"Improper use of state property, time, etc. for political actitivies" Huntsville City Schools style

 

Per AL.com

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Fellowship of Faith Pastor Troy Garner will hold a press conference Monday at 12 p.m. in front of Lakewood Elementary School located on Mastin Lake Road.
Garner will call for a boycott of convenience stores selling drug paraphernalia.
"Over the past month it has been brought my attention that nearly all convenience stores in North Huntsville are selling these products. Although it might be legal, it is immoral and the placement of these products is reprehensible. We will be asking our elected officials and ministers to band together to stop this practice once and for all. I am also proud that the Huntsville Police Department supports our cause. They know firsthand the effects of illegal drugs on our young people," Garner said.
"Last week after a discussion with my daughter and wife, we sent our 15-year-old daughter into one of these stores and she was able to buy drug paraphernalia in less than five minutes. This convenience store was located across from Lakewood Elementary School. Our charge is to protect our children and stop the drug problems and the crimes it causes in our community. Enough is enough. "

Why is this press conference being held on school property during school hours, instead of at Pastor  Garner's church , which is located less than half a mile away from Lakewood Elementary School?  This has nothing to do with school business, and what about the separation of church and state?

IMHO, this is another media enabled weapon of mass distraction from the desegregation battle, and a nice nasty way of telling black clergy, black elected officials, and  black community leaders what they should be focused on.  Want proof?  Listen to HCS superintendent Casey Wardynski during this interview on WVNN, pay close attention at the 6:44-7:11 time mark.  

Listen to this interview and you will hear the callous disregard for the safety of the student's, teachers, and support personnel at the new north high school.  Funny how Wardynski and Company are concerned about the crime and drugs in north Huntsville but not about the potential health and safety risk associated with building a school less than half a mile from an active rock 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.

To be clear, I agree the issue of crime in our city needs to be addressed, and I am all for us working together for a safer and better Huntsville,  however let's work together with more substance and less show.

Enough is Enough. 

"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

SMI Analytical

Taxpayers who  live (if they have no alternative),  work (if they are lucky),  and play (at their own risk), in north Huntsville  are being systematically destroyed from a lack of knowledge, not by choice, by design.

The Huntsville City School Board of Education, enabled by the City of Huntsville, purchased 100 acres of land to build a new predominately African American high school less than a mile from an active rock quarry. 

The property, located just north of Pulaski Pike's intersection with Stringfield Road, began as one of four potential sites for the new school. Problems with two of those sites, a 78-acre parcel of land near the intersection of Jordan Lane and Mastin Lake Road and a 100-acre site across Blue Springs Road from the Richard Showers Recreation Center, quickly eliminated them from consideration.
Johnson High could have been rebuilt at its current location off of Winchester Road, but the Pulaski Pike site is twice the size of the current one. Laurie McCaulley, who represents Johnson High on the board, said the current site could become a training ground for public service officers.

Note the article doesn't state exactly what the "problems" were at the other two locations, nor does it state the property that was purchased is less than a mile from an active rock quarry.  If that's not a problem I don't know what is.

To add insult to injury, the BOE violated their own policy and renamed said new school after  Dr. Mae Jemison  despite a massive protest to keep the name J.O. Johnson. 

 Last night the Huntsville City School Board of Education violated their own policy on the Selection of School, Facility, and/or Property Name (Policy 2.9, presented September 5, 2013) by concluding the process and voting on the new names approximately three weeks before they were allowed to do so.

There  has been no coverage of this violation by the media. 

There are valid concerns adequate/aggressive testing of the air quality and the potential risk to students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel was not conducted prior to purchasing this property.  There is an increased risk of asthma, respiratory disease, and lung cancer; the same health risk as being exposed to asbestos.

 Mesothelioma (or, more precisely, malignant mesothelioma) is a rare form of cancer that develops from cells of the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos.^[1] The most common anatomical site for mesothelioma is the pleura (the outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it can also arise in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart),^[2] or the tunica vaginalis (a sac that surrounds the testis).

There was a huge public outcry, supported by city, county and state public officials when Vulcan wanted to operate a rock quarry in the affluent Gurley/New Hope community, citing air quality concerns for schools two miles away. Some of the same city, county and state officials are silent when it comes to air quality for schools in north Huntsville.  

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.

There was a huge public outcry supported by city, county, and state public officials when the superintendent wanted to change the name of Lee High School to the point of telling him he would be making a gargantuan mistake if he changed the name.

 "There's been any number of councilman and officials call to inform me that I've made a gargantuan mistake," Wardynski said, to applause from the crowd that made him smile. "Thank you for acknowledging my mistake."

Some of the same city, county, and state officials are silent when it comes to responding to public outcry against changing the name of J.O. Johnson.  As a matter of fact, they are planning a ground breaking ceremony using, I mean, inviting Mae Jemison to put a black face on their deception.
Dr. Mae Jemison's good name is being destroyed by a lack of knowledge.   

 Dear Dr. Mae Carol Jemison,

It's me, RedEye.  Have your ears been burning lately?  The reason I ask is because you are being talked about 24/7 in the Rocket City.  In case you haven't heard, the Superintendent and the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education, voted to replace the name James Oliver Johnson  with  your name, despite opposition  from the majority of Alumni, parents, students, and the community.  The reason the BOE states for wanting to replace the name  J.O. Johnson with  your good name is because you are well....black  and because JOJ is a so called  "failing" school. In other words, they don't want to fix the problem, they want to slap your good name on it and call it fixed.  Nod.  Nod. Wink.  Wink.

The public outcry by citizens in north Huntsville is being suppressed. 

Purposely withholding vital info from the people/community that will be affected is a nice nasty way of saying......"You are not valued as a person".......We know what is best for you, even though we need your tax dollars........We will do what we want in your community because we don't live in your community.

Lord, please help us.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire Dale Jackson!

 

 A crowd of approximately 300 participated in the JOJ March Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, from Huntsville City Hall to the Annie C. Mertz Center to oppose changing the school's name. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@al.com)

Here he goes again....... Attacking ...African American.... leaders, and elected officials because it looks like the Save Johnson High School Movement is going somewhere, and Mr. Dale Jackson has to find some way to make it about him. Sigh

First Radio Boy attempted to "alert" the "media"  Madison County Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison used county Vans to "bus protesters in".  The media ignored him (and rightfully so)  because that was L-I-E. Vans were not used to bus protesters to the march, vans were used to transport elderly and handicapped taxpayers who wanted to participate in the Save J.O. Johnson march from City Hall to the Annie Mertz Center.

This is the latest L-I-E: North Huntsville Leaders are pretending this deal to close J.O. Johnson was a backroom deal, not so fast.

The narrative from the press is the poor folks in North Huntsville were shocked by decisions to close and rebuild schools, including removing the illustrious name at J.O. Johnson High School…

Not so fast Dale!  It's not a "narrative from the press", that's how they treat "poor folks in North Huntsville", and BTW, aren't Y-O-U  The  Press?

"There is a mean spirit on the loose" Day 12

Fist Dap jobsanger via the Los Angeles Times

"Well there's a certain mean spiritness out there, not only in Alabama but in America and that's what makes this election so important."  Senator  Hank Sanders

Remember those words by Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders in response to CNN Talking TeeVee Pundit Head Anderson Cooper's (and others) accusation of a so called "race baiting robo call" made to democratic voters during the Alabama primary?

Well, can you hear him now? Instead of  DEMOCRATS/LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES  focusing on WHAT was being said , they joined the MEDIA ENABLED, GOP INFUSED, TEAPUBLICANS, and  focus on WHO was saying it.

"We live in a country where health care is a privilege for the wealthy " Senator Bernie Sanders (I.VT)

Need proof?  Look no further than the Lord of Loud promoting the brazen L-I-E that insurance rates are going up in Alabama, based on State Senator Phil Williams ( republican), State Senator Paul Sandford ( republican), and Representative Mike Ball (republican) whining that their insurance rates are going up, and blaming the Affordable Care Act, because they know their base  hates President Obama more than they love themselves. 

I wonder what part of the Affordable Health Care Act is for those who can't afford health insurance don't Williams, Sandford, and Ball understand?   I wonder when their base is going to wake up and realize the people who can afford, and have access to quality, affordable health care don't want them to have the same?

Thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandated voluntary participation, 22 states have opted out or are leaning close to opting out of the federal government's Medicaid expansion through the ACA. That means if you make more than 100% of the federal poverty level, you can buy your health insurance coverage through the exchange for a significant discount. If not, you're left to the tender mercies of your state's income thresholds for Medicaid eligibility.
In the Great State of Alabama, the Medicaid income threshold for a family of three is $3,221. Per year. Make more than $3,221 but fall short of the $19,530 required to qualify for Obamacare? You're just about as screwed as the folks stuck in the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole".

And what are some (not to be confused with all) Alabama democrats (and I use that term loosely) doing while the republican mean spirit  is on the lose with a vengeance?  They are fighting Joe Reed like he's  a republican, trying to dilute minority participation in the Alabama Democratic Party under the guise of diversity, because everybody wants to be a minority when it's convenient. But here is the kicker from non other than Left in Alabama's countrycat.

Attempts to stifle dissent and open debate.  Worley took pains to lecture the assembly about "criticizing fellow Democrats."  (it's on the video) According to our new leader, we shouldn't be discussing problems with the party on Facebook or other "technology."  Instead, we should gripe to our spouses.  So I guess family harmony is less important than political lockstep.  
Worley also told the SDEC members that they should be helping to promote the party and recruit candidates because they (members) were the best cheerleaders for the party.  Ok.  She said this with a straight face at a meeting where kicking about 40% of current SDEC members off the committee was an amendment pending on the agenda.

What do you suppose those folks who lost their seats would have said about the party?

That's right, one of the persons who kicked my Ebony Donkey  off Left in Alabama because I dared criticize fellow Democrats , did not follow lockstep with them, and wrote about racism and  classicism,  has the nerve to accuse Acting Democratic Chair Nancy Worley of attempts to stifle dissent and open debate.

Long Sigh

The Hopeless Huntsville City School System redux

The South Huntsville Civic Association hosted a town hall meeting, for new Huntsville City School Superintendent Colonel Casey Wardynski   where he fielded questions from state legislators.  Note these legislators have the power to *cough* improve education *cough*.

Based on the questions and answers posed to and by the state legislators and  gop honchos, there is no HOPE for the Huntsville City Schools, and here's why.

Sen. Clay Scofield fielded questions about Alabama's strict new immigration law, which has been touted as the toughest in the nation. Scofield, R-Arab, said he is proud of the new law.

"The key word in this, ladies and gentlemen, is illegal," Scofield said. "We're not taking away anyone's right to be here."

Scofield said there are still many ways in which immigrants can come to Alabama.

"We want them to do so, and we welcome them to come here," he said. "But we expect it to be done legally."

*Uh, when did Arab, AL become part of the Huntsville City School system?

Not to be left out of the act Representative Mike Ball doesn't believe public school teachers should have job security.

Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, was questioned about tenure reform. The Legislature earlier this year passed the Students First Act, which made several changes to how local school districts can fire employees.

"The fact is, for the sake of the teaching profession, it really needed to be addressed," Ball said.

He pointed to "horror stories" across the state in which teachers who were accused of crimes were put on administrative leave with pay until their cases went through the courts. The new tenure law puts time limits on the pay a fired teacher can receive while appealing the termination.

"Contrary to what you may have heard, it was not a horrible, punitive bill that was passed," Ball said. "Due process is still included. It just streamlined the process."

*Note Representative Ball is a republican from Madison, AL.

Representative Howard Sanderford (R) was on hand to attack the Alabama Education Association bragging about their subpoena power and funding for the *ahem* ethics commission. They are going to destroy the AEA by stopping payroll deduction and banning PAC to PAC transfers.

Senator Paul Sanford (R barbecue boy) was questioned about the Constitutionality of recent immigration laws and like a true business owner he voted against the immigration bill even though he agreed with 95% of the bill. Huh?

No South Huntsville Civic Association Meeting would be complete without gop head honcho Hugh Mcginnis spewing his “There is no correlation between money and achievement” spill. If there is no correlation between money and achievement we would still have the segregated schools. Oh wait...

This is exactly why Brown v. Board was enacted, and why when someone yacks about "states rights", it becomes clear some states won't act right. Alabama is one of those states, full of closeted bigots who thinks a "Kardashian" is a country in Africa.

So, is HCS Superintendent Dr. Casey Wardynski going to be the Superintendent for South Huntsville, or is he going to be the Superintendent for ALL of Huntsville?

Time will tell the truth?

The Shirley Sherroding of Hank Sanders

You know the drill by now.

Take a snippet of AL State Senator Hanks Sanders robo call to DEMOCRATIC voters out of context and spin it like a top. It's not what you say, it's what other people hear.

What AL State Senator Hank Sanders actually said;

Hello this is Hank Sanders, Alabama state Senator, and I’m still mad as hell. I say hell no! I ain’t going back to the cotton fields of Jim Crow days. I’m going forward with Ron Sparks, Jim Folsom and others who would do right by all of us. I hope you are mad as hell and will not go back, and you have the power to choose. I will stand until hell freezes over for Ron Sparks for Governor and Jim Folsom for Lt. Governor on November the 2nd.

Paid for by Alabama New South.

This is what the Reactionaries heard.
Here;

Sanders comments shouldn't shock any of you. The democrat power brokers like Hank have played low income blacks for fools for decades now. I probably mentioned this before but Ill never forget being in a democrat party headquarters on election day along the stateline when I was a little boy back in the 80’s and hearing a certain democrat elected county schools superintendent yell at volunteer drivers to be sure and take the [archaic, inappropriate term for a black person] to vote before you take them to get some fried chicken and beer at the Qmart store. But until the GOP starts recruiting credible young black gentlemen into the party in these areas. You might as well continue to get used to the Hank Sanders of the world….

This is what he should have said;

A message that might appeal to both Democratic groups is something like:

Republicans are taking care of the rich people; Democrats care about people like you.

And this;

I am upset that a politician by the name of Hank Sanders keeps calling my house campaigning for Ron Sparks and Jim Folsom using foul language. This is very unprofessional and I do not appreciate such language being brought into my home and left on my machine.

He goes into how he is mad as “h—-” and he hopes that we are mad as “h—-” and that he is not going back to Jim Crow days. The number he is calling from blocks all incoming calls or I would tell him this myself.

America, when did we become so immoral?

There's an old saying, if you throw a rock at a pen full of pigs the one that squeals is the one that was hit. Looks like there's a whole lot of squealing going on. We can all pretend the Tea Party movement of today is yesterday's Southern Strategy. We can pretend the gop is tolerant and inclusive of minorities. We can pretend KY republican Senatorial nominee Rand Paul doesn't want to repeal the 14th amendment. We can pretend AL 05 Congressional nominee Mo Brooks and AL Senate nominee Paul Sandford didn't snub the NAACP. We can pretend Alabama isn't the home of former Governor George C. Wallace and Bull Conner. We can pretend Alabama democrats aren't under attack. We can pretend we don't know what the gop infused, media enabled, Tea Party candidates mean when they say "they want to take their country BACK". We can pretend Alabama and America is post racial, but that's exactly what we would be doing. I'm sick and tired of pretending everything is lovey dovey.

I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Elie Wiesel

Senator Sanders said he was supporting candidates like Ron Sparks and Jim Folsom who will take us forward, not backwards. Instead of focusing on going forward the Reactionaries focused on re-enslavement and the word hell. Project much?

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King Jr.
US black civil rights leader & clergyman (1929 - 1968)

Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes. ... the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them~George Santayana



Hell no I ain't fergittin!

A Redeye Stroll Down Memory Lane~ 2nd Edition

Welcome to the second installment of the first anniversary blog stroll down memory lane. In reviewing the post for today I've tried to construct a timeline for the beginning of the end of my LiA front page privileges.

Let's start with A blog stroll from my heart on October 17, 2009 be sure and read the comments....

As someone who is a product of the south and it's rich southern heritage I know racism when I see, hear and/or feel it. I'm aware of the code words and subtleties racist and bigots hide behind. Racism today is covert and institutional. Sure blacks/browns/reds can use public facilities and have the right to vote etc. but they are still the victims of defacto segregation and institutional racism.

Three days later I wrote What you see is what you get which is relevant today in light of the recent Bingo indictments.

There is the misconception that I am stoopid enough to believe ALL prosecutions are politically/racially motivated. Let me be clear, anytime I've made the allegation of political/racial prosecutions it's been in response to a SPECIFIC case we've discussed on LiA. I can understand why our conservative friends don't believe the prosecutions have a political/racial motivation, but I don't understand why my fellow liberals/progressives don't share my concern that our justice system, strike that, the Bush justice system has compromised the integrity of the rule of law, especially here in Alabama.

Followed by No Poor Coloreds Allowed in South Huntsville, also relevant today in light of the upcoming Congressional and State Senate election.

I read about this in the dead tree edition
And was suitably shocked at the rhetoric because I know quite a few people who live south of Governor's Drive and they aren't selfish bigots as you might believe if you listen to the leaders of this organization. This is a deliberate political strategy to frighten voters in south Huntsville and rile them up in advance of the 2010 election. Just look at the people involved:

On Tuesday, the upstart group drew an influential crowd, including Republican Brooks, a former legislator; newly elected state Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville; state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur; and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne.

Bradley Byrne? He's running for governor, not mayor. Arthur Orr is from Decatur. Paul Sanford wouldn't be a state senator today without the (dare I say racial?) outrage stirred up over the initial HHA purchase of apartments near Chaffee and he desperately needs that same outrage next November to hold onto his seat. And Mo Brooks? He's saying some of the most incendiary stuff and he happens to be running for Congress -- so he also needs to scare those south Huntsville voters so he can look like a savior in the next election.

I believe Pigskin and Politics at Legion Field was the "beginning of the end"

I spent the weekend tailgating with friends and family at Legion Field attending what is affectionately called the Coal Bowl (aka The Magic City Classic). For readers who don't live in Sweet Home Alabama the Iron Bowl is the much anticipated annual interstate rivalry between Auburn University and The University of Alabama, the 'white schools". The Coal Bowl is the much anticipated annual interstate rivalry between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, the "black schools". The vestiges of segregation continue but it's all good.

But this is the straw that broke the Camel's back.

Weaall what do you know! Alabama Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Artur Davis is the House Negro of the Day! I'm sure that will make him more viable to white conservatives. Way to go Artur! Make Alabama proud! *Snicker*

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here we are a year later talking about the same people and the same issues. Are we ever going to have change we can believe in or is it just a mirage?
Time will tell the truth.

PAC Hypocrisy Edition

What's that you say? Republicans are a bunch of two faced, hypocrites? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you! Not.

Republicans use PACs. And they run them, too.
Here in Alabama, Republican officeholders even run PACs while holding very high public office:
Governor Bob Riley chairs GOV PAC
House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard is Treasurer of Network Political Action PAC, which his wife chairs
Up until 3 weeks ago Senate candidate Gerald Dial (R) chaired the TIF (Trust Integrity and Fairness) PAC
J.T. Waggoner (I believe that would be Senate Minority Leader "Jabo" Waggoner) chairs the New Alabama Leadership PAC.

Right wing republicans don't have a plan so they create Weapons of Mass Distractions like labeling PAC to PAC transfers as the root of all evil, claiming corrupt democrats are responsible and benefiting from legal bribery/money laundering. Well, real, unashamed, brave, bold, big D Democrat Representative Randy Hinshaw called their bluff and told them to PTFU or STFU. Now that's what I'm talking about!

The Governor needs to call a special session Monday to take up one bill: Jeff Mclaughlins bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. Will he GOP?

Hell NO Governor Riley will not call a special session Monday to take up the bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. I wonder why? *Snark*

Of course the righty's response is to attack Randy Hinshaw and demand he return all his PAC donations. Now why would he do something stupid like that? The logic, for lack of a better word, of the right wing defies me.

I've said before, and I will say it again. I don't have a problem with PACs or PAC to PAC transfers. Political Action Committees is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[1] Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.District 5 Democratic Congressional nominee Steve Raby said it best, Political Actions Committees are a reality of politics.

I'm a member of several PAC's. I am not a large corporation with millions of dollars to contribute or to hire lobbyist, being a member of a PAC which pools resources is the only way I can compete with the big guys and gals. Without Political Action Committees the little guys and gals wouldn't have a voice. For example,the Confederate Heritage PAC transfers some money to the South Huntsville Civic Association PAC to give to the Mo Brooks/Paul Sanford Campaign.

Everyone knows that PAC-to-PAC money launderers do what are are told.

According to the righty's there are good PACs (gop) and bad PACs (Democratic). fundmaker at leaning LiA compiled a list of PACs primarily servicing Democrats vs. Republicans and identified the sources who contribute to those PACs. It's very e very enlightening. And they say there is no transparency? *Snicker*

Now what everyone needs to focus on is The Chamber is spending 75 million dollars to try to help the Republicans retake Congress The Chamber of Commerce/foreign money disease in America is not limited to or enabled by any one party. They all do it. We all need it to stop.

Obama's attempt to ACORN the Chamber of Commerce is a breach of etiquette for the New Dems and Blue Dogs, some of whom have actually won the Chamber's endorsement. Most of these fools were going to lose their seats anyway, mainly because they watered down the president's agenda which made his policies less popular. And then they failed to defend the unpopular policies that they helped to make unpopular. On top of that, in an election cycle where conservatives are highly motivated, these corporate Dems eschewed the one thing that could save them: criticizing the Republicans' plutocratic agenda by taking on the Big Banks, Big Oil Spillers, Big Insurers, and the Fat Cats asking for tax relief.
They're not too different from Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) who famously told us to stop being mean to BP during the catastrophe in the Gulf.

Taking on the Chamber is a no-brainer, unless you plan on doing their bidding and winning their support.

There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy.