RWJF has supported CeaseFire and its replication since its start in Chicago in 2000, helping to test and refine intervention and prevention strategies. This is the first rigorous evaluation study of a replication site of the CeaseFire model.

• Read more about the Safe Streets Baltimore study.
• In 2009 New Haven had 12 homicides (all victims were black)
• In 2010 New Haven had 24 homicides (23 were black)
• In 2011 New Haven had 34 homicides (33 were black & Latino)
• In 2012 we at OneWorld Progressive Institute, Inc hope that the program implemented in trajectory in New Haven, CT, Baltimore can serve as a model for changing the trajectory in New Haven. 
• As we celebrate another Black History Month starting today, Feb. 1, 2012, let us work hard at loving ourselves and at teaching our children to loe and respect themselves.  Let us teach them that resolving conflicts with guns has dire consequences for all of us.

http://www.oneworldpi.org/health/health_videos.html  OneWorld’s “21st Century Conversations” TV programs and community forums focus on health literacy for the entire community.  Visit the link above to see our information programs on the NEED for access to Affordable Health Care. 

We need to keep access to affordable health care as an essential part of a healthy democracy.  Let us NOT go backwards with health care.  It is inhumane to listen to John Boehner and some of the Republicans who are campaigning against providing access to affordable health care for hardworking, less wealthy, Americans. We must ask why they are so opposed to access to affordable health care for hard-working Americans when good health is the foundation of our society.

There is nothing called ”Obamacare.”  This sinister label was created by those who wish to deprive hardworking people– who are less privileged– from getting access to affordable health care.  There are Americans who work 50 hours per week in two or three different jobs, yet they have no health insurance.  Why is this so? Because to reduce operating cost many companies in 2012, have policies that say –unless you work 35 hours weekly, you are not entitled to health coverage. It may cost companies less to hire two part-time employees (working 20-25 hours each) with no benefits, than to hire one employee for 40 hours and provide benefits. There are also insurance companies that will not allow people to buy insurance unless the premiums are paid by an employer.  Even more disturbing is the fact that many people cannot afford to pay premiums at rates charged to individual payers.  In 2010 COBRA costs $436 monthly for one person!  That does not include prescriptions!  How many people can afford such fees plus co-pays, prescriptions and other medical needs that are not covered?  Not many in this economy.  

In 2007, 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, died of complications from an abscessed tooth. His family’s Medicaid coverage had lapsed and, according to The Washington Post, Deamonte’s mother said even on the state plan, her children lacked regular dental care.  Imagine in the #1 country in the world, a 12 year-old boy (whose mother is poor) died from a dental infection because of lack of access to affordable dental health care!  We expect this to happen in some backwoods, third world country.  We do not expect it to happen in America; however, it happens more often than we know.  Interestingly, Americans are sometimes riding to the financial rescue of the poor in other far-away lands, but are often blind and even resentful of the poor right here in America. What accounts for this?

Now there are wealthy men campaigning for the presidency who are demonizing the watered-down, health care bill that passed the Congress by calling it “Obamacare.”  This is politics at its most vicious, callous and inhumane.  This is an essential part of the great divide in America today.  Republicans are willing to hold up passage of Congressional Bills for important programs that will benefit average Americans so that they can preserve unconscionable tax breaks for the richest five percent in America!  Where is the Christianity they so loudly profess?  Where is the humanity?  Where are the godliness and the kindness? Where is the evidence of equity, fairness and democracy in this land of the free?  How can these claimed-to-be moral people hold God up with one hand and greed, power and selfishness in the other?  How can they profess morality and outrage at immorality when their deeds are so manifestly ungodly and immoral?

We need to keep access to affordable health care as an essential part of a healthy democracy.  Let us NOT go backwards with health care.  It is inhumane to think that the Republicans are campaigning against providing access to affordable health care for hardworking, less wealthy, Americans. We must ask why the Republicans are so opposed to access to affordable health care for some poor, hardworking Americans.

In Sept, 2011, the nephew of funk legend Bootsy Collins died after a tooth infection spread to his brain.  Kyle Willis (age 24) went to the hospital complaining of a toothache.  Dentists reportedly told him he needed to have the tooth pulled. Mr. Willis decided to forgo the procedure, because he was unemployed and had no health insurance.  When his face started swelling and his head began to ache, Willis went to the emergency room, where he received prescriptions for antibiotics and pain medications.  Willis couldn’t afford both, so he chose the pain medications.  Published reports said the cost of the antibiotics was an additional $27! The tooth infection spread to his brain causing it to swell; two weeks later he was pronounced dead at the University Hospital in Cincinnati.  This is happening in America in the 21st Century!  A key question has to be – was Mr. Willis informed about the danger he was in?  Some health facilities in America today will not even give out printed health information for free unless one has insurance and has received paid-for services.  Where is the humanity in health care today?

The health care Bill that president Obama put his presidency on the line for needs to be reworked and expanded to include a public option.  This is one issue the 99 percent needs to take to the streets about.  America is the only (claimed) enlightened democracy in which the wealthy are steadfastly protected and defended by one party, and the average hardworking, middle-class and the poor are often trampled under feet.  Thanks to those who are fighting to prevent us from being totally run over.  Thanks to Rosa DeLauro, Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the Democratic women for change who are fighting against great odds (including huge dollars from Super Pacs), for their commitment to those less fortunate. 

What is so incredibly amazing and mind-boggling is how so many of these so-called pious  politicians hold up God in one hand and claim their own forgiveness as they try to snatch bread and health care out of the mouths and lives of the less affluent and less fortunate.  Sadly, too many of us have short memories.

Democracy is not a spectators’ sport; get registered; get whatever document is now required to ensure that you can vote in the upcoming elections. Reach out to local community agencies and find the help you will need to ensure your right to vote.  Get a library card; learn to use the computer for free at your public library; become involved in the life of your community.  If you are over age 55, join a senior center group in your community.  Do not give up; do not give in.  America does not belong to the rich and famous; it belongs to all of us.

Every young Black and Hispanic male should read this article.  Parents, please teach your sons and daughters how to try and stay safe in this our “Post-Racial” America.  Racial profiling  seems to be thriving in our post-racial America; so are gangs, bullies, drug predators and a host of other maladies– all targeting  young Black males.  The need for parental guidance, structure and support, and the need for productive after-school programs, college-level, skill-building programs and civic lessons are stronger than ever.   We also need intense multicultural education programs for the police depts everywhere.  At OneWorld we believe: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

OPINION   | December 18, 2011
Opinion:  Why Is the N.Y.P.D. After Me?   Please read the complete article by clicking the link
By NICHOLAS K. PEART 

As a black man in my 20s, I’ve incorporated into my daily life the sense that I might be pushed against a wall or thrown to the ground by a police officer at any time.

WHEN I was 14, my mother told me not to panic if a police officer stopped me. And she cautioned me to carry ID and never run away from the police or I could be shot. In the nine years since my mother gave me this advice, I have had numerous occasions to consider her wisdom. 

Here are a few other facts: last year, the N.Y.P.D. recorded more than 600,000 stops; 84 percent of those stopped were Blacks or Latinos. Police are far more likely to use force when stopping blacks or Latinos than whites. In half the stops police cite the vague “furtive movements” as the reason for the stop. Maybe black and brown people just look more furtive, whatever that means. These stops are part of a larger, more widespread problem — a racially discriminatory system of stop-and-frisk in the N.Y.P.D. The police use the excuse that they’re fighting crime to continue the practice, but no one has ever actually proved that it reduces crime or makes the city safer. Those of us who live in the neighborhoods where stop-and-frisks are a basic fact of daily life don’t feel safer as a result.

1)       Ques: I would also like to know if the Charter Schools get the same amount of money per child as the regular public schools in New Haven. 

Answer: We spoke to the director of the Charter Schools Program at the State Dept. of Education (SDE); he says – all charter schools, elementary, middle and high schools receive $9,400 per student annually.  This amount is based on the student count as of Oct. 1, 2011.  The student count is taken on Oct. 1 every year; the amount they receive might change annually. Charter schools in NH include Amistad, Achievement First and Common Ground.

2.   Public School Funding is calculated differently from Charter Schools and seems to be a little more complicated. 

• a)       According to the SDE, the New Haven Public School District gets $3,000 per child for NH resident students.
• b)      The district also gets additional per pupil funding/money through Educational Cost Sharing Grants (ECG) from the state. 
• c)       This grant comes in a lump sum and is divided by the district based upon its internal determination of the need that exists in each school.
• d)      According to NHPS fiscal administrators, the cost per student for children in the public schools is calculated at $7,792.  If someone wanted a child (from outside NH) to attend a NHPS, this is what it would cost in tuition for that child.
• e)       Inter-district Magnet Schools:  NHPS gets $6,730 (from the SDE) per student for every child who comes from outside of the district and attends a NH Inter-district Magnet School.
• f)     Intra-district magnets and Lighthouse schools are for New Haven resident students only.  Inter-district magnet schools are for all who are eligible to attend school in New Haven.

3.      Ques: If the Charter Schools get the same amount of money for each student why are they allowed to pick and choose which students they educate? 

Answer: According to the SDE, the Charter Schools are not supposed to pick and choose who they educate; they are supposed to educate the students who apply and are accepted.  If parents have concerns about how their applications are handled they should bring those concerns to the attention of the school administrators. If parents are not satisfied with the response they get, they should contact the Charter Schools Section at the SDE, 860-713-6574; the director is Robert Kelly.

4.   Lighthouse Schools –OneWorld has received several questions about what are Lighthouse Schools in the NHPS system.   

Answer: According to people in charge of these areas in the NHPS, Lighthouse Schools are a part of the No Child Left Behind Federal Program (NCLB); they are high performing schools within the District.  There are three Lighthouse Schools in the NHPS system; they are: Nathan Hale: Pre-K-8, Worthington Hooker: K-8, and Troupe School K-8.  NCLB allows children to be transferred from low-performing schools to high-performing Lighthouse Schools. There is no Lottery application required.  Parents can file a transfer application in the summer (by August) to have their children transferred out of a present low-performing school and into one of the three schools listed above.  Worthington Hooker and Nathan Hale are Tier 1 schools. Troup is presently a Tier 3 school with additional resources for after-school enrichment programs, and a new principal in 2011/2012; Troup is expected to become a high performing school.  We hope this information is helpful to all who inquired.   

 For more detailed information about New Haven schools, we suggest calling NHPS, or visit the web site at: http://www.nhps.net  Browse the site for a wealth of information.  If you do not find the information you seek, please call the specific dept within the NHPS District.  First start at: Home › Parents + Students - then go to Information Parents Can Use

To learn more from the State Dept. of Education (SDE), please visit: http://www.sde.ct.gov/ Browse under Latest News and Quick Links to find an abundance of information.  You may also call the SDE located at: 165 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106 / Phone:  860-713-6543

We encourage to you visit and browse our web site at: http://www.oneworldpi.org to learn more about what OneWorld does for the greater New Haven as well as the broader CT community.

Visit our specific video sections linked below to watch video clips and full length programs:             www.newhavenindependent.org/…/different_strokes_for_different_folks/ (Community health forum)         http://www.oneworldpi.org/health/health_videos.html             http://www.oneworldpi.org/education/education_videos.html              http://www.oneworldpi.org/civic_engagement/civic_engagement_videos.html   

See a list of articles about OneWorld television programs here: Articles

OneWorld thanks: Robert Kelly and William Magnotta (SDE),  Quanita Mazik-Uzuka, Demaris Rau and Vallerie Hudson-Brown, NHPS Central Office for their help in bringing you this information.

N’Zinga Shani, Producer

This report listed above is from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation Newsletter.  The content of this report  should not be a surprise to anyone.  We applaud RWJF for commissioning it, but the facts provided have long been known.  It has always been evident to anyone who wished to see it that those who are disenfranchised tend to have poorer health status than those who are affluent, educated and have access to health care.  As a society we have chosen not to see the severe impact that social barriers play in the lives of those less fortunate.   In fact, there are those in America who are vested in a permanent underclass.  This is why every caring American — and particularly those who have been entrusted with political leadership — should be ashamed and be aggrieved that in this land of plenty, this place that so many of us are proud of, there are so many homeless, so many uneducated, so many abused and discarded (particularly children and the elderly) and so many without access to health care.   Those without health care are often referred to as irresponsible.

Many people in third world countries would be stunned, shocked, if they were to come to America and see our discarded people.  The fact that the Tea Partiers and the Republican Party have fought so hard against health care for everyone, and the fact that President Obama felt he had to give up on a public option so as to get a watered down health care bill pass the Congress is indeed a sad commentary on America as a nation.  Now there are those who are fighting to discard even that watered down version of health care that we got.  That Bill has already saved thousands of lives.  It has made it possible for some of us to be able to go to the doctor.   It has been a relief to hundreds of thousands of Americans.  Yet there are those who are opposing it under the malicious guise  that it in interferring in people’s lives.  This was the same uproar we heard when Medicare was before the Congress in 1965.   In fact, Ronald Reagan, as governor of California campaigned against Medicare. Today, in 2011, Medicare  is one of the BEST programs America offers to its seniors.

People who are educated, hardworking and dedicated citizens who have worked for decades in America can end up losing their homes and most of what they own due to medical bills.  It is frightening.  Large and smaller corporations (utility  companies, manufacturers, health conglomerates, small health corporations and private practitioners) function essentially as bullies, to oppress and intimidate the average citizen; as a result many people lose services and end up in dire straights.  This happens daily across America and there seems to be no respite for such people unless they can come together with others in similar circumstances and find good hearted, humane  attorneys, or a legal advocacy group to help them to form coalitions and become strong advocates for themselves.  OneWorld strongly advocates for such coalitions and for poor people not to give up.  If America is to truly function as a democracy poor people will have to learn to FIGHT for themselves.  We need to engage; we need to become informed and use information to empower ourselves.  It is daunting yes, but it can be done especially when we join hands with others.

“Primary care physicians say pervasive and stubborn social barriers such as a lack of access to adequate housing, transportation, and nutritious, affordable food may impact patient health as much as access to direct medical care, a survey shows.”

“The online survey of 1,000 primary care physicians, including 310 pediatricians, was conducted in September and October on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  We have to think about how do we help physicians connect their patients to other providers or to services that are going to have as much impact on their health outcomes as the physician visit will have?” 

Can you believe that in 2011 this is news?   Yet, it is better late than never.  We hope they find an answer; the fact that they are asking this question in 2011, while the problem has been evident for at least 50 years is another statement about the American social, political and economic systems.  Here are some of the key findings from the physicians’ survey:

• 85% of physicians say unmet social needs are directly leading to worse health for all Americans.
•  85% of physicians say patients’ social needs are as important to address as their medical conditions. This is especially true for physicians (or 95%) serving patients in low-income, urban communities. 
•  76% of physicians want the healthcare system to cover the costs associated with connecting patients to services that meet their social needs if a physician deems it important for overall health.
•  Only 20% of physicians feel confident or very confident in their ability to address their patients’ unmet social needs. 
•  Physicians said that if they had the power to write prescriptions to address social needs, these would represent 1 out of every 7 prescriptions they write— or an average of 26 additional prescriptions per week.

Although we have known for over 50 years that unmet social needs are directly leading to worse health for poor Americans, it is news in 2011 because it is now applied to all Americans.  This means not just Blacks and Hispanics; it is now also affecting “regular whites” and therefore it is a reason for alarm.  Something now needs to be done.  Blacks, Hispanics and the poor have been dying of deprivation and neglect for decades. We hope that now that the same malady is affecting those considered to be “regular, normal people” and not just those of us who bring these things upon ourselves, not just those of us who are lazy and careless — something WILL BE DONE! 

 Visit our http://www.oneworldpi.org/health/health_videos.html to see some of our health literacy programs; they are all available on DVDs for a very nominal cost.  We wish our visitors good health and full engagement in democracy.