Tuesday, September 21, 2010
There is a joke here. I'm just undecided as to what it is, exactly.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced a new program to introduce cleaner cook stoves around the world.
2 percent of Miss. teacher contracts not renewed
The state Department of Education says Mississippi schools cut about 2 percent of the jobs for certified teachers this academic year because of tight budgets.
That's a loss of about 705 jobs among the roughly 33,000 teaching positions.
State Board of Education member Claude Hartley told legislative budget writers Tuesday that losing teachers can mean larger class sizes, which can affect the quality of education.
The 705 job losses are for teachers whose contracts were not renewed.
The numbers don't include teaching jobs that are open because someone retired and a position wasn't filled.
The state Department of Education says 150 of the 152 school districts responded to its survey about employment levels. Agricultural high schools in Hinds and Coahoma counties did not respond.
SH
AP: Tea party group announces $1 million donation
The nonprofit Tea Party Patriots said it had received the donation from a single contributor who wants it divided up and given to local coordinators by Oct. 4. The group's spokesman told reporters that recipients of the money must spend it by Nov. 2, but they are barred from using it for ads or fliers that mention a specific candidate.
Organizers said the donor wished to remain anonymous.
The Tea Party Patriots is one of several groups that have capitalized on a wave of voter anger and their message of fiscal prudence and smaller government. Candidates backed by tea party groups defeated Republican Party backed candidates in a number of Senate primary races.
Read the entire article: AP
Miss. jobless rate falls to 10 percent in August
Mississippi's unemployment rate dipped to 10 percent in August from 10.8 percent in July.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Mississippi was one of 13 states that recorded a decrease last month, on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The agency says there were 11,100 fewer people listed as unemployed last month in the state, while the civilian labor force dropped by 3,000. There were 800 more workers on non-farm payrolls, compared with July.
Mississippi's unemployment rate in August 2009 was 9.8 percent.
The national unemployment rate for August was unchanged from July at 9.6 percent. That rate was 9.7 percent in August 2009.
SH
Suspect convicted on bribery charge
A suspect on a drug charge in Madison County was convicted of trying to bribe a Madison County sheriff's deputy.
Dennis Jerome Beal was arrested on the bribery charge Feb. 5 after he delivered $4,000 to a deputy, expecting to have the drug charges pending against him dismissed, a sheriff's statement said.
Beal was given the maximum sentence of 10 years as a habitual offender, and the eight years of probation he was serving for a previous conviction was revoked.
He is facing trial on a sale of cocaine charge. If convicted, he will face a potential 120 additional years.
CL
Dennis Jerome Beal was arrested on the bribery charge Feb. 5 after he delivered $4,000 to a deputy, expecting to have the drug charges pending against him dismissed, a sheriff's statement said.
Beal was given the maximum sentence of 10 years as a habitual offender, and the eight years of probation he was serving for a previous conviction was revoked.
He is facing trial on a sale of cocaine charge. If convicted, he will face a potential 120 additional years.
CL
Biting the hand the quenches? West Madison Utilities' Morris blames Kearney Park water problems on Town of Flora
As the Town of Flora officials and residents pitch in yet again to help out the people in Kearney Park with their water woes, Lawrence Morris with West Madison Utilities decided to blame Flora and the "paperwork" for the decades old problem. Morris told WAPT that it's taken so long because of the paperwork between West Madison Utilities and the Town of Flora.
This statement comes despite the fact that Flora officials continue to work diligently to help West Madison Utilities connect the pipes that will run for more than a mile and tie into the main water line in Kearney Park. Flora Mayor Leslie Childress is working with the West Madison Utility District to hook up an emergency water line to the town's well.
There's also this: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
West Madison Utilities still has no backup water system as required by health department regulation. But, that one is easily blamed on someone else, too.
It would seem that many of the people of Kearney Park are having a hard time seeing they are being used by their "leaders" who don't care about doing anything but applying a bandaid to the problem. Maybe this time they will awaken to the reality of the situation.
Related Post: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Related Post: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
Related Post: Madison Co. residents without water get relief
Urtak 3355
"We finally got it together. You know, the paperwork can sometimes burn you out and delay some things," Morris said.
This statement comes despite the fact that Flora officials continue to work diligently to help West Madison Utilities connect the pipes that will run for more than a mile and tie into the main water line in Kearney Park. Flora Mayor Leslie Childress is working with the West Madison Utility District to hook up an emergency water line to the town's well.
There's also this: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
West Madison Utilities still has no backup water system as required by health department regulation. But, that one is easily blamed on someone else, too.
County leaders said the community has been denied grants in the past to update the water system because of a failure by residents to fill out the required surveys. Officials said they are hoping residents will now be more motivated to get a new water system flowing.There's more on the "survey" and grant denials HERE.
It would seem that many of the people of Kearney Park are having a hard time seeing they are being used by their "leaders" who don't care about doing anything but applying a bandaid to the problem. Maybe this time they will awaken to the reality of the situation.
Related Post: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Related Post: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
Related Post: Madison Co. residents without water get relief
Urtak 3355
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Sad Ending To The Story
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| Ethel Simpson |
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin was tight-lipped today on details of the investigation into the killing of a woman believed to be 81-year-old Ethel Winstead Simpson of Clinton.
“I’m not going to comment on any aspects of the investigation,” he said, citing concerns that what he might say would adversely influence a future grand jury or trial jury considering charges against 39-year-old James Cobb Hutto of Jasper, Ala.
Law officers believe Hutto killed Simpson late Sept. 13 or early Sept. 14. Simpson was last seen the night Sept. 13 at Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg wearing a red shirt and khaki pants. She was with Hutto, a convicted sex offender and kidnapper.
An examination of dental records today will provide information needed to positively identify the body.
Read the entire article at the Clarion Ledger Online
Related Posts: Clinton PD asks for help finding missing Clinton woman last seen with sex offender
Madison Co. residents without water get relief
One week without water. That's what nearly 500 households and businesses in west Madison County are dealing with.
Four hundred eighty-four West Madison Utility District customers have had little to no water pressure since last Sunday. They are all located in the Kearney Park area just north of Flora.
Utility Commissioner Nathaniel Johnson tells WLBT an old well collapsed and was shut down.
Sunday night a resident living near the area has running water and decided to share it.
"Friends of mine came by and said Erik we don't have any water to even flush out toilets. The little water that we have we have to wait until tomorrow to flush our toilets so I said no. It's time for me to do something so I went out, got a couple guys and girls together and we decided to do this and we decided we was not going to stop until we get the job completed," Erik Battle said.
Battle went door to door, helping his neighbors. The county is supplying bottled water to drink and residents have been instructed to boil any water available from the tap.
Flora Mayor Leslie Childress is working with the West Madison Utility District to hook up an emergency water line to the town's well.
No word on when water will begin flowing normally.
WLBT
Related Post: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Related Post: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
Four hundred eighty-four West Madison Utility District customers have had little to no water pressure since last Sunday. They are all located in the Kearney Park area just north of Flora.
Utility Commissioner Nathaniel Johnson tells WLBT an old well collapsed and was shut down.
Sunday night a resident living near the area has running water and decided to share it.
"Friends of mine came by and said Erik we don't have any water to even flush out toilets. The little water that we have we have to wait until tomorrow to flush our toilets so I said no. It's time for me to do something so I went out, got a couple guys and girls together and we decided to do this and we decided we was not going to stop until we get the job completed," Erik Battle said.
Battle went door to door, helping his neighbors. The county is supplying bottled water to drink and residents have been instructed to boil any water available from the tap.
Flora Mayor Leslie Childress is working with the West Madison Utility District to hook up an emergency water line to the town's well.
No word on when water will begin flowing normally.
WLBT
Related Post: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Related Post: Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
UK Proposes All Paychecks Go to the State First
The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.
The proposal by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) stresses the need for employers to provide real-time information to the government so that it can monitor all payments and make a better assessment of whether the correct tax is being paid.
Currently employers withhold tax and pay the government, providing information at the end of the year, a system know as Pay as You Earn (PAYE). There is no option for those employees to refuse withholding and individually file a tax return at the end of the year.
If the real-time information plan works, it further proposes that employers hand over employee salaries to the government first.
"The next step could be to use (real-time) information as the basis for centralizing the calculation and deduction of tax," HMRC said in a July discussion paper.
HMRC described the plan as "radical" as it would be a huge change from the current system that has been largely unchanged for 66 years.
Even though the centralized deductions proposal would provide much-needed oversight, there are some major concerns, George Bull, head of Tax at Baker Tilly, told CNBC.com.
"If HMRC has direct access to employees' bank accounts and makes a mistake, people are going to feel very exposed and vulnerable," Bull said.
And the chance of widespread mistakes could be high, according to Bull. HMRC does not have a good track record of handling large computer systems and has suffered high-profile errors with data, he said.
The system would be massive in terms of data management, larger than a recent attempt to centralize the National Health Service's data, which was later scrapped, Bull said.
If there's a mistake and the HMRC collects too much money, the difficulty of getting it back could be high with repayments of tax taking weeks or months, he said.
"There has to be some very clear understanding of how quickly repayments were made if there was a mistake," Bull said.
HMRC estimated the potential savings to employers from the introduction of the concept would be about £500 million ($780 million).
But the cost of implementing the new system would be "phenomenal," Bull pointed out.
"It's very clear that the system does need to be modernized… It's outdated, it's outmoded," Emma Boon, campaigner manager at the Tax Payers' Alliance, told CNBC.com.
Boon said that the Tax Payers' Alliance was in favor of simplifying tax collection, but stressed that a new complex computer system would add infrastructure and administration costs at a time when the government is trying to reduce spending.
There is a further concern, according to Bull. The centralized storage of so much data poises a security risk as the system may be open to cyber crime.
As well as security issues, there's a huge issue of transparency, according to Boon.
Boon also questioned HMCR's ability to handle to the role effectively.
The Institute of Directors (IoD), a UK organization created to promote the business agenda of directors and entreprenuers, said in a press release it had major concerns about the proposal to allow employees' pay to be paid directly to HMRC.
CNBC
The proposal by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) stresses the need for employers to provide real-time information to the government so that it can monitor all payments and make a better assessment of whether the correct tax is being paid.
Currently employers withhold tax and pay the government, providing information at the end of the year, a system know as Pay as You Earn (PAYE). There is no option for those employees to refuse withholding and individually file a tax return at the end of the year.
If the real-time information plan works, it further proposes that employers hand over employee salaries to the government first.
"The next step could be to use (real-time) information as the basis for centralizing the calculation and deduction of tax," HMRC said in a July discussion paper.
HMRC described the plan as "radical" as it would be a huge change from the current system that has been largely unchanged for 66 years.
Even though the centralized deductions proposal would provide much-needed oversight, there are some major concerns, George Bull, head of Tax at Baker Tilly, told CNBC.com.
"If HMRC has direct access to employees' bank accounts and makes a mistake, people are going to feel very exposed and vulnerable," Bull said.
And the chance of widespread mistakes could be high, according to Bull. HMRC does not have a good track record of handling large computer systems and has suffered high-profile errors with data, he said.
The system would be massive in terms of data management, larger than a recent attempt to centralize the National Health Service's data, which was later scrapped, Bull said.
If there's a mistake and the HMRC collects too much money, the difficulty of getting it back could be high with repayments of tax taking weeks or months, he said.
"There has to be some very clear understanding of how quickly repayments were made if there was a mistake," Bull said.
HMRC estimated the potential savings to employers from the introduction of the concept would be about £500 million ($780 million).
But the cost of implementing the new system would be "phenomenal," Bull pointed out.
"It's very clear that the system does need to be modernized… It's outdated, it's outmoded," Emma Boon, campaigner manager at the Tax Payers' Alliance, told CNBC.com.
Boon said that the Tax Payers' Alliance was in favor of simplifying tax collection, but stressed that a new complex computer system would add infrastructure and administration costs at a time when the government is trying to reduce spending.
There is a further concern, according to Bull. The centralized storage of so much data poises a security risk as the system may be open to cyber crime.
As well as security issues, there's a huge issue of transparency, according to Boon.
Boon also questioned HMCR's ability to handle to the role effectively.
The Institute of Directors (IoD), a UK organization created to promote the business agenda of directors and entreprenuers, said in a press release it had major concerns about the proposal to allow employees' pay to be paid directly to HMRC.
CNBC
Friday, September 17, 2010
Candidate, Election Workers Kidnapped on Eve of Afghan Poll
Afghan officials say the Taliban has kidnapped 19 people, including a candidate and several campaign workers, on Frifay, the eve of nationwide parliamentary elections.
An Independent Election Commission spokesman confirmed Friday that a candidate had been kidnapped in eastern Laghman province. Eight election officials and 10 campaign workers were also reported kidnapped in northwestern Badghis province
Taliban militants have already killed at least three candidates and several campaign workers in the run-up to Saturday's vote. The group is threatening to stage countrywide attacks, as it did during last year's presidential elections in an effort to intimidate voters.
Read more at VOA
An Independent Election Commission spokesman confirmed Friday that a candidate had been kidnapped in eastern Laghman province. Eight election officials and 10 campaign workers were also reported kidnapped in northwestern Badghis province
Taliban militants have already killed at least three candidates and several campaign workers in the run-up to Saturday's vote. The group is threatening to stage countrywide attacks, as it did during last year's presidential elections in an effort to intimidate voters.
Read more at VOA
Clinton PD asks for help finding missing Clinton woman last seen with sex offender
 |
| Ethel Simpson |
Ethel Simpson visits the Baptist Healthplex Center on the Mississippi College campus every day. Monday she had a fender bender in the parking lot. She went back inside and was approached by a stranger who had signed in using a guest pass. 39 year old James Cobb Hutto.
WLBT obtained pictures of the wanted man. He is wearing a black T-shirt and signing in for a guest pass. We ask if she was targeted? "It's difficult to say but a good strong possibility," replied Chief Don Byington during a Thursday morning news conference.
Police say Hutto befriended the woman. He and Mrs. Simpson are seen leaving the healthplex together, with Hutto behind the wheel of her Mercedes. That sent up a red flag. An employee was on the last people to talk to her around 4:30 Monday afternoon. "She said she felt sorry for him. She said I really think he's on the up and up," according to Jan Cossitt.
 |
| James Hutto |
Despite warnings, the elderly woman winds up with Hutto at a Vicksburg casino Monday night. They were last seen leaving the casino together around 11;40 p.m. What she didn't know was, this man has a violent criminal history.
"At present he is wanted for not registering as a sex offender." The Alabama man's rap sheet reveals a troubling history. Criminal trespassing, domestic violence, 1st degree kidnapping and felony sexual abuse. According to Jan Cossitt, "He just prayed on a big hearted elderly lady, he is an excellent con man apparently."
The last known sighting was at 3:00 in the morning. The Mercedes was seen traveling east on I-20. No one knows if Ethel Simpson was in the car.
Simpson's Mercedes is a silver C 240 4-door model, with a broken rear tail light on the driver's side. The tag number is HXH 426.
Anyone with information about Ethel Simpson or James Cobb Hutto's whereabouts should contact the Clinton Police Department 601-924-5252.
UPDATE: James Cobb Hutto, the man sought in connection with the disappearance of an elderly Clinton woman, has been arrested in Alabama. There is still no sign of the missing woman, Ethel Simpson. Hutto was driving her car when he was found.
WLBT
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Have Democrats become this blatant because they have no fear of prosecution, or is it just ignorance?
 |
| Eleanor Holmes Norton |
The title of the post on Big Government says Shock Audio. I know when your given the word "Shock" these days its usually just to get your attention and very seldom is it truly shocking. This, however, truly is shocking.
I kept listening for the end when some voiceover would say, "GOTCHA!" But, it didn't happen. Go to the link below and scroll down and listen to House Member Eleanor Holmes Norton make a fundraising call to a lobbyist. What's worse than the call is the fact that she was ignorant enough to leave such a detailed and incriminating voicemail.
Shock Audio: Facing ‘Obligations’ From Leadership, Democrat Congresswoman Leaves Voicemail for Lobbyist Cash
MCJ: Supervisor wants more time to look at budget
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| Supervisor D.I. Smith |
Overall, the budget is up slightly over last year, but $20 million in one-time bond monies helped inflate the 2009-2010 numbers and forced some department heads to make cuts this year.
District 2 Supervisor Tim Johnson touted the budget, thanking Comptroller Quandice Green and others for their had work balancing the budget and avoiding a tax increase in a hard economic year.
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| Supervisor Tim Johnson |
The board voted 3-2 to approve the proposed budget with District 1's John Bell Crosby and District 3's D.I. Smith voting against.
Smith said that he was disappointed that he didn't get a copy of the budget until last week and felt the public had no information ahead of time.
"To me it's unconscionable to hold a public hearing when the public hasn't even been given anything to look at," Smith said. "We should be giving an overview of what we're getting in this budget and what we're losing."
Read the entire article at The Madison County Journal
Madison Co. Routes Water From Flora To Help Cover Outage
Water Brought In For Residents
Madison County has restored water to about 250 residents, but another 250 are still without, officials said.
On Tuesday, officials with the Madison County Utilities Board attributed the outage to a pump that stopped in the Kearney Park community. Residents there have been without water for about three days.
The county has also brought in a 6,000 gallon tanker to provide water to residents to use for household purposes. Bottled drinking water has also been distributed to residents, county officials said.
County officials said the faulty pump should be fixed by the end of the week.
WAPT
Related Posts: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Madison County has restored water to about 250 residents, but another 250 are still without, officials said.
On Tuesday, officials with the Madison County Utilities Board attributed the outage to a pump that stopped in the Kearney Park community. Residents there have been without water for about three days.
The county has also brought in a 6,000 gallon tanker to provide water to residents to use for household purposes. Bottled drinking water has also been distributed to residents, county officials said.
County officials said the faulty pump should be fixed by the end of the week.
WAPT
Related Posts: Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Does it really matter that they were stupid?
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| Jamie and Gladys Scott |
 |
| Chokwe Lumumba |
Hundreds Rally For Release of Miss. Women,
Nearly 200 protesters marched to the governor's mansion and the Mississippi Capitol to call for the release of two sisters who are serving life sentences for a robbery that netted $11.
Representatives of the Mississippi ACLU and several other groups joined civil rights veterans in the effort to get a pardon for Jamie and Gladys Scott, who have served nearly 16 years in prison for the 1993 crime in Scott County.
The sisters' attorney Chokwe Lumumba met Wednesday with one of Gov. Haley Barbour's staff attorneys about their petition for a pardon or a reduced sentence. Barbour's office has said the governor is waiting to receive a recommendation from the state Parole Board.
WJTV
Opinion: Evil Islam Cannot Be Tolerated
BY: Steve Casey
On 9/11, this year, I received two email videos that reveal the reality of the depth of the propaganda and lies we are hearing about the "peaceful religion" of which we should "be more tolerant."
The first video was of Muslims burning Christians – not books – they were burning people alive. They threw them into a shallow ditch and set leafy branches on fire on and around them. If they tried to escape they were beaten and pushed or dragged back into the fire. An old lady trying to escape was brutally knocked down and pushed back in the fire. All while others stood around and watched. How evil can humans get?!
The second video was of a young Muslim woman being beaten and kicked as punishment for her crime. What crime? Refusing to marry the old man that had been picked to be her husband/master. The judge ordered that she be killed. She was dragged into the street and executed by a mob of men and boys in compliance with Islamic Sharia Law. Her life ended as a man took a cinder block and mashed her head twice. The video was filmed on a cell phone as young boys took pictures with their cell phones.
This is the Islamic Sharia Law of which we are being asked to be more compliant and honor within our courts.
Evil of this nature cannot be tolerated by a civilized people. Sure there are peaceful Muslims around, but we don’t hear any outcry from them against this evil brutality. These radicals rule Muslim countries and they will not be content until they rule everyone.
We need to face the truth about these radicals we are dealing with. The truth may not be politically correct. But then the politically correct is seldom true.
The first video was of Muslims burning Christians – not books – they were burning people alive. They threw them into a shallow ditch and set leafy branches on fire on and around them. If they tried to escape they were beaten and pushed or dragged back into the fire. An old lady trying to escape was brutally knocked down and pushed back in the fire. All while others stood around and watched. How evil can humans get?!
The second video was of a young Muslim woman being beaten and kicked as punishment for her crime. What crime? Refusing to marry the old man that had been picked to be her husband/master. The judge ordered that she be killed. She was dragged into the street and executed by a mob of men and boys in compliance with Islamic Sharia Law. Her life ended as a man took a cinder block and mashed her head twice. The video was filmed on a cell phone as young boys took pictures with their cell phones.
This is the Islamic Sharia Law of which we are being asked to be more compliant and honor within our courts.
Evil of this nature cannot be tolerated by a civilized people. Sure there are peaceful Muslims around, but we don’t hear any outcry from them against this evil brutality. These radicals rule Muslim countries and they will not be content until they rule everyone.
We need to face the truth about these radicals we are dealing with. The truth may not be politically correct. But then the politically correct is seldom true.
Memorial Fund set up for Blake Walley
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| Daniel Blake Walley |
Troopers say the 26-year-old Walley of Flora was eastbound on Interstate 12 Sunday when he ran off the road and hit a tree. A medic from the U.S. Navy travelling with his wife witnessed the wreck, and pulled over to help until emergency officials could make it to the scene. Walley was taken to the Ochsner Medical Center in Slidell where he was later pronounced dead.
Checks should be made payable and mailed to:
Blake Walley Memorial Fund
Bank of Yazoo
P.O. Box 360
Flora, MS 39071
Or call the Flora Branch of the Bank of Yazoo at 601.879.0060
Obituary
Funeral services are scheduled for today at 6 PM at First Baptist Church of Flora. Visitation will begin at 3 PM also at the church. Interment will follow in the Flora Cemetery.
Walley as he was known to his friends, which was everyone because he never met a stranger, was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on June 30th 1984. Walley was a Cowboy's Cowboy, that was actually born a 100 years after his time, loved horses, cattle and the wide open range.
Walley would have given John Wayne a run for his money. He loved his friends and family. Walley would jump from the cowboy range to the sands of a beach sipping a cool drink and listening to Jimmy Buffet wide open before you could say "Hey Walley want to go to the beach?"
Blake would help anyone from an elderly woman on the side of the road with a flat tire to perfectly healthy grown man. "No" was a word that didn't exist in Walley's heart or mind, he was a joy, a bright light that shone on everyone he was near. Kind words, funny words, always full of words that kept you on your toes and in stitches.
"Wallyisms" are what his best friends called them, the beautiful, witty words of wisdom that always flowed from his sweet mind and lips. I am sure we can all recall many "Wallyisms". He was our McClintock, our comedian, our star of stage and screen, he was our Star.
Julia and I thank God for the gift of Blake and the 26 wonderful years we were given. We know you all loved him dearly and we wish for you the same joy he had, as Blake would say "Everyday is a Holiday".
He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Lt. Col. D.R. Walley, Sr.
He is survived by his parents, Dan Walley and Julia Childress Walley; his maternal grandparents, William Lee and Mary Nell Childress; and his paternal grandmother, Jo Nell Walley.
Related Posts: Flora Man Dies After Vehicle Hits Tree
Here we go again! Decades old problems with West Madison Water District again rears it's ugly head.
The issue of bad pipes, pumps, and a poorly managed Water District in Kearney Park and Magnolia Heights is decades old. For years Supervisor Karl Banks has used West Madison Water District to his benefit to keep poor and underpriviledged people in his pocket when he needed their votes. Banks has promised grant money and improvements so many times over the past 25 years that most of the residents have lost count. Yet somehow he has a new solution just in time for his reelection every 4 years. If only those voters put him back into office, he'll get it done for them. When he needs a scapegoat, he blames the whole problem on residents that refuse to sign a survey for the grant.
Watch the Water Board Commissioner at 1:01 of THIS VIDEO FROM WAPT trumpet yet another call for the illusory grant that never materializes. They have been in the "process" of getting this grant for years. Also, watch around 1:33 when the report quotes Banks using the survey excuse. Also, note that Mr. Banks doens't bother to provide a statement on camera.
During the last election cycle, I and the now Flora Mayor Leslie Childress were walking the streets of Magnolia Heights talking to folks. Childress was challenging Banks for Supervisor, and I was writing an article on the water problems in Kearney Park and how residents have had to deal with it for decades. One of my interviews was with Evelyn Brown, seen in the video above. She's been fighting this fight a long time. At the time of our visit, the residents were going through yet another water problem, with pipes busting and water heaters exploding in homes. Within 45 minutes of our first visits with residents, a car drove up full of Banks supporters to argue with us in the street about what a good job Mr. Banks was doing, and how a grant was available if he was re-elected. It became obvious that residents are being watched to ensure their compliance in the ongoing charade.
Same Old Story.
It's right out of the Bennie Thompson playbook. Keeping his district poor and black means Ole Karl stays in power. Too much infrastructure improvement might lead to investment from people with money and resources; people who wouldn't put up with this crap. Of course, in his bid to remain in power, ethics or the appearance of impropriety have never really concerned the longest seated Supervisor in Madison County.
Concerned citizens have tried to attend board meetings to see how they could help, and local contractors have offered assistance. But the West Madison Water District Board wouldn't know an Open Meetings Law if someone hit them in the head with it. When confronted with the fact that they haven't been doing their job, they simply go into executive session, and have even called the cops on residents who refused to leave the meeting.
Report from WJTV:
And from the CL
This problem won't be fixed until people in Kearney Park come together and decide that Mr. Banks politics is not worth the price they are paying.
Watch the Water Board Commissioner at 1:01 of THIS VIDEO FROM WAPT trumpet yet another call for the illusory grant that never materializes. They have been in the "process" of getting this grant for years. Also, watch around 1:33 when the report quotes Banks using the survey excuse. Also, note that Mr. Banks doens't bother to provide a statement on camera.
During the last election cycle, I and the now Flora Mayor Leslie Childress were walking the streets of Magnolia Heights talking to folks. Childress was challenging Banks for Supervisor, and I was writing an article on the water problems in Kearney Park and how residents have had to deal with it for decades. One of my interviews was with Evelyn Brown, seen in the video above. She's been fighting this fight a long time. At the time of our visit, the residents were going through yet another water problem, with pipes busting and water heaters exploding in homes. Within 45 minutes of our first visits with residents, a car drove up full of Banks supporters to argue with us in the street about what a good job Mr. Banks was doing, and how a grant was available if he was re-elected. It became obvious that residents are being watched to ensure their compliance in the ongoing charade.
Same Old Story.
It's right out of the Bennie Thompson playbook. Keeping his district poor and black means Ole Karl stays in power. Too much infrastructure improvement might lead to investment from people with money and resources; people who wouldn't put up with this crap. Of course, in his bid to remain in power, ethics or the appearance of impropriety have never really concerned the longest seated Supervisor in Madison County.
Concerned citizens have tried to attend board meetings to see how they could help, and local contractors have offered assistance. But the West Madison Water District Board wouldn't know an Open Meetings Law if someone hit them in the head with it. When confronted with the fact that they haven't been doing their job, they simply go into executive session, and have even called the cops on residents who refused to leave the meeting.
Report from WJTV:
And from the CL
Flora water system to be out for days
Madison County is supplying water to residents around Flora who normally get their supply from the West Madison water district.
The 500 or so residents in the Magnolia Heights and Kearney Park areas went under a boil water notice Friday and the water system failed on Sunday, Butch Hammack, the county's emergency operations director said.
Repairs are being made to the system, but the well could be out of working order anywhere from three to 10 days, Hammack said.
The county has taken a 6,000-gallon tanker to the area for residents to use for household purposes and cases of bottled water for drinking, he said
This problem won't be fixed until people in Kearney Park come together and decide that Mr. Banks politics is not worth the price they are paying.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Harsh Bigotry of Their Expectations
by Debra Saunders
Why did Florida pastor Terry Jones garner all that media attention last week for threatening to burn Qurans on Saturday's 9/11 anniversary? I believe it's because network swells had spent weeks trying to frame opponents of the ground zero mosque -- also known as the Lower Manhattan
Islamic community center -- as stupid anti-Islam bigots, but that story line wasn't sticking. So networks found a stupid anti-Islam bigot in Florida who had nothing to do with the mosque, but who reinforced their political view.
Two people died in protests in Kabul. If Jones had gone ahead with his stunt, pundits would have blamed him -- not themselves, not those who committed acts of violence -- for any bloodshed. It is a sad day in journalism when a huckster Holy Roller with a 50-person parish exhibits better judgment than many in media.
The Sunday talk-show types still don't get it. "Meet the Press" host David Gregory lamented "the demonization of the other." Said guest Reza Aslan, "Anti-Muslim sentiment in this country is at unprecedented levels. We all know this. ... Let's call a spade a spade for a moment. If you are painting 1.5 billion people with the same brush of violence and extremism, you're a bigot."
Last week, Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent announced that he had found "clear evidence that there's a direct link between public anti-Islam sentiment and public opposition" to the ground zero mosque. A Washington Post poll reported that 49 percent of Americans have generally unfavorable views of Islam and 66 percent oppose the Islamic center. His smoking gun: Two-thirds of those 66 percent have generally unfavorable views of Islam.
Funny. In 2002, after the priest-child sex abuse scandal erupted, an ABCNews/Washington Post poll found that 52 percent of Americans -- including three in 10 Catholics -- expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, I don't recall pundits referring to the majority of Americans as anti-Catholic bigots who are too stupid to know that most priests are not pedophiles. They likely figured, negative stories yield negative poll numbers.
Consider Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who shot to death 12 soldiers and one civilian in 2009. Ditto Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, the Nigerian arrested for trying to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas. Add the attempted Times Square and New York subway bombings. Islamic extremism was the common thread in those stories -- which makes it amazing that Islam polls better today than the Catholic Church in 2002.
At Friday's news conference, President Obama was righteous when he said, "We are not at war against Islam. We are at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts." He then talked about the millions of Muslim Americans who are "fellow citizens," neighbors and friends. "And when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?"
It's a true shame that Obama fails to exhibit such understanding toward, say, people in Arizona who support federal immigration law, or oppose putting a mosque near Islamic extremism's great crime. For such people, Obama has no problem with odious stereotypes.
Why did Florida pastor Terry Jones garner all that media attention last week for threatening to burn Qurans on Saturday's 9/11 anniversary? I believe it's because network swells had spent weeks trying to frame opponents of the ground zero mosque -- also known as the Lower Manhattan
Islamic community center -- as stupid anti-Islam bigots, but that story line wasn't sticking. So networks found a stupid anti-Islam bigot in Florida who had nothing to do with the mosque, but who reinforced their political view.
Two people died in protests in Kabul. If Jones had gone ahead with his stunt, pundits would have blamed him -- not themselves, not those who committed acts of violence -- for any bloodshed. It is a sad day in journalism when a huckster Holy Roller with a 50-person parish exhibits better judgment than many in media.
The Sunday talk-show types still don't get it. "Meet the Press" host David Gregory lamented "the demonization of the other." Said guest Reza Aslan, "Anti-Muslim sentiment in this country is at unprecedented levels. We all know this. ... Let's call a spade a spade for a moment. If you are painting 1.5 billion people with the same brush of violence and extremism, you're a bigot."
Last week, Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent announced that he had found "clear evidence that there's a direct link between public anti-Islam sentiment and public opposition" to the ground zero mosque. A Washington Post poll reported that 49 percent of Americans have generally unfavorable views of Islam and 66 percent oppose the Islamic center. His smoking gun: Two-thirds of those 66 percent have generally unfavorable views of Islam.
Funny. In 2002, after the priest-child sex abuse scandal erupted, an ABCNews/Washington Post poll found that 52 percent of Americans -- including three in 10 Catholics -- expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, I don't recall pundits referring to the majority of Americans as anti-Catholic bigots who are too stupid to know that most priests are not pedophiles. They likely figured, negative stories yield negative poll numbers.
Consider Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who shot to death 12 soldiers and one civilian in 2009. Ditto Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, the Nigerian arrested for trying to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas. Add the attempted Times Square and New York subway bombings. Islamic extremism was the common thread in those stories -- which makes it amazing that Islam polls better today than the Catholic Church in 2002.
At Friday's news conference, President Obama was righteous when he said, "We are not at war against Islam. We are at war against terrorist organizations that have distorted Islam or falsely used the banner of Islam to engage in their destructive acts." He then talked about the millions of Muslim Americans who are "fellow citizens," neighbors and friends. "And when we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?"
It's a true shame that Obama fails to exhibit such understanding toward, say, people in Arizona who support federal immigration law, or oppose putting a mosque near Islamic extremism's great crime. For such people, Obama has no problem with odious stereotypes.
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