United Way of Silicon Valley lambasted for rewarding San Jose police

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

A group of community and civil rights leaders in San Jose sent a scathing letter Wednesday to the United Way of Silicon Valley, criticizing the philanthropic group for giving a "Community Builder" award to the city's police department.

"While the San Jose Police Department does many things well," the letter said, "we would not consider them role models in community building."

As the letter spread through the community Thursday, another local group separately released a survey of some local residents saying they don't feel the police are on their side.

The letter, signed by leaders of civil rights and other community groups, cited "increased tensions" with local communities, especially minority groups, stemming from reports of police officers' abuse of public drunkenness laws and the use of excessive force.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_16095813

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I've also read on DU that United Way has refused to donate to Planned Parenthood. So does United Way sorta have a right-wing slant in funding?

Hmm, I wonder if the Corrections Industry(TM) has anything to do with police not being able to be "role models in community building"?

And of course 95%+ of the comments are from sheepish defenders of police, one commenter calling the groups "poverty pimps, so-called self-labeled progressives, very, very whiny goober-like-in-substance individuals". Raul Colunga, "signed the letter as a former chairman of the Santa Clara County Council on Equal Employment Opportunities"; same commenter called that council "gimme a job that I don't really have to perform because I exist, that's why". Other orgs signing the letter included: Asian Americans for Community Involvement, the San Jose NAACP, the Somos Mayfair neighborhood improvement group, Bill Wilson Center, Pathway Society, and Silicon Valley DeBug. (For those needing a breath of fresh air here's an interesting article from a local alt news site about comment sections in news sites)

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. UW has always had a RW slant

When I used to be forced to contribute to them, I always designated the recipient organization with my donation so that the "enemy" wouldn't get any of my money.

[Dirigo]

2. San Jose United Way Took One To Many San Jose Shark Pucks To The Head

United Way is for improving the lives of the less fortunate among us. The police department is not one of those in dire need of food, shelter and social services that United Way is supposed to address. The governing board of United Way in San Jose are a bunch of incompetent fools who really don't understand their own mission. I was a state trooper in New England in my early life, I am not denigrating the police, what I am strenuously saying is the police aren't on United Way's radar, people and the needs of people is what is supposed to be on the radar. Shame on these erstwhile boobs running United Way and I sincerely doubt the organization will reach any way near their goal next year. I am surprised that the ignoramuses running United Way didn't give the San Jose Chief of Police a brand new private SUV for him and his family for heading up such a fine organization and maybe some other nice price tag items to some of their own friends for applauding approvingly the UW Boards Stupidity!