This recent article in the Sac Bee had me thinking over the Thanksgiving break.

Why is the Sacramento Chapter of the NAACP a foe of the chartered school initiative in California, especially the effort of Kevin Johnson's St. Hope Academy and the success at Margaret Fortune's Sacramento High?

I've had lunch with the out going President of the Sacramento Chapter of the NAACP, David DeLuz, interestingly enough at a Republican fund raising event...his brother's (Craig DeLuz, a fine Republican) bid for city council this past year. David is a fine man, well spoken and well intentioned inside of his ideology.

I like David DeLuz and I disagree with him on most, if not all, political and social issues. Yet, I'm confused as to his stance (and the Sacto NAACP's stance) against the chartered school success at Sacramento High.

My only conceivable source of explanation is a quid pro quo with the local teacher's union surrounding the protests of the charted school decision by the school board and St. Hope Academy.

Now, I can 'understand' the teacher's union being committed to the NAACP - for obvious, politically and job security reasons...but why is the Sacto NAACP supportive of the teacher's union? Or should I ask if they are dependent upon the teacher's union?

This has the markings an agreement negotiated by the likes of Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. If not, someone from the PUSH Coalition should be recruiting Sacto's NAACP for a new apprentice on educational entitlements.

Notice this segment of the article: "...DeLuz and his team of younger African American professionals have performed a small miracle. DeLuz and Williams said the branch has more than doubled its membership, paid off its debts, beefed up its legal services, registered 3,000 new voters and created a spiffy Web site..."

Is the teacher's union a major contributor to the fledgling Sacramento Chapter? Did the union help with the minimal turn around of the Sacto NAACP's financial health?

Something is askew...why would the NAACP side with an organization that buried Sacramento High School and become a constant foe of those who offered up thousands - if not millions - of dollars to resurrect the educational system at Sac High, as well as student performance? Why?

Is the Sacramento Chapter of the NAACP bought and paid for?

I also find the 'other major accomplishments' for the NAACP to be bit conlficted with the needs and issues of the black community in Sacramento:

When fights among students of different races broke out at an Elk Grove High School last Feb ruary, the local NAACP held a community forum questioning whether African American students were disciplined more severely, and more often, than students of other races who committed similar offenses.

DeLuz said he reached out to the Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which helps protect American Muslims from discrimination. (CAIR has been investigated by the federal government on numerous occassions for collecting and contributing money to terrorists organizations worldwide.)

Met with local gay and lesbian activists at the Lambda (Man-Boy Love; men who desire young boys for sex) Community Center to discuss the alarming spread of AIDS among African American women, many of them infected by African American men in secret gay relationships.

He fought Ward Connerly's campaign to ban racial classifications, Proposition 54 - and won.

Seriously, are these the issues at heart for the Black Community of Sacramento?

Hogue Show on 1380 KTKZ.