Republican Governor Kay Appointed but the Democratic Voters in Madsion County Commission District 6 Annointed

EYE would like to offer my congratulations to  #VioletEdwards the new and first African American female to be elected to the Good Ole Boys Club, EYE mean the Madison County Commission to represent District 6 by the voters in District 6 and for the voters in District 6.  Hopefully, she won't be the last.

But here's the rub:

The turnout in Madison was light as expected, at 14.58%. Out of 290,580 voters, 42,359 went to the polls in the election. There were 39,098 Republican votes and 3,261 Democrat votes cast.

EYE know good and darn well there are more than 3,261 registered voters in District 6, it's the largest district in Madison County.   To be fair there is a COVID19 crisis in Huntsville/Madison County and more voters could have voted absentee, curbside, or via mail if the Republicans hadn't intervened, but EYE have to ask, why are Democrats so darn apathetic? 

As you can see, rain, snow, sleet, shine, or COVID19 Republicans get out and vote.  What's up with Democrats, especially African American Democrats whose right to vote is steeped in blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice?

This is why the District can't have nice things.

How do we preserve the legacy of Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison March 8, 1943-October 25, 2017?

Robert "Bob" Harrison 

EYE would give anything not to be writing this post.  Maybe the reason it has taken me so long to pay tribute to Commissioner Robert "Bob" Harrison is I don't want to accept the fact he is gone on to glory and that I will miss him all the days of my life.  I started trying to write this post to Bob Harrison shortly after his funeral, I start typing and I stop typing.  Will today be the day I finally click publish?  Time will tell the truth.

Bob Harrison was a human being; therefore, he wasn't perfect but he was larger than life.  He was fearless and ferocious.  He was compassionate and committed.  He was effective as the people's commissioner and for that, he was sometimes rebuked and scorned, but that never stopped him from standing up for truth, justice, and the American way. 

A frequent criticism/complaint made by detractors was his commitment to "social programs" to help the people in his district.  Unlike other elected officials Bob Harrison used his discretionary money and resources to develop programs to uplift the least of these.

Commissioner Bob Harrison gave nearly $70,000 to a nonprofit group, Northwest Community Service Organization, that he helped create and ran out of his office. "I have divested myself of Northwest," Harrison said this month.
Northwest, which provides support programs for schools, now runs out of a separate building, Harrison said, and he has stepped down from the governing board. But he said he still uses his county tax dollars to pay two employees at Northwest.

How do we continue his legacy?   Can Bob Harrison be replaced, or is he one of those once in a lifetime irreplaceable leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcome X, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Dr. James I. Dawson, Dr. John Cashin, and Dr. Sonnie Wellington Hereford II?

The Republican Governor has decided Huntsville Police Department Captain  JesHenryMalone will represent District 6 on the Madison County Commission for the remainder of Bob's term.  Our challenge is to ensure that Bob's work goes on.  He had the vision, ingenuity, and determination to make life better for his constituents. He genuinely cared about the city of Huntsville and the quality of life for all it's citizens especially those of color who are often the last, the least and the left behind.

EYE wish the new Commissioner well but in the end, it will be the voters who determine if JessHenry Malone has the attributes, commitment, dedication and the fortitude to carry on Bob's vision on behalf of the people of District 6. It is important for the newly appointed Commissioner to remember Bob Harrison was not one to go along to get along.  He was the voice of/for/by the people and he deplored Handkerchief Heads.  If he wants to be elected to represent the district he needs to get to know the people and vice versa because right now all we know is he is a member of law enforcement. 

"I shake the trees; They make the jelly."

How dare #HCSBOE Reps Michelle Watkins And Pam Hill represent the wishes of their con·stit·u·ents

Huntsville City Schools Board of Education Representatives Michelle Watkins left, Pam Hill right

Long Sigh

 Here we go again.    

You know the drill.  

Elected officials who actually represent the wishes of their constituents are told to go along to get along or else the establishment will (as my Daddy used to say)  come down on them like a cow urinating (my word not his) on a flat rock. 

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle issued a statement today to address the letters he sent to two Huntsville school board members, chastising them for their behavior at a recent board meeting.
"Last week, the Huntsville Board of education experienced a particularly contentious meeting, prompting a number of concerned calls to my office," Battle said in the letter, which was sent as an e-newsletter titled "Inspiring Confidence."
"I am concerned by the perception we are giving industry and our children," Battle continued. "City Hall does not attempt to interfere in the management of the City School System; however, as your mayor of this great city, it is my role to promote Huntsville, which means earning the confidence of incoming companies and families to trust our public schools with the education of their children."

On Friday, Battle sent what he called a "personal message" to Huntsville board members Michelle Watkins and Pam Hill. The letters, which were identical, were written on city letterhead, signed by Mayor Tommy Battle, and sent to the two elected officials at the school board office.
The letters said, among other things, that their behavior at the meeting "did not reflect the values we have established in our community."

EYE am still trying to figure out why Mayor Battle chose Women's History Day of all days to chastise two female elected officials for doing their jobs, and EYE have to wonder if he chastised their behavior for political gain. 

Two big-city Alabama mayors, viewed as popular candidates for statewide office someday, found themselves embroiled in local controversies this week.
But political observers in Alabama doubt that either Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle or Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson will face much backlash from their separate issues.
And as one observer noted, the incidences that have been viewed as missteps could turn out to be helpful in pumping up name recognition statewide.
"These two little blips are probably more beneficial than not," said Steve Flowers, a political columnist and commentator based out of Troy. "It gets their name out there. I don't think the average person cares if Tommy Battle got mad at a school board member. It looks like (to them) that he's doing his job."

EYE guess it depends on what the definition of the average person IS because this average person sees a sexist, paternalistic, bully.  

For Battle, an early poll among conservative voters has listed him high on a list of gubernatorial hopefuls. The Alabama Forestry Association, in a poll in August on the 2018 gubernatorial election had Battle trailing only behind former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and current U.S. Senator Luther Strange.

Now if that doesn't scare the bejesus out of you EYE don't know what will.  It also explains why Alabama is stuck on stupid.  Politicians pander to concerned citizens aka conservative voters at the expense of everyone else, if you don't believe me the proof is the al.com anonymous comment section.  

Concerned citizens like this:  Battle was right to chastise those 2 clowns.

Conservative voters like this:  Did you watch the board meeting? They were throwing a fit interrupting everyone about not getting an email that they did receive. Even when other members were trying to simply clarify what was going on they wouldn't let anyone get a full sentence out. It is one thing to decry dirty tricks, it is another to make them up because you aren't getting your way. They even eventually got their way once Wilder was able to get her questions answered. These two women are blatantly disrespectful every board meeting. You can disagree with people and not make a spectacle of yourself. It's no wonder there is (sic) discipline issues in the school if a woman like Pam Hill was teaching these kids for the past 20 years. I feel for any kid subjected to that kind of abuse.

Concerned citizens like this:  No matter what your belief, this was a public official meeting. The behavior demonstrated was embarrassing. Should the mayor have gotten involved? Probably not but shame on the other board members for not trying to put a stop to the childish display between the 2 individuals. If you want a cat fight, wait til after the meeting and meet in an alley.

Conservative voters like this:  Wow. that's a bit of a stretch! Out of the Mayor's letter, you pulled that he wants people to act like they are fixing problems but not actually fix them? The Mayor was very clear... when you are new to politics, you may not realize that the way you act in a meeting means something. Being "passionate" about an issue is great... being in charge of a meeting and losing control... not so much. Meetings have rules to keep people from doing what they did. If all meetings allowed for anyone to start losing their minds, nothing gets done and confidence in the system and in the elected members is eroded. The Mayor speaks for the City and if the City looks like a bunch of out out-of-control political newbies, he should say something. And he did. Good job Mayor Battle.

According to the white male dominated media enabled clueless consultants, Alabama voters are either stuck on stupid or suffer chronic amnesia. 

But Brown, along with Flowers, is doubtful the letter and the reaction to it will have a long-lasting impact.
"He's obviously very visible in the Huntsville media market, mayor for three terms now," said Brown. "If you have a crowded field, someone like that might take their regional base in the Huntsville metro area and do well enough there to acquire enough votes to make runoff."
Said Flowers: "If someone would read on AL.com that Battle had an argument with a school board member, my perception is that he's wanting to do a good job as mayor. It looks like he's doing a good job ... that he's interested in doing a good job as mayor."

Now EYE understand why #SweetHomeAlabama is the most conservative state in the nation. We have got to take our state back from conservative voters and Make Alabama Great  ...EYE won't say "again" because Alabama was never great in the first place.

Until the majority of the people of this state – the average, common workers and poor, impoverished workers – figure out that we’re all getting the shaft from the race-based, elite-aiding policies pushed by our lawmakers, we deserve exactly the job market and poor quality of life that such idiocy produces.
It’s time for a change that only we can bring.
Stop concerning yourself with whether an idea is “liberal” or “conservative.” Stop worrying if it was put forth by a Republican or a Democrat. Or if it’s a policy to aid *whisper* “the blacks.”
Instead, ask this simple question: is it a policy that helps me and people like me.

  Wake up everybody.  It is time to see a new day. It's time to stop electing people who pander to conservative voters.  We can start by seeking out real news sources where we the public can find real facts and not alternative facts.
  
There are more of us than there are of them.

"Email shows plan in Huntsville City Council" District 1 Race

Alabama Political Reporter has obtained an email in which members of a special interest group appear to openly discuss how they hope to influence the Huntsville City Council in return for their organization’s campaign donations.

The author of the email writes, “If Devyn wins, that balance of power will definitely shift, and our mayor/council leadership teams in both Huntsville and Madison could be the strongest in years. We need to all be very active in making that happen by reaching out to everyone we know in Huntsville District 1.”

Mission Accomplished

EYE pray for the residents of District 1.  Did they got rid of one misrepresentative, only to gain another one?   This is yet another example of those who don't live in District 1 deciding who represents those who do.

RedEye, tiptoeing away from the computer to go pray for District 1.....

EYE Shall Return!

Rosa Parks: 60th anniversary of a historic day in Alabama – in pictures

EYE am trying to catch up on current events as EYE recover from Thanksgiving, which also gave me the opportunity to take a mental health break.   As always EYE am thankful, and humbled by the fact you read this blog even when I don't post.  Full post coming soon, stay tuned!

What EYE am working on:

Fiscally Conservative Republicans My Donkey

And the winners is...not equal/civil rights that's for sure.

Alabama the not Beautiful

It's the Media

B-But EYE thought All Lives Mattered?

TheBlacks and Donald Trump

Did EYE say It's the Media?

Blast from the Past.  What You are Reading

If you can't run on your record resort to race baiting and mudslinging~Sigh

Desegregation, white privilege, reparations, the "r" word, racism. I'm back!

#Artur "Davis says that if the Democrats can forgive Parker Griffith, they should be able to forgive him."

Parker Griffith submits his paperwork to run for governor at Alabama Democratic Party headquarters in Montgomery on Friday afternoon. (Mike Cason | mcason@al.com)

And he's right (pun intended), there's this little thingy called precedent. What EYE want to know is when/where and what "democrats" forgave Parker Griffith  exactly?

Bentley announced his re-election campaign in 2013. Griffith waited until 15 minutes before signup deadline for candidates on Feb. 7.
Griffith said he had been considering it for a few months. He even had a poll done in December by Public Policy Polling in Raleigh, N.C., that indicated Bentley's favorability rating was low enough that he might be vulnerable.
But Griffith said he waited because he thought former Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. or state Sen. Billy Beasley might enter the race. When it became clear they weren't, he and his wife, Virginia, dashed to the state Democratic Party headquarters in Montgomery. He walked in, filled out the qualifying papers, but then walked outside to the sidewalk with his wife to give it one more thought.
"She said, 'How will you feel if you get in the car and drive back to Huntsville not having thrown your hat in the ring? I think you ought to do it.'"
At that, he walked inside, filled his paperwork and began another campaign.

Let's recap for those who don't know.  There is an old saying "don't burn the bridge that will take you over the water", well  Artur Davis is attempting to walk on water and rejoin the democratic party after he not only set fire to the bridge, but blew the bridge up.

As mentioned earlier, Davis defected to the GOP and in 2012, he supported Mitt Romney for president, giving a speech from the floor of the Republican National Convention. Before that, while still in Congress, he voted against Obamacare -- the only member of the Democratic Black Caucus to do so.
Now he wants back in the Democratic party, if not their good graces, and he has written the party's executive committee a letter asking them to open the door.
The only thing is that the party has something called the "Radney Rule," which prohibits anyone from qualifying as a Democrat if that person has supported Republicans in the last election cycle.

About that Radney Rule.....based on the al.com article Parker Griffin didn't write a letter to the party's executive committee asking them to open the door   

Griffith, 71, was elected to North Alabama's 5th District congressional seat as a Democrat in November 2008 but switched parties less than a year later. At the time, he said there appeared to be no place in the national Democratic Party for a "pro-business, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment" congressman.

But GOP voters never embraced Griffith as one of their own: He lost his bid for re-election in 2010, finishing more than 12,000 votes behind then-Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks in the Republican primary.
He tried to reclaim the 5th District seat from Brooks in 2012 but fared even worse, despite pumping more than $568,000 of his own money into the campaign.
Last fall, Griffith briefly explored the idea of challenging Brooks as an independent candidate. He recently rejoined the state Democratic Party and said earlier this week that most people have been "gracious" about his return.

Really? 

It's incumbent on the Party leadership at every level, both in the Party proper, and among the caucus leadership in legislative bodies, to help remind the entire office-holding Party of the likely futility of switching. This is not something you want to do with a high degree of visibility, and even a private, but overt “conversation” might be over the top. But the occasional joke at a banquet about “One-Term Griffith” will not only bring a laugh, it will serve as a reminder. Post-switch retaliation, such as letters to the editor (and the occasional lawsuit!) demanding refunds of contributions are less effective, though a few switchers have been shamed into refunding Democratic contributions.

Did Parker Griffin go before the State Democratic Executive Committee or not?

The Radney Rule allows a party member to challenge a potential candidate’s ballot qualification if the potential candidate supported a candidate for another party within the last four years. According to the challenge from Miles, Grimsley gave $500 to Secretary of State candidate Beth Chapman in August 2006 when Nancy Worley was the Democratic nominee. Over at Left in Alabama (who was first out with the story), Grimsley’s potential candidacy is finding few friends.
Speaking of the Radney Rule… Democratic political consultant Steve Raby has been mentioned as a potential candidate for Congressional District AL-05. Would he be vulnerable to a Radney Rule challenge himself through contributions he directed to Republicans through his PAC [.pdf]? Or would it be not so much of an issue because the contributions are technically from his PAC (albeit presumably at his direction) and not directly from himself?
Update: Readers have pointed out that the Democratic Party by-laws state that no candidate is permitted to qualify as a Democrat “who did not support the nominees of the Democratic Party in all Special or General Elections during the past four years.” While Raby has given to plenty of Republicans, he seems to do it during primaries, not during the general election cycle where you could say he was not supporting the Democratic nominee, at least as far as I have seen. Furthermore, the by-laws allow such a potential candidate to renounce his previous allegiance, explain the error of her ways, and “If, after such a hearing, the Executive Board is convinced by a preponderance of the evidence that such a person would be an asset to the Democratic Party, the Executive Board may, by a vote of two-thirds of those present and voting, allow that person to seek office as a Democrat.”

Again, exactly WHO forgave Parker Griffin?   Madison County Commissioner Bob Harrison said it best:  It's like he thinks nobody remembers what he said when he ran for office and nobody has a video camera or even some old newspapers laying around."

Inquiring minds want to know who/what/when democrats forgave Parker Griffin for biting the hands that fed him?

Whats the matter with Democrats in Alabama you ask? Take a look in the mirror. The Alabama Democratic party has been infiltrated. That's what's wrong with the democratic party in Alabama. You know the drill. Find an effective liberal group/blog. Pick a fight. Have the groups pick sides. And who wins in the end? Not democrats that's for sure.

Waiting on someone to blame Joe Reed and his bunch in 5-4-3-2-1....

Huntsville Sitty Schools Black/Brown/Poor Children are still "Waiting for Superman"

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

Black/Brown/Poor students enrolled in Huntsville City Schools were dealt another blow yesterday when a group calling themselves the North Huntsville Collective (aka North Huntsville United for Action) jumped on the Segregation Today, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever bandwagon and threw them under the bus too.

Despite all the HOPE and PROMISES, the taxpayer funded Political Strategist, and the taxpayer funded lawyers  ,are the big winners, at the expense of north Huntsville Parents and students.  It seems the district was successful in making it's case that Huntsville be allowed to continue to operate a dual school system.  After all, we can't have middle class White's voting with their feet moving to Madison, or enrolling their children in private schools rather than have forced busing (code for integration).  After all, black/brown/poor students don't want, or deserve to have access to a quality public education because they are well.....black/brown/poor.  If the criminals (code for black/brown/ poor) from north Huntsville are allowed to sit next to white students in the classroom some of their blackness might rub off on them.  But I digress.

So, the North Huntsville Collective says the plan is OK and they plan to monitor it persistently, after they said the plan failed north Huntsville Schools.  Really?  And how do they plan to monitor a plan that can't be monitored?  And what makes them believe this administration and this school board are going to listen to them about anything? Heck, they won't even allow black elected officials and community leaders to hold a press conference on the steps of the Merts Center.  They won't allow citizens to comment at public meetings without writing down their questions and having them read by a Mime.  They no longer televise citizens comments because citizens might actually be informed instead of misinformed.  They have teachers and parents afraid to speak out.  So good luck with that persistent monitoring thingy. 

Wardynski was right, this whole rezoning thing was much ado about nothing, and in my humble opinion, and mine alone,  the North Huntsville Collective got played big time, again,  and now they are trying to play the students and taxpayers of north Huntsville.  Did they bother to ask taxpayers what they thought of the plan and if it was OK with them?  Nope.  Did they ask they ask the students how they feel about the plan?  Nope.  They issued a statement without citizens, church members, or membership input/approval.  They are no different that the District 1 School Board mis-representative and the media, telling us what they want us to know, instead of what we need to know to make informed decisions.  Nope, there will be no profiles in courage award presented to the North Huntsville Collective, or whatever they are calling themselves today..

And who wins in the end?  Not the children and taxpayers who reside in north Huntsville that's for sure.

So after months and possibly years of litigation over the rezoning plan, what have we won? 

The district will still be under the control of the DoJ except now the plan that the DoJ believed would best bring us unification has been rejected. 

The DoJ still controls our destiny. Does fighting their plan (even assuming we’ve seen their plan) bring us closer to unification?
Nope. It doesn’t.
The Wardynski Plan is a fool’s errand. We did not have to file it. And the public has had zero input into the plan.
So, after potentially years of litigation and expense, we will have accomplished absolutely nothing, even if we win.
Nothing except the following:

1. Wardynski has shored up support for himself in this town because he’s willing to fight the “evil” federal government.
2. Wardynski has improved his name recognition on a national level.
3. Wardynski has spent a ton of the district’s money that he should be spending on improving education at all of our schools. And of course,
4. We’re still a segregated system.

I know for a fact north Huntsville citizens were HOPEFUL CHANGE we could believe in was on the way.  We put our hopes and dreams in the hands of the desegregation judge only to have the hammer dropped on us.  I sure do miss the good old days when public education was the HOPE of our republic,  and we had instructional leaders who believe  every child can learn with the right approach.  In the meantime, black/brown/poor  parents and students will continue to wait for Superman to leap tall buildings with a single bound and save the day, because they certainly can't depend on their elected officials, pastors and community organizations to do anything but go along to get ahead, I mean, along.

RedEye

#HCSvsDOJ Desegregation Hearing: "Much Ado about Nothing" #hscboe

Huntsville City Schools March 11, 1963 -March 11, 2015  (Huntsville Times file)

Let's recap:
Eight months ago Federal Judge Madeline Haikala dropped her hammer on the Huntsville City Schools rezoning plan.

U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala didn't approve the city's plan to redraw school zones.
And she didn't approve the Justice Department's plan.
Instead, she appointed Chief Magistrate Judge John Ott to oversee months of mediation between the two as they examine all aspects of racial disparities across Huntsville City Schools.
She also called for appointment of a Special Master to oversee the court's ongoing fact-finding in the case.

She also dropped her hammer on the Justice Department, but only to say they were being far too lax.

 "From the record, it appears that years of relative calm and inactivity have lulled the government into a habit of checking in only when the district proposes actions that require the government's review. The government should be more proactive. Based on the current record, the Court does not know when inequities in educational programs arose in the district; however, standardized test scores from 10 years ago demonstrate disparate results among racially identifiable schools. Had the government been keeping an eye on that sort of information, it could have brought it to the Court's attention more quickly and enabled the Court and the district to address the issue in a timely fashion. "

In short, Haikala held: "On the record before it, the Court cannot find conclusively that the Board does not operate a dual system."

Fast forward to March 11, 2015 exactly,  52 years to the day after black families first sued to end segregated schooling in Huntsville,  and a hearing about  granting Huntsville City Schools the rare opportunity to have court approved segregation disguised as a "pathway to unitary status", enabled by the Department of Justice.

City Councilman Richard Showers has written a federal judge to complain that the plan to improve racial equity in Huntsville does little to end the racially isolated classrooms on opposite ends of the city.
"It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

After months of  secret mediation The United States Department of Justice basically approved Wardynski’s rezoning plan that he developed and implemented entirely without public input.

Huntsville City Schools will agree to anything as long as they can legally operate a dual school system.  In an effort to stop expelling black students the district agreed to rewrite the Student Code of Conduct, implement a Restorative Justice Strategies, develop a Positive School Climate Program, and appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee.  All of this by a superintendent and school board who who view African American students as natural born gang members, and adopts polices that treat them that way.

All of the above slogans, I mean programs, sound nice but here's the real deal.  African American students will be forced to attend failing schools, illegally renamed after two black astronauts located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.  Majority to Minority Transfers,  and access to Magnet Schools will be granted to the fortunate few.  The Alternative School is still privatized.

Even If We Win We Lose

So after months and possibly years of litigation over the rezoning plan, what have we won?
The district will still be under the control of the DoJ except now the plan that the DoJ believed would best bring us unification has been rejected.
The DoJ still controls our destiny. Does fighting their plan (even assuming we’ve seen their plan) bring us closer to unification?
Nope. It doesn’t.
The Wardynski Plan is a fool’s errand. We did not have to file it. And the public has had zero input into the plan.
So, after potentially years of litigation and expense, we will have accomplished absolutely nothing, even if we win.
Nothing except the following:

1. Wardynski has shored up support for himself in this town because he’s willing to fight the “evil” federal government.
2. Wardynski has improved his name recognition on a national level.
3. Wardynski has spent a ton of the district’s money that he should be spending on improving education at all of our schools. And of course,
4. We’re still a segregated system.

This is, in the Bard’s wise words, much ado about nothing.

In short, the proposed Consent Order equals Segregation then. Segregation now.  Segregation forever?

For 50 years the legacy of discrimination has been allowed to  exist under the watchful eyes of those who didn't want integration then, and who don't want integration now.  Let's face it, it's all about money, and whose children will have equal access to the public dollars that fund public education.  I challenge these people to start being part of the solution. Everything we do as is first and foremost for our children, not what is best for a political agenda.

Update~ Huntsville school board unanimously approves segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever

J.R. Brooks, attorney for Huntsville City Schools (file) The Gate Keeper

Huntsville City Schools superintendent, and his media enablers claim the historic moment brings city wide equity.  I guess it depends on what their definition of citywide equity IS.

With no discussion following four hours of questions to its counsel, the Huntsville Board of Education unanimously approved the proposed consent order that plans out citywide rezoning.

 Superintendent Casey Wardynski, aided by the school's legal counsel and the U.S. Justice Department. The adopted plan will be presented to U.S. District Court on March 11 for judge approval. If approved, the school district can move forward with plans, including construction of new schools.
"It's an historic moment," Wardynski said excitedly after the board voted.

From the files of they must think U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala   has amnesia.

Judge Haikala took particular exception to much of Wardynski's testimony, from finding his comments on federal grants untrue to finding insubstantial his objections to the federal rezoning proposals.

"The Court strongly suspects that the district has chosen not to share many of the reasons for the choices that it made as it shaped its student assignment plan. The Court got a glimpse into the superintendent's thinking when the United States's cross-examined him about his objections to the government's rezoning proposals. When asked whether Hereford (Elementary) students would not benefit from attending Huntsville High, the superintendent, in an unguarded moment, replied '[t]hey [would] be going into schools that are not accustomed to dealing with students who are below grade level.'

She also admonished the Justice Department, but only to say they were being far too lax.

"From the record, it appears that years of relative calm and inactivity have lulled the government into a habit of checking in only when the district proposes actions that require the government's review. The government should be more proactive. Based on the current record, the Court does not know when inequities in educational programs arose in the district; however, standardized test scores from 10 years ago demonstrate disparate results among racially identifiable schools. Had the government been keeping an eye on that sort of information, it could have brought it to the Court's attention more quickly and enabled the Court and the district to address the issue in a timely fashion. "

It's Deja Voodoo all over again

"If there is unfairness, it is because life itself is unfair. The unfairness is not manmade," said Hugh McInnish, at-large member of the county's Republican Executive Committee.

It's like putting Lipstick on a Pit Bull

It seems the District was successful in pleading their case that it was in the best interest of the schools in North Huntsville to remain as they are and continue the same 'feeder' pattern," wrote Showers. "Failing schools feeding into failing schools."

Garbage in garbage out.  

The history in today's quick and quiet vote may not be apparent for years to come.
It's now up to Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala to set Huntsville on this uncharted road to unitary status.

Time will tell the truth.

The actions they are taking are pure segregation. You are merging every minority failing school onto one piece of land with schools with all black names,"

As usual the #hsvboe does what it does best, Covers Their Asses ,  the taxpayers be damned.

Thanks, Board, for doing such an excellent job of listening to and representing the public. No wonder you need your own personal public relations firm working for you at our expense.
Judge Haikala should send the parties back to the drawing board on this one and tell them that the public needs to be represented at the table because clearly our Board of Education is more concerned with explaining why they can’t address public concerns than they are actually, you know, representing the public that elected them.
You cannot unify the community without involving them in the process. Attempting to do so is like destroying the village to save it. Only a Colonel would think it an “historic moment.”

Prehistoric moment is more like it.         

"So why was The Driscoll Group paid $68,165 over the past year" With OUR tax dollars?

H/T Geek Pavaler

EYE  just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know postings will be light this week due to real life circumstances, but I am keeping my big RedEye on the Huntsville City Schools Board of mis- Education and the recent developments in  the court ordered mediation regarding the Federal Desegregation Case.  Needless to say, there is some Shady Stuff going on, and we can't depend on the mainstream media to tell us what we need to know because they are busy telling us what they want us to know, which is nothing.

In the meantime please read Why has HCS Hired a Political Strategist?

From October 2013 through at least November 2014 (the most currently available HCS check register), Huntsville City Schools has paid a total of $68,165.00 to The Driscoll Group a local firm specializing in “Advertising, Public Relations, and Political Strategies.”According to the entries on the check registers this total was paid for “OTHER PROF SERVICES.”So far, HCS has written David Driscoll of The Driscoll Group eleven checks over that period for the following amounts:

1. 10/24/2013 – $3,600.00

1. 11/7/2013 – $3,600.00

1. 1/23/2014 – $8,200.00

1. 2/14/2014 – $5,715.00

1. 3/6/2014 – $4,425.00

1. 4/2014 – $6,725.00 (Beginning in April, the district stopped publishing the exact date of the written check.)

1. 5/2014 – $8,800.00

1. 6/2014 – $4,575.00

1. 7/2014 – $4,375.00

1. 9/2014 – $9,050.00

1. 11/2014 – $9,100.00

Then read a Guest Editorial by the Composer

Amidst a completed prelude of rolling thunder and pouring showers, a scene of calmness covered the atmosphere of 200 White Street, as the central office for Huntsville City Schools served as host for a press conference organized and administered by the North Huntsville Community United for Action (NHCUA).

This group consists of local ministers, elected officials, community leaders and concerned citizens of the Huntsville community. The press conference was called to bring awareness to the  issues that continue to plague the local school system, particularly in north Huntsville where the population is majority African-American.

About 30 individuals, not including representatives of HCS: Rena Anderson (Director of Community Engagement) , David Driscoll (Director of Community Spying?), and local media were in attendance.

Then read #hsvboe gives north Huntsville students, principals, teachers, elected officials, clergy, community leaders, and taxpayers the middle finger....again

About that Director of Community Spying.....

In a previous post, The Composer made a  tongue in cheek referral to David Driscoll as the Director of Community Spying, but when you look a little closer you find the characterization has a ring of truth.

Let's recap:

Who is David Driscoll?  According to his LinkedIn profile he is a former radio personality/sales director and President of the The Driscoll Group  consulting/business services. According to AL.com his firm does consulting work for Huntsville City Schools.

McGinnis, Wilder and Ferrell on Thursday issued a statement through the Driscoll Group, which does consulting work for Huntsville City Schools, in support of extending Wardynski's contract.  "We believe extending Dr. Wardynski's contract an extra year is the right thing to do for the school system," the statement read. "With the ongoing court case, the construction of multiple schools and rapid changes being made to better educate our children, we feel that keeping the same team together is critical.

The Driscoll Group Facebook invites readers to check out the website they designed for soon to be former school board member/President, and failed State Senate candidate, David Blair. 
The counter protest in support of Casey Wardynski was organized and led by James Lomax,  whose LinkedIn profile says he was previously employed by the Driscoll Group.

Lomax, a young politically-active Huntsville resident who, until August, worked for the Driscoll Group, said he organized the rally because he worries that all of the negativity toward the superintendent will "scare him away." "Casey Wardynski coming here has really changed the landscape of the school system," Lomax said. He said Wardynski has done an excellent job since becoming superintendent.  "You don't fire someone doing a good job," Lomax said.

Back to the Director of Community Spying....remember when Casey Wardynski was invited to attend a town hall meeting in north Huntsville organized by Councilman Richard Showers, which he refused to attend, but said he knew everything that was said because "we had folks there"?  Don't know about people, but I know one person that was there, and at all other community meetings..... David Driscoll.

EYE don't know about you, but it sounds like the Huntsville City School Board of Education is a piggy bank for adults.

What say you Commissioner Bob Harrison?

EYE shall return...

This is what #WhitePrivilege looks like in one picture

 

Huntsville is now fair game for all protesters, anywhere and anytime... Let's call it the Dale Jackson Precedent. #ShutItDownHSV
— Dale Jackson (@TheDaleJackson) December 9, 2014

Mad because Oakwood University students organized a peaceful demonstration because they want to be treated like human beings, local radio host Dale Jackson (pictured above taking a selfie), decided to mock the absurdity of die- protest orchestrated by America’s grievance industry, with a one man protest, enabled by the City of Huntsville, the Huntsville Police Department, the media, and indirectly, Huntsville/Madison County taxpayers.

The right way to protest according to Dale Jackson

“There is a right way to protest and a wrong way to protest. Laying down in the middle of the road is the wrong way and shame on the politicians who are afraid to stand up and tell them ‘no.'”
That is the point Huntsville conservative talk radio personality Dale Jackson says he wanted to get across on Monday when he staged a one-man protest, lying down in the middle of the street blocking traffic on one of Huntsville’s busiest thoroughfares as local residents tried to make their way home from work.
The genesis of Jackson’s idea came when word started to spread on social media that several Huntsville residents were planning a demonstration they had dubbed “Shut it Down Huntsville.” Their plan to was to start in the parking lot of the Oakwood University Church and march up University Drive, “blocking all traffic in protest.”
The protest mirrored many others taking place around the country in the wake of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner deaths and subsequent grand jury decisions.

Let's backup. Their plan was to start in the parking lot of the Oakwood University Church and march up University Drive, “blocking all traffic in protest.” When Dale Jackson got wind of this, he and his posse cranked up a  they don't have a permit whine on social media.

RT @61Webhead: @TheDaleJackson @RedEyesPage did these protesters obtain a permit to block off University Dr? // DJ: Af 4PM? On Friday? No.
— Dale Jackson (@TheDaleJackson) December 5, 2014

The social media whine was picked up by the mainstream media, which resulted in Oakwood students being urged to not break traffic laws by the University President, and the city councilman who represents the district.

Huntsville City Councilman Will Culver said Huntsville police hope to prevent a planned Friday afternoon protest march from spilling into busy University Drive.
Culver, whose council district includes University Drive as well as Oakwood University where the 4:30 p.m. march is starting, said Huntsville Police Chief Lewis Morris has identified "a few areas where people can stand alongside University Drive and peacefully protest."

Did you get that last sentence?  An area was identified where people can stand alongside (not to be confused with in the middle of) University Drive.

 The police had hoped the protestors would be satisfied staging their "die in" - four and a half minutes laying in the road to simulate the four and a half hours Michael Brown's body lay in the street in Ferguson, Mo. - on less busy Wynn Drive.

There's just one hitch, no one could see the die-in  on "less busy Wynn Drive" which kind of defeats the purpose of the protest.

But when protestors asked if they could have four and a half minutes to lie down on University, Police Chief Lewis Morris said yes. Police had the people and equipment in place to stop traffic, it would only take a few minutes, and it would avoid unnecessary confrontation.

Some have made an issue of the protestors not having a permit to do what they did. Morris pointed out that he signs the permits, he was on the scene, and he decided to grant the protestors' request. It wasn't on paper, but it was within his authority to make a spot decision.

Morris could have refused. He could have been indignant and stuck to the letter of the law.
Instead, he was smart, thoughtful and tolerant.

Which goes to show no good deed goes unpunished.  Under the guise of concern for law enforcement,  Dale Jackson forced HPD to provide him with a seven police car escort and block off busy streets during rush hour for a tax payer funded PR stunt.

Oh well, at least he didn't use the official Alabama State Seal on a memo telling democrats to vote the day after the election again.

Note to future protestors, the next time you want to protest, go to city hall and request a permit. They will be more than happy to oblige you.  If not, remind them of the Dale Jackson precedent pictured above.

Snertly sums it up:

While #ShutItDownHSV was performed to draw attention to Ferguson and similar issues, Dale Jackson's stunt is just to draw attention to Dale Jackson.
I'm glad Mr Jackson got his 120 seconds in the lime light, but it's absurd for him to equate laying alone on a public road stroking his ego with a social protest and demonstration involving over a hundred people..

Hey Brian, this post is just for you #KeepJohnsonsName

Remember when I said this?

 Why is it when student's, alumni, and any number of councilmen and officials call to inform the Superintendent he is making a gargantuan mistake changing the name of Lee High School, he acknowledges his mistake and backtracks on his proposal, but when J.O.Johnson High School alumni and students protest, and any number of councilmen and officials call to inform him he is making a gargantuan mistake changing the name of Johnson High School,  he violates district policy and changes the name of not just Johnson but Davis Hills Middle School too?  This is indeed the Pinnacle of Hypocrisy.

 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.

And you said this?

Also, did the J.O. Johnson students get up and walk out of class in protest of the name change like the Lee students did? I have seen nothing about students protesting the J.O. Johnson name change.

Well here you go.



Again, if it's not hypocrisy what is it?
RedEye

I guess it depends on what your definition of "playing the race card" IS #WarOnWhites

@xTheDevilUKnowx @MRBistruth @kharyp @BNwls @abutler04 pic.twitter.com/NTjdLAwH0y
— Bernard Cannariato (@DocTexian) August 11, 2014

Man, was Mo Brooks wrong! Democrats never play the race card, says Mo's favorite defender, Dale "Jackson",  who then asked the media to show where Mo was wrong. about his war on whites assertion.   Psst Radio Boy! Your pal Mo didn't accuse democrats of playing the race card, he accused "democrats" of waging a war on whites.  Remember?

It seems he, and other old, white racists like him, feel that Democrats are racist by having the nerve to expose the racist actions of RWNJs.

Everybody knows playing the race card is what white people say when they want to belittle, marginalize, and minimize, legitimate complaint/concerns, such as the ones outlined in an article published yesterday by the New Republic, which looks at the actions of the Legislature since the Republican takeover of 2010 and examines them in terms of race and party affiliation.

 Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature is systematically undoing the gains achieved during the civil rights movement, a new article contends, pointing to things such as voter ID laws, cutting public assistance and refusing to expand Medicaid as proof of what the writer calls "the new racism."

We tried to tell some of y'all the republicans were up to no good, but did y'all listen? Nooooo. We were just race baiting, racist, dinosaurs.

Remember when Mo looked for help from African American voters before he was against  help from African American voters?