Politics

Condoleezza Rice Taking Over Jeb Bush’s Education Foundation

Published

9 years ago

January 23, 2015

Oakland Post

Condoleezza Rice on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, Calif. (AP Photo)

THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Thursday tapped former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve as chairman of his education foundation, turning over the organization to the former diplomat and academic who remains popular inside the Republican Party.

Rice, a professor at Stanford University and partner in a consulting firm, has for the past two years served as a board member of the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Bush launched the group after serving two terms as Florida governor. It served as the primary vehicle through which he maintained a public profile and pushed to export the education policies he pioneered in Florida to other states.

“I cannot overstate Dr. Rice’s international and national accomplishments and the vast intellect and bold vision she brings to our ambitious work in reform,” Bush said in a letter to foundation staff obtained by The Associated Press.

Bush formally left the foundation late last year, resigning as part of his preparations for a possible run for president in 2016. He also left the boards of several for-profit companies, including Tenet Healthcare Corp. and timber company Rayonier Inc.

In his letter, Bush said F. Philip Handy, who served as chairman of the Florida State Board of Education under Bush and as chairman of his two campaigns for governor, would become the foundation’s president.

While hardly an endorsement of a presidential campaign that has yet to formally launch, Rice’s move to take over the leadership of Bush’s foundation was sure to be noticed by the GOP activists already engaged in the 2016 race.

“Of course, they are going to think she must be inclined to support Jeb,” said Henry Barbour, a Republican National Committee member from Mississippi. “That doesn’t make it so. But reasonable people could come to that conclusion.”

It was a natural decision for Rice to accept the post, based on her commitment to education and her long friendship with Bush, Rice chief of staff Georgia Godfrey said.

As to whether it is an endorsement of a would-be candidate Bush, Godfrey said, “There’s not a candidate yet, so there’s not an endorsement to be given.”

Bush’s foundation’s worked with state legislatures and lobbied them to adopt what he called the “Florida formula,” anchored by strict accountability measures for teachers and students. The measures included an A-through-F grading system for schools, private-school vouchers and ending so-called social promotion for third graders who fail reading tests.

Meanwhile, Bush was meeting Thursday in Utah with 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Aides said the meeting was planned well before Romney surprised many in the party with the news that is considering making a third run for president in 2016.

“I respect him a lot. I admire him a lot,” Bush told KUTV as he arrived at the Salt Lake City airport. “He’s a great American. I look forward to seeing him.”

The meeting drew laughs on Twitter from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, another likely 2016 contender, who joked online that Bush “apparently gave Mitt Romney a ‘third time’s a charm’ bracelet at their meeting in Utah today.”

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

18 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.

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Community

Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) introduced new legislation related to reparations to the Senate Committee on Housing on April 2 in Sacramento. Senate Bill (SB) 1007, “establishes the Homeowner’s Assistance for Descendants of Enslaved Persons Program to make financial aid or assistance available to descendants for the purposes of purchasing, owning, or maintaining a home,” the legislation states.

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). Photo Courtesy of L.A. Sentinel

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) introduced new legislation related to reparations to the Senate Committee on Housing on April 2 in Sacramento.

Senate Bill (SB) 1007, “establishes the Homeowner’s Assistance for Descendants of Enslaved Persons Program to make financial aid or assistance available to descendants for the purposes of purchasing, owning, or maintaining a home,” the legislation states.

The Senate Housing Committee advanced the bill with an 8-1 vote. It will be re-referred to the Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) was the only member who voted against the bill.

“SB 1007 is about starting a long process of paying back a debt that is not only owed, but that was also promised, and is 160 years overdue, to African Americans,” Bradford told the committee chaired by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). “It is the first step in closing the wealth and equity gap created by centuries of slavery and racial discrimination policies.”

The bill aligns with one of the 115 recommendations listed in a two-year study conducted by the California reparations task force, of which Bradford was one of nine members.

Bradford said the report reveals that, in the state of California, a typical Black-owned home is 22% less valuable than a White-owned home.

Various advocacy groups from around the state attended the hearing held at the State Capitol Annex Swing Space. The California Housing Partnership, Bay Area Regional Health and Inequities Initiative, Coalition for A Just and Equitable California, Disability Rights of California, the American Civil Liberties Union of California, and California Community Builders all voiced their support of the bill.