Atlanta is on the verge of a major redevelopment that will change this city for generations. Plans for the proposed Belt Line, a twenty-two mile loop around the city, are moving ahead. The Belt Line is a transportation and green space project that will spark redevelopment in the cities most blighted areas.
Proponents of the beltline cite the many benefits that the city would reap from this project. First, the new rail system will give a much-needed relief to the traffic gridlock throughout the city. In addition, the green space and redevelopments would e poised to beautify some of the cities poorest and most polluted areas. Lastly, the development would help generate a larger tax base to help fill the city’s coffers.
Beltline opponents argue that the poor and the neighborhood interests have been neglected. With redevelopment comes an increase in property values. In turn, the burden is placed on the poor to deal with higher property taxes, rent, and mortgages. Those who have had to endure with these blighted areas for years will not benefit from the project. Sadly, they will be forced to leave their neighborhoods because they will no longer be able to afford to live there.
Regardless of the ramifications of this project, the Belt Line is a major undertaking that will transform Atlanta.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Qualifying is over!
Qualifying is over and now its time for the primary season. Here are a few races that I think are going to be interesing during the primary
-Governor of Course
State Senate District 36
State Senate District 44
State Senate District 10
House District 44
House District 56
House District 59
House District 65
House Distrit 84
and Fulton County Commission Chair.
Watch how these races go. I believe some campaigns will e interesting and some will have a couple of surprises.
-Governor of Course
State Senate District 36
State Senate District 44
State Senate District 10
House District 44
House District 56
House District 59
House District 65
House Distrit 84
and Fulton County Commission Chair.
Watch how these races go. I believe some campaigns will e interesting and some will have a couple of surprises.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Goodbye Delay
This has been the best news I've heard in years!!!
Sources: DeLay to leave House re-election race
Former majority leader to announce move Tuesday
From Dana Bash
CNN
Monday, April 3, 2006; Posted: 10:39 p.m. EDT (02:39 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Tom DeLay will drop out of his re-election race, two Republican congressional sources told CNN Monday.
DeLay was forced to step down as House majority leader last year after being indicted in his home state of Texas.
Clicke here for full article
Sources: DeLay to leave House re-election race
Former majority leader to announce move Tuesday
From Dana Bash
CNN
Monday, April 3, 2006; Posted: 10:39 p.m. EDT (02:39 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Tom DeLay will drop out of his re-election race, two Republican congressional sources told CNN Monday.
DeLay was forced to step down as House majority leader last year after being indicted in his home state of Texas.
Clicke here for full article
Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn
I don't know anything to say but "WOW"
March 20, 2006
Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn
New York Times
By ERIK ECKHOLM
BALTIMORE - Black men in the United States face a far more dire situation than is portrayed by common employment and education statistics, a flurry of new scholarly studies warn, and it has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul have brought gains to black women and other groups.
Focusing more closely than ever on the life patterns of young black men, the new studies, by experts at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions, show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men are becoming ever more disconnected from the mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men.
Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates have declined.
Although the problems afflicting poor black men have been known for decades, the new data paint a more extensive and sobering picture of the challenges they face.
"There's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore," said Ronald B. Mincy, professor of social work at Columbia University and editor of "Black Males Left Behind" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).
"Over the last two decades, the economy did great," Mr. Mincy said, "and low-skilled women, helped by public policy, latched onto it. But young black men were falling farther back."
Many of the new studies go beyond the traditional approaches to looking at the plight of black men, especially when it comes to determining the scope of joblessness. For example, official unemployment rates can be misleading because they do not include those not seeking work or incarcerated.
"If you look at the numbers, the 1990's was a bad decade for young black men, even though it had the best labor market in 30 years," said Harry J. Holzer, an economist at Georgetown University and co-author, with Peter Edelman and Paul Offner, of "Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).
In response to the worsening situation for young black men, a growing number of programs are placing as much importance on teaching life skills - like parenting, conflict resolution and character building - as they are on teaching job skills.
These were among the recent findings:
¶The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly, with only a slight pause during the economic peak of the late 1990's. In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20's were jobless - that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts. Even when high school graduates were included, half of black men in their 20's were jobless in 2004, up from 46 percent in 2000.
¶Incarceration rates climbed in the 1990's and reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20's who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30's, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of school had spent time in prison.
¶In the inner cities, more than half of all black men do not finish high school.
None of the litany of problems that young black men face was news to a group of men from the airless neighborhoods of Baltimore who recently described their experiences.
One of them, Curtis E. Brannon, told a story so commonplace it hardly bears notice here. He quit school in 10th grade to sell drugs, fathered four children with three mothers, and spent several stretches in jail for drug possession, parole violations and other crimes.
"I was with the street life, but now I feel like I've got to get myself together," Mr. Brannon said recently in the row-house flat he shares with his girlfriend and four children. "You get tired of incarceration."
Mr. Brannon, 28, said he planned to look for work, perhaps as a mover, and he noted optimistically that he had not been locked up in six months.
A group of men, including Mr. Brannon, gathered at the Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development, one of several private agencies trying to help men build character along with workplace skills.
The clients readily admit to their own bad choices but say they also fight a pervasive sense of hopelessness.
"It hurts to get that boot in the face all the time," said Steve Diggs, 34. "I've had a lot of charges but only a few convictions," he said of his criminal record.
Mr. Diggs is now trying to strike out on his own, developing a party space for rentals, but he needs help with business skills.
"I don't understand," said William Baker, 47. "If a man wants to change, why won't society give him a chance to prove he's a changed person?" Mr. Baker has a lot of record to overcome, he admits, not least his recent 15-year stay in the state penitentiary for armed robbery.
Mr. Baker led a visitor down the Pennsylvania Avenue strip he wants to escape - past idlers, addicts and hustlers, storefront churches and fortresslike liquor stores - and described a life that seemed inevitable.
He sold marijuana for his parents, he said, left school in the sixth grade and later dealt heroin and cocaine. He was for decades addicted to heroin, he said, easily keeping the habit during three terms in prison. But during his last long stay, he also studied hard to get a G.E.D. and an associate's degree.
Now out for 18 months, Mr. Baker is living in a home for recovering drug addicts. He is working a $10-an-hour warehouse job while he ponders how to make a living from his real passion, drawing and graphic arts.
"I don't want to be a criminal at 50," Mr. Baker said.
According to census data, there are about five million black men ages 20 to 39 in the United States.
Terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work have all been cited as causes of the deepening ruin of black youths. Scholars - and the young men themselves - agree that all of these issues must be addressed.
Joseph T. Jones, director of the fatherhood and work skills center here, puts the breakdown of families at the core.
"Many of these men grew up fatherless, and they never had good role models," said Mr. Jones, who overcame addiction and prison time. "No one around them knows how to navigate the mainstream society."
All the negative trends are associated with poor schooling, studies have shown, and progress has been slight in recent years. Federal data tend to understate dropout rates among the poor, in part because imprisoned youths are not counted.
Closer studies reveal that in inner cities across the country, more than half of all black men still do not finish high school, said Gary Orfield, an education expert at Harvard and editor of "Dropouts in America" (Harvard Education Press, 2004).
"We're pumping out boys with no honest alternative," Mr. Orfield said in an interview, "and of course their neighborhoods offer many other alternatives."
Dropout rates for Hispanic youths are as bad or worse but are not associated with nearly as much unemployment or crime, the data show.
With the shift from factory jobs, unskilled workers of all races have lost ground, but none more so than blacks. By 2004, 50 percent of black men in their 20's who lacked a college education were jobless, as were 72 percent of high school dropouts, according to data compiled by Bruce Western, a sociologist at Princeton and author of the forthcoming book "Punishment and Inequality in America" (Russell Sage Press). These are more than double the rates for white and Hispanic men.
Mr. Holzer of Georgetown and his co-authors cite two factors that have curbed black employment in particular.
First, the high rate of incarceration and attendant flood of former offenders into neighborhoods have become major impediments. Men with criminal records tend to be shunned by employers, and young blacks with clean records suffer by association, studies have found.
Arrests of black men climbed steeply during the crack epidemic of the 1980's, but since then the political shift toward harsher punishments, more than any trends in crime, has accounted for the continued growth in the prison population, Mr. Western said.
By their mid-30's, 30 percent of black men with no more than a high school education have served time in prison, and 60 percent of dropouts have, Mr. Western said.
Among black dropouts in their late 20's, more are in prison on a given day - 34 percent - than are working - 30 percent - according to an analysis of 2000 census data by Steven Raphael of the University of California, Berkeley.
The second special factor is related to an otherwise successful policy: the stricter enforcement of child support. Improved collection of money from absent fathers has been a pillar of welfare overhaul. But the system can leave young men feeling overwhelmed with debt and deter them from seeking legal work, since a large share of any earnings could be seized.
About half of all black men in their late 20's and early 30's who did not go to college are noncustodial fathers, according to Mr. Holzer. From the fathers' viewpoint, support obligations "amount to a tax on earnings," he said.
Some fathers give up, while others find casual work. "The work is sporadic, not the kind that leads to advancement or provides unemployment insurance," Mr. Holzer said. "It's nothing like having a real job."
The recent studies identified a range of government programs and experiments, especially education and training efforts like the Job Corps, that had shown success and could be scaled up.
Scholars call for intensive new efforts to give children a better start, including support for parents and extra schooling for children.
They call for teaching skills to prisoners and helping them re-enter society more productively, and for less automatic incarceration of minor offenders.
In a society where higher education is vital to economic success, Mr. Mincy of Columbia said, programs to help more men enter and succeed in college may hold promise. But he lamented the dearth of policies and resources to aid single men.
"We spent $50 billion in efforts that produced the turnaround for poor women," Mr. Mincy said. "We are not even beginning to think about the men's problem on similar orders of magnitude."
March 20, 2006
Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn
New York Times
By ERIK ECKHOLM
BALTIMORE - Black men in the United States face a far more dire situation than is portrayed by common employment and education statistics, a flurry of new scholarly studies warn, and it has worsened in recent years even as an economic boom and a welfare overhaul have brought gains to black women and other groups.
Focusing more closely than ever on the life patterns of young black men, the new studies, by experts at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions, show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men are becoming ever more disconnected from the mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men.
Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates have declined.
Although the problems afflicting poor black men have been known for decades, the new data paint a more extensive and sobering picture of the challenges they face.
"There's something very different happening with young black men, and it's something we can no longer ignore," said Ronald B. Mincy, professor of social work at Columbia University and editor of "Black Males Left Behind" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).
"Over the last two decades, the economy did great," Mr. Mincy said, "and low-skilled women, helped by public policy, latched onto it. But young black men were falling farther back."
Many of the new studies go beyond the traditional approaches to looking at the plight of black men, especially when it comes to determining the scope of joblessness. For example, official unemployment rates can be misleading because they do not include those not seeking work or incarcerated.
"If you look at the numbers, the 1990's was a bad decade for young black men, even though it had the best labor market in 30 years," said Harry J. Holzer, an economist at Georgetown University and co-author, with Peter Edelman and Paul Offner, of "Reconnecting Disadvantaged Young Men" (Urban Institute Press, 2006).
In response to the worsening situation for young black men, a growing number of programs are placing as much importance on teaching life skills - like parenting, conflict resolution and character building - as they are on teaching job skills.
These were among the recent findings:
¶The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly, with only a slight pause during the economic peak of the late 1990's. In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20's were jobless - that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts. Even when high school graduates were included, half of black men in their 20's were jobless in 2004, up from 46 percent in 2000.
¶Incarceration rates climbed in the 1990's and reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20's who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30's, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of school had spent time in prison.
¶In the inner cities, more than half of all black men do not finish high school.
None of the litany of problems that young black men face was news to a group of men from the airless neighborhoods of Baltimore who recently described their experiences.
One of them, Curtis E. Brannon, told a story so commonplace it hardly bears notice here. He quit school in 10th grade to sell drugs, fathered four children with three mothers, and spent several stretches in jail for drug possession, parole violations and other crimes.
"I was with the street life, but now I feel like I've got to get myself together," Mr. Brannon said recently in the row-house flat he shares with his girlfriend and four children. "You get tired of incarceration."
Mr. Brannon, 28, said he planned to look for work, perhaps as a mover, and he noted optimistically that he had not been locked up in six months.
A group of men, including Mr. Brannon, gathered at the Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development, one of several private agencies trying to help men build character along with workplace skills.
The clients readily admit to their own bad choices but say they also fight a pervasive sense of hopelessness.
"It hurts to get that boot in the face all the time," said Steve Diggs, 34. "I've had a lot of charges but only a few convictions," he said of his criminal record.
Mr. Diggs is now trying to strike out on his own, developing a party space for rentals, but he needs help with business skills.
"I don't understand," said William Baker, 47. "If a man wants to change, why won't society give him a chance to prove he's a changed person?" Mr. Baker has a lot of record to overcome, he admits, not least his recent 15-year stay in the state penitentiary for armed robbery.
Mr. Baker led a visitor down the Pennsylvania Avenue strip he wants to escape - past idlers, addicts and hustlers, storefront churches and fortresslike liquor stores - and described a life that seemed inevitable.
He sold marijuana for his parents, he said, left school in the sixth grade and later dealt heroin and cocaine. He was for decades addicted to heroin, he said, easily keeping the habit during three terms in prison. But during his last long stay, he also studied hard to get a G.E.D. and an associate's degree.
Now out for 18 months, Mr. Baker is living in a home for recovering drug addicts. He is working a $10-an-hour warehouse job while he ponders how to make a living from his real passion, drawing and graphic arts.
"I don't want to be a criminal at 50," Mr. Baker said.
According to census data, there are about five million black men ages 20 to 39 in the United States.
Terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work have all been cited as causes of the deepening ruin of black youths. Scholars - and the young men themselves - agree that all of these issues must be addressed.
Joseph T. Jones, director of the fatherhood and work skills center here, puts the breakdown of families at the core.
"Many of these men grew up fatherless, and they never had good role models," said Mr. Jones, who overcame addiction and prison time. "No one around them knows how to navigate the mainstream society."
All the negative trends are associated with poor schooling, studies have shown, and progress has been slight in recent years. Federal data tend to understate dropout rates among the poor, in part because imprisoned youths are not counted.
Closer studies reveal that in inner cities across the country, more than half of all black men still do not finish high school, said Gary Orfield, an education expert at Harvard and editor of "Dropouts in America" (Harvard Education Press, 2004).
"We're pumping out boys with no honest alternative," Mr. Orfield said in an interview, "and of course their neighborhoods offer many other alternatives."
Dropout rates for Hispanic youths are as bad or worse but are not associated with nearly as much unemployment or crime, the data show.
With the shift from factory jobs, unskilled workers of all races have lost ground, but none more so than blacks. By 2004, 50 percent of black men in their 20's who lacked a college education were jobless, as were 72 percent of high school dropouts, according to data compiled by Bruce Western, a sociologist at Princeton and author of the forthcoming book "Punishment and Inequality in America" (Russell Sage Press). These are more than double the rates for white and Hispanic men.
Mr. Holzer of Georgetown and his co-authors cite two factors that have curbed black employment in particular.
First, the high rate of incarceration and attendant flood of former offenders into neighborhoods have become major impediments. Men with criminal records tend to be shunned by employers, and young blacks with clean records suffer by association, studies have found.
Arrests of black men climbed steeply during the crack epidemic of the 1980's, but since then the political shift toward harsher punishments, more than any trends in crime, has accounted for the continued growth in the prison population, Mr. Western said.
By their mid-30's, 30 percent of black men with no more than a high school education have served time in prison, and 60 percent of dropouts have, Mr. Western said.
Among black dropouts in their late 20's, more are in prison on a given day - 34 percent - than are working - 30 percent - according to an analysis of 2000 census data by Steven Raphael of the University of California, Berkeley.
The second special factor is related to an otherwise successful policy: the stricter enforcement of child support. Improved collection of money from absent fathers has been a pillar of welfare overhaul. But the system can leave young men feeling overwhelmed with debt and deter them from seeking legal work, since a large share of any earnings could be seized.
About half of all black men in their late 20's and early 30's who did not go to college are noncustodial fathers, according to Mr. Holzer. From the fathers' viewpoint, support obligations "amount to a tax on earnings," he said.
Some fathers give up, while others find casual work. "The work is sporadic, not the kind that leads to advancement or provides unemployment insurance," Mr. Holzer said. "It's nothing like having a real job."
The recent studies identified a range of government programs and experiments, especially education and training efforts like the Job Corps, that had shown success and could be scaled up.
Scholars call for intensive new efforts to give children a better start, including support for parents and extra schooling for children.
They call for teaching skills to prisoners and helping them re-enter society more productively, and for less automatic incarceration of minor offenders.
In a society where higher education is vital to economic success, Mr. Mincy of Columbia said, programs to help more men enter and succeed in college may hold promise. But he lamented the dearth of policies and resources to aid single men.
"We spent $50 billion in efforts that produced the turnaround for poor women," Mr. Mincy said. "We are not even beginning to think about the men's problem on similar orders of magnitude."
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Duke lacrosse in turmoil after alleged rape
Below is a story reported by the Daily Press About a Rape incident at Duke. You know, I'm against the death penalty but if we can torture prisoners why can't these sorry sons of bitches be tortured... My suggestion is castration without anesthesia!!!
Duke lacrosse in turmoil after alleged rape
STAFF, WIRE SERVICE REPORTS «
March 28, 2006
DNA samples from 46 Duke lacrosse team members in the investigation of an alleged rape arrived Monday at a North Carolina crime lab, which agreed to work quickly on the case.
An exotic dancer told police she and another dancer were hired March 14 to perform at a small bachelor party, but found themselves surrounded by dozens of men at a house.
Click Here for Full story
Also Check out Justice for Two sisters A blog dedicated to this incident
Duke lacrosse in turmoil after alleged rape
STAFF, WIRE SERVICE REPORTS «
March 28, 2006
DNA samples from 46 Duke lacrosse team members in the investigation of an alleged rape arrived Monday at a North Carolina crime lab, which agreed to work quickly on the case.
An exotic dancer told police she and another dancer were hired March 14 to perform at a small bachelor party, but found themselves surrounded by dozens of men at a house.
Click Here for Full story
Also Check out Justice for Two sisters A blog dedicated to this incident
Friday, March 31, 2006
Neal Boortz has crossed the line
OK. He definitely just crossed the line. I am applalled by this. His radio show needs to be shut down NOW. Her actions did not warrant this racist and sexist comment and I'm mad as Hell
Boortz: Rep. McKinney "looks like a ghetto slut"
On the March 31 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Neal Boortz said that Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) "looks like a ghetto slut." Boortz was commenting on a March 29 incident in which McKinney allegedly struck a police officer at a Capitol Hill security checkpoint. Boortz said that McKinney's "new hair-do" makes her look "like a ghetto slut," like "an explosion at a Brillo pad factory," like "Tina Turner peeing on an electric fence," and like "a shih tzu." McKinney is the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Georgia.
Boortz: Rep. McKinney "looks like a ghetto slut"
Boortz: Rep. McKinney "looks like a ghetto slut"
On the March 31 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Neal Boortz said that Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) "looks like a ghetto slut." Boortz was commenting on a March 29 incident in which McKinney allegedly struck a police officer at a Capitol Hill security checkpoint. Boortz said that McKinney's "new hair-do" makes her look "like a ghetto slut," like "an explosion at a Brillo pad factory," like "Tina Turner peeing on an electric fence," and like "a shih tzu." McKinney is the first African-American woman elected to Congress from Georgia.
Boortz: Rep. McKinney "looks like a ghetto slut"
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Another battle is brewing
So yeah...There is smoke in the city with the YDG Elections Again.
It looks like the President and VP Programs elections are going to be interesting. I guess another battle is brewing but I don't have anything to do with it. I'll be spending my saturday in prayer and meditation. Something that I've learned to do recently. It reduces stress and the flare ups from my illness. It's just too much for me.
It looks like the President and VP Programs elections are going to be interesting. I guess another battle is brewing but I don't have anything to do with it. I'll be spending my saturday in prayer and meditation. Something that I've learned to do recently. It reduces stress and the flare ups from my illness. It's just too much for me.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Serve Across America
Dear State and Chapter Leaders,
CDA is excited to present a new national program called Serve Across America aimed at improving our local communities and exemplifying the Democratic commitment to values. We are encouraging every chapter and state federation to commit to a community service program during the week of April 17 – 21. In this email you will find a list of suggested community service program ideas that can be altered and implemented in your respective communities. You can also craft a new program and make this your own! It doesn’t matter how ambitious the program, we just encourage you to put your face in the community as agents of positive change!!!
So what do you need to do? Rather quickly, meet with your officers and membership to determine a community service program that can be executed during the week of April 17 – 21. Then, make proper arrangements for that event. We suggest wearing your Democratic T-shirts and publicizing your event like crazy! Make sure that your campus and local media outlets are aware of your efforts so that we can receive maximum coverage. Then, email serveamerica@collegedems.com by April 12, 2006 with your proposed community service project, number of participants, and the total number of hours you will spend on your project. Nationally, CDA will publicize the combined efforts of our chapters across the country truly serving America!!!
Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions!
Anna Ruth Williams
National Programs Director, College Democrats of America
LaToia Jones
Executive Director, College Democrats of America
Community Service Program Ideas
Indiana Federation of College Democrats
The Indiana Federation has been organizing senior Medicare tutorials. They take a computer into senior centers to help senior
citizens navigate through the maze of Medicare questions they have.
Cal Poly Democrats
The Cal Poly Democrats recruited teams of 3-10 people (from residence halls, Greeks, other clubs, and of course Dems). The teams met on campus at 1:00 p.m. to receive a food list (items the food bank requested). They then had 3 hours to go door-to-door locally to ask people for the food items.
UNLV College Democrats
UNLV College Democrats participate in a "Spring Cleaning" program at the end of every semester. They organize with a local shelter that accepts clothing and then they plaster the campus with flyers asking students to please donate clothes that they are going to throw away to the shelter. This works well since people throw away so much when going home for the summer.
In the Fall, they collect toys for needy families. Their chapter teams up with a member of Congress or the Senate and raise money to provide the families a XMAS.
They also do walks for Breast Cancer and AIDS. Again, they have a member of Congress or Senate sponsor their chapter and they wear the member’s shirts while walking so they get the publicity.
Bard College Democrats
The Bard College Democrats assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief. A bunch of our chapter members headed down to New Orleans over winter break, with great success. ACORN and COMMON GROUND are very good groups for organizing such trips.
Auburn University College Democrats
For the last two years, Auburn has tied in with the local chapter of the East Alabama AIDS Coalition to sponsor a family in need. Members got together to knit and crochet scarves and hats. Members who didn't know how to knit or crochet were tutored by other members. These items were sold on days leading up to December 1st, National AIDS Awareness Day, and were distributed with small ribbons for students to wear. Proceeds from this sale went to purchase toys and clothing for the sponsored family to ensure that they were well provided for during the holiday season. When our members came together to wrap the purchased gifts, we had a speaker from the AIDS coalition speak to those present about preventing the spread of AIDS.
CDA is excited to present a new national program called Serve Across America aimed at improving our local communities and exemplifying the Democratic commitment to values. We are encouraging every chapter and state federation to commit to a community service program during the week of April 17 – 21. In this email you will find a list of suggested community service program ideas that can be altered and implemented in your respective communities. You can also craft a new program and make this your own! It doesn’t matter how ambitious the program, we just encourage you to put your face in the community as agents of positive change!!!
So what do you need to do? Rather quickly, meet with your officers and membership to determine a community service program that can be executed during the week of April 17 – 21. Then, make proper arrangements for that event. We suggest wearing your Democratic T-shirts and publicizing your event like crazy! Make sure that your campus and local media outlets are aware of your efforts so that we can receive maximum coverage. Then, email serveamerica@collegedems.com by April 12, 2006 with your proposed community service project, number of participants, and the total number of hours you will spend on your project. Nationally, CDA will publicize the combined efforts of our chapters across the country truly serving America!!!
Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions!
Anna Ruth Williams
National Programs Director, College Democrats of America
LaToia Jones
Executive Director, College Democrats of America
Community Service Program Ideas
Indiana Federation of College Democrats
The Indiana Federation has been organizing senior Medicare tutorials. They take a computer into senior centers to help senior
citizens navigate through the maze of Medicare questions they have.
Cal Poly Democrats
The Cal Poly Democrats recruited teams of 3-10 people (from residence halls, Greeks, other clubs, and of course Dems). The teams met on campus at 1:00 p.m. to receive a food list (items the food bank requested). They then had 3 hours to go door-to-door locally to ask people for the food items.
UNLV College Democrats
UNLV College Democrats participate in a "Spring Cleaning" program at the end of every semester. They organize with a local shelter that accepts clothing and then they plaster the campus with flyers asking students to please donate clothes that they are going to throw away to the shelter. This works well since people throw away so much when going home for the summer.
In the Fall, they collect toys for needy families. Their chapter teams up with a member of Congress or the Senate and raise money to provide the families a XMAS.
They also do walks for Breast Cancer and AIDS. Again, they have a member of Congress or Senate sponsor their chapter and they wear the member’s shirts while walking so they get the publicity.
Bard College Democrats
The Bard College Democrats assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief. A bunch of our chapter members headed down to New Orleans over winter break, with great success. ACORN and COMMON GROUND are very good groups for organizing such trips.
Auburn University College Democrats
For the last two years, Auburn has tied in with the local chapter of the East Alabama AIDS Coalition to sponsor a family in need. Members got together to knit and crochet scarves and hats. Members who didn't know how to knit or crochet were tutored by other members. These items were sold on days leading up to December 1st, National AIDS Awareness Day, and were distributed with small ribbons for students to wear. Proceeds from this sale went to purchase toys and clothing for the sponsored family to ensure that they were well provided for during the holiday season. When our members came together to wrap the purchased gifts, we had a speaker from the AIDS coalition speak to those present about preventing the spread of AIDS.
MG Democrats Rally
Middle Georgia Democratic Rally
Saturday, April 1, 2006 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Fountain Park, Warner Robins*
Join other Middle Georgia Democrats for a day of fun and food (FREE BBQ!)
Meet and talk with candidates for federal, state and local offices
Bring a chair and your shades, and enjoy the entertainment provided by Middle Georgia talent!
Discussion of the Issues
Entertainment
MEET THE CANDIDATES
* Greg Hecht * Jim Martin * for Lt. Governor
* Guy Drexinger * for Insurance Commissioner
* Carlotta Harrell * for State School Superintendent
* Denise Majette for State School Superintendent
* Gail Buckner * Daryl Hicks * Scott Holcomb *
* Angela Moore * Shyam Reddy *
Candidates for Secretary of State
* Rev. Jim Nelson * Candidate for U.S. Representative of Georgia’s First Congressional District
* Lauren Benedict (HD 140) * Scott Taylor (HD 146) *
* Dee Yearty (SD 20) *
Candidates for the Georgia Legislature
*Meet John Barrow, U.S. Representative of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, and many more GREAT DEMOCRATS! *
Come out and get involved - Because Democracy is not a spectator sport.
*FROM I-75, EXIT AT 144 AND PROCEED EAST ON RUSSELL PARKWAY 6.4 MILES TO KIMBERLY DR. (CVS IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BENNETT’S DISCOUNT LIQUORS ON THE LEFT). TURN LEFT ON KIMBERLY AND PROCEED ABOUT 0.8 MILE. PARK IS ON THE LEFT.
SPONSORED BY RUSSELL BOSTON, CHAIR, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT; MIDDLE GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC WOMEN; HOUSTON, PEACH AND BIBB COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEES
For further details, contact Betty Pearsall at (478) 328-1201 or Elayne Greenberg at (478) 328-1352
Saturday, April 1, 2006 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Fountain Park, Warner Robins*
Join other Middle Georgia Democrats for a day of fun and food (FREE BBQ!)
Meet and talk with candidates for federal, state and local offices
Bring a chair and your shades, and enjoy the entertainment provided by Middle Georgia talent!
Discussion of the Issues
Entertainment
MEET THE CANDIDATES
* Greg Hecht * Jim Martin * for Lt. Governor
* Guy Drexinger * for Insurance Commissioner
* Carlotta Harrell * for State School Superintendent
* Denise Majette for State School Superintendent
* Gail Buckner * Daryl Hicks * Scott Holcomb *
* Angela Moore * Shyam Reddy *
Candidates for Secretary of State
* Rev. Jim Nelson * Candidate for U.S. Representative of Georgia’s First Congressional District
* Lauren Benedict (HD 140) * Scott Taylor (HD 146) *
* Dee Yearty (SD 20) *
Candidates for the Georgia Legislature
*Meet John Barrow, U.S. Representative of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, and many more GREAT DEMOCRATS! *
Come out and get involved - Because Democracy is not a spectator sport.
*FROM I-75, EXIT AT 144 AND PROCEED EAST ON RUSSELL PARKWAY 6.4 MILES TO KIMBERLY DR. (CVS IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BENNETT’S DISCOUNT LIQUORS ON THE LEFT). TURN LEFT ON KIMBERLY AND PROCEED ABOUT 0.8 MILE. PARK IS ON THE LEFT.
SPONSORED BY RUSSELL BOSTON, CHAIR, THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT; MIDDLE GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC WOMEN; HOUSTON, PEACH AND BIBB COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEES
For further details, contact Betty Pearsall at (478) 328-1201 or Elayne Greenberg at (478) 328-1352
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Majette to Run for School Chief
Former U.S. Rep. Denise Majette, who lost her bid for the U.S. Senate in 2004, announced Tuesday that she is running for state schools superintendent.
Majette said Georgia's students continue to rank among the worst in the nation when it comes to test scores.
Majette a candidate for state superintendent
Monday, March 13, 2006
A MAD Democrat
I am appalled at the attempt by the State Democratic Party to prevent Rev. Steve Small from qualifying in the Primary for Jefferson County Commissioner.
As a party loyalist, I support my party in most decisions that it makes however I support this decision as much as I do Satan Himself. This goes against every principle of our party and is embarrassing to say the least.
In 2002, Small waged awrite in campaign against Sheila Smoot. State Party By-laws prohibit people from qualifying for years after not supporting the democratic nominee. Did Mr. Turnham and Mr. Reed forget this when they allowed others to qualify such as Gerald Dial, Hinton Mitchem, Lowell Barron, Fred Horn, Nathan Mathis, Harry Lyons, and Roger Monroe.
This is a public relations nightmare for our party. The party has stepped into a primary and disrupted the democratic process. I wonder if they would be doing this if Smoot were not vulnerable in this election.
I challenge the state party as well as Smoot to have the intestinal fortitude to allow Small to run and allow democracy to thrive within our party.
Today I am ashamed of my party and for the first time embarrassed to say that I am a democrat.
As a party loyalist, I support my party in most decisions that it makes however I support this decision as much as I do Satan Himself. This goes against every principle of our party and is embarrassing to say the least.
In 2002, Small waged awrite in campaign against Sheila Smoot. State Party By-laws prohibit people from qualifying for years after not supporting the democratic nominee. Did Mr. Turnham and Mr. Reed forget this when they allowed others to qualify such as Gerald Dial, Hinton Mitchem, Lowell Barron, Fred Horn, Nathan Mathis, Harry Lyons, and Roger Monroe.
This is a public relations nightmare for our party. The party has stepped into a primary and disrupted the democratic process. I wonder if they would be doing this if Smoot were not vulnerable in this election.
I challenge the state party as well as Smoot to have the intestinal fortitude to allow Small to run and allow democracy to thrive within our party.
Today I am ashamed of my party and for the first time embarrassed to say that I am a democrat.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Council members blast Franklin over NASCAR offer
By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/06/06
Several members of Atlanta City Council lashed out at Mayor Shirley Franklin on Monday for proposing to give NASCAR millions of dollars without asking them first.
Last week, it was revealed that the city had sent NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Brian France a letter with an offer of government-backed bonds to cover the cost of constructing a hall of fame here.
Councilwoman Felicia Moore and three colleagues — C.T. Martin, Natalyn Archibong and Anne Fauver — all said they were not informed until after the fact about Franklin's Feb. 23 letter offering $77 million. The four council members together represent about a third of the city's population — about 100,000 Atlantans.
"The mayor often boasts of her administration's openness and transparency in government, but in this case it was closed and behind the backs of" four council members, Moore said at Monday's council meeting.
Nine members of the council, plus council President Lisa Borders, signed the letter. It talked of the city's "commitment" to attracting the hall of fame and proposed government-backed financing totalling $102 million, which included $25 million from the state.
Martin said the letter "obligated" the city to give NASCAR taxpayer money, and said there should have been open debate and deliberation followed by a vote.
Borders responded to the criticism by saying the letter was merely "a demonstration of support" for NASCAR and did not commit the city to spending money.
These are the latest complaints about a secretive bidding process that was run by a consortium of business and government leaders.
The two lead groups, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Central Atlanta Progress, refused to provide documents about the process, contending they were not subject to state open records law.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed suit in Fulton County Superior Court. The newspaper won in the fall, but the decision was appealed last month with the outcome pending in the spring.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/06/06
Several members of Atlanta City Council lashed out at Mayor Shirley Franklin on Monday for proposing to give NASCAR millions of dollars without asking them first.
Last week, it was revealed that the city had sent NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Brian France a letter with an offer of government-backed bonds to cover the cost of constructing a hall of fame here.
Councilwoman Felicia Moore and three colleagues — C.T. Martin, Natalyn Archibong and Anne Fauver — all said they were not informed until after the fact about Franklin's Feb. 23 letter offering $77 million. The four council members together represent about a third of the city's population — about 100,000 Atlantans.
"The mayor often boasts of her administration's openness and transparency in government, but in this case it was closed and behind the backs of" four council members, Moore said at Monday's council meeting.
Nine members of the council, plus council President Lisa Borders, signed the letter. It talked of the city's "commitment" to attracting the hall of fame and proposed government-backed financing totalling $102 million, which included $25 million from the state.
Martin said the letter "obligated" the city to give NASCAR taxpayer money, and said there should have been open debate and deliberation followed by a vote.
Borders responded to the criticism by saying the letter was merely "a demonstration of support" for NASCAR and did not commit the city to spending money.
These are the latest complaints about a secretive bidding process that was run by a consortium of business and government leaders.
The two lead groups, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Central Atlanta Progress, refused to provide documents about the process, contending they were not subject to state open records law.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed suit in Fulton County Superior Court. The newspaper won in the fall, but the decision was appealed last month with the outcome pending in the spring.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Law prof seeks meaning of rap
Law prof seeks meaning of rap
Story Image 1
[Amar Bains/The Daily Pennsylvanian]
Rutgers law professor Imani Perry speaks about the artistic merit of hip hop and how it relates to modern racism.
By alex ullman
March 1, 2006
Underneath its often vulgar exterior, hip hop examines relevant topics in an intellectual light, according to one law professor.
Almost 50 people gathered at the Penn Bookstore last night to hear Rutgers University law professor Imani Perry discuss hip hop. Perry is the author of the book Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop.
Taking an intellectual look at popular culture, Perry challenged society to look beyond the "fluttery fashion of hip hop times" and to engage the music as an art form.
She said that beyond the ostensible "immorality, vulgarity and conspicuous consumption" of the stereotypical rapper there exists an image of an independent and outspoken modern person that has the "potential to humanize."
When she first heard rap group the Sugarhill Gang in 1979, Perry said she knew that there was something special about hip-hop music. She combined this inspiration with her Harvard training as a historian of American civilization to dissect rap lyrics and hip hop and reveal the music as a valid art form within the context of modern society.
Just as jazz and blues evolved from the black American experience in the 19th century, hip hop is the voice for the "post-civil rights era," Perry said. Today, she said, we live in a society where racism is socially rejected but still exists in practice.
According to Perry, hip hop can provide modern listeners with a means to face issues of racial inequality.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she said, hip hop as an art form and a means of communication can help overcome the problems of rebuilding Louisiana communities.
"Sometimes you've got to knock down to get up," Perry said, quoting rap artist and New Orleans native Mystikal.
Second-year biomedical doctoral student Christa Heyward that Perry's speech helped her engage with hip hop in ways that she had not previously considered.
"I didn't have a lot of exposure to hip hop growing up, but [Perry] allowed me to pick up on many elements of the artistry of hip hop and its culture," Heyward said.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
HIV hitting blacks harder
DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) -- Just over half of new infections with the AIDS virus in the United States are in blacks, U.S. researchers reported.
A study of detailed data from 33 states shows that of 156,000 new cases of HIV infection between 2001 and 2004, 51 percent were in non-Hispanic blacks -- although blacks made up just 13 percent of the population in those states.
"The rates are extremely high for African-Americans," Tonji Durant of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the study, told a news conference.
The rate of new infections declined in black women and in many black men -- with the exception of men having sex with other men, Durant's team reported.
"Despite reductions in diagnoses among African American men and women, HIV continues to pose a major health threat," the CDC said in a statement.
"Despite possible signs of success, HIV continues to exact a disproportionate and devastating toll on African Americans."
Durant and colleagues found that the rate of HIV diagnosis fell by 6.8 percent annually among black women and 4.4 percent annually among black men between 2001 and 2004.
The HIV diagnosis rate even fell by 9.7 percent every year on average among black male users of injected drugs, the CDC study found.
Blacks still had a substantially higher infection rate than other ethnic groups, the CDC team told the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections being held in Denver.
"For African-American men, it is seven times the rate of white men and for African-American women it is 21 times the rate of whites," Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis, said in an interview.
CDC officials noted the declines were in the number of new diagnoses -- not necessarily new infections.
Improving awareness
Fenton said public health experts need to work harder to make people aware that AIDS is still an epidemic, to inform them about the benefits of getting tested and to let them know there are treatments available that can keep them healthy, even if there is no cure.
"Some of the factors which are preventing them from getting tested are stigma and fear," Fenton said. People fear rejection from family and friends if they test positive for HIV.
"They hear that these treatments are expensive and wonder how they could possibly afford it," he added.
"What we need is a long-term and sustained effort."
Fenton said the entertainment industry, media and other community figures could be put to better use, and better options made available for people to get the often-expensive HIV drugs.
The human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS is spread by homosexual and heterosexual sex, by sharing needles with someone who is infected, or via blood transfusions. Infected mothers can pass the virus to their babies.
The virus infects close to 40 million people worldwide and more than 1 million people in the United States.
The CDC estimates that 40,000 Americans become infected with HIV each year.
A second study presented at the same conference found that 32 percent of black men in Baltimore who had sex with other men, which includes homosexual and bisexual activity, were infected with HIV.
More than 9 percent of the 891 men became infected with HIV during the year of the study.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
RIP Coretta Scott King
Today we mourn the loss of what I would like to call the "First Lady" of the Civil Rights Movement. Mrs. King was more than just the woman behind the man but an integral part of the Movement. Mrs. King was the support at home that is necessary for a public servant while she remained on the forefront of the movement. After the death of Dr. King, Mrs. King continued in his legacy.
As the 109th Congress confirms Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, we must not forget the legacy of the King family. We must continue the fight for social justice and equality. We must continue the fight for education, health care and jobs for our people. And we must fight this Culture of Corruption which is doing nothing but hurting our people more. Together America can do better and we must do better in the name of Rev. and Mrs King.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Atlanta council seat hangs on court decision
By TY TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/21/05
It's been more than a month since Atlanta voters went to the polls, yet the outcome of one city council race still hangs in the balance.
Anne Fauver, who has represented the area around Piedmont Park for the past four years, beat challenger Steve Brodie by five votes. Brodie, however, is demanding a run-off election, asserting in court that Fauver did not win a majority of all votes cast.
The outcome hinges on what constitutes a countable vote. Under state law, a write-in vote for city council does not count if it is cast for someone who is not a certified write-in candidate. To become an official write-in candidate in Atlanta, a person must file paperwork with the city clerk and notify the public with an ad in the Fulton County Daily Report, a legal newspaper. No one did so in the District 6 race.
In oral arguments in Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday, a special judge heard lawyers for both candidates assail and defend the constitutionality of the state law on write-in votes.
The law is in question because nine voters in the District 6 election chose to mark the write-in portion of their ballots, instead of selecting Fauver or Brodie. In accordance with law, Fulton County election officials did not count those nine votes in the total, and calculated Fauver had a majority of all votes cast. But Brodie notes that if those nine votes are counted toward the total, then Fauver has only 49.97 percent of the vote.
If no candidate garners a majority, then a run-off election is required under Georgia law.
Attorney Michael Coleman, arguing for Brodie, said those nine voters were cheated of their right to vote. "The failure to count a write-in vote is tantamount to taking a vote away," he said, adding that the Georgia Legislature violated the state constitution when it required that votes for people who aren't candidates be ignored.
But Robert Highsmith, an attorney for Fauver, argued that the state constitution delegated to the Legislature the authority to dictate how elections are decided. The Legislature passed a law requiring that the outcome of city council races be decided by majority vote, so the basic assertion of Brodie's camp — that Fauver did not win by a majority — is not a constitutional question, Highsmith said.
"Nowhere in the constitution is a majority vote required," he said.
One election expert said the case poses an interesting question: if citizens essentially throw their votes away by casting ballots for someone who isn't a candidate, should their votes be counted? "It's an odd situation that voting for someone who has no chance of winning effects the outcome of the race," Emory law assistant professor Michael Kang said. He predicted that if the case reached the federal level, Brodie would have a hard time winning because the federal courts tend toward pragmatism in election law. He said they consider it more important to count votes for viable candidates and to conclusively decide elections than to count protest votes.
There is pressure to decide the case quickly. The winner of the election is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 3. The special judge assigned the case, retired DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Hilton M. Fuller, said he hoped to have a decision by next week. He gave no indication Tuesday how he would rule.
The losing side could appeal the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/21/05
It's been more than a month since Atlanta voters went to the polls, yet the outcome of one city council race still hangs in the balance.
Anne Fauver, who has represented the area around Piedmont Park for the past four years, beat challenger Steve Brodie by five votes. Brodie, however, is demanding a run-off election, asserting in court that Fauver did not win a majority of all votes cast.
The outcome hinges on what constitutes a countable vote. Under state law, a write-in vote for city council does not count if it is cast for someone who is not a certified write-in candidate. To become an official write-in candidate in Atlanta, a person must file paperwork with the city clerk and notify the public with an ad in the Fulton County Daily Report, a legal newspaper. No one did so in the District 6 race.
In oral arguments in Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday, a special judge heard lawyers for both candidates assail and defend the constitutionality of the state law on write-in votes.
The law is in question because nine voters in the District 6 election chose to mark the write-in portion of their ballots, instead of selecting Fauver or Brodie. In accordance with law, Fulton County election officials did not count those nine votes in the total, and calculated Fauver had a majority of all votes cast. But Brodie notes that if those nine votes are counted toward the total, then Fauver has only 49.97 percent of the vote.
If no candidate garners a majority, then a run-off election is required under Georgia law.
Attorney Michael Coleman, arguing for Brodie, said those nine voters were cheated of their right to vote. "The failure to count a write-in vote is tantamount to taking a vote away," he said, adding that the Georgia Legislature violated the state constitution when it required that votes for people who aren't candidates be ignored.
But Robert Highsmith, an attorney for Fauver, argued that the state constitution delegated to the Legislature the authority to dictate how elections are decided. The Legislature passed a law requiring that the outcome of city council races be decided by majority vote, so the basic assertion of Brodie's camp — that Fauver did not win by a majority — is not a constitutional question, Highsmith said.
"Nowhere in the constitution is a majority vote required," he said.
One election expert said the case poses an interesting question: if citizens essentially throw their votes away by casting ballots for someone who isn't a candidate, should their votes be counted? "It's an odd situation that voting for someone who has no chance of winning effects the outcome of the race," Emory law assistant professor Michael Kang said. He predicted that if the case reached the federal level, Brodie would have a hard time winning because the federal courts tend toward pragmatism in election law. He said they consider it more important to count votes for viable candidates and to conclusively decide elections than to count protest votes.
There is pressure to decide the case quickly. The winner of the election is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 3. The special judge assigned the case, retired DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Hilton M. Fuller, said he hoped to have a decision by next week. He gave no indication Tuesday how he would rule.
The losing side could appeal the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court.
Friday, December 16, 2005
From the office of Congressman John D. Dingell
Congressman John D. Dingell
US Congress Seal
Serving Michigan's 15th Congressional District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Adam Benson or Michael Robbins
Wednesday, December 15, 2005 202/225-4071
202/271-8587
Dingell’s HOLIDAY Jingle for O’Reilly and House GOP
Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15) recited the following poem on the floor of the US House of Representatives concerning House Resolution 579, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected. “Preserving Christmas” has been a frequent topic for conservative talk show hosts, including Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly:
‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House
No bills were passed ‘bout which Fox News could grouse;
Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,
So vacations in St. Barts soon would be near;
Katrina kids were nestled all snug in motel beds,
While visions of school and home danced in their heads;
In Iraq our soldiers needed supplies and a plan,
Plus nuclear weapons were being built in Iran;
Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell;
Americans feared we were on a fast track to…well…
Wait--- we need a distraction--- something divisive and wily;
A fabrication straight from the mouth of O’Reilly
We can pretend that Christmas is under attack
Hold a vote to save it--- then pat ourselves on the back;
Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger
Wake up Congress, they’re in no danger!
This time of year we see Christmas every where we go,
From churches, to homes, to schools, and yes…even Costco;
What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy,
When this is the season to unite us with joy
At Christmas time we’re taught to unite,
We don’t need a made-up reason to fight
So on O’Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter, and those right wing blogs;
You should just sit back, relax…have a few egg nogs!
‘Tis the holiday season: enjoy it a pinch
With all our real problems, do we honestly need another Grinch?
So to my friends and my colleagues I say with delight,
A merry Christmas to all,
and to Bill O’Reilly…Happy Holidays.
# # #
US Congress Seal
Serving Michigan's 15th Congressional District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Adam Benson or Michael Robbins
Wednesday, December 15, 2005 202/225-4071
202/271-8587
Dingell’s HOLIDAY Jingle for O’Reilly and House GOP
Washington, DC - Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15) recited the following poem on the floor of the US House of Representatives concerning House Resolution 579, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected. “Preserving Christmas” has been a frequent topic for conservative talk show hosts, including Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly:
‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House
No bills were passed ‘bout which Fox News could grouse;
Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,
So vacations in St. Barts soon would be near;
Katrina kids were nestled all snug in motel beds,
While visions of school and home danced in their heads;
In Iraq our soldiers needed supplies and a plan,
Plus nuclear weapons were being built in Iran;
Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell;
Americans feared we were on a fast track to…well…
Wait--- we need a distraction--- something divisive and wily;
A fabrication straight from the mouth of O’Reilly
We can pretend that Christmas is under attack
Hold a vote to save it--- then pat ourselves on the back;
Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger
Wake up Congress, they’re in no danger!
This time of year we see Christmas every where we go,
From churches, to homes, to schools, and yes…even Costco;
What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy,
When this is the season to unite us with joy
At Christmas time we’re taught to unite,
We don’t need a made-up reason to fight
So on O’Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter, and those right wing blogs;
You should just sit back, relax…have a few egg nogs!
‘Tis the holiday season: enjoy it a pinch
With all our real problems, do we honestly need another Grinch?
So to my friends and my colleagues I say with delight,
A merry Christmas to all,
and to Bill O’Reilly…Happy Holidays.
# # #
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
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