Giving Kids Opportunities to Make It


By DIA, Section News
Posted on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 05:02:09 AM EST

One thing that I find highly offensive is that our taxes were used to build new community centers for the city and yet those centers are closed at night and on weekends, when the kids need them most. We've been told it would take $25,000 a year to staff those facilities to keep them open on weekends. We've also been told the money isn't available. And yet the money was available to give the Mayor and his appointees raises. And the money is available to give the mayor and the treasurer expensive gas guzzling SUVs to drive. And the money is available to subsidize the golf course. The money is available for many things that make the mayor's life easier. Not so for the kids. That disgusts me.

If the Mayor had any dignity and courage he could do himself a real favor and say he is giving back his raise, will no longer be using a taxpayer funded vehicle, and will be finding the money to keep the centers open when the kids need them most. Will this solve the problems? Not on its own. Of course not. But it is a perfect example of what is wrong with this mayor and his adminstration. Take. Take. Take. Never give. Serve yourself before the people who you are supposed to be serving. Get angry when anyone says you might want to start doing your job. Here is a good example of a kid who made it out of Ida Yarborough. Read the whole thing. Here is an important part:
This is what it took to get Hezekiah Morris through high school: a persevering mother, a best friend serious about education, a prestigious after-school program, an Albany High English teacher and an awareness that without an education, he'd be dead.

On Sunday, Morris graduated from Albany High School with 515 classmates. Morris will be among the 90 percent of the school's largest graduating class pursuing a college degree when he heads to Hudson Valley Community College later this year to pursue a business degree.

Morris, 18, grew up in the Ida Yarbrough homes. Starting in middle school, he saw friends choose guns, drugs and money over school -- one of them indicted just weeks ago in connection with the shooting death of a 10-year-old girl. Morris himself was beaten up by some of the gangs and recruited to join others.

There were moments he was tempted by trouble. Instead, he walked away from fights. He avoided the dangerous crowd. His parents taught him education was the most important thing in life.

"Whatever you want, you can go get it," he said. "You've got to get through high school."

Shortly before he strode into the University at Albany's SEFCU arena on Sunday sporting sunglasses, Morris put his arm around his best friend, Nigel Jennings, who was also wearing a blue graduation robe. The two motivated each other through high school by making it a competition. Without that, Morris said, he might not have made it.

Jennings would boast to Morris when he got the better grades on an algebra exam. Morris would gloat over an extra percentage point on a grade. They smiled when they talked about pushing each other to be better students.

On the weekends, their No. 1 goal was to avoid the streets, where a downtown kid could get a bullet in the head for being in an uptown neighborhood.
Obviously the number one reason this kid has made it this far is his parents. But as you can see, even a motivated kid with good parents needs some help. Are we going to help these kids or are we just going to continue to abandon our neighbors?

Golf, anyone? How about we take my SUV.

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Giving Kids Opportunities to Make It | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
Jerry The Bobblehead (none / 0) (#1)
by Roscoe on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 06:01:08 AM EST

Hey DIA, did you see on the news that 1500 bobbleheads of Da Mayor are/were being given away on opening day at Joe Bruno's Stadium?  I've looked for the story elsewhere, in case I was having another bout of geriatric dementia, but can't find it.  Maybe we could have a few thousand more made up and give them to parents up in West Hill and our other two poverty ghettos so they can put them in their windows.  I think this is Da Jer's Personal Best -- `tho previously I didn't think anything could top putting his name on City compost bags.

You know, an effective way of dealing with the community center problem is by soliciting charitable contributions for weekend staffing, and also placement of these facilities in neighborhoods with the highest targeted demographic, thereby shaming Mayor Bobblehead and the rest of the Demo-Bobbleheads into action.  

Where's Golub?  Where's Catholic Charities? Come on!  Are you bobbleheads too?

Dodge (none / 0) (#2)
by albany layman on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 06:01:16 AM EST
Notice what The Tan One doesn't say:

Mayor Jerry Jennings said Albany offers youth programs throughout the city and is employing 1,500 teens this summer. Community organizations need to work together to determine what programs exist, he said, and then decide how to fill any gaps.

"What we need is cooperation," he said. "We need the school district to cooperate, the churches to cooperate."

He doesn't say, I am personally involved in this effort.  He doesn't say, this is how my administration is working towards that cooperation that I am harping about.

Sure sounds like he is pointing fingers.

"Cooperation" is a code word (none / 0) (#4)
by Tom Paine on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 09:18:37 AM EST
"Cooperation", when jennings or anyone of his type uses the term, means "Do it my way, on my terms, or get lost".

Anyone naive enough to come forward with an expectation of genuine cooperation, i.e., shared management of the mission, is going to find that out in a hurry.

I also love how he deflects any responsiblity for those community centers. Note how it is now everyone else's management problem, not his. As if the school district has some authority over the community centers!

There a little bit of a dog whistle going on here too. His followers know he's telling them he isn't going to give away the store to any minorities or dirty hippy advocates.

[ Parent ]

I believe (none / 0) (#3)
by DIA on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 06:31:18 AM EST
one of the other issues with getting something like a charity involved to keep the centers open, is that they fall under the jurisdiction of the other D'Antonio brother.   I forget which one is the smart brother.

Ready For Life? (none / 0) (#5)
by A Muse on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 09:34:00 AM EST
Thank you for posting the information on the site.  I end up not watching local television and do not subscribe to the TU or any local paper.  Other than some of us henpecking including me it provides many views on the same issue.  I think the term "bloody bloody" could be used instead of our American vulgarities and since the English do not frequent the sight no one would be offended.  

In many ways I have become cynical about the shootings, stabbings, rapes in Albany as even with the positive actions individuals are taking, the actions are disjointed and will not have the impact necessary to affect the changes needed to make the lives of those who live in poverty better.  Each assault on our own children thru rape, drugs, and kidnapping etc., is an assault on future generations.  Not only does this affect the family forever but sets up a pattern for generations to come.

Free lunch programs are like placing a band-aid on a severed leg.   It is a fine idea to have kids gather guns and bring them in, however that is not without, risk

Better ideas:

1    Free lunch program and daily activity program for those who meet OEO requirements.      Day camp.  Based on low income you can go.
2    Youth Work Experience type Program traditionally funded Feds that paid ½ Salary and the Non Profit Employer paid the other ½.  Someone must supervise the Employers.  The City program was an absolute Bloody JOKE.  I observed many of these kids, unsupervised or doing nothing.  Additionally why should it be open to everyone?  The kid does not need a bucket of coal, but when it comes time for elections - well the parents remember it was brought to you by Mayor Bloody Bloody Jennings.  
2    Church Camp, Y, JCC, program scholarships.
3     Kids will come across loaded gun, make a mistake and someone will die.  No one can prevent that but the owners.  Have State of Local Police offer a series of training courses that teach gun safety, proper use, maintenance and how to shoot a rifle.  The police could impart a lot of respect for a firearm.  Also respect for not only the police but for adults.  1 hr a day for 8 weeks.  Comes with lunch.


You need to get over the low income requirements (none / 0) (#6)
by AlfredMoisiu on Tue Jul 01, 2008 at 02:26:57 PM EST
The problem with income-based programs is that they are humiliating for the recipient, encourage class boundaries and needlessly penalize kids in unusual situations.

If you want a case in point of why these programs are a bad idea, take a look at the North Albany YMCA -- which is essentially a private club for a few teachers who work next door, built on land worth a couple million donated by the taxpayer. Take a tour sometime... there's probably like 6 people, including staff there at any one time.

The Y offers "scholarships" for poor families, but that requires a tax return and an interview process. Why should you need to disclose your personal affairs so you're kids can swim?

Oh yeah, and the head of the non-profit Capital YMCA pulls down $450,000 and gets a free house. That money would fund over 500 families YMCA memberships.

[ Parent ]

I agree (none / 0) (#7)
by Tom Paine on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 07:42:28 AM EST
You're right. One of the reasons Social Security works and has wide support is because it is not means-tested. That is, everyone who worked benefits (well, theoretically....but that's a separate issue) so everyone has a stake in it and no one labels it "welfare".

Good point about class boundaries too.

[ Parent ]

Depends on who is in charge. (none / 0) (#9)
by A Muse on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 08:06:50 AM EST
Respectfully, Al this is not true if run correctly.  My wife and I ran the only Not-for-Profit Ski racing program with the lowest fees in ME, NH, VT, MA, NY.  The program was run for the benefit of local kids.  As long as they could ski the mountain alone they could participate.  Because of the enthusiasm we made an exception to the rule.  If some children had some difficulty the parent must be with us. Not one person was unable to participate because of lack of funding or equipment.  We had a lot of parental support.  We competed against the best of the best although most of are kids were not.  We had a plan for each child in which the child participated in making.  Children's expectations were different and the program needed to understand the goals of each child.  Some kids went on to State and National Finals.  Others became instructors or ski patrollers and, some ended up at the most expensive programs in the country.  We did a couple of ski-a-thon fundraisers.  One at the last minute.  Both were a success.  When the chairman of the fundraising committee was upset about something regarding a couple fundraising committee members, she told me that it was because her son was on scholarship.  I did not know that.  Although I was the program director and designed the application form I chose not to know who received scholarships.  My wife handled that.  There were 3 basic rules for the program.  The rule for the parents is that they must participate.  The rules for the racers: 1  Safety always came first in anything they did.  2  Always have respect and consideration for others in the lodge, on the lifts and on the slopes and in any other situation.  One year the Director of the ski school told me that he wished he had our kids they were so well behaved.  I responded by asking him "you mean the group that was taking the springs off the chairlift seat covers last week?  Are those the ones?   And by the by - unless the parents told their children they would not have known that they were on scholarship.  No coaches were told either.

[ Parent ]
Jennings didn't even bother to show up (none / 0) (#8)
by Jim Travers on Wed Jul 02, 2008 at 12:06:51 PM EST
At the commencement ceremony for the graduating Albany High School Class of '08.

Yeah, he cares.

Too busy, probably. Must have been an important meeting over at the golf course keeping him from attending and away from the lure of all those cameras!

Mentors. We need more engaging and guiding our youth, especially for the children living in single parent households.

The streets must be safe for a kid striving to avoid being swallowed by them, to make their way to the library where they can pursue their studies with the hope of someday realizing their aspirations.

Giving Kids Opportunities to Make It | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
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