Open forum, vol. 81 (October-December, 2004)

Primary tabs

aU


THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | QUARTERLY PUBLICATION | LIBERTY * JUSTICE 0x00B0 EQUALITY


VOL. 81 | OCT-DEC | 2004


SPECIAL INSERT:


CIVIL RIGHTS


VOTER


GUIDE


CALIFORNIA'S POOREST SCHOOLS GET HELP


Settlement of Williams v. California ends discriminatory practices


Williams is the direct application of the


core ACLU mission put in action: to


claim the rights and improve the lives of


It took over four years for the State of


California to decide it must step up to


its constitutional and moral obligation to


children and end discriminatory practices _ the powerless.


within district schools and provide the


"This settlement will bring real results to


the millions of school children in Califor-


bare essentials of an education.


The Williams v. California effort is one nia who are not being given a fair shot at a


of the largest ACLU/SC lawsuits to date.


The settlement, detailed on page 5 (of the


decent education," said Ramona Ripston,


executive director of the ACLU/SC.


Annual Report), requires the legislature


It was the lives behind the Williams case


that touched Mark Rosenbaum, ACLU/


SC legal director. Education is the criti-


cal element determining a child's ability


to develop skills needed for life, as well as


a successful entry into the workforce. By


to immediately develop an accountability


infrastructure necessary to ensure stu-


dents are provided with the critical basics


for education: clean and safe schools,


updated textbooks and qualified teachers.


This wasn't a high-concept fight difficult forcing students to try and learn in a de-


for people to wrap their heads around. graded environment, California's officials


SEE WILLIAMS P. 2


We


AOT A CHP RDIN EP M ACLU sc Ape


NOY A SUR S eee eeYy i SE TRG


ss NOT A SUBSCRIBER? W.AGLU-SC.0RG


GOVERNOR'S DESK


BECOMES GRAVEYARD


FOR SEVERAL KEY CIVIL


LIBERTIES BILLS


Governor Schwarzenegger faced the first


true test of his legislative priorities this


summer when bills ranging in subject from


education reform to raising the state's mini-


mum wage landed on his desk and awaited


his veto or approval. `To seasoned Capitol


observers, the results of Schwarzenegger's


end of term signing session will serve as a


roadmap for legislative advocacy battles in


the coming years.


The Governor kept his word to come


through on the Williams settlement and


signed legislation into law that will pro-


vide immediate relief to California's public


school students.


In a huge victory for ACLU sponsored


legislation, the Governor signed into law the


Gender Equity for Community Athletics


bill, AB 2404 (Steinberg). This bill will ap-


ply Title IX principals to community ath?


letic programs, ensuring equal access and


resources for boys and girls. This was a very


popular bill, and passed by wide margins in


both houses.


The Governor also signed AB 1796 (Leno)


that will restore food stamp eligibility for


former drug felons, provided they partici-


pate in drug treatment. Our negotiations


ended up significantly narrowing the class of


people affected, which may have helped the


prospects for the bill.


Unfortunately, the Governor's desk also


became a graveyard for sensible civil liber-


ties legislation this year. Schwarzenegger


returned bills on police interrogation of


students, media access to prisons, and af-


firmative action, without a signature.


AB 1012 (Steinberg), involving police


interrogation of students on school grounds


and co-sponsored by the ACLU, would


SEE OUTREACH P. 3


LEGAL UPDATE


by Elizabeth Schroeder


Cecilia G. v. Antelope Valley USD (U.S.


District Court) A first-of-its-kind class action


lawsuit was filed against the Antelope Valley


Union High School District for funneling


pregnant and parenting teens into sub-


standard alternative education programs


instead of being given the opportunity to


continue their education in their local high


schools. Our lead plaintiff was enrolled


in college preparatory classes before her


daughter was born; as a parent who needed


child care for her daughter, she was placed


in a classroom with one teacher, teens of


all ages and academic abilities and forced


to work independenily on basic subject


matter. When she requested to take classes


at her local comprehensive high school,


she was told she would lose her child care.


Nearly 60,000 teens give birth each year in


ATE


number of other public interest organizations,


tiled an amicus letter brief seeking either


a petition of review by the Supreme Court


or depublication of the court of appeal's


decision in a case with profound adverse


implications for non-profit legal organizations.


The lower court's decision could be read


to require such organizations to 1) limit


membership to lawyers licensed by the


State Bar; 2) limit members of the Board


of Directors to licensed lawyers: and 3)


limit their programs so that at least 70%


of their clients are "lower income persons'


These restrictions would violate the First


Amendment freedoms of expression


and association of nonprofit advocacy


organizations.


Kristine H. v. Lisa R. (California Supreme


Court) A lesbian couple, Lisa and


Kristine, decided to have a child by donor


insemination of Lisa; the couple entered


into an agreement that both women were


the case are particularly egregious. Ms.


Mena was asleep in a group home. Police


obtained a warrant to look for another


resident, a murder suspect. They broke


down Mena's locked bedroom door, woke


her up at gunpoint, handcuffed her, and


kept her in a garage for several hours while


they executed the search. Although they


had no indication that she was involved in


any kind of criminal activity or immigration


violation, they interrogated her about her


immigration status. In response, she told


police her documents were inside her purse.


They searched it without her consent and


confirmed that she Is a legal permanent


resident. Mena later brought a civil rights


action against the police challenging the


length and manner of her detention.


In the Matter of Ahilan Natarajah (U.S.


District Court and Immigration Court)


The ACLU/SC represents a refugee


from Sri Lanka who has been detained


ERIE DOE


litigation, large numbers of the documents _| |


were released through a partial settlement -


agreement. In September, 2004, the court


rejected all of the government's national


security claims and ordered the release of


the ten remaining documents.


Gender Equity in Community Youth


Athletics Bill AB 2404, an ACLU-sponsored


bill, was signed into law by the governor,


The legislation was sparked by several


successful lawsuits the ACLU/SC filed


against municipalities that challenged the


unequal treatment of boys and girls in


athletic programs and facilities. The law,


which goes into effect in January, 2004,


prohibits cities, counties and special districts


from discriminating on the basis of gender in


community youth athletics programs or in the


allocation of parks and recreation facilities


and resources that support or enable these


programs.


13, Publication Title Open Forum


16. Extent and Nature of Circulation


a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run)


o Has Changed Sion Preceding 4 2 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)


14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below Fall 2002


Average No. Copies Each Issue


During Preceding 12 Months


b. Paid and/or (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541.


No, Copies of Single Issue


Published Nearest to Filing Date


22,700


22,470


26,500


18,096


Public Affairs C


_ Muslim periodical. The eve i ae _


_ter representative to the ACLU Board of Directors and Professor of History at UC


e


`The


oldb and Empire chap


California; teen pregnancies usually resultin the child's parents. When the couple for almost three years. An immigration Voter Registration Project The ACLU/SC


poor life outcomes for both mother and child. separated two years later, Lisa refused to judge twice found that Mr. Nadarajah is worked with the Sheriff's Department to


Completing high school is critical to breaking _ allow Kristine to visit the child, claiming entitled to asylum and twice rejected the ensure that inmates receive timely, accurate i


| the cycle of poverty and lack of educational she was not a legal parent. The ACLU/SC government's claims that he was a member information about their right to vote in the


| achievement, filed an amicus brief that argues that to of a terrorist organization. The judge upcoming election. The majority of inmates


| | avoid constitutional problems, the statute discredited the government's unverified and in the county jails are either awaiting trial


Flores v. Los Angeles MTA (U.S. District governing who is a presumptive parent must implausible secret evidence. Nevertheless, or are serving time on misdemeanors. The


Court) Final settlement was reached in our be applied equally to same-sex couples as to the government has continued to detain Mr. ACLU designed a voter pamphlet that


class action lawsuit on behalf of disabled married, heterosexual couples. The California Nadarajah while it appeals the case, even was printed by inmates in their graphics |


individuals throughout the greater L.A. area Supreme Court unanimously granted review -_ though it has a policy favoring release in workshop. Information has been distributed | |


who rely on para-transit services. Because in September, 2004. For the first time, the such a situation. Therefore, we filed ahabeas __ within the jail to inmates, and ACLU staff and | |


of the severity of their disabilities, these Court will decide whether same-sex couples _ petition in federal district court seeking volunteers also passed out the pamphlets in | [-


| people are unable to use fixed-route public are bound by the same rules as male- his release. The case presents important the inmate visiting lines.


| transportation. The suit alleged serious female parents in disputes involving custody, issues concerning the extent to which the


| deficiencies in service, including leaving visitation, and child support. government may rely upon secret evidence City of Glendale Sign Ordinance The


disabled people stranded for lengthy periods to make terrorism allegations and deny City of Glendale has an ordinance that


| | of time, often in the heat, rain, or other Meuhler v. Mena (U.S. Supreme Court) protection to refugees. prohibits more than one political lawn sign


| conditions hazardous to their health. The The ACLU/SC will submit an amicus brief per property. We sent a letter to the city


settlement requires, among other things, in a case that raises the issue of whether Weiner v. FBI (U.S. District Court) explaining that the law violated the First |


| additional oversight through an auditor, local police can ask immigration questions to The ACLU/SC filed suit in 1982 to have Amendment. Less than a week later the


| and additional information gathering about a person detained incident to a search of a the FBI turn over documents requested bya -_ City Council voted to suspend the ordinance


Hi Access Services' performance. house. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held __ historian regarding John Lennon. We alleged _ effective immediately, and it will soon vote on


' that such questioning violates established that the government withheld the information whether the ordinance should be rescinded _ ||


Frye v. Tenderloin Housing Clinic, Inc. Fourth Amendment law. The ACLU's amicus for political reasons; the government claimed altogether. The law on this is quite clear:


(California Supreme Court) The three briet argues that the Court should affirm that release of the documents would harm the display of political signs constitutes pure


California ACLU affiliates, together with a the Ninth Circuit's decision. The facts in national security. Over the past 22 years of speech protected by the Constitution.


| WILLIAMS ownwuen Frome 1


sie aa once) are depriving youth of the very thing they _its work to secure the rights of equal |


| est. 1924 emsers need to one day earn a decent standard protection. |


| | of living and, later, fully contribute to


i, society. Lead plaintiff Eli Williams, pictured on


EDITORS HEATHER CARRIGAN, CHRISTOPHER CALHOUN the cover with Gov. Scwarzenegger, said


| "This is about the future of all California's going through the case was a great exper!


| ART DIRECTOR MICHELLE MATTHEWS children," Rosenbaum said. "Without ad- ence. And while he was very excited to


| equate resources, without the decent edu- meet the state's leader, the 16-year-old


| CONTRIBUTORS TENOCH FLORES, ELVIA MEZA, PAM NOLES, CLARISSA WOO cational foundation the state is obligated aspiring cinematographer isn't so dazzled


| to provide, these children were being by star power that he's going to let anyone


ACLU PRESIDENT GARY WILLIAMS flung into the world without the tools they off the hook as the details required by


ACLU FOUNDATION CHAIR JARL MOHN as to get a fair and just start. Public Williams are implemented.


education is the democratizing institution


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RAMONA RIPSTON of our culture. Unequal opportunities af- "The Governor made a promise," Eli said.


forded poor children and children of color "He said it would happen this year, not


separated the haves and have-nots in our _next year or the year after. So believe me, ,


state." if he doesn't come through I'm going to be


on his case." 2


It is because of the generous member


support that the ACLU/SC was able to


| bring Williams v, California and continue =


Requested ( ) paid in-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 9541 0 0 Riverside, and conceived in cooperation with Glenn Goodwin of the Pomona Valley i


f iers, dors, se ies ee 5 hh


(9) Seamer Saige, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution 0x00B0 ; Chapter of the ACLU. ii


(4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 9 ee ee : i


c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 18096, 22,700 f fe | |


0 s |


dFree (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 0 CHAPTE re a ` oe ee `


Distribution 0 0 : : i }


| g Stated on Form 3541 i : : : : .


A LLL 450 450 Each fall the ACLU of Southern California Chapters hold their annual election of off |


j (3) Other Cla ig d : : b {i


| @, Pree Oietrision Outside the Mes Ae ue cers. Chapter-elected members of the Board of Directors shall be elected in October, i


| CO ser 29,408 November or December to take effect January 1, 2003. Representatives to the Annual i


5 Distribution ( f : :


capes Ne srt 1,802 elon Assembly shall be elected prior to November 16. Please call the Chapter contact num | i


f 1 ih _. ae 76% ber listed under Chapter Meetings for the election date scheduled in your region. |


} j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation : iH


lV! Z j


] 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership i ee


X Publication required. Will be printedinthe "Fall 2002 issue of this publication.


i 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner


|


Ml


{9 Publication not required. j : Mi.


Date 40.04.02 i


, Editor eS | Mi


i i e i isleading information on this form i "|


H | certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. | underst'nd that ne who furnishes faise or misleading infor )


i imi i i ing fi imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions MW


or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisot ) | |


: _ | i


|


| (including civil penalties),


FALL 2007 | i


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


ed


BETTER


california


2003/04 ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ANNUAL nate


id


er:


led


one


aid.


ne, |


o be


=


Se


Too often in an election year, we're intensely aware of the stakes, but


the true dimensions and implications of our choices are obscured by the


political games that our leaders play in order to stay in power: personal


attacks, character-related non-issues, and poll-tested pap.


We hunger for vision; instead, we get political commercials.


We yearn for a glimpse of the kind of society we hope to become, but the


headlines and talking heads drag us through an ugly landscape of fear,


doubt, and distraction.


Much, indeed, is at stake in this election year, much more than mere


politics. What are our hopes for the world we inhabit, for the prospects of


our children, for the future of our nation's experiment in democracy?


Sadly, we will hear few meaningful attempts to address this question


during the election, but as part of a community dedicated to the core


values of liberty, justice, and equality, ACLU supporters and advocates do


share a vision of a better society. This report on our work in the last year


illustrates the scope and strength of our vision.


What kind of society are we trying to bring about here in California and


across the country?


The ACLU is working toward a more open and vibrant society by


countering the atmosphere of fear advanced by the current administration


with a vision of a stronger democracy and a renewed commitment to our


rights and liberties, by defending core values of religious liberty and free


speech, and by fighting any efforts on the part of the majority to target or


exclude members of minority groups.


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003


We envision a society that invests in every individual by providing all


children with a good education and other necessities for success. No


society can neglect such an investment without reaping the terrible fruit


of exclusion: division, despair, and fear.


Finally, we believe that our success as a society ultimately rests on caring


for each other and on developing a culture of shared responsibility. We


are fighting for a society whose response to a hearing-impaired boy


whose family can't afford a hearing aid and who is falling further and


further behind in school as a result will no longer be, "Tough luck." We're


fighting for a society that no longer tells a nonviolent Three Strikes


offender, "You're trash. We're throwing you away."


Respect for and belief in our common humanity is the thread that runs


through all of our work. Together, we're creating a society that's based


on openness, inclusion, and compassion. Thank you for your visionary


contribution to a better California.


Sincerely,


Jarl Mohn Gary Williams Ramona Ripston


ACLU/SC ACLU/SC ACLU/SC


Foundation Chair President Executive Director


3/2004 ANNUAL REPORT * A BETTER CALIFORNIA


In times of war and heightened fear,


our nation's commitment to an


open and free society has often


faltered. Since it was founded, the


ACLU of Southern California


has recognized this danger and


fought with increased vigilance


during such eras to preserve and


extend a vision of an open and


culturally vibrant society. During


the red scares that started in the


1930s and extended through the


McCarthy years, the ACLU battled


blacklists, fought to allow third


parties (even unpopular ones such


as the Communist Party) access to


the ballot, and stood up to measures .


that sought to eliminate freedom of = | th


conscience, such as loyalty oaths.


\


we ay


x0


ret


as secu? as


5


One of the proudest moments in our


affiliate's history was our stand during


World War II against the detention


of Japanese American citizens and permanent


residents at a time when the atmosphere of fear and alarm


was even more intense than it is now.


Today, in an era when color-coded security alerts are used


to instill fear and manipulate the political environment, the


ACLU family of organizations has been the undisputed


leader in organizing opposition to the government's efforts


to roll back civil liberties. Our progress over the last three


years has been steady and unfaltering, and our dedication has


yielded critical shifts in popular opinion and in the political


climate.


A climate of fear does not confine


itself, however, to the immediate


objects of its fear, and the ACLU/


SC understands well that in a


time when the very nature of our


society is so closely contested, the


forces seeking to close our society


will choose many strategies to


consolidate power and advance


their agenda, appealing to


authoritarian, "traditional," and


majoritarian values.


An open and vibrant society


celebrates diversity of opinion,


fosters religious freedom, and


recognizes the sexual and


gender diversity of humanity.


The effort to pass the Federal


Marriage Amendment gained


momentum throughout 2003 and


early 2004, presenting a key challenge to civil libertarians.


Coordinating with our national office and others, the


ACLU of Southern California enlisted thousands of


activists in the effort to resist an amendment that would


have indefinitely barred gay and lesbian couples and families


ne Mh


ae! i


ysnould we wat ey 2


Ne


once al


e i 1K


an wyorasta(R) and owt gs pt acy:


were, an


nd ae -


oe eI


or lags oo eand . :


lie! pula ol ae


ie goa Tu


Pie iste cota


A significant test of our efforts came


in early 2003, as Attorney General


Ashcroft prepared to launch a second


even more intrusive version of the


PATRIOT Act, known popularly as


"Patriot 2." The ACLU of Southern


California, along with other ACLU


affiliates nationwide, joined in a


massive letter-writing campaign,


organizing an internet-based voice


of protest that gave Ashcroft and


his supporters in Congress pause.


The bill was stillborn.


Use???


vy erties of


Privacy is a necessary ingredient


of freedom of conscience and


freedom of expression. A


government that monitors its


citizens' reading habits or business


records chills their exercise of


their basic freedoms. The ACLU


of Southern California, working


closely with Californian librarians, our


national office, and Congressperson Bernie Sanders, identified


Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act as a piece of the Ashcroft


agenda that was particularly vulnerable to public backlash and


political challenge. Section 215 allows the federal government


unprecedented new powers to scrutinize individuals' private


library and other business records, without adequate review,


and with no notification.


We developed a website, posters, and bookmarks to educate


the public in California about how the PATRIOT Act


jeopardizes their privacy. We assisted Congressman Sanders


in his efforts to publicize his anti-215 legislative campaign


in California. And in 2003, we continued to highlight


from the protection of our laws and


wiped out hard-won gains at the


state level, including a comprehensive


domestic partner rights bill, AB


205, which we fought for in 2003.


In early 2004, the ACLU/SC also


joined cases challenging California's


discriminatory marriage laws.


Schools are often a central


battleground whose culture and


strictures define a society's openness.


In defending the cultural diversity


theatrical troupe, Fringe Benefits,


from right-wing efforts to exclude


their message from schools, we scored


a significant victory for the forces of


ACLU/SC religious liberty plaintiff Billy Soza Warsoldier openness (see related story on p. 3).


Another key battlefront in preserving


an open society is religious liberty, and the forces that


dominate our political landscape now have made a point of


exploiting sectarian religious belief for their benefit, blurring


our nation's historic commitment to religious liberty, and


fostering government intrusion in religious matters. In 2004,


[ADOW CAST BY


A packed crowd listened to Laura Murpy, Bob Barr, and Grover Norquist discuss the


USA PATRIOT Act at our Town Hall meeting


such dangers with a town hall meeting at Patriotic Hall in


downtown Los Angeles, held with the League of Women


Voters. The issue was also central to our efforts to help


communities pass local resolutions protesting the civil


liberties violations of the PATRIOT Act, and in 2003-04, we |


scored significant new victories on that front, from Pomona


to Los Angeles. Efforts to de-fund Section 215 resulted ina


deadlock.


Our fight against the closing down of American society in the


face of fear continued in other neighboring policy arenas, as


we battled the efforts of anti-immigrant forces in Congress


to pass the CLEAR Act. The CLEAR Act proposed to


tie federal funding of local police departments to their


participation in the enforcement of federal immigration law,


an area local police have almost universally avoided because


of its profoundly negative effect on their ability to police


immigrant communities and ensure the greatest possible


safety to all residents within their jurisdiction. Situated in


the heart of an immigrant-rich metropolis, the ACLU of


Southern California played a critical role in leading the fight


to stop this anti-immigrant measure, a fight that continues.


the ACLU of Southern California garnered a key victory


in its litigation to remove a large Christian cross from


public land in the Mojave National Preserve, overturning


Congressional attempts to create a public forum for one


religion only.


We also defended religious liberty behind bars in the case of


Billy Soza Warsoldier, a Cahuilla American Indian whose


religion proscribes men from cutting their hair except on the


occasion of the death of a loved one.


Finally, the ACLU of Southern California brought to a


successful conclusion its case defending an artist against a


lawsuit by Mattel. The effort helped strengthen individuals


ability to use the cultural materials at their disposal to


comment on the culture that creates them. The loss was


widely considered a wake-up call to Mattel and other


corporations, giving them notice that strong-arm legal


tactics can't be used to shut down parody and artistic


critiques.


Whether a prison warden, a corporation, or the federal


government is the entity attempting to shut down freedom


of conscience, the ACLU continues to stand up and fight


for a vision of an open, vibrant, and free society, a cultural


landscape defined by the lively and enriching interplay of


individual voices and beliefs.


2 ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003/2004 ANNUAL REPORT * A BETTER CALIFORNIA


ine who furnishes false or misleading information on this form


LDA NAS LUE TSI IVT TET (TOTTI TI IE BULLE OARVANTARILEN MLE SAE TALES START RTA SUSAR SIRE IST,


13, Publication Title Open Forum f __ 14, Issue Date for Circulation Data Below Fall 2002


15, Extent and Nature of Circulation = Average No. Copies Each Issue


i During oe 12 Months


a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 26,500 i


b. Paid and/or (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. 18,096


Boe (2) Paid in-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 ? 0


(3 Sales Through Dealers and Garriers, Street Vendors, 0


) Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution


(4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 0


c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 18096


dFree { i Fi 0


DictAbution (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541


(2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541 0


(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 450


@, Free Distribution Outside the Mail 6.152


f. Total Free Distribution 6,602


9- Total Distribution 24,698


h. Copies Not Distributed 4,802


i. Total 26,500


j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 13%


16. Publication of Statement of Ownership


X Publication required. Will be printed inthe Fall 2002 issue of this publication.


17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner


, Editor


| certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. funderst@nd that


or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions


{including civil penalties),


No CoplesofSingleissue =


Published Nearest to Filing Date


22,700


22,470


450


6,568


7,018


29,488


512


34,000


76%


J Publication not required.


Date 40.04.02


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


| : Hi


Nov ee or | D iceman to take effect January. 1, 2003. Representatives to the Annual | i


cory hall be elected prior to November 16. Please call the Chapter contact num- j hi


i ber listed under Chaplet Meeting for the election date scheduled in your region. | Hi


oe of F


: . | i


i i


| i


|


FALL 200% th


}


Gi


Rz


he


et


| gr


Nc


tor


CI


tat


Grace Bartee learned about the play in the San


Ramon Elementary School newsletter, where


as her daughter attended fifth grade. "Cootie Shots:


ss Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry." The title


| grabbed her. It sounded like just the sort of thing


Novato, her beautiful Northern California home,


too often marred by vicious acts, needed.


n the


aw,


Children were often bullied in school, beaten and


taunted with words slurring their race, gender and


. _ _ : _ - _ os more than 150 schools throughout California.


Essence of complaint: =


ht ~ -


ral -_ Result.


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003 /2004 ANNUAL REPORT *


fic Justice institute PJ!) maintained dperfonnane


perceived sexuality. Bartee's son was once called


"nigger at elementary school. A student at San


Marin High School was brutally attacked by peers


who wrote "fag" on his stomach.


Bartee had expressed her worries about the high


school to her husband. What would happen to


their oldest son, who is of white and African


American ancestry?


His response was direct. "You cannot bring change


if you run from it."


"Cootie Shots" was performed in two Novato


elementary schools as part of a district diversity


initiative. The play was created by Fringe Benefits,


a nonprofit educational theater company in


Los Angeles. The age-appropriate messages of


understanding and tolerance emerge from, among


other things, the pain of real children whose


experiences serve as source material for some


skits. Artistic director Norma Bowles said the


company's work has been described as "early hate


crimes prevention."


Bartee was surprised to discover she was one of


only two parents to attend. Though she works


full time as a respiratory therapist, she thought


"Cootie Shots" was important enough to arrange


time off and experience what was being presented


ional ACLU : and Gay Rights Pie .


ional Center for Lesbian a -.


=. Sse : eleme oo achacle. Woven from skits, cent songs and ee - `some fictional some a based on true stories - the play was


3 -=-se-es- a ~S-Ss-seseeseiPeseenteed by Fringe Benefits, a nonprofit, educational theater company based in Los Angeles. Designed to give children the


uals | .@2 7]7]"7]7]7(c)77S=STe foals 7 needed to face bigotry and embrace oe and tolerance, the work was developed in collaboration with more than


ee


. f


_ Dismissed without prejusice September. 2003 _


-- Ss


"Cootie $ Shots" violated parental rohts by exposing children to


| or homesnat agenda against the will of the parent and denying parents an `opt out' clause to prevent children from


- viewing objectionable material. The suit also alleged the performance interfered with a parent's Constitutional right to direct


the upbringing of a child and violated a parent's Constitutional right to free exercise of religion. The suit also claimed there


ss was no advance notice given of the planned performance. In addition to the school district, the lawsuit named individual school


om | si i-st-s---s-ssSS co The ACLU and others stepped in to (c) fight Pil and allow the performances to continue.


to her child. When the performance ended, she


effused to the principal. He asked her to write a


letter. She did.


Later, she opened the local newspaper and read


that the Pacific Justice Institute, a right wing


legal organization, had filed a lawsuit over the


performance against the Novato Unified School


District. A lawsuit - when only two parents


attended.


Citizens for Parental Rights v. Novato Unified


School District angered Bartee. She joined United


for Safe Schools Novato, grassroots advocates


for diversity awareness and educational materials


in local schools. But the group was unequipped


to go up against the institute. When the ACLU


of Southern California and other organizations


stepped in, Bartee began to feel hope.


"We felt we were in this little community fighting


by ourselves," Bartee said. "When the ACLU got


involved, there was light at the end of the tunnel.


There was a chance to stop these people from


getting away with this kind of b.s."


In July 2003 the courts allowed the ACLU to


intervene on behalf of the school board. `That step


made all the difference; in September the Pacific


Justice Institute dropped its action.


A BETTER CALIFORNIA 3


Throughout our history, reformers, from the abolitionists


to the civil rights leaders of the mid-20" century, have


recognized that access to education is a fundamental


precondition for every aspect of participation in our society


(from exercising one's democratic rights, to securing a living


for oneself and one's family, to being fully able to exercise


freedom of conscience and speech). Education is the core


investment that society makes in an individual's intellectual


development and prospects for the future.


Early in its history, the ACLU of Southern California


became a friend of the court on behalf of 8-year-old Sylvia


Mendez, who was denied admission to a white public school


in Orange County. We helped overturn the Westminster


school district's practice of segregation in the case Mendez v.


Westminster, which predated Brown v. Board of Education by


eight years and started the end of segregation in California.


But just as Brown didn't fully solve the problem of inequality


in education, California continued to face patterns of


inequality for decades, driven by de facto residential


segregation, by neglect of schools attended predominately


by students of color, and by a state governance structure


that turned a blind eye to the vastly inferior education that


millions of California students receive - the lack of text


books and materials, the scarcity of trained teachers, and


degraded, unhealthful facilities. As a result, in 2000, the


ACLU of Southern California, along with a host of other


advocacy groups and the pro bono counsel of the law firm


Morrison and Foerster, challenged California's provision of


inadequate education to so many of its children, (see related


story on p. 18).


In today's economy, education beyond the high school level


determines a person's lifelong opportunities and earning


power. California, since the passage of Proposition 209


has faced the difficult challenge of ensuring that the doors


to higher education are open to all without possessing


the affirmative action tools that have proven effective in


Battles for equality in


education and city youth


programs don't always


shape up along lines of


race and class. Indeed, the


ACLU has participated


in ground-breaking


campaigns to extend our


society's understanding


of equality by focusing


attention on the barriers


that girls and lesbian, gay,


bisexual, and transgender


(LGBT) students too


often face. _


Amorette Avila, ACLU/SC gender


equity plaintiff Continuing a six-year-


old litigation and public


education campaign for


gender equality in city sports programs, the ACLU of


Southern California filed suit against the city of La Puente


for providing girl softball players with grossly inferior fields


and facilities than it provided to boy baseball players. The


girl softball players stood up to this unfairness, and the


ACLU/SC, with a track record of success in challenging


-EQUALITY FOR


14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below _ Fall 2002


No. Copies EachIssue No.CopiesofSinglelssue


_ Published Nearest to Filing Date


Ine who furnishes false or misleading information on this form


seem my ema rgrancematgsnwrota ty sys heme me nsf ree ms


| 13, Publication Title Open Forum : :


16. "Extent and Nature of Circulation -0x2122" Average :


es During Preceding 12 Months _


a, Total Number of Copies (Net press run) - ogs0g


b. Paid and/or (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. 18,096


pomasie (2) Paid in-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 ; 0


(3) a Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, 0


unter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution


(4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 0


c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 18096.


Oe en (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 9


(2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541 0


(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 450


@, Free Distribution Outside the Mail 6.152


f. Total Free Distribution 6,602


g- Total Distribution 24,698


h. Copies Not Distributed 4,802


i. Total 26,500


j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 13%


16. Publication of Statement of Ownership


X Publication required. Will be printed in the Fall 2002 issue of this publication.


17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner


, Editor


| certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. funderstnd that


or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions


{including civil penalties),


[2 Publication not required.


Date 40.04.02


-EpUCATION: THE Passport TO WHAT'S POSSIBLE-


ACLU/SC Executive Director Ramona Ripston


at the Prop. 54 victory party


achieving that goal. This challenge informed three of our


top priority campaigns in 2003-04.


Proposition 54, the brainchild of UC Regent Ward


Connerly, who felt that Proposition 209 hadn't gone far


enough, sought to ban the state's collection or use of data


on race or ethnicity. Among other consequences, the


effect would have been crippling to the effort to ensure


greater access to higher education to students from


under-represented communities. The ACLU of Southern


California worked with civil rights and health groups


throughout the state to fight the measure and communicate


to the public that it would have made educational outreach


programs, targeted public health campaigns, and civil rights


law enforcement virtually impossible. Providing leadership


on the executive committee of the campaign and developing


the campaign's core information, messages, and strategies


well in advance of the election, the ACLU and other civil


rights groups who joined us in organizing the opposition to


such inequities, successfully pushed in the courts for


settlement. But the La Puente athletes and the ACLU/SC


wanted to make sure that other girls' teams benefited, too,


and so, in 2003, we launched legislation to require equality


in city sports programs for youth.


LGBT students face a different form of discrimination.


Despite passage of a landmark law in 1999 that protects


students from harassment and discrimination on the basis


of sexual orientation or gender identity, students still face


routine harassment and violence. In response, the ACLU/


SC helped launch the California Safe Schools Coalition


two years ago to focus attention at both the state and local


levels on the implementation of our nondiscrimination law.


In January, 2004, the Coalition released the largest study


ever of the problem of harassment on the basis of sexual


orientation in schools. The coalition analyzed data from


over 230,000 students and, extrapolating from that data,


showed that 7.5% of all students, or more than 200,000


California students between the 7" and 12" grade, are


harassed each year on the basis of sexual orientation - with


severe negative consequences to their health and well-


being. But the coalition also developed research showing


that schools can take steps to make a difference, including


making sure students are informed of a nondiscrimination


22,700


22,470


6,568


7,018


29,488


512


34,000


76%


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


SIRLS AND FoR LGBT STuDENTS


this reckless and dangerous measure laid the groundwork fo,


an overwhelming 64%-36% victory at the polls.


But shortly after the special election that yielded


this decisive progressive victory, the new Republican


administration unveiled another attempt to erode access


to higher education for students of color: Governor


Schwarzenegger's first draft budget for 2004 included


a controversial proposal to wipe out the University of


California's and California State University's outreach


programs, which, to some extent, had succeeded in


compensating for 209's devastating effects. In fact, since


209, outreach programs have grown in importance as a


way of ensuring that the University of California reaches


historically under-represented communities and provides


opportunities to students from those communities. Amon


African American UC freshmen last fall, 35.8% had taken


part in an outreach program. Among Latino freshmen,


the number was even higher: 46.6%. The ACLU, working


with tens of thousands of students and with the outreach


program staff, launched an immediate Internet campaign


and followed it up with several "Access for All" fax days. The


funds were partially restored.


In 2003-04, we continued another critical campaign to


provide access to higher education for undocumented,


long-time resident students. After a successful campaign


to overturn California's requirement that such students pay


exorbitant "out-of-state" tuition fees, we trained our sights


on changing federal law so that the same students could


become eligible for federally-funded state financial aid


programs. The ACLU/SC led Southern California efforts


to support the DREAM Act, a bipartisan effort to remove


the block on financial aid, helping coordinate and support a


youth-led public education and lobbying effort in support of


the bill, which is still in progress.


policy, supporting Gay-Straight Alliances, training teachers


to intervene, and other steps.


Coincidentally, one of the school districts in which the


coalition needed to advocate for LGBT students most


actively in 2003-04 was the Orange County district


of Westminster - the same district where the


ACLU/SC's history of educational equity litigation began.


In 2003, Westminster insisted that it needn't include actud


or perceived gender in its nondiscrimination policy, and


the firestorm that erupted as the district played a game of


brinksmanship with the state produced an outcome few


in the safe schools movement would have ever predicted:


a room of over 1,000 community members, teachers, and


parents in a conservative Orange County district showing


up to protest loudly and vigorously an effort to discriminate


against gender non-conforming students. The district,


facing pressure from advocates, parents, and the state,


revised its policy.


Only through taking affirmative actions can we ensure that


each and every person has the opportunity to reach their


full potential, whether in the classroom or on the playing


field, and only through doing so can we reach our own full


potential as a society.


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003/2004 ANNUAL REPORT * A BETTER CALIFORNIA


ia Chapters hold their annual election of offi


Board of Directors shall be elected in October, _


January 1, 2003, Representatives to the Annual |


smber 16. Please call the Chapter contact num- _ | i |


the election date scheduled in your region,


FALL 200: tt


Sc


As


An


He


oth


W)


I in |


ran


tile


neg


K for


CUCT


School conditions such as these were documented


in the Williams case


he Asan Army kid moving through posts from Texas to


pay


hts


rts


ove


ort a


ort of


nate


that


it


is,


full


American Samoa, Eli Williams went to a lot of schools.


He came to understand them, what made some good and


others ... not so.


When his family settled in San Francisco and Eli enrolled


in Luther Burbank Middle School, he knew the place


ranked "not so." In gym, kids worried about falling ceiling


tiles. Broken lockers wouldn't open, requiring many to


negotiate with peers to share storage space. In classrooms,


the occasional rodent fled across the floor while kids tried


INDIVIDUAL


3 Tue WILuiaMs Case: BREAKING NEw GROUND IN


THE Civit R1iGHTs STRUGGLE OvER EDUCATION


to study from ancient books pocky with


missing chapters. Often a textbook was


little more than a tattered photocopy


tossed down through the ages.


"I'm wondering, what is the school


district doing?," said Eli, now 16 and


a senior at Balboa High School. "Why


are they treating different schools


differently?"


It was a question asked throughout


California for decades, and in May of


joined by a statewide network of civil


rights groups, filed suit to change the


answer. Willams v. California demanded


the state provide students with critical


basics for education: clean and safe schools, updated


textbooks and qualified teachers.


Eh Willams today


When she started working on the case, ACLU-SC staff


attorney Catherine Lhamon was shocked to hear of the


appalling conditions in some schools. Her dismay fueled


action as she spent the bulk of her five years with the


ACLU/SC working on the case. The fight was difficult;


then-governor Gray Davis racked up an $18 million bill


hiring a private law firm to resist.


ds cent the actual school sites. whe includes $20 million to inventory sites and


capacity i in order to pee these schools and oversee repairs in those


2000, the ACLU of Southern California,


In August, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to a


landmark settlement of Williams. 2004 marks the 50%


anniversary of Brown v. Board, which called for the


elimination of school segregation.


"It's the best thing I've ever done," Lhamon said. "I think


public education is the key to everyone's future. This is the


civil rights struggle for this generation."


Eli, an aspiring cinematographer, still thrills at the


memory of helping the lawyers gather needed evidence.


A seventh-grader at the time, he took the disposable


cameras his father provided and photographed "how


everything was messed up" at Luther Burbank. If the


principal looked at him funny every once in a while, Eli


kept on, remembering his father's words.


Sweetie Williams, pastor of First Samoan Full Gospel


Pentecostal Church, told Eli dirty looks meant nothing.


What mattered was the future for all children.


"I hope this is going to be a real solution. What we have


is a real problem happening to real people," Reverend


Williams said. "These are our children. They are supposed


to be the future of our families, our communities and


our country. We still got generations and generations to


come.


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003/2004 ANNUAL REPORT 0x00B0 A BETTER CALIFORNIA


One of the core values of the ACLU of Southern California


is an emphasis on a broad agenda that encompasses


economic rights and extends beyond a circumscribed list


of civil liberties issues. The ACLU of Southern California


believes that the only way to achieve true liberty and


equality is to bring about a society that cares about each


individual member's basic well-being and institutes


public policies that embody that caring through a shared


responsibility for one another.


The linkage between economic welfare and liberty and


justice issues was apparent to the Southern California


affiliate from the very moment of our inception, over 80


years ago, as Upton Sinclair faced a violent police force and


a corrupt criminal justice system, risking his life to speak out


in support of San Pedro longshoremen's right to assemble


and organize for better working conditions. Wrapped up in


this moment were three threads that we continue to pursue


Our emphasis on a caring society and a society of shared


responsibility finds expression in many of the basic social


systems affecting the most vulnerable and, in some cases, (c)


despised members of our society.


Los Angeles County, with the nation's largest foster care


system, has a dismal and disheartening record of keeping


track of and providing the necessary treatment for the


children in its charge. Many of the most troubled children,


those most in need of therapy and individual attention, had


been warehoused for years in a jail-like, Dickensian county


But the truest - and toughest - test of a


society's compassion and the depth of its


belief in the inherent worth of every person


is its criminal justice system. Does it operate


fairly in every phase of its operations, from law


enforcement, through trial, to sentencing? Does


it provide for humane conditions to those who


are convicted of crimes? Is its basic approach one


of rehabilitation or one of vengeance?


By these measures, California has a long way to


go. The Los Angeles Police Department, still


emerging from the abuse crisis that necessitated


a consent decree monitored by the ACLU and


the federal government, has made strides, but


remains a work in progress - a work we're


active in shaping and influencing through our


vigorous participation in monitoring the consent


decree on behalf of affected communities.


Likewise, the Los Angeles County jail system,


which we monitor under another consent


decree, continues to require rigorous scrutiny


and oversight. In 2003, the ACLU added staff


to strengthen our oversight capacity, and we


After an action campaign by the ACLU and FACTS, Pam


Martinez, a former Third Striker, won clemency from Governor


Schwarzenegger in her dispute with the state over time served


today: core liberties in the form of freedom of speech and


the freedom to assemble, injustice in our criminal justice


system, and economic justice issues.


The lack of health care security continues to dominate


California households' list of domestic concerns, and our


health care system, under the duress of untrammeled cost


increases and the rising population of the uninsured, is in


a state of crisis. In addition to pursuing a global solution


to these problems (see related article below), the ACLU


of Southern California took targeted litigation and policy


action to defend and expand access to health care in 2003-


04.


Faced with cuts that would devastate critical portions of


Los Angeles County's safety net for injured and disabled


people in need of rehabilitation, the ACLU/SC joined other


local groups in filing suit to stop the closure of Rancho Los


facility called MacLaren, where they were so neglected that


their care was characterized by ACLU attorneys on the


case as "amounting to government-sponsored child abuse."


The ACLU filed suit against the county in 2003, alleging


systemic failures to provide the treatment and care specified


by state and federal laws. The county, recognizing the


undeniable truth of these charges, quickly settled. MacLaren


has been closed.


In 2003, the ACLU also took action on behalf of Los


Angeles' homeless population. As demand for shelter beds


continue to work


on a daily basis


taking complaints,


conducting


inspections, and


advocating for


inmates' rights


- critical, difficult,


and unsung work to


make Los Angeles


County a more


humane place.


Perhaps the most


telling example


of California's


humanity deficit


is its treatment of


nonviolent Third


Strike offenders.


California is


the only state


in the nation to


apply 25-years-


to-life sentences


to nonviolent


Amigos, the premiere county facility providing such services,


We successfully secured an injunction that prevented the


closure and other cuts.


In 2003, we worked with allies in labor to push for SB 2,


a bill that expands health care coverage to an additional


1.1 million Californians by requiring businesses that


are shirking their duties to provide health coverage to


begin sharing the responsibility for health care, rather


than sending their workers to public programs, or worse,


emergency rooms. McDonald's, Macy's, and other


businesses that wanted to continue shirking or to divest


themselves of this shared responsibility bankrolled an effort


to overturn the law. That referendum, Proposition 72, will


be on the November, 2004 ballot.


lost Vulnerable-


increased by 19% in 2002, the steepest rise in a decade, itt


and 32% of shelter requests by homeless families in Los


Angeles could not be met, Los Angeles answered this crisis


by enforcing an ordinance that bans sitting or sleeping ive


on sidewalks. Law enforcement, acting at the behest of


downtown business interests, began a policy of conducting


skid row sweeps, instilling fear and disrupting the tenuous


lives of those who had no place else to go. The ACLU filed 7


suit against the city. offe


pray


were


her


`prol


As cent


regi


bl ce


she |


indi


spec


" situc


third strike offenses such as stealing diapers or bread, or


possessing a small quantity of drugs. As U.S. Supreme Court Eve:


Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out in a minority opinion Wh


regarding a Three Strikes challenge we brought jointly with she:


Professor Erwin Chemerinsky in 2002, at no other point in


our nation's history has a person been sent to prison with


an indeterminate life sentence for an offense as minor as


shoplifting. Thousands of families have been torn apart, ant


our legislature has failed in nine consecutive attempts to


amend the law, despite overwhelming public support.


The ACLU of Southern California continued its strong


partnership with Families to Amend California's Three


Strikes (FACTS) throughout 2003-04, working to develop


an initiative campaign strategy, then jumping into high gear


when it became apparent that an initiative to fix the law's


flaws would at last be placed before voters in November, |


2004.


Caring for all, caring for the most vulnerable, and caring fo!


the most despised: collectively, these acts of caring constitutt


a culture of shared responsibility, and this is the true measutt


of a society's civilization. Our work, though unfinished, 1s


guided by a vision that moves us closer to a better Californit


6 j ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003/2004 ANNUAL REPORT' A BETTER CALIFORNIA


ine who furnishes faise or misleading information on this form


pound] Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement)


48, Publication Title Open Forum 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below Fall 2002


15, Extent and Nature of Circulation - Average No. Copies Each Issue


During Preceding 12 Months _


a, Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 26,500


b. Paid and/or (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541. 18,096


esa (2) Paid in-County Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 : 0


3 Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, 0


'3) Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution


(4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 0


c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 18096.


dFree (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 0


Distribution


(2) n-County as Stated on Form 3544 0


(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 450


@. Free Distribution Outside the Mail 6.152


f.. Total Free Distribution 6,602


g- Total Distribution 24/698


h. Copies Not Distributed 4,802


i. Total 26,500


j.) Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 13%


16. Publication of Statement of Ownership


X Publication required. Will be printed in the Fall 2002 issue of this publication.


47. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner


, Editor


| certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. |' underst 8nd that


or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions


{including civil penalties).


(No Copies ofSingleissue


`Published Nearest to Filing Date


22,700


22,470


450


6,568


7,018


29,488


512


34,000


76%


{2 Publication not required.


Date 40.04.02


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA


| fornia Chapiers | hold ther annual election a off |


Ss of the Board of Directors shall be elected in October, i


ke effect January 1, 2003. Representatives to the Annual | i |


November 16. Please call the Chapter contact num i


for the 2 lection date scheduled in your fegien |


FALL 200! Hi


~ 7 MILiion UNINSURED CALIFORNIANS


Dr. ae Garcia examines patient Vilencia Me Herron at the


ae Pomona Community Health Center


Patricia Clendenin knew something was wrong, but knew that,


without health insurance, there was nothing to do but save. Save and


pray.


risis


She finally scraped together the money to pay for tests, and the results


were devastating: cancer. The cancerous polyps were removed from


Ing her colon in 2002, but Clendenin is living in fear.


DUS


led "{ haven't had a colonoscopy since then," she says, and she knows


she needs regular screening. She also needs a procedure to correct a


prolapsed bladder.


As a certified nursing assistant working temporary jobs through a


registry, Clendenin is trying to support herself but has no insurance.


`I can't afford not to work," she said, but by earning a little too much,


- she could threaten the limited health care she does have access to:


indigent care. Indigent care leaves much to be desired, making


specialists, tests, and other necessities for someone in Patricia's


situation difficult to access.


out Even if she could afford private insurance, it might not be available.


n When she contacted Blue Cross about an individual plan, she learned


vith she would have to be cancer-free for five years just to be eligible.


tin


"Introduced: "


At stake:


are uninsured.


_ Medicine.


Oulcome


- California will take vos


The Health Care for All Californians Act (Kueh)


ecent Our current system leaves out 1ind5 Californians; nearly 7 million Californians


e 83% of the uninsured belong to working families.


ee | of every 2 bankruptcies is connected to medical bills.


ee The uninsured have a 25/ higher mortality rate, ecceraing! to the Institute of


The ACLU, syorcna with ihe doy group Health ; Care for All - California. won


_a key victory in 2004 in an early legislative test. Securing universal health care in


LIVE IN FEAR


For Clendenin and the approximately 7 million uninsured


Californians, hope is on the horizon. It's a distant horizon, but


one the ACLU helped bring a step closer in the last year. With the


support of the ACLU and other groups, Senator Sheila Kuehl's


"Health Care for All Californian's Act," SB 921, which would provide


health care for every resident, passed out of the Assembly Health


Committee on a 12-5 vote. This was a critical early test in what's


sure to be a long battle to create a single-payer, universal health care


system in California. By redirecting health care money now being


wasted on administrative costs and drug company profits, California


could deliver comprehensive care for every resident without raising


the overall cost.


"I see patients every day whose health - whose very survival - is


threatened because they don't have access to comprehensive health


care," said Dr. Jamie Garcia, who runs the Pomona Community


Health Center, and who joined the ACLU in its lobbying effort


in support of SB 921. "I know a boy whose family couldn't afford


to treat their son's ear infections and who then couldn't afford a


hearing aid to compensate for his resulting hearing impairment. He


fell behind in school. What will become of him? By neglecting him


today, we risk losing the full value of his contributions to our society


tomorrow.


"With regular access to a pediatrician and inexpensive treatment, he


wouldn't be disabled."


Despite the overwhelming need, moving the plan forward over the


opposition of entrenched interests will require support from members


of the public and from the private sector. Mike Suarez, president


of the Pomona Valley Latino Chamber of Commerce, joined the


ACLU's efforts to lobby Assemblywoman Gloria Negrete McLeod on


behalf of the bill.


"She was on the fence and, lo and behold, she voted for it," he said.


His chamber's officers voted to support the bill, Suarez said, but


many business people don't realize they could be relieved of workers'


compensation costs as well.


If that message gets out, he said, he thinks they'll back universal


health care for Californians. With 25-30% of every health dollar


wasted every year on overhead and with costs escalating every year,


Suarez believes, the business sector is a sleeping giant that will soon


awaken and demand fundamental change.


ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 2003/2004 ANNUAL REPORT A BETTER CALIFORNIA


ACLU FOUNDATION


Burt Lancaster?


_ Danny Goldberg


. Jeffrey 2 Douglas, Esq.


Hon. John J. Duran


_ Alan Friet


_ Leo Frumkin


_ Mary Ellen Gale


_ Gary Gersh


Bob Gluck -


___ Danny Goldberg


_ Ken Hertz


Barry Hirsch


BOARD OF DIRECTORS


CHAIRS EMERITI Robert Kayyem


Irving Lichtenstein, MDt Roger L. Kohn


OFFICERS


Susan Adelman


Alan Bergman


Jay Boberg


Alan Gieltsman


Ellen Greenstone


Bob L, Johnson


Allan K. Jonas


Louis Colen


Irma Colen


OF COUNSEL


Paul Hoffman


Shari Leinwand


Sidney Machtinger


Robert Ornstein


BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Steven Ades


Aris Anagnos


Lawrence Bender


Peter Benedek


Daniel Benzali


Marilyn Bergman -


Mark Brazil


Frank Cooper Ill


_ Barbara Corday


: Richard Dreyfuss _


Michael Fleming


Sherry Frumkin


Richard Gibbs


Elyse Grinstein -


Stanley Grinstein


Mitchell Kaplan. oo


_ Jonathan Kaufelt


= Zuade Kaufman


ACLU/SC BOARD OF


PRESIDENT


Gary Williams


OFFICERS


Silvia Argueta


Lupe Dominguez


Catherine Fisk


Glenn Goodwin


Isabelle Gunning


Roger L. Kohn


Alan Toy


BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Susan Adelman


Rodolfo Alvarez


John Arasan


Rose Ash


Joaquin G. Avila


Rebecca Avila


Tony Bhadury


Gloria Blume


yenvonne Williams Boyd


Paul Brindley


Antonio Brown


Vern L. Bullough


Ken Chotiner


David Cruz


Betty Ann Downing


Mary Ellen Gale


Judith Glass


Danny Goldberg


Ann Goldberg


Laura Gomez


Matthew Grayson


__ Antonio Villaraigosa _


Nick Wechsler _ -


DanWeiss


. James Whitmore


JoAnne Willens Widzer


Gareth Wigan __


Gary Willams


Ted Williams. - |


- - |


_ Dennis Lavinthal


Gary Mandinach


: Camryn Manheim


- _ Steven Markoff


Robin Meadow


Wendy Smith Meyer


Douglas E. Mirell


Jari Mohn


Stephen Moses


Jerry Moss


Rozann Newman


Frederick Nicholas


Rick Nicita


Lainey O'Connell


Robert Ornstein


Ellen Palevsky


Max Palevsky


Sarah Jessica Parker


Donald Passman


Jeanne Phillips


Phil Quartararo


Judy Balaban Quine


Andrea Rich


Stephen F Rohde


Richard Rosenzweig


Ellen Schneiderman


Julie Bergman Sender


`Stanley K. Sheinbaum


Alan Sieroty


Amy Sommer


Fred Specktor


Rita Spiegel


__ Leonard Stone


_ David Lee Strasberg


Barbra Streisand


__ Kate Summers |


Barry Tarlow


Carol Tavris


Thomas Unterman


Irwin Winkler -


ceWokK


BeatriceZeiger


OF DIRECTORS


Nancy Greenstein


- Ellen Greenstone


Ty Griffin


Cheryl Harris


Carrie Hempel


Rob Hennig


Rita Henry


Kenneth K. Inouye


Patricia Johansen


Shelan Joseph


Rosa Kaplan


Jacob Kazanjian


~ Rae Klaus


Michael S. Klein


J. M. Lawson, Jr


Vanessa Lee


Alba Nydia Marrero


Douglas E. Miretl


Jari Mohn


Hannah Naiditch


Jean Olson


R. Samuel Paz


Birdie Reed


Anne Richardson


Cheryll Roberts


Stephen F Rohde


William Rubenstein


Selma Rubin


Marvin Schachter


Paul Schrade


Amy Brotslaw Schweiger


Nat Segaloff


Al Vezzetti


Anastacio Vigil


es


Page: of 12