Department of Labor (Violations): DOL Decision Causes Hundreds of Teachers To Face Deportation

Posted on August 16, 2011 by admin

LISTEN TO MILLET DE VERA PANGA:

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Last week at a protest in front of the White House, Millet De Vera Panga said, “We’re here to appeal to President Obama to provide the international teachers from Prince George’s County Public School system [with] some sort of relief.”

Panga teaches ESOL to third and fourth graders at James McHenry Elementary School in Lanham. She’s one of 1,044 international teachers recruited by PGCPS through the H-1B program since 2004.

Last month, the Department of Labor found PGCPS to be a “willful violator” of federal labor law and ordered the school system to pay $4.22 million in back wages.
Continue reading →

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The Voice of DC Cab Drivers, August 14, 2011: Taxi Drivers Barred From Collecting Signatures at Public Event in New Carrollton

Posted on August 15, 2011 by admin

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[In addition to listening to The Voice of DC Cab Drivers on the radio, you can listen live online at wust1120.com or on your phone at (712) 432-6620.]

Tonight, we continue to examine what’s going on with Prince George’s County’s taxicab industry.

The Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance must get 3,300 valid signatures from registered Prince George’s County voters by August 28 in order to place the anti-driver legislation known as CB-3 on the ballot as a referendum in 2012.

The Taxi Workers Alliance put a great deal of effort into organizing signature gathering teams for Aug. 2, National Night Out. But at Beckett Field in New Carrollton, Dele Omonijo and Lemma Desalegne, both members of the Taxi Workers Alliance, say they were run off by a New Carrollton police officer.

Omonijo and Desalegne say that Officer Lyew, badge number 3112, told them they had to pre-register in order to collect petition signatures at a public event. Continue reading →

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New Carrollton vs. the Constitution: Taxi Drivers Barred From Collecting Signatures at Public Event

Posted on August 14, 2011 by admin

Oladele Omonijo and Lemma Desalegne at Beckett Field

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New Carrollton’s highest officials allowed police to prevent taxi drivers from collecting signatures for a petition at a public event held earlier this month.

Neither Mayor Andrew Hanko nor Chief David Rice were available for comment Friday. But City Administrative Officer Mike Downes, in an email to TheFightBack, denied the accusation, saying the signature gathering was “annoying people,” but no one was told to leave. Drivers have a different take.

National Night Out, Aug. 2, thousands attended events held throughout Prince George’s County. Members of the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance collected petition signatures at thirteen separate locations, according to organizer Henock Wogderse. Continue reading →

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Del. Norton’s Job Fair: “Record Breaking” and “Heart Breaking”

Posted on August 10, 2011 by admin

Photo courtesy of the Washington Post

LISTEN TO DEL. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON:

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Yesterday, more than 4,000 District residents came to the Convention Center hoping to find a job. “Normally you are pleased to have a record breaking event. This is a heart breaking event. It’s a picture of unemployment in the District of Columbia,” said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who hosted her 14th annual job fair.

“I think every member [of Congress] ought to have a job fair so they can touch people who are unemployed,” Norton said. And if they did? Well, said Norton, “there might be a difference in priorities, if they have a heart or a soul or even a brain.”

Continue reading →

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The Voice of DC Cab Drivers, August 7, 2011: Taxi leader Haimanot Bizuayehu discusses the medallion bill, the new Taxicab Commission chair and the growth of The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers

Posted on August 8, 2011 by admin

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS:

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[In addition to listening to The Voice of DC Cab Drivers on the radio, you can listen live at wust1120.com or on your phone at (712) 432-6620.]

This evening, we review the events of the last five months, and discuss the growth of The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers with board member Haimanot Bizuayehu.

The Small Business Association consists of the following driver-owned cab companies and associations: Allied Cab, Ambassador, Black Pearl, Camel, DC Professional, Dominion, Grand, Luxury, Pleasant, Seasons, Swift, Travelers, UCC, Washingtonian, Welcome, and Wonder Cab.

We begin our look back over the last five months with a review of the medallion bill. Continue reading →

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Reviewing Rhee’s Reign: A 2010 Interview with Teacher/Bloggers Candi Peterson and James Boutin

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

Last week, Washington Teachers’ Union president Nathan Saunders suspended WTU general vice president Candi Peterson without pay. The reason? Because Peterson “walked out of a meeting with me,” wrote Saunders.

Peterson, speaking to The Washington Examiner, said she left the meeting because Saunders “verbally abused” her. (In the coming days, I hope to follow up my April interview with Peterson to discuss her suspension, the recent teacher firings and much more.)

The irony here is that Saunders, who served as general vice president, was suspended without pay by then-WTU president George Parker (who now works for Michelle Rhee). Continue reading →

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The Department of Labor and Prince George’s County May Be Teaming Up to Punish Whistleblowers

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin

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“Okay, we’ve made use of you. Okay, it’s time for us to dump you.” – Charisse Cabrera, pre-kindergarten teacher, on PGCPS’s recent actions

Is the Department of Labor teaming up with Prince George’s County Public Schools to punish foreign teachers who blew the whistle on illegal activity? Or is DOL assisting PGCPS in eliminating large numbers of teachers who are least able to fight back against their firings? Well, one thing is for sure, a growing number of Prince George’s County teachers and their allies are upset at the actions of DOL and PGCPS.

“We understand there’s a budget crisis in the County and there’s a reduction-in-force that is in place, but we feel that we shouldn’t be the scapegoats,” said Maria Urbano, a special education teacher at District Heights Elementary School. Continue reading →

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The Voice of DC Cab Drivers, July 31, 2011: Gray Names New Taxicab Commission Chair

Posted on August 1, 2011 by admin

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS:

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[In addition to listening to The Voice of DC Cab Drivers on the radio, you can listen live at wust1120.com or on your phone at (712) 432-6620.]

Wednesday, Mayor Vincent Gray announced Ron Linton as the new chair of the D.C. Taxicab Commission. Linton replaces Dena Reed, whose three months as interim chair were marked by controversy.

Gray released a statement announcing the new Taxicab Commission chair which stated, “Ron Linton has a distinguished career in the fields of transportation and public affairs and brings the special brand of well-seasoned knowledge, communication skill and leadership that the Taxicab Commission so desperately needs at this time. Continue reading →

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Gray Names New Taxicab Commission Chair

Posted on July 31, 2011 by admin

Listen to Mayor Gray and Ron Linton at 7/27 press conference

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Listen to interview with Ron Linton

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Ron Linton is in and Dena Reed is out, sort of.

Wednesday, Mayor Vincent Gray named Linton chair of the D.C. Taxicab Commission (DCTC).

In introducing the newest member of his administration Mayor Gray said, “In Ron Linton we have selected a gentleman who has absorbed more about public policy and administration than most of us will ever hope to know. He learned the ins and outs of the taxicab industry while serving as a member, vice-chair and then chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.”

Linton replaces Reed, whose tenure lasted just three months and was marked by controversy, particularly over the arrests of two journalists – Jim Epstein of Reason TV and myself – at a public meeting of the DCTC.

Continue reading →

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Gay Rights On the Move

Posted on July 26, 2011 by admin

Monday on NewsChannel 8’s NewsTalk, Bruce DePuyt hosted a discussion on “recent advances in gay rights – including marriage equality in New York, new statements of support from Maryland’s governor, and the phase-out of the military’s policy of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'”

Guests included Chris Geidner, senior political writer for Metro Weekly, Reverend John Crestwell, Jr., associate minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, and myself.

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