Mayor Bracey: Another way to protect civil rights in York

York Mayor Kim Bracey, writing in an op-ed in today's York Daily Record, defends her recent position in the discussion of York's 2011 budget calling for changes to the funding of the city's human relation commission.

She points out the enormous budget difficulties that all Pennsylvania cities have, with soaring costs related to public safety, health care and pensions, while at the same time seeing the tax base continue to erode. At a recent city council meeting, as reported by Lacaster Online, she wondered if city residents could be adequately served by the state Human Relations Commission and urged a community discussion of the question.

But in the op-ed, she took a couple of more forceful positions. First, she called out the newspapers:

"Our local print media has called for the continuation of funding. It has been suggested the specific allocation of tax dollars to the York City Human Relations Commission should continued if for no other reason than based upon the ongoing strained race relations in this geographic area. Meanwhile, the same newspaper rarely depicts stories of the lives of people of color as being part of something other than criminal mischief in the greater York area."

Then she said it was simply unfair for the city alone to have to carry the burden of civil rights protection for the community.

"In an ideal world, either the state Human Relations Commission or a county-wide commission would take on the tasks our city commission admirably has done through the years. Instead of the poorest residents in our county subsidizing the county's only human relations commission, a countywide human relations commission would more effectively serve all citizens in one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania.

Our county has grown to now over 410,000 people, becoming more racially, culturally and socially diverse each year. On a per 100,000 population basis, York County, according to a 2006 study, ranks second in the entire state for reported bias-related incidents. That is in a state of 67 counties."

Finally, she proposes a fourth way - not the state HRC, not a city commission, not a county commission, because she understands the political and fiscal realities. She offers an idea that would bring together a coalition made up of groups that could all have an interest in reducing discrimination in York County.

I extend an open hand to the county, the bar association, our faith community, and the private sector to collaborate on a fully functioning county-wide commission in the future.

Can we build on what we have to make our commission more effective without burdening our county's most economically challenged citizens? Can, for instance, the fact-finding or discovery work of the commission be handled by local attorneys doing pro bono work on behalf of civil and human rights?

Since Sunday morning often is the most segregated time of the week, is there a collaborative role for the York County Council of Churches, their member churches, and church youth groups? Can we work on a Metro York pilot program where costs are shared by a foundation, federal grants, the city and the county?

YorkCounts spent considerable time over several years working to establish a countywide human relations commission through York County government; it was a recommendation in the 2004 YorkCounts Action Plan. The commissioners ultimately decided they didn't have the money to pay for it.

But Mayor Bracey raises some intriguing questions. And YorkCounts would be happy to play whatever role might foster the community conversation that the mayor is looking for.

How about it York? Is it time to talk about this?

- Dan Fink