Glenn wrote:
For us to
have one shred of respect for Wendell Lewis and the UCD
board, they must immediately release the details of their
written protocol or policy for the use of these
"community service prisoners."
glenn, the only thing on ucd's website I could find about
this 'policy' is here:
http://www.ucityphila.org/ucd_programs/public_safety/community_court
and as far as I can tell, it doesn't mention anything about
ucd doing work connected with political stuff or elections
or candidates, and as far as I can tell the work they have
performed under this program since 2002 (the list at the
bottom) is all within ucd's boundaries, while malcolm x park
is not.
ps-- I think if al has it right (that fenton is being held
[so far] as a 'scapegoat' and that his rapped knuckles
becomes the thing that satisfies everyone that the issue's
been addressed) -- it may leave ucd the organization from
taking responsibility or changing itself, and leave us with
little reason to do more than simply react.
that's why on the list I've been focusing on developing a
set of responsibilities -- for ucd and us -- that we'd
expect, publicly, of a service organization and of
ourselves, allegations or not. regardless of the outcome, I
see this incident as a terrific opportunity to get people to
think about this, because it's a situation unlike the usual
premise, which is that ucd is unquestionably all-good and
ineluctably all-beneficial, a self-defined and
self-congratulatory entity acting for the good of all -- all
of which makes it difficult to define any rigorous system of
public checks/balances (ie, responsibilities).
and so far I've been trying to assemble, by way of
conversation, a set of ideas:
1. ucd is primarily accountable to us (us as sharreiff
defined), not to ucd
2. ucd's performance/actions should be
evaluated/investigated/monitored on an ongoing basis by an
agency independent of ucd [ie, none of us would have known
about this if it weren't for the students, and none of us
will know the outcome except via ucd's investigation.]
and I'd like to suggest we add:
3. we should develop the means whereby ucd communications
are public, timely and proactive (ie, not with just some of
our neighborhood organizations, or only via news
editors/reporters, or as a delayed reaction -- all of which
can create a situation where people in the neighborhood have
different access to partial information, or a situation
where rumors and speculation develop, putting the entire
neighborhood in a bad light, publicly.)
4. ucd's boundaries should be clearly defined and maintained
(ie, it should be clear to everyone inside and outside the
boundaries where ucd performs services, where they do not.
it should not be a 'moving' boundary, determined by
individuals on an ad hoc basis ['one block further east
today, 3 blocks further west next week, 18 blocks further on
alternate fridays, but only for barbeques, and only if no
other blocks within the boundaries need sweeping' etc.])
any other suggestions? feel free to revise, add, etc.
..................
UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN
[aka laserbeam®]
[aka ray]
SERIAL LIAR. CALL FOR RATES.
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