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10. Congress must call on the Justice Department to honor its commitment to monitor and issue annual reports documenting instances of police misconduct throughout the country. This promise was made in the wake of the Rodney King incident and has yet to be acted upon.

[Page: H1269]  GPO's PDF

   Declaration Against Surrender--Congressman Major Owens

   THE DECLARATION AGAINST SURRENDER

   In the last forty years more than fifty outrageous killings of New York citizens by the police have gone unpunished. From the children, Clifford Glover and Randolph Evans, to grandmother Eleanor Bumpers, mental patient Gideon Bush, and immigrant Amadou Diallo, the callous actions of individual policemen have been supported and excused by a collaborating judicial system; by the establishment press and media; by the power brokers and the permanent governors of NYC. We declare that the Caring Majority of NYC will no longer surrender to these gross injustices.

   THE TARGETS AND THE GOALS

   --The Caring Majority Must Be Empowered To Realize How Strong They Are

   --City Hall Must be Made To Understand The Ultimate Power Of The Caring Majority

   --The Police And The Power Brokers Must Be Made To Understand The Limitations Of Their Control

   --Reasonable Demands Must Receive A Respectful Response, Serious Negotiations And Meaningful Legislation Action

   Our primary goal is to provide leadership for the following:

   Negotiations to achieve the ten demands for police and criminal justice reform set forth on March 27, 1999.

   Necessary actions to achieve intervention in the Diallo case by the U.S. Justice Department and the prosecution of the four police defendants for the violation of the Civil Rights of Amadou Diallo.

   An Appeal to the United Nations to secure an objective review of the violations of minority human rights in the United States as evidenced by: a national pattern of systemic police brutality with recurring unjustified homicides; death penalty laws which result in a disproportionate number of minorities executed and a high probability of innocent victims on death row; widespread officially sanctioned racial profiling; exposures of massive long-term corruption and illegal arrests in police departments; a great racial disparity in sentencing; the imprisonment of two million persons most of whom are poor and members of minority groups.

   Sponsorship of periodic ``Weeks of Outrage'' with citywide nonviolent actions including civil disobedience. Such ``Weeks of Outrage'' will be periodically sponsored until our just demands are met.

   The list of the ten demands set forth on March 27, 1999 are attached at the end of this Call Statement.

   STRATEGY AND TACTICS

   Using non-violent principles and techniques the purpose and mission of the ``Week Of Outrage'' is to provide every outraged citizen with an opportunity to publicly express that outrage and bear witness to the fact that the ``Caring Majority'' of New York City will not surrender to the oppression of the police establishment and the collaborating criminal justice system.

   For each of five days in all five boroughs Action Groups shall simultaneously assemble at several strategically selected protest sites within each borough for a citywide total of no less than fifteen sites. The non-violent soldiers at each site shall rally, march, conduct civil disobedience or engage in any other pre-planned non-violent activity. The absolute necessity is that citywide actions take place simultaneously in order to demonstrate the lack of capacity of the police to control citizens who are righteously indignant and organized. New York City belongs to the people and each day's coordinated mass actions will deliver the message of this forgotten truth.

   In order to maximize citizen participation and conserve resources the primary strategy for the assembled Action Groups shall be to march through key streets and intersections in ways that take command of the thoroughfares and public places. Civil disobedience with pre-planned arrests shall be carefully targeted. Most of each operation will be merely the assertion of the right to assemble--and for this activity no one can be arrested.

   The decision-making structure for the ``Week Of Outrage'' shall be lean, decentralized and flexible. There shall be an overall ``Caring Majority'' citywide Coordinating Committee and each borough shall have a Borough Coordinating Committee. Each Action Groups must choose its own Captains and Marshals. Action Group must have representation at all planning sessions and must accept a set of Caring Majority Non-Violent Principles and Procedures; however, approval of specific and detailed action plans will not be mandated.

   The Week Of Outrage War Plan

   To drive home the self-evident truth that the City belongs to the people and that the police and the power brokers can only operate with ``the consent of the governed'', five days of coordinated citywide actions are necessary.

   On Sunday prior to the first day of activity Meditation and Evaluation Rallies will be held in each borough to finalize the week's master-plan.

   On Monday the important first day of action must be launched on a test scale in order to pinpoint problems and weaknesses.

   On Tuesday an attempt will be made to raise the level of activity and to maximize the repetition of the most effective actions.

   On Wednesday the peak of participation will be reached.

   On Thursday and Friday variations and innovations in activity will be maximized.

   The Daily Outrage Action Schedule

   In accordance with the Daily Outrage Action Plan that has been agreed on during a Meditation and Evaluation Rally on the night before, Action Groups must assemble each morning at the designated protest sites. At the designated sites actions must begin simultaneously throughout New York City.

   Morning Actions must be conducted in ways that maximize participation by local residents. In selected neighborhoods within each borough, demonstrators must assemble without notifying the police in advance.

   Transitional Activities must move the masses to a designated citywide central protest site in Manhattan. This means that local morning actions should end by 1 P.M. in time for the citywide high visibility action of the day to begin by 3 P.M.

   Afternoon Action will be conducted at a designated site of high visibility and great traffic vulnerability in the heart of the City. Without engaging in civil disobedience the number of participants must be great enough to stop the business-as-usual activities of the business community.

   Evening Meditation and Evaluation Rallies shall be conducted in each borough. A review of strengths and weaknesses must take place and clear directions be given for the next day's Outrage Action Schedule.

   THE WEAPONS AND RESOURCES

   A non-violent crusade must be an organized mobilization which understands how to best utilize its weapons and resources:

   Mobile Cell Phones must be available in large numbers to maximize communication at all times. A set of vital numbers will be compiled.

   Cameras of all kinds must be recruited to record incidents, especially the actions of the police. Each Action Group must have a Camera Unit responsible for coverage of the action from the periphery out of the reach of possible confiscation by the police.

   Bull Horns must be spread through each large group.

   Marshalls and Captains must be thoroughly trained to keep order, and to contain and isolate the agents of sabotage.

   A Legal Unit with at least one law student or paralegal must be attached to each Action Group.

   An Emergency Unit with at least one person capable of administering first aid must be a part of each Action Group.

   THE CEASE FIRE AND EVALUATION

   At the end of the ``Week Of Outrage'' a cease fire will be called for an indefinite period of time while the following factors are evaluated:

   --Has the pressure of the week's actions forced the Mayor, the Governor and the other significant power brokers to respond to the stated demands?

   --Has the one week crusade raised the level of awareness and strengthened the resolve of the ``Caring Majority'' to fight for justice ?

   --Are the ranks of the ``Caring Majority'' expanding in all segments of the City's population?

   --Can future similar ``Weeks of Outrage'' be sustained with existing resources?

   --What strengths and weaknesses in the operation have thus far been identified?

   --What are the adjustments in structure with respect to decision-making and leadership which need to be made?

   --Can the one week crusade be effectively turned off with the capacity to resume at a later date?

   Mr. Speaker, the rest of my presentation is also concerned with the budget. I wanted to deal thoroughly with point seven. Point seven is juvenile justice and law enforcement. This is our seventh priority in the Congressional Black Caucus budget. Let me go back and deal with item one. Housing, health care, economic development, livable communities, foreign aid, welfare, low-income assistance, those are all important, but item one is education.

   In the remaining time I have, I would like to talk about our emphasis on education. The caring majority budget begins with the following introduction. We call our budget the Congressional Black Caucus Budget, a Budget for Maximum Investment and Opportunity.

   ``Carrying forward the great Democratic Party traditions of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, Harry Truman's Marshall Plan and health care proposals, Lyndon Johnson's Great Society that produced Medicaid and Medicare. As advocates for the Democratic Party mainstream philosophy, the Congressional Black Caucus sets forth this budget for maximum investment and opportunity.

   ``As we prepare the year 2001 budget, we are blessed by the long warm rays of the sun of a coming decade of surpluses. Compassion and vision are no longer blocked by the specter of budget deficits. The conservative estimate is

[Page: H1270]  GPO's PDF

   I was pleased to hear that the Blue Dog budget, I do not know why they call themselves Blue Dogs but the conservative Democrats they are, the conservative Democrats are almost in agreement with what we are proposing on education. I will get back to that in a few minutes.

   ``Investment for the future must be our first priority. Maximizing opportunities for individual citizens is synonymous with maximizing the growth and expansion of a U.S. superpower economy. It is the ``age of information,'' stupid. It is the time of the computer and digitalization. It is the era of thousands of high level vacancies because there are not enough information technology workers. With enlightened budget decisions we can at this moment begin the shaping of the contours of a new cyber-civilization.

   ``If we fail to seize this moment to make investments that will allow our great Nation to surge forward in the creation of this new cyber-civilization, then our children and grandchildren will frown on us and they will lament the fact that we failed not because we lacked the fiscal resources but our failures, our very devastating blunder was due to a poverty of vision.

   ``We are the custodians of unprecedented wealth in a giant economy. But midget minds and tiny spirits have seized control and the only big sweeping idea being generated during this budget discussion is the negative Republican proposal for a monster tax cut for the wealthy. At a time when positive generosity is possible, such a proposal maximizes great selfishness.''

   Let me just repeat that. ``We are the custodians of unprecedented wealth in a giant economy. But midget minds and tiny spirits have seized control and the only big sweeping idea being generated during this budget discussion is the negative Republican proposal for a monster tax cut for the wealthy. At a time when positive generosity is possible, such a proposal maximizes great selfishness.''

   I want to criticize my Democratic colleagues. They have no sweeping, big proposals when that is what we need at this time. In the area of education, we need a big, sweeping proposal. It is pretty clear that education is the key to the future of this Nation. It is the key to our building a cyber-civilization.

   Mr. Speaker, I submit the introduction of the Congressional Black Caucus budget consisting of an introductory statement and a statement of a set of principles and assumptions for the RECORD.

   The Congressional Black Caucus Budget: A Budget for Maximum Investment and Opportunity

   Carrying forward the great Democratic Party traditions of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal; Harry Truman's Marshall Plan and Health Care Proposals; Lyndon Johnson's Great Society that produced Medicaid and Medicare; as advocates for the Democratic Party mainstream philosophy the Congressional Black Caucus sets forth this Budget for Maximum Investment and Opportunity.

   As we prepare the year 2001 budget, we are blessed by the long warm rays of the sun of a coming decade of surpluses. Compassion and vision are no longer blocked by the spectre of budget deficits. The conservative estimate is that there will be a 1.9 trillion dollar non-social security surplus over the next ten years. Using simple logic we should be able to program about $200 billion dollars for year 2001 as this window of opportunity opens.

   Investment for the future must be our first priority. Maximizing opportunities for individual citizens is synonymous with maximizing the growth and expansion of the U.S. superpower economy. It is the ``Age of Information'' stupid! It is the time of the computer and digitalization. It's the era of thousands of high level vacancies because there are not enough Information Technology workers. With enlightened budget decisions we can at this moment begin the shaping of the contours of a new Cyber-Civilization.

   If we fail to seize this moment to make investments that will allow our great nation to surge forward in the creation of this new Cyber-Civilization then our children and grandchildren will frown on us and lament the fact that we failed not because we lacked fiscal resources, but our failures, our very devastating blunder was due to a poverty of vision.

   We are the custodians of unprecedented wealth in a giant economy. But midget minds and tiny spirits have seized control and only the big sweeping idea being generated during this budget discussion is the negative Republican proposal for a monster tax cut for the wealthy. At a time when positive generosity is possible such a proposal maximizes great selfishness.

   The preparation of this Budget for Maximum Investment and Growth was guided by the set of principles and assumptions set forth in the statement below:

   1. We accept the general direction of the President's Budget and the House Democratic Caucus. ``Families First'' is a motto we wholeheartedly endorse; however, more resources must be directed toward working families and the unique problems of African American families.

   2. We view the projection of a 1.9 trillion dollar surplus over a ten year period as an overriding factor for the basic decisions to be made for the FY 2001 Budget. Common sense dictates that we approach this first year of the decade of budget surpluses with proposals for the most advantageous uses of one-tenth of the projected surplus.

   3. Investment in the CBC designated priorities shall be our number one concern. We support a moderate plan to pay the national debt; however, the President's blueprint moves too far and too fast with debt reduction at the expense of investment.

   4. The protection of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are among the highest priorities of the CBC; however, investments in the education and training of the present and future workforce will provide greater guarantees for the solvency of Social Security and the sound financing of health care than any other policies or actions under consideration.

   5. In budgeting for each function, the CBC accepts the principles of a balanced budget, however, increases in CBC priorities must not be inhibited by present budget caps and conventional assumptions. We assume that there is waste in several key areas which may be transferred to enhance better investments for the future. We also assume that there are excessive revenue expenditures to continue corporate welfare which may be eliminated to increase funding for our designated priorities. And finally, we assume that one-tenth of the projected ten year surplus must be factored into the development of this budget for maximum opportunity and investment.

   6. The CBC accepts the basic thrust of President Clinton's proposal for the distribution of the surplus; however, the CBC will insist that the emphasis in priorities must be shifted. At least 10 percent of the surplus should be devoted to investments in programs for education and a second 10 percent should be allotted for investments which benefit working families and for safety net programs.

   7. Tax cuts, which must be taken from the 80 percent of the surplus which remains, are not a high priority of the CBC; however, since the current political power equation dictates the inevitability of a White House approved tax cut, the CBC must insist that the tax cuts not exceed the percentage of the surplus which is allocated for CBC priorities.

   8. Within the priorities earmarked by the President's budget, in each function, the CBC will strive to target some portion of the proposed allocations to the special needs of working families, the poor and the African American Community. New market opportunities and minority contract set-asides must apply across the board--and special units should be funded to implement and facilitate the targeting of CBC designated constituents.

   9. Budget allocations for necessary programs that currently do not exist are encouraged. The proponents must also later develop legislation for authorization as part of the process to sell the ideas and convince the President to place the item on his priority list at the time of the end-game negotiations. Proposals for new methods of proposal solicitation, peer review, technical assistance, etc. are also in order.

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