Florida Public Services Union

ACE Offers 10% Discount for SEIU Members

afifakhaliq — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:41:08 +0000

10 % discount at participating ACE Hardware
Just Show your SEIU Membership Card and receive off
Excluding sale item

Apopka Ace Hardware and Lumber #12249

530 South Park Avenue

(407) 889-4111

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5

Bronson Ace Hardware # 06113

26 East Orange Avenue

(352) 357-2366

M-Sat 7-6:30, Sun 9-5

South Leesburg Ace Hardware # 11597

26 East Orange Avenue

(352) 357-2366

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5

Mount Dora Ace Hardware # 09132

18691 U.S. Highway 441

(352) 383-2061

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5

Sorrento Ace Hardware # 15059

24329 State Road 46

(352) 383-2061

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5 Next to Dollar General

Tavares Ace Hardware # 04830

509 South Highway 19

(352) 343-3361

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5

Umatilla Ace Hardware #06070

811 North Central Avenue

(352) 669-3411

M-Sat 7:30-7, Sun 9-5

SERVICES: Benjamin Moore (At select stores ), Feed (all stores except Umatilla), Live Bait (At select stores ), Propane, Sand Blasting Sand, Screen Repair & Glass Cutting, Special Orders and Stihl (at select stores )

Signup Form Poster Contest

afifakhaliq — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:48:16 +0000

Poster Contest: Palm Beach School District – Hidden Faces

afifakhaliq — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:58:26 +0000

PALM BEACH SCHOOL POSTER CONTEST 2012

First Prize: $500

Second Prize: $300

Third Prize: $200

Artwork of 15 finalists will be displayed at the FULTON-HOLAND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER

Theme: Hidden Faces - How non-instructional employees such as bus driver, custodian, janitor, technicians, or food services workers make a difference at the schools. Why they are important.

Deadline: May 4, 2012

Posters must be postmarked by May 4, 2012

Send entries to: FPSU Poster Contest 2112 S. Congress Ave. Suite 205, Palm Springs, FL, 33406

Winners will be announced on May 16, 2012

Sign Up for the Poster Contest click here

Printable Signup Form click here

Rules

Posters must illustrate the idea of how a non-instructional employee makes a difference in schools.
Poster may be the work of one student or more students.
The poster concept and design and any photos or artwork used must be the original work of the student entering.
Posters must be 15 x 20 inches in size, including border or mat, if used. If charcoal, pastels or glitter is used, the poster must be laminated or covered with clear
plastic.
Posters will be judged based on theme, creativity, originality and artistic composition.
The following information must be included on the back of the poster: student’s name, mailing address, e-mail (if available), phone number, school, school address, teacher’s name and grade.
Please do not include glass, tacks, staples or any other breakable or sharp objects with your entry.
Flat shipping is recommended for the poster’s protection.
Entries must be postmarked by April 30, 2012.
Posters will be judged on overall impact, effectiveness in conveying the theme, originality and artistic merit. Judges’ decisions are final.
Student must be enrolled at a public high school in the Palm Beach County School District.
All entries become the property of SEIU. Posters not selected will be available for pick-up after August 16, 2012 during FPSU business hours.

For more information email: anne.chernin@seiufpsu.org

Florida Public Service Union (FPSU) is pleased to partner with The School District of Palm Beach County.

FPSU represents the bus drivers, custodial and maintenance staff in the PBC schools.

We stand committed to continually improving the quality of our schools.

Peoples Budget Review Launch

afifakhaliq — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:57:53 +0000

Palm Beach School Board Campaign Launch

afifakhaliq — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:55:25 +0000

Peoples Budget Review in News

afifakhaliq — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:34:20 +0000

Media Coverage of the Peoples Budget Review

In lean times, St. Petersburg looks for money to plug a growing deficit

Tampa Bay Times, By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer, 03/22/12

The People’s Budget Review in St. Petersburg and Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law

WMNF Radio, By Robert Lorei, Radioactivity, 03/22/12

Listen to the Show here

A Times Editorial: Ordinary citizens fuel democracy

Tampa Bay EDITORIAL, 03/20/12

Launch Day Coverage

St. Petersburg coalition wants new player at city budget talks: You

Tampa Bay Times, By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer, 03/20/12

Fox 13 News

03/19/12

Bay News 9

03/19/12

ABC Action News

03/19/12

St. Pete group calls on community involvement in the city’s budget

WMNF Radio, By Janelle Irwin, WMNF Drive-Time News, 03/19/12

Listen to the News here

St. Pete activists launch the “People’s Budget Review”

Creative Loafing, By Arielle Stevenson, 03/19/12

St. Pete’s ‘People’s Budget Review’ to collect 10,000 citizen surveys

St. Petersburg Blog, By Peter Schorsch, 03/19/12

People’s Budget Review Launches

Old Northeast, By William Mansell, 03/20/12

City of St. Pete seeks citizen input on budget

My Fox Tampa Bay, 03/19/12

Peoples Budget Review Targeting St. Pete’s Budget Process

Tampa Bay Buzz, By Peter Schorsch, 03/16/12

Peoples Budget Review Launched

afifakhaliq — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:04:37 +0000

Setting New Standards – Citizens Involvement in Budget Process

Florida Public Services Union (FPSU) is not just a bargaining unit for thousands of workers in the city governments and schools but also an integral part of the community. Keeping this in the background, FPSU has initiated a movement to achieve Fair Economy in Florida. After accomplishing a milestone victory at its Fair Economy Campaign in Tallahassee, we are all geared up to launch our campaign at the local level – Palm Beach and St. Petersburg.

FPSU has, in collaboration with its coalition partners, launched the Peoples Budget Review with a goal of reaching out to 10,000 people in St. Petersburg. The mission of this campaign is the revitalization of democratic discourse that is citizens’ participation in the decision making process.

SETTING THE BUDGET IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT POLICY DECISIONS IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT. It sets our priorities and decides how the people’s money is spent. Yet, every year fewer than 1,000 citizens have any say in the budget decisions. That’s less than half of one percent of the people who live in St. Petersburg.

There are only two groups who speak loudest. These are the people who give money to help get, our Mayor and City Council, elected, and the people who represent organizations who may suffer cuts in their City grants. However, a large segment of the society that are ‘common-everyday people’ also feel the pinch when the City decides how to make and spend our money. They are residents of St. Petersburg, and they absolutely should be vocal about their preferences.

The Mayor & City Council’s primary way of hearing citizen feedback is through three public meetings, most often attended by only a handful of people in mostly empty rooms of local Recreation Centers.

Seeing the need, FPSU collaborated with the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), Suncoast Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, Agenda 2010, NAACP and many other local organizations. It resulted in Peoples Budget Team. (Website Facebook Twitter)

The coalition has developed an easy-to-understand survey containing 30 questions related to saving costs, revenue generation, reprioritize spendings and savings, etc. Some of the proposed solutions to control budget deficit is increasing the millage rate, utilization of surplus reserve funds, and blight legislations (foreclosure registry and maintenance).

The Peoples Budget Review was launched on march 19, 2012 in front of the City Hall in St. Petersburg. All of the coalition partners and a team of volunteers, all wearing Peoples Budget Review T-Shirts participated in the launch.

Coverage of the Launch

Tampa Bay Times

St. Petersburg coalition wants new player at city budget talks: You

By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer

Fox 13 News

Bay News 9

ABC Action News

WMNF

St. Pete group calls on community involvement in the city’s budget

Listen

Read

Creative Loafing

St. Pete activists launch the “People’s Budget Review”

Posted by ARIELLE STEVENSON

St. Petersburg Blog

St. Pete’s ‘People’s Budget Review’ to collect 10,000 citizen surveys

Posted by Peter Schorsch

Old Northeast

People’s Budget Review Launches

By William Mansell

My Fox Tampa Bay

City of St. Pete seeks citizen input on budget

Tampa Bay Buzz

Peoples Budget Review Targeting St. Pete’s Budget Process

Tampa Bay EDITORIAL

A Times Editorial: Ordinary citizens fuel democracy

Peoples Budget Review

afifakhaliq — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:05:29 +0000

Governor Scott – Can we have your attention! Please?

afifakhaliq — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:02:16 +0000

Dear Governor,

When you were sworn in as governor on January of 2011, you had focused almost the entire speech on the economy and making the State of Florida ‘business friendly’ while rarely talking about your plans to uplift the state of public services that benefit the middle class. We, the people of Florida, were waiting then and are waiting now, for you to spare some of your precious time to pay attention to the issues and needs of 99% middle class.

After a full one year, we are still hopeful that you will protect our rights guaranteed under the Constitution – the same Constitution that you promised to ‘Support, Protect and Defend’ during your Oath taking Ceremony in front of the historic Capital Building.

Mr. Scott, we want your attention on a variety of issues such as fair economy, closing tax loopholes and going after tax dodgers rather than cutting down vital public services (less for the less privileged), investing in education and thus in our Future, health care for elderly, veterans and disabled, environmental conservation, and privatization of public services.

Today, through this letter, I want you to dedicate the next ‘five minutes’ to the issue of Prison Privatization. The same is described in a letter addressed to you by a coalition of organizations that are resisting the vested interest, of Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), of keeping 90% of our prisons filled with inmates.

We solely believe this is neither your intent nor desire. You, as a representative of Floridians, want to keep us employed rather than making sure that all the prisons in Florida are filled to their capacity, so that CCA can make profit. Your promise during the inaugural address was to create jobs, not to ensure that prisons are filled with Floridians.

Mr. Harley Lappin, Chief Corrections Officer at Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), in his recent letter addressed to you announced the Corrections Investment Initiative – the corporation’s plan to spend up to $250 million buying prisons from state, local, and federal government entities, and then managing the facilities.

He also wanted the following from you;

The State selling the prison agrees to pay CCA to operate the prison for 20 years – at minimum.
Any prison to be sold must have at least 1,000 beds, and that
The state must agree to keep the prison at least 90% full.

While Department of Corrections, in their 2010-2015 Strategic Plan, aims to, “Reduce inmate recidivism rate from its baseline of 32.8% to 20 % by 2014,” CCA’s intent is totally business – more inmates means more profit.

Here are some facts to help you make more just and fair decision.

In Florida 29 state correctional facilities house approximately 16,000 inmates in 18 counties in South Florida. If privatized, an estimated 3,800 state employees could lose their jobs. You talked about creating jobs right?
In 2011 the Senate tried to privatize the same 29 facilities in a backdoor effort that was stopped by the courts and led to the resignation of the state’s top two corrections officials and an ethics complaint against you Governor for accepting political donations from companies that would benefit from privatizing state prisons.
A 2005 DMS audit found that GEO Group and CCA bilked Florida taxpayers out of almost $13 million for unfilled jobs, inflated per diem rates and maintenance overpayments. The companies settled for pennies on the dollar. “Our review showed numerous instances where [private prison] vendors’ interests were considered over the State’s interests,” the audit determined. For more information on this company and privatization in general, see: http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/
An April 2010 report by the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy concluded that “Florida’s experience with privatized prisons raises serious questions about whether the taxpayers are getting their money’s worth.” Florida is not alone. In 2010, Arizona officials determined that medium-security private prisons in that state cost more than state facilities. For Arizona study click here

I can quote numerous other facts. There are scores of documents, studies, and research that describes prison privatization is not a viable solution for cost savings. There are other more effective ways of addressing the budget crisis such as taxing the rich. Members and supporters of your own party think that it is time to tax the rich. For more information click here

Governor Scott, I would like to extend my hand to offer mine and my union members’ support in finding solutions to the budget crisis. We are supporting Fair Economy Campaign and other such efforts. FPSU, our coalition partners, economists and fiscal analysts all are of the opinion that Florida should eliminate tax loopholes and go after tax dodgers.

This, Governor Scott, is the prudent way to reform the economy instead of offering public services in sale to rich corporations that give us financial contributions.

Alphonso Mayfield,

President

Florida Public Services Union (FPSU)

March 2, 2012

CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA (CCA) Fact Sheet

afifakhaliq — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:48:11 +0000

CORRECTIONS CORPORATION OF AMERICA (CCA) Fact Sheet

Corrections Corporation of America is the biggest company in one of the most controversial businesses ever created – the imprisonment of people for profit. Despite being the largest prison privateer, the company still only manages about 4.6 percent of the prison population in the United States.

Several incidents have defined the company. In 1996, two Oregon sex offenders escaped from a CCA-run processing center intended for illegal immigrants. Until local police were notified that the prisoners were on the loose, neither state nor local officials had any inkling that violent convicts were being held there. The incident became more troubling after authorities learned that convicts escaping from private facilities could not be prosecuted under state law for the offense of prison escape.
In 1997, South Carolina cancelled CCA’s management contract of the Columbia Training Center because of its continued dissatisfaction with CCA. In 2000, a federal grand jury awarded more than $3 million to a Charleston teenager who was hog-tied, maced and thrown against a wall by CCA guards. The jury decided that CCA had a “corporate policy” of using excessive force to control teens.
A 1998 contract to house inmates from Washington, D.C. in a Youngtown, Ohio, facility went seriously wrong. During the first year, two inmates were killed by fellow prisoners. In July, 1998, six prisoners, including four convicted murderers, escaped in broad daylight. In 1999, CCA agreed to pay inmates $1.65 million to settle a class action lawsuit.
In 2000, the state of North Carolina terminated its operating contracts with CCA for two medium-security prisons. The state had withheld $1 million in payments from the company since the prisons opened in 1998. In 1999, a convicted murderer escaped from the custody of CCA staff while undergoing medical tests.
More than 100 inmates rioted and set small fires inside the Crowley County Correctional Facility in 2004. More than a dozen inmates were injured and the riot caused significant damage to the facility. A Colorado Department of Corrections report on the riot noted the facility lacked state-required equipment, failed to follow DOC regulations, had insufficiently trained guards, and no adequate plan to deal with crisis situations. State corrections officials also told lawmakers that CCA had a 45 percent employee turnover rate.
CCA had numerous problems managing the Bay County Jail in Florida. For instance, in 2004 a nurse was shot in a hostage standoff after inmates escaped from their cells. In 2005, a nurse, as well as a supervisor, was fired for having sex with an inmate. In 2007, CCA released nine inmates by accident, and an inmate fashioned a plastic utensil into a lock-pick and briefly broke out of his cell.
In 2010, Kentucky pulled its female inmates out of the Otter Creek Correctional Complex after a sex scandal involving prisoners and guards. Several hundred women were relocated 377 miles away to the state-run prison. The state of Hawaii also moved its nearly 200 women prisoners out of Otter Creek, in part because of the incidents.
In 2010, a nationally released video of a vicious beating of Hanni Elabed by a fellow prisoner at the Idaho Correctional Center (ICC) showed Elabed being thrown to the ground and brutally beaten and kicked while prison guards did not make any attempts to intervene. The Elabed family reached a confidential settlement with CCA as a result of the taped beating. Three former staffers at the prison told the media that staff, from the warden on down to the guards, routinely failed to protect inmates and in some instances put prisoners in situations knowing they’d be victims of the prison’s gangs and violent culture.

No Cost Savings – Numerous cost studies by independent researchers, comparing “apples to apples,” find little to no cost savings in privately operated correctional facilities. These studies include federal and state cost analyses as well as independent research. For instance, researchers at the University of Cincinnati analyzed thirty three cost effectiveness evaluations of public and for-profit prisons from twenty four independent studies. The results revealed that for-profit prisons were no more cost-effective than public prisons, and that other institutional characteristics such as the facility’s size, age and security level were the strongest predictors of a prison’s per diem cost.

There is also an abundance of anecdotal evidence that does not support CCA’s cost savings claims. For instance, a 2005 internal review by the Florida Department of Management Services found that CCA and the GEO Group received questionable contract concessions costing the state nearly $13 million in additional costs. In addition, the report found that the state paid CCA and the GEO Group for vacant guard positions and waived minimal requirements for nurses, vocational trainers and teachers.

No Accountability – CCA claims to uphold high operational standards and uses the American Correctional Association’s (ACA) accreditation as a means of demonstrating its accountability to taxpayers. CCA does not mention in its marketing materials that it also pays ACA a considerable amount of money. For instance, in 2009, CCA paid ACA $22,000 for providing its “stamp of approval” on five CCA managed facilities. CCA also does not mention that its employees serve as ACA auditors and that its ACA-accredited facilities have experienced major security problems. For example, in 2010, two prisoners were violently killed at CCA’s Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona, which is ACA accredited. CCA is also a major sponsor of ACA events.

No Economic and Community Development – On its website, CCA claims to benefit communities through sales taxes and property taxes. What CCA does not tell you is that it has fought to avoid paying the very taxes it promotes in its marketing materials. For instance, in 2002, CCA reached a settlement with the IRS to pay $54 million in the back taxes of its predecessor company. In another case, CCA sued the state of New Mexico in an attempt to recover $2.5 million in tax payments. A New Mexico district court ruled against CCA in 2005 and the New Mexico Court of Appeals upheld the decision in 2007.

AFSCME Department of Research & Collective Bargaining Services

For more information on this company and privatization in general, see: http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/