August 08, 2019 

By Stacy M. Brown 

NNPA Newswire Correspondent 

 

After a half-century in the automobile industry, James Farmer has certainly seen it all.

 

And, after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) earlier this month, Farmer took time to reflect.

 

“I’ve seen this industry grow – and grow for African Americans,” Farmer said.

 

“I can remember at a NAMAD banquet there were two tables, maybe three at a conference of minority dealers,” he said. “But I watched it grow to the level that it is today with many [tables] and, to be in a position within General Motors and to assist the industry and see it grow, has been gratifying,” he said.

 

Farmer has set the example for many inside and outside of the automobile industry.

 

He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in marketing from Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio in 1967 and, after nearly 10 years in advertising, sales and marketing at the Airtemp division of the Chrysler Corporation, he began his career with General Motors at the former Delco Products Division in Dayton, Ohio, in 1976.

 

He held a number of key leadership positions at GM including: Group Director of Communications for GM’s Small Car Group in 1994; Group Director of Public Relations and Communications, GM North American Sales, Service and Marketing in 1998; General Director Marketing and Constituency Communications with GM’s Worldwide Communications Group in 1999; and Vice President of Merchandising, Advertising and Communications at GMAC until his retirement in 2004.

 

Even though Farmer retired as a vice president of GMAC in 2004, he remained committed to fostering positive business relationships between the Black Press and the auto industry.

 

“Jim Farmer has done so many great things, solved so many problems, and he’s bridged so many gaps for our industry,” said Damon Lester, the president and CEO of NAMAD, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that’s dedicated to developing strategic relationships and advocating for the advancement of business policies and practices that ensure diversity and economic parity remain a priority in all aspects of the American automotive industry.

 

“His value goes well beyond his tenure at General Motors,” Lester said.

 

“His character and integrity are legendary and no matter what the issue was, no matter how dire the situation, he could pick up that phone and call a Rev. Jesse Jackson or a Rev. Al Sharpton or someone and have a dialogue with them and get their perspective and come back to everyone else with some sort of middle ground that was fair for all parties,” Lester said.

 

“He has a heck of a legacy,” he said.

 

Farmer, who also has been honored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA, The Black Press of America) with the organization’s prestigious Torch Award, Legacy of Excellence Award and Lifetime Achievement Award, recalled his youth when he sold EBONY and Jet magazines and the Cleveland Call and Post newspapers.

 

He said that’s where his connection to the Black Press began.

 

“I grew up with it,” said Farmer, who remains an advocate of the Black Press.

 

“James Ellis Farmer is the epitome of more than a half century of career excellence in the automotive industry,” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., said.

 

“The Black Press of America via the NNPA salutes Jim Farmer for his outstanding global leadership,” Chavis said.

 

Farmer was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities under President George W. Bush where he traveled the world as a cultural ambassador.

 

A member of the Board of Advisors at the Harvard School of Divinity Summer Leadership Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Washington, DC, Farmer also served on the National Board of Advisors Development Team, planning the commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the John H. Johnson School of Communications at Howard University, Washington, DC.

 

Farmer also has presented the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in France, Vietnam and India, and most recently in China, as part of a Global Cultural exchange program with the U. S. Department of State and the Theolonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

 

However, Farmer’s passion has always been in the auto industry.

 

“My career has been gratifying,” he said.

 

“I do remember the unfortunate economic conditions that befell the country and the automobile industry, and we saw a drop off in automobile dealers – a dropping of Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn,” Farmer said.

 

“That meant that it affected a number of dealers of color who had franchises,” he said.

 

Now that the economy is steady, or some would say robust, Farmer said he’s hoping that more young people of color will look to own dealerships.

 

“There are opportunities at GM and other places and the time is right,” he said.

 

“Today, it’s so diverse. I remember when GM, Ford and Chrysler had more than 90 percent of the market. Today, they collectively might have 40 percent.”

 

“So, in the auto industry these days, people have to have diversity. Not just in color, but in thought because we have cars today that we didn’t have 50 years ago, and I also remember when there were only about six black dealers [nationwide] and now GM has 50,” Farmer said.

 

With that, it’s important to capitalize on the opportunities available, which was a lesson Farmer said he learned when he was a child.

 

“I am one of 14 kids and my mother and father were married for 61 years and they raised us with the idea that, when much is given, much is expected,” Farmer said.

 

“So, when you’re blessed, you have to share those blessings and that is just basic philosophy and it’s kind of a religious belief that I have always had during my years at Chrysler and GM,” he said.

August 08, 2019 

By Don Thompson 

Associated Press 

 

California on Monday gave more time to apply to an independent commission that will redraw boundaries for most state and federal elections, an effort to get more people of color involved and avoid the political gerrymandering that has caused problems elsewhere.

 

Nearly 14,000 people have applied for the 14 positions, said California State Auditor Elaine Howle, who heads the selection process. But that's less than half the roughly 30,000 who applied a decade ago. She pushed the deadline back to Aug. 19 after some organizations sought an even longer extension for fear that too few minority residents have applied for the commission that will draw new lines after the 2020 census.

 

In most states, legislators and governors draw and approve political district maps following each U.S. census, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that it had no authority to resolve partisan gerrymandering claims. But a growing number of states, including California, have moved the remapping to independent or bipartisan commissions or have changed their requirements to reduce the likelihood of partisan gerrymandering.

 

California voters approved a pair of ballot measures, in 2008 and 2010, creating the independent commission to redraw congressional, state Senate, state Assembly and state Board of Equalization district lines after new population figures emerge.

 

The commission must include five Democrats, five Republicans and four who have no party preference or belong to another party.

 

Howle said she's happy with a recent increase in applications but wants more.

 

“We’ve really seen a significant surge in the applications that we’ve received,” Howle said, adding that fewer than 10,000 had applied a week ago. “We’re confident there will be a very diverse group.”

 

State redistricting officials and community groups recently increased advertising and outreach efforts in minority and ethnic communities and to women after recognizing a potential shortfall, and the additional 10 days is designed to keep up that momentum, she said.

 

To date, 15 percent of applicants are Latino, up from 10 percent a decade ago, she said. But Latinos make up nearly 40 percent of California's population. The percentage of Asian and Pacific Islander applicants has doubled from a decade ago, to 7 percent, but that's less than half their proportion in the state.

 

Women and those who have no party preference or belong to smaller political parties are also below their proportions of the population.

 

Just 40 percent of applicants are female. And 22 percent of applicants belong to smaller political parties or have no party preference, while a third of the state's voters are unaffiliated with either major political party.

 

The Redistricting California Collaborative – made up of about two dozen organizations, including California Common Cause and the Advancement Project California – wanted Howle to extend the deadline until the end of September. But Howle said that would have left too little time for the more detailed selection process that follows.

 

“We’re very, very pleased to hear,” collaborative spokeswoman Alejandra Ponce De Leon said. “However, 10 days is still not enough to really close that disparity gap.”

 

With the smaller numbers, she said the pressure will be on Howle's office to still select a pool that is diverse and representative of California’s population.

 

A state auditor’s panel will sort through the applications next year and select 60 potential redistricting commissioners: 20 Democrats, 20 Republicans and 20 others.

 

State legislative leaders from both parties will then be able to eliminate two nominees from each political category. Eight redistricting commissioners – three Democrats, three Republicans and two unaffiliated members – will then be randomly selected from the remaining candidates. Those commissioners will then select an additional two Democrats, two Republicans and two unaffiliated members.

 

Approving a map requires nine votes, including three from each political category of members.

 

Howle said she does not expect to reach 30,000 applications, even with the extended deadline. But she said she expects a greater rate of applicants to complete the next step of filling out a much more detailed application with reference letters, resulting in a larger secondary pool than a decade ago.

August 01, 2019 

By Christopher G. Cox 

NNPA Newswire Correspondent 

 

“The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is probably the number one cash benefit program for low income families in the country,” according to Chris Rockey, senior vice president, market manager, Greater Maryland Community Development Banking for PNC Bank.

 

“It can be a challenge to get into the program,” Rockey adds, “but it is a way to put needed cash into a family’s pockets.”

 

The EITC was implemented as a way to offset the impact of Social Security taxes on low to moderate taxpayers and to provide them with an incentive to work. The credit can be worth up to $6,431 for 2018 and up to $6,577 in 2019 for families with three or more qualifying children. For taxpayers with two qualifying children, the maximum credit this year is $5,828. The maximum credit for one qualifying child is $3,526.

 

“The EITC is different than other federal assistance programs,” Rockey continued, “because you actually have to have income in order to qualify.”

 

There are several ways individuals can determine if they are eligible for the EITC, Rockey explained. “A number of community action associations through their financial programs are very aggressive about educating their clients about the EITC, as well as other programs like the CTC (Child Tax Credit),” he said.

 

Rockey also noted that he has seen a trend with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparation sites whereby they are focusing on reaching out to working families to help them through the eligibility process.

 

“There are clearly efforts under way from an educational standpoint, “Rockey said, “but like any other government program it can be cumbersome, and unless you have someone who can help you navigate the twists and turns it can be confusing.”

 

In a best-case scenario, Rockey notes, a family or individual works with a case manager or social worker who is skilled in the process. He adds that by consulting with a VITA site, taxpayers can position themselves to be eligible for next year’s credit even if they are not signed up for the current tax year. It is also possible to apply for the benefit retroactively.

 

Rockey said that PNC Bank does not work directly with potentially eligible taxpayers to qualify them for the EITC, but it does explain how the program works and will refer them to its trusted community partners for intake. “Our partners can provide the information and resources our customers are looking for,” he adds.

 

Still, obtaining accurate, reliable information about the EITC can be a challenge, Rockey warns. It is often difficult for those who need information about their eligibility to get access to transportation and take time off from work to meet with someone who can help them to qualify.

 

“It’s not just getting educated about the EITC,” he added, “it’s also about learning how to access the benefits while keeping their job.”

 

Even in the current divided political environment, Rockey is encouraged about the outlook for the EITC because over the years it has gained a great deal of bipartisan political support. In recent years, he adds, there has been some talk of trying to modernize some of the EITC’s income qualifications.

 

“Unlike federal programs that benefit individuals and families who are not in the workforce, “he said, “the EITC provides a direct benefit to the working poor. Whether you are an R or a D, you want more people in the workforce.”