SECTION THREE: Support the Efforts of Community Organizations to Unify/Empower the Community
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The efforts of organized people in the community to help themselves should be supported. Financial resources and staff to bring the community together and to link local selfhelp programs with other state and local programs are urgently needed. Recommendation/ Action #10
The Senate Task Force has developed draft legislation to create an Urban Progress (UP) Program to strengthen the California Conservation Corps (CCC) and to develop further CCC's links with community organizations. The program would be funded by a newly created voluntary contribution plan. The legislation would direct the Conservation Corps to develop, in cooperation with local conservation corps programs, a program focused on urban youth. particularly in areas of high unemployment, crime, and other social problems. The UP Program would provide participants with one to three months of intensive job, educational and social training at locations away from home in a residential setting. Based on meritorious performance in and graduation from the residential component of the UP program, participants would be allowed to return to their communities to participate on Urban Progress teams. The corps, in cooperation with schools, businesses, and community organizations, would develop community improvement projects. Community based UP programs might include, but need not be limited to, tree planting, park building and enhancement, building painting and repair, and recreational assistance. Graduates of the UP residential program and other qualified youths from other training programs as determined by the corps would participate on the community-based Urban Progress teams. Corps members participating in the UP Program would receive wages equal to those received by members of other corps programs. In addition, the corps would provide UP participants with specially designed insignias, apparel or other symbols of participation, based on meritorious achievements in the UP Program. After six months in the UP Program, participants would be eligible to apply to participate in the corps' full one-year corps program. In admitting youths into its full corps programs, the corps would give preference to youths who have satisfactorily performed in the UP Program. The corps would seek to use UP Program graduates as assistants and leaders of community based Urban Progress teams. Costs of the UP Program would be paid from the Urban Progress Fund, which would be newly created. Monies for the Urban Progress Fund would be obtained from voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, and other organizations that wish to participate in the UP Program. Some of the revenues would come from a voluntary surcharge on products sold in California. CCC would especially seek the participation of companies specializing in products for youth (e.g., record companies, Nike, Mattel, etc.) Methods of voluntary contributions might include, but need not be limited to, voluntary surcharges on sales and use taxes of products and services sold in the state. The State Board of Equalization, in cooperation with the California Conservation Corps, would be directed to develop a special insignia and guidelines that contributors to the Urban Progress Fund may use to identify themselves as proud sponsors of the Urban Progress Program. Contributions made to the Urban Progress Program would be tax deductible. Representatives of the California Conservation Corps believe that they need four to five months to conduct outreach to targeted industries to ensure an adequate level of support to justify the creation of the program. Therefore, the members of the Task Force intend to pursue this legislation in the next session beginning in January 1993. Recommendation/ Action #11
A number of community-based organizations (CBOS) have been in existence for years, serving the community in various ways. However, funds to support the efforts of these organizations to energize and redirect their local communities are usually not sufficient for the task. If additional funds were available to hire new staff for these organizations with established records of accomplishment, some of the same kinds of work and activities being promoted could be accomplished by the community-based organizations. The added benefit would be that the community-based organizations might be strengthened, providing a longer lasting positive effect. Among the community-based organizations and centers that should be slated to receive funding are those that specialize in treatment and protection of women who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and other centers that are responsive to women's issues. Also, the Senate Task Force strongly endorses the usage of a portion of the funds to assist CBOs offering English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and citizenship instruction to newly legalized immigrants. Los Angeles is home to a large percentage of the state's 1.6 million legal immigrants scheduled for naturalization and citizenship under the 1986 federal IRCA law. CBOS, many of them based in the areas affected by the civil disturbance, have played an invaluable role in preparing this productive population for citizenship and California’s increasingly competitive workplace. Rebuild LA has been reluctant to release information about the number and level of financial commitments it has received from various sources. According to new reports, however, the commitments amount to millions of dollars. The Senate Special Task Force has written to Mr. Ueberroth to urge his organization to dedicate a substantial portion of their funds for the direct support of existing community organizations with a proven record of success in serving various communities in need. These organizations provide vital services. and in significant ways, know best what the community needs. They should receive some help from Rebuild L.A. |
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New Inititatives for a New Los Angeles