vol. 62, no. 6

Wo.tume LXIil

ACLU LAUNCHES TOLL-FREE HOTLINE FOR

Persons Stopped By Police for "Driving

While Black or Brown'"'

n the first day of the ACLU's toll free

QO hotline for persons to report inci-

dents of discriminatory police traffic

stops, the phone filled to capacity so quickly

that it was temporarily forced to shut down.

After initial publicity announcing the hot-

line, over one hundred callers phoned with-

in a five minute period. The ACLU has since

expanded the toll free hotline, 1-877-DWB-

STOP, (1-877-392-7867), and encourages ~

callers, initially unable to leave a message

because of the full mailbox, to call again.

The hotline was established in re-

sponse to Governor's Wilson's recent veto

of AB1264, a bill that would have provided

the first comprehensive data on routine

traffic stops in California, showing the

extent to which racially biased enforce-

ment patterns exist.

1-877-DWB-STOP, (1-877-392-7867), a

24-hour toll free hotline in both English

and Spanish, offers callers an opportunity |

to report their personal stories of `driving

while black or brown.' "All across the coun-

try, African-Americans and Latinos have

experienced the humiliation of being inex-

plicably stopped while driving, detained

and searched by police. The only so-called

offense they have committed has come to

be known as `DWB" - driving while black

or brown," explains Michelle Alexander,

Director of the ACLU-NC Racial Justice

Project. "Left unchallenged, the problem of

DWB stops will erode public confidence in

law enforcement in communities of color."

Through the toll-free California hot-

line, ACLU will collect people's stories of

discrimination and use them in its efforts

to reintroduce and enact. legislation

requiring collection of statistics on race

and traffic stops. "Governor's Wilson's veto

of AB 1264 shows that he doesn't think that

such discriminatory practices occur.

However, we believe that anecdotal reports

collected from the hotline will clearly indi-

cate widespread practice of racially moti-

vated vehicle stops by California police

officers," Alexander explains. The ACLU

affiliates of Northern and Southern

California and the ACLU of San Diego have

distributed information about the hotline to

| a broad range of community groups and

| minority press outlets throughout the state.

The ACLU isn't the only party to dis-

agree with the Governor's position.

| Minority law enforcement organizations

such as the

Have You Been Stopped by Police

Because of Your Race?

`Call 1-877-DWB-STOP*

Share your experience - and help put an end to race-based

stops. Call the ACLU toll free in California.

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log 1-877-392-7867

National Black

Police Associa-

tion and the

National Latino

Peace Officers'

Association sup-

port for AB 1264

as well as its pas-

sage in both

houses of the state Legislature attest to

broad support for the bill. Sponsored by

Assemblyman Kevin Murray, the legisla-

tion would have man- dated that the data

on race and traffic stops be documented by

police and collected by the Department of

Justice for a period of three years.

clu news

NovEMBER-DECEMBER 19982

NEWSPAPER OF THE AMERICAN euroiviL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN GALIFORNIA |

Non-Profit

Organization

US Postage

PAID

Permit No. 4424

San Francisco, CA

Although the common experiences of

African-Americans and Latinos point to

the pervasiveness of the problem, "only

statistical information regarding the race

and ethnicity of all drivers who are stopped

- not just those who are arrested - is the

Continued on page 8

elebrating 20 Years of

Leadership of the ACLU-NC

Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich

When Dorothy Ehrlich was appointed Executive Director of the

ACLU of Northern California in 1978, she was the first woman and

the youngest person ever to hold the post. For two decades, Dorothy

has been a leading voice on civil liberties issues from book banning

to reproductive rights, from death penalty to affirmative action -

and has more than doubled the affiliate's membership and staff:

Read what former Board Chairs have to say about this remarkable

ACLU leader on pages 4-5.

ACLU-NC 1998 BILL OF RIGHTS DAY CELEBRATION

INSIDE: Vote in the ACLU-Neuro 1998-99 Board of Directors Elections

Legislative Advocate Valerie Small Navarro shares with ACLU News readers and an

analysis of this year's state budget produced by the non-partisan California Budget

Project, showing that when we "follow the money" we can often find those who would

ignore or strip the civil liberties of the poor.

alifornia's economy is booming. The

( Governor and the Legislature had a

$4.2 billion state budget surplus to

play with. How much better could things

get? The California Budget Project, a

nonpartisan organization, has recently

published reports with the hard data that

shows that not only is the economic recov-

ery not trickling down, but the working

poor are getting poorer and the really poor

are merely regaining some of the huge

losses they bore during the recession. The

new reports Unequal Gains: The State of

Working California and Budget Provides

Taz Cuts, Low Income Benefits are also

available online at http://www.cpb.org.

Unequal Gains details the rise in

inequality between the rich and the poor ~

and documents California's continued lag

behind the nation on crucial poverty indi-

cators such as unemployment, wage

growth, and the share of the state's popu-

lation living below the poverty line. Wages

and income are below where they were in

1989 and the "purchasing power of most

families is lower today than it was two

decades ago, causing families to work

harder and longer just to get by."

-The data profoundly indict the way

California's economic recovery is being dis-

tributed. For example, on the growing

inequality in the state, the report docu-

ments the declining incomes for low and

middle income households, coupled with

substantial gains for the wealthy. In fact,

"{b]etween 1978-80 and 1994-96, Califor-

nia's increase in inequality was the second

highest among the eleven largest states."

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE STATE

BUDGET

Did the Governor and the Legislature,

crafters of the state budget, handle the

$4.2 billion surplus generated by this eco-

nomic growth in a way that would have

shown fairness to all Californians?

Tenacious negotiating by Democratic

leaders, Senate President John Burton

and Assembly Speaker Antonio

Villaraigosa, led to increases in areas that

have been consistently eroded during the

Republican administrations. However,

because of the two-thirds vote require-

ment in each house, the minority party

(Republicans) and the Governor wield

the power to craft budgets that reflect

their priorities. And those priorities do

| not include the disenfranchised.

rn - 4

1998 STATE BALLOT INITIATIVES |

TAKE THIS CARD WITH YOU TO THE POLLS.

The ACLU takes the following position on the November 8 ballot initiatives:

Proposition 5 -

Tribal State Gaming Contracts |

YES

self-government. This measure would require the state to enter into a specific

T's ACLU supports Proposition 5 on the basis of tribal sovereignty and tribal

compact allowing certain gambling activities on Indian lands for those tribes

that agree to sign the agreement; it also requires the Governor to negotiate a separate

tribal-state compact with any tribe that wants a different compact. In other words,

under Proposition 5, each and every tribe has independent authority to opt in or out

of an agreement with the state.

The ACLU-NC position is in accordance with national ACLU policy which com-

mits the organization to respect the rights of tribal sovereignty and tribal self-govern-

ment. The policy also calls for any concerns to be taken up "first within the

framework of tribal government."

Jor the ACLU-NC to consider support for Proposition 5 came from the students who

work with the Howard A. Friedman First Amendment Education Project and were

part of the ACLU-sponsored journey this summer "Tribal Sovereignty: Unplugged."

The students spoke with representatives of Indian tribes about the initiative and

shared their knowledge with ACLU activists at a special session at the Annual

Conference in September. The Board made special mention of thanking the students

Jor their research and their advocacy on this issue.

Proposition 8 -

Mandatory School Expulsion

NO

lic school student found to possess unlawful drugs at school or at school spon-

i he ACLU opposes Proposition 8, which would require the expulsion of any pub-

sored activities. (The only exception is for a first-time offense involving the

possession of a small amount of marijuana.)

Proposition 8 thus takes away the discretion that school officials currently have to

consider any mitigating facts and circumstances that would make expulsion inappro-

priate in a particular case. Such an approach to punishment violates the fundamen-

tal civil liberties principles: punishment may not be imposed arbitrarily; and each

person must be treated as an individual in determining not only whether, but what

kind, of punishment is appropriate under the circumstances.

I

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! This decision was made at the October 8 ACLU-NC Board meeting after a review

I and recommendation from the Legislative Policy Committee. The original request I

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Le ee a ee

ACLU NEws = NovVEMBER-DECEMBER 1998 = Pace 2

25% VEHICLE LICENSE FEE | regard to the individual's underlying

REDUCTION | income nor to whether the vehicle is a

The Governor dug in his heels and _ brand new Jaguar or a used VW.

finagled $1.4 billion in permanent tax cuts

(the Vehicle License Fee tax credit) and

additional reductions hinged to future rev-

enues. Just like other regressive taxes

built into our tax codes, the vehicle

license fee reduction applies without

WELFARE AND SSI FOR THE AGED,

BLIND, AND DISABLED

Senate President John Burton carried

the day by stopping a nine-year downward

Continued on page 8

Court Ok's Funds

for Applicants Made

to take Political Tests

t a fairness hearing on September

AE in San Francisco, U.S. District

Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel

approved a final settlement in Thompson

v. Borg-Warner, one of the largest cases

concerning employees' political activity in

California.

"This case illustrates the high price a

company may pay for unthinkingly subject-

ing job applicants to a test that discrimi-

nates or needlessly invades their- privacy,"

said attorney Brad

Seligman, an em-

ployees' rights ex-

pert. "Its outcome

will have a broad

impact on the

nature of employ-

1,078 claims have been made. According

to the settlement, Burns will pay into a

fund that will provide up to $1250 to each

applicant who was rejected because of the

test and $500 to those who took the test

and were nevertheless hired. The fund

will also cover costs and attorneys fees for

the plaintiffs.

Attorney Linda Foy noted, "Employers

have a legitimate right to information

about an applicants' job-related qualifica-

tions. However,

that right does not

permit an employ-

er to require job

applicants to dis-

close their politi-

cal beliefs and

ment testing opinions, nor to

throughout - the |. base employment

state." S decisions upon

Burns S their responses.

International = Lead plaintiff

Waiting for Foy,

plaintiff Mel Thompson, attorneys Brad

Seligman and Ed Chen prior to the fairness

hearing in U.S. District Court.

Mel Thompson, an

experienced secu-

rity guard who

applied for an

unarmed guard position in San Francisco,

had been told he was an excellent prospect

_ for hire until he took the test. For questions

that probed his political beliefs, rather than

answering Yes or No, Thompson checked "?"

on the test. Following the test, he was not

hired by the company.

"T always thought that the difference

between a totalitarian society and a free

one, would be that workers have a right to

their political beliefs," Thompson said. "It's

- a dangerous precedent when the free exer-

cise of one's conscience rules one out of

employment opportunities."

"The effect of this test was to discrimi-

nate against people who held liberal views

on issues such as workers' rights and drug

legalization. Fortunately, California labor

laws prohibit employers from discriminat-

ing on the basis of political views and

activities," explained ACLU-NC staff attor-

ney Ed Chen. @

Security Services,

a subsidiary of

Borg-Warner Pro-

tective Services

Corporation - the nation's largest securi-

ty firm - agreed to pay up to $2.1 million

to settle the class action challenging its

use of a controversial pre-employment

test. The test asked probing questions

about job applicants' attitudes toward cor-

porations ("Most companies make too

much profit"), employers ("Most. employ-

ers try to underpay their employees if they

can"), workers' rights ("Workers usually

come last as far as most companies are

concerned") and drug and alcohol laws

("Marijuana should be legalized").

The suit, filed in 1994 by ACLU-NC

staff attorney Ed Chen, cooperating attor-

neys Linda Foy and Laurence Pulgram from

Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk and

Rabkin and Berkeley civil rights attorney

Brad Seligman, charged that the test dis-

criminated against job applicants based on

their political beliefs and affiliations.

About 8,000 applicants took the test;

ACLU-NC ANNUAL ACTIVIST CONFERENCE:

Preserving Civil Liberties for the 21st Century

pine needles, more than 150 ACLU-NC

members and supporters debated and

discussed issues ranging from language

rights and cyber-censorship to the renewed

assaults on public education and lesbian

and gay rights at the Annual Activist

Conference held in Asilomar on the

Monterey Peninsula.

At the opening plenary, "Is the

Initiative Process a Good Idea Gone Bad?,"

Jim Shultz, Executive Director of the

Democracy Center questioned the audi-

ence of ACLU activists who had worked

hard to defeat Propositions 184, 187, 209

_and 227.

"How many of you have fantasized

about abolishing the initiative process alto-

l na setting scented with salt sea air and

| gether? And how many of you have fanta-

sized about putting your own initiative on

the ballot?"

A large show of hands to both questions

_ prompted Shultz to conclude, "California

has a love/hate relationship with the initia-

tive process."

Shultz traced the history of the initia-

tive process in California from 1911 -

| when it was envisioned by populist

Governor Hiram Johnson as a way to wrest |

political control of the state from the iron

grip of Southern Pacific Railroad - to

| recent years when politicians manipulated

the discontent of a conservative electorate

to impose regressive social policy on immi-

gration, crime and affirmative action.

Shultz also had some pointers for civil

liberties activists from his politi-

nize that initiatives are the way

policy is created in this state -

the Legislature is merely tinker-

ing, but big issues, like health,

immigration policy, and crime

are being dealt with by initia-

tives."

He encouraged progressive

activists to take a proactive role,

creating an initiative agenda that

addresses social justice issues

s and formulating messages that

Challenge to Restrictions

on Legal Services Heads

to High Court

BY GIGI PANDIAN

key case challenging restrictions on

Aw service organizations serving

the poor is heading to the U.S.

Supreme Court. In 1996 and 1997 Congress

limited agencies that receive funds

through the Legal Services Corporation

(LSC) in their use of additional funds

_ obtained from sources other than the LSC.

Charging that it is unconstitutional for

Congress to forbid the legal aid agencies

from providing additional services to the

poor with nongovernmental funds, the'

ACLU-NG, the national ACLU and others

filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme

Court on August 17.

The petition for a writ of certiorari in

the case of Legal Aid Society of Hawaii et al.

vs. Legal Services Corporation and the

United States asks the Court to strike down

the unconstitutional restrictions. The suit,

first filed in January, 1997, is brought on

behalf of five legal service programs from.

California, Hawaii, and Alaska, which

together serve over a million poor people.

Restrictions imposed by Congress

under 1996 and 1997 appropriations pro-

hibit legal services organizations that

receive any LSC funds from using any other

funds, such as those from charitable foun-

dations, private donors, or state IOLTA pro-

grams for certain purposes. For example,

agencies are forbidden from using these

additional funds for filing class action law-

suits, legislative advocacy, challenging fed-

eral or state welfare laws, or even

collecting statutory attorneys' fees.

"It isn't right, and it isn't legal, for

poverty-stricken people to be denied the

aid of counsel," said Stephen Bomse,

ACLU-NC general counsel and cooperating

attorney from the law firm of Heller,

Ehrman, White and McAuliffe.

Bomse won a preliminary injunction

from United States District Court in

Hawaii in February, 1997. In response to

the injunction, the LSC revised its regula-

tions, to allow affiliated organizations to

carry on the prohibited work. Based on

this change, the LSC and the United States

asked for a summary judgment from the

Court. The District Court granted the gov-

ernment's motion, and the Court of

Appeals affirmed.

"This case addresses apparently con-

flicting constitutional principles: the right

of Congress to decide which programs it |

will fund, and the right of fund recipients

to not have to relinquish their constitution-

al freedom of.spending other funds in their

own time on matters which Congress does

- not approve," explained Bomse. "However,

to restrict activities protected by the First

Amendment, the government must show a

compelling interest to justify infringing on

_ those rights - it has not done this."

Named plaintiffs are the Legal Aid

Society of Hawaii, Legal Services of

Northern California, Inc., San Fernando

Valley Neighborhood Legal Services, Legal

Aid Society of Orange County, Alaska Legal

Services Corporation, California State

Client Council, The Hawaii Justice

Foundation, The Impact Fund, and Gary

Smith. The plaintiffs are represented by

Bomse, Charles Freiberg and Adam Cole of

Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe; nation-

al ACLU attorneys Steven Shapiro and

Robin Dahlberg; ACLU-NC attorney

Margaret Crosby; Paul Alston and Bradford

Tannen of Alston, Hunt, Floyd and Ing; and

Stanley Levin of Davis, Levin, Livingston,

Grande.

Gigi Pandian is an ACLU News intern

cal how-to guide The Initiative |

Cookbook. "First, we must recog-

"Beating Back the

UNION MAID

Librarian Lani Yoshimura fought back - and won - against library censors

in Gilroy. At leftts Monterey Chapter activist Judith Sulsona, moderator of

the panel of Beating Back the Censors: The Electronic Attack on the First

Amendment

will get those measures passed.

The lively debate that followed

Shultz's presentation carried over into a

wide variety of workshops on key civil lib-

erties issues and into training sessions on

fundraising, organizing, and coalition-

building. A special

lunchtime presenta--

tion featured stu-

dents from the

Howard A. Friedman

First Amendment

Education Project

speaking about their

summer exploratory

journey "Tribal

Sovereignty:

Unplugged."

The plenary on -

Censors: The

Electronic Attack on

the

Amendment" __ fea-

tured ACLU National Svemyra Shah.

Cyber Organizer Penny Crawley speaking

on the wide variety of national and local

attempts to restrict the Internet as well

as the use of the Internet as an effective

organizing tool. "Our national ACLU

action alerts via the Internet have gener-

ated 60,000 letters on key civil liberties

issues to members of Congress in less

than six months time," Crawley said.

Gilroy librarian Lani Yoshimura and

ACLU-NC staff attorney Ann Brick

detailed local attempts to impose filtering

software on public library computers -

and the successful joint efforts by the

the Bill of Rights Committee reception.

ACLU News = NovemBer-DECEMBER 1998 = Pace 3

y

Celebrating the Gershwin centennial, Planned Giving

Director Stan Yogi and Monterey County Chapter

activist Kathy Stoner collaborate on Unforgettable at

ACLU and librarians to thwart the censor-

ship. "We have a responsibility as librari- -

ans to provide information, not to censor

it," said Yoshimura, who endured two

years of picketing, boycotting and smear

tactics by a pro-censorship group in

KEN RUSSELL

First Monterey County ACLU-NC Chapter Chair Jan Penney with

Friedman Project student presenters Eric Elems and

Gilroy.

The oceanside setting invited

activists to continue discussions while

walking the dunes and a starlit bonfire on

the beach brought out several generations

of singers. The Bill of Rights Committee |

reception, which kicked off the fall

fundraising campaign, featured piano

music by Planned Giving Director Stan

Yogi and side-splitting comedy by Aundre

the Wonderwoman, a.k.a. Aundre Herron,

ACLU-NC Board member and death penal-

ty attorney. :

The conference was organized by

ACLU-NC Field Representa-

tive Lisa Maldonado and the

1998 Activist - Confer-

ence Committee including

Michele Welsh, Chair, Field

Committee; Jan Penney,

Chair, Monterey County

Chapter; Dick Criley,

-Monterey County Chapter;

Paul Cameli, Roberta

Spieckerman and Phillip

Mehas,* San Francisco

Chapter; Ramon Gomez,

Santa Cruz Chapter; and Tom

Simpson, Chair, Fresno

Chapter. Special thanks to

g the Conference Crew coordi-

= nated by Maldonado: Eddie

Ez Jen, lain Finlay, Regina

Meade, Cory Thornton,

Winona Reyes, David

Blazevich, Kevin Grady and

Nancy Otto.

Over these two decades, the ACLU-NC

has grown tremendously. The staff of 12 is

now 23. The membership has doubled. And

an operating budget of $300,000, has grown

to almost $2.5 million.

Facing governments hostile to civil lib-

erties led by the likes of Ronald - "I wear the

ACLU's criticism like a badge of honor" --

Reagan, George - "he's a card-carrying mem-

ber" -- Bush, Deukmejian and Wilson,

Dorothy built on the unique traditions of the

ACLU of Northern California to meet the

challenging times.

Our affiliate was founded during the

General Strike of 19384 when the Governor

sent the militia to repress striking long-

shoremen fighting for better conditions and

the right to organize. Dorothy has main-

tained our affiliate's commitment to ensur-

ing that the constitutional rights of all

Californians -- especially those most vulner-

able, the poor, people of color, the young,

immigrants, those who are incarcerated or

At the podium, Bill of Rights Day 1979.

institutionalized -- are defended.

During World War II, the ACLU-NC was

the only organization to represent Fred

Korematsu in his challenge to the unconsti-

tutional Executive Order which interned

120,000 Japanese Americans during World

War II. Remembering that proud legacy of

fighting xenophobia and racism disguised as

national security, Dorothy rallied the ACLU

when [ranian students were rounded up as

the federal government's

response to the Iranian hostage

crisis in 1979 and again, during

the Gulf War in 1991, when Arab

Americans were unjustly target-

ed by government probes and

private abuse. And we were there

when, with the assistance of a

new generation of Japanese

Americans, Korematsu's convic-

tion was overturned by the feder-

al court in 1988.

Whether debating on a

national radio broadcast, cam-

paigning at a demonstration in

front of the Federal Building or

speaking to a small circle of donors, Dorothy

can pack quite wallop. But her dedication

behind the scenes is also legendary. In

1978, when the Legislature slashed Medi-

Cal funding for abortion, Dorothy showed up

in the middle of the night (with pizza) to

assist the attorneys and legal secretaries

who were compiling hundreds of pages of

court documents on a primitive copier.

And in 1998, while the state prepared .

the gas chamber for Robert Harris, Dorothy

stayed at the office all night -- waiting by the

FAX machine for an order from the Supreme

Court, encouraging protesters leaving on

ACLU buses to a vigil outside the gates of

San Quentin, appearing on national net-

work TV at 4 AM Pacific Time -- doing what-

ever it took to try to stop the.state murder.

Dorothy's multi-faceted talents are rec-

ognized by our civil liberties allies through-

out the state. She has worked tirelessly to

bring together coalitions on reproductive

rights, criminal justice, immigrant rights

and affirmative action. The special projects

she has created at the affiliate -- Police

Practices, Lesbian and Gay Rights,

Reproductive Rights, Death Penalty,

Howard A. Friedman First Amendment

Education Project and the Racial Justice

Project -- have allowed us to focus our

resources on the key civil liberties issues of

the day.

Through the daily battles, Dorothy has

always maintained her commitment to

building a stronger ACLU, ready to meet the

unknown challenges of the future. At the

affiliate she has created a powerful team by

drawing on everyone's creativity, commit-

PAUL WINTERNITZ

Marching for Choice with Fran Strauss, 1989.

hen Dorothy Ehrlich was appointed Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California in

1978, she was the youngest person and the only woman ever to fill the post. Not bad for some-

one who had first entered the doors of the ACLU - as in intern for an anti-death penalty cam-

paign at the Southern California affiliate - only 6 years before. Someone with only a shade

less chutzpa might have been daunted by the task. But Dorothy's brains, charisma, hard

work and above all, her heartfelt commitment to civil liberties, made her a leader who has

strengthened the ACLU-NC beyond imagination. All of us associated with the affiliate - staff,

board, volunteers, chapter activists, members - are enduringly proud of her work.

Dick GROSBOLL

ment, diversity of experience. She is known

throughout the ACLU for generously sharing

her wisdom and experience with other affili-

ates, and currently serves as the Chair of the

Executive Directors Council.

And one last thing -- her heart.

Whatever is on her busy agenda -- be it a

dangerous ballot initiative, a national

security edict, a banned book or a budget

shortfall (or all of the above) -- Dorothy

always makes time for the people of the

ACLU. She is there to celebrate with you a

court victory or a personal triumph, raise

your spirits during a difficult time, and to

enthusiastically thank the many people

who contribute to the ACLU in so many

ways. Dorothy takes time, makes time, to

nurture the ACLU family -- a family, that in

ACLU News = Novenser-DEcEMBER 1998 = Pace 4

With Fred Korematsu (left) and former ACLU-NC Executive Director Ernie Besig, 1989.

20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP OF THE ACLU oF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

true honor to her leadership, is as dynamic

and as dedicated as she.

-tThe Editor

Dorothy Ehrlich has served with sia

chairs of the ACLU-NC Board of Directors.

Here are some of their reflections:

DRUCILLA RAMEY

Cuarr: 1978-1981

magine my intense pleasure at being

able to write anything I want to about

Dorothy Ehrlich, one my own and my fami-

ly's favorite people on the planet and truly

one of this millennium's greatest gifts to the

Bay Area and to civil liberties.

My first clear memory of Dorothy comes

from 1978, at a time when we were both

considerably younger people, but she was

really younger. It was my first meeting as

the first woman chair of the ACLU-NC and

Dorothy was being interviewed by the Board

to be the first woman in the position which

she has now held with nonpareil distinction

for the past 20 years. "What about the fact, -

Miss Ehrlich," boomed some no doubt

estimable older man of some years tenure

with the Board, "What about the fact that

you are, in fact, well, so young?" "Ah," said

Dorothy, (Dorothy still says, "Ah..."when

considering a problematic assertion of this

sort.) "I think, Mr. Jones, that is something

time willcure." _

The truth is that although time has

indeed passed, Dorothy seems little older

but has come to serve as one of our commu-

nity's most formidable weapons against big-

otry, hatred and governmental excess. |

have come to believe that one of the reasons

Dorothy can handle the fools and knaves of

this world with such consummate grace and

rapier skill is that she doesn't have a bone of

malice in her body. At the risk of belaboring

a metaphor, she simply disarms the most

With Fran Strauss and Drucilla Ramey, 1978.

perfidious and disingenuous by simple sin-

cerity coupled with blinding intelligence,

unerring judgment and the patience of Job.

Thank God she's ours.

DAVIS RIEMER

Cuarr: 1981-1984

Ve praise begins, our leader

Dorothy moves quietly to the back-

ground, to let others enjoy the glow. Now .

the leader's turn has come.

Working with Dorothy, people grow in

their roles and responsibilities with the

ACLU, inspired not only by her capacity to

do so many things so well, but also her

straightforward reliance on teamwork and

our individual contributions. We continue

to work, rewarded, as she passes out

unstinting praise for her associates, her

staff and her lay leadership, while claiming

none for herself.

From Dorothy we receive guidance; she

sees the big picture clearly and articulates

our common vision. With Dorothy we feel

confident, for she nourishes us individually,

enables us collectively, and never gives up.

To keep up with Dorothy, we redouble our

efforts, for she is so quick, so bright. With

Dorothy we have fun, as she laughs and

jokes, lightening life and the burdens of |

work.

The tap of the foot, the sparkle of the

eye, the charm of the smile... She keeps us

together - us. headstrong civil libertarian

individualists that form the ACLU - togeth-

er pursuing our goals, brushing aside our

setbacks and celebrating our victories. 0x00B0

What a wonderful time it has been! How

much we have grown! How much we have

done! Thank you, Dorothy!"

Oldies but goodies with Elaine Elinson.

NANCY PEMBERTON

CHAIR: 1984-1988

Plus centa change, plus crest la meme

chose.

Cp_ourteen years ago, when my tenure as

Chair of the Board began, the ACLU

was building a grass roots movement to

oppose an English Only ballot initiative.

Today, we are actively litigating six cases of

language discrimination, including two

suits challenging Arizona's English Only bal-

lot proposition.

Twelve years ago, the ACLU led the

attack on juvenile curfews. Today, we repre-

sent 88 juveniles who are subject to arrest

merely for gathering in public because of

their alleged gang affiliation.

`Ten years ago, as my

tenure came to an end, the

ACLU sued the F-B.I. for termi-

nating the contract of a physi-

cian because the doctor had

AIDS. Dr. Doe's case remains

on our docket today. -

The more things change,

the more they remain the

same. Dorothy, with her staff,

is there day in and day out,

leading battle after battle to

protect our rights, even as new

fronts erupt. She does it tire-

lessly, and with intelligence,

grace, and good humor.

Dorothy's eternal vigilance secures our

liberty. We owe her our eternal gratitude.

LEE HALTERMAN

CHAIR: 1988-1991

See known Dorothy since elementary

school in Napa, California. In 1960 our

two hand-carved Ivory soap donkeys were

lost in a herd of elephants; thankfully the

voters chose better than our fifth-grade

peers did. Between then and her stellar

With Cynthia Carey-Grant, launching the cam-

paign against Proposition 209, 19995.

career in the ACLU, she took a turn at being

head cheerleader of our high school -

Class of `68.

I was surprised when, a few years after

_ high school, I ran into Dorothy - Dottie -

at the ACLU-NC offices on my way to a meet-

ing of the Coalition to End the Death

Penalty. (She wasn't really political in high

school.) She was interning at the ACLU. As

the song says, "You can't judge a book by its

cover."

The tables turned when | was invited in

the early 1980s to serve on the ACLU-NC

Board. Dorothy's hand seemed surely

behind the move. With the subsequent hon-

or of serving as chair, I was able to return to

that time when Dorothy and I were as one

arrayed against the elephants of the Reagan

-and Bush administrations. It was obvious to

many long before that time that Dorothy was

a brilliant leader of our organization. As

board chair, it pleased me especially that

she knew how important the board was to

her work and policy development. I hope

that I helped her by ensuring that the board

let her be the Director. -

Organizations are not always fortunate

to retain the best; they are often stolen from

us. Surely Dorothy could have had her

choice of many jobs equally challenging and

equally significant to the improvement of

our society. In celebrating her career, let us

ensure that we nurture this brilliant woman

so that she can continue to be our leader.

MILTON ESTES

Cuair: 1991-1995

Af for I think of how - and why- our

affiliate has grown over the past

- two decades, I am constantly reminded of

Dorothy Ehrlich's ability to make every per-

son associated with the ACLU feel impor-

tant, needed and respected. She has a

ACLU News @ NovemsBer-DeEcEemBerR 1998 = Pace 5

With staff attorney Margaret Crosby announcing victory in the landmark California

Supreme Court decision upholding Medi-Cal funding for abortion, 1981.

unique ability to listen to ideas from Board

members - and Board chairs - staff, donors

volunteers, members - and to make you feel

that your ideas are worthy of being listened

to. That rare quality both brings us

together and brings out the best in

all of us - making our organization

a lively, responsive and meaningful

place to work for social justice.

During my tenure as Board

chair, | had many occasions to feel

proud of Dorothy's innovative lead-

California was preparing for its first

execution in a quarter century, she

established the Death Penalty

Project, so that we could bring our

resources to bear against that exe-

cution - and focus our legal, legisla-

btive and public education work

Aagainst capital punishment. Our

long-standing commitment to

= immigrant rights put us in the fore-

front of the battle against

Proposition 187. And, after a mem-

bership survey

confirmed the aging of

our membership, we

started the Howard A.

Friedman First

Amendment Education

Project, now in its sev-

enth year, to educate a

whole new generation of

civil liberties activists.

DIcK GROSBOLL

Cuarr: 1995-1998

n my role as Board

Chair for the last 3

years, | have had the

privilege and honor of

ership. Knowing that the state of .

one of this country's great civil liberties

leaders and civil rights activists. And for the

past 20 years we have been blessed in

Northern California to have Dorothy's grace-

ful, dynamic and spirited leadership.

Although Dorothy's effective leader-

ship is legendary in ACLU circles, I believe

that much of her work is unknown to many

people, including our membership.

Dorothy has been part of the statewide

leadership on the most critical issues fac-

ing this state in the past two decades -

protecting reproductive freedom, preserv-

ing important affirmative action programs,

fighting to end the death penalty, and pre-

serving and expanding the rights of immi-

grants, among many other issues. Her

contributions to these esd have been

invaluable.

Dorothy continues to come `forward

with innovative approaches to addressing

the innumerable challenges which con-

front the ACLU. On behalf of the ACLU-NC _

Board, | congratulate and thank Dorothy

on this 20th anniversary celebration. and

MICHAEL MILLER

working closely with Ata ree out for Banned Books Week at the San Francisco

Dorothy M. Ehrlich - Public Library with Ishmael Reed and Tillie Olsen, 1980.

JOIN US AT A CELEBRATION TO HONOR

Dorothy Ehrlich s

20th Anmtiersany

AS ACLU-NC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4

6 PM - RECEPTION

7PM - DINNER

SHERATON PALACE HOTEL

Two NEW MONTGOMERY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO

Speakers include: Ira Glasser, ACLU Executive Director; Ramona

Ripston, Executive Director ACLU of Southern California, Drucilla Ramey,

Executive Director Bar Association of San Francisco, and Eva Paterson,

Executive Director, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights

TICKETS: $75.00

For tickets or more information, call ACLU-NC Chair Dick Grosboll at

415/495-4949.

The by-laws of the ACLU of Northern California call for the at-large Directors

of the Board to be elected by the general membership. The general member-

ship are those members in good standing who have joined or renewed their

membership within the last twelve months.

The label affixed to this issue of the ACLU News indicates on the top line the

year and month when your membership expires.

Ifyou are not eligible to vote, you may choose to renew your membership, and

thereby resume your membership in good standing, at the same time you sub-

mit your ballot. -

Ifyou share a joint membership, each individual is entitled to vote separately

- two spaces are provided on the ballot. -

2

The ACLU-NC by-laws permit two methods of nomination. Candidates may be

nominated by the current Board of Directors after consideration of the

Nominating Committee's recommendations. Candidates also may be nominat-

ed by petition bearing the signatures of at least fifteen ACLU-NC members in

good standing.

Candidates are listed on these pages in alphabetical order. After marking your

ballot, clip it and enclose the ballot and your address label from this issue of

the ACLU News in an envelope. Your address label must be included to ensure

voter eligibility. Address the envelope to:

Elections Committee

_ ACLU of Northern California

1663 Mission Street, Suite 460

San Francisco, CA 94103

Ifyou have a joint membership, you may use both of the columns provided,

and each of the members may vote separately.

If you wish to ensure the confidentiality of your ballot, insert your ballot ina

double envelope with the special mailing label in the outer one. The envelopes

will be separated before the counting of the ballots.

Ballots must be returned to the ACLU by noon on December 10, 1998.

There are ten candidates running to fill ten vacancies on the Board of

Directors. You may vote for up to ten candidates.

For your consideration, we are publishing brief statements submitted by the

candidates for election to the Board of Directors. Candidates are listed in

alphabetical order.

Gandidate Statements

JAN GARRETT | :

am pleased to be considered for the Board of the ACLU of Northern

California. As someone who was born with a disability and who has worked

in the disability civil rights field for the past three years, I have seen how

important civil rights protections are. As a member of the Board, I hope to

encourage the pursuit of more disability rights cases.

My past work as an attorney with the Disability Rights Education and Defense

Fund in Berkeley has given me direct experience with a number of civil rights

issues. Additionally, I have direct board experience as president of the Board

of Directors of AXIS Dance Company, a small dance company of dancers with

and without disabilities. q

The ACLU-NC is uniquely positioned to take cases that the main-

stream legal community in the Bay. Area cannot or will not take. I would be

proud to be a part of the effort to ensure that those with the least power can

seek protection of their rights from an organization such as the ACLU. Thank

you for your consideration of my nomination.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: No

A s an attorney at the Homeless Advocacy Project of the Bar Association of San

ACLU News = NovemBer-DecEemBER 1998 = Pace 6

WARREN GEORGE

jee honored to have been nominated to serve another three-

year term on the Board of Directors of the ACLU-NC.

Iam a partner at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown and Enersen. For

the past decade, I have been representing prisoners in efforts

to secure adequate medical and psychiatric care, to end dis-

crimination against prisoners with HIV disease, to obtain equal

rights for prisoners with disabilities, and to end the use of the

gas chamber in California. Much of this litigation has been

done in cooperation with the ACLU.

During the past three years as a Board member, I have

served as chair of the Board Nominating Committee and as a

member of the Legislative Policy Committee. Our most basic civil rights continue to be

threatened. The ACLU's efforts to protect those rights and to educate people about their

importance are more essential than ever. I look forward to further work with the Board as it

meets these challenges. .

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

Dick GROSBOLL :

am a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Neyhart,

Anderson, Freitas, Flynn and Grosboll. We represent labor

unions, workers, retirees and employee benefit plans.

I have enjoyed serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for

the past three years. Devoting my time and energy for the ACLU-

NC has been a rewarding and interesting experience. I appreci-

ate having had the opportunity to serve the ACLU membership.

I would like one more year as Chair and two additional years

on the Board. To do so I need your vote for another term. I ask

for your vote.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

RAHA JORJANI

ourteen years ago my family left Iran, leaving behind all

that they knew. Watching my family struggle to secure their

lives in a completely new and different atmosphere, has been

the foundation of my passion for human rights.

-[ was first introduced to the ACLU in my junior year in high

school and I joined the Student Advisory Committee. I have

both participated in and chaperoned the first two ACLU sum-

mer trips exploring Immigration and Border Issues as well the

Juvenile Justice System. To this day, I am applying the lessons

that I learned on those trips to my academic and social life.

- My involvement with the ACLU has taught me how to use

certain tools in society, like freedom of expression, education, and activism in order to

stand up for what I believe in.

Jam currently a Junior at the University of California, Berkeley. I would be honored to _

sit on the ACLU Board Directors, and feel that my contributions would create even more

diversity within the group, as well as add another multicultural perspective. I'm proud to

be part of a movement.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: No

SUSAN KWAN

am honored to be considered for the Board of the ACLU of

Northern California. The ACLU's courageous commitment to

the disadvantaged and poor, and to protection of the precious .

Bill of Rights, is unsurpassed. As a Board member, I look for-

ward to helping continue the remarkable work of the ACLU

staff and volunteers, including their work in the courts, enact-

ment of progressive legislation and community education and

activism regarding the preservation of civil liberties for all.

I have been a criminal defense attorney for the past 16

years. I am currently a staff attorney for the California

Appellate Project, and work with those convicted of a capital

offense and their appointed counsel. I also serve on the boards

of Death Penalty Focus and the Southern Center for Human Rights. Besides my longstand-

ing interest in ensuring the provision of due process and other constitutional rights of indi-

gent criminal defendants, | am committed to the alleviation of disenfranchisement

because of race, sexual orientation or gender.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

SUSAN MIZNER

Francisco, I see first hand the daily encroachments on the civil liberties of the poor-

est in our society. Confiscating homeless people's property without due process (in

fact, with little process whatsoever ), fines for sleeping in public places (when we have no

shelter beds or other options) and an increasingly punitive and repressive welfare system

a a

are but a few of the most common examples. In addition to

the ACLU's support of racial equality, queer rights, and the

rights of immigrants, I have greatly appreciated the ACLU's

ongoing commitment to litigating issues affecting homeless

people, welfare recipients, and the working poor. :

As a Board member, I have served on the Legislative

Committee - where I collaborated with other members to

develop a policy on campaign finance reform - and on the

ad hoc committee on Poverty and Civil Liberties, drafting a

policy for the ACLU examining poverty as a deprivation of

civil rights.

_ The years that I have served on the Board have only

increased my respect for the ACLU, its staff, volunteers and my fellow board members.

Seldom does one encounter a group of people who are able to debate issues with such

respect for diversity of opinion and with such openness to new approaches and ideas. It

would be an honor and a pleasure to serve another term.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

CARLOS MUNOZ

t is indeed a pleasure to accept nomination for reelection

[" the ACLU-NC Board of Directors. My first term was a

rewarding experience beyond my expectations. I had the

privilege of meeting other people who are deeply committed

to the defense and preservation of our nation's civil liberties.

I look forward to continuing to play a role in maintaining

the ACLU as a vibrant organization in the 21st Century.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

JOHN SCHWEIZER

a current member of the Board's Development and

S

Aitisee Committees, | am committed to expanding the

CLU's financial and technology resources.

I work in the area of consumer advocacy, fighting discrim-

ination in the marketplace. My work life focuses specifically

on emerging technologies and their potential impact on pri-

vacy and free speech rights, education and the potential for

increasing participation in our democracy. I am also actively

involved in the fight for civil rights of gay people and those

with disabilities.

Both my professional work and my personal values cause

me to cherish the ACLU. I am very proud ofits enormous accomplishments, and would be

honored to be part of those to come. /

- NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

BEVERLY TUCKER

[30x00B0 been Chief Counsel of the California Teachers

Association since August 1988. I previously served as

deputy attorney general in the civil rights enforcement

section of the California Attorney General's Office and as

Associate General Counsel of the United Auto Workers. My

particular interests are civil rights and education issues

including student and teacher free speech issues.

As a longtime supporter of human and civil rights, I am

excited about being nominated to once again serve as a mem-

ber of the ACLU Board of Directors. During my former board

terms I served as chair of the Board Nominating and

Legislative Policy Committees.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: YES

CHrRIs Wu

t is with great honor that I accept the nomination for

| membership onto the ACLU Board of Directors. My

involvement with the ACLU began in high school, where

I was fortunate enough to work with the Howard A.

Friedman Project Student Advisory Committee in organizing

such events as the "Say What?!!" conferences and the stu-

dent journalism conferences. Through the years, I have

gained tremendous insight into the ACLU's role in protecting

peoples' rights and beliefs.

As a current college undergraduate, I hope to bring a

voice to the youth of our community. I look forward to serv-

ing.on the ACLU Board and thank you for your nomination.

NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

INCUMBENT: No

Please vote in the squares provided. You may vote for up

to ten candidates. Joint members use both squares.

OO Jan Garrett O 0 Susan Mizner

QO O Warren George OQ 0 Carlos Munfioz

O OU Dick Grosboll OO John Schweizer

O O Raha Jorjani

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I QO UO Beverly Tucker

i

I

I

O 0 Susan Kwan OQ O Chris Wu

I

| Please clip and send to ACLU-NC Board of Elections, 1663 Mission Street, #460, San |

| Francisco, CA 94108. I

ee ee

BILL OF RIGHTS ADVOCATES

Bill of Rights Campaign leaders (left to right) Irving Hochman, Marlene De Lancie,

Linda Martorana and Andrew Rudiak.

Union MAID

The ACLU needs you to help out at phone bank evenings in our office during our annual

Bill of Rights Advocates campaign. As an Advocates volunteer, you'll be contacting selected

members throughout northern California to help us reach our goal of $50,000 for the ACLU- .

NC's legal and public education programs. For more than 16 years this has been our most

successful grassroots fundraising effort.

JOIN US. EVERYONE WELCOME. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

For more information, call

Bill Carpmill 415/431-8651.

Looking for the Perfect Gift?

Give an ACLU Membership to a friend and help keep freedom's flame alive

I would like to make a gift:

Olin honor O in memory of:

- From (your name):

Please send acknowledgment of this gi

Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Check enclosed Payable to ACLU.

C) Please charge to: Mastercard

Card No.

Fes

Signature

Expiration date

Membership gifts support ACLU lobbying efforts and are not tax-deductible as a charita-

ble contribution.

Return to: Membership Department

ACLU of Northern California

1663 Mission Street, Suite 460

San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 621-2493

ACLU News = Novemser-DecemBer 1998 = Pace 7

Steve Fabian, Chapter Leader

BY EDDIE JEN

PROGRAM ASSISTANT

Chapter participates in a community

event, Steve Fabian makes sure that

the chapter is accompanied by an American

flag. For Steve, it is a way of countering the

use of patriotic symbols by the right wing.

"Nothing," Steve says, "is more patriotic

BR very time the ACLU Sonoma County

ACLU-NC Activist Conference.

`than defending civil liberties."

Since attending his first ACLU meet-

ing at the urging of his girlfriend Judy

McCann more than ten years ago, Steve

Fabian's tireless activism, vision and lead-

ership has turned the ACLU Sonoma

County Chapter into one of the most suc-

cessful chapters in Northern California, if

not the country. . Two months after his

initial meeting, Steve was elected Chapter

Chair. A month later, the Chapter put out

its first newsletter Sonoma Civil Liberties,

with Steve as Editor. Not three months

passed before Steve launched the Chapter's

first membership drive. Later that summer,

the Chapter organized the successful cam-

paign to defeat Measure A (which would

have created a county-wide drug task force

that was accountable to no one and posed

grave dangers to civil liberties) by a vote of

2 to 1, despite initial polls that favored its

passage at 55%. In November of that same

year, the Chapter started its first Bill of

Rights night fundraiser, phoning donors

and soliciting contributions for the ACLU-

NC. By the time the Chapter Dinner rolled

around a year after Steve became Chair,

attendance topped 200, more than double

the previous year.

Sonoma Chapter leader Steve Fabian with son Jay, 8, at

Today, Steve Fabian is married to Judy

McCann who first brought him to the

ACLU. The ACLU Sonoma County Chapter

has consistently ranked first in recruiting

and retaining new members, as well as

being one of the most active, with leader-

ship roles in the campaigns to. defeat

Propositions 187 and

209. Sonoma Civil

edits, has a circulation of

1200 and is published 8

to 4 times annually.

Steve often appears on

commenting on key

ACLU issues such as

immigrant rights, the

death penalty, the "three

strikes" law and censor-

2ship.. Many ACLU mem-

. bers know Steve from his

4 numerous panel presen-

tations at ACLU Activist

Conferences.

Yet for Steve, the

reward from his activism

is simple. "We have two young children.

You are not only fighting for yourself and

the people you know, but for the future as

well," says Steve, who has served as the

Deputy Public Defender of Sonoma County

| for 20 years.

"My father told me you should always

try to make the world a bit of a better place

while you're there," Steve says, and civil

rights activism is still a family affair for

the Fabians. Three years ago, he recruit-

ed his brother Gary, who now serves as

Treasurer at the ACLU Sonoma County

Chapter. And nothing is more gratifying

for Steve than tabling for the ACLU with

his children Jay, 8, and Audrey, 7, or

- bringing them to ACLU conferences, rais-

ing them to be patriotic Americans.

"Even if they don't understand everything

[the ACLU stands for], they understand

the ACLU is helping people be free."

Liberties, which Steve ~

talk radio and television, -

"Driving while Black'...

Continued from page |

first step in devising an effective approach

to eliminating the problem,' adds

Alexander. "Data collection would provide

the public with access to that information

for the first time." Law enforcement is

already required to collect data regarding

the race and ethnicity of motorists pulled

over for routine traffic violations, and

provide that information in annual

reports to the Department of Justice.

Data could be collected that would reveal

the race and ethnicity of all individuals

who are stopped by police even though

they have committed no crime - and doc-

ument any patterns of discrimination.

In response to mounting criticism of

Sacramento Report...

Continued from page 2

_ spiral in benefits for welfare recipients

and the aged, blind, and disabled recipi-

ents of Supplemental Security Income

(SSI). A welfare grant - now called

CalWORKs - for a household of three

people will now rise from $565 to $611 a

month (in urban areas). This change

affects almost 3 million people.

However, the California Budget

Projects reports that "[a]fter this year's

increase, CalWORKs grant levels will still

be 12 percent below the 1989-90 levels

after adjusting for inflation. When com-

bined with food stamps, grant levels equal

approximately 78 percent of the federal

poverty level for a family of three."

Two years ago, the ACLU-NC went to

federal court to stop the proposed elimina-

tion of welfare payments to immigrants.

Now, thanks to Assembly Speaker Antonio

Villaraigosa's persistence at the budget

negotiations table with the Governor and

hard-fought-for changes at the federal lev-

el, immigrants regained many of the bene- |

discriminatory police practices nation-

wide, Representative John Conyers, D-

Michigan, has sponsored "The Traffic

Stops Statistics Act," to study the issue

on a national level. Although the Dill

passed the House of Representatives

with strong bipartisan support, it has

been stalled in the Senate. Sponsors cite

strong anecdotal evidence that `racial

profiling' is a problem nationwide. An

ACLU study, based on court-imposed

monitoring of the Maryland State Police

stops on 1-95, showed that although

African American drivers were 72% of

those pulled over, they were only 14% of

the drivers.

fits they lost.when "federal welfare reform"

targeted them for huge cuts. Now, almost

all legal immigrants (who are eligible

based on income) will be eligible for food

stamps. Aged immigrants who entered the

US. before the date of enactment of feder-

al welfare reform (August 22, 1996) will be

eligible for a state-funded SSI (Supple-

mental Security Income).

RENTERS' TAX CREDIT

Unlike the regressive vehicle license

fee credit, according to the California

Budget Project, the restoration of the

renters' tax credit ($60 for individuals and

$120 for couples), included income caps

($25,000 for individuals and $50,000 for

married couples). However, the credit only

applies if the individuals have a tax liability.

The cost to the state for this credit will

be approximately $133 million, nothing

like the $1.4 billion the Governor obtained

for the vehicle license fee credit.

This analysis is crucial to help us

understand the long-term effects on the

rights of the poor when there is increasing .

disparity in incomes in California. @

Are you a good listener? Want to help people whose rights have been violated

The ACLU-NC needs volunteers to respond to people calling the ACLU for assis-

tance. You must be able to commit to one day a week (10am - 4pm) and for six months.

We will train you for the Complaint Desk. Positions:available for Mondays or Fridays.

For more information call volunteer coordinator Eddie Jen at 415-621-2493.

Chapter Meetings

(Chapter meetings are open to all interested members.

Contact the Chapter activist listed for your area.)

- B-A-R-K (Berkeley-Albany-Richmond-Ken-

sington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually first

Wednesday) 11/4 meeting at 3050 Shattuck. For more

information, time and address of meetings, contact Jim

Chanin at 510/848-4752 or Rachel Richman at

510/540-5507.

Fresno Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth Tuesday).

Please join our newly-reorganized Chapter! Meetings are

held at 7:00 PM at the Fresno Center for Non-Violence.

For more information, call Bob Hirth 209/225-6223 .

(days).

Marin County Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth

Monday) Meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Corte Madera Town

Center, Community Meeting Room. for more information,

contact Rico Hurvich at 415/389-8009.

Mid-Peninsula Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth

Thursday) Meet at 7:00 PM, at 460 South California

Avenue, Suite 11, Palo Alto. For more information, con-

tact Ken Russell at 650/325-8750.

Monterey County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Tuesday) Meet at 7:15 PM, Monterey Library. For

more information, contact Richard Criley at 408/624-

7562.

North Peninsula (San Mateo area) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually third Monday) Meet at 7:30 PM, at

700 Laurel Street, Park Tower Apartments, top floor.

Check-out our web page at: htp://members.

aol.com/mpenacly. For more information, contact Marc

Fagel at 650/579-1789.

Redwood (Humboldt County) Chapter

Meeting: (Usually third Thursday) Meet at Chan's at

359 G Street in Arcata at 7:00 PM. For information on

upcoming meeting dates and times, contact Christina

Huskey at 707/444-6595.

Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually

first Wednesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Java City in

Sutter Galleria (between 29 and 30, J and K Streets) in

Sacramento. For more information, contact David Miller

at 916/991-5415.

San Francisco Chapter Meeting: (Third Tuesday)

Meet at 6:45 PM at the ACLUNC Office, 1663 Mission

Street, Suite #460, San Francisco. Call the Chapter

Hotline (979-6699) for further details.

Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually

first Tuesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Community Bank

Towers, Ist Floor Conference Room, 111 West St. John.

Street, San Jose. For further chapter information contact

Jon Cox at 408/293-2584 or Elizabeth Zimmerman at

408/246-2129.

Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting: (Usually

third Monday) Meet at 7:15 PM. For more information,

contact Dianne Vaillancourt at 408/454-0112.

Sonoma County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM at the Peace and Justice

Center, 540 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa. Call Judith

Volkart at 415/899-3044 for more information.

ACLU News = NovemsBer-DecemBer 1998 = Pace S

Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM, 2505 5th Street #154,

Davis. The chapter is gathering signatures for the Student

Education Opportunity Initiative. For more information,

call Natalie Wormeli at 530/756-1900 or Dick

Livingston at 530/753-7255.

Chapters Reorganizing

If you are interested in reviving the Mt. Diablo or

North Valley Chapter, please contact Field

Representative Lisa Maldonado at 415/621-2493.

Field Action Meetings

(All meetings except those noted will be held at the ACLU-

NC Office, 1663 Mission Street, 460, San Francisco.)

Student Outreach Committee: Meet to plan out-

"reach activities. For more information, contact Nancy Otto

at 415/621-2006 ext. 37.

Student Advisory Committee: For more informa-

tion, contact Nancy Otto at 415/621-2006 ext. 37.