Urban Voice Magazine _ December 2018

Urban Voice CHATTANOOGA + KNOXVILLE + ATLANTA

ISSUED #78 DECEMBER 2018

Be Empowered!

HELPING THE POOR

CAN MEDICAID EXPANSION BOOST FINANCIAL OUTCOMES?

Power of Information.

OP-ED: AFTER THE MIDTERMS: THE FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN Everyone is basking in the moment. After two years of Donald Trump, Republican-controlled everything, many dangerous setbacks, a rollback of protections and a toxic environment, Democrats finally got a win on Tuesday! After securing control of the House and garnering several governorships, Democrats got a semblance of a check on this President. But before you start popping bottles, going on a shopping spree or doing a victory lap, take a moment to pause and look at the entire picture. Was this a ‘blue wave’ as many had predicted? Or was this a mild current that was met with brute red force that included voter suppression, gerrymandering and other schemes? The truth is, we should honor the victory in the midterms, but keep in mind that there was no clear referendum against inciting hate and division.

In other words, people better wake up to the reality that the real fight has just begun.

In the state of Georgia, the race for Governor is still on. Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is running to be the first Black female governor in the entire

country, has called for a recount and said she expects a runoff after what can only be described as utter madness. First, her opponent, Republican Brian Kemp (who is also the Secretary of State and therefore overseeing the election), disenfranchised around 53,000 voters (70% of whom were Black).

Then on Election Day, some voting machines were down, creating extremely long lines in several predonomantly Black areas. At one polling place in Snellville (which has a higher percentage of Blacks) , people were unable to vote for hours because there were no power cords for the machines.

Yes, you read that correctly. At press time, Kemp has about 50.4 percent of the votes, and Abrams has around 48.7 percent; which translates to a difference of approximately 63,000 votes.

Kemp’s campaign claimed victory on Thursday, even though many absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be counted. Abrams is still pushing for a recount.

Florida had an opportunity to elect its first Black governor with Mayor Andrew Gillum. Instead, they picked Republican Ron DeSantis who early on in his campaign went on Fox News (where else) and said that electing Gillum would “monkey

this up.” No dog whistle here – it’s just a straight bullhorn. There were racist robocalls that referred to Gillum as a ‘negro’ and stated that a ‘monkey’ is making the rounds in Florida (a chimpanzee noise was also played in the background at the word monkey). A reminder: it’s 2018.

Meanwhile, voters in Florida’s Broward County said they were blocked from a polling site that was moved inside a gated community. Long lines, confusion and confrontations ensued.

There were also about 1.6 million ex-felons, including 500,000 Black folks, who did not have their right to vote restored in the state. As of publication of this article, DeSantis won with just 49.7 percent of the votes to Gillum’s 49.1 percent – just over 50,000 votes. That’s it.

It’s a lot to take in, I know.

As we keep up our resolve, it’s important to remember that it isn’t all doom and gloom. Voters in a half dozen states approved ballot initiatives on Tuesday that will either restore the right to vote for ex-felons, make it easier to register to vote or reduce partisan gerrymandering. These states are both red and blue. Also, two Muslim women were elected to Congress for the first time ever; Colorado elected the nation’s first

openly gay governor; Texas is sending its first two Latina women to Congress and New York elected its first Black female state Attorney General. Then of course, there is the House victory which shouldn’t be discounted at all.

If Donald Trump’s Presidency has ushered in anything, it’s a renewed urgency of now. With so much on the line from our right to vote and legal protections against discrimination, to affordable health care and a social safety net for those who need it, we can’t take anything for granted. It’s ok to celebrate Tuesday’s election for what we should, but it’s important to remember that they weren’t all victories. The midterms may be over, but now the real work begins.

Get ready.

Stay tuned. Be encouraged.

And #StayWoke.

Until Next month,

JD Harper

EVENTS & MUSIC FESTIVALS 2018 DECEMBER HUNTSVILLE DECEMBER 9 (2ND & 4TH SUNDAYS) POETRY SLAM SUNDAYS FLYING MONKEY ARTS CENTER | 6:30PM DECEMBER 12 ALABAMA A&M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS JACKSONVILLE STATE ELMORE GYMNASIUM | 6PM DECEMBER 15 ALABAMA A&M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA ELMORE GYMNASIUM | 3PM DECEMBER 18 ROCKET CITY COLLEGE BASKETBALL CLASSIC ​VON BRAUN CENTER ARENA UAH VS FORT VALLEY STATE ALABAMA VS LIBERTY

Chattanooga Chamber Of Commerce Promotes Darian Scott To Director Of Talent And Economic Inclusion

ll CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce has promoted Darian Scott to director of Talent and Economic Inclusion Mr. Scott, a chamber employee of five years, previously served as the chamber’s Community Outreach Coordinator, engaging the public in Chamber Foundation programming and leading talent development programs like the Get a Job program teaching high school students about joining the

workforce.

Mr. Scott also led work in specific communities convening stakeholders to collectively solve community challenges, including launching the Orchard Knob Community PTA to support Orchard Knob Middle School.

In his new role, Mr. Scott will implement programs and initiatives to promote diverse economic development and inclusive workplaces that will help attract, retain and develop top talent in the Chattanooga region. This will include programs, events and strategies to support minority businesses, women-owned enterprises and young and mid-career professionals.

“As an employer ourselves, the Chamber takes seriously our responsibility to provide our employees with advancement opportunities and clear career pathways,” said Molly Blankenship, vice president of Talent Initiatives at the Chamber. “We’re

thrilled that Darian is taking this next step in his career, and we look forward to continuing our important work fostering an inclusive community and economy.”

Chattanooga Housing Authority Receives Funding For HUD’s Family Unification Program

CHATTANOOGA, TN- The Chattanooga Housing Authority announced they have received funding

for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Family Unification Program (FUP).

HUD awarded $30 million to public housing authorities nationwide and made 3,000 vouchers available for families who are unable to secure affordable housing for their children or dependents. Of that award, the Chattanooga Housing Authority was granted over $450,000 in funding and 70 available vouchers for FUP. FUP provides rental assistance to parents struggling to provide adequate housing for their children.

Additionally, this funding can be used to help provide stable housing for young adults, aged 18-24, who have aged-out of the foster care system. Like HUD’s Housing Choice Vouchers, these vouchers allow families to rent housing from a private landlord and generally pay 30 percent of their monthly-adjusted gross income towards rent and utilities.

CHA Executive Director Betsy McCright said, “We are thrilled to receive this award. With this funding, we will be able help families obtain safe and affordable housing that

will enable them to stay together. It will allow local children to leave the foster care system and live with their families so they have the opportunity to thrive together.”

CHA will work closely with local public welfare agencies, including the Department of Children’s Services, to identify youth at risk of homelessness and families whose lack of adequate housing is the primary reason their children are in foster care.

With Trump’s Justice Department Retreating, Who Will Now Police the Police? ll Last month, a video was released of two police officers in Elkhart, Indiana, repeatedly punching a handcuffed man in the face. The episode was just the latest in a longtroubled Police Department where nearly all of its supervisors have disciplinary records.

This is the sort of problem that Congress sought to address in 1994 when it authorized the Justice Department to overhaul troubled local police agencies under court-monitored consent decrees. These agreements lay out a reform plan negotiated by federal law enforcement officials and the local government.

After seeing the videotaped beating, Elkhart’s mayor, Tim Neese, asked the Indiana State Police for a “very thorough and far-reaching” investigation of his Police Department. But the state police turned him down, so he asked the Justice Department for help. His timing could hardly have been worse.

Less than three weeks earlier, Jeff Sessions, who was then the attorney general, had sharply limited the Justice Department’s ability to use courtordered agreements to address abuses by local police departments. It was one of his last actions before he stepped down.

Sessions was a longtime opponent of these agreements, complaining that they damaged police morale and smacked of federal overreach. But his critics say his last-minute move is likely to further the Trump administration’s efforts to impede police reforms nationally. For instance, the Obama Justice Department had wanted to revamp the police department in Ville Platte, Louisiana, where officers have a long history of jailing people without

probable cause. But once Sessions took over, the Justice Department settled on a watered-down version

Fourteen cities are currently under consent decrees, from big cities like New Orleans to smaller communities

of the ambitious reform plan Obama administration officials had envisioned.

As ProPublica has reported, illegal arrests remain a reality of daily life in Ville Platte.

Consent agreements were an important part of the Obama administration’s efforts to address misconduct allegations. Cleveland entered into a consent decree in May 2015, six months after an officer shot and killed Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old playing with a gun that fired plastic pellets. A report this summer on Cleveland’s continuing reforms cited a nearly 40 percent drop in officers’ use of force from the previous year.

Ferguson, Missouri, approved a consent decree in 2016, two years after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown set off widespread protests. At a status hearing this year, a federal judge said she was seeing “a great deal of progress.”

like Warren, Ohio. One frequently cited success story is Seattle, where a 2012 consent decree has been credited with reducing unnecessary uses of force and improving citizens’ trust in officers.

But Neese may be left on his own trying to fix a department with a tumultuous history.

Nearly All the Officers in Charge of an Indiana Police Department Have Been Disciplined — Including the Chief Who Keeps Promoting Them Of the 34 supervisors in the Elkhart, Indiana, Police Department, 28 have been disciplined. Fifteen have been suspended. Seven have been involved in fatal shootings. Three have been convicted of criminal charges.

Elkhart, sometimes called the “RV Capital of the World,” is a city of about 50,000 people near Indiana’s northern border with Michigan. Police problems are nothing new there. In the mid1990s, a study by two policing experts

commissioned by the city called out the department’s “reputation for brutality” and its failure to rein in officers who had “abused citizens, violated civil rights, [and] alienated segments of the community.” Many of the problems cited in that long-ago report can still be found today.

In early November, we obtained the video of the two Elkhart officers repeatedly punching a handcuffed man in the police station’s detention area.

“If you spit again, we’re going to party,” one of the officers said just before the beating began. The police chief, Ed Windbigler, never mentioned the punches when he told the city’s civilian oversight commission that the two officers had gone “a little overboard” when taking the man to the ground.

The chief said he had opted to reprimand the officers, rather than impose more serious discipline, because of their clean records. But one of them had an extensive disciplinary history, with six suspensions and two reprimands in his first five years.

Once, according to his personnel file, he arrested a woman for public nudity, then, after she was released from jail on bond, he sent her a friend request on Facebook and seven text messages, asking to “hang out.”

He isn’t alone. Of the department’s 34 supervisors, 28 have disciplinary records in their personnel files. One is the mayor’s son, a sergeant once reprimanded for firing 13 times at a dog, with at least two bullets striking a house. Fifteen of the supervisors have been suspended, including the chief, assistant chief and patrol captain. Three were convicted of criminal charges during their careers.

First Tennessee’s Lynne Walker Wins Female Executive of the Year ll First Tennessee Bank, a member of the First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE:FHN) family of companies, announced this week that Executive VP, Director of Affinity Strategy, Lynne Walker won Gold in the Female Executive of the Year Award (employees 2500+) Consumer Services category and Silver in the Female Executive of the Year Award Business Services category at the 15th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

Walker is a career banker who

knows the business of banking and the importance of great customer experience. Two years into her role leading the affinity strategy, Walker has helped increase the percentage of women and people of color in the top three salary levels by 19.5 percent.

Over 1500 nominations were received from organizations and individuals in 33 nations including: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, China and Vietnam. Winners and finalists were determined by the

average scores of more than 200 professionals around the world, organized in five juries.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business presentation

Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Lee names nine administration picks

ll NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov.-elect Bill Lee has named three Cabinet members and six senior staffers for his new administration, including investment company chairman Stuart McWhorter as finance commissioner.

The list released Tuesday unveils the first wave of picks by Lee, the Franklin GOP businessman now tasked with appointing more than 20 people to lead agencies ranging from education, to agriculture, to health care, in addition to

other key leadership roles.

McWhorter currently serves as chairman and president of Clayton Associates, which focuses on health care and technology investments. He is also chairman of Lee’s inauguration planning efforts and served as Lee’s campaign finance chairman.

McWhorter also has served on the board for Franklin-based Lee Company, Lee’s mechanical contracting, facilities and home services family business.

Lee Company is one of several board positions with prominent companies that McWhorter has held.

There won’t be any change in two other Cabinet positions. Lee is retaining Department of Human Services commissioner Danielle Barnes and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services commissioner Marie Williams. Both were term-limited appointees of Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.

Lee is bringing along several of his campaign and transition team member for senior staff jobs in the governor’s office.

Campaign general consultant and transition team executive director Blake Harris, who is an attorney, will become chief of staff.

Transition team chairman Butch Eley will be chief operating officer. Before that, he was the DBI Services and founder of Infrastructure Corporation of America. He also served in former Nashville Mayor Bill Boner’s administration as director of economic and community development.

Lee’s deputy to the governor and chief counsel will be University of Tennessee board member Lang Wiseman, who was Lee’s campaign counsel. He founded Wiseman Bray PLLC in Memphis and specializes in business and commercial law.

Wiseman also currently serves on Haslam’s judicial appointments council.

Lee transition team spokeswoman Laine Arnold says Wiseman will be stepping down from the board position at the University of Tennessee, where he once made a name for himself as a Volunteers basketball player. Wiseman was sworn in as a trustee in August.

Tony Niknejad will be Lee’s policy director, which was his campaign role.

Before that, he was the Tennessee state director for the American Federation for Children, helping advocate for school choice, including previous pushes to pass a school voucher program.

Lee has drawn questioning about where he stands on school vouchers, but hasn’t said clearly what he would or would not veto when it comes to funneling public money to private schools.

Niknejad, a former Tennessee Senate policy staffer, also worked with the Kentucky GOP to flip the state House during the 2016 statehouse elections, among other political roles he served.

Chris Walker will be Lee’s communications director and Arnold will be press secretary.

Both filled Lee campaign roles in communications, and Arnold is currently the transition team’s spokeswoman.

The Cheesecake Factory Opens in Chattanooga

ll CALABASAS HILLS, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Cheesecake Factory® (NASDAQ:CAKE), known for its extensive menu, generous portions and legendary desserts, today announced the opening of its newest restaurants in Chattanooga, Tenn. and Lubbock, Texas.

With more than 250 menu selections including SkinnyLicious® dishes with 590 calories or less and Saturday and Sunday Brunch – handmade, in-house with fresh

ingredients – and more than 50 signature cheesecakes and desserts, The Cheesecake Factory’s opening provides exciting new choices for shoppers and area residents.

Featuring imported limestone floors, custom wood columns, hand painted murals and modern lighting, the new restaurants include the distinctive and contemporary décor that is as creative and imaginative as The Cheesecake Factory’s extensive menu.

The Cheesecake Factory of Chattanooga is located at 2084 Hamilton Place Blvd., Chattanooga, TN 37421. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 10:00 a.m. Saturday through Sunday.

The Cheesecake Factory of Lubbock is located at 6014 Slide Road, Lubbock, TX 79414. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 10:00 a.m. Saturday through Sunday.

New Strategies Unveiled To Try To End Homelessness In Chattanooga ll Efforts to reduce homelessness in Chattanooga will require a series of interventions and new resources, in addition to greater alignment between existing service providers, according to a new plan released Tuesday by the Chattanooga Interagency Council on Homelessness (CICH).

Mayor Andy Berke created the Interagency Council earlier this year to convene a community forum of service providers, agency leaders, business leaders, and other stakeholders to plan, coordinate, implement and monitor strategies to improve Chattanooga’s response to homelessness.

The 2018 Chattanooga Community Action Plan details a number of strategies and interventions to end homelessness in the city.

The plan is informed by input and ideas from stakeholders across Chattanooga, including individuals experiencing homelessness, numerous nonprofit agencies, community members, and City of Chattanooga staff to fully understand the causes of homelessness in our community and how fresh approaches can address it. it “We have a moral and economic case for reducing homelessness in Chattanooga,” said CICH co-chair Betsy McCright.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Announces Minority Business Development Agency Grant Awards ll WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the Department of Commerce awarded over $13 million to 35 projects in communities across the country. The grants, which are part of MBDA’s new Broad Agency Announcement initiative, reflect critical Department of Commerce priorities including space commerce, aquaculture, disaster relief, and entrepreneurship efforts.

“Under the guidance of President Trump, American businesses have reached unparalleled heights,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

“These grant awards will help ensure that all Americans across the spectrum continue to reap the benefits of our thriving economy.”

“Minority business enterprises each have a unique and critical role to play in the national economy as well as in countless local communities nationwide,” said MBDA National Director Henry Childs, II. “Through these grant awards, we are directly impacting those who MBDA was created to serve.”

The Minority Business Development Agency is expanding its former use of the Broad Agency Announcement approach to fund projects in these Departmental priority areas that, in turn,

promote and ensure the inclusion and use of minority enterprises. Businesses, nonprofits, state and local governments, Indian Tribal governments, as well as educational institutions were all eligible to receive awards.

As a result, the projects that received funding were geographically and commercially diverse.

Organizations such as the United States Space Foundation, Howard University, the Asociación Productos de Puerto Rico, and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce were all grant recipients.

The Minority Business Development Agency’s mission is to link minorityowned businesses with the capital,

contracts, and markets they need to grow. Serving as subject matter experts and advocates for the minority business community, they conduct high quality research and help minority-owned businesses cultivate domestic and international relationships. MBDA is the only Federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America.

Feature: For the Poor, Obamacare Can Reduce Late Rent Payments

ll When Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision in 2012 to uphold the Affordable Care Act, the court set the stage for a natural experiment in economics. His majority opinion in NFIB v. Sebelius invalidated the part of the law that would have penalized states that refused to participate in the Medicaid expansion, making it optional for states to extend coverage for the most vulnerable Americans. As a result, poor adults in some states would receive health insurance, while poor adults in others would go without.

The court’s carveout made it possible to compare the haves with the have-nots across state lines. A new study does precisely that—and finds that access to subsidized health insurance dramatically boosts financial outcomes. Those who were able to acquire health insurance under Obamacare’s subsidized exchanges were 25 percent less likely to miss paying their rent or mortgage on time.

It’s the first study to link the healthcare exchanges (or Marketplaces) to financial wellbeing, according to Emily Gallagher, assistant

professor of finance at the University of Colorado Boulder. The study looks at the broader personal financial security implications of access to health insurance—beyond healthcare or even medical debt.

“Your rent or your mortgage bill is the last bill you want to skip,” says Gallagher, who conducted the study with colleagues from Washington University in St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. “It’s not that many steps away from homelessness.”

The paper focuses on adults who fall into the “coverage gap”—people living in non-expansion states who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet too little to get insurance subsidies. In non-expansion states, that dividing limit is the federal poverty line. So adults making 101 percent of the federal poverty line are just barely eligible for Obamacare, but those making 99 percent of the federal poverty line are out of luck.

Otherwise similar households, both poor, on different sides of the line face dramatically different financial outcomes.

“It’s only by virtue of the fact that some states opted out of Medicaid expansion that we’re able to assess the benefits of the ACA,” Gallagher says.

“Most countries don’t change their health laws in these piecemeal ways.”

The results counter the conventional wisdom that poor people put off healthcare spending; often, they can’t.

In searching for this narrow band of individuals, the researchers turned to administrative tax data. They joined data on relevant household income levels with voluntary survey responses acquired through a major

online tax provider used throughout the U.S. (That provider chooses to remain anonymous.) Across three years of survey data (2014–2016), the study gathered some 16,000 relevant observations.

Obamacare offers a natural control group. States that accepted the Medicaid expansion have a different threshold level for Obamacare subsidy eligibility than those that didn’t. In states that did not accept the expansion, the threshold is right at the federal poverty line. But in states that did take the expansion, Medicaid covers individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty limit. That means that in drawing comparisons across state lines, any differential between people at the poverty line should be attributable to access to health insurance under the exchanges. (Check out the chart below.

Courtesy Emily Gallagher “We test for this discontinuity at the poverty line in states that did not expand Medicaid and we find large effects,” Gallagher says. “Then we go into states that expanded Medicaid and we test whether those effects exist in states that expanded Medicaid, and they don’t.”

The study finds a large uptake in non-group private insurance coverage at the 100 percent federal poverty line in states that did not accept the Medicaid expansion—meaning that adults who were eligible for Obamacare subsidies indeed took them. The researchers further identified a subsample of households that do not have some other form of insurance that would disqualify them from subsidies on the exchanges (an “intent-to-treat” sample). Among this group, access to Marketplace subsidies resulted in

a relative 25 percent decline in home payment delinquency across all years.

(Delinquency rates were roughly the same between renters and owners, but this being a study centered at the federal poverty line, renters far outnumbered owners.)

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What surprised Gallagher, she says, is how the findings challenged some of her core assumptions about how the poor get healthcare (or don’t). She guessed that Obamacare signups might have a minimal effect on delinquent rent or mortgage payments. If the healthcare that poor people receive is primarily noncompensated—trips to the emergency room, for example—then poor people should not be sensitive to healthcarerelated spending shocks.

Instead, low-income households may be the most sensitive to healthcare shocks. Her results counter the conventional wisdom that poor people put off healthcare spending; often, they can’t. The study points to an example from Matthew Desmond’s Evicted, which recounts the circumstances of poor renters across Milwaukee. “They had fallen behind [on rent] two months ago, when a neck X-ray and brain scan set Teddy back $507. Teddy’s health problems began a year earlier, when he woke up in the hospital after tumbling down some steps,” his account reads.

Shocks were more pronounced for households that reported a history of health problems on the survey.

“Instead of having roughly a onein-three chance of being delinquent if you are uninsured and have an income

Federal Lawsuit Aims to Solve Georgia’s Election Management Problems

ll Tuesday morning, a federal lawsuit was filed in United States Federal Court at the Richard B. Russell Building. The lawsuit, against interim Secretary of State Robyn Crittenden and state election board members, was

filed by two groups — Fair Fight Action and Care in Action.

The lawsuit’s goal is an overhaul of Georgia’s electoral administration, which provides a remedy to the ills of voter discrimination and suppression in the state.

“The Georgia election for governor is over, but citizens of Georgia deserve an elections system they have confidence in,” said Abrams’ former campaign manager, Lauren Groh-Wargo, during a press conference after the lawsuit was filed. Groh-Wargo now serves as CEO of Fair Fight Action. “We will show how lack of planning trampled on Georgians’ basic right to vote.”

According to Allegra LawrenceHardy, attorney and former campaign chairwoman for the Abrams campaign, more than 40,000 people have reached

out to the Abrams campaign and Fair Fight Action since election night.

“We are seeking to address constitutional injuries for Georgians across the state. These widespread violations of federal law are a concern to everyone who values our Constitution,” Lawrence-Hardy said. “The heart of our Constitution is that each person gets a vote. That has to work for our Democracy to work.”

Former Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit. However, she is backing Fair Fight Georgia in an advisory role.

“Stacey Abrams is not a plaintiff in this lawsuit,” Groh-Wago stressed.

“We’re taking everything we’ve learned from the campaign … it needs to be focused on every Georgia citizen who could not vote. If it was one person, or

100,000 people – we need to fix this system.”

Care in Action Georgia is the additional plaintiff in Tuesday’s lawsuit.

Speaking on behalf of domestic workers across the state, Democratic Senator Nikema Williams said countless people “suffered at the hands of the Secretary of State” because they could not afford to stand in line to vote.

“They have jobs to work, families to care for and other responsibilities,” Williams said. “Many people had trouble taking time off to vote and cure any provisional ballot issues. This is not indicative of who we are. Your zip code, gender or income level should not determine if a vote is counted.”

AUC Consortium, Inc. Presidents Deliver Strong Case for Investing in HBCUs in New National Tome on Workforce ll In a new Federal Reserve System-led book, “Investing in America’s Workforce: Improving Outcomes for Workers and Employers,” Clark Atlanta University President Ron A. Johnson and Morehouse School of Medicine President and Dean Valerie Montgomery Rice detail strong evidence about the importance and relevance of HBCUs in the workforce development process. From pipeline to career, they argue that HBCUs are uniquely situated to respond to employer needs and to prepare graduates for long-term success.

Johnson’s essay, Pipelines for Diversified Intellect, Creativity and Innovation not only details the historic

contribution of HBCUs in creating strong leaders across corporate America and in other employment contexts, he also cites evidence of how HBCU graduates perform better in the labor market where they have been uniquely prepared with high levels of skills and confidence. In Promoting the Health of Communities for Long-Term Benefits, Montgomery Rice (joined by Morehouse School of Medicine Vice President David Hefner), address workforce development pipeline by describing an innovative program linking MSM students and faculty to K-5 STEM education. Because of their strong traditional ties to marginalized and disinvested communities, HBCUs are well positioned to both positively impact pipelines to college and

employment and to contribute to the long-term overall economic performance of these communities.

“Investing in America’s Workforce,” a nearly 1,100-page collaborative book, brings together more than 100 national thought leaders and subject-expert authors and editors to explore the systemic barriers to employment and the strategies and investments to help overcome those barriers.

The three-volume call-to-action is the result of a two-and-a-half-year collaboration between the Federal Reserve System, the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, the Ray Marshall Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and the W.E. Upjohn Institute

for Employment Research. The book offers approaches for improving the human capital of America’s labor force, expanding access to jobs, and innovating workforce development funding.

Johnson and Montgomery Rice’s essay are framed by an introduction - “The Critical Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Workforce Development” penned by Atlanta University Center Consortium Executive Director Todd Greene. Yet another important contribution in this section is from former Morehouse College president and current Harvard University administrator John Silvanus Wilson. He suggests that workforcerelated investments in HBCUs

GM Will Close 5 North American Plants Next Year ArtNSoul Holiday Social...”Dashing through the Flow” ll (TriceEdneyWire.com) General Motors has announced that it is closing a total of eight plants, five in North America and three elsewhere, eliminating 14,400 hourly and salaried jobs to prepare for the driverless and electric cars of the future. The manufacturer employs 202,000 workers worldwide. It is not known how many African-American workers GM employs.

The job reductions will cost GM $2 billion in cash, but it will save the manufacturer $6 billion by the end of 2020.

General Motors announced it is shutting down assembly plants in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, the Hamtramck Assembly plant in Detroit and the Lordstown Assembly plant in Warren, Ohio. The plants manufacture the Chevrolet Volt, Cruze, the Impala, the Buick Lacrosse and the Cadillac CT6. The Impala made its debut in 1958 and at one time it was General Motors’ best-selling car now it’s one of the worse selling.

The manufacturer is also closing Baltimore Operations in White Marsh, Maryland and Warren Transmission Operations in Warren, Michigan. Both are propulsion plants.

These closings will affect 6,300 workers.

In addition, General Motors will close an assembly plant in Gunsan, Korea, and two other unnamed plants outside of North America.

All of the plants are scheduled to close in 2019.

In addition, GM will reduce the number of salaried and salaried contract employees by 15 percent and executives by 25 percent, which will streamline decision making. These cuts will affect 8,100 jobs.

will affect thousands of workers, will not go unchallenged.

The UAW and our members will confront this decision by GM through every legal, contractual and collective bargaining avenue open to our

“The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

The United Auto Workers said in a statement that the closings, which

membership [concerning closing the North American plants], the UAW said in a statement.

“This callous decision by GM to reduce and cease operations in American plants, while opening or increasing production in Mexico and China plants for sales to American consumers is profoundly damaging

to our American workforce,” said Terry Dittes, UAW vice president, and director of the GM Department.

The UAW noted that GM recently announced that the new Chevy Blazer will be assembled in Mexico and exported to the United States for sales.

While the news of GM’s plant closings angered the UAW, Wall Street counted its money as the automaker’s stock rose. The company’s stock rose to $37.65 per share Monday, up $1.72.

GM said it will double its resources over the next two years for the manufacture of electric and autonomous vehicles.

GM made its announcement the same day that the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, reported that 27 percent of AfricanAmerican workers are at high risk of having their jobs automated.

President Barack Obama saved General Motors. When he took office after being elected in 2008, GM was teetering on bankruptcy. President Obama put together a financial plan to fund the company to keep it operating. He received both praise and criticism for his actions.

Tennessee House Democrats Elect First Black Party Leader, Karen Camper Assembly of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

ll NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee House Democratic Caucus today elected its leadership positions for the upcoming 111th General

Rep. Karen Camper of Memphis was named House Minority Leader.

Camper is the first African-American and the first African-American woman to hold the position. Camper said, “I am honored by the faith the Caucus has shown in me and I pledge to bring the type of aggressive leadership needed to advance legislation that promotes the Democratic agenda, such as quality health care and economic opportunities for all Tennesseans.”

Leader Camper was also chosen to be the Democratic nominee for the Speaker of the House position and Rep. Bo Mitchell of Nashville will be the Democratic nominee for House Speaker

Pro Tempore. Rep. Mike Stewart of Nashville will retain his position as Democratic Caucus Chair.

Other positions elected today were as follows: • Minority Leader Pro Tempore — Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis • Assistant Minority Leader — Rep. Rick Staples of Knoxville • Minority Whip — Rep. Jason Powell of Nashville • Minority Floor Leader — Rep. Harold Love Jr. of Nashville • Caucus Vice-Chair — Rep. Antonio Parkinson of Memphis • Caucus Secretary — Rep. London Lamar of Memphis • Caucus Treasurer — Rep. Vincent Dixie of Nashville In addition to the above, Reps. Bill

Beck and Darren Jernigan of Nashville and Rep. Larry Miller of Memphis were elected to fill the 3 House Democratic positions on the Joint Fiscal Review Committee.

American Water Commits to Furthering Diversity in Leadership ll CAMDEN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Water (NYSE: AWK), the nation’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, has partnered with the Paradigm for Parity® coalition and announced its commitment to further support inclusion and diversity efforts across its corporate leadership structure by 2030 as well as show support for the same actions in corporations across the U.S. “American Water has long been at the forefront of gender parity in leadership and board representation, and we will continue to accelerate our efforts in support of inclusion and diversity across our workforce” “American Water has long been at the forefront of gender parity in leadership and board representation, and we will continue to accelerate our efforts in support of inclusion and diversity across our workforce,” said President and CEO Susan Story. “We are proud to partner with the Paradigm

for Parity® movement because as a company, we understand the value that comes from having diverse leadership at the top of our organization.

Our board of directors is currently comprised of 50% women, 40% of our named executive officers (NEOs) are women, and 25% of our managers are women. We are making a commitment that we will continue to elevate and recognize the success of our strongest leaders, regardless of gender or other demographic factors.”

American Water’s existing inclusion and diversity efforts have continuously been directed at fully developing each employee to his or her fullest potential, eliminating unconscious bias in the workplace, respecting differences and basing career progress on experience, business results and performance.

As noted above, American Water is a leader in gender parity in its board and several leadership categories.

Through its partnership with Paradigm for Parity®, the company has committed to increase the number of women in management roles from the current 25% to at least 30% in all leadership groups in the near term and providing sponsors to women well-positioned for long term success.

“We welcome American Water to the Paradigm for Parity® coalition and applaud the company’s commitment to achieving gender parity in corporate leadership,” said Sandra Beach Lin, co-chair of the Paradigm for Parity® coalition. “Susan Story and the American Water executive team understand that parity between men and women in the workplace can only be achieved when companies take concrete steps to level the playing field.

We are thrilled to have American Water join our coalition of 91 companies that have committed creating diverse and inclusive leadership teams.”

The coalition created the Paradigm for Parity® 5-Point Action Plan for corporations to accelerate the pace of gender equity in senior executive roles.

This unique agenda defines bold and specific actions that, taken together and simultaneously implemented as a package, will catalyze change and enable today’s business executives to secure the best leaders of tomorrow.

Visit www.paradigm4parity.com or follow us on Twitter using @p4parity to learn more about this exciting initiative.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in 45 states and Ontario, Canada. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water

IT’S TIME TO GET THE

SERVICE

YOU DESERVE

Emmanuel E. EPB Fiber Optics employee since 2011 Customer since 2010

At EPB Fiber Optics, we’re getting closer to reaching 100,000 customers every day. Continue sharing the news and joining our community, and before you know it, we’ll be celebrating our 100K victory together.

www.epb.com/100K

BUSINESS DIRECTORY/LEGAL Want to Do Business with your Local Government?

Legal Notice

REQUEST FOR BIDS Sealed Bids in duplicate will be received by the City of Chattanooga, Purchasing Department Suite G13 City Hall. Chattanooga, Tennessee until December 12, 2018 Time_2:00 P. M._ for the Contract of:Contract for: Grade A36 Road Plates Bid forms and additional specifications may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing department G13 City Hall 101 E 11th Street, Chattanooga TN.The City of Chattanooga, at its discretion, may not open a single bid. The City of Chattanooga reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids received, Waive any informalities in the bids, and to accept any bid which in its opinion May be the best interest of the city.The City of Chattanooga will be non-discriminatory in the purchase of all goodsAnd services on the basis of race, color, or natural origin.City of ChattanoogaMark McKeelBuyer/ Purchasing 20181130 Meeting Notice The FORM-BASED CODE COMMITTEE FOR MAJOR MODIFICATIONS meeting will be held on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., in the Development Resource Center at 1250 Market Street, Conference Room 1-A. The following are the cases to be heard at that time: 18-FB-00030 - 1419 Market Street - Parking lot bollards 18-FB-00050 - 1220 King Street - Signage 18-FB-00052 - 337 E 10th Street - Fence height, transparency 18-FB-00054 - 315 Walnut St / 307 Cherry St Building height, transparency 18-FB-00055 - 1010 Market Street - Signage 18-FB-00056 - 1472 Market Street - Parking setback, landscape, transportation 18-FB-00057 - 1413 Chestnut Street - Signage 18-FB-00058 - 125 Woodland Avenue - Building height, transparency 18-FB-00059 - 700 Pine Street - Signage20181204 INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the CHATTANOOGA-HAMILTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY for the purchase of the following.

Bids will be received at the Supply Chain Department, 1516 Riverside Drive, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406, until the following dates and hours, at which time they will be publicly opened and examined. Specifications may be obtained from Erlanger Health System’s website www. erlanger.orgDECEMBER 19, 2018 AT 3:00 PMRFP REFERENCE: #0007-1819 DESCRIPTION: PHARMACY DISTRIBUTION NOVEMBER 21,

2018 AT 3:00 PM RFP REFERENCE: #0009-1819 DESCRIPTION: LEGACY A/R DATA STORAGE The CHATTANOOGA-HAMILTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY reserves the right to reject any/or all bids, waive any informalities in the bids received, and to accept any which in its opinion may be for the best interest of the Authority.CHATTANOOGA-HAMILTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITYJEFF LOY, SYSTEM DIRECTOR,SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT(423) 778-4684 INVITATION TO BID REQUEST FOR BIDS Sealed Bids in duplicate will be received by the City of Chattanooga, Purchasing Department Suite G13 City Hall. Chattanooga, Tennessee until December 11, 2018 Time_2:00 P. M._ for the Contract of:Contract for Purchase of a 48’ Drop Deck Trailer Bid forms and additional specifications may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing department G13 City Hall 101 E 11th Street, Chattanooga TN.The City of Chattanooga, at its discretion, may not open a single bid. The City of Chattanooga reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids received, Waive any informalities in the bids, and to accept any bid which in its opinion May be the best interest of the city.The City of Chattanooga will be non-discriminatory in the purchase of all goodsAnd services on the basis of race, color, or natural origin.City of ChattanoogaMark McKeelBuyer/ Purchasing 20181129 Legal Notice Bids in Duplicate will be received by the City of Chattanooga Purchasing Department, 101 East 11th Street, Suite G-13, Chattanooga, Tennessee until December 06, 2018 Time 2:00 P. M. Requisition: 178996At that time Bids will be publicly opened and read for: Demolitions Bid forms and additional specifications may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department at (423) 643-7230.The City of Chattanooga, at its discretion, may not open a single bid. The City of Chattanooga reserves the right to reject any and/ or all bids received, waive any informalities in the bids received, and to accept any bid that, in its opinion may be for the best interest of the city.The City of Chattanooga will be non-discriminatory in the purchase of all goods and services on the basis of race, color, or natural origin.City of Chattanooga Marisol Hernandez Buyer REQUEST FOR BIDS Sealed Bids in triplicate will be received by the City of Chattanooga, Purchasing Department Suite G13 City Hall. Chattanooga, Tennessee until December 12, 2018 Time_2:00 P. M._ for the Contract of:Contract for: Custodial Services at Family Justice CenterPre-Bid Conference will be conducted on December 4, 2018 at 10:00 AM EST at Family Justice Center, 5705 Uptain Road, Chattanooga, TN 37411 Bid forms and additional

specifications may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing department G13 City Hall 101 E 11th Street, Chattanooga TN.The City of Chattanooga, at its discretion, may not open a single bid. The City of Chattanooga reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids received, Waive any informalities in the bids, and to accept any bid which in its opinion May be the best interest of the city.The City of Chattanooga will be non-discriminatory in the purchase of all goodsAnd services on the basis of race, color, or natural origin.City of Chattanooga Mark McKeelBuyer/Purchasing 20181126 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that The Health, Educational and Housing Facility Board of the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee (the “Chattanooga Board”) will hold a public hearing on December 19, 2018, at 12:00 p.m. Chattanooga time, in the J.B. Collins Conference Room located in the Chattanooga City Council Building, 1000 Lindsay Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37402, regarding a proposed issuance of qualified 501(c) (3) bonds in one or more series of The Health and Educational Facilities Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee Healthcare Facilities Revenue Bonds (Centerstone of America, Inc. Project) Series 2018 (the “Bonds”) in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Fourteen Million Dollars ($14,000,000). The proceeds of the Bonds will be loaned to CENTERSTONE OF AMERICA, INC., an Indiana corporation (the “Borrower”) for the purpose of making improvements to Borrower’s or its subsidiaries’ mental and behavioral healthcare facilities including replacing or making renovations to and refurbishment of administrative offices, clinics, halfway houses and group homes, apartments for patients and crisis stabilization units, continuing recovery centers and in-patient treatment facilities. Anticipated improvements include capital improvements to or replacements of various buildings and heating and lighting and utility improvements, parking facilities, roofing and heating and air conditioning replacements and improvements, additions and replacement of washers, dryers, and bath fixtures, drainage and landscaping improvements, acquisition of miscellaneous furniture, fixtures and equipment associated therewith, computer system upgrades and improvements including new software, hardware and licenses associated therewith, the replacement of existing buildings and improvements with new facilities and other miscellaneous projects.

It is anticipated that Bond proceeds in an aggregate amount of approximately $8,650,000 will be spent in Tennessee on Borrower’s healthcare projects located there. All of the projects in Tennessee (collectively, the “Tennessee Projects”) to be financed, refinanced or reimbursed with proceeds of the Bonds are or shall be located at either Borrower’s facilities in Tennessee or at facilities

operated by Centerstone of Tennessee, Inc., a Tennessee not for profit corporation (“COT”). It is anticipated approximately $5,075,000 of Bond proceeds will be spent upgrading Borrower’s computer, phone, and accounting systems and various software licenses at Borrower’s Data Center in Franklin, Tennessee, approximately $3,000,000 will be spent on renovations to COT’s Tullahoma property, approximately $450,000 will be spent on renovations to COT’s Chattanooga property and the balance on projects expected to cost not more than $50,000 individually. The Tennessee Projects are of the type and at the locations listed below: Facility Address Facility Type1816 Washington St. ClinicTullahoma, TN 373886110 Shallowford Rd. ClinicChattanooga, TN 37421713 Cheatham St. ClinicSpringfield, TN 37172620 Gallatin Rd. ClinicMadison, TN 371151921 Ransom Place ClinicNashville, TN 371726000 Ramsey Way ClinicDickson, TN 370551090 Old Florence Rd. ClinicLawrenceburg, TN 384642400 White Ave. ClinicNashville, TN 372041601 Nashville Highway ClinicLewisburg, TN 37091425 Duke Dr. Data CenterFranklin, TN 37067 The Bonds will be issued

by The Health and Educational Facilities Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee with the approval of the Chattanooga Board and pursuant to a resolution proposed for adoption by its members. The Bonds will not be in any respect general obligations of the City of Chattanooga, the State of Tennessee, or any political subdivision thereof, but will be special and limited obligations of The Health and Educational Facilities Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, as the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds will be payable solely from the property pledged thereto, including without limitation the revenues and receipts received from the repayment of the loan by the Borrower. The Bonds will not be payable in any manner from revenues raised by taxation. The Bonds shall not constitute a debt, liability or general or moral obligations of the Chattanooga Board, the City of Chattanooga, the State of Tennessee, or any political subdivision thereof, or a pledge of the faith and credit or taxing power of any of them, and shall be payable only as aforesaid. The public hearing is being held pursuant to Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The public is invited to attend and comment on any of the matters herein noted, and all taxpayers, residents or interested parties who appear will be given a reasonable opportunity to express their views, both orally and in writing, on the proposed plan of financing for the Tennessee Projects and other matters relating to the Bonds. All interested persons are invited to attend and express their views. For additional information, contact: Phillip A. Noblett, 100 E. 11th Street, Suite 200, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402, telephone (423) 643-8250.The Health, Educationaland Housing FacilityBoard of the Cityof Chattanooga, Tennessee