June 2009 NomineeAlert

Spriggs’ Background this issue: Chairman, Department of William E. Spriggs, Nominee for

Senior Fellow, Economic Policy Assistant Secretary of Labor Institute for Policy Director, National Urban League Institute for Opportunity and Equality

Chair, Independent Health Care Trust for UAW Retirees of Ford Motor Company Who is William E. Spriggs? Racism causes every problem... Board Member, Retiree Health On June 9, 2009, President Obama nominated the economy, Spriggs co-authored a report urging Administration Corporation William E. Spriggs to be Assistant Secretary of a substantial increase in the . Labor for Policy. Editor, State of Black America Specifically, Spriggs advocated “increasing the

minimum wage so that it regains the value that it and Special Advisor in The Office of the Assistant the Office of the Under Secretary had in the late 1960s and Secretary for Policy (ASP for Economic Affairs, Department of then indexing the minimum Commerce as it is known in-house) “In the United States, wage so that it rises as within the Labor everything is racial.” Senior Advisor to the Associate prices rise would provide a Department is responsible Deputy Administrator for -William Spriggs, Fn.1. —————————————————————————————————————————- safety net for those Government Contracting and 8(a) for clearing every “The Labor Department doesn’t workers who do not have Business Development, Small regulation that the bargaining power with their Business Department promulgates. need a blatant racist running its Administration employers.” This would As such the views of the policy shop. President Obama raise the minimum wage to Senior Democrat Economist, Joint person heading this office should withdraw Spriggs’ over $9 an hour. Fn.3. Economic Committee of the U.S. have a tremendous affect nomination and replace him Congress on the nation’s workforce. with someone who looks for real Spriggs disrespects the Chair, UAW Retirees of the Dana solutions and doesn’t blame rights of states and thinks Corporation Health and Welfare Though he is an Trust every economic problem in the the government in general economist, Spriggs seems U.S. on racism.” is too small. “We all Vice Chairman, Board of the to have little faith in the -Bill Wilson, President, understand that there is a Congressional Black Caucus Politi- market or free trade. cal Education and Leadership for Limited Government certain size government,” “Opinions expressed by Institute Dr. Spriggs told the crowd the [National Black of appreciative activists at Board Member, Black Enterprise Peoples Unity Convention] panel of Anderson, the Campaign for America’s Future “Failure of Magazine Board of Malveaux and economists William Spriggs and Conservatism” conference. “We are below what it Maya Rockeymoore would roll back a great deal of Assistant Professor, Norfolk State takes to run our government. . . . Unfortunately, University the market-based reforms that have led to two one of the things that conservatives have sold us decades of unfettered globalization and Professor, North Carolina A & T on is states’ rights,” Dr. Spriggs avers. “States stagnation of American wages. Anderson State University generate the worst economic policies. . . . The suggested a constitutional amendment red states are dictating policy to the rest of EDUCATION guaranteeing full at a living wage. us.” Fn.4. B.A., Williams Spriggs suggested that globalization be rolled Ph.D., University of Wisconsin- back to protect American jobs.” Fn.2. In April of Madison Continued next page... 2008, as the recession was tightening its grip on Sources for further What you really need to know about Spriggs reading: Continued from first page… Fn.1. Roundtable on Constructing and Coping with Incarceration and Family Re-Entry: Perspectives Spriggs appears to view everything from a race, gender, and class perspective. from the Field, National Center on Fathers and Families, November “In the United States, everything is racial. The reason that racist policies have continued to exist is that 2001. Available online at: http:// racism involves an unexamined set of assumptions.” (Emphasis in original.) See Fn.1. www.ncoff.gse.upenn.edu/ roundtable/incarcerated-rt.pdf. (Accessed June 26, 2009.) In 2001, Spriggs supported paying reparations to African countries. “Dr. William Spriggs, an economist at —————————————-- the National Urban League, said it was disingenuous for the U.S. to justify its refusal to address Fn.2. Equal Results Needs to be reparations by maintaining that the conference needs to ‘move forward’." Spriggs asked, “How can we Goal: Panelist: Blacks should ‘move forward’ if we can’t look back?" Fn.4. capitalize on opportunities secured during civil rights era, The Post- Tribune (Merrillville, IN), March 10, Spriggs is disappointed that black immigrants often do not feel sufficiently victimized. 2006 at A4. ————————————— "When we talk of housing disparities, education problems...many [immigrants] don't think that affects Fn.3. Steven C. Pitts, Ph.D., and them," said William Spriggs, executive director of the National Urban League Institute for Opportunity and William E. Spriggs, Ph.D., Beyond Equality. "Black politicians . . . haven't been able to get [black immigrants] to buy into what white America the Mountaintop: King’s is all about, about what white privilege is. Immigrants don't come here with that understanding. We have Prescription for Poverty, U.C. Berkeley Labor Center, April 4, to change our language to let them know that these are their problems." Fn.5. 2008. Available online at; http:// laborcenter.berkeley.edu/ Spriggs prefers to blame discrimination rather than other plausible causes for racial differences. blackworkers/ mountaintop_report.pdf. “Bill Spriggs, director of the National Urban League's Institute for Opportunity and Equality, believes (Accessed June 26, 2009.) —————————————-- there is something else behind the disparities: discrimination. That becomes especially apparent in a Fn.4. Reparations Now In Our downturn, he claims. “ Lifetime!, Newsletter #21, August 2001. Available online at: http:// ''It's harder to discriminate when the labor market is tight,'' Spriggs said. ''When the economy slows www.thelawkeepers.org/ down, suddenly, from an employer's perspective, there are enough white applicants. They never have to replet106d.htm. get to black or Hispanic applicants.'' Fn.6. (Accessed June 26, 2009.) —————————————-- Fn.5. Steve Miller, Black leaders Spriggs believes employers don’t want to hire minorities and only do so when there are not enough say rift exists with immigrants, THE whites to go around. WASHINGTON TIMES, May 9, 2003, at A01. Available online at: http:// “Overall, as jobs are lost, new jobs are not being generated. It’s like an extreme game of musical chairs, www.washingtontimes.com/ news/2003/may/09/20030509- said Bill Spriggs, executive director of the National Urban League Institute for Opportunity and Equality, a 083413-9343r/. Washington-based research institution that focuses on social and economic issues.” (Accessed June 26, 2009.) ———————————————- “Imagine there’s a keeper on the line of chairs,” he said. “The idea is that the rule of the line is that white Fn.6. Deborah Kong, Recession folks get to sit down first. So, it’s really employer preference. There are enough employers that it slows Toughest for Minorities, down the job search for African-Americans. We have to do more interviews to land a job than white folks ASSOCIATED PRESS, January 9, 2002. do, which means we’re unemployed for a longer period of time, which gets us the higher unemployment ———————————————- rate.” Fn.7. Fn.7. Hazel Trice Edney, Poor Economy Turns Tables on African- Spriggs has a record of ill-considered and reckless comments, such as these about affirmative action Americans, MISSISSIPPI LINK, and the war in Iraq. January 30, 2003, online edition.

———————————————- NomineeAlert Fn.8. Alfred Lubrano, The black “Nobody minds us fighting and dying,” says William perspective; Polls show that Spriggs, executive director of the National Urban League THIS ALERT IS A SERVICE OF are far more Institute for Opportunity and Equality in Washington. AMERICANS FOR LIMITED GOVERNMENT likely to oppose the war in Iraq “But everyone is up in arms about our going to college.” than are . The 9900 MAIN STREET He was referring to those opposed to affirmative action at question is, why?, SUITE 303 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, the University of Michigan, whose entrance policy is part April 6, 2003, at C01. of the Supreme Court case. Fn.8. FAIRFAX, VA 22031 703.383.0880 WWW.GETLIBERTY.ORG