Equality is not negotiable--keep title IX intact. (At Issue).Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is the landmark federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. The current Title IX athletics policies-issued in 1979 and in place through Democratic and Republican Administrations--are now under attack. The "Commission on Opportunity in Athletics," charged by the Bush Administration with reviewing these policies, delivered its final report to Secretary of Education Roberick Paige on February 26, 2003. The report contains recommendations that would devastate dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. current Title IX athletics policies, reducing athletic opportunities and scholarship dollars to which women and girls are legally entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: . Two Commission members (Donna de Varona Donna Elizabeth de Varona (born April 26, 1947 in San Diego, California) is a former American swimmer of Mexican and Irish ancestry. De Varona was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 1960 Summer Olympics, while at the following Olympics, she won gold medals in the 400 , an Olympic champion, and Julie Foudy Julie Maurine Foudy (born 23 January 1971 in San Diego, California) was a midfielder for the United States women's national soccer team from 1987 through 2004, finishing with a remarkable 271 caps. , captain of the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team) issued a minority report. That report objects to certain recommendations, takes issue with others, and addresses the continuing discrimination against female athletes and the need for strong enforcement of current Title IX policies. While Secretary Paige has stated that he will move forward only with the so-called "unanimous" recommendations, he has refused to even consider Foudy and de Verona's objections to those "unanimous" recommendations or to include their minority report in the public record. The 1979 Title IX athletics policies are still needed to address persistent discrimination against women and girls. For example, although women in Division I colleges are 53 percent of the student body, they receive only 41 percent of the opportunities to play sports, 36 percent of overall athletic operating budgets Noun 1. operating budget - a budget for current expenses as distinct from financial transactions or permanent improvements budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead - the expense of maintaining property (e.g. , and 32 percent of the dollars spent to recruit new athletes. Congressional leaders from both parties are standing up for Title IX. A group of Senators sent a letter to President Bush urging him to reject any changes to the athletics policies, and members in the House of Representatives have sponsored a resolution (H. Res. 137) affirming the current Tide IX athletics policies. While this Congressional support is important, Secretary Paige and President Bush can roll back Title IX athletics policies without approval from Congress or the courts. Women's, civil rights and education organizations, including the League of Women Voters League of Women Voters, voluntary public service organization of U.S. citizens. Organized in 1920 in Chicago as an outgrowth of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, it had as its original nucleus the leaders of the latter organization. , are rallying behind a national public education campaign to "Save Title IX" and exhorting citizens to tell Congress and the President to reject any changes to Title IX athletics policies (link below). We urge you to add your voice to those supporting the Title IX policies. As Commissioner Foudy said when presenting the minority report, "equality is not negotiable NEGOTIABLE. That which is capable of being transferred by assignment; a thing, the title to which may be transferred by a sale and indorsement or delivery. 2. ." VOTER VOTER. One entitled to a vote; an elector. LINKS * www.SaveTitleIX.com * www.nwlc.org * www.Iwv.org * www.nba.com/wnba/title_IX_petition.jsp |
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