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Frank Ricci Speaks Out

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on July 1, 2009 at 4:02 PM in Current Affairs, Media, Race Card, Souter Vacancy, Supreme Court

Fellow NQ writer, LisaB, has covered the issue of the SCOTUS and the New Haven Firefighters, but this video contained information I had not previously heard:

So, there WERE African Americans and Hispanics who passed the exam, too, something previously unreported. As Mr. Ricci said, the press did NOT do its job, accepting as fact the city of New Haven’s talking points. Wow – what a HUGE surprise – the press not engaging in fact checking. Again! Shocking. Ahem.

I thought this was an interesting interview. Congratulations to all of the firefighters who worked so hard to pass their tests (Ricci was not the only one who sacrificed studying for the exam – it sounds like EVERYONE sacrifices for these extra classes and tests). Here’s hoping you all get the positions, and back pay, you worked so hard to achieve.

  • jwrjr

    I have never had a favorable opinion of the conservatives on the SCOTUS. After this decision and seeing who voted how on it, I will have to reconsider my opinion. The MSM, as we already knew, sucks rocks.

  • Patience

    Ricci didn’t exactly say AAs and Hispanics passed the test, he said some were promoted. I haven’t found anything yet to claify this — all of the articles I’ve read so far focus more on the SCOTUS and nominee Sotomayor.

    It could be that since the test results were thrown out, promotions were made based on other criteria. Maybe someone here will find out the particulars and let us know.

    • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

      That was the whole issue, though – whether or not people were promoted. I get what you are saying, though, Patience.

      Hmmm – where’s Magnum when you need ‘em??

      political, I didn’t hear what Foxx said (though he worked my nerves during the election). He seriously said the black community OWNED Michael Jackson? For real? Given all that MJ went through, that is an interesting claim to make, not only because of the “ownership” language, but because of the pains MJ took…(Not that I doubt his being African American, though it seems SOME do, from an article I saw the other day. Wow.)

      But I hear you abt people just wanting handouts without doing the work. I do not know if that was the case here or not, but CULTURALLY, it seems like more and more people expect to get more than they deserve from the get go, like college grads walking right into middle management instead of having to work their way up. That is to say, I don’t know if it was a lack of hard work on the part of those firefighters who did not pass the test, or the expectation they were OWED the positions, but it just seems to me too many people now think they don’t have to work – HARD – to advance. Just look at our president!!

      • Obama: Dubya 2 Electric Boogaloo

        But I hear you abt people just wanting handouts without doing the work. I do not know if that was the case here or not, but CULTURALLY, it seems like more and more people expect to get more than they deserve from the get go, like college grads walking right into middle management instead of having to work their way up. That is to say, I don’t know if it was a lack of hard work on the part of those firefighters who did not pass the test, or the expectation they were OWED the positions, but it just seems to me too many people now think they don’t have to work – HARD – to advance. Just look at our president!!

        It comes down to lazyiness and taking the path of least resistance. That’s why they really hate this Ricci guy.

        For some, it’s much easier to scream “institutionalized racism!” and make some calls to Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson than to actually take personal and individual responsibility. You know, maybe spend a few hours a week improving your reading and writing skills instead of pointing fingers and blaming whitie.

        But, as we saw from Ricci, that might actually take some hard work, perserverance and, gasp, setting aside some money to help you get to that goal. See, much easier to feign the viction and call Reverand Al. I might get what I want without having to put any extra work into it.

        Sort of like Acorn and the banks and forcing them to make loans to people who otherwise shouldn’t be qualified to get a home loan. It was much easier to get ACORN and Reverand Al to whip up a shit storm and force them to make loans rather than having people save up and buy a home they could afford.

        And in the end we all suffer, but they sure showed whitie, didn’t they?

        • tzada

          I agree. Plus Obama is soooooo tied to Acorn. With his payments to them during his “election” and he was their attorney when they sued Citi Bank.

    • xax

      But to be promoted you have to pass the test. Maybe it was an earlier test. My understanding is that those who pass are placed on a list in order of grade and the list has to be certified by the city for them to be considered for positions. If a position is open the top people get those positions first. At least that’s what it seemed like from reading the decision. There’s alot of background information in that decision that no one bothered to look up. This whole thing was not presented in an honest way. They didn’t even try.

  • politicalidentitycrisis

    I do not want to be too judgemental of those who did not pass the test, but since Ricci has a learning disability and most of them paid alot of money for books to study for the tests, is it possible that those who did not pass simply did not work as hard as everyone else? Maybe some people thought they were just entitled because they were minorities, etc.? I don’t know. It just seems like that is what we are seeing in today’s world, the “post-racial” (right) world, if you will. After what Jamie Fox said about Michael Jackson, how he is owned by the black people (Michael was a slave????), I’m just kind of sick of the attitude of those who don’t want to work hard, but want the biggest rewards. I think this case is a good example of how hard work and determination are American values that get you far. I am tired of whiners of any race or gender, who just want handouts. Like I said, I do not know about those who didn’t pass, but would like to see them speak out as well, so they could explain to me why they should hold others back who put in the big effort.

  • I’m a Linda too

    Thank you for posting this. I too did not know about the minority firefighters that would have been promoted based on the test results, too.

    I was just sooo trhilled that the case was resolved as it should have been, with the firefighters.

    CONGRATULATIONS, Lt. Ricci and ALL OTHER firefighters who received their justice today.

    I must however express my MAJOR disappointment in the Judges and officials who thought the end justified their means in upholding and supporting the racism that let to this hearing. Very sad. And I will say, I do not believe Sotomayor is qualified to be on the Supreme Court.

  • SHV

    Here are the test results:

    “Candidates took the examinations in November and December 2003. Seventy-seven candidates completed the lieutenant examination—43 whites, 19 blacks, and 15 Hispanics. Of those, 34 candidates passed—25 whites, 6 blacks, and 3 Hispanics. 554 F. Supp. 2d, at 145. Eight lieutenant positions were vacant at the time of the examination. As the rule of three operated, this meant that the top 10 candidates were eligible for an immediate promotion to lieutenant. All 10 were white. Ibid. Subsequent vacancies would have allowed at least 3 black candidates to be considered for promotion to lieutenant.

    Forty-one candidates completed the captain examination—25 whites, 8 blacks, and 8 Hispanics. Of those, 22 candidates passed—16 whites, 3 blacks, and 3 Hispanics. Ibid. Seven captain positions were vacant at the time of the examination. Under the rule of three, 9 candidates were eligible for an immediate promotion to captain—7 whites and 2 Hispanics. Ibid.”

  • Kathy

    What has also not been reported my most of MSM but was reported the the Washington Times was that the city of New Haven went out of their way to create a test that was not culturally biased. African Americans and Hispanics were oversampled on possible test questions and 2 of the three people that sat on the panel that administered an oral portion of the test were minority. So although the City of New Haven could easily have stood by the test results as being fair and pointing to what they did to ensure its fairness should a law suit be brought, they chose to discard the teat results. That is reverse discrimination.

    • Kathy

      Here’s the link to that article if anyone wants to see it. Not surprisingly Congress is planning to pass legislation to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling once they get back from vacation.

      http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/30/5-4-ruling-reverses-sotomayor-decision/?feat=home_headlines&page=2

      • centerground

        Not surprisingly Congress is planning to pass legislation to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling once they get back from vacation.

        Then I foresee that the Democrats will lose control of the House of Representatives in the next election.

        The justice of this ruling has resonated with the American people. Democrats will ignore this at their own peril.

        • Obama: Dubya 2 Electric Boogaloo

          Sounds like Obama and the Dem’s Terry Schiavo moment to me.

          • Kathy

            Only if the media reports on it.

        • creeper

          Wait a minute. Congress can’t “overturn” a Supreme Court ruling. The only way to do that is with a Constitutional Amendment, since their rulings are always based on constitutionality.

          Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

          • http://sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ American Girl in Italy

            Congress are the ones perhaps that need to not get ahead of themselves, then.

            The Supreme Court clearly had a new interpretation for Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. And so I think some of the very concerns that members of the Senate have expressed about judicial activism seem to be at the very least upside down in this case,” said press secretary Robert Gibbs, who went on to defend Judge Sotomayor, who as part of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the firefighters.

            Members of Congress said they will try to overturn the ruling through legislation, and D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat, vowed to introduce a bill when Congress gets back from its July 4 vacation.

            http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/30/5-4-ruling-reverses-sotomayor-decision/?feat=home_headlines&

      • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

        Good catch, Kathy – and you have GOT to be kidding me!! I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, though, should I???

        Holy freakin’ smokes.

  • NewOrleansPuma

    New Haven could have as well expanded how many people from the lists who passed could have been promoted..but that would have meant they would have had to come up with more money.

    Rather than do that..New Haven chose to deny the men who did pass and who were in line on the list.

    I am happy the Supreme Court saw the injustice of this move…perhaps New Haven’s commitment to so called affirmative action only is activated if no additional money on their part is required.

    So convenient!

  • Patience

    Thanks SHV for posting the test results. I can’t believe the media perpetuated the lie that no AAs passed the test. If I were AA I’d be very disturbed about this.

  • SHV

    Thanks SHV for posting the test results. I can’t believe the media perpetuated the lie that no AAs passed the test. If I were AA I’d be very disturbed about this.
    **********
    IIRC, the test results were good for two years and it was likely that some of the six AAs would have been promoted.

    In a situation like this case, the appropriate “affirmative” action would have been to offer the test takers, irrespective of race, tutorial help and classes on the “material” and test taking skills. Throwing out the test results added how many minority firefighters to the “officer” corp???

  • bayareavoter

    Thanks for the post. It’s a sad day that we have to rely on you, a blogger, to get real info because the MSM doesn’t do its job anymore.

    I’m sure most people who have heard anything about this story have no idea that blacks and hispanics passed the test and that not all whites did either.

    And Kathy’s info above detailing how New Haven went to great lengths to be fair was a revelation, too.