For the February 4, 2010 IACT Board meeting, IACT has invited Ms. Kumkum Jain, the South Asian Partnership Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, to work with local leaders of South Asian community groups with our 2010 Census outreach efforts.
Meeting information:
Thursday, February 4, 2010 (6:30p – 8:00p)
Lost Creek MUD Conference Room
For directions and RSVP, please contact Ashwin Ghatalia at (512) 327-4343.
*IACT Board meetings are always open to all IACT members. For this meeting, we also invite all individuals motivated in helping with Census outreach in the South Asian community in the coming months.
About Ms. Jain
Ms. Jain’s speciality is reaching people who live in the U.S. who are from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka ; we are grateful to her for taking the time to travel to Austin to work with us on this important service to our respective communities.
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: board · census · IACT
IACT, along with the Indian Community Center (ICC), is working with the U.S. Census Department in its efforts to conduct a full, accurate count of the South Asian population in Austin metro area for the 2010 Census.
IT’S QUICK
Individuals and families will begin receiving Census 2010 forms in mid-March – the target date for completing these forms is April 1, 2010. Most census forms will contain approximately 10 non-intrusive questions that will take less than 10 minutes of your time.
IT’S SAFE
The Census is governed by strict laws regarding individual privacy and propriety of information collected. Even if you (or someone you know) have uncertainty regarding visa or residency status, please be sure to fill out the Census forms when you receive them. Your information will be kept confidential.
IT’S IMPORTANT
The data collected from the 2010 Census is used to draw state and federal legislative districts. Over $400 billion in federal spending is spent each year on infrastcuture and services (e.g., health care, job training, schools, transportation); these funds often are allocated based on Census data.
A full, accurate Census count is particularly important for a small, yet growing demographic – such as the Indian-American community — which has drastically grown since the 2000 Census. Your participation in the Census is essential to make sure that our community is properly represented and valued in the coming years.
Sincerely,
Ashwin Ghatalia, IACT President
on behalf of the IACT Board
For more information, please visit: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: census · IACT
On November 3, 2009, Texas residents will vote on 11 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, along with many local races. Because these amendments are vaguely-worded and touch on arcane areas of law, most voters do not pay them any attention, especially in a year with no major races on the ballot.
IACT notes several ballot measures you should consider supporting (by voting “yes”):
Proposition 4: Establishes a National Research University Fund to provide funding and promote research at 7 Texas universities, not just UT-Austin and Texas A&M.
Proposition 8: Allows the state government to contribute resources towards veterans’ hospitals.
Proposition 9: Protects public access to the public beaches along the Gulft of Mexico coastline; i.e., against interference from developers or private parties.
On the other hand, Propositions 1 & 2 affect local property taxes. Prop 1 allows local governments to finance “buffer zones” between military bases and the local community. Prop 2 would change the calculation of tax rates for residential property to the value of the property for residential purposes (i.e., not the value of the property’s “best use” in the event that was a commercial use). While these propositions may have benefits, both have drawn significant opposition and could lead to property tax increases.
For more information about these propositions, please visit: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/whatisontheballot.shtml.
IACT encourages all voters to exercise their right to vote on Election Day. To learn about IACT, please visit www.iactaustin.org or contact Ashwin Ghatalia at (512) 327-4373.
Posted in: Admin.
With so much information from so many different sources, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction, “talking point” from reality, etc. in the current national discussion regarding health care reform. To help address some myths that unfortunately have taken hold, we’d like to share this article from the (nonpartisan) factcheck.org:
Seven Falsehoods About Health Care Reform (published Aug. 14, 2009)
(reader comments welcome)
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: national · news
– IACT is looking to work with NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals) for 2 upcoming events:
a) A
NetIP political debate to explore the goals, political platforms, and fundamental differences between the Democratic and Republican parties. The date and venue are still TBA, but this should be an informative, educational opportunity (and hopefully less stress-inducing than the recent “town hall” meetings across the country).
b)
Gandhi Day of Service – October 3. NetIP is helping organize several service projects that day, and there are many opportunity to help with organizing and with participating in the projects themselves. If you are interested in helping out or getting more information, please contact Ketan Kharod at
ketan@alumni.utexas.net or NetIP directly at
netipvolunteers@gmail.com
– There is a very interesting article in this week’s New York Times regarding the challenges facing older South Asians living in the United States. The article focuses on communities in the Bay area, but clearly highlights areas of need in all immigrant popluations — here’s the link: (
Invisible Immigrants: Old and Left with “Nobody to Talk To”, Aug. 30, 2009)
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: Austin · local · NAAO · national · news
All IACT members are invited to our September board meeting, held on Thursday, September 3, 2009 from 6:30 to 8pm. If you are interested in attending, please contact Ashwin Ghatalia at 327-4373 or ashwin_ghatalia@yahoo.com.
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: board · IACT
The City of Austin is publicizing 2 unique opportunities for residents of the Austin metro area to learn about and influence public policy. If you are interested in either the CityWorks Academy or the Comprehensive Plan Citizen Advisory Committee, please be sure to apply by the respective deadlines. Given the growing Indian-American population in Austin, either of these would be a great way to increase the visibility and voice of our community with policymakers and political leaders.
The CityWorks Academy is a new opportunity for Austin residents to learn first-hand about the programs and services Austin provides, directly from the people who deliver them. Participants will have the chance to learn the “A to Z” of City operations in 10 weekly sessions designed to give a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at their City government. The inaugural session classes will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 8 and running through Nov. 10, 2009, at various City facilities.
- To learn more about the CityWorks Academy, click here
(Application Deadline – August 19)
City Council members are accepting applications for the City’s Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, a steering group of citizens to serve as champions, ambassadors, and guides for the long-range planning effort.
- To learn more about the Comprehensive Citizen Advisory Panel, click here (Application Deadline – August 20)
Posted in: Admin.
Reminder -
IACT will have its monthly board meeting this Thursday, August 6 from 6:45 to 8pm. The meeting will be held at the Lost Creek MUD community center. As always, all IACT members are welcome to attend. For more information, including directions and agenda, please contact Ashwin Ghatalia at ashwin_ghatalia@yahoo.com.
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: board · IACT
In case you haven’t seen this already … from Yahoo News
Fri, Jun 12 09:05 AM
Washington, June 12 (IANS) President Barack has named Vinai Thummalapally, an Indian-American businessman and a former college friend who raised over $100,000 for his campaign, as ambassador to the central American nation of Belize.
Continue reading →
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: national · news
IACT will have its monthly board meeting this Thursday, July 9 from 6:45 to 8pm. As always, all IACT members are welcome to attend. For more information, including directions and agenda, please contact Ashwin Ghatalia at ashwin_ghatalia@yahoo.com.
Posted in: Admin.
Tagged: board · IACT
