" There can be no public discourse"

The problem we all live with — by Norman Rockwell (1894–1978), depicting an incident in the American Civil Rights struggle of the early 1960s, when Ruby Bridges entered first grade on the first day of court-ordered desegregation of New Orleans, Louisiana, public schools (November 14, 1960). Originally published in Look magazine.

 Looks like Colonel Casey Wardynski and the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education have taken a play out of the Chris Christie playbook in their quest for "unitary status".   Despite the fact the Feds said there is no need for secrecy, the #hsvboe is doing all it can to make sure there is no public discourse,  and in their infinite wisdom, the  media is helping them.  We the peeps never know what's going on until the deed is done and they think there is not a darn thing we can do about it.

Case in point, who knew the location of the new J.O.Johnson Middle and High School is .06 miles from an active Rock Quarry?  Meanwhile residents on the other side of the Mountain voiced outrage and desperation at a public meeting last month, saying they feared the blasting, increased heavy truck traffic and defacing of the mountain would damage homes, worsen air pollution, endanger lives and lower property values.
State Rep. Wayne Johnson, R-Ryland, is trying to get a bill passed by the Legislature that would prevent a quarry from operating within five miles of a school in Madison County.

So, if State Representative Wayne Johnson was trying to get a bill passed by the Legislature that would prevent a quarry from operating within five miles of a school in Madison County, why would the Huntsville City Schools Boardof Education, with the approval of  Mark Russell,president of the Huntsville City Council and other elected officials, approve the building of a new school .06 miles from an active quarry?

Other elected officials speaking against the quarry were Mark Russell, president of Huntsville City Council, Madison County District 3 Commissioner Eddie Sisk, state Sen. Paul Sanford, state Sen. Shadrack McGill, state Rep. Wayne Johnson, Gurley Mayor Rob Sentell, Gurley Councilman Robert Wren.
Their concerns addressed environmental quality of Flint River and Hayes Nature Preserve, unsafe traffic with trucks crossing Norfolk Southern Railroad along a curve, heavy trucks sharing roads with school buses, air quality at two nearby schools and a lack of local governmental control of the quarry operation.

What about the air quality at the new J.O. Johnson High School?  What about the blasting?  Would you want your children/grand children attending a school that was located .06 miles from an active rock quarry? The Rock Quarry was there first, it can't be moved, why build a new school that may or not be safe for students, teachers, administrator, and support personnel,  in it's back yard?

What Dr. Robert Bullard, Environmental Justice Movement founder said:

No other community, rich or poor, urban or suburban, black, brown, red, yellow or white should be allowed to become an "environmental sacrifice zone."

Today's Must Reads

ALABAMA CONFIDENTIAL

The miss-education of black/brown/poor students in Huntsville,AL continues