NonProfit Opinion Center
How to Get Washington’s Attention
Robert Reich – Thursday, 06/02/2011 | 0 Comments
Finally, it seems, the economic burdens of America’s vast middle class may be catching up with the Street. The Dow lost 2.22 percent today; the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was down 2.28 percent. Both marked their worst declines since August 11, 2010. The Nasdaq composite index fell 2.33 percent.
Money Trail in Education Reform Leads to Everyone But Those Who Need It Most
Mark Naison – Wednesday, 06/01/2011 | 1 Comments
In the last ten years, tens of billions of dollars have been spent to reform America’s schools—some of it coming from the federal Department of Education, some of it from state legislatures, some of it from private foundations.
Obama’s 'Pay for Success’ Plan Deserves a Try
Sean Stannard-Stockton – Monday, 05/23/2011 | 0 Comments
With all the talk of a government shutdown and cuts in 2011 spending that would hurt nonprofits, a proposal in President Obama’s 2012 federal budget to revolutionize how the government spends money on social services has not attracted nearly as much attention as it deserves.
Arizona is not above the law!
Rodolfo F. Acuña – Wednesday, 05/18/2011 | 0 Comments
Last month marked the 150th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter, marking the start of the Civil War.
More Black Men Now in Prison System than Enslaved in 1850
Dick Price – Monday, 05/23/2011 | 2 Comments
“More African American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole than were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began,” Michelle Alexander told a standing room only house at the Pasadena Main Library this past Wednesday, the first of many jarring points she made in a riveting presentation.
“Better than what?” White Elbows
Rodolfo F. Acuña – Saturday, 05/07/2011 | 1 Comments
My mother always knew that Mexicans had to be better than gringos if they were going to make it. We had to be cleaner; she would scrub my elbows until they were raw, trying to make them white. She bought us an Encyclopedia Britannica that none of us could read.
Why Washington Should Pay Attention to the Economy Here and Now
Robert Reich – Friday, 05/06/2011 | 0 Comments
After a week of non-stop Osama Bin Laden, Washington is now returning to the battle of the budget deficit and debt ceiling.
Cinco de Mayo: A Battle for Recognition
Dr. Lily Rivera – Thursday, 05/05/2011 | 2 Comments
Forget all the articles you've ever read that purport to explain why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States. They've got it all wrong.
Engaging Parents Via Technology Prevents Drop-Outs
L.A. Ortega – Thursday, 05/05/2011 | 1 Comments
"We have a lot of speakers that visit our school, but none that look like me – until now," says third grader, acting as Hoover Elementary School’s tour guide, to Sid Espinosa - Director of Corporate Citizenship for Microsoft Corporation.
The Death of Public Service
Steve Hochstadt – Wednesday, 05/04/2011 | 0 Comments
Today’s villains are easy to spot – guns on their hips or chalk on their sleeves, riding red fire engines or garbage trucks. You see them everywhere you go, but especially in all the government buildings in town, in the courthouses, in the motor vehicle department, in the Post Office, in the neighborhood schools. Government workers.
Changing the Charitable Deduction Could Discourage the Most-Generous Donors
Robert F. Sharpe Jr. – Monday, 05/02/2011 | 0 Comments
It is now obvious to most Americans that the nation faces unprecedented economic challenges as the gap continues to grow between the amount federal and state governments spend and the amount they collect in taxes.
The Oil Company Gusher
Robert Reich – Monday, 05/02/2011 | 0 Comments
Exxon-Mobil’s first quarter earnings of $10.7 billion are up 69 percent from last year. That’s the most profit the company has earned since the third quarter of 2008 — perhaps not coincidentally, around the time when gas prices last reached the lofty $4 a gallon.
Trump Slams Immigrants Who ‘Never Ever Achieved Anything’
Andrea Nill – Friday, 08/07/2015 | 0 Comments
Over the past month, real estate mogul Donald Trump has made quite a name for himself as a right-wing birther. Birtherism and nativism usually go hand in hand, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that Trump was recently caught railing on immigrants at a Tea Party rally in Florida this past weekend.
White House Lays Out A Strategy For Improving Latino Education As Minority Population Soars
Andrea Nill – Thursday, 03/17/2016 | 1 Comments
For the past several years, education has topped the listof Latino voter priorities — often beating out even immigration, health care, and jobs. Enthusiasm for higher education has been much higher among Latinos compared to the general population.
Priorities-There is a Difference between One and Ten
Rodolfo F. Acuña – Monday, 04/18/2011 | 1 Comments
In the mid-sixties, I attended a lecture by Dr. Ernesto Galarza. Someone in the audience asked him why politicos and those in social movements didn’t care about Mexican Americans. Galarza responded that most elected officials that were Democrats cared about Mexican Americans but that we were never their number one priority or even close to it on their do list.
Between a Rock and a Hard place
Alberto Marrero Salas – Monday, 04/18/2011 | 1 Comments
Ben Bernanke the man who saved us from a depression along with Paulsen, President Bush and yes even Obama is currently between a rock and a hard place.
Harnessing the Power of Persuasion to Achieve Your Mission
Larry Kaplan – Monday, 04/18/2011 | 0 Comments
Nonprofit leaders, both professionals and Board members, often underestimate the importance and power of issue-advocacy in advancing their mission. There are important constituencies to tend to, in addition to your clients and donors, who can help you do a better job delivering your projects and programs.
Tom C. Horne-Only in Arizona
Rodolfo F. Acuña – Friday, 04/08/2011 | 5 Comments
Only in Arizona would Tom C. Horne be attorney general, the state’s top law officer? In reviewing Horne’s qualifications one wonders if he were a person of color if he would not have been more heavily vetted.
Solving the State Deficit is an Information Issue
LA Ortega – Sunday, 04/17/2011 | 0 Comments
California's Gross State Product (GSP) is $1.85 trillion per year and California is the 8th largest economy in the world according to Wikipedia. Yet if you believe everything mass media and politicians say, you would think there is no money. "They" say the State is absolutely broke. Yet there is a $1.85 trillion trunk of resources waiting to be tapped, ready to close what is a minuscule, by GSP comparison, budget deficit. So what is the challenge? Information!
Laptop with Internet Connectivity for Every Child
L.A. Ortega – Sunday, 04/17/2011 | 1 Comments
"What would happen if every child in underserved communities were equipped with a laptop computer and Internet connectivity? How would that change a child's outlook on learning?," asks Manny Diaz, former Chair of The United States Conference of Mayors, as he casts a new vision.