wade and Bosh opted out of their contracts and then restructure their deals for far less money spread out of several more years. Wade alone has an option on his contract paying him over $40 million over the next two years.

BY JOSEPH GOODMAN MIAMI HERALD/MCT

SAN ANTONIO — It didn’t take long for the questions to shift from the dethroning of the Miami Heat to the potential dismantling of the team’s roster. Four questions, to be specific. Four questions into the Heat’s news conference after the NBA Finals, and LeBron James was asked about the future of his team. “I’m not even nowhere near at that point,” James said. “You know, we went to four straight Finals in four years. You know, we’re not discrediting what we were able to accomplish in these four years.” By the end of Sunday night’s session with reporters, however, it seemed James himself had already begun the process of shifting from defeated former champion to motivated future contender.

Spurs’ successful core Asked what the Heat needs to add this offseason to remain competitive, the four-time NBA MVP dropped some major hints. Imitating coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs’ blueprint would be a good start. “The whole league continues to get better every single year,” James said. “Obviously we would need to get better from every facet, every position. It’s just how the league works. The Spurs continue to get better. Obviously, they kept those three guys intact, but they continue to put guys around them, high-basketball-IQ guys around them, high-energy guys around them that fit into the system of what Pop wanted to do.” The Spurs’ core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili just completed its 12th season together. During that time, San Antonio has won four NBA championships and competed in the Finals five times. The success of that run was highlighted over the last week with some

ROBERT DUYOS/SUN SENTINEL/MCT

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James covers his face with his hands as Dwyane Wade looks on to the court with the game winding down against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena in Miami on June 12. The won, 107-86, for a 3-1 series lead, then went on to win the series. of the best basketball the NBA has ever seen.

‘Exquisite basketball’ The Spurs didn’t just defeat the Heat for its fifth crown since Tim Duncan was drafted in 1997. San Antonio set a Finals record for margin of victory (14.5 points per game) while also notching the highest field-goal percentage (52.8) in Finals history. “Exquisite basketball,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called it. That’s the standard James would like to achieve. To get there, some tough decisions will need to be made. James repeated on Sunday that he hasn’t begun to think about the 2015 offseason, but that’s not entirely true. It’s no coincidence that every player on the Heat’s roster save for Norris Cole (Chris Andersen opted out of his contract Monday) will either be a free agent this summer or have options on their contracts to renegotiate current deals. The deadline for player op-

AL DIAZ/MIAMI HERALD/MCT

The San Antonio Spurs celebrate with the NBA Championship Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the Miami Heat, 104-87, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 15. tions is June 30, so time is ticking. Free agency begins on July 1.

Free-agency checklist The biggest decisions facing James, Dwyane Wade and Chris

Bosh is whether to opt out of their contracts and test free agency, or begin work on rebuilding the Heat’s roster. James was coy about his plans on Sunday, but he made it no se-

Padres’ Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest hitters of his generation, dies at age 54 BY PAUL SULLIVAN CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT

After the Padres held a fire sale during the 1993 season, Tony Gwynn got a call from his dad the day before Thanksgiving, telling him to leave the organization. Three days later, his father died. “His words were still ringing in my ear,” Gwynn said in a 1998 interview. “He told me to get out of here — ‘They’re not trying to win.’ I told him I’m happy here. He was really ticked off at them. But I knew this was where I wanted to be.” Gwynn, who lost his long bout with cancer Monday at 54, spent his 20-year career in a Padres uniform. He was one of the greatest hitters of his generation, finishing with a .338 average — 18th on the all-time list — and 3,141 hits while striking out only 434 times in 10,232 plate appearances.

2007 Hall of Famer He won eight batting titles and became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2007, earning 97.6 percent of the votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. And he did it all his way, as a Padre. “I watched them when I was at San Diego State,” Gwynn once said. “I used to go to games for a buck-fifty, go to the bleachers and work your way down to the box seats. I used to sit there and say, ‘Those are the ugliest uniforms I’ve ever seen in my life.’ Then when draft day came and they drafted me, I remember saying the exact same thing: ‘I have to wear those ugly uniforms now.’ “But everything I’ve done has been in a Padres uniform, whether it was a good uniform or a bad uniform, and that means something to me.”

line, autographing an album containing two pages full of Tony Gwynn baseball cards, some of which were from cereal boxes. Gwynn had been in the majors for only four years and was surprised to see there were so many cards of him. “Look at this one,” he said to the album’s owner, a young boy. “I got a chaw in my mouth and sunglasses on. That’s no good.” Gwynn was a naturalborn talker and dealt with kids and the media in the same friendly manner. When I interviewed him that day, he was leading the league with a .371 average, having hit .473 in June. But he wound up fifth among NL outfielders in All-Star voting, which then-Padres manager Larry Bowa called JOHN CORDES/ZUMA PRESS/MCT “a joke.” Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, a former San Diego Padres Gwynn, of course, was player, died June 16 in California. nonchalant about the snub. “It doesn’t bother me because everyone ahead of to fool me. Someone’s goCOMMENTARY ing to clock one in. I know me deserves it,” he said. it’s going to happen twice a “People put a premium on the home-run hitters. I Gwynn’s bat control and month.” Nowadays players strike know what I am. I’m a conbatting eye were amazing. He hit over .300 in 19 out three or four times tact hitter and not a homestraight seasons, and over a game and shrug it off. run hitter. I’m not an Andre 16 seasons from 1984 to Gwynn approached each Dawson, a Dale Murphy, an 1999, he never struck out at-bat as if it were the last of Eric Davis or a Jeffrey Leonhis career, and striking out ard. I’m a Tony Gwynn, and more than 40 times. I’m not going to try to be was not an option. something I’m not.” Striking out

no option

During the ‘97 All-Star Game, Gwynn talked about the season record for fewest strikeouts in 500 or more at-bats — three by the Yankees’ Joe Sewell in 1932 — saying it would never be broken. “That’s amazing,” he said. “Some guys have two punchouts a game. You know, Joe DiMaggio had more home runs than strikeouts (actually 361 homers and 369 K’s), and that’s amazing too. ... I had a run of 110 or 120 at-bats without a strikeout, but I know that sooner or later, someone is going

First encounter

Despite having limited bat speed, Gwynn was the last player to seriously chase the .400 mark, finishing at .394 in 1994 before the players strike ended the season in August. If anyone would have reached it in my lifetime, it would have been Gwynn. Too bad we’ll never know if he could have accomplished the feat, last done by Ted Williams in 1941. I first met Gwynn in July 1987 at Wrigley Field when assigned to write a feature story for the Tribune. I waited for him while he was standing along the left-field

More than a hitter Gwynn had already won a batting championship, hitting .351 in 1984 to help lead the Padres to the World Series, knocking off the Cubs in the NL Championship Series. He also earned a Gold Glove that year, which he called “my pride and joy” in baseball. “Even more than the Silver Bat,” he told me. “When I first came up, everyone said I was only a hitter.” Gwynn was never “only a hitter.” He was as good a guy as you’d want to meet in the game, and that’s what I’ll remember most about him.

‘Wasn’t in the cards’ If the Spurs’ model is truly the Heat’s goal, then that’s going to take some significant sacrificing financially. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili played for significantly less money this season than James, Wade and Bosh. Parker earned the most at $12.5 million. Consider this: the Heat potentially already has more salary on its books for next season with only James, Wade, Bosh, Cole and Udonis Haslem returning than the bulk of the Spurs’ significant contributors. If Wade opts in this week, the Heat’s options seem to be limited. “It’s been a hell of a ride in these four years,” Wade said. “And when we decided to play together, we didn’t say, OK, let’s try for four years. We said let’s just play together and let’s see what happens. “We’ve been successful in the sense of what we tried to accomplish, and that is going to the Finals, and we did it. We’d love to be four for four, it just wasn’t in the cards for us to be that. We have no other reason not to be proud of each other for what we’ve accomplished on and off the court for these four years together.”

Samuels hired as men’s basketball coach at FAMU Collegiate coaching veteran Byron Samuels will embark on a new chapter in his career with his appointment as head men’s basketball coach at Florida A&M University (FAMU). Samuels, 50, comes to FAMU from the University of Georgia, where he served as the basketball operations coordinator since June 2013. While at Georgia, Samuels was responsible for oversight of the players’ Byron day-to-day schedules and their acaSamuels demic performance, assisting with the program’s on-campus recruiting efforts, summer camps and community outreach. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Samuels has built an extensive coaching resume spanning 11 schools in 26 years. His career experiences include three head coaching posts, two at four-year schools, and one in the junior college ranks.

Struggling program He takes over a program that went 14-18 last season and hasn’t had a winning record since 2006-07. The team is also serving a one-year postseason ban from the NCAA due to poor academic progress numbers. The Rattlers are not eligible to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season championship in 2014-15. Samuels is replacing Clemon Johnson, who was fired in April by new athletic director Kellen Winslow.

Head coach experience Samuels’ first head coaching job came at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member Hampton University. During his two-year stint (1995-97), he helped the Pirates with their transition to NCAA Division I status. His teams broke 14 team and individual records and both of his recruiting classes were ranked No. 1 in the MEAC. Samuels left Hampton in 1997 to join his college coach, Jerry Green, as an assistant on his staff at the University of Tennessee. In each of their four years at UT, the Vols earned NCAA Tournament berths, highlighted by an SEC co-championship and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2000. He was the head coach at Radford University from 2002-07 after serving one season there as an assistant coach. His tenure with the Highlanders included an appearance in the league’s tournament championship game, as well as several player and team accolades, both on the court and in the classroom. He also was head coach from 2010 to 2012 at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa. Over the entirety of his coaching career, Samuels helped guide six teams to post-season bids. In addition to the four Tennessee squads, teams at Washington State and Tulsa earned NIT berths.

Reports from the Associated Press and Florida A&M were used in this story.

STOJ

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT

Meet some of

FLORIDA’S

jucco

finest

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Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.

taneish

ETHNICITYMODELS.COM

Taneish Simpson, an Ethnicity model, previously appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in March 2008. FLORIDA COURIER FILES

Jacques “Jucco” Dalce Jr. previously appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in February 2008.

Chaka Khan discusses addiction, weight loss, Houston, foundation that’s helping women and children at risk BY ROSA COLUCCI PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/MCT

PITTSBURGH — Like Aretha, Cher and Whitney, Chaka Khan is in that rare company of performers who can go just by their first names. But unlike those performers, Chaka has never gained a reputation as a diva among her fans. She is “everybody’s girl,” the kind of person that everyone wants to hang out with. On the day of the interview, it was just announced that Maya Angelou had died. As tributes were rolling in worldwide, she talked about the impact the beloved poet had on her life. “I have known her for many years. I remembered when I was a teenager, I was reading her book ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.’ That book left an impression. She has always made a big impression on me. Her wisdom was just ...” she trails off. “She was one of the few people left that made any sense.”

Shed 75 pounds Chaka speaks a lot about society, the people who “don’t have any sense” and the mess they make in this world with their ignorance. It might be said that her early upbringing contributed to her no-nonsense approach to life. “I went to Catholic school. I was raised a Catholic. I wanted to be a nun. When I was young, my nuns were teachers — up close and personal.” At 61, after 41 years in the music business, she seems to be at a point in her life where she doesn’t want to waste time on people and things that don’t make sense, but rather she wants to lift up others through her music and charitable works.

going on. The people that are in control are frustrated musicians and singers themselves. What can you do? You can educate, you can say, ‘I won’t be a part of it, because ...’ but young people are headstrong and have to run through their experience.” After all of these years, she still marvels at the challenges of putting on a show. “What one has to go through to do 90 minutes of music.” She is grateful that her success has allowed her to make an even more important mark on the world. “It is our duty as human beings to assist one another. We each owe that to one another to pay it forward and pay it beautifully. I am in a position in life to do that.”

The singer has not shied away from discussion about her own struggle with addiction and the steps she had to take to get back to what she calls “my original life.” Years of abusing her body with substances and food took their toll. Three years ago she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and went on another quest. “I had gained weight for 10 to 15 years; food became my friend,” she said. She adopted a vegan lifestyle and used a VitaMix to shed 75 pounds. “It is good to be back to myself. It is very hard to maintain that lifestyle because I don’t have a cook on the road, but I do maintain clean eating and occasionally have some fish.”

Foundation for kids, women

Longtime Houston friend She was painfully reminded of her own struggles when Whitney Houston died in February 2012. They had a long personal and professional relationship. At the tender age of 15, Houston sang background vocals on Khan’s 1978 hit “I’m Every Woman” (written by Ashford & Simpson). Khan returned the favor in 1992 when Houston recorded the song for her Grammy-winning film soundtrack “The Bodyguard.” The legendary video features a joyfully pregnant Houston, singing and bouncing alongside her mother, Cissy Houston, and Khan. It was classic Whitney Houston at her peak. Khan did a number of interviews deeply criticizing the music industry and the machinery of stardom that contributed to Houston’s death. She talked about the measures she takes to maintain her health and sobriety and said that Whitney — as fragile as she was — never should have been put in a situation

OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT

Chaka Khan arrives at the BET Honors red carpet at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 12, 2013. where she was at risk. She was pointedly critical of Clive Davis, head of Arista Records, and his decision to forge ahead with his Grammy pre-party in the same hotel hours after Houston died. She says she hasn’t seen any changes in the industry since Houston’s death. “No. None. You can’t put a

price on what we do. We speak the language of the angels.”

On ‘Idol’ and ‘Voice’ Is this saga doomed to repeat itself with this new crop of young stars borne out of shows such as “American Idol” and “The Voice”? “There are a lot of shenanigans

She started the Chaka Khan Foundation to assist women and children at risk. She is a regular performer for the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Post-Katrina, she worked with the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies in hard-hit Crescent City, using her star power to corral the sponsors in attendance to get behind a women-centered project. “I kick-started the project, an initiative where women could get jobs, education and put their lives together after the flood. We would reconvene and within a year’s time, they were closing on new homes, opening new businesses and helping others. I check back with them yearly, and they write to me.” Last year, she was named an ambassador for Dress for Success Worldwide, which provides suiting and job-hunting workshops for disadvantaged women. Her surprise appearance at the 2013 summit in Miami ignited the room. She has set up a scholarship program for the organization. After years of collaborations and singing the songs of other musical legends including Stevie Wonder (“Tell Me Something Good”), Prince (“I Feel for You”) and David Foster, who wrote “Through the Fire” with her in mind, is there anyone she would like to work with? “I would have loved to work with Marvin Gaye or Miles Davis. Prince and I are still kicking some ideas around, and I would love to work with Joe Walsh — the old rockers.”

F0OD

JUNE 20 – JUNE 26, 2014

POTATO SALAD WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS Servings: 6 Mustard Vinaigrette: 2 tablespoons mustard 1 tablespoon water 1/2 cup vinegar Juice of one lemon Fresh ground black pepper 2 cups olive oil Salt, to taste Salad: 4 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled 1 medium yellow or orange pepper 1 medium onion 3/4 cup Mustard Vinaigrette Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper For vinaigrette, combine all ingre dients in bowl except oil and whisk until frothy. Whip mixture continuously as steady stream of oil is added. Whisk until all oil is incorporated. Season to taste. For salad, boil potatoes in lightly salted water. Cut pepper into thin, 2-inch strips. Cut onion into thin slices. Slice warm boiled potatoes into salad bowl, scatter sliced peppers and onions over them and pour on about 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Using hands, gently mix salad until each potato slice is coated with vinaigrette and onions and peppers are well distributed. Taste salad and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let salad stand at least an hour. Before serving, taste salad again and add vinaigrette to taste. Nutritional information per serving: 280 calories; 18 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat); 2 g protein; 26 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol; 10 mg sodium; 2 g sugar.

TOJ

Potato Salad with Peppers and Onions

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Whenever friends and family gather to cel brate warm weather days, potato salad is prob bly the most popular side dish served. However, the traditional salad made with mayonnaise and eggs that we all know and love is being passed by for lighter versions that include more vegetables, different protein sources and healthier dressings.

Simple sides The best part is — these salads are easy to make. Cut your Idaho potatoes into 1-inch cubes with the skins still on. Boil in water for about 8–15 minutes, then check for doneness by piercing a cube with a fork or skewer. If it goes through with little resistance, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add your favorite dressing and ingredients while the potatoes are still warm. Warm potatoes more easily absorb all the delicious dressing.

Fix ahead dishes These decadent dishes are best eaten the day after they’re made. This gives the flavors a chance to intensify and come together. When you’re ready to serve, keep your cold salad the perfect temperature by placing your serving dish in a larger bowl filled with ice. Treat your family to potato salads they’ve never tasted before. For more recipes for salads and other potato dishes, visit www.IdahoPotato.com.

Greek Potato Salad

POTATO, CUCUMBER AND DILL SALAD Servings: 4 3 large Idaho potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried whole dill weed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced Place potato slices in 9-inch square microwave-safe baking dish; cover with microwaveable plastic wrap and microwave at HIGH 9–11 minutes or until tender, stirring gently every three minutes. Combine vinegar, mustard, oil, dill and salt in small jar. Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Pour vinegar mixture over potatoes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Gently mix in sliced cucumber before serving. Nutritional information per serving: 350 calories; 14 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat); 6 g protein; 51 g carbohydrate; 5 g dietary fiber; 0 mg cholesterol; 450 mg sodium; 4 g sugar. GREEK POTATO SALAD Servings: 8 4 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks 8 ounces stem ends trimmed green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths 3/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1/4 cup snipped fresh dill 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled In large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes about 12 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add green beans and cook 2 minutes longer. Drain well. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Add potatoes and green beans and toss gently to coat. Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and dill; tossing gently. Cool to room temperature. Sprinkle feta at serving time. Nutritional information per serving: 170 calories; 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat); 5 g protein; 24 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 15 mg cholesterol; 330 mg sodium; 4 g sugar.

Potato, Cucumber and Dill Salad

Potato, Broccoli and Fennel Salad POTATO, BROCCOLI AND FENNEL SALAD Servings: 14 servings 8 large Idaho potatoes (about 4 pounds), well-scrubbed, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups chopped broccoli (about 1 bunch) 2 cups (16 ounces) favorite ranch salad dressing 3 cups chopped fennel (about one large bulb), with core and tops removed 1 large red onion, quartered and very thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup diced green olives with pimento (optional) Salt and pepper to taste Leaf lettuce, for garnish Cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes, for garnish Fill large stockpot half full of water, add salt and bring to boiling over high heat. Add potatoes and bring back to

boiling over high heat; reduce heat to medium and boil for three minutes. Add broccoli to potatoes and bring back to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium again, and cook until desired doneness (1–3 minutes). Potatoes and broccoli should both be firm. Drain well in colander. Transfer potatoes and broccoli to large mixing bowl, add ranch dressing and let cool. Stir in fennel, onions and olives, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve on bed of leaf lettuce with ripe tomatoes as garnish. Nutritional information per serving: 280 calories; 18 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat); 4 g protein; 28 g carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 10 mg cholesterol; 480 mg sodium; 3 g sugar.