Saturday, September 02, 2006
U.S. MILITARY SOLDIERS TO BE EXECUTED?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060902/ap_on_re_us/iraq_soldiers_charged
I just heard this story. It will be interesting to hear the evidence that will be put up by both sides. If the major media really covers this story and brings the politicians and organizations into it, then it could become a campaign issue this fall. If convicted and sentenced to death, it would be first time since 1960 that the U.S. military executed a soldier.
I just heard this story. It will be interesting to hear the evidence that will be put up by both sides. If the major media really covers this story and brings the politicians and organizations into it, then it could become a campaign issue this fall. If convicted and sentenced to death, it would be first time since 1960 that the U.S. military executed a soldier.
Friday, September 01, 2006
NEW BROWSER PROTECTS YOUR PRIVACY...
I haven't checked out this new browser called BROWZAR, but I hear that it protects your privacy and is very fast. Check it out and post your comments.
http://www.browzar.com/
http://www.browzar.com/
INTEL EXPECTED TO CUT THOUSANDS OF JOBS...
As if our economy could get any worse...will the last person fired in America please remember to turn out the lights?
http://news.com.com/Intel%20expected%20to%20cut%20thousands%20of%20jobs/2100-1014_3-6111478.html
http://news.com.com/Intel%20expected%20to%20cut%20thousands%20of%20jobs/2100-1014_3-6111478.html
Thursday, August 31, 2006
BEST MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH EVER!
It appears to be a theme today, but I've been watching a lot of movie clips today. Here's another one to share with you. This is Ben Affleck at his best. When I first saw Boiler Room, it got me motivated!
A MILESTONE FOR BUSH'S WAR!
By Rupert Cornwell
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article14736.htm
08/28/06 "The Independent" -- -- A miserable milestone was passed the other day. America's (and Britain's) disastrous war in Iraq has now lasted longer than the US involvement in the Second World War. Yes, this conflict has outlasted a war that ended with total victory over Nazi Germany. Hitler declared war on the US on 11 December 1941. Exactly 1,244 days later, on 7 May 1945, Germany surrendered. The US invaded Iraq on 19 March 2003, and this weekend it is 1,267 days later, with no end in sight.
Sticklers among you will have noted that the interval between the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese surrender on 2 September, 1945 was 1,364 days. But even that record will tumble at the start of December. And if you do measure Iraq against the longer American war with Japan, the contrast is even starker. Victory in the Pacific was even more conclusive than in Europe. It produced no post-war entanglement with the Soviets and no Berlin airlift. The Iraq war unfolded the other way round: Baghdad fell barely three weeks after the invasion. Since then, however, it's been downhill all the way.
Yes, US casualties have been lighter, some 2,620 dead at the latest count, and four times as many seriously wounded. Adjust for respective populations, and Israel's loss of around 116 soldiers in the Lebanon war translates into 5,800 US dead in barely a month. As for Iraqi civilians, more of them are getting killed per month than all the American troops lost since the very start of the war.
But forget the statistics,the endless terror alerts, the war in Lebanon and the looming showdown with Iran. Iraq is the issue that America keeps returning to. It haunts George Bush and - barring Democratic screw-ups - it will probably send his Republican party to defeat in the mid-term elections this November.
Joe Lieberman's loss in the Connecticut Senate primary this month was just one straw in the wind. One of the seemingly most impregnable Democrats in the land could not even retain his own party's support. He was beaten because of his support for the war by a businessman with a simple campaign mantra: "Bring the Boys Home."
Republicans, of course, pretended to love it. They raised the shade of George McGovern, the anti-Vietnam war candidate thrashed by Nixon in 1972. Once again, they said, the Democrats had turned into a party of left-wing pacifists who could no more be trusted to fight the terrorists than to "see the job through" in Iraq.
Sadly, this argument that worked so well in 2002 and 2004 works no longer. Even the wilfully blind can see that Iraq is a disaster. Bush, who yields to no one in that category, lambasted the Democrats for pusillanimity. But even he could not bring himself to use the word "progress" apropos of events in the country that he once claimed would be a beacon of peace and democracy for the entire Middle East.
Nor does the terror card have the force it once did. True, the President's ratings went up slightly after the foiled UK airliner bomb plot (but they could hardly have sunk much lower). Far more revealing, Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican who had supported the war, last week broke ranks with the White House and called for a firm timetable for withdrawal. If you're seeking re-election to the House in November, there's really no choice.
Bush's problem is that two-thirds of Americans - according to a recent poll - no longer buy his argument that Iraq has become "the central front in the war on terror". Iraq, they now realise, had nothing to do with 9/11, and the foreign fighters who are now in Iraq went there only after the 2003 invasion. They believe the Mesopotamian adventure has made them less safe. Put another way: if you start a war that lasts as long as the Second World War, you'd better have something to show for it. George Bush does not.
© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited
08/28/06 "The Independent" -- -- A miserable milestone was passed the other day. America's (and Britain's) disastrous war in Iraq has now lasted longer than the US involvement in the Second World War. Yes, this conflict has outlasted a war that ended with total victory over Nazi Germany. Hitler declared war on the US on 11 December 1941. Exactly 1,244 days later, on 7 May 1945, Germany surrendered. The US invaded Iraq on 19 March 2003, and this weekend it is 1,267 days later, with no end in sight.
Sticklers among you will have noted that the interval between the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese surrender on 2 September, 1945 was 1,364 days. But even that record will tumble at the start of December. And if you do measure Iraq against the longer American war with Japan, the contrast is even starker. Victory in the Pacific was even more conclusive than in Europe. It produced no post-war entanglement with the Soviets and no Berlin airlift. The Iraq war unfolded the other way round: Baghdad fell barely three weeks after the invasion. Since then, however, it's been downhill all the way.
Yes, US casualties have been lighter, some 2,620 dead at the latest count, and four times as many seriously wounded. Adjust for respective populations, and Israel's loss of around 116 soldiers in the Lebanon war translates into 5,800 US dead in barely a month. As for Iraqi civilians, more of them are getting killed per month than all the American troops lost since the very start of the war.
But forget the statistics,the endless terror alerts, the war in Lebanon and the looming showdown with Iran. Iraq is the issue that America keeps returning to. It haunts George Bush and - barring Democratic screw-ups - it will probably send his Republican party to defeat in the mid-term elections this November.
Joe Lieberman's loss in the Connecticut Senate primary this month was just one straw in the wind. One of the seemingly most impregnable Democrats in the land could not even retain his own party's support. He was beaten because of his support for the war by a businessman with a simple campaign mantra: "Bring the Boys Home."
Republicans, of course, pretended to love it. They raised the shade of George McGovern, the anti-Vietnam war candidate thrashed by Nixon in 1972. Once again, they said, the Democrats had turned into a party of left-wing pacifists who could no more be trusted to fight the terrorists than to "see the job through" in Iraq.
Sadly, this argument that worked so well in 2002 and 2004 works no longer. Even the wilfully blind can see that Iraq is a disaster. Bush, who yields to no one in that category, lambasted the Democrats for pusillanimity. But even he could not bring himself to use the word "progress" apropos of events in the country that he once claimed would be a beacon of peace and democracy for the entire Middle East.
Nor does the terror card have the force it once did. True, the President's ratings went up slightly after the foiled UK airliner bomb plot (but they could hardly have sunk much lower). Far more revealing, Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican who had supported the war, last week broke ranks with the White House and called for a firm timetable for withdrawal. If you're seeking re-election to the House in November, there's really no choice.
Bush's problem is that two-thirds of Americans - according to a recent poll - no longer buy his argument that Iraq has become "the central front in the war on terror". Iraq, they now realise, had nothing to do with 9/11, and the foreign fighters who are now in Iraq went there only after the 2003 invasion. They believe the Mesopotamian adventure has made them less safe. Put another way: if you start a war that lasts as long as the Second World War, you'd better have something to show for it. George Bush does not.
© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored by the originator.
CLASSIC TV - SWINGERS (Mikey Phone Call)
I typically only post news & political stories, but this is such a classic clip from the movie SWINGERS that I had to post it up on the blog. I still cringe every time I watch it. This one is dedicated to any dude who has ever called a recently-met female multiple times after 3am.
20 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO CONSERVE ENERGY!
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/20things.htm
Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants.
You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale.
The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount!
Home appliances
1. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible. Make sure that its energy saver switch is turned on. Also, check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors to make sure they are clean and sealed tightly.
2. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Switching from hot to warm for two loads per week can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.
3. Make sure your dishwasher is full when you run it and use the energy saving setting, if available, to allow the dishes to air dry. You can also turn off the drying cycle manually. Not using heat in the drying cycle can save 20 percent of your dishwasher's total electricity use.
4. Turn down your water heater thermostat. Thermostats are often set to 140 degrees F when 120 is usually fine. Each 10 degree reduction saves 600 pounds of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 440 pounds for a gas heater. If every household turned its water heater thermostat down 20 degrees, we could prevent more than 45 million tons of annual CO2 emissions - the same amount emitted by the entire nations of Kuwait or Libya.
5. Select the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for the Energy Star Label - your assurance that the product saves energy and prevents pollution. Buy the product that is sized to your typical needs - not the biggest one available. Front loading washing machines will usually cut hot water use by 60 to 70% compared to typical machines. Replacing a typical 1973 refrigerator with a new energy-efficient model, saves 1.4 tons of CO2 per year. Investing in a solar water heater can save 4.9 tons of CO2 annually.
Home Heating and Cooling
6. Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
7. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.
Small investments that pay off
8. Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights. Although they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by using only 1/4 the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent amount of bright, attractive light. Only 10% of the energy consumed by a normal light bulb generates light. The rest just makes the bulb hot. If every American household replaced one of its standard light bulbs with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb, we would save the same amount of energy as a large nuclear power plant produces in one year. In a typical home, one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2 per year.
9. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket, which costs just $10 to $20. It can save 1100 lbs. of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 220 pounds for a gas heater.
10. Use less hot water by installing low-flow shower heads. They cost just $10 to $20 each, deliver an invigorating shower, and save 300 pounds of CO2 per year for electrically heated water, or 80 pounds for gas-heated water.
11. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows. Caulking costs less than $1 per window, and weather stripping is under $10 per door. These steps can save up to 1100 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. This service may be provided free or at low cost. Make sure it includes a check of your furnace and air conditioning.
Getting around
12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.
13. When you next buy a car, choose one that gets good mileage. If your new car gets 40 miles per gallon instead of 25, and you drive 10,000 miles per year, you'll reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 3,300 pounds.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
14. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.
15. If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recovered and recycled whenever you have it serviced. In the United States, leakage from auto air conditioners is the largest single source of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which damage the ozone layer as well as add to global warming. The CFCs from one auto air conditioner can add the equivalent of 4800 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
Home Improvements.
When you plan major home improvements, consider some of these energy saving investments. They save money in the long run, and their CO2 savings can often be measured in tons per year.
16. Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can save 20 to 30 percent of home heating bills and reduce CO2 emissions by 140 to 2100 pounds per year. If you live in a colder climate, consider superinsulating. That can save 5.5 tons of CO2 per year for gas-heated homes, 8.8 tons per year for oil heat, or 23 tons per year for electric heat. (If you have electric heat, you might also consider switching to more efficient gas or oil.)
17. Modernize your windows. Replacing all your ordinary windows with argon filled, double-glazed windows saves 2.4 tons of CO2 per year for homes with gas heat, 3.9 tons of oil heat, and 9.8 tons for electric heat.
18. Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)
Business and community
19. Work with your employer to implement these and other energy-efficiency and waste-reduction measures in your office or workplace. Form or join local citizens' groups and work with local government officials to see that these measures are taken in schools and public buildings.
20. Keep track of the environmental voting records of candidates for office. Stay abreast of environmental issues on both local and national levels, and write or call your elected officials to express your concerns about energy efficiency and global warming.
Additional Information:
Alliance to Save Energy - www.ase.org
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy - www.aceee.org
Earthworks Group, 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (Berkeley, Calif.; Earthworks Press, 1990). Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) - www.repp.org
Solstice - from CREST, Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology -
U.S. DOE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) - www.eren.doe.gov
Written by: Power Scorecard
Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants.
You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale.
The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount!
Home appliances
1. Turn your refrigerator down. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible. Make sure that its energy saver switch is turned on. Also, check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors to make sure they are clean and sealed tightly.
2. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Switching from hot to warm for two loads per week can save nearly 500 pounds of CO2 per year if you have an electric water heater, or 150 pounds for a gas heater.
3. Make sure your dishwasher is full when you run it and use the energy saving setting, if available, to allow the dishes to air dry. You can also turn off the drying cycle manually. Not using heat in the drying cycle can save 20 percent of your dishwasher's total electricity use.
4. Turn down your water heater thermostat. Thermostats are often set to 140 degrees F when 120 is usually fine. Each 10 degree reduction saves 600 pounds of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 440 pounds for a gas heater. If every household turned its water heater thermostat down 20 degrees, we could prevent more than 45 million tons of annual CO2 emissions - the same amount emitted by the entire nations of Kuwait or Libya.
5. Select the most energy-efficient models when you replace your old appliances. Look for the Energy Star Label - your assurance that the product saves energy and prevents pollution. Buy the product that is sized to your typical needs - not the biggest one available. Front loading washing machines will usually cut hot water use by 60 to 70% compared to typical machines. Replacing a typical 1973 refrigerator with a new energy-efficient model, saves 1.4 tons of CO2 per year. Investing in a solar water heater can save 4.9 tons of CO2 annually.
Home Heating and Cooling
6. Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the winter, set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. In the summer, keep it at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter saves 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
7. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.
Small investments that pay off
8. Buy energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs for your most-used lights. Although they cost more initially, they save money in the long run by using only 1/4 the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and lasting 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent amount of bright, attractive light. Only 10% of the energy consumed by a normal light bulb generates light. The rest just makes the bulb hot. If every American household replaced one of its standard light bulbs with an energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb, we would save the same amount of energy as a large nuclear power plant produces in one year. In a typical home, one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2 per year.
9. Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket, which costs just $10 to $20. It can save 1100 lbs. of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 220 pounds for a gas heater.
10. Use less hot water by installing low-flow shower heads. They cost just $10 to $20 each, deliver an invigorating shower, and save 300 pounds of CO2 per year for electrically heated water, or 80 pounds for gas-heated water.
11. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows. Caulking costs less than $1 per window, and weather stripping is under $10 per door. These steps can save up to 1100 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. This service may be provided free or at low cost. Make sure it includes a check of your furnace and air conditioning.
Getting around
12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.
13. When you next buy a car, choose one that gets good mileage. If your new car gets 40 miles per gallon instead of 25, and you drive 10,000 miles per year, you'll reduce your annual CO2 emissions by 3,300 pounds.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
14. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.
15. If your car has an air conditioner, make sure its coolant is recovered and recycled whenever you have it serviced. In the United States, leakage from auto air conditioners is the largest single source of emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which damage the ozone layer as well as add to global warming. The CFCs from one auto air conditioner can add the equivalent of 4800 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
Home Improvements.
When you plan major home improvements, consider some of these energy saving investments. They save money in the long run, and their CO2 savings can often be measured in tons per year.
16. Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can save 20 to 30 percent of home heating bills and reduce CO2 emissions by 140 to 2100 pounds per year. If you live in a colder climate, consider superinsulating. That can save 5.5 tons of CO2 per year for gas-heated homes, 8.8 tons per year for oil heat, or 23 tons per year for electric heat. (If you have electric heat, you might also consider switching to more efficient gas or oil.)
17. Modernize your windows. Replacing all your ordinary windows with argon filled, double-glazed windows saves 2.4 tons of CO2 per year for homes with gas heat, 3.9 tons of oil heat, and 9.8 tons for electric heat.
18. Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)
Business and community
19. Work with your employer to implement these and other energy-efficiency and waste-reduction measures in your office or workplace. Form or join local citizens' groups and work with local government officials to see that these measures are taken in schools and public buildings.
20. Keep track of the environmental voting records of candidates for office. Stay abreast of environmental issues on both local and national levels, and write or call your elected officials to express your concerns about energy efficiency and global warming.
Additional Information:
Alliance to Save Energy - www.ase.org
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy - www.aceee.org
Earthworks Group, 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (Berkeley, Calif.; Earthworks Press, 1990). Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) - www.repp.org
Solstice - from CREST, Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology -
U.S. DOE - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) - www.eren.doe.gov
Written by: Power Scorecard
POISONED IN GEORGIA?
N. Fayette’s own ‘Silent Summer’?
Tue, 08/29/2006 - 5:56pmBy: Ben Nelms
Let me tell you about the birds and the bees. Many have vanished or are dying in north Fayette and south Fulton.
Let me tell you about the dogs and the cats. Many are sick and dying and refusing to go outdoors in north Fayette and south Fulton.
As for the people in the hot zone around the Philips Services Corp. plant in Fairburn, the current count has risen to nearly 600 residents who say they have been sickened since the onion-like chemical odor entered their lives beginning during the Memorial Day holiday.
Though company officials and Georgia Environmental Protection Division say different, anyone living or traveling through north Fayette and south Fulton last weekend and earlier this week know the smell is still present. Whether the chemical odorant and pesticide MOCAP are to blame, the smell is the same that has persisted since Memorial Day.
Much information has been presented since the onion odor entered the communities nearly three months ago. But suffering on the front lines of their homes are the animals that also call the area home and those that constitute the wildlife that populate the 40-square-mile hot zone.
And like their human counterparts, many dogs and cats are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation and problems breathing.
The difference is that some of these animals, almost all physically small in size, have died. Most died between late June and mid-August, and all since the still-present onion-like chemical began around Memorial Day.
Of the animals identified thus far as sick or dying, nearly all live within a two-mile radius of the PSC plant on Ga. Highway 92, the hottest of the hot zone.
Kodie usually stayed in the garage while Lina was at work. The nearly 1-year-old miniature Maltese dog developed vomiting and diarrhea after the onion smell appeared. He scratched from the irritation to his skin and had difficulty breathing. Nothing Lina could do would help. A few weeks later in late June, Kodie was dead.
A few houses down the street a puppy died during the same time frame, his owner beyond irate at the July 19 public meeting at Bethany United Methodist Church, demanding answers from local and state officials.
For the past eight months, 18-year-old Laura Ayala and her family have lived with an uncle on Garvey Street since their house was hit by a tornado. Laura’s 11-month-old boxer began scratching in July, losing little chunks of hair. The scratching continues today.
During the same time, her uncle’s German shepherd puppy became lethargic, often refusing to eat or drink. The puppy died in late July and was found bleeding from its mouth and rectum.
That same bleeding was found with Tanya Coleman’s puppy about a mile away on Hwy. 92. The puppy began manifesting symptoms of bloodshot eyes, loss of appetite and weight loss and bleeding from the nose and rectum in June.
Her veterinarian said the puppy had been exposed to something toxic, though the substance was unknown. Coleman said she kept the puppy inside and it began to recover. Coleman and her family live immediately north of the PSC plant.
A half-mile to the southwest on Milam Road, Linda Waits 14-year-old cat died in July. Waits described the kitty as having matted eyes and a loss of appetite even though he was a big eater.
Her dachshund is no longer ill though he did not want to eat or go outside for several weeks.
Yet there are other things going on in her back yard. With a yard that looks much like a garden, Waits usually gets plenty of birds that love to feast on her apple and fig trees. But not this year.
“They are virtually untouched this year,” Waits said. “Normally, the birds wipe out the fruit.”
A short distance away on Sandy Creek Road, Angie McEachran took in three stray kittens in late June. They quickly developed swollen joints and runny eyes. All the kittens died during the first week of July.
The 5-year-old pit bull Tiger was the only animal of substantial size thus far known to have died. Living with his family off Milam Road, Tiger had no symptoms and had been in good health prior to his death in late June. He stayed in the garage while the family was away, much like Lina’s Kodie a few blocks away, and would play in the back yard once the family came home.
What you have just read are the stories of the animals whose lives were taken from their families. And there are others, many others in the community of north Fayette and south Fulton, dogs and cats experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, scratching, hair loss, weight loss, gagging, coughing, refusing to go outside, some no longer requiring flea powder because the fleas have not come around this summer.
In some cases, family members have to force the pets outside to defecate or urinate. They do not want to go. This has been the case with the dogs that live with Kee and Connie and Nick and countless others.
Then there are the others, the birds and bees and insects. Many are scarce this summer, deep inside the hot zone, if present at all. Residents around south Fulton and north Fayette cite a marked decrease in the number of birds and insects that customarily fill the summer skies and trees.
Just up from the PSC plant, George Nicholson usually can not keep enough food in his hummingbird feeders to keep the thirsty little birds satisfied. This summer, the minute creatures have all but vanished.
His next-door neighbor, Ed Mellon, has a different mystery on his hands. A beekeeper for 30 years, Mellon moved to south Fulton in 1998. Mellon began the summer months with nine active hives, each with 20,000-50,000 bees.
Two hives died in July and two more in August. Until now, he has never lost a hive during the summer months. Mellon lives next door to the PSC plant.
Unlike humans who are quick to believe what authorities tell them and potentially slow to react to any danger around them, the animals in their midst do not suffer the same ambiguity. In nature, they tend to flee when danger comes, unless that flight is prevented by closed doors and locked fences.
“This is a terrible situation in which the government is apparently failing to protect both people and animals but it comes as no surprise to PETA,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Regulatory Testing Division Director Jessica Sandler. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kills 12,000 animals, including dogs, rabbits, birds, and fish to test every pesticide such as MOCAP, so we don’t expect them to hop to when people’s dogs and cats are dying. Until the situation is resolved, we would urge people, wherever possible, to find a safer place for themselves and their companion animals and to continue to organize and speak out until everyone is protected.”
PETA has disaster preparation tips that people can consult to protect themselves and their animals at www.peta.org/feat/disastplan/.
For nearly all that live in the hot zone, there is nowhere to go. Their homes are there. Their families are there. Their lives are there. School is back in session now. And for those unable to make a decision, the dogs and cats, they, too, are at home with the families they love.
“We don’t see the birds anymore. I used to sit on the deck and drink a cup of coffee, watching the birds and listening to them chirping. But not anymore,” said Milam Road resident Kay Cavlier, turning her thoughts to her two dogs. “My two poodles have been vomiting and scratching lately. What do we do if something happens to them? These dogs are like our children.”
Tue, 08/29/2006 - 5:56pmBy: Ben Nelms
Let me tell you about the birds and the bees. Many have vanished or are dying in north Fayette and south Fulton.
Let me tell you about the dogs and the cats. Many are sick and dying and refusing to go outdoors in north Fayette and south Fulton.
As for the people in the hot zone around the Philips Services Corp. plant in Fairburn, the current count has risen to nearly 600 residents who say they have been sickened since the onion-like chemical odor entered their lives beginning during the Memorial Day holiday.
Though company officials and Georgia Environmental Protection Division say different, anyone living or traveling through north Fayette and south Fulton last weekend and earlier this week know the smell is still present. Whether the chemical odorant and pesticide MOCAP are to blame, the smell is the same that has persisted since Memorial Day.
Much information has been presented since the onion odor entered the communities nearly three months ago. But suffering on the front lines of their homes are the animals that also call the area home and those that constitute the wildlife that populate the 40-square-mile hot zone.
And like their human counterparts, many dogs and cats are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation and problems breathing.
The difference is that some of these animals, almost all physically small in size, have died. Most died between late June and mid-August, and all since the still-present onion-like chemical began around Memorial Day.
Of the animals identified thus far as sick or dying, nearly all live within a two-mile radius of the PSC plant on Ga. Highway 92, the hottest of the hot zone.
Kodie usually stayed in the garage while Lina was at work. The nearly 1-year-old miniature Maltese dog developed vomiting and diarrhea after the onion smell appeared. He scratched from the irritation to his skin and had difficulty breathing. Nothing Lina could do would help. A few weeks later in late June, Kodie was dead.
A few houses down the street a puppy died during the same time frame, his owner beyond irate at the July 19 public meeting at Bethany United Methodist Church, demanding answers from local and state officials.
For the past eight months, 18-year-old Laura Ayala and her family have lived with an uncle on Garvey Street since their house was hit by a tornado. Laura’s 11-month-old boxer began scratching in July, losing little chunks of hair. The scratching continues today.
During the same time, her uncle’s German shepherd puppy became lethargic, often refusing to eat or drink. The puppy died in late July and was found bleeding from its mouth and rectum.
That same bleeding was found with Tanya Coleman’s puppy about a mile away on Hwy. 92. The puppy began manifesting symptoms of bloodshot eyes, loss of appetite and weight loss and bleeding from the nose and rectum in June.
Her veterinarian said the puppy had been exposed to something toxic, though the substance was unknown. Coleman said she kept the puppy inside and it began to recover. Coleman and her family live immediately north of the PSC plant.
A half-mile to the southwest on Milam Road, Linda Waits 14-year-old cat died in July. Waits described the kitty as having matted eyes and a loss of appetite even though he was a big eater.
Her dachshund is no longer ill though he did not want to eat or go outside for several weeks.
Yet there are other things going on in her back yard. With a yard that looks much like a garden, Waits usually gets plenty of birds that love to feast on her apple and fig trees. But not this year.
“They are virtually untouched this year,” Waits said. “Normally, the birds wipe out the fruit.”
A short distance away on Sandy Creek Road, Angie McEachran took in three stray kittens in late June. They quickly developed swollen joints and runny eyes. All the kittens died during the first week of July.
The 5-year-old pit bull Tiger was the only animal of substantial size thus far known to have died. Living with his family off Milam Road, Tiger had no symptoms and had been in good health prior to his death in late June. He stayed in the garage while the family was away, much like Lina’s Kodie a few blocks away, and would play in the back yard once the family came home.
What you have just read are the stories of the animals whose lives were taken from their families. And there are others, many others in the community of north Fayette and south Fulton, dogs and cats experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, scratching, hair loss, weight loss, gagging, coughing, refusing to go outside, some no longer requiring flea powder because the fleas have not come around this summer.
In some cases, family members have to force the pets outside to defecate or urinate. They do not want to go. This has been the case with the dogs that live with Kee and Connie and Nick and countless others.
Then there are the others, the birds and bees and insects. Many are scarce this summer, deep inside the hot zone, if present at all. Residents around south Fulton and north Fayette cite a marked decrease in the number of birds and insects that customarily fill the summer skies and trees.
Just up from the PSC plant, George Nicholson usually can not keep enough food in his hummingbird feeders to keep the thirsty little birds satisfied. This summer, the minute creatures have all but vanished.
His next-door neighbor, Ed Mellon, has a different mystery on his hands. A beekeeper for 30 years, Mellon moved to south Fulton in 1998. Mellon began the summer months with nine active hives, each with 20,000-50,000 bees.
Two hives died in July and two more in August. Until now, he has never lost a hive during the summer months. Mellon lives next door to the PSC plant.
Unlike humans who are quick to believe what authorities tell them and potentially slow to react to any danger around them, the animals in their midst do not suffer the same ambiguity. In nature, they tend to flee when danger comes, unless that flight is prevented by closed doors and locked fences.
“This is a terrible situation in which the government is apparently failing to protect both people and animals but it comes as no surprise to PETA,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Regulatory Testing Division Director Jessica Sandler. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kills 12,000 animals, including dogs, rabbits, birds, and fish to test every pesticide such as MOCAP, so we don’t expect them to hop to when people’s dogs and cats are dying. Until the situation is resolved, we would urge people, wherever possible, to find a safer place for themselves and their companion animals and to continue to organize and speak out until everyone is protected.”
PETA has disaster preparation tips that people can consult to protect themselves and their animals at www.peta.org/feat/disastplan/.
For nearly all that live in the hot zone, there is nowhere to go. Their homes are there. Their families are there. Their lives are there. School is back in session now. And for those unable to make a decision, the dogs and cats, they, too, are at home with the families they love.
“We don’t see the birds anymore. I used to sit on the deck and drink a cup of coffee, watching the birds and listening to them chirping. But not anymore,” said Milam Road resident Kay Cavlier, turning her thoughts to her two dogs. “My two poodles have been vomiting and scratching lately. What do we do if something happens to them? These dogs are like our children.”
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
THE MEMPHIS FLYER CITES THIS BLOG!
This blog only came into existence last Saturday, August 26, but it has already been cited by the Memphis Flyer.
Thanks to Wintermute for passing this information along to Joe Ford, Jr.
If you want to read the article, click this link: http://memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A19182 OR read below.
*Joe Ford Jr., third-place finisher in last month's Democratic primary for the District 9 congressional seat, made a point last week of reaffirming his endorsement of that primary's winner, state Senator Steve Cohen.
Ford also posted lengthy comments on the "Space Ninja" blog rebutting claims by the Tri-State Defender newspaper that his candidacy had not been serious and may even have been designed to detract from the primary efforts of another candidate, outgoing county commissioner Julian Bolton.
After debunking the newspaper's claims and making the case that he and several other candidates had waged more viable campaigns than Bolton (whom the Tri-StateDefender had endorsed), Ford concluded:
"The purpose of American representative government is ensure that all people have a voice in the government. And when all people stated their choice, like it or not, more people wanted Sen. Cohen than any other candidate. Sen. Cohen could not have won this election without receiving a good number of African-American votes."
Although problems associated with the vote-reporting process made it difficult to say for sure, preliminary estimates suggest that Cohen may have received as much as 20 percent of the district's African-American vote.
Thanks to Wintermute for passing this information along to Joe Ford, Jr.
If you want to read the article, click this link: http://memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A19182 OR read below.
*Joe Ford Jr., third-place finisher in last month's Democratic primary for the District 9 congressional seat, made a point last week of reaffirming his endorsement of that primary's winner, state Senator Steve Cohen.
Ford also posted lengthy comments on the "Space Ninja" blog rebutting claims by the Tri-State Defender newspaper that his candidacy had not been serious and may even have been designed to detract from the primary efforts of another candidate, outgoing county commissioner Julian Bolton.
After debunking the newspaper's claims and making the case that he and several other candidates had waged more viable campaigns than Bolton (whom the Tri-StateDefender had endorsed), Ford concluded:
"The purpose of American representative government is ensure that all people have a voice in the government. And when all people stated their choice, like it or not, more people wanted Sen. Cohen than any other candidate. Sen. Cohen could not have won this election without receiving a good number of African-American votes."
Although problems associated with the vote-reporting process made it difficult to say for sure, preliminary estimates suggest that Cohen may have received as much as 20 percent of the district's African-American vote.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
THE TERROR STORM (Movie by Alex Jones)
| This is a video focusing on war, terror and the New World Order. Produced by Alex Jones (Prison Planet and Info Wars) | |
OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO TRI-STATE DEFENDER ARTICLE (BY: JOE FORD, JR)
I have to thank Tri-State Defender for its article and its contributions to the Memphis media throughout the years. However, I disagree with a majority of the opinions it expressed in the August 17 article. The italics below are cites from the article and my comments follow thereafter in regular text.
With only one exception- namely, long-time Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton- there was little in the background of the African American candidates to lend legitimacy to their quest for such an important office.
Your credibility in this article must be questioned, because your paper has a potential conflict. I do not see any cite in this article to let the readers know that your paper had previously endorsed Commissioner Bolton for the position.
Your paper obviously did not research the backgrounds of the candidates in this race if you feel that certain candidates were not legitimate. I may have disagreed with some of my opponents, but there were many qualified individuals in this race. Your chosen candidate's credentials were no better than anyone else in the race.
The top “also-ran vote getters” — Nikki Tinker and Joe Ford — received slightly more than 25 percent of the total vote. This was enough to win combined but not separately. They both knew that and worked their campaigns to insure they helped defeat all the other African American candidates. By siphoning off just enough votes to deter Julian Bolton the likely winner had these two not been in the race Shelby County is now without African American representation in congress.
With only one exception- namely, long-time Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton- there was little in the background of the African American candidates to lend legitimacy to their quest for such an important office.
Your credibility in this article must be questioned, because your paper has a potential conflict. I do not see any cite in this article to let the readers know that your paper had previously endorsed Commissioner Bolton for the position.
Your paper obviously did not research the backgrounds of the candidates in this race if you feel that certain candidates were not legitimate. I may have disagreed with some of my opponents, but there were many qualified individuals in this race. Your chosen candidate's credentials were no better than anyone else in the race.
The top “also-ran vote getters” — Nikki Tinker and Joe Ford — received slightly more than 25 percent of the total vote. This was enough to win combined but not separately. They both knew that and worked their campaigns to insure they helped defeat all the other African American candidates. By siphoning off just enough votes to deter Julian Bolton the likely winner had these two not been in the race Shelby County is now without African American representation in congress.
I detect a certain bias toward a certain candidate because of your Bolton endorsement. It cannot reflect well upon those political staff members responsible for the endorsement selections, because the paper did not even put the top two vote getters in its final four.
Despite your assertions, Commissioner Bolton would not have been the likely winner under any scenario. In any political race, if you take the stronger candidates out of the race, then the weaker candidate remaining will be a "likely winner." In this primary if either Tinker, Stanton or myself dropped out of the race, then Bolton still would not have won.
But consider a scenario where Bolton dropped out of the race. His 8,053 votes, support and influence behind a stronger candidate would have likely produced a different result at the polls.
In addition, it appeared that Ford had no passionate interest in winning the election. His campaign efforts were minimal and he seemed to be relying solely on name recognition to attract votes.
That assertion is completely false and untrue. It disrespects all the hard work of the people who supported my campaign. I do not recall seeing any of your staff members when I was walking throughout the District, speaking at youth clubs and churches, meeting constituents, and working until 3am every day.
When you use words such as "appeared" and "seemed," then it "appears" that your paper is being vague and ambiguous on the issues. On what basis do you state I had no passionate interest in the campaign or that our campaign efforts were minimal? Also please show me why you believe I solely relied on name recognition in this race.
Name recognition helped us receive 9,334 votes, but it was not the only reason. If we had not worked as hard as we did, then we would not have even placed in the top 5.
Your chosen candidate did not work as hard as we did on this campaign. Your chosen candidate did not work harder than Ed Stanton. Your chosen candidate did not work harder than Ron Redwing. I could continue with a laundry list of candidates who worked harder than your chosen candidate, but you should get my point.
Towards the end of the campaign, Ford's uncle, Harold Sr., who contributed $2,100 to Julian Bolton's campaign, said, “Joe hasn't done anything to get votes but with all the confusion people are going to simply go with 'the brand name.”' As it turned out, more than 9,000 voters punched the “Ford name brand” on the ballot - 9,000 votes that insured no other African American candidate could win.
I'm not even going to comment on Harold, Sr's statement except to say I disagree with it. As recent elections have proven by the numbers, voters are not simply going with brand names. As for my 9,000 votes that supposedly insured the loss, what about Comm. Bolton's 8,053 votes that also insured the loss? I have never heard anyone say a 4th place finisher deserved to win an election.
That the voters were both confused and frustrated can be seen in the election return totals by precinct. For example, all the voters who cast their ballots in the Tennessee Senate, District 33 race live in the 9th Congressional District. This race pitted indicted incumbent Kathryn Bowers (who won) against three opponents. In that race, an average of 454 voters per precinct cast their ballot. By comparison, in the ninth district race, only an average of 360 voters per precinct cast ballots. This prompted one observer who spoke in anonymity to comment, “People would rather vote for someone who might be going to jail than for one of those turkeys who sold us out.”
Did you ever consider the fact that some voters did not like ANY of the candidates? Why did so few people and organizations officially ENDORSE someone for the campaign? I will give your paper credit for endorsing someone, because most people did not.
But none of the African-American candidates in this race (myself included) separated themselves from the other African-American candidates. Everyone blended into the pack. If any candidate had done so, then he/she would have emerged as the consensus candidate of the voters without the need for some secret cabal selection . No one did that, so everyone thought they had a legitimate chance of winning the race. Despite the best thoughts, in this race, the voters chose Sen. Cohen.
Now, back to Ford — why was he in the race? Could his presence in the race have been (as some have suggested) for the purpose of helping insure a Steve Cohen victory thus rendering him (Cohen) subject to being a “one-term congressman.” That is, a white congressman vulnerable to defeat by an African American in 2008.If this was the plan, it (although shameful) makes good political sense. It would have been much more difficult for a Ford to defeat a sitting African American congressman representing the 9th in 2008. Or perhaps Ford was trying to help the independent candidate (his cousin, Jake Ford)? Who knows.
That sounds really good - if you're talking about the plot in a fictional prime-time soap opera called Memphis Blues. There was only one plan in my campaign and that was to win the election. While there will likely be others in this political game who may utilize the results of my actions, I had no ulterior motives or grand plans for conquest when I entered this race.
Shamefully, what we just witnessed in the 9th Congressional District election was either an intentional or an oblivious disregard of the purpose of American representative government.
The purpose of American representative government is ensure that all people have a voice in the government. And when all people stated their choice, like it or not, more people wanted Sen. Cohen than any other candidate. Sen. Cohen could not have won this election without receiving a good number of African-American votes.
Joe Ford, Jr.
August 28, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
KATHRYN BOWERS RESIGNS FROM TENNESSEE SENATE
For the full story, please click the link below. If her health was such a major concern, why didn't Senator Bowers resign before the August 3rd primary? Who will likely be replacing her?
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_4951264,00.html
Sunday, August 27, 2006
WHY WE FIGHT - Film Trailer
This film looks good. Has anyone seen it? Click the link below to view the trailer.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/
TRI-STATE DEFENDER BLAMES TINKER & FORD FOR 9TH DISTRICT RESULTS
SHAME!! 9th Congressional District tragedy
By: Arthur Webb
Published: August 17, 2006
The majority of the voters in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District are African American and Democrat. Most of the voters want the congressional representative to be an African American and a Democrat. The voters of the 9th District evidenced their preference by giving 52,052 or 68 percent of the 76,326 votes cast to African American candidates. However, an African American Democrat was not elected.
Nearly three decades ago (following the 1980 Census), the lines of the 9th Congressional District were drawn in such a way that Shelby County's majority African American population could be reasonably assured of having one of their own represent them in Congress. That change took place during Harold Ford Sr.'s third term and for the next 26 years that assurance held.
Why, then, is the 9th in danger of not being represented by an African American? The simplest answer is that the African American vote was split between twelve candidates.
With only one exception- namely, long-time Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton- there was little in the background of the African American candidates to lend legitimacy to their quest for such an important office.
Selfish, ego-driven individuals took opportunistic license by running for a seat they clearly could not win.
Nearly three decades ago (following the 1980 Census), the lines of the 9th Congressional District were drawn in such a way that Shelby County's majority African American population could be reasonably assured of having one of their own represent them in Congress. That change took place during Harold Ford Sr.'s third term and for the next 26 years that assurance held.
Why, then, is the 9th in danger of not being represented by an African American? The simplest answer is that the African American vote was split between twelve candidates.
With only one exception- namely, long-time Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton- there was little in the background of the African American candidates to lend legitimacy to their quest for such an important office.
Selfish, ego-driven individuals took opportunistic license by running for a seat they clearly could not win.
 |
| Tinker |
The top “also-ran vote getters” — Nikki Tinker and Joe Ford — received slightly more than 25 percent of the total vote. This was enough to win combined but not separately. They both knew that and worked their campaigns to insure they helped defeat all the other African American candidates. By siphoning off just enough votes to deter Julian Bolton the likely winner had these two not been in the race Shelby County is now without African American representation in congress.
 |
| Ford |
Tinker and Ford are singled out here because neither of them came with the relevant credentials for the congressional seat. Both did bring, however, their ability to destroy the chances of all others.
Tinker, a 33-year old corporate attorney, has only lived in Shelby County for a short time and has evidenced minimal involvement with the community. She claims to have been Harold Ford Jr.'s campaign manager in previous elections. The congressman's father, Harold Ford Sr., downplayed that claim, however, by stating, “Harold Jr. hasn't had any opposition, so what was there to really manage?” Ford campaigned solely on his family name and as of the most recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing report deadline had not even bothered to file a report.
Tinker brought one thing and one thing only to this campaign — hundreds of thousands of dollars — more than $750,000 in fact. That total included $527,916 in direct contributions according to the latest FEC filing and an estimated $250,000 spent by EMILY's List by way of direct contributions, in-kind services and mailouts supporting her candidacy. EMILY's List is the nation's largest financial resource for women running for elective office. That organization's primary criteria for support is that the candidate be female and pro-choice.
Tinker campaigned divisively on the basis of her being female when, in fact, Memphis and Shelby County African American voters have elected many African American women to public office. Former City Councilman, County Commisioner and Court Clerk Minerva Johnican, Tennessee State House Speaker Pro Tempora Lois Deberry, and current City Council Chairman Tijuan Stout-Mitchell are just a few of a long list that come to mind. The African American community in Memphis and Shelby County enjoys an excellent record of embracing African American women in all aspects of its political culture.
This faulty tactic revealed Tinker limited knowledge of the district she sought to represent. But then, what else did she really have to offer?
Ford, also an attorney, only came back to Memphis earlier this year, apparently for the sole purpose of running for Congress. His experience as an entertainment lawyer in no way prepared him for this highly responsible legislative position. In addition, it appeared that Ford had no passionate interest in winning the election. His campaign efforts were minimal and he seemed to be relying solely on name recognition to attract votes.
Towards the end of the campaign, Ford's uncle, Harold Sr., who contributed $2,100 to Julian Bolton's campaign, said, “Joe hasn't done anything to get votes but with all the confusion people are going to simply go with 'the brand name.”' As it turned out, more than 9,000 voters punched the “Ford name brand” on the ballot - 9,000 votes that insured no other African American candidate could win.
That the voters were both confused and frustrated can be seen in the election return totals by precinct. For example, all the voters who cast their ballots in the Tennessee Senate, District 33 race live in the 9th Congressional District. This race pitted indicted incumbent Kathryn Bowers (who won) against three opponents. In that race, an average of 454 voters per precinct cast their ballot. By comparison, in the ninth district race, only an average of 360 voters per precinct cast ballots. This prompted one observer who spoke in anonymity to comment, “People would rather vote for someone who might be going to jail than for one of those turkeys who sold us out.”
At the other extreme of competition in terms of the average number of ballots cast by precinct in the 9th District, Sidney Chism was without opposition for the Shelby County Commission. Although Chism had no opponent, an average of 405 votes per precinct were cast in this race - 50 more on average than in the District 9 debacle.
Finally, in the hotly contested court clerk races (Circuit Court, Probate Court, Juvenile Court, and Criminal Court), in which each race had only one African American candidate, the ballot average cast in each precinct exceeded 500. These figures and suggest that as many as 30,000 votes were left on the table out of frustration and/or disgust. In the 9th, this estimated 30,000 votes (7,000 more than Tinker's money “bought”) votes could have easily made the difference in preserving African American representation in the 9th.
What could have been done to avoid the tragic loss of African American representation? It is difficult to think that the 12 African Americans in the race were not aware that such a crowded field would only result in loss.
From the outset there was rampant doubt among African American voters that any African American candidate could win in such a crowded field. Only the most egotistical of candidates could have assumed otherwise.
Why, then, if it was important to the candidates themselves that this cherished representation be preserved, did they not come together to agree upon a consensus candidate to carry the banner? Could it be that they, especially the two biggest culprits, Tinker and Ford, did not care?
What were Tinker and Ford's (or their promoters') motives given the fact that neither of them had a remote chance of winning. Who encouraged Tinker to get into this race or placed her in it? And how did they raise more than half million dollars for the candidacy of one who brought no legitimate credentials for this office to the table?
Could it be that whomever or whatever entity orchestrated Tinker's entry into the race and subsequent campaign had too much invested to allow her to compromise her position? It is difficult to believe someone who has been in Memphis for only a short time or so, has limited local “connections” and until last year was a political unknown would of her own volition seek such high office in her first political outing.
Another view might be that Tinker simply used this campaign as a means to establish identity for a future run at elected office. Then, perhaps her motive was to position herself for a career promotion. One observer at her headquarters on election night reported her to have indicated that going to Washington as a lobbyist might be part of her plans for the future.
In any event, neither of those motives were in the best interests of residents of the 9th Congressional District.
Now, back to Ford — why was he in the race? Could his presence in the race have been (as some have suggested) for the purpose of helping insure a Steve Cohen victory thus rendering him (Cohen) subject to being a “one-term congressman.” That is, a white congressman vulnerable to defeat by an African American in 2008.
If this was the plan, it (although shameful) makes good political sense. It would have been much more difficult for a Ford to defeat a sitting African American congressman representing the 9th in 2008. Or perhaps Ford was trying to help the independent candidate (his cousin, Jake Ford)? Who knows.
As long as the boundaries remain as they are, only two situations can occur to prevent an African American from being elected to Congress from the 9th district One would arise if African Americans collectively decided they preferred someone who is not African American to represent them. The other is one in which several relatively high profile and/or well-financed African American candidates run for the office and dilute African American voting strength. This is what occurred during this election.
Some claim that all of this is “much ado about nothing.” Not true. African Americans have been historically unrepresented and underrepresented in local, state and national government. Significant change only came about when congressional district lines were redrawn to insure the reasonable expectations of African Americans having the opportunity of being elected. The district was designed to facilitate African American representation — Tinker and Ford, more than anything or anyone else, destroyed that hope.
Shamefully, what we just witnessed in the 9th Congressional District election was either an intentional or an oblivious disregard of the purpose of American representative government.
Ideally, and at some point in time, differences of race will not be of socio-economic or political consequence in America. Realistically, however, that time is not yet upon us.
In conclusion, Steve Cohen's previous record as a state senator suggests he will make a good Congressman, if elected in the November general election. As has been previously noted, this analysis has never been about Senator Cohen's suitability for the position. Rather, it is about the blatant disregard of a group of African Americans who concerned more with personal aggrandizement than the well-being of the residents of the 9th Congressional District.
Tinker, a 33-year old corporate attorney, has only lived in Shelby County for a short time and has evidenced minimal involvement with the community. She claims to have been Harold Ford Jr.'s campaign manager in previous elections. The congressman's father, Harold Ford Sr., downplayed that claim, however, by stating, “Harold Jr. hasn't had any opposition, so what was there to really manage?” Ford campaigned solely on his family name and as of the most recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing report deadline had not even bothered to file a report.
Tinker brought one thing and one thing only to this campaign — hundreds of thousands of dollars — more than $750,000 in fact. That total included $527,916 in direct contributions according to the latest FEC filing and an estimated $250,000 spent by EMILY's List by way of direct contributions, in-kind services and mailouts supporting her candidacy. EMILY's List is the nation's largest financial resource for women running for elective office. That organization's primary criteria for support is that the candidate be female and pro-choice.
Tinker campaigned divisively on the basis of her being female when, in fact, Memphis and Shelby County African American voters have elected many African American women to public office. Former City Councilman, County Commisioner and Court Clerk Minerva Johnican, Tennessee State House Speaker Pro Tempora Lois Deberry, and current City Council Chairman Tijuan Stout-Mitchell are just a few of a long list that come to mind. The African American community in Memphis and Shelby County enjoys an excellent record of embracing African American women in all aspects of its political culture.
This faulty tactic revealed Tinker limited knowledge of the district she sought to represent. But then, what else did she really have to offer?
Ford, also an attorney, only came back to Memphis earlier this year, apparently for the sole purpose of running for Congress. His experience as an entertainment lawyer in no way prepared him for this highly responsible legislative position. In addition, it appeared that Ford had no passionate interest in winning the election. His campaign efforts were minimal and he seemed to be relying solely on name recognition to attract votes.
Towards the end of the campaign, Ford's uncle, Harold Sr., who contributed $2,100 to Julian Bolton's campaign, said, “Joe hasn't done anything to get votes but with all the confusion people are going to simply go with 'the brand name.”' As it turned out, more than 9,000 voters punched the “Ford name brand” on the ballot - 9,000 votes that insured no other African American candidate could win.
That the voters were both confused and frustrated can be seen in the election return totals by precinct. For example, all the voters who cast their ballots in the Tennessee Senate, District 33 race live in the 9th Congressional District. This race pitted indicted incumbent Kathryn Bowers (who won) against three opponents. In that race, an average of 454 voters per precinct cast their ballot. By comparison, in the ninth district race, only an average of 360 voters per precinct cast ballots. This prompted one observer who spoke in anonymity to comment, “People would rather vote for someone who might be going to jail than for one of those turkeys who sold us out.”
At the other extreme of competition in terms of the average number of ballots cast by precinct in the 9th District, Sidney Chism was without opposition for the Shelby County Commission. Although Chism had no opponent, an average of 405 votes per precinct were cast in this race - 50 more on average than in the District 9 debacle.
Finally, in the hotly contested court clerk races (Circuit Court, Probate Court, Juvenile Court, and Criminal Court), in which each race had only one African American candidate, the ballot average cast in each precinct exceeded 500. These figures and suggest that as many as 30,000 votes were left on the table out of frustration and/or disgust. In the 9th, this estimated 30,000 votes (7,000 more than Tinker's money “bought”) votes could have easily made the difference in preserving African American representation in the 9th.
What could have been done to avoid the tragic loss of African American representation? It is difficult to think that the 12 African Americans in the race were not aware that such a crowded field would only result in loss.
From the outset there was rampant doubt among African American voters that any African American candidate could win in such a crowded field. Only the most egotistical of candidates could have assumed otherwise.
Why, then, if it was important to the candidates themselves that this cherished representation be preserved, did they not come together to agree upon a consensus candidate to carry the banner? Could it be that they, especially the two biggest culprits, Tinker and Ford, did not care?
What were Tinker and Ford's (or their promoters') motives given the fact that neither of them had a remote chance of winning. Who encouraged Tinker to get into this race or placed her in it? And how did they raise more than half million dollars for the candidacy of one who brought no legitimate credentials for this office to the table?
Could it be that whomever or whatever entity orchestrated Tinker's entry into the race and subsequent campaign had too much invested to allow her to compromise her position? It is difficult to believe someone who has been in Memphis for only a short time or so, has limited local “connections” and until last year was a political unknown would of her own volition seek such high office in her first political outing.
Another view might be that Tinker simply used this campaign as a means to establish identity for a future run at elected office. Then, perhaps her motive was to position herself for a career promotion. One observer at her headquarters on election night reported her to have indicated that going to Washington as a lobbyist might be part of her plans for the future.
In any event, neither of those motives were in the best interests of residents of the 9th Congressional District.
Now, back to Ford — why was he in the race? Could his presence in the race have been (as some have suggested) for the purpose of helping insure a Steve Cohen victory thus rendering him (Cohen) subject to being a “one-term congressman.” That is, a white congressman vulnerable to defeat by an African American in 2008.
If this was the plan, it (although shameful) makes good political sense. It would have been much more difficult for a Ford to defeat a sitting African American congressman representing the 9th in 2008. Or perhaps Ford was trying to help the independent candidate (his cousin, Jake Ford)? Who knows.
As long as the boundaries remain as they are, only two situations can occur to prevent an African American from being elected to Congress from the 9th district One would arise if African Americans collectively decided they preferred someone who is not African American to represent them. The other is one in which several relatively high profile and/or well-financed African American candidates run for the office and dilute African American voting strength. This is what occurred during this election.
Some claim that all of this is “much ado about nothing.” Not true. African Americans have been historically unrepresented and underrepresented in local, state and national government. Significant change only came about when congressional district lines were redrawn to insure the reasonable expectations of African Americans having the opportunity of being elected. The district was designed to facilitate African American representation — Tinker and Ford, more than anything or anyone else, destroyed that hope.
Shamefully, what we just witnessed in the 9th Congressional District election was either an intentional or an oblivious disregard of the purpose of American representative government.
Ideally, and at some point in time, differences of race will not be of socio-economic or political consequence in America. Realistically, however, that time is not yet upon us.
In conclusion, Steve Cohen's previous record as a state senator suggests he will make a good Congressman, if elected in the November general election. As has been previously noted, this analysis has never been about Senator Cohen's suitability for the position. Rather, it is about the blatant disregard of a group of African Americans who concerned more with personal aggrandizement than the well-being of the residents of the 9th Congressional District.
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. REMIXX WORLD has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is REMIXX WORLD endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
THE BEST YOUNG CAMPAIGN MANAGER IN POLITICS (A Commentary on Justin Ford)
I thanked the voters and my supporters for their support in the 9th District U.S. Congress run.
However, I have yet to publicly thank my brother and campaign manager Justin Ford for his efforts for me and my campaign since January, 2006.
Justin did an exceptional job putting my campaign in a strong position considering the obstacles that faced this campaign. His understanding of the political game and strategies were top-notch and his predictions were very accurate. My campaign had limited monetary resources, but his negotiation skills always got us the best deals which saved thousands of dollars. His work on HUSTLE 2 VOTE garnered excellent publicity and media placement for my campaign.
Thank you for the hard work and support!!!
I have not researched the issue, but Justin may have been the youngest Congressional campaign manager in modern federal politics. At only 21 years old, Justin has a great future in both business and politics when he graduates college later this year.
I would recommend Justin to any current or future candidate looking for someone in Generation Y with a great political mind.
Thanks,
Joe
Joe Ford, Jr.
August 27, 2006
However, I have yet to publicly thank my brother and campaign manager Justin Ford for his efforts for me and my campaign since January, 2006.
Justin did an exceptional job putting my campaign in a strong position considering the obstacles that faced this campaign. His understanding of the political game and strategies were top-notch and his predictions were very accurate. My campaign had limited monetary resources, but his negotiation skills always got us the best deals which saved thousands of dollars. His work on HUSTLE 2 VOTE garnered excellent publicity and media placement for my campaign.
Thank you for the hard work and support!!!
I have not researched the issue, but Justin may have been the youngest Congressional campaign manager in modern federal politics. At only 21 years old, Justin has a great future in both business and politics when he graduates college later this year.
I would recommend Justin to any current or future candidate looking for someone in Generation Y with a great political mind.
Thanks,
Joe
Joe Ford, Jr.
August 27, 2006
THE CORPORATION (Must watch documentary!)
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