Date: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 2:02 PM
From: Kevin Nguyen
Subject: Action alert to ACRC & RPI members
Dear ACRC & RPI members:
We need your help and involvement *now* to help stop California Governor Gray Davis from signing into law a bill that would constitute a government-imposed obligation for businesses to collect racial and gender identity data and to make it public. In other words, the state would force businesses to openly track people along racial lines, or be in violation of the law. In the interest of curbing government snooping into people’s lives and businesses’ personnel files, we need to stop this from happening!
Assembly Bill 1309 by Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles/Hollywood) would:
-require most employers and labor unions to file reports annually listing the racial and gender composition of their workforce along with their job classifications;
-make these reports be disclosed to the general public;
-make it an unlawful practice for failure to file these reports;
-therefore harm employee privacy and employer competitiveness;
-therefore invite frivolous lawsuits by private parties such as attention-grabbing “civil rights” advocates bent on harassing California employers through protests, demonstrations and similar pressure tactics;
-therefore drive more businesses out of the state and discourage others from investing and creating jobs in California;
-therefore thumb its nose at voter concern for greater racial privacy, which was expressed in a May 2002 Field Poll showing a 3-2 margin of across-the-board support for the end of racial tracking and classifications.
In addition to the above, AB 1309 would become a job-killing machine, because businesses are already frustrated about doing business in California and this measure would add to their miseries and cause many to abandon California.
Because Governor Gray Davis can sign or veto this bill any day between now and September 30, we need you to send a message right away to him reflecting some or all of the above talking points. Show the governor your concern over this government intrusion by writing, calling, faxing and/or e-mailing him at:
Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Thank you in advance for your attention and activism for a more color-blind government! Remember, we need your involvement today!
Best regards,
Kevin
—–
Kevin T. Nguyen
Executive Director
American Civil Rights Coalition
(916) 444-2278