BELLVUE CITY MANAGER REPLACES ELECTED WHITE STUDENTS FOR "DIVERSITY" \clip\97\24\belldivr.txt "Diversity is thorny issue on youth board" Seattle Times Oct 21, 1997 B1 Bellevue WA -- J. Martin McOmber Seattle Times Eastside Bureau Three of six students elected by classmates to the city's Youth Link Board were passed over for the job after city offials became concerned, in part, that the group didn't reflect the growing ethnic and racial mixture in the schools. But that explanation didn't sit well with the teenagers, who told the City Council last night that the issue wasn't about diversity, but whether all the city's talk about empowering youth to make their own decisions was just a bunch of lip service. To make the point, Armando Gonzalez, a Bellevue High School sophomore who was one of the three students appointed to the board by the city manager in place of hte passed-over students, told the council he would rather turn down his appointment rather than take a job for which he wasn't elected. "I really do want to be a representative on the Youth Link Board," he wrote in a resignation letter. "But I would like to win fairly and not because of my ethnic background." Dealing with diversity has become an increasingly important issue in Bellevue. Despite its reputation as a bastion of white affluence, the city of 104,000 is grappling with a repaidly changing population -- especially in schools where over 35 languages are spoken and minority groups now account for well over one-quarter of the school-age population. City Manager Steve Bauer said he has been concerned for two years that the Youth Link board has fallen far short of representing a true cross-section of the city's youth. And the students elected this year followed the trend: they were mostly white, mostly seniors, and came from a handful of the city's one dozen high schools and middle schools. Rather than wait another yeaqr, Bauer appointed a group that included one Asian, one Hispanic and one black member and representative from a broader range of grades and schools. "It's a much better balance in all senses of ther word," he said. "And that's what we need to get Youth Link re-engergized as a group." Created in 1990, the board was part of an effort by the city to give students a voice in developing the youth-oriented programs. Over the years, it has produced a string of successes, including the popular Bellevue Skateboard Park and the Ground Zero youth center. But the group has faltered during the past few years, and Bauer said the hoped the new board would turn things around by getting more students excited about the work. Youth Link Board is made up of six adult members, chosen by the city manager, and six students, elected from the Bellevue Youth Council. During its retreat from this summer, the 55 or so students on the council elected their Youth Link representatives from a field of more than a dozen candidates. But instead of accepting the six, as the city has traditionally has done, Bauer decided to interview all of the students who ran for the position before making the appointments. Erin Schwalbach, a freshman at Bellevue High School, said she was stunned when she learned last week she wouldn't be on the board. "I feel like the only reason I didn't get on is because I'm white", she saide. Katie Bledsoe, a senior at the International School and a Youth Link member, said the decision flew in the face of the board's bylaws which made it clear tha the youth council's vote was binding. "Youth Link envisions a place where young people are involved, valued, respected, and listened to," she said. "Right now, I don't feel very involved, valued, respected, or listened to." But Bauer said the vote was only a recommendation, one that he decided to to follow entirely this year. During his interview with the student candidates, Bauer said he raised the issue of the board's diversity and asked how it should be dealt with. Only one of the teens said he should seat all six of the students elected. But the students who attended last night's City Council meeting said they thought Bauer was only asking how they felt about a diverse board, not whether they would approve appointing members who weren't elected. City Council members said they were surprised to learn of the student's complaint and promised to take a closer look at the issue next week. "I, too, am concerned about appointment powers and who has them," Councilwoaman Georgia Zumdieck told the students. J. Martin McOmber's phone message number is 206-515-5628, email is mcom-new@seatimes.com Arthur Hu Comment - Regarding Bellevue City Manager Steve Bauer's controversial decision to replace the elected students because of diversity, what is the idea of appointing a 50% minority Board to represent a population that is only 25% minority? That's not diversity, it's naked discrimination and racism, that's what it is. I have never heard of such a blatant policy of exclusion of persons based on their Euro-American heritage, nor of officials taking a blind idea to the real issue, which isn't student power, but the power of political correctness. While he's at it he should have insured that there was at least one Jewish person and one gay person, if one believes in the PBS Puzzle Place model of diversity - they have only one straight white christian out of their cast of six. That's the true meaning of diversity if Bauer is right. In the United States, it is against the law to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, and if it isn't punishable under criminal law, any public official who commits this crime should be fired, or at least publicly ridiculed. Would it really be so hard to simply accept students without regard to their race? Arthur Hu 425-557-1000 x4504 12422 107th PL NE Kirkland WA 98034 Thank you Conrad for your reply. I need to emphasize this is not just using "racism" lightly. I was the one who pointed out in San Jose that it was just plain wrong for the Fire Department to pass over 2 extremelely experienced firefighters because they were white, and only hire 1 white male out of 22 new firefighters in the name of "diversity". This case is no different, except that whites were limited 50% of students rather than 0%. There is absolutely no evidence that a 50% minority membership is neccesary for reaching at-risk youth, the real issue was "diversity". The legal problem is the same, and if any of the students wanted to sue on the basis of racial discrimination, there would be no legal defence. Under Baake, which allows racial preferences, you can only hire up to parity with population. Newer supreme court decisions don't even allow ANY race preferences. As far as I am concerned, the City Manager could hire Bozo the Clown as long as he isn't violating any laws, but he is very clearly and obviously violating civil rights laws here. This is why the man deserves to be fired, not just questioned. Everyone should understand the meaning of the law when it comes to racial discrimination, and I am apalled that the City Manager can get away with such naked discrimination and nobody sees a civil rights issue anywhere. Wake up folks. This is the reason people have to resort to initiatives like the 200 which explicitly bans all preferences because there is absolutely no safeguard against this sort of thing. As Chinese, we need to guard against discrimination against ANY group, since we get the good and bad from both ends both as over-achievers and marginalized minorities. > From: Conrad Lee > Subject: Conrad Lee approves of City Manager removing students because > th -Reply > I sided with the City Manager for two reasons: 1) He has the final say to > make the appointments. The young people only make the > recommendations. This is the "check and balance" provided in the > process. 2) Regardless of the racial mix, the youth group has not been > effective reaching the at-risk youth. Reaching the at-risk youth is one of > the more important goals of the program. The City Manager has the > ultimately responsibility to the City Council to make the program work, not > the youth. I look to him to appoint the best people to get the best results. > That, is his job. > > Beware of emotional rhetorics! Whether they are from liberal or > conservative power- and headline-grabbers. This issue has very little to > do with diversity or race. It's a management and accountability issue. > When someone doesn't like the results or loses control, it's always an > easy trick to yell "racism"! > > I hope this sheds a ray of enlightenment and hope for sanity. > > >>> "Arthur Hu" 10/29/97 06:14am >>> > Hi all, here is the Seattle Times report, in the Eastside Journal, > our own Conrad Lee is said to have sided with the City Manager > when he over-rode a student vote to replace a student council with > one nonwhite student out of 6 for one with 3 out of 6, or 50% in a > community that is only 25% minority. To me, it's a naked racist > outrage that proves that the diversity movement is a total joke > out to maximize the number of minorities and minimize the > number of innocenet whites regardless of any reasonable > definition of "parity". > > Conrad, didn't it occur to you that what this guy did has no > possible legal defence? Can you pass on the names of the > families of the students involved so that I can find out if they > can hook up with the Center for Individual Rights so that they > can sue for their legal rights to not be discriminated against > on the basis of race? This guy should resign, or be fired, > and you shoud NOT tolerate this kind of nonsense. >