Bush Bypasses Senate, Makes 12 Appointments

This is what I was talking about (watch the whitehouse). More to come in this next week.

" President Bush went around Congress on Friday and installed 12 people to government posts after their nominations stalled in the Senate. "

Merry Christmas Darryl Hunt!

If you have the time to read one thing this week let it be this Mr Hunt was set up in 1984 in Winston-Salem NC for a rape and murder of a young white woman and spent 19 years in prison. And he did not do it. I lived in Winston-Salem at the time and was 21 when it happened. I will comment later.
Please read the entire series that the local paper did on the story.

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Festivus! Enjoy your family and friends.
-but also

Keep your eyes and ears tuned to the whitehouse. I feel they are going to pull something either today or tomorrow.
I am betting on either a photo- op or they will sign some kind of excutive order tonight that will benefit a "friend" of the whitehouse.

Amen!

Go to google.com and type in "veteran in need" and see how many hits you get. I have be in meetings in the past 6 months with VA clinic professionals who are wondering what they are going to do once all the folks come back home from Bush Jr's little war. These folks are reporting that they are not really serving the vets they now have. One person told me that there are wait times of months to years to get seen for medical and even psychological appointments. The VA has been cut SINCE the war started in Iraq by the whitehouse and are facing more cutbacks in the next year!

George Rhynes (229-251-8645) 22 December 2003
5004 Oak Drive
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

Dear Editor – Message Boards

SUBJECT: Our Veterans Needs Media Attention!

On 21 Dec 03, the Valdosta Daily Times our only daily news paper
published an opinion column from the President of Lowndes Veterans Council,
“New bus needed to transport veterans,” requesting financial help to
purchase a new bus to transport military veterans to and from Veterans
Hospital.
This appears to be a great gesture to the untrained eye. However, the
more pressing veterans complaints go unreported by America’s mass media
network. Therefore, the disgraceful and shameful treatment of our
veterans continue because media networks refuse to report that:
Too many active duty personnel are living on welfare; homeless veterans
are living on the streets without help from the government they served.
Veterans must make co-payments for their medicine, wait up to 12 months
to see a medical specialist at a Veterans hospital, pay their own
travel pay to and from veterans hospital, chiropractic care is not available
at many Veterans Hospitals. Veterans constitutional rights are
violated in many law enforcement institutions across America. Some retired
veterans who get a divorce lose half of their retirement pay to their
spouse, and they have no free dental care. Many retired disabled veterans
with disability lose part of their hard-earned retirement pay.
These are real world issues confronting veterans. However, America’s
mass media, politicians, and others would rather bury their heads
beneath the rubbish pile of (UVC), Unreported Veterans Concerns.
Moreover, this is totally unacceptable, and unpatriotic to mistreat our
sons and daughters who served their country honorably. Peace!

Is this how we are supporting the troops?

Are we going to support our troops only when they are useful and then kick them out to live in poverty?

"Lieutenant John Fernandez, who lost part of both legs in Iraq, knows he can no longer be a soldier, but he's not ready to leave the army.
'I personally don't think it's right to be forced out of the -- military and all of a sudden be forced to live on half of the pay that I was getting,' he says.
Ryan Kelley, who lost his left leg below the knee, makes about $20,000 a year as a staff sergeant. Once he leaves the army, he will receive about $8,000 a year in benefits. "

More Letters

Sorry I have been busy- keep writing!

George Rhynes (229-251-8645) 17 December 2003
5004 Oak Drive
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

Dear Editor,

The police raids on Stratford High School in South Carolina on 5
November 2003 seems to be a precursor to what is coming to other
schools, and institutions across America. A great prophet of our times once
said ‘be aware of what you see happening on distant shores, because soon it will be knocking at your door.”
The Associated Press may never have reported this incident---had there
been no surveillance cameras at Stratford High School showing students
being ordered to the floor. In addition, with police guns pointed at
children, with drugs dogs, and police searching the students.
After police searched about 100 students, no drugs were found, and no
one was arrested. However, several civil suits have been filed in
federal court, and Rev. Jessie Jackson is now being criticized by the media
as Rev. Martin L. King Jr. by the media for helping the least among us.
Yet, after he was murdered----they praised him.
We should not in good conscious ignore the children at Stratford High
School and their constitutional rights. Because when Law Enforcement
comes into our children schools and institutions under the banner of
“Routine Police Procedure,” how will we react?
It appears that our freedom in America is dissolving, and we are
becoming a police state. Just try submitting an editorial or controversial
opinion column against the status quo, and see if America’s media
conglomerate will publish opposing views.

Wake-up America---that’s not coffee in your cup!

Let Them Eat War

Great article on how the republicans are selling their message to the folks they are doing the most damage to.

No turkey for you

Seem like the presidents trip to visist the troops onThanksgiving was not really about supporting the troops but his election. Bet a lot of them are hoping he does not come back for Christmas......

Letters!

Please pass the word! If you are tired of the VDT and it's "editorial" opinions fire off your comments and concerns. Thanks!
Now for another letter....

George B. Rhynes (229-251-8645) 5 December 2003
605 ½ East Hill Ave
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

Dear Editor

Thanks to you, and other Internet web-sites, the citizens of Valdosta,
Georgia can finally get their editorials, opinions, and columns
published in Lowndes County.

In my opinion: For years, I have watched the Valdosta Daily Times
(VDT); our only local daily newspapers omit the real news, and concerns of
the community. Therefore, the Internet has become a breath of fresh air
for many local citizens. Now the hoodwink of an 1857 time warp can be
permanently removed from the eyes of the masses.

Especially, since we have Moody AFB, Valdosta State University, Wild
Adventure, many Retired Veterans from around the world, and Educators
from the best schools, colleges, and universities known to man. Yet, many
of these professionals are dissatisfied with our local news media
outlets.

Even local organizations come together across racial lines to condemn
the manner in which meetings are inadequately covered by VDT at various
city and county monthly meetings such as:

a. Supplies needed by our youths as brought before the mayor and city
council recently. Some elderly citizens are afraid to come out of their
homes because of alleged gang activity. The director from South Side
Recreation Center that helps under privilege youths were recognized at a
City Board of Education monthly meeting. That railroad tracts in
several locations on the South Side of the City presents a hazard, but since
the (VDT) times will not report on items of this nature. The citizens
have no way of knowing that problems presented are being worked by
mayor and council.

b. Moreover, local citizens are not notified by the VDT, concerning
drive by shootings addressed at various meetings. Eleven, Lowndes County
Inmates constitutional rights allegedly was being denied. In addition,
they requested help from outside sources by written official
statements---which was presented to the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners.
Serious incidents were being swept under the rug. Irregularities, in
the local electoral process with candidates names missing from ballots,
voters name was not listed on voting list, citizens in district 1,
having to drive over 10-12 miles round trip to a polling place to cast their
votee, incidents at the County Fair was not reported and many local
citizens knew nothing these incidents.

However, these problems are seldom reported and addressed in our local
media outlets, although some are sent in writing. Therefore, it is the
local citizens responsibility to network, write letters, make telephone
calls, make full use of internet services, and create newsletters to
keep the community informed when news outlets fail to do so.

In addition, we must hold our news media accountable to their
responsibility---not only to the citizens of Valdosta, but also to the Founding
Fathers of this Republic. Moreover, to the Veterans who served our
nation to preserve our Freedom of Speech and of the Press indefinitely.
Peace!

We also get letters! #3

George Rhynes (229-251-8645) 4 December 2003
605 1/2 East Hill Ave
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

Dear Editor – Editorial Boards

SUBJECT: Iraq/Unanswered Questions!

America’s intervention in Iraq has become a war of unanswered
questions!

The associated press reported that Rebecca Suell in Tyler, Texas wants
answers, and not the ones the U.S. Army is giving her. Since April
2003, over 17, U. S. Troops has committed suicide. Why, does the Army
keep calling the last letter her husband sent to her, the one he mailed
from Iraq on June 15, a suicide note? Can taking a bottle of Tylenol
really kill you?

In addition, how he got his hands on a bottle of Tylenol in the middle
of the desert any way? Questions, questions, questions, the war of
questions continue over this war with Iraq, also known as the Project for
a New American Century---as explained on the Internet.

There are no answers, because no questions were asked before the war
began. After 911, American failed to ask why are fellow human beings mad
at us and those who stands with us.

Questions remain, who and what cooperation’s will benefit from this war
with Iraq? Are nations mad at us because we give billions of dollars
to Israel to fight the Palestinians?

When did our President first decide to fight this war with Iraq? How
much money would be diverted from the American citizens to take down a
foreign leader of a sovereign nation? Who provided the intelligence to
substantiate the war with Iraq? Who determined that they possessed
weapons of mass destruction? Who will find America’s weapons of mass
destruction---and should they to be eliminated?

How many funerals have our president attended for those killed in Iraq?
How many of our sons and daughters will return home as veterans, with
disabilities, and then be forced to wait for 12 months to see a medical
specialist at a VA Hospital. Rebecca, Suell is right to ask questions,
in contrast to other citizens who refuse to question their government.

Why must retired disability veterans be required to make co-payments
for their medicine? Why no free dental care for retired disabled
veterans? Why are they required to pay their own travel pay to VA hospital?
Why do retired disabled veterans lose part of their retirement
pay-----if they acquired a disability while on active duty? Why are divorced
veterans required to give up 50 percent of their retirement pay---to
their spouse?

Why is there no chiropractic care at VA hospitals? Why are active duty
personnel on welfare? Why do our politicians scream patriotism while
cutting veterans benefits---at the same time? Where is the real support
for those who serve their country in peace and in time of war?

Will the war with Iraq go down in history as the completion of the
Project for A New American Century? Every question deserves an answer, and
every answer should meet the needs of the question. This war with
Iraq may be the best mirror for America to see herself as the world sees
her. Moreover, there is hope for America, if she will only become a
Christian nation, something she has never been.

In addition, America’s history proves this point—by how she landed on
the native Americans. Therefore, America must begin to treat fellow
human beings, as she wants to be treated by other nations of the world.
Until then questions will continue to be asked---- by the real patriots
of this Republic. What have we done to others for them to hate us so
much, and are willing to die in order to be heard? Super power does not
mean to drive your beliefs and traditions down the neck of others.
Answers are required to the questions. Peace!

We also get letters! #2

Subject: Cincinnati Routine Police Procedures

George B. Rhynes (229-251-8645) 4 December 2003
605 1/2 East Hill Ave
Valdosta, Georgia 31605-1144

Dear Editor

According to Cincinnati Police Chief, and Mayor the force used by six
Cincinnati Police Officers in arresting Nathaniel Jones was not
excessive force---but Routine Police Procedures.

This should not come as a surprise since judges and juries across
America repeatedly rules in favor of Law Enforcement. However, Black
American males over stand what routine procedures really mean dating
back to "The Good Ship Jesus, and Sir John Hawkins!"

Moreover, these approved Law Enforcement Procedures may never be fully
over stood by others until they themselves, their children, and love
ones become victims lying on a hospital bed or worst.

Therefore, how many American citizens have suffered from routine police
procedures, but not caught on videotape---and exposed to the media.

Our rights are dissolving before our eyes and eventually these same
routine procedures could become engraved in stone and made The Law of
The Land. Then there will be no Black, White, Republican, Democrat,
Christian, Muslim, Jew, etc. being abused.

All of us will be under the spell of the Leviathan, because we gave our
silent consent decree.

A great prophet once said, "Be ware of what is happening on distant
shores, because soon it will be knocking at your door. Moreover, take
notice how police treat your neighbor and their children down the
street, because your house and family will be next."

Jesus sealed the truth of the prophets---by saying "Love your neighbor
as you love yourself." We are all in this maze of life together.

We also get letters!

George B. Rhynes (229-251-8645) 4 December
2003
605 ½ East Hill Ave
Valdosta, Georgia 31605

SUBJECT: Affirmative Action

America always had an Affirmative Action Program and Set-Asides for the
white privileged and their children. There was an invisible sign,
which read “Blacks need not apply.” This practice went on into the sunset,
and met at the O.K. Corral of economic prosperity.

Even the bathrooms, restaurants, theaters, armed forces, water
fountains, churches etc., were all set-asides for privileged whites and their
children. They benefited tremendously and were able to send their
children to Technical Schools, Colleges and Universities. While blacks were
relegated to discrimination, inferior schools denied their civil and
human rights. This was no myth of the imagination---this is American
history. In addition, many White Christians gave their approval by silent
consent decree.

Today, we hear! “I had nothing to do with what my ancestors did,”
which may be true! However, Jesus had nothing to do with Adam and Eve
committing sin in the Garden. Yet, he dedicated his life to eliminate the
inequities in society without oppressing others directly or indirectly
for self-gain. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,”
this is an easy undertaking when God’s love exists within the human
heart.

Our conscious is what distinguishes us from other animals. Therefore,
until Americans desire for their neighbor, the same things that they
themselves and their children enjoys. Then they will continue to lose
their humanity--on the world stage of respectability. Peace!

Shut your trap for Jesus...uh Bush!

So shut up and quit thinking! Just pray dammit!:
"'I'm very proud of President George W. Bush. He has once again, with his Thanksgiving trip to the troops, proven himself to be a man of conviction and courage. Our brave men and women who are defending our freedoms need for the people back home to stop this bashing of their commander-in-chief and get about the important business of praying for their continued safety and success. Make it a point to say thank you to a man or woman in the armed forces here at home everyday. They need to hear it. Write letters of thanks to the troops abroad. They need to read it. Our prayers and unwavering support for them are what matter right now. Nothing else.'"

The local mouthpiece speaks again

I am really fed up with these guys. I am sick and tired of their patronizing attitudes towards people. Just read this and see if it does not make you crazy.
Saddam Hussein flouted United Nations resolutions for 12 years. He plotted to kill former President George Bush, an act of war if there ever was one. Osama bin Laden, emboldened by what he saw in 1993 in Somalia -- a superpower that ran when casualties mounted -- decided the United States' underbelly was soft enough for terrorist attacks that escalated through the 1990s and culminated in Sept. 11. The past administration's answer to Hussein and bin Laden was to lob cruise missiles at tents

Is this the best you can do as an argument? How many other people have plotted against democrats, especially Clinton. I remember some of the far right wingers at the time plotting to take out Clinton (impeachment) because he had sex in the White House (like that was the first time). But I did not see Clinton taking Jerry Falwell, Pat Robinson, Rush lumbaugh or the like out with the army. Maybe attacking Lynchburg VA would do some good, you know they have Falwell's university and lord knows they could stand a little liberation in that town....been there.
If the republicans would quit messing around and jacking up other countries then you wouldn't be getting death threats! The Bush Klan seems to be just spoiling for a fight and when it does not go their way they want to take their ball and go home. Jesus.
Getting back to the VDT folks. With all the right wing controlled papers in America the best job any of you could find is in Valdosta? That is sad, really.
Ok, you mentioned it in this little editorial so it is fair game. WHAT ABOUT BIN LADEN?!!!!!!!!!!!
Would someone please find ANYONE to buy up this sorry chain of mouthpieces? I will chip in $100 for this. Maybe we could have a fund raiser to buy it out and the community could run it. It would only take a bake sale and some car washes. They can't really want more than a few thousand for the whole thing (minus equipment).

ACLU Survey Reveals Massive Civil Rights Violations Against People With HIV/AIDS

ACLU Survey Reveals Massive Civil Rights Violations Against People With HIV/AIDS:

"Some of the more startling violations included:
*In rural Texas, a patient with AIDS who was admitted to a local hospital for vomiting and diarrhea was found lying in a hospital bed with nothing but a cup of water on the table. Staff from an AIDS service organization delivered medication to him and asked that he be given an IV. When they returned the following day he still had not been treated. He was transferred to another hospital, but it was too late and he died.
*A provider in New Mexico reported that a patient first learned that he was HIV-positive from a receptionist in front of a waiting room full of people.
*A landlord in Arkansas found out that his tenant was HIV-positive and tore up the lease.
*A teacher in Florida informed an entire classroom of one child�s HIV status.
*A provider in Arizona tried for three months to get an HIV-positive client into a skilled nursing care facility, calling almost every home in Arizona.
*Even in Los Angeles, many nursing homes and psychiatric facilities will not take clients with HIV.
*In Texas, HIV-positive parents have been denied visitation of their children because of their status."

Please read and tell people

State's ethics still down and dirty

Sonny,Sonny,Sonny
"Gov. Sonny Perdue fought hard to put his own people on the state Ethics Commission, so it was no surprise when the panel decided Perdue had done no wrong to mix business with quail hunting -- at state expense"

Living wage jobs can rescue working poor

Go read:
"A May 2003 study documents that nearly 60,000 Atlanta residents earn less than $10.50 per hour, making up about 21 percent of the working population. Please meet the working poor: Their average age is 35 years, with nearly 17 years in the work force. Average family size is 2.8 people. Ninety-three percent are adults, 40 percent are nonwhite and 56 percent are female"

What an analysis......

Our editor Ron Wayne:
"Depending on their race and their political party, residents have opposite views of how things are going in Georgia and in the United States. To put it simply: Republicans and whites see the glass as half-full, while Democrats and African-Americans see it as half-empty"

Just stop with these lame comments. Say SOMETHING or let someone else write this column.

Putting Valdosta on the Map!

This is just one of the reasons I like calling Valdosta home.

Am I the only one to question this?

This is the quote from the new governmental reporter for the VDT. I could not make this up.

"Before this job, I really had never dealt with politics, and I feel I've learned so much in the past month. I guess that's really the reason why I fell in love with this job, with reporting -- it's ever changing, ever growing and never dull. And it always goes over well at parties when you say you're the government reporter. Some people think that makes you smart."

What about the corporate welfare?

This is what keeps me awake at night:
"The final version of the $87 billion spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan is missing provisions the Senate had passed to penalize war profiteers who defraud American taxpayers. House negotiators on the package refused to accept the Senate provisions."

Wonder what kind of voting machines they have? (see below)
GOP Wins Ky. Gov.; Miss. Gov. Race Close

By the corporations for the corporations
It seems that there is a bug in the system. A must read.
And more

Stop the draft!

When I first saw this link I thought the person was either kidding or trying to blow things out of proportion but......now I am scared. I know a lot of people see the possibility of the draft coming back as remote at best and political death to those who would suggest it but this administration has been going it's own way a lot and seems to bend people to their message quite well.
Those who keep writing in about how we should support the troops need to do so by getting these sellers of death and destruction out of office. What is it going to take to piss off enough people?
Here is another indication that things are not going so well.

He wasn't a God; dammit!
Do we remember

"The chairman of the Republican National Committee has told CBS' president that historians should review the miniseries 'The Reagans' for historical accuracy, or the network should run a disclaimer that the program is fiction."
"We live in a culture today of reality TV," GOP chairman Ed Gillespie said in a conference call Friday. "Lines between fact and fiction get blurred.He said he resents particularly how the miniseries depicts the Reagans' attitude on AIDS and how it depicts former first lady Nancy Reagan.

You know, as to Reagan and his administration attitude towards AIDS just read the book "And the Band Played On". I remember Pat Robinson and Jerry Fallwell, being all over the white house during Reagan, and he as much as said in his policies that people with AIDS deserve to die. Read the book and if it does not make you mad seek help.

They broke the law and want a break?
Look at who defends rich hunters:
"The plantations had faced potential fines totaling more than $10 million. Kolomoki Plantation alone could have been hit with nearly $6 million in penalties for allegedly setting out more than 500 pesticide-laced eggs.After the EPA reopened the cases, the plantation owners contended the federal agency lacked statutory authority to do so and sought help from U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Zell Miller of Georgia. Chambliss and Miller in September wrote acting EPA Administrator Marianne Horinka a letter demanding the agency explain why it had renewed enforcement actions against the preserves. They also asked the agency to spell out its legal authority to pursue the cases.Palmer, the EPA regional administrator, replied that the light penalties initially imposed by the state and 'the pervasiveness and seriousness' of the violations warranted tougher punishment, and asserted the agency has the legal right to renew enforcement actions."

The signs should read Cheney/Bush
"The image was not an edifying one: the president of the United States a horse, his vice president, the rider"

I (and many others) have been trying to keep up with Cheney ever since the whole energy task force meetings. He is to me the one person (outside of Rove) that has the air of secret power broker, wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. Bush Jr just seems to go along like Cheney is his babysitter. The folks around Cheney have picked a front man (Bush) and are really the ones directing the policy of the White House through Bush. This article gives a nice summary of this view.

That is the understatement of the week.....
Calf born with two heads:
"Veterinarian Dr. Jimmy Clanton says, 'It would be unusual to see that, but it would be even more unusual if it were alive and you were able to save it or it was able to stand or nurse, that would be unusual.'
Clanton adds, 'The cells just didn't divide like they should have. Instead of winding up with two heads and two bodies you wind up with one head and two bodies, or two heads and one body, but it is definitely a mutation.' "

Good to know the vet knows a mutation when he sees one.....

And we still do not know.......
Valdosta city council candidates share views:
"Jackson proposed the debate, and says with so many candidates, its important to hear everyone's ideas. 'I think that if you're going to serve the public, you need to be able to get up in front of them and share your ideas,' said Jackson. 'The public is the voter, and they need to know what we're thinking.'"

So, anyone figure out what Jackson is thinking?

Homeless "dumped" in Atlanta
Finally someone is even talking aboutthis.:
"It turns out it's NOT an urban myth. Some of the homeless and other troubled souls who haunt downtown Atlanta really have been dumped here from other places"

Valdosta is too close to Florida
If you want to see old fashion power just readthis.

This is just sad.......what a goober
SGA hosts debate tonight?:
In discussion at Monday night's SGA meeting regarding the upcoming debate between Valdosta City Council candidates running for the 'at large' seat, SGA President Jason Lewis reported 'I'm not sure there will be a debate. I haven't been able to confirm participation from the candidates.'
When pressed for details, Lewis indicated he had just spoken with candidate John Eunice who indicated that he preferred not to attend without a clear understanding of the format. Additionally, Lewis said he had a conversation with the incumbent, Richard Stewart who indicated he had a prior commitment and would not be attending.
After a lengthy discussion, Lewis stated that if he could not confirm at least four candidates by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, there would be no debate. After discussion about the format of the debate, Lewis asked for volunteers to serve on a committee to organize the event.
Toward the end of the meeting, Ralph Jackson entered the auditorium and approached Lewis about addressing the Senate to talk about the debate. However, while Lewis and Jackson were discussing the matter, the senate voted to adjourn the meeting.
As the senators were making their exit, Jackson pleaded his case to Lewis, saying, 'The town is buzzing about this debate. The TV stations are sending crews, as well as the Valdosta Times.'Jackson indicated that while he wasn't necessarily questioning Lewis, he had spoken with the other candidates and gotten a verbal agreement with all but one, which would allow four candidates to be present.
At press time, the format had been decided and printed to deliver to the candidates and the debate is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. in the Bio/Chem auditorium"

You know......the part of town I live in aint buzzing.

Bush and Cheney bring home the bacon!
"More than 70 American companies and individuals have won up to $8 billion in contracts for work in postwar Iraq and Afghanistan over the last two years, according to a new study by the Center for Public Integrity. Those companies donated more money to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush- a little over $500,000- than to any other politician over the last dozen years, the Center found. "
This study: confirms to me that the war in Iraq was nothing more than Bush Jr paying off his election debt. Read this report and send it to your favorite pro-war friends!

Letter to VDT and City Council from Laural Hahlen
Valdosta Project Change
601 N. Lee Street, Valdosta GA 31601
PO Box 1252, Valdosta GA 31603-1252
Phone 229-245-3872 Fax 229-245-3873

October 23, 2003

Dear Editor and Valdosta City Council:

In spite of major financial barriers over the past thirty-plus years, Southside Recreation Center's board of directors, Executive Director Rachel Bradley and her staff have patiently worked miracles. The center has provided invaluable services and educational opportunities that include a variety of much-needed after-school and summer school programs and a very successful alternative program for students who face incarceration when they are suspended from school. Through its struggles, the organization has valiantly held to its ideals and has changed countless lives. While its services are offered freely to Valdosta residents, it has received very little support from the City of Valdosta.
Recently, the property on which the center sits - which is the former city dump and also near a hazardous waste site - has become the center of controversy. The organization contends that the City of Valdosta gave it the property several years ago. Over the years, Southside has taken care of the property, been turned down by the city for assistance in upkeep of the pool, grounds and buildings, and once received a citation from the city when the grass was not mowed.
Missing property deeds have caused some confusion, but the center clearly has been acknowledged as the owner of the property by the annual statements from the Lowndes County tax assessor's office for the past 25 years. A clean-up of the toxic waste left by Atlanta Gas Light's Manufactured Gas Plant, required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Department, was completed in April of this year after negotiations with both Southside and the City of Valdosta resulted in the claim that the City of Valdosta owned the property and was entitled to any compensation that would be given to the owners. It is not clear at this time how much that compensation actually amounted to.
While the City of Valdosta should do more for its residents than give them a partially contaminated former dump, at the very least it should provide the documentation indicating that the site has been in the organization's possession for almost four decades. Please give Southside Recreation Center the respect and support it deserves for making a difference in our community. Southside deserves our full support.
Sincerely,
Laurel Hahlen
Executive Director

Thank you for these words
light the candle:
"'Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.' The war in Iraq is fundamentally wrong"

Comment from the Taliban?
Forget the Constitution, Jesus didn't need no stinking Constitution!:
"'Can there be justice in a nation which rejects God's law in favor of man's? Is government of God or made by man and whose rule should it reflect? Does not a nation which desires separation from God also reject Him? Can we be both Godly and godless at the same time?'"

Trying to polish a turd
Poll: Perdue at least as good as Barnes:
"A slight majority of Georgians, 50.2 percent, said the state is heading in the right direction. But when asked to evaluate Perdue on his own, 52 percent rated his performance fair or poor. Forty-six percent said he was doing an excellent or good job, and 3 percent were undecided."

amen...
Slave Reburial Fans Question of Reparations:
"'We are angry and we will be angry today, tomorrow and tomorrow. We will never cease to demand that this country 'fess up and pay up,' said the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, a New York minister and activist, at a ceremony this month to rebury the remains of more than 400 free and enslaved blacks in a colonial-era cemetery rediscovered in lower Manhattan in 1991.
'There's a day of reparation, there's a day of restitution and that day is upon us,' he said. "

Problem looming
Give mentally ill care, not jail cells:
"Georgia's mental health care delivery system is crumbling. Publicly funded treatment for the mentally ill is at the mercy of fraud, waste, underfunding and lack of community commitment. Many of the services are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy due to budget cuts, mismanagement and, in some cases, outright theft.
Two of the 25 community service boards that contract with the state to deliver mental health services have been under criminal investigation for waste and Medicaid fraud. Another has been taken over by the state because of money problems and several others are in financial trouble.
State Inspector General James Sehorn believes the entire system is in trouble. 'If you look at where the big money is found, you can probably find fraud, waste, abuse and corruption,' he said. All over the state, clinical staff members are quitting and programs are closing up shop."

White woman-Black woman: Broken bones gets more money than TWO gunshots!
Family Says Army Shortchanging Former POW:
"Family members confirmed that Lynch, a private first class who was snatched from her Iraqi captors on April 1 in a rescue by Special Forces, is receiving an 80 percent disability. Johnson, a specialist who was released on April 13 with four other American POWs, has been offered 30 percent, Claude Johnson said.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson (news - web sites), who consulted the Johnson family, said race was playing a part in Army's decision. Lynch is white; Johnson is black"
Military officials said Lynch was hurt after her Humvee utility vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and crashed into another vehicle. She suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries and it was four months before she could walk again.
Shoshana Johnson was shot in both ankles and was held by Iraqi captors for 22 days. She still periodically uses a walking cast, has a hard time staying on her feet for any period of time and is not sleeping well, her father said.

The Spectator is better than the VDT!
All we ask is that you care
Pretty good article......

Levi closing was a "good" thing!
We are still kissing A**!!:
"Valdosta's plant closed in 1999, forcing 870 employees out of work. Most of them were making $8 to $12 an hour, a good wage for South Georgia."

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Fortunately, unlike some other apparel makers, Levi Strauss can usually be expected to provide generous severance packages that include help with training and finding other jobs. Valdosta employees received full pay for eight months, up to three weeks' worth of severance pay for each year worked, and $6,000 per person for education, child care, or to start up a small business.
We hope the soon-to-be ex-employees in San Antonio find new jobs or even new careers without suffering too many financial problems.

Ok, how many people at this paper were here when the plant closed forcing all these folks into other low paying jobs? I have been here since 1998 and saw what happened when the plant closed down. The Levi people gave out some serious money during this time; severance pay, training for employees, small business grants and all other "benefits". But they also played a huge public relations game and pumped money into community agencies to promote themselves as the "Company that Cares".
And this paper, the local elected officials, and the Chamber of Commerce became the cheerleaders for the plant closing down. They all are still apologizing for Levi closing down the plant and taking almost 900 decent paying jobs out of this community leaving the majority of its workers to find service industry jobs making substantially less money with little if no benefits. This means that people lost cars, houses, and health insurance which meant the community as a WHOLE suffered greatly for this loss.

But, The VDT thinks this is a good thing according to the editorial they published today.

And other issue they do not even address is all those poor folks in countries they set up new plants. So, Levi gave it's workers here a very good "see ya later" package, shut down and sold off it's property and completely restarted it plants from scratch in ANOTHER county, hired and trained new workers, completely revamped all the shipping issues, and STILL made money. Doesn't it even cross our minds at how much they are paying poor folks in this new plant......maybe a dollar or two an hour? And benefits...you can forget about that.
So, Levi's closes it's plants all over the US making people poor and moved to poor countries and pay the folks there poor wages. How does this benefit anyone but Levi.

The clothing business is roughly competitive, and Levi Strauss has seen sales fall from $7.1 billion in 1996 to $4.1 billion last year. That might still seem like a lot of money, but obviously it's a downward spiral the company needs to stop.

This paper sucks!

Does anyone belive this statement?
I swear we don't care!:
"Jim Elliott, attorney for the board of elections, said they are looking at the legality of the election in light of the death of a candidate. 'Our only intent is to hold a lawful election,' Elliott said. 'We have no interest in who wins or loses.'"

So, how many questions do you have?
Coked up at the Lowndes Sheriff's office!:
"Sheriff dismisses drug agent who tested positive for cocaine
VALDOSTA -- A drug agent with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office has been dismissed following a routine drug test of the Narcotics Division. Daryl Tarver, 36, a 12-year
member of the unit, was dismissed Wednesday after he tested positive for cocaine, Sheriff Ashley Paulk said."
But he probably did it for pain..........just like Rush.

Gainesville Georgia and environmental racism
Black Neighbors Know U.S. Still Ignores Environmental Justice:
"GAINESVILLE, Ga.--Leave your car for a few hours in the south end of town and you may return to find it covered with fine yellow dust from nearby mills. Mae Catherine Wilmont, a lifelong resident in her 50s, says she hardly notices the odor any more, but when employers from the mostly-white north side drop her off at night, they sometimes wrinkle their noses and ask, 'What is that smell?'
Thirteen of Gainesville's 15 toxic-producing industries are located around the African American neighborhood called New Town, even closer than its schools. New Town may be the kind of community the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights had in mind when it endorsed a report Oct. 17 slamming federal agencies for failing to comply with a Clinton-era presidential order to make environmental justice part of their work and programs. Race is a bigger predictor today of exposure to environmental hazards than geography or income, say studies cited in the 200-page report,"Not in My Backyard"

5 myths about the poor
Myths:
"POVERTY MAKES US irrational. Although politicians and analysts rarely admit it, public policies that affect the poor are often crafted under the influence of emotions rather than hard data. The public may have access to unbiased studies on poverty, but when it comes time to vote, they're motivated by a visceral response to stereotypes. It's not that they don't have sympathy for low-income workers, the unemployed, and the homeless. But, like children at a monster movie, they yearn for a magic solution that will make the big, bad nasties go away. "

Poor without being homeless
Poor not homeless:
"Charlie's exactly the sort of person Sup. Gavin Newsom wants to drive out of San Francisco, someone who would almost certainly be homeless, destitute, and panhandling for spare change in this wealthy city today.
But in 1955, in a decaying, poverty-stricken East Coast industrial town, Charlie was able to live something resembling a decent life. 'He had three things going for him,' Paul remembers. 'My dad and his friends never forgot him, and they'd hire him to do odd jobs when he was sober. They checked up on him when he was sick and made sure he had enough to eat. So he had some income and a social service network.
'And he had a room he rented for $4 a month.'
Granted, that was 1955 but adjusting Charlie's rent for inflation, his monthly housing cost today would be about $27. In other words, in Fall River 50 years ago, you could be poor without being homeless. And, just as important, the cost of housing alone wouldn't send you into poverty. "
Now, where people like Charlie (and many people who were poor but not alcoholics or drug users) used to live, there's a giant convention center and high-rise hotels and office buildings. The people who ran the city in the 1950s and 1960s called it progress.
The people who run the city today still call it progress when neighborhoods are damaged to make developers rich. And they don't like to talk about the costs of that progress – they'd rather just complain about the homeless and try to find ways to drive those people out of town.

Family planning under attack
State can't afford to cut family planning programs:
"Georgia serves fewer than half of the poor women who seek family planning services but cannot afford contraceptives. If the governor and lawmakers approve the $1.2 million cut recommended recently by the Department of Human Resources board, the state will serve even fewer of those women.
The budget cuts will be costly in the long run. Providing family planning services reduces births to mothers not yet ready to have a child. If those babies are conceived, there will be more cases of premature and unhealthy infants as well as more welfare dependency -- both of which are costly, economically as well as socially."
Six preventive programs, including the two relating to women and girls' reproductive health, were put on the chopping block because they lacked what the board labeled "measurable results." Cook says some of the adolescent programs will be tested by the Division of Public Health staff in the next year for their effectiveness.
There are a number of curious things about such an approach, including why it wouldn't be smarter to use available federal welfare funds to keep the programs going until the evaluations are done. Teen pregnancy rates in Georgia (still the seventh-highest in the nation) have dropped 18 percent in the past 10 years, and there's no reason to discount the preventive impact of the adolescent health programs.
Cook may favor cutting those programs because they include information about condom use and other contraceptives, in addition to teaching abstinence. He is CEO of "Choosing the Best," an abstinence-only program used in some schools locally and around the country.

What we have here is an cultural agenda; to prevent women from controlling their bodies and then blaming them for having too many children.

Now this is funny!
Rumsfield goes AWOL

So, look whose gonna take the fall for everything........the writing is on the wall!
Cheney the scapegoat:
"In Sunday’s New York Times, Iraq’s new interim president, Iyad Alawi, thanked Americans for liberating his country and then made a simple request: please bring back the Iraqi army.
Given what we just put into defeating the Iraqi army, that might sound like an odd proposal. But it’s difficult to find anyone today who thinks disbanding the Iraqi army was a good idea in the first place. And few thought it was a good idea at the time. Doing so not only worsened the security vacuum that now plagues the country, it took hundreds of thousands of armed men and — in a pen stroke — made them both unemployed and harder to control.
Who was the senior administration official most responsible for this ill-conceived idea?

Vice President Dick Cheney.

If that surprises you, it shouldn’t. The rough patch the White House has been in since the beginning of the summer has provided an abundance of new evidence for the great open secret of the Bush era: the serial poor judgment and, in many cases, manifest incompetence of the vice president"

so, looks like Cheney has become the weak link. Any bets on who is going to be the NEW running mate for Bush in 2004?

Blaming the Victim.....again.
School board suspends girl who reported being molested
: "AUGUSTA, Ga. - The mother of a 13-year-old student who said she was sexually assaulted by another student during a school trip said school officials sent the wrong message by suspending her daughter.
Richmond Academy Principal David Robbins suspended the girl 10 days, saying she violated a school rule on immoral acts, even though 17-year-old Reginald West was charged Sept. 23 with molesting the girl, The Augusta Chronicle reported."

damn....what are they thinking? A 13 year old is force into a sexual act by a 17 year old and she gets suspended?!
Hopefully none of those folks at the school will ever get called for jury duty to hear a rape case.

Human Rights Watch report on Mental illness in US prisons
Mental Illness and US prisons
"Somewhere between two and three hundred thousand men and women in U.S. prisons suffer from mental disorders, including such serious illnesses as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. An estimated seventy thousand are psychotic on any given day. Yet across the nation, many prison mental health services are woefully deficient, crippled by understaffing, insufficient facilities, and limited programs. All too often seriously ill prisoners receive little or no meaningful treatment. They are neglected, accused of malingering, treated as disciplinary problems.
Without the necessary care, mentally ill prisoners suffer painful symptoms and their conditions can deteriorate. They are afflicted with delusions and hallucinations, debilitating fears, extreme and uncontrollable mood swings. They huddle silently in their cells, mumble incoherently, or yell incessantly. They refuse to obey orders or lash out without apparent provocation. They beat their heads against cell walls, smear themselves with feces, self-mutilate, and commit suicide."

Complex, but not unknowable........
Oh it's all just so complicated!!
"NOBODY -- not Paul Bremer, not Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, not any of the hundreds of reporters trying to cover Iraq -- has any real idea of what's happening in that country or what the outcome will be. It's so complex that it's simply unknowable"

Ok, some points.
I am tired of everyone talking about how complex, confusing and just damn mind boggling Iraq is. It was complex, confusing and mind boggling BEFORE we tore ass in with guns blazing, dreams of the Iraqis throwing flowers, and visions of all that cheap oil bubbling up out of the ground.
But we all were just so caught up with the talking heads on TV and newspaper editors telling us how we must strike at Saddam because he trained the terrorist personally to fly on 9-11 and was busy loading up nuclear missiles and bioweapons to strike Smallassville USA.
And we bought it.
We did not question the ridiculous assertions of our "leaders" when they told us that within a year of Saddam's fall we could get the county up and running with the oil reserves they possessed. And terrorism would end.
The ones who did got slapped down, made fun of, called un-American, un-patriotic and threatened into conforming to the party line.
So, now that the chickens are coming home to roost some of these same folks are either still spinning the history and trying to rewrite what "really" happened during the past year or have decided to check out by claiming it is just too complicated and "unknowable".

Maybe Lowndes Jail can be included.....
Complaints filed against So. Ga. jails:
"Albany- Dougherty, Early, and
Randolph County jails are accused of violating state and federal laws. Leaders of the Prison and Jail Project claim inmates are subjected to inhumane conditions.
Prison and Jail Project director John Cole Vodicka has sent a letter to the Justice Department outlining what he says is overcrowding, cruel and unusual punishment, and inadequate medical and mental health care.
'We belive that the civil rights of the prisoners in the Dougherty County jail, the Early County jail and the Randolph County jail are being routinely violated either knowingly on the part of those who run this jail or because the budget is such that they just can't afford at this moment to create the space that is constitutionally sound,' says John Cole Vodicka. "

Tortilla Soup recipe! Good eating!
Tortilla Soup from The Jalapeno Cafe
As Orlando said, "my mother's tortilla soup sure didn't taste like this."

5 garlic cloves peeled
10 Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
1 dried chipolte chili, stemmed and seeded
3/4 pound tortilla chips 1 bunch (1/2 cup) cilantro leaves
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup crema (available in Mexican markets
or make your own with recipe below)
2 limes cut in wedges

Place the garlic and tomatoes in blender until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until pale brown and caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring frequently.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the chipolte chili. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir in the tortilla chips and cook 10 minutes longer until the chips soften. Remove and discard the chili.

Serve hot with cilantro, avocado, crema, lime wedges and some extra crisp fried tortilla chips for adding at the table. Makes 10 servings

Crema: Whisk 2 cups heavy cream and 1/4 cup buttermilk together. Cover and set in a warm place (a gas oven with just the heat from the pilot light is fine) for 8 hours. Crema may be kept in the refrigerator for as long as a week.

But all my Black employees just love me, or I'll fire 'em!
Burns' supporter is really a good guy!:
" ''I make one comment, and they say I am prejudiced?'' he asked. ''It was not politically correct. Half of my employees are black and they all love me.'' "
''Max is running scared. He's overreacting,'' Sommers said in a telephone interview Tuesday. ''Jesse Jackson told me one time, you never turn on your supporters. Max should have chewed me out good and proper, but that should have been the end of it,'' he added.

From another article:

I'm a Bubba- so I can say what I want
"I wasn't trying to knock anybody, just trying to get the people riled up," he said. "I am a southern Bubba. I am not a sophisticated Harvard person, and I am going to say the wrong things sometimes."

You know, hiding behind this ' I'm an un-educated bubba ' defense is bullshit. I know being a somewhat educated southerner. This is about him wanting to get his hands slapped so he can just forget about it. He goes on in these articles to say that he was just trying to get folks riled up. So, he is excusing his behavior for what he said as getting folks pumped up. Has anyone even bothered to tell him that the whole issue is really how folks like him use race to focus their supporters? This is not a slip of the tongue issue, but one of how the Republicans are using coded racial language to get across their message.

As if my day could not get any weirder.......
Human heart found near Downtown Connector:
"Found on the Downtown Connector interstate ramp to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Atlanta: one human heart, cold and nonfunctional.
Wanted: evidence leading to an owner and word of how it got there.
The Fulton County medical examiner's office needs answers."

Thank you for the thought.....
Bush gives up sweets for the troops:
"People close to the president say that his conversion to evangelical Methodism, after a life of aimless carousing, markedly informs his policies, both foreign and domestic. In the soon-to-be-published The Faith of George W. Bush (Tarcher/Penguin), a sympathetic account of this religious journey, author Stephen Mansfield writes (in the advance proofs) that in the election year 2000, Bush told Texas preacher James Robison, one of his spiritual mentors: 'I feel like God wants me to run for president. I can't explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. . . . I know it won't be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it.'
Mansfield also reports: 'Aides found him face down on the floor in prayer in the Oval Office. It became known that he refused to eat sweets while American troops were in Iraq, a partial fast seldom reported of an American president. And he framed America's challenges in nearly biblical language. Saddam Hussein is an evildoer. He has to go.' The author concludes: ' . . . the Bush administration does deeply reflect its leader, and this means that policy, even in military matters, will be processed in terms of the personal, in terms of the moral, and in terms of a sense of divine purpose that propels the present to meet the challenges of its time.' "

Good reading...check it out

Why did he wait?
But I finally did the right thing! damnit!:
"Republican Rep. Max Burns tried Monday to make up with his Jewish constituents after criticism that he stood by while a campaign supporter made an anti-Semitic remark at a fund-raising event.
Burns, of Sylvania, telephoned the Savannah Jewish Federation after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee criticized him for failing to speak up when Savannah businessman Jackie Sommers, during a Burns fund-raiser about three weeks ago, spoke of 'that Jew boy down in Savannah' -- an apparent reference to one of Burns' re-election opponents."

What the hell? Un-be-live-able!
Racist Board game
Buying stolen properties, pimpin hoes, building crack houses and projects, paying protection fees and getting car jacked are some of the elements of the game. Not dope enough?...If you don't have the money that you own to the loan shark you might just land yourself in da Emergency Room.

Customer comment...

Rating: Excellent
Comments: This is by far one of the best contemporary game to hit the market in ages...It is hysterical and should be a big hit with everyone...Recently we introduced some new friends to the fun and they were fighting with each other as to who was going to take OUR game home with them...Super fun, great graphics and game pieces...ANd great customer service too!HIGHLY RECOMMEND AAAAAA

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Rating: Good
Comments: what a great game - such a simple concept yet so effective (and very good fun to play). Can't wait for Hip Hopoly!

ok, where to begin.......................this is so wrong.
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Game Contents:
Game Board, Loan Shark Tray, 40 Crack Houses, 17 Projects, Pink Slip Cards, Ghetto Stash and Hustle Cards, 7 Game pieces (Pimp, Hoe, 40 oz, Machine Gun, Marijuana Leaf, Basket Ball and Crack), Counterfeit Money, and 2 Dice ( non metallic ).

The Bush family has ties to Hitler
THE NAZIS IN DUBYA'S CLOSET:
"Adolf Hitler wasn't entirely a German phenomenon. The rise of fascism had gleeful fans throughout Europe -- and in America. Henry Ford was one, as were many members of the British aristocracy.
And so were Dubya's grandfather, Prescott Bush, and his great-grandfather, George Herbert Walker. Walker was president of Union Banking Corp., and Prescott Bush was a board member. On Oct. 20, 1942, the federal government seized the assets of Union, declaring that it was 'trading with the enemy.' The bank was actually doing much more for the Nazis: It was a front for Germany's Thyssen financial conglomerate, the economic engine for Hitler's rise to power. Later, a variety of other Walker-Bush companies -- at least one a front for German espionage -- were also seized by the government.
While Walker and Bush probably deserved a firing squad, they were able to recover many of their assets after the war. The $1.5 million that Prescott pocketed was the foundation of the family's current fortune.
George H.W. Bush's 'family fortune was largely a result of the Hitler project,' write Webster Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin in George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography. 'The powerful Anglo-American family associations, which later boosted him into the Central Intelligence Agency and up to the White House, were his father's partners in the Hitler project.' "

Good reading......

Uh, one obvious point on this.........
Carter, Perdue to lead forum about racial reconciliation:
"Former President Jimmy Carter and Gov. Sonny Perdue will lead a forum on racial reconciliation that will center on the civil rights era and Georgia's emergence in the New South."
ok, a few statements and questions.
1. White men do not need to "lead" this.
2. What makes them qualified?
3. Who determines who gets invited?
4. What happens after this little meeting?
5. What if suggestions are not politically palatable?

These are just a few. How are we going to have a serious discussion when this is lead by white people! As usual the outcomes will be determined by white people, just mark my words.

Ok, this is serious.....
Sonny real agenda comes out:
"'What I'm talking about is not state sponsorship of religion or state interference with religion,' Perdue told business leaders in north Fulton County. 'We need to amend the state Constitution to assure that these faith-based institutions can fulfill their missions"
Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday proposed an amendment to the Georgia Constitution that would spell out the right of churches and other religious organizations to provide state-funded services.
But legal experts say the proposed amendment also could remove a last constitutional barrier to school vouchers

This of course is going to lead to a lawsuit.....which we can't afford.

Now I'm hungery!!!
Krispy Kreme reopens

Going to be a bad year.....
Bush troops get marching orders for '04:
"'We will build the largest grass-roots network in the history of the state of Georgia,' said Reed, once chairman of the state GOP and now Bush campaign coordinator for the Southeast. Reed is looking for 30,000 volunteers ultimately, or one for every 50 votes Bush wants"
Participants, who represent the core of GOP leadership in North Georgia, were schooled in the proper responses to questions posed by reporters -- particularly on the topic of the the $200 million the Bush campaign intends to raise. The suggested answers: (a) Democrats will raise more money, and (b) it's an indication that more than 900,000 voters like what Bush is doing.
Like last year, the organization will focus on the final 72 hours of the contest. The smallest GOP voting niches -- such as Hispanics and African-Americans -- will be cultivated, as well as larger targets, such as evangelicals.
"We can't underestimate the strength of the opposition. We won't underestimate the strength of the opposition," said Bill Reynolds of Lilburn, a public relations man who signed up for yard sign duty.

How romantic......
The Prez writes a poem:
"As her husband watched quietly, she recited it.
'Roses are red/Violets are blue/Oh my, lump in the bed/How I've missed you.'
Bush sometimes refers to his wife as a lump in the bed"

But they say it's fair and balanced....damnit!
Check your brain:
" The more commercial television news you watch, the more wrong you are likely to be about key elements of the Iraq War and its aftermath, according to a major new study released in Washington on Thursday.
And the more you watch the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox News channel, in particular, the more likely it is that your perceptions about the war are wrong, adds the report by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA). "
Good reading, seems like someone has finally been able to document this crap. My question is what "other" subjects in the news might be affected like this.

Letter to Citigroup CEO Charles Prince. Why is Citigroup advertising with a Racist organization?

This is a letter I have sent to Charles Prince, NAACP national chapter, and NAACP Georgia Chapter.

Charles Prince, CEO
Citigroup Inc.
399 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10043
U.S.A.

Mr. Charles Prince,

As a concerned citizen of the great state of Georgia, proud southerner, and white person I must report to you some very unpleasant news.
The state of Georgia has a long history of oppression against people of color, specifically African Americans and struggles daily with this issue. In 1956, we Georgian's changed the state flag to include the battle emblem of the confederacy. This act by the state of Georgia's general assembly was in defiance to the federal ruling of Brown vs. the Board of Education. This flag was the statement of the white people of the state of Georgia confirming their belief of segregation.
For many years this flag and the "rebel" flag was flown from courthouse steps, chamber of commerce's schools, and state offices. It was also adopted by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups as a symbol of hate and intolerance.
People of color were harassed, threatened, beaten, lynch and killed by whites displaying this symbol and many white southerners adopted this symbol to show their heritage. But anyone who is a white southern knows that it never was about heritage but really about supremacy of their culture over that of African-Americans.
Not till 2001 did we get a critical mass of opinion to right this wrong of almost of 45 years when Governor Roy Barnes pushed through a new state flag. Almost immediately some white southerners mounted a campaign to bring back the old symbol of hate. Governor Barnes was defeated mainly due to the back lash of white southerners over this. These white southerners continue to plaster the state with yard signs displaying the old flag, put up flag poles with the old state flag and whip up hate.
People of color and especially African Americans have been enduring this symbol for long enough but continue to be intimidated by white officials, teachers, community leaders, business leaders, bankers, insurance salesmen, and others associating with themselves with this symbol. One of these groups that continues to promote this symbol of hate and is actively organizing people to this message is the Southern Party of Georgia.
Image my shock when I discovered on their "Southern Business Directory" (www.spofga.org/southern_business_directory.phtml) a link to your subsidy of Primerica. When I followed the Primerica link I came upon a website advertising your products, a picture of a nice African American family and your representative Bradford Isbell located at 109 W Solomon Street, Griffin GA 30224 with his phone number 770-233-3458. Apparently Mr. Isbell feels like the Southern Party of Georgia is an appropriate place to advertise your services. This has me wondering if he is an active member of this organization or has links to them.
I am at a loss to explain this and find it offensive that your representative feels the need to promote through this organization. Especially since your organization does a huge business with people of color in this state and across the county (internationally also). I ask if Citigroup through your subsidiary Primerica and through your representative Mr. Bradford Isbell supports the South Party of Georgia (www.spofga.org) and the return of the old Georgia flag and the other items on their agenda. Your company's association with this extremist organization is unfortunate and troubling. I ask that you investigate this issue and bring it to conclusion.

Citigroup, Primerical and the Racists.......
Racist r us store
just browse around, something for the racist in your family. Oh what is this(link)look who has a link on their page. Primerica!Look who they are advertising to. Notice how the couple on Primerica's site is a LITTLE bit different than the folks attending the Southern Parties meetings? And they are owned by Citigroup! my, my what connections we do have in this world!
The biggest offender of predatory lending against poor folks (link-scroll down)owns a company who's agent is advertising on the Southern Parties web site. Now isn't that interesting!

Still does not absolve ESPN......
Limbaugh Quits ESPN to Protect Employees:
"George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN and ABC Sports, accepted Limbaugh's resignation, saying: 'We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously.' "

What a crock of sh*t! The appropriate action would be for this guy to resign. Rush is not the problem, as noted below. The problem is these ABC and ESPN folks hiring a guy know to be a racist link.
All to make some more money. Rush is not the problem, again, Rush is not the problem.

AMEN! ESPN knew what it was doing......
Link here:
"Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie today accused ESPN of 'institutional racism' for its decision to hire Rush Limbaugh and for the portrayal of NFL players in the fictional series 'Playmakers.'
ESPN had tarnished its image of being one of the most respected media outlets for NFL coverage for the sake of ratings, Lurie said. The hiring of Limbaugh and the show are examples of 'racist potshots' toward the league, he said.
'Some of the events of this week are built with institutional racism,' Lurie said. 'It exists. Let's not hide it. Let's not make us believe the problem is a single person. It's far from that.' "

Bet this does not get repeated much on the national "mainstream" news.......but gets at the real issue.

Spin, Spin,Spin.....hopefully it will come out in the wash!
Reality changes daily:
"Confronted with little public support for the White House view that the investigation should be handled by the Justice Department, Bush aides began yesterday to adjust their response to the expanding probe. They reined in earlier, broad portrayals of innocence in favor of more technical arguments that it is possible the disclosure was made without knowledge that a covert operative was being exposed and therefore might not have been a crime. "
"uhm....officer I did not know the posted speed limit was 25mph.......so it's not my fault that I was going 85 mph" and will this hold up in with my local court? What do they always say?
Ignorance of the law is ............

I was a Boy Scout Too!!
Ollie North and Ann Coulter talk to our kids....:
"North was among five speakers who spoke at the rally, which was a fund-raiser for the Northeast Georgia Council of Boy Scouts of America's Scoutreach and Learning for Life programs."Proceeds from the tickets for the rally, which sold for $45 per person, went to support the Boy Scouts Scoutreach program, which attempts to reach out to minorities, especially Hispanic youth, and the Learning for Life program, which provides character education for local schools, said Tim Cooper, spokesman for the Northeast Georgia Council of Boy Scouts.
"We thought it was a great idea to bring in people who are patriotic", said Cooper. "We had contacts for Col. North, Ann Coulter and (radio personalities) Rick (Burgess) and (Bill) Bubba (Bussey) and it kind of snowballed. We wanted just a really patriotic night."
North noted that even though the Boy Scouts are a non-partisan organization, it was clearly not evident by the speakers present Saturday evening.
Conservative author and attorney Ann Coulter blasted liberals during her speech, specifically with regards to their positions regarding the war in Iraq.
"Let's just say that this was a war just for oil," Coulter told the crowd of about 300. "Why not go to war for oil? We need oil. What do Hollywood celebrities think fuels their jets? How do they think their cocaine is delivered?"

I must say the Boy Scouts I participated in was held in an old basement of the local church and we said the pledge, ate some cookies and tie some knots. Twice a year we went camping and my brother threw up every night after eating mass amounts of burnt food. Too bad we could not have not gotten Richard Nixon and G. Gordon Liddy to tell us about being good law biding people. Guess that is why I turned out this way.
Just a couple of quick questions to the parents who set this up.
1. Do you not remember Ollie was running drugs and has been banned from Costa Rica here
2. Do you really want your kids expose to the opinions of Ann?wingnut

What we say....and what we really do
Asia Times -US Forgien Policy:
"A blue-ribbon panel on United States public diplomacy is calling on President George W Bush not only to sharply increase funding to more effectively explain US policy to an increasingly hostile Islamic world, but also to narrow the gap between US values and what Washington actually does in the region. "
That is the distinct - albeit partially hidden - message a new report on how better to communicate with Muslim populations from North Africa to Southeast Asia, released at the State Department on Wednesday by former president George H W Bush's top Middle East advisor, Edward Djerejian.
" 'Spin' and manipulative public relations and propaganda are not the answer," according to Djererian's report. "Foreign policy counts. Surveys indicate that much of the resentment toward America stems from real conflicts and displeasure with policies, including those involving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iraq," the report said. "Sugar-coating and fast talking are no solutions ... ", the 80-page report advised.
The message appears to be a direct challenge to neo-conservative and right-wing hawks in and around the administration who have been arguing that Washington's policies are simply misunderstood and that the key to winning hearts and minds in the Islamic world is to implement more imaginative ways of expressing them.
As Bush himself said when asked about growing anti-US sentiment in the Arab world, "I just can't believe it. I know how good we are and we've got to do a better job of making our case."

Good One....winner for Best RR
Intelligent life:
'To the people whining about Molly Ivins and Charley Reese: No, this isn't San Francisco or Massachusetts, but that doesn't mean there aren't some intelligent people here. Besides, every time Molly's in the paper, Cal Thomas is, too. Can't get more conservative than old Cal. Tell me one thing Molly's said that isn't so. Too bad we can't say that about our President.'

Now if we can Sonny a Motorcycle........
Helmets, we don't need no stinking helmets!:
"In the September edition of Full Throttle magazine, Gov. Sonny Perdue said he agrees 'in principle' with motorcyclists out to repeal the state's mandatory helmet law for adult and experienced bikers.
'My personal view is that there [should] be more freedom in our usage in the field of motorcycles,' said Perdue, who as a state senator supported efforts to give most adults over age 21 the option of riding without headgear."

And what is the population overall of African Americans in the state? Not even near 61%
NAACP to address jail population:
"When the state NAACP meets in Cobb County beginning today, it will talk about the high rate of black males in Georgia prisons and consider a response to Gov. Sonny Perdue's proposal to link SAT scores to the HOPE scholarship.
State NAACP President Walter Butler said the 61st annual convention, which runs through Sunday, will discuss everything from minority education to job training and voter registration. Butler said one of the most pressing issues is the high incarceration rate of black men.
In August, 61 percent of male inmates in Georgia prisons were non-white, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. "

Wonder who benefited from all that growth? Umm.......
Atlanta no mecca for most blacks:
"In the 1990s, Atlanta became known as a land of opportunity for black people. Or at least about a third of them.
According to a report issued Wednesday by a Clark Atlanta University think tank, a majority of the blacks in Atlanta have not made significant enough strides for a city known throughout as a destination for up-and-coming blacks.
'Very little progress had been made in the 1990s, despite the fact that there has been a lot of growth,' said Bob Holmes, director of the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy. 'Atlanta being a mecca for blacks is true for only a third of the blacks in Atlanta.'"

Via Eschaton....what the hell!
Eschaton:
"'The White house asked for and got permission earlier this week to wait a day before issuing a directive to preserve all documents and logs which led one seasoned federal prosecutor to wonder why they wanted to wait a day, and who at the justice department told them they could do that, and why?'
Nina Totenberg, on NPR this evening"

NPR Link
unbelievable.........they asked who? Ashcroft? this just gets better and better

Nothing like the Taliban........
Official: Jurors Answerable to God:
"A county treasurer is handing out booklets to potential jurors saying they are answerable 'only to God almighty' and not to the law when it comes to deliberations.
Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Paschall, a former state lawmaker known for his anti-abortion and pro-gun views, said the booklets are 'my personal gift to the people.' He said the booklets, many stamped with his name and elected title, were bought with $500 to $600 of his money and that of two political allies who work in the treasurer's office.
The 61-page booklets promote 'jury nullification,' a concept promoted by conservative groups that say juries have the right to not only decide guilt or innocence, but also whether laws are just and adhere to God's law. 'You are above the law!' the booklet says. 'As a juror in a trial setting, when it comes to your individual vote of innocent or guilty, you truly are answerable only to God almighty.' "

More good reading.....
Lawmaker says Perdue like Maddox:
"Opening the news conference by comparing Perdue to Maddox, Fort said the new governor ousted every major department head who was a minority except one, and he worked to weaken a consumer protection law that had been designed in part to protect minorities from predatory lending practices.
His support for changing the state flag during his campaign last year played on racial tensions, Fort said.
'Governor Perdue ran a racist campaign. I'm not saying that he is a racist. Only he knows what is in his heart. But we believe that he ran a racist campaign'
Dean said an idea Perdue floated recently to tie HOPE scholarships to SAT scores is an 'absolutely shameful' proposal.
'When we were notified that the (HOPE) program was in trouble, the governor said we ought to support those programs that deal with kids who come to college ready. We know what the governor was saying - that we ought to cater to the rich, we ought to cater to the white community,' he said"

Cause it's a capitalist world.....
Homeless shelter-no longer charging a fee.:
"A Salvation Army homeless shelter has rescinded its policy charging families $5 a night after their first week at the shelter.
The National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C., and the national Salvation Army in Arlington, Va., said they knew of no other shelters nationwide that charge families. "

But others are doing it.........

But it's a level playing field.....damnit! No need for all those "special" programs for minorities.
Car-Loan Rates Marked Up More for Blacks, Report Says:
"Black postal workers paid an average of $811 more than white postal workers to get car loans, the report said. Black teachers paid an average of $595 more than white teachers. Even black GM employees paid more than their white counterparts to get a loan, "

Check this out.....

Guess if it was the greasers, wet-backs, gooks or_________(insert your favorite racist label here) it would have been offensive enough.
Story here:
"The Native Americans, led by Cheyenne activist and District resident Suzan Shown Harjo, had argued that the team's name and feather-wearing Indian mascot trivialize a tragic time when Indians were victims of genocide and forced off their land by settlers and U.S. soldiers. They cited a 1946 federal law that prohibits the government from registering a trademark that disparages any race, religion or other group. "

more

But Pro-Football Inc., the corporation that owns the Redskins, appealed the trademark panel's decision in U.S. District Court. Its attorneys said that the "difficult relations" between Anglo-Americans and Native Americans were certainly unfortunate. But, they argued, in the 21st century, the beloved hometown team has changed the connotation of the word "Redskins" to one that is "powerfully positive" -- associated more with touchdowns than tomahawks.

once again, listen to the white folks, we will tell you when to be offended........

Good cartoon....
Mike Luckovich Cartoons

Then what did his comments mean?
ESPN hires a Racist:
"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well,' Limbaugh said. 'There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve"
"He was comparing McNabb's performance on the field to his reputation in the media," spokesman Dave Nagle said Tuesday. He said Limbaugh doesn't do interviews.
On ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown," Limbaugh, the outspoken conservative radio talk show host, said he didn't think McNabb was as good as perceived from the start. The quarterback's career has included two straight NFC championship games and MVP runner-up.
McNabb called the whole thing "sad," but an ESPN spokesman said he didn't think the comments were racially biased.
The big issue here is that ESPN knew this idiot's history and has been just waiting for him to say something exactly like this. They benefit from the blow up and if it gets too hot in the kitchen, they will fire him and look like the good guys. If not then they have a great hook.
Contact them:
ESPN Television
ESPN Plaza
Bristol, CT 06010
e-mail: askespntv@espn.twdc.com

One, Two, Cha Cha Cha....dancing the "Cover Karl's Ass and hoping I don't go to jail with him" Tango......
Scott McClellan-press secretary and Karl Rove's boy:
"Q Scott, when you say that it should be pursued by the Justice Department -- Justice has not said whether it actually is conducting an investigation. Does the President want the Justice Department to investigate this matter?
MR. McCLELLAN: If someone leaked classified information of the nature that has been reported, absolutely, the President would want it to be looked into. And the Justice Department would be the appropriate agency to do so.
Q And do you know that they are doing this?
MR. McCLELLAN: That's a question you need to ask the Department of Justice. My understanding is that if something like this happened and it was referred to the Department of Justice, then the Department of Justice would look to see whether or not there is enough information to pursue it further. But those are questions you need to ask the Department of Justice.
Q But, Scott, something like this did happen, right? Bob Novak had information he should not have had, that he was not authorized to have. So something --
MR. McCLELLAN: Terry, all I can tell you is what I've seen in the media reports. And I've seen different statements in the media reports from, the CIA hasn't confirmed or denied that this was a covert agent for the CIA; I've seen media reports to suggest that it was referred to the Department of Justice, and that -- and comments the Department of Justice would look into it.
Q So the President of the United States doesn't know whether or not this classified information was divulged, and he is only getting his information by reading the media?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry?
Q He does not know whether or not the classified information was divulged here, and he's only getting his information from the media?
MR. McCLELLAN: No, we don't know -- we don't"

Well, the press is smelling blood and Rove is looking around for a fall guy. Rove has this Whitehouse administration buttoned up so tight their ears are bleeding. I am worried about something though that a lot of us on the other side of the fence have not thought about. Let me be clear, I want GW out of the White House and would be jumping for joy........for a while. But, what happens if this thing does not just destroy Rove but brings down George too. Then, who is next in line. Oh, crap, Cheney.....and we have not heard a peep out of his camp since this all started.He is not even mentioned in this and does not seem to be connected...yet. I am going out on a limb, but what if what we are looking at is a power grab by those behind Cheney? Paranoid??? Have you even read the stuff on these guys?
Cheney has been out there doing his own thing for awhile, has he made a deal with the devil? I am really wondering about this.

This is what I am talking about!
Look here:
"Rummy on a Roll"

From Eschaton blog....just read the whole site.
Eschaton:
"This not an alleged abuse. This is a confirmed abuse. I worked with this woman. She started training with me. She has been under cover for three decades. She is not as Bob Novak suggested a 'CIA analyst.' Given that, i was a CIA analyst for 4 years. I was under cover. I could not divulge to my family outside of my wife that I worked for the CIA unti I left the Intelligence Agency on Sept. 30, 1989. At that point I could admit it. The fact that she was under cover for three decades and that has been divulged is outrageous. She was put undercover for certain reasons. One, she works in an area where people she works with overseas could be compromised...

For these journalists to argue that this is no big deal... and if I hear another Republican operative suggesting that, well, this was just an analyst. Fine. Let them go undercover. Let's put them go overseas. Let's out them and see how they like it..."

Ah, football season. Cool autumn days, hotdogs, and guns.........
ajc.com | News | Pinson man threatens to kill son after Tide loses:
"A Pinson man was charged with attempted murder for holding a gun to his son's head and pulling the trigger in the midst of a tantrum after Alabama's double overtime loss to Arkansas Saturday, authorities said.
The bullet narrowly missed 20-year-old Seth Logan, who said he picked the wrong time to ask his dad for a car,"
Well, I know Valdosta folks are a bit overzealous when it comes to high school football, but head over to my birth state and this kind of team identity is pretty common......

Are you a registered Patriot?
USA PATRIOT REGISTRATION - WHITEHOUSE.ORG
Hurry up and get registered or Papa Ashcroft will be coming to visit you.

Gasp! How did this happen....
Agency Belittles Information Given by Iraq Defectors:
"An internal assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that most of the information provided by Iraqi defectors who were made available by the Iraqi National Congress was of little or no value, according to federal officials briefed on the arrangement.
In addition, several Iraqi defectors introduced to American intelligence agents by the exile organization and its leader, Ahmad Chalabi, invented or exaggerated their credentials as people with direct knowledge of the Iraqi government and its suspected unconventional weapons program, the officials said.
The arrangement, paid for with taxpayer funds supplied to the exile group under the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998, involved extensive debriefing of at least half a dozen defectors by defense intelligence agents in European capitals and at a base in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil in late 2002 and early 2003, the officials said. But a review early this year by the defense agency concluded that no more than one-third of the information was potentially useful, and efforts to explore those leads since have generally failed to pan out, the officials said."

Again and again......
FAIR ACTION ALERT: Another Falsehood on Iraq Goes Unchallenged:
"On a weekend when the Bush administration's pre-war intelligence on Iraq was a major topic on the Sunday talkshows, Secretary of State Colin Powell re-circulated a false story about United Nations weapons inspectors being kicked out of Iraq in 1998. Some major media outlets let Powell's comments pass without comment or correction.
On ABC's This Week (9/27/03), Powell explained that the Clinton administration 'conducted a four-day bombing campaign in late 1998 based on the intelligence that he had. That resulted in the weapons inspectors being thrown out.'
The actual history is much different. On December 15, 1998, the head of the U.N. weapons inspection team in Iraq, Richard Butler, released a report accusing Iraq of not fully cooperating with inspections. The next day, Butler withdrew his inspectors from Iraq, in anticipation of a U.S.-British bombing campaign that began that evening. Neither George Stephanopoulos nor George Will, who conducted ABC's interview, corrected Powell's false assertion. "