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.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
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..."
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......
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......
Monday, September 29, 2003
Are you a registered Patriot?
USA PATRIOT REGISTRATION - WHITEHOUSE.ORG
Hurry up and get registered or Papa Ashcroft will be coming to visit you.
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."
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. "
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. "
Heck of a coincidence???
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Sources close to the former president [George H.W. Bush] say Rove was fired from the 1992 Bush presidential campaign after he planted a negative story with columnist Robert Novak about dissatisfaction with campaign fundraising chief and Bush loyalist Robert Mosbacher Jr. It was smoked out, and he was summarily ousted.
'Why Are These Men Laughing?' Ron Suskind
Esquire
January 2003"
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Sources close to the former president [George H.W. Bush] say Rove was fired from the 1992 Bush presidential campaign after he planted a negative story with columnist Robert Novak about dissatisfaction with campaign fundraising chief and Bush loyalist Robert Mosbacher Jr. It was smoked out, and he was summarily ousted.
'Why Are These Men Laughing?' Ron Suskind
Esquire
January 2003"
While Rome is burning......
Yahoo! News - Bush Signs Do-Not-Call List Into Law:
"The public is understandably losing patience with these unwanted phone calls, unwanted intrusions,' Bush said. "
LOOK AWAY!!!! OVER HERE!!!! I'M DOING SOMETHING GOOD!!!! FORGET ABOUT THE LEAK!!!!
Yahoo! News - Bush Signs Do-Not-Call List Into Law:
"The public is understandably losing patience with these unwanted phone calls, unwanted intrusions,' Bush said. "
LOOK AWAY!!!! OVER HERE!!!! I'M DOING SOMETHING GOOD!!!! FORGET ABOUT THE LEAK!!!!
HA! HA!
The CIA/Wilson Leak: Karl Rove's Statement Emphatically Not Commenting on Alleged Political Motivations for Maliciously Imperiling the Wife of That Bastard Turncoat Joseph Wilson - WHITEHOUSE.ORG:
"And while I am not at liberty to comment directly on the veracity of these allegations, let me just say that I want Americans to believe that it breaks my heart that anyone could possibly believe that I am so vituperative, ethically bankrupt, and politically vicious as to invite syndicated columnist Bob Novak to a romantic dinner for two at Annie's Paramount Steak House on July 12th at 7pm, then intentionally leak details over an apple dumpling dessert that would endanger the loved ones of my most monomaniacally despised ideological nemeses. That's all I have to say on the matter. Thank you, and good day. "
The CIA/Wilson Leak: Karl Rove's Statement Emphatically Not Commenting on Alleged Political Motivations for Maliciously Imperiling the Wife of That Bastard Turncoat Joseph Wilson - WHITEHOUSE.ORG:
"And while I am not at liberty to comment directly on the veracity of these allegations, let me just say that I want Americans to believe that it breaks my heart that anyone could possibly believe that I am so vituperative, ethically bankrupt, and politically vicious as to invite syndicated columnist Bob Novak to a romantic dinner for two at Annie's Paramount Steak House on July 12th at 7pm, then intentionally leak details over an apple dumpling dessert that would endanger the loved ones of my most monomaniacally despised ideological nemeses. That's all I have to say on the matter. Thank you, and good day. "
look away, look away.......
ALABAMA: A Preview of the Glories of a Christian America!: "come Judgment Day, Jesus will land first in Alabama, probably right next to the statute of Jefferson Davis in front of the Montgomery capital building. That great state’s citizens will probably be among the few to join the congregation of Landover in God’s glory. I suggest every one of you listening to this sermon starts tomorrow morning developing a taste for grits, hominy and humidity, before it’s too late."
ALABAMA: A Preview of the Glories of a Christian America!: "come Judgment Day, Jesus will land first in Alabama, probably right next to the statute of Jefferson Davis in front of the Montgomery capital building. That great state’s citizens will probably be among the few to join the congregation of Landover in God’s glory. I suggest every one of you listening to this sermon starts tomorrow morning developing a taste for grits, hominy and humidity, before it’s too late."
Idiots, Goobers and Morons......
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition
just take a look at this crap. It's a tie today, can't determine the winner of the most stupidcomment.
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition
just take a look at this crap. It's a tie today, can't determine the winner of the most stupidcomment.
That's great but, what about the rest of us.
Commission on Homelessness wants regional body to address homelessness - 2003-09-24 - Atlanta Business Chronicle
Dr. Jim Laney, president emeritus of Emory University and a member of the commission, presented a recommendation that a regional body be created by local legislative act. The regional commission would work collaboratively with local government jurisdictions to address the problems of homelessness in metro Atlanta and develop resources needed to implement programs and projects
Commission on Homelessness wants regional body to address homelessness - 2003-09-24 - Atlanta Business Chronicle
Dr. Jim Laney, president emeritus of Emory University and a member of the commission, presented a recommendation that a regional body be created by local legislative act. The regional commission would work collaboratively with local government jurisdictions to address the problems of homelessness in metro Atlanta and develop resources needed to implement programs and projects
Sunday, September 28, 2003
of course we are last........
AP Wire | 09/28/2003 | State group suggests reducing traffic ticket penalties:
"Georgia is one of the last states in the nation to still treat tickets for speeding or running a red light as misdemeanors, with the slight chance of up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.
A proposal by the state's indigent defense commission would decriminalize traffic tickets. They would become like parking tickets - offenders would only pay a fine and never go to jail.
'The risk of ... a few days in jail really has not made our highways safer,' said Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Norman Fletcher. 'Decriminalization probably would have no effect whatsoever on the safety of our highways.'"
AP Wire | 09/28/2003 | State group suggests reducing traffic ticket penalties:
"Georgia is one of the last states in the nation to still treat tickets for speeding or running a red light as misdemeanors, with the slight chance of up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.
A proposal by the state's indigent defense commission would decriminalize traffic tickets. They would become like parking tickets - offenders would only pay a fine and never go to jail.
'The risk of ... a few days in jail really has not made our highways safer,' said Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Norman Fletcher. 'Decriminalization probably would have no effect whatsoever on the safety of our highways.'"
I knew the French were responsible for the alien invasion....(see below)
Yahoo! News - Europe Launches First Mission to Moon: "EVRY, France - Europe's first mission to the moon got off to a smooth start with the successful launch of an unmanned Ariane rocket from a base in South America on Saturday. "
Yahoo! News - Europe Launches First Mission to Moon: "EVRY, France - Europe's first mission to the moon got off to a smooth start with the successful launch of an unmanned Ariane rocket from a base in South America on Saturday. "
SPACE ALIENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yahoo! News - Five hurt as meteorite crashes to earth in India: report
And it starts, run for the hills!
Yahoo! News - Five hurt as meteorite crashes to earth in India: report
And it starts, run for the hills!
White folks move out then back......and the effect on others is...
ajc.com | Atlanta/South Metro | Intown housing out of reach of most:
"Kurt Albertson is learning firsthand about the crisis housing experts say is facing Atlanta and other American cities -- prices beyond the reach of the rank and file who work in retail, teach school, nurse the ill, police the streets and fight fires. Beyond the reach, even, of young business consultants making more than $100,000 a year.
'With $300,000 for a house, I can't find anything decent in an area I want to be in,' said Albertson, a consultant with a master's degree in business admin- istration.
'I looked at one in Peachtree Hills [in Buckhead] that looked like a treehouse and I didn't even go inside,' he said. 'There was one in Midtown that looked like an old cottage you'd see in the woods. I found a nice new one on the east side of Candler Park [in the DeKalb County portion of Atlanta], but it was kind of in a bad area and shared a driveway with a house that was being rented, and there was trash and cars all over the place."
snip
"There is still stuff available for relatively minor prices, but the rub is that they are not the typical homes in the typical types of neighborhoods that the middle class has come to expect to live in," said Larry Keating, a Georgia Tech professor who studies housing. "The neighborhood may have people of a different color and the house may need to be rehabilitated. Some people don't want to live in places like that."
nuff said.....
ajc.com | Atlanta/South Metro | Intown housing out of reach of most:
"Kurt Albertson is learning firsthand about the crisis housing experts say is facing Atlanta and other American cities -- prices beyond the reach of the rank and file who work in retail, teach school, nurse the ill, police the streets and fight fires. Beyond the reach, even, of young business consultants making more than $100,000 a year.
'With $300,000 for a house, I can't find anything decent in an area I want to be in,' said Albertson, a consultant with a master's degree in business admin- istration.
'I looked at one in Peachtree Hills [in Buckhead] that looked like a treehouse and I didn't even go inside,' he said. 'There was one in Midtown that looked like an old cottage you'd see in the woods. I found a nice new one on the east side of Candler Park [in the DeKalb County portion of Atlanta], but it was kind of in a bad area and shared a driveway with a house that was being rented, and there was trash and cars all over the place."
snip
"There is still stuff available for relatively minor prices, but the rub is that they are not the typical homes in the typical types of neighborhoods that the middle class has come to expect to live in," said Larry Keating, a Georgia Tech professor who studies housing. "The neighborhood may have people of a different color and the house may need to be rehabilitated. Some people don't want to live in places like that."
nuff said.....
Can you say " I am willing to sell out"
The Macon Telegraph | 09/28/2003 | Marshall battles media over Iraq:
"'News media reports about our progress in Iraq have been bleak ...,' Marshall wrote in an opinion piece in Monday's Atlanta Journal Constitution. 'The falsely bleak picture weakens our national resolve, discourages Iraqi cooperation and emboldens our enemy. ... We may need a few credible Baghdad Bobs to undo the harm done by our media. I'm afraid it is killing our troops.'"
More
Bibb Republican Party Chairman Debbie Lyons applauds Marshall's stand.
"We're at war. You have got to put this country before politics," Lyons said. "The negativity coming out not only from the media but from Democratic loyalists is hurting our troops and killing our troops."
Lyons said she shared similar concerns in a letter she wrote that was published in The Telegraph. She challenged Marshall to also spread that message to his colleagues.
"We need him to take it one step further to Teddy Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and the candidates running in the Democratic primary," Lyons said.
and finally.....
Marshall was the newest member of the House invited on the Iraq trip and to a White House meeting Thursday with Rice, the national security adviser. His Iraqi stance has even caught the eye of Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
"I appreciated your op-ed very much. I read it with great interest," Wolfowitz told Marshall, according to the committee transcript.
When asked about all the attention the freshman congressman is receiving, Marshall said, "I just want to be helpful to our soldiers."
yeah, right.....
The Macon Telegraph | 09/28/2003 | Marshall battles media over Iraq:
"'News media reports about our progress in Iraq have been bleak ...,' Marshall wrote in an opinion piece in Monday's Atlanta Journal Constitution. 'The falsely bleak picture weakens our national resolve, discourages Iraqi cooperation and emboldens our enemy. ... We may need a few credible Baghdad Bobs to undo the harm done by our media. I'm afraid it is killing our troops.'"
More
Bibb Republican Party Chairman Debbie Lyons applauds Marshall's stand.
"We're at war. You have got to put this country before politics," Lyons said. "The negativity coming out not only from the media but from Democratic loyalists is hurting our troops and killing our troops."
Lyons said she shared similar concerns in a letter she wrote that was published in The Telegraph. She challenged Marshall to also spread that message to his colleagues.
"We need him to take it one step further to Teddy Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tom Daschle and the candidates running in the Democratic primary," Lyons said.
and finally.....
Marshall was the newest member of the House invited on the Iraq trip and to a White House meeting Thursday with Rice, the national security adviser. His Iraqi stance has even caught the eye of Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.
"I appreciated your op-ed very much. I read it with great interest," Wolfowitz told Marshall, according to the committee transcript.
When asked about all the attention the freshman congressman is receiving, Marshall said, "I just want to be helpful to our soldiers."
yeah, right.....
About time they investigated this.....
C.I.A. Seeks Inquiry Into Naming of an Operative:
"The C.I.A. has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether senior Bush administration officials broke the law by revealing the identity of an agency operative, a government official said today.
The operative is the wife of a former envoy to Iraq, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who publicly voiced skepticism about the Bush administration's policies on Iraq and on Iraq's reported weapons program."
Yesterday, a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. Wilson had just revealed that the CIA had sent him to Niger last year to look into the uranium claim and that he had found no evidence to back up the charge. Wilson's account touched off a political fracas over Bush's use of intelligence as he made the case for attacking Iraq.
"Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," the senior official said of the alleged leak
Wilson, while refusing to confirm his wife's occupation, has suggested publicly that he believes Bush's senior adviser, Karl C. Rove, broke her cover. Wilson said Aug. 21 at a public forum in suburban Seattle that it is of keen interest to him "to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs."
I think John Ashcroft should use the Patriot Act to declare Karl Rove an enemy combatant and take his butt on down to Camp X-Ray.
C.I.A. Seeks Inquiry Into Naming of an Operative:
"The C.I.A. has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether senior Bush administration officials broke the law by revealing the identity of an agency operative, a government official said today.
The operative is the wife of a former envoy to Iraq, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who publicly voiced skepticism about the Bush administration's policies on Iraq and on Iraq's reported weapons program."
Yesterday, a senior administration official said that before Novak's column ran, two top White House officials called at least six Washington journalists and disclosed the identity and occupation of Wilson's wife. Wilson had just revealed that the CIA had sent him to Niger last year to look into the uranium claim and that he had found no evidence to back up the charge. Wilson's account touched off a political fracas over Bush's use of intelligence as he made the case for attacking Iraq.
"Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," the senior official said of the alleged leak
Wilson, while refusing to confirm his wife's occupation, has suggested publicly that he believes Bush's senior adviser, Karl C. Rove, broke her cover. Wilson said Aug. 21 at a public forum in suburban Seattle that it is of keen interest to him "to see whether or not we can get Karl Rove frog-marched out of the White House in handcuffs."
I think John Ashcroft should use the Patriot Act to declare Karl Rove an enemy combatant and take his butt on down to Camp X-Ray.
Interesting reading......
Capital Games:
"Did retired General Anthony Zinni really call George W. Bush's war in Iraq a 'brain fart'? "
Capital Games:
"Did retired General Anthony Zinni really call George W. Bush's war in Iraq a 'brain fart'? "
Patriot Act coming soon to your town........
U.S. Uses Terror Law to Pursue Crimes From Drugs to Swindling:
"The Bush administration, which calls the USA Patriot Act perhaps its most essential tool in fighting terrorists, has begun using the law with increasing frequency in many criminal investigations that have little or no connection to terrorism.
The government is using its expanded authority under the far-reaching law to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, federal officials said."
More
Publicly, Attorney General John Ashcroft and senior Justice Department officials have portrayed their expanded power almost exclusively as a means of fighting terrorists, with little or no mention of other criminal uses.
Internally, however, Justice Department officials have emphasized a much broader mandate.
A guide to a Justice Department employee seminar last year on financial crimes, for instance, said: "We all know that the USA Patriot Act provided weapons for the war on terrorism. But do you know how it affects the war on crime as well?"
Just wait till they start imprisoning people as enemy combatants. This stuff always trickles down to the local level such as that drug/cash seizure (interstate lotto) that started during the Reagan administration with the DEA and other federal agencies to take cash and property of drug runners. Then before you know it sheriff Goober in Smallassville learns that he can racially profile some dark skinned people and play the lotto on the local level by "securing" the cash that migrant workers carry on the way home and happen to "weave inside their lane" while traveling through Smallassville. So, instead now it is used for ripping off poor brown folks and using their hard earn money to buy a new deluxe crown vic with the custom paint job, some night vision goggles, some begian police "attack those foreigners" dogs, and paramilitary uniforms for his fleet of "Barneys" and they slowly become the local militia that now is roaming around needing more money to buy some cool new toys for work - like the Kick Saddamn's Ass pontoon U-boat with the optional ski package to patrol the local river looking to see if anyone is molesting the catfish.
Am I making this up?........you need to live here for awhile.
U.S. Uses Terror Law to Pursue Crimes From Drugs to Swindling:
"The Bush administration, which calls the USA Patriot Act perhaps its most essential tool in fighting terrorists, has begun using the law with increasing frequency in many criminal investigations that have little or no connection to terrorism.
The government is using its expanded authority under the far-reaching law to investigate suspected drug traffickers, white-collar criminals, blackmailers, child pornographers, money launderers, spies and even corrupt foreign leaders, federal officials said."
More
Publicly, Attorney General John Ashcroft and senior Justice Department officials have portrayed their expanded power almost exclusively as a means of fighting terrorists, with little or no mention of other criminal uses.
Internally, however, Justice Department officials have emphasized a much broader mandate.
A guide to a Justice Department employee seminar last year on financial crimes, for instance, said: "We all know that the USA Patriot Act provided weapons for the war on terrorism. But do you know how it affects the war on crime as well?"
Just wait till they start imprisoning people as enemy combatants. This stuff always trickles down to the local level such as that drug/cash seizure (interstate lotto) that started during the Reagan administration with the DEA and other federal agencies to take cash and property of drug runners. Then before you know it sheriff Goober in Smallassville learns that he can racially profile some dark skinned people and play the lotto on the local level by "securing" the cash that migrant workers carry on the way home and happen to "weave inside their lane" while traveling through Smallassville. So, instead now it is used for ripping off poor brown folks and using their hard earn money to buy a new deluxe crown vic with the custom paint job, some night vision goggles, some begian police "attack those foreigners" dogs, and paramilitary uniforms for his fleet of "Barneys" and they slowly become the local militia that now is roaming around needing more money to buy some cool new toys for work - like the Kick Saddamn's Ass pontoon U-boat with the optional ski package to patrol the local river looking to see if anyone is molesting the catfish.
Am I making this up?........you need to live here for awhile.
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Or just smart......
Yahoo! News - North Korea Calls Rumsfeld 'Psychopath': "SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) called U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld a 'psychopath' and a 'stupid man' on Saturday, denouncing him for predicting that the country's isolated communist regime will one day fall. "
Yahoo! News - North Korea Calls Rumsfeld 'Psychopath': "SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea (news - web sites) called U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld a 'psychopath' and a 'stupid man' on Saturday, denouncing him for predicting that the country's isolated communist regime will one day fall. "
Georgia will just do that to you......
AccessAtlanta | Entertainment | Weekend Buzz: "Ben Affleck is turning into a good ol' boy. A few days ago, the actor applied for a gun permit at the Hinesville courthouse. On Thursday, he stopped at a Hinesville car dealership to buy a pickup truck."
AccessAtlanta | Entertainment | Weekend Buzz: "Ben Affleck is turning into a good ol' boy. A few days ago, the actor applied for a gun permit at the Hinesville courthouse. On Thursday, he stopped at a Hinesville car dealership to buy a pickup truck."
More Americans in Poverty in 2002, Census Study Says
More Americans in Poverty in 2002, Census Study Says:
"The number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.7 million last year, and the median household income declined by 1.1 percent, the Census Bureau reported today. The worsening economic conditions fell heaviest on Midwesterners and nonwhites. "
nuff said.....
More Americans in Poverty in 2002, Census Study Says:
"The number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.7 million last year, and the median household income declined by 1.1 percent, the Census Bureau reported today. The worsening economic conditions fell heaviest on Midwesterners and nonwhites. "
nuff said.....
Cheney Maintains Large Financial Ties to Halliburton
t r u t h o u t - Cheney Maintains Large Financial Ties to Halliburton: "A Congressional Research Service report released yesterday concluded that federal ethics laws treat Vice President Cheney's annual deferred compensation checks and unexercised stock options as continuing financial interests in the Halliburton Co.
Democrats have aggressively challenged Cheney's claim that he has no financial ties to Halliburton, despite those arrangements.
The Houston-based energy conglomerate has been awarded more than $2 billion in contracts for rebuilding Iraq, including one worth $1.22 billion that was awarded on a noncompetitive basis."
Ok, now use the below information and connect the dots.
t r u t h o u t - Cheney Maintains Large Financial Ties to Halliburton: "A Congressional Research Service report released yesterday concluded that federal ethics laws treat Vice President Cheney's annual deferred compensation checks and unexercised stock options as continuing financial interests in the Halliburton Co.
Democrats have aggressively challenged Cheney's claim that he has no financial ties to Halliburton, despite those arrangements.
The Houston-based energy conglomerate has been awarded more than $2 billion in contracts for rebuilding Iraq, including one worth $1.22 billion that was awarded on a noncompetitive basis."
Ok, now use the below information and connect the dots.
Friday, September 26, 2003
One more.......
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Imagine that. Last night we told you about Joe Allbaugh, President Bush's longtime right-hand-man who just opened a company to get into the Iraq contract business. And last week we told you about how Undersecretary of Defense Doug Feith's old law firm, Feith & Zell, has now opened a new division specializing in hooking up clients with the sweetest deals in Iraq. Feith & Zell is now Zell, Goldberg & Co, though they haven't yet gotten around to changing their website address, which is still www.fandz.com.
Well, there's more.
Let me introduce you to the Iraqi International Law Group, a new outfit ready to help you secure contracts for rebuilding Iraq. And let me also introduce you to the head of IILG, Salem Chalabi.
Name sound familiar? Related to Ahmed Chalabi? You bet: Salem's Ahmed's nephew.
Now, Salem just got his website up online. And he seems to have gotten some help because up until a couple days ago the site address was registered under the name of Marc Zell. Right, that Marc Zell, Feith's former law partner. And the help continues. According to Chalabi, Zell is working as the firm's 'marketing consultant.' In fact, at the bottom of the IILG website in the 'contact' section it lists the 'Partner for International Marketing' as someone with the email address 'mzell@iraqlawfirm.com'. And I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that that's an email address for Marc Zell. Call me crazy.
In any case, I'd love to tell you that this latest twist is the product of my own sleuthing. But most of it comes from a very good article in Wednesday's Guardian, passed on to me by a helpful TPM reader (DW). (Well, actually I noticed the email address on the site, so I'll give myself a small pat on the back.)
The contracts are becoming a key lever of po"
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Imagine that. Last night we told you about Joe Allbaugh, President Bush's longtime right-hand-man who just opened a company to get into the Iraq contract business. And last week we told you about how Undersecretary of Defense Doug Feith's old law firm, Feith & Zell, has now opened a new division specializing in hooking up clients with the sweetest deals in Iraq. Feith & Zell is now Zell, Goldberg & Co, though they haven't yet gotten around to changing their website address, which is still www.fandz.com.
Well, there's more.
Let me introduce you to the Iraqi International Law Group, a new outfit ready to help you secure contracts for rebuilding Iraq. And let me also introduce you to the head of IILG, Salem Chalabi.
Name sound familiar? Related to Ahmed Chalabi? You bet: Salem's Ahmed's nephew.
Now, Salem just got his website up online. And he seems to have gotten some help because up until a couple days ago the site address was registered under the name of Marc Zell. Right, that Marc Zell, Feith's former law partner. And the help continues. According to Chalabi, Zell is working as the firm's 'marketing consultant.' In fact, at the bottom of the IILG website in the 'contact' section it lists the 'Partner for International Marketing' as someone with the email address 'mzell@iraqlawfirm.com'. And I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that that's an email address for Marc Zell. Call me crazy.
In any case, I'd love to tell you that this latest twist is the product of my own sleuthing. But most of it comes from a very good article in Wednesday's Guardian, passed on to me by a helpful TPM reader (DW). (Well, actually I noticed the email address on the site, so I'll give myself a small pat on the back.)
The contracts are becoming a key lever of po"
Read after the below......
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Let me introduce you to New Bridge Strategies, LLC. New Bridge is 'Helping to Rebuild a New Iraq' as their liner note says.
Here's the company's new blurb from their website ...
New Bridge Strategies, LLC is a unique company that was created specifically with the aim of assisting clients to evaluate and take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East following the conclusion of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Its activities will seek to expedite the creation of free and fair markets and new economic growth in Iraq, consistent with the policies of the Bush Administration. The opportunities evolving in Iraq today are of such an unprecedented nature and scope that no other existing firm has the necessary skills and experience to be effective both in Washington, D.C. and on the ground in Iraq.
A 'unique company'? You could say that. Who's the Chairman and Director of New Bridge? That would be Joe M. Allbaugh, President Bush's longtime right-hand-man and until about six months ago his head of FEMA. Before that of course he was the president's chief of staff when he was governor of Texas and campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 2000.
Allbaugh was part of the president's so-called 'Iron Triangle' -- the other two being Karl Rove and Karen Hughes. And now Allbaugh's running an outfit that helps your company get the sweetest contracts in Iraq? That sound right to you? Think he'll have any special pull?
Visit the site to see their 'interactive map of Iraq [which] will show areas of opportunity in the post-war rebuilding effort for specific industries.' "
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall:
"Let me introduce you to New Bridge Strategies, LLC. New Bridge is 'Helping to Rebuild a New Iraq' as their liner note says.
Here's the company's new blurb from their website ...
New Bridge Strategies, LLC is a unique company that was created specifically with the aim of assisting clients to evaluate and take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East following the conclusion of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Its activities will seek to expedite the creation of free and fair markets and new economic growth in Iraq, consistent with the policies of the Bush Administration. The opportunities evolving in Iraq today are of such an unprecedented nature and scope that no other existing firm has the necessary skills and experience to be effective both in Washington, D.C. and on the ground in Iraq.
A 'unique company'? You could say that. Who's the Chairman and Director of New Bridge? That would be Joe M. Allbaugh, President Bush's longtime right-hand-man and until about six months ago his head of FEMA. Before that of course he was the president's chief of staff when he was governor of Texas and campaign manager for Bush-Cheney 2000.
Allbaugh was part of the president's so-called 'Iron Triangle' -- the other two being Karl Rove and Karen Hughes. And now Allbaugh's running an outfit that helps your company get the sweetest contracts in Iraq? That sound right to you? Think he'll have any special pull?
Visit the site to see their 'interactive map of Iraq [which] will show areas of opportunity in the post-war rebuilding effort for specific industries.' "
How much do we really want to know?
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Friends of the family: "Companies wishing to make money in post-Saddam Iraq need look no further than an Iraqi uncle and nephew, and their hawkish friends in Washington, writes Brian Whitaker "
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Friends of the family: "Companies wishing to make money in post-Saddam Iraq need look no further than an Iraqi uncle and nephew, and their hawkish friends in Washington, writes Brian Whitaker "
or something...
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition: "A recent story in the Georgia Times-Union described the growing popularity of open-air malls throughout the country, especially in Jacksonville.
The integration of outdoor spaces and ways to access stores more easily from parking areas are becoming more important to today's shoppers. Even traditional department stores such as Dillard's and Nordstrom have chosen to build in open-air centers in Richmond, Va.
Another story describes the wider mix of stores and eateries that value-conscious consumers demand. They might want to go from a high-end store such as Nordstrom to an Old Navy in the same mall. The retail sector here and everywhere is in a state of flux, and developers and local leaders must respond to the constant changes demanded by consumers."
Ok, I really don't have much of a opinion on the subject. My issue is with these types of editorials. THEY DON"T MEAN ANYTHING! NOTHING! This sounds like it was written by a bunch of brain dead surfers or Bevis and Butthead. Should have ended ".......developers and local leaders must respond to the constant changes demanded by consumers or something."
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition: "A recent story in the Georgia Times-Union described the growing popularity of open-air malls throughout the country, especially in Jacksonville.
The integration of outdoor spaces and ways to access stores more easily from parking areas are becoming more important to today's shoppers. Even traditional department stores such as Dillard's and Nordstrom have chosen to build in open-air centers in Richmond, Va.
Another story describes the wider mix of stores and eateries that value-conscious consumers demand. They might want to go from a high-end store such as Nordstrom to an Old Navy in the same mall. The retail sector here and everywhere is in a state of flux, and developers and local leaders must respond to the constant changes demanded by consumers."
Ok, I really don't have much of a opinion on the subject. My issue is with these types of editorials. THEY DON"T MEAN ANYTHING! NOTHING! This sounds like it was written by a bunch of brain dead surfers or Bevis and Butthead. Should have ended ".......developers and local leaders must respond to the constant changes demanded by consumers or something."
Funny ...or is it?
ajc.com | Metro | Political Insider:
"He admits that the CEO of a company that makes voting machines maybe shouldn't talk about delivering votes. Walden O'Dell, the chief executive of
Diebold Inc., is making the mea culpa rounds. Last week, O'Dell admitted he had indeed screwed up when he became heavily involved in fund-raising
for President Bush. Diebold is the Ohio company that makes Georgia's voting machines.
The company also was trying to market the computers to Ohio -- and has since won a place on that state's vendors list. In an invitation to a Republican
fund-raiser at his suburban Columbus mansion, O'Dell said he was 'committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes for the president next year.'
The reverberations were felt nationally by Diebold, which also is under attack by some who believe its voting machines are vulnerable to manipulation.
O'Dell says he intends to lower his political profile. 'I'm a pretty experienced business leader, but a real novice on the political side of this. This blindsided me.
I don't have a political adviser or a screener or a letter reviewer or any of that stuff,' he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
O'Dell did point out that he has no daily involvement with Diebold's election-systems division, based in Texas, which is run by a registered Democrat."
ajc.com | Metro | Political Insider:
"He admits that the CEO of a company that makes voting machines maybe shouldn't talk about delivering votes. Walden O'Dell, the chief executive of
Diebold Inc., is making the mea culpa rounds. Last week, O'Dell admitted he had indeed screwed up when he became heavily involved in fund-raising
for President Bush. Diebold is the Ohio company that makes Georgia's voting machines.
The company also was trying to market the computers to Ohio -- and has since won a place on that state's vendors list. In an invitation to a Republican
fund-raiser at his suburban Columbus mansion, O'Dell said he was 'committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes for the president next year.'
The reverberations were felt nationally by Diebold, which also is under attack by some who believe its voting machines are vulnerable to manipulation.
O'Dell says he intends to lower his political profile. 'I'm a pretty experienced business leader, but a real novice on the political side of this. This blindsided me.
I don't have a political adviser or a screener or a letter reviewer or any of that stuff,' he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
O'Dell did point out that he has no daily involvement with Diebold's election-systems division, based in Texas, which is run by a registered Democrat."
I have a feeling this is going to be ulgy....
ajc.com | Metro | Church, KKK team for Commandments rally today
ajc.com | Metro | Church, KKK team for Commandments rally today
WHAT? Today's top idiot rant/rave
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition:
"Ditch the liberals"
'I would like to see The Valdosta Daily Times ditch Molly Ivins and Charley Reese and put in some more conservative columnists. This is not San Francisco, nor Massachusetts.'"
Really? Charley Reese is a liberal? I hear David Duke is looking for a column. Maybe Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reily....oh, but they can't write, just yell at folks.
So, this being Valdosta, South by-God Georgia, means everyone needs to have the same outlook on the world as this a**hole?
The Valdosta Daily Times - Internet Edition:
"Ditch the liberals"
'I would like to see The Valdosta Daily Times ditch Molly Ivins and Charley Reese and put in some more conservative columnists. This is not San Francisco, nor Massachusetts.'"
Really? Charley Reese is a liberal? I hear David Duke is looking for a column. Maybe Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reily....oh, but they can't write, just yell at folks.
So, this being Valdosta, South by-God Georgia, means everyone needs to have the same outlook on the world as this a**hole?
National Poverty Data released today
Income and Poverty
Today the census folks are releasing national data on poverty at 10am. There will be a live feed at the above link.
"At the state level, the CPS data are two-year moving averages. This year's data will be the average for 2001 and 2002; the data
will be compared with last year's data, which are an average of 2000 and 2001. Statistically significant (reliable) changes will
be marked with an asterisk. Keep in mind that state poverty rates may be higher or lower than the national rate and may be falling
even while national poverty is growing."
Income and Poverty
Today the census folks are releasing national data on poverty at 10am. There will be a live feed at the above link.
"At the state level, the CPS data are two-year moving averages. This year's data will be the average for 2001 and 2002; the data
will be compared with last year's data, which are an average of 2000 and 2001. Statistically significant (reliable) changes will
be marked with an asterisk. Keep in mind that state poverty rates may be higher or lower than the national rate and may be falling
even while national poverty is growing."
Thursday, September 25, 2003
This could have been bad
The Onion | Canada, India Sheepishly Resolve Border Dispute
Just image what could have happened..........thank goodness they resolved their differences.
The Onion | Canada, India Sheepishly Resolve Border Dispute
Just image what could have happened..........thank goodness they resolved their differences.
Tequila Wars!
ajc.com | Business | Tequila battle pits U.S. against Mexico
Can't say I blame the Mexican government for doing this. We keep screaming about illegal aliens but let the Mexican government try to create a couple of jobs in their county and we scream about that. Catch 22 or really it's " Let us control how your county trades with us- and we keep the advantage". Can you say racist?
ajc.com | Business | Tequila battle pits U.S. against Mexico
Can't say I blame the Mexican government for doing this. We keep screaming about illegal aliens but let the Mexican government try to create a couple of jobs in their county and we scream about that. Catch 22 or really it's " Let us control how your county trades with us- and we keep the advantage". Can you say racist?
And the last one for alwhile.........
Politics colored sheriff's decisions, affidavits charge
If you live in lowndes county some of this stuff is sounding familiar huh?
Politics colored sheriff's decisions, affidavits charge
If you live in lowndes county some of this stuff is sounding familiar huh?
I have been to the temple.........
ajc.com | Clayton/Henry | RIVERDALE KRISPY KREME BACK IN ACTION
The very first store and birthplace of Krispy Kreme is in Winston-Salem NC where I lived for 20 years or so and my parents still do. I always remember going there as a kid and later at 3am to eat those donuts right out of the fryer, all hot, gooey and soft. Now I am hungry.....did they say key-lime donuts?!!!
ajc.com | Clayton/Henry | RIVERDALE KRISPY KREME BACK IN ACTION
The very first store and birthplace of Krispy Kreme is in Winston-Salem NC where I lived for 20 years or so and my parents still do. I always remember going there as a kid and later at 3am to eat those donuts right out of the fryer, all hot, gooey and soft. Now I am hungry.....did they say key-lime donuts?!!!
Georgia's Most Dangerous Intersections
Georgia's most dangerous intersections
I have been through many of these.....I think a friend actually lives just down the street from one of these!
Georgia's most dangerous intersections
I have been through many of these.....I think a friend actually lives just down the street from one of these!
This gives me hope......
Sheriff Hege Under Fire - Winston-Salem Journal
I moved to Valdosta in 1998 from Greensboro NC which is just north of Davidson County. I worked with poor HIV positive folks who lived in this county and the word was out that Sheriff Hege was not someone to mess with because he got away with whatever he wanted to. For years this guy was untouchable and the newspapers, local TV and even national media loved this guy. No one would cross him and he strutted around like a cowboy, painting the jail pink, making prisoners wear bulky striped uniforms and even tried to revive the damn chain gang. Say hello to old friends when you get to prison, sure some will be looking forward to you coming.
Note to the local Sheriffs: power only last so long.
Sheriff Hege Under Fire - Winston-Salem Journal
I moved to Valdosta in 1998 from Greensboro NC which is just north of Davidson County. I worked with poor HIV positive folks who lived in this county and the word was out that Sheriff Hege was not someone to mess with because he got away with whatever he wanted to. For years this guy was untouchable and the newspapers, local TV and even national media loved this guy. No one would cross him and he strutted around like a cowboy, painting the jail pink, making prisoners wear bulky striped uniforms and even tried to revive the damn chain gang. Say hello to old friends when you get to prison, sure some will be looking forward to you coming.
Note to the local Sheriffs: power only last so long.
But preying on poor folks is part of the American Dream!
Creative Loafing Atlanta | NEWS & VIEWS | PAWNSHOPS-NOT JUST FOR THE POOR
I do not know what is more disgusting, the way these folks who own pawn shops justify their lives or the comment by the reporter:
At the East Atlanta store on Moreland Avenue, black and Hispanic customers stand in a line that often stretches to the front door, silently waiting for service. It's nearly impossible to tell who's making a purchase and who's pawning merchandise or paying interest on prior loans. That's the way customers seem to want it as they speak in hushed tones to clerks and hand over a watch or remove crumpled documents from their pockets
Creative Loafing Atlanta | NEWS & VIEWS | PAWNSHOPS-NOT JUST FOR THE POOR
I do not know what is more disgusting, the way these folks who own pawn shops justify their lives or the comment by the reporter:
At the East Atlanta store on Moreland Avenue, black and Hispanic customers stand in a line that often stretches to the front door, silently waiting for service. It's nearly impossible to tell who's making a purchase and who's pawning merchandise or paying interest on prior loans. That's the way customers seem to want it as they speak in hushed tones to clerks and hand over a watch or remove crumpled documents from their pockets
Great analysis..........go read
Creative Loafing Atlanta | NEWS & VIEWS | WHO DIDN'T 'GET' BIN LADEN?
Creative Loafing Atlanta | NEWS & VIEWS | WHO DIDN'T 'GET' BIN LADEN?
Is that the real lesson!?
AP Wire | 09/24/2003 | Church group's 'kindness' spurred bomb scare
Bulger said the event will now be used to teach her students a different lesson than she originally intended.
"We'll talk with the children about how things don't always turn out like they're planned," she said.
AP Wire | 09/24/2003 | Church group's 'kindness' spurred bomb scare
Bulger said the event will now be used to teach her students a different lesson than she originally intended.
"We'll talk with the children about how things don't always turn out like they're planned," she said.
How Rural economies support the rest of us.
Macon.com - Your Macon Everything Guide Good article, really tells how all these small industries are supporting the state economies. And we are wiping them out.
Macon.com - Your Macon Everything Guide Good article, really tells how all these small industries are supporting the state economies. And we are wiping them out.
Well, looks like the media has picked up on this
Draft Report Said to Cite No Success in Iraq Arms Hunt Well, tepid at least and the administration is still using old documents and outright lies to save itself.
Draft Report Said to Cite No Success in Iraq Arms Hunt Well, tepid at least and the administration is still using old documents and outright lies to save itself.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Letter from Mark George
A very good friend of mine wrote this as an open letter to others he knew. I hope he does not mine it showing up here
Dear Family and Friends,
My name is Mark Patrick George and I am contacting to invite you into a conversation we have been having here in Atlanta. For some time, many of us have been discussing the issue of resources, particularly money, and how it relates to our privilege as white people. Part of that conversation has involved discussing the fact that because of white privilege and how this society is set up, we must accept that much of "our money" is in fact not ours. In short, as people who say that we believe we are unfairly privileged (in a variety ways beyond mere monetary reward), we would like to suggest that as white antiracists we need to relinquish that which is not ours and direct it towards the work of racial justice.
As we have discussed this, it has also been apparent that as antiracists we are often not clear on the economic breakdown of folks in the US and where we fit into that. The breakdown of income in the US looks like the following.
If you have a total family income of $155,000 you are in the top 5% of the population
If you have a total family income of $105,000 you are in the top 10% of the population
If you have a total family income of $88,000 you are in the top 20% of the population
If you have a total family income of $60,000 you are in the top 40% of the population
Given that many of us involved in this work are college educated, it is safe to safe to say that many of us find ourselves in these top brackets.
Though we are not proposing a particular way or “formula” on how to shift resources to the work, a variety of ideas have come up in our discussions. One way would be to commit, for the duration of our lives, a substantial percentage of our annual gross income to "the work" locally and/or nationally. This might involve commitments to particular organizations doing the work or the creation of a body/organization controlled by people of color involved in the work?
An additional, less complicated way involves beginning to think about how and where we borrow, spend, and save in our day-to-day lives. For instance, many of us are moving our checking and savings to banks that are owned and operated by people of color. Many of us are also beginning to find out how we can deliberately buy what we need from businesses/corporations owned by people of color. A simple example of that here in Atlanta has involved some of us buying everyday household items from the local representatives of the MATAH network (www.matah.com). This small act effectively shifts money that would be spent at the corporately owned grocery store to local entrepreneurs of color. Again, please know we don’t have an elaborate plan and don’t think that we should try to figure this out without the guidance of people of color. Prior to having that conversation though, we do feel that it is important to ask you all to beginning thinking about this proposal.
Knowing that the topic of money among white folks is often a difficult one, we also want you to know that this letter is not about guilting or manipulating anyone. Instead, it is our hope that this conversation will be a seed for a broader movement among white allies, one that might not only further the cause of racial justice, but also further our own spiritual growth. Instead, it is simply about putting resources that we feel we have because we are white where our mouths are. So if you or your group already does what we are proposing, as some people do, please share any ideas, thoughts, and struggles you may have had with us. Also know that we enter into this conversation knowing that the reallocation of resources doesn’t get us out of the antiracist work we need to do in our daily lives. We also don’t believe that this move is charity or some form of penitence. Instead, we believe it is simply a way we can more fully live the values we say we believe.
With that said, as extended family members we would like to make a couple of requests of you. First, we ask that you and your local antiracist family to begin thinking and discussing this topic. Secondly, we would like to ask you to circulate this letter to those outside your immediate circle of allies. Lastly, we have set up a listserve to further this conversation and to address any concerns or questions. To become a part of that listserve just send an email to givingitback-subscribe@topica.com. Once you have subscribed simply send future messages to givingitback@topica.com.
In closing, we would like to say that we feel that this conversation is especially timely given recent reductions in funds available to the non-profit and social changes groups. Many of us realize that a variety of organizations doing the work repeatedly find their hands tied by philanthropic money, funds that inevitably has many strings tied to them, funds that are also generally short term. With that reality in mind, wouldn’t be incredible if organizations lead by people of color, doing antiracist work were freed of this responsibility and burden?
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and joining the conversation. We are excited about the possibilities and the wisdom you will bring to the conversation.
Mark Patrick George
A very good friend of mine wrote this as an open letter to others he knew. I hope he does not mine it showing up here
Dear Family and Friends,
My name is Mark Patrick George and I am contacting to invite you into a conversation we have been having here in Atlanta. For some time, many of us have been discussing the issue of resources, particularly money, and how it relates to our privilege as white people. Part of that conversation has involved discussing the fact that because of white privilege and how this society is set up, we must accept that much of "our money" is in fact not ours. In short, as people who say that we believe we are unfairly privileged (in a variety ways beyond mere monetary reward), we would like to suggest that as white antiracists we need to relinquish that which is not ours and direct it towards the work of racial justice.
As we have discussed this, it has also been apparent that as antiracists we are often not clear on the economic breakdown of folks in the US and where we fit into that. The breakdown of income in the US looks like the following.
If you have a total family income of $155,000 you are in the top 5% of the population
If you have a total family income of $105,000 you are in the top 10% of the population
If you have a total family income of $88,000 you are in the top 20% of the population
If you have a total family income of $60,000 you are in the top 40% of the population
Given that many of us involved in this work are college educated, it is safe to safe to say that many of us find ourselves in these top brackets.
Though we are not proposing a particular way or “formula” on how to shift resources to the work, a variety of ideas have come up in our discussions. One way would be to commit, for the duration of our lives, a substantial percentage of our annual gross income to "the work" locally and/or nationally. This might involve commitments to particular organizations doing the work or the creation of a body/organization controlled by people of color involved in the work?
An additional, less complicated way involves beginning to think about how and where we borrow, spend, and save in our day-to-day lives. For instance, many of us are moving our checking and savings to banks that are owned and operated by people of color. Many of us are also beginning to find out how we can deliberately buy what we need from businesses/corporations owned by people of color. A simple example of that here in Atlanta has involved some of us buying everyday household items from the local representatives of the MATAH network (www.matah.com). This small act effectively shifts money that would be spent at the corporately owned grocery store to local entrepreneurs of color. Again, please know we don’t have an elaborate plan and don’t think that we should try to figure this out without the guidance of people of color. Prior to having that conversation though, we do feel that it is important to ask you all to beginning thinking about this proposal.
Knowing that the topic of money among white folks is often a difficult one, we also want you to know that this letter is not about guilting or manipulating anyone. Instead, it is our hope that this conversation will be a seed for a broader movement among white allies, one that might not only further the cause of racial justice, but also further our own spiritual growth. Instead, it is simply about putting resources that we feel we have because we are white where our mouths are. So if you or your group already does what we are proposing, as some people do, please share any ideas, thoughts, and struggles you may have had with us. Also know that we enter into this conversation knowing that the reallocation of resources doesn’t get us out of the antiracist work we need to do in our daily lives. We also don’t believe that this move is charity or some form of penitence. Instead, we believe it is simply a way we can more fully live the values we say we believe.
With that said, as extended family members we would like to make a couple of requests of you. First, we ask that you and your local antiracist family to begin thinking and discussing this topic. Secondly, we would like to ask you to circulate this letter to those outside your immediate circle of allies. Lastly, we have set up a listserve to further this conversation and to address any concerns or questions. To become a part of that listserve just send an email to givingitback-subscribe@topica.com. Once you have subscribed simply send future messages to givingitback@topica.com.
In closing, we would like to say that we feel that this conversation is especially timely given recent reductions in funds available to the non-profit and social changes groups. Many of us realize that a variety of organizations doing the work repeatedly find their hands tied by philanthropic money, funds that inevitably has many strings tied to them, funds that are also generally short term. With that reality in mind, wouldn’t be incredible if organizations lead by people of color, doing antiracist work were freed of this responsibility and burden?
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and joining the conversation. We are excited about the possibilities and the wisdom you will bring to the conversation.
Mark Patrick George
North Carolina Teacher Fired for Antiwar Remarks
Kinda Long.........
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - September 12 - Carolina teacher Elizabeth Ito has appealed her firing from Forsyth Technical Community College, which came after she made remarks critical of the conduct of the war in
Iraq. Herfiring, which has been widely criticized by local anti-war activists and free speech advocates, is seen as part of a larger crack-down on dissent and academic freedom. "It is clear that Elizabeth didn't lose her job because she expressed a personal opinion in the classroom," said Liz Seymour, a member of the Ito Defense Coalition. "She lost her job because of the opinion she expressed."
On Friday, March 28, 2003 Elizabeth, a first-year English teacher at Forsyth Tech, spent ten minutes at the beginning of her business writing class voicing her concerns about the war in Iraq. During this
time the US military was encountering much unanticipated resistance in its push toward Baghdad and the previous night's news had reported that 30,000 more troops were being called up, a figure that by the next morning had risen to120,000. Elizabeth wrote these numbers on the board and asked the students what they would do if the government had to start drafting. After class had ended two students complained to Elizabeth's supervisor Susie Keener, Chair of the Department of Humanities/Communication, that Elizabeth had criticized the war in class.
The following Monday morning Susie Keener and John Slade, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, met with Elizabeth for over two hours to
discuss the incident. At the end of the meeting Dean Slade asked Elizabeth to promise not to raise the topic of the war again in class. Elizabeth said that she had no intention of revisiting the subject but that she
was unwilling to bind herself to a promise. Later that week Dean Slade presented Elizabeth with a disciplinary letter that concluded with the statement "thismatter is resolved."
Elizabeth, who had been commended for her teaching in a series of official reviews throughout the year did not, in fact, discuss the war again in class. Nonetheless, on May 15 she received a certified letter
at her home informing her that Forsyth Tech no longer needed her services. In the weeks following her dismissal Elizabeth's students spoke out on her behalf-even one of the students who originally complained to the Forsyth Tech administration told Michelle Johnson a reporter for the Winston-Salem Journal, that he did not think Elizabeth should have been fired for herremarks.
Ito's firing has received widespread press attention in North Carolina including articles in the Winston-Salem Journa, the DurhamHerald-Sun. theGreensboro News & Record, and the Carolina Peacemaker. A story was also broadcast on the local NPR affiliate. "This is not just about me or about myjob," said Ito. "It's about something very disturbing that is happening all over the country. I want people to understand that if it could happen here it could happen anywhere."
Kinda Long.........
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - September 12 - Carolina teacher Elizabeth Ito has appealed her firing from Forsyth Technical Community College, which came after she made remarks critical of the conduct of the war in
Iraq. Herfiring, which has been widely criticized by local anti-war activists and free speech advocates, is seen as part of a larger crack-down on dissent and academic freedom. "It is clear that Elizabeth didn't lose her job because she expressed a personal opinion in the classroom," said Liz Seymour, a member of the Ito Defense Coalition. "She lost her job because of the opinion she expressed."
On Friday, March 28, 2003 Elizabeth, a first-year English teacher at Forsyth Tech, spent ten minutes at the beginning of her business writing class voicing her concerns about the war in Iraq. During this
time the US military was encountering much unanticipated resistance in its push toward Baghdad and the previous night's news had reported that 30,000 more troops were being called up, a figure that by the next morning had risen to120,000. Elizabeth wrote these numbers on the board and asked the students what they would do if the government had to start drafting. After class had ended two students complained to Elizabeth's supervisor Susie Keener, Chair of the Department of Humanities/Communication, that Elizabeth had criticized the war in class.
The following Monday morning Susie Keener and John Slade, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, met with Elizabeth for over two hours to
discuss the incident. At the end of the meeting Dean Slade asked Elizabeth to promise not to raise the topic of the war again in class. Elizabeth said that she had no intention of revisiting the subject but that she
was unwilling to bind herself to a promise. Later that week Dean Slade presented Elizabeth with a disciplinary letter that concluded with the statement "thismatter is resolved."
Elizabeth, who had been commended for her teaching in a series of official reviews throughout the year did not, in fact, discuss the war again in class. Nonetheless, on May 15 she received a certified letter
at her home informing her that Forsyth Tech no longer needed her services. In the weeks following her dismissal Elizabeth's students spoke out on her behalf-even one of the students who originally complained to the Forsyth Tech administration told Michelle Johnson a reporter for the Winston-Salem Journal, that he did not think Elizabeth should have been fired for herremarks.
Ito's firing has received widespread press attention in North Carolina including articles in the Winston-Salem Journa, the DurhamHerald-Sun. theGreensboro News & Record, and the Carolina Peacemaker. A story was also broadcast on the local NPR affiliate. "This is not just about me or about myjob," said Ito. "It's about something very disturbing that is happening all over the country. I want people to understand that if it could happen here it could happen anywhere."
Do I ask myself questions and give the answers I want?
Again and again folks keep letting Rummy ask himself a question and answer what he wants. He needs to get over it and just start referring to himself in the 3rd person. Then he can copy Yoda "Does Rummy think Sad-damn is evil? Of course Rummy thinks so!"
He is a one person news conference.
Again and again folks keep letting Rummy ask himself a question and answer what he wants. He needs to get over it and just start referring to himself in the 3rd person. Then he can copy Yoda "Does Rummy think Sad-damn is evil? Of course Rummy thinks so!"
He is a one person news conference.
Kiss our butts and give us money!
Bush to World: Drop Dead! - The president lays an egg at the U.N. By Fred�Kaplan
Good read of how far the administration head is up it's butt. Check it out.
Bush to World: Drop Dead! - The president lays an egg at the U.N. By Fred�Kaplan
Good read of how far the administration head is up it's butt. Check it out.
I run into this all the time.
ajc.com | Atlanta/South Metro | Probation fees unfairly punish poor, critics say
When are we going to stop trying to make money off poor people. WWJD - he would would be in jail.
ajc.com | Atlanta/South Metro | Probation fees unfairly punish poor, critics say
When are we going to stop trying to make money off poor people. WWJD - he would would be in jail.
Not much to say about this. Just tragic.
ajc.com | Metro | Small town tries to come to terms with 5 kids' deaths
ajc.com | Metro | Small town tries to come to terms with 5 kids' deaths
This is must reading for all those of us who are white.
The Village Voice: Features: Three Days in NYC Jails by Bryonn Bain
The Village Voice: Features: Three Days in NYC Jails by Bryonn Bain
Surprise - Surprise !! Who would have known. George, Donald, Rove, and Cheney to count a few. See how much play this gets in the US media.
BBC NEWS | UK | Politics | No WMD in Iraq, source claims
BBC NEWS | UK | Politics | No WMD in Iraq, source claims
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
