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The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Looks at the Debit Card industry A Love / Hate Relationship How Debit Cards Function
A Detailed History of Debit Cards
Debit cards are a new method to transact cash between a buyer and a seller of goods or services. They replace the interest-bearing debt created by using credit cards and restrict the user to the actual amount of money contained in his account. When the card is used like an ATM card, or for online purchases, some banks and credit unions charge fees. Debit Card Beginnings The First National Bank of Seattle issued the first debit card to business executives with large savings accounts in 1978. These cards acted like a check signature or a guarantee card, where the bank promised the funds would cover the transaction without the customer needing a check to complete the transaction. The bank only issued debit cards to those customers who had a long history with the bank and were in good standing, because like a check, the funds were not immediately removed from the account. In 1984, Landmark implemented the first nationwide debiting system, built on the credit card infrastructure and ATM networks already in place. By 1998, debit cards outnumbered check usage around the world. Its preference over checks continues to grow every year.
Although debit cards look like credit cards, they do not function like credit cards. Debit cards connect to the available balance contained in the holder’s checking account. If the funds are not available, the debit card cannot complete the transaction. Unlike a check, the money does not float until the bank completes the funds transfer. Rather, the funds transfer from the customer’s account to the seller’s account in real time, providing the seller with a guaranteed exchange for their goods for money. Debit cards with the logo of a major company imprinted on them, such as Visa or MasterCard, can function like a credit card where the transaction does “float” for two to three business days after the transaction, until the bank can transfer the funds. Types of Debit Cards Debit cards began as a convenient method to exchange money for goods or services in the late 1970s and early 1980s, over writing checks. There are several types of debit card available. One type of debit card is a tangible card that resembles a credit card. Historically, banks and credit unions only have issued these cards. Retailers now issue prepaid debit cards in specific amounts, similar to gift cards, imprinted with Visa or MasterCard. These debit cards, unlike gift cards, can be used anywhere. READ MORE sdmonitornews.com
What do they Want you to KNOW? What Everyone Needs to Know About 2020 Census Questions By law, the U.S. government is required to count the number of people living in the United States every 10 years. Getting an accurate count is important because census numbers impact daily life in the United States in many ways. For example, census data are often used to determine how much federal funding is allocated for important projects and services that benefit local communities. The census also plays a vital role in our nation’s system of government by determining how many representatives will be sent to Congress from each state.
Because getting an accurate count is so important, the process is designed to be fast, easy, and safe. On average, it takes no more than 10 minutes to answer the questions on the census. How Are Census Data Collected? During the first census in 1790, census takers visited nearly every U.S. home to gather data. In 2020, households will have the option of responding online, by mail, or by phone. The Census Bureau expects many households to complete the questionnaire online, using instructions received in the mail. These instructions will also include information about how to respond by phone. Some households will receive a printed questionnaire which they can mail, postage-free, back to the
Be Counted! SDMNEWS’S Motivation Information
Census Bureau. A small percentage of households, primarily located in remote areas of the country, will be visited by a census taker who will help collect the necessary information to complete the form. Who Receives the Census Questionnaire and How Is It Filled Out? Most housing units in the United States that receive mail at their physical location will receive a letter by mail with instructions on how to complete the census questionnaire. Housing units include houses, apartments, cabins, mobile homes—pretty much any place where people live in the United States. In areas where the majority of housing units do not have mail delivered to their physical location, census workers will leave questionnaire packages at every identified housing unit. The census process also includes special provisions to count people who are homeless and those in other types of living quarters, such as college dorms, military barracks, ships, prisons, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. The person in the housing unit who fills out the census questionnaire or talks to the census taker is known as Person 1. Typically, Person 1 is the owner/co-owner or renter/corenter of the housing unit. READ MORE sdmonitornews.com
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The San Diego Monitor
Black MONEY What A Loaded Phrase Harriet Tubman on a Debit Card: WHAT? The nation’s largest black-owned bank said it heard supportive comments about the design. Social media users were less convinced. OneUnited Bank’s president called Tubman’s image on its debit card a “symbol of Black empowerment” that would help pave the way for her to appear on the $20 bill. Harriet Tubman was to be commemorated by appearing on the $20 bill in a design that would have been unveiled this year, but the treasury secretary said in May that plans for the bill would be delayed until after President Trump left office. Enter OneUnited Bank, which this month revealed it was honoring the abolitionist in its own way — by featuring her on a debit card. The backlash was almost instant, and it was difficult to pinpoint what offended people more: Was it her crossed arms that resembled the “Wakanda Forever” salute from the movie “Black Panther”? Was it the combination of a gold chip above her right shoulder and the Visa logo on the left? Maybe it was the whole thing. Regardless, OneUnited, the nation’s largest black-owned bank, soon found itself the target of jokes and jabs after announcing the card design on Thursday.
Social media users accused the bank of pandering, while others pointed out the disconnect of featuring a former slave on a monetary device like a debit card. “‘Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than Harriet Tubman hitting the Wakanda salute on debit cards,’” one Twitter user posted. Another wrote, “It’s amazing how differently the idea of Harriet Tubman on U.S. legal tender feels than putting her face on a debit card.” Teri Williams, the bank’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement that it put Tubman on the card in celebration of Black History Month. “This symbol of Black empowerment in 2020 will pave the way for the Harriet Tubman design on the $20 bill,” she said. Cont. pg.8
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The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Must Read 2020 CA Census Guide Table of Contents Section 1: General Information (PDF) •
Initiative and Referendum Qualification Requirements
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Candidate Qualifications and Information
Section 2: Nomination Requirements (PDF) •
Presidential Candidates
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United States Representative in Congress, and Member of the State Legislature Candidates
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Nomination Documents – Nomination Papers and Declaration of Candidacy
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee
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Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee and/or Nomination Papers
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Ballot Designations
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In General
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Campaign Filings and Responsibilities
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Candidate Intention Statement
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Campaign Contribution Account
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Exceptions
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Additional Filing Information
Section 3: Candidate Filing Information (PDF) •
Required Filing Fees, Nomination Signatures
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Write-In Candidates for the Office of President
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Write-In Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices
In-Lieu
Signatures,
Section 4: Candidate Checklist (PDF) •
President of the United States
•
United States Representative in Congress
For download please go to www.sdmonitornews.com
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The card’s image comes from the painting “The Conqueror” by the artist Addonis Parker, the bank said. On Twitter, it explained Tubman’s crossed-arms gesture was the sign language symbol for love. “Harriet Tubman is the ultimate symbol of love — love that causes you to sacrifice everything, including your own life,” the bank said. Those who saw echoes of “Black Panther” in Tubman’s gesture were not far-off. In 2018, the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, revealed that the “Wakanda Forever” salute comes from Egyptian pharaohs and West African sculptures, as well as the words “love” and “hug” in American Sign Language. On Sunday, Mr. Parker said he moved the gesture higher in the card’s image to keep it visible. Ms. Williams said in an interview on Sunday that she understood and respected the reactions the card has drawn, but that OneUnited had the power to push for Tubman to appear on the $20 bill. She said the bank had also received messages of support.
The San Diego Monitor “Even though it’s symbolic, it matters,” she said, adding that it boiled down to: “Why is it that only white people are on money? Why is that?” The Tubman card is the one bank customers had selected the most since Thursday, she said, declining to give specific figures. The card was the ninth in a series that began in 2016, featuring what Ms. Williams said were “unapologetically Black” figures. The bank said using the images was a way to “make a statement that #BlackMoneyMatters with every dollar” spent. The goal of OneUnited, which has its headquarters in Boston, is to use banking for the benefit of black people, Ms. Williams said. Tubman was against the dehumanizing capitalism that was practiced in America, but “she recognized the value of economic empowerment for security,” Ms. Williams said.
Those who saw echoes of “Black Panther” in Tubman’s gesture were not far-off.
Black Kids Deserve Great Schools, Too Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media
Margaret Fortune and students who attend the Fortune School charter network in Sacramento and San Bernardino counties California. (Fortune School)
Last week, from February 5-7, the California branch of the National Action Network (NAN) met in Sacramento to hold its inaugural Western Regional Conference of chapters in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The Rev. Al Sharpton founded NAN in 1991. The organization observes the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., promoting a modern civil rights agenda that includes supporting any type of school that is successfully serving Black students. Among the events the conference featured were a student rally at the state Capitol to send lawmakers the message that “Black kids deserve great schools too;” ground breaking ceremonies for the newest Fortune School campus, Tecoy Porter College Prep, to be built on Dr. Porter’s Genesis Church property in Sacramento; the convening of leaders from California’s top majority Black schools and honoring them at the NAN Gala Banquet; and the “Bridging the African American Achievement Gap” panel discussion. Those events coincided with the release of a report titled “African American Leaders Hold the Roadmap to Black Student Achievement” authored by the Fortune School of Education and the National Action Network. African American students in California are the lowest performing subgroup on English language art and math standardized tests. The report proposes how to close their education achievement gap.
Identified in the report are schools with majority Black populations that are in the top half of academic performance in math and English language arts. Of the sixteen schools highlighted, fifteen of them were founded or are led by African Americans. Dr. Margaret Fortune, Secretary and Treasurer of the NAN Sacramento Chapter, deserves credit for taking the lead in producing the report and assembling the education leaders at the conference. In addition to her NAN duties, she is CEO and President of Fortune School of Education, Board Chair of the California Charter School Association, a Trustee of the California State University, and she has served as an education advisor to two California Governors. Four of her schools are on the list of top performers. While Dr. Fortune supports the efforts of Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to close the African American achievement gap, she contends that they are not moving the needle on progress fast enough. The signal that she wants her former education policy colleagues to receive is that “We don’t need more policy, we need more successful schools” and they should turn their attention to consulting with the people like the education leaders in the report who are doing the work and adopt what they are doing to solve the problem. Next page
Her plea to the state is provide incentives to these educators to replicate what they are doing. Today there are sixteen schools on the list of top performers. If they all start another school, that’s 32 schools. As more successful schools come on line, the policy makers can then figure out how to bring those ideas to scale across the state. The educators that participated in the “Bridging The African American Achievement Gap" panel discussion were Dr. Margaret Fortune, President and CEO Fortune School, Sacramento; Ramona Wilder, CEO and Administrative Director, Wilder’s Preparatory Academy, Inglewood; Eugene Fisher, Board President, Watts Learning Center, Watts; Shawn Brumfield, Principal, Pasadena Rosebud Academy, Altadena; and Richard Da Sylveira, Principal, Cowan Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles. When asked what they thought Newsom and Thurmond could do to help their schools, the panel responded loud and clear that African-American students should be written into California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Because LCFF provides additional funds to low income students most policy makers feel AfricanAmerican students needs are being satisfied. But, the fact is not all blacks are “broke” and when it comes to their student experience the issues causing their achievement gap are more complicated than income. Race does matter in education. The panel agreed that the support offered to African-American students needs the same specificity provided in policy for English language learning students if it is going to have any impact toward closing the achievement gap.
Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber (D - San Diego) has twice proposed legislation, AB 2635 and AB 575, which would have directed LCFF funding to Black students that does not reference race, but recognizes them as the lowest performing subgroup that has not already drawn federal funding like special needs students. Both times, concerns about conflicts with Proposition 209, which prohibits state governmental institutions from considering race in public education, was used to stop the bills. The National Action Network conference has changed the paradigm for how California should approach closing the African American student achievement gap. There are majority Black schools in California that have already closed the gap, although the numbers are small. Wilder’s Preparatory Academy Charter Middle School in Inglewood has over 80 percent African-American students and over 99 percent students of color. Seventyfour percent of the students qualify for free and reduced price meals. Education researchers would probably predict students at Wilder’s Prep would not perform well on standardized tests. But, the taxpayer-funded public charter school is in the 96 percentile of California schools in English Language arts scoring 30 points above the state average and 14 points above the state average in Math. Meanwhile it’s an outrage that the majority of Black students find themselves in schools not making progress because of ineffective policies put out by the state.
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The San Diego Monitor
It is Now Illegal to Call Children “At Risk” in California A decades-long effort to change how educators talk about students facing economic or social challenges has been backed by California lawmakers. A bill to remove references to “at-risk youth” and replace the term with “at-promise youth” in California’s Education Code and Penal Code was approved by California governor Gavin Newsom in mid-October. The California Education Code is a collection of laws primarily applying to public K-12 schools. The bill does not change the definition of "at risk," it merely replaces it with "at promise." “For far too long, the stigmatizing label of ‘at risk’ has been used to describe youth living in difficult situations,” said Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr., lead author of the bill, in an address to the California State Assembly earlier this year. “This is a perception issue,” said Jones-Sawyer. “By using this term, we are creating expectations of failure for our most vulnerable students.” Describing vulnerable young people as “at risk” has become ubiquitous in schools, colleges and universities in the U.S. over the past 30 years. There are numerous federal funding streams, conferences, training programs and ed-tech companies dedicated to identifying and supporting students deemed statistically most likely to struggle and, possibly, fail. Some educators argue that these efforts, though well intentioned and intended to help students, can have a negative impact because of their deficit-based approach. Elizabeth Swadener, a professor of justice studies at the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University, was among one of the first academics to argue in the early 1990s that labeling children and young people as “at risk” was problematic. In the 1960s, children from low-income and minority ethnic families were widely thought to possess “cultural deficits” that prevented them from doing well academically. Swadener has long argued the “at-risk” label is just a newer version of the cultural deficit mind-set. The label is “implicitly, if not explicitly, racist, classist and problematic as children and their parents are very much aware that they are seen as at risk for failure,” she said.
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