Fiscal Cliffhanger

Is there truly a fiscal cliff or a dramatic cliffhanger for the US media to run-amok with as usual so they have some headline to keep eyeballs captivated?  We have so many things going on around this nation at the moment ranging from the high employment, racial animus at an all time high, faltering infrastructure, and let's not forget the climate change on going.

Now with the psychologically defected exposed nationwide for the racially averse heretics they are, their deranged representatives in DC are now playing chicken with the nation's financial future do the usual "to show that damn nigger in office who's boss".  However, what those assholes doesn't realize is that the majority of the citizenry will hold their sorry asses accountable this time not President Obama.  Oops, I bet their asses did see that one coming!

Yeah, we have a number of things to worry about right now, so this fiscal cliffhanger shouldn't even be one of them at the moment....

So Kasim Reed apologizes to the Atlanta LGBTs for the police raid

In an unceremonious manner, Atlanta mayor, Kasim Reed, apologized to the victims of the 2008 raid of the Midtown Atlanta gay bar, Eagle, and called for "healing".  According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the settlement resulted in $1 million to the owners and 60 individuals involved in the raid where Atlanta Police officers handcuffed bar patrons and workers without a warrant.  Reed said:

“I believe that what occurred that evening should not have happened and should not happen again,” Reed said at a news conference. “As mayor of Atlanta, I feel pain for anyone mistreated in our city and apologize to each plaintiff in the . . . case.”

“This week’s settlement agreement is a step forward, and I hope, the beginning of a healing process,” said Reed, who was not mayor at the time. “The plaintiffs and the city . . . have agreed upon clear steps which will strengthen and improve our law enforcement capabilities and help ensure that an incident such as this will not happen again in our city.”

Reed is hoping this will help "heal" the divide between the current administration and the LGBT constituency.  IMHO, that is yet to be seen because I know how some people will be bitter as hell and will hold a grudge for a long time.  Anyways, good to see this case resolved and maybe the APD will not do such random things in the future.

Video is courtesy of the Georgia Voice

NPR fired Juan Williams ***YAWN***

I am so over the talk about National Public Radio (NPR) terminating Juan Williams position as a political commentator for their organization.  He opened his mouth and said something quite derogatory towards Muslim Americans, and he paid the piper with his job.  If I had a job as a political commentator with organization A and then went on a national news network or propaganda organization (You Decide, hint, hint) and said that all the white people involved in the T.E.A. twats gatherings made me uneasy because I know they are aversive racists then I got terminated from organization A.  Well, I would deserve it, period.  I wasn't being an objective commentator on politics anymore because I felt the need to explain my personal feelings and insulted an already controversial group on national television.  Clearly it's a conflict of interest as NPR ombudsmen Alicia C. Shepard elaborated in her column on Williams' termination.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and rest of the vindication for their bullshit crowd are harping about stripping the federal funding from NPR because of this.  Yet, NPR receives less than 2% of funding from the federal government.  This is a textbook example of hypocrisy on the part of the socially conservative and narrow-minded faction that exists in this nation.  Nobody was saying a peep about the antics of the commentators of the mostly socially regressive Clear Channel syndicated talk radio shows or NewsCorp (FOX's parent company) founder and CEO Rupert Murdoch donating millions to the Republican Governors Association.  Instead, it's oh so convenient to pick and choose their controversies and battles of "objectivity".

Now, NPR might appear a little left leaning, but that's because most of the time they do objective reporting of most major news stories that occur regardless of political ideological stances.  If that is considered "liberal" or "left-leaning" then I guess the assumption of the "liberal mainstream media" does exist. (only in the minds of the paranoid and eurocentric oriented social conservative individuals)...

On the Jefferson County issues...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, former Jefferson County Commissioner Gary White is finally going to the chokey, but what does this mean to the constituency?  I'm honestly wondering what type of outlook does this leave for the citizens of Jefferson County on the county governmental structure, particularly the elected representation...

All of the current sitting commissioners are going to be gone in November regardless of how the election turns out since the only one running for reelection (Bobby Humphryes) lost his primary about 4 weeks ago.  It just seems to anti-climatic for the citizens to continue to see this status quo exist with the county government.  Although they want to reintroduce merit raises for county employees, for now...

All I can say is, OH BROTHER!!!!

MARTA is slashing a quarter of its service

As of  March 30, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will slash a funds for service due to a nearly $120M budget deficit in the Fiscal Year 2010 (sounds familiar?)...  For the second consecutive year in a row, the 1-cent sale tax revenues from Fulton and DeKalb counties have dropped drastically due to the deep recession.  The motion will force an entire restructuring of the entire system since nearly half of the systems buses routes will be affected.

MARTA could lose 66 of its 131 bus routes, or more than half. Bus routes could be dropped in some areas to make up for losses on other routes. Wait times for trains, which increased after last year's modest budget cuts, could stretch to 30 minutes on weekends before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m.  Rush-hour train intervals could be 12 minutes.

The Georgia General Assembly doesn't seem to care per say in the interim since the only plan on the table is one working with the helping with transportation funding starting in 2012 and 2013.  However, the current users of MARTA will be suffering because this will constrict the service to what those in Birmingham deals with the MAX system of BJCTA.  SIGH! 

Now what does this solve?

Once again, selfishness, idiocy, and stupidity strikes!  This time in the DC Metro aka "The DMV" over the relocation of the corporate headquarters of Northrop Grumman from Los Angeles to the region.  The recent inauguration of the socially-conservative Republican Virginia Governor Bob McConnell and his executive order that removed LGBT from the state's discrimination ordinance for employment.  He also blocked the passage of a legislation that would extend health benefits to the same sex partners of state employees.  This was at the recommendation of also recently elected Republican Virginia State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli about LGBT issues.

The Sunday edition of the Washington Post covered the foolishness being perpetuated by openly gay Maryland State Senator Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery County) and Equality Virginia to discourage Northrop Grumman from relocating to the Northern Virginia side of the DMV because of the executive order. 

Here's an exert from the letter from the Washington Post:

"Here in Maryland, we value our gay and lesbian citizens as part of a diverse population that makes the state strong," Madaleno wrote. "Virginia is doing the opposite and letting its LGBT citizens -- and those considering whether to move and work there -- know that they and their families are unwelcome second-class citizens. And they are counting on corporations like yours not to care."

Also Madaleno said that "Virginia is turning back the clock" in the letter.  However, Equality Virginia takes the cake by penning a similar to the Northrop Grumman CEO Wesley Bush also discouraging the corporation from locating in Northern Virginia.  Northrop Grumman has received a perfect rating from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) for its protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.  Also known for its diversity and productivity involving its employee.

Now, my thing is last time I remember this is apart of the private sector and can make its own policies for its employees.  I would expect that Madaleno because he is vying for a new economic development opportunity for his state and district by playing up their more progressive issues and the recent decision by the Maryland Attorney General saying they would recognize same-sex unions from other jurisdictions.

The Commonwealth of Virginia isn't off the hook because like most former Jim Crow-law states, i.e., Southern states, they have right-to-work laws, which means you can be fired for anything.  Which is very detrimental to black, Latinos, LGBTs, etc. and working in states where employers can use this policy to terminate you.

However, the scorched earth ideology of Equality Virginia is dumb ass hell, and insures that they will likely not have any if not many working-class voters come next time a pivotal issue involving LGBTs.  Equality Virginia is saying to those who might want to get a decent job at the headquarters, screw you, because they didn't get their way.  Hell, as much I can't stand the current mayor of Birmingham, I'm not shitting on Birmingham even on this blog because of that.  My advice to Equality Virginia is with that type of strategy they are taking you are going to make more enemies than friends with that foolishness you are doing to your own state.  If you want enact change to the policy then push for the Virginia General Assembly to pass a legislative amendment that will change state employment laws permanently rather than burning crucial bridges with potential allies on progressive and working-class voter issue.  This stunt by Equality Virginia is exactly why there is such a disconnect between most progressive-leaning groups and LGBT-rights advocacy groups because a majority of time the latter will act extremely selfishly more than the former....

Birmingham is $77M in deficit...

Well, well, well, the jackal had to admit this afternoon that the City of Birmingham is facing a $77 million in the deficit for the fiscal year 2010.  At its half way point in the fiscal year, the city brought in $35 million shorter in revenue than anticipated under the Langford-led administration and Smitherman-led City Council, and even worse the jackal-led administration is about as clueless as they come.  Bell is saying that the city needs to make cutbacks or the shortfall will come a reality.  REALITY CHECK: IT IS A REALITY, JACKAL!  You and your hair brained projects like pushing forward with the BJCC multipurpose facility expansion under your inept ass would be as wise as the man with his last dollar going to the casino to put it in a slot machine.  This is pathetic yet not surprising to me because Bell is an idiot and unable to competently to lead Birmingham.  Instead of focusing on mass transit like Patrick Cooper said Birmingham needs to do which is apart of its infrastructure, Bell wants to continue with the same path laid out by Langford...

I'm wondering how the jackal plans on paying James S. Holbrook, CEO of Sterne Agee & Leach with the city suffering that huge shortfall?  Hmmm...

As I said back in November, the first punch has been thrown in VA

The newly-inaugurated socially conservative Republican governor of Virginia has already rolled by any form of progress for LGBT/SGLs. 

 

Well simple-minded voters and apathetic non-voters of Virginia, you get what you ask for an idiot.  Now he is turning back everything so that Virginia would no doubt be seen as a Southern, conservative state rather than a very progressive state it was going for nearly a decade now.  In other words, if you are employed by either the Commonwealth of Virginia or any employer in Virginia and is terminated for your sexuality then it is what it is because of this asshole.  I warned this ass would to the damn thing and he has done exactly that.  WHAT A SHAME!

Both Birmingham and Atlanta lost out on their T.I.G.E.R. grant bids

On February 17th, the 2010 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant recipient list was announced, but Birmingham and Atlanta main transit projects weren't on the list.  The grant program is worth over $1.5 billion in funds to well over 50 different programs that will improve transportation infrastructure in various cities and regions across the nation.  However, the Norfolk-Southern received grant funds for their projects including a major hub in the Greater Birmingham area with the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Rail Project with $244 million.  On the other hand, other regions in the South did receive some funds such as the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority did get $45 million for the Loyola Loop extension of their streetcar system and for the Union Passenger Terminal improvements, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) received $23 million for a downtown streetcar system in Dallas, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation received $48.4 million for the I-244 multimodal bridge replacement in Tulsa, and the National Capital Planning Commission received $58.8 million for priority bus system in the DC metro area.  Here is the link to the full final report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The problems that plague both Birmingham and Atlanta were pretty much their respective state governments doesn't invest in transportation infrastructure outside of roads and bridges.  Although the In-Town Transit Partnership bus rapid transit system would cost $65 million and $6.5 million to operate annually, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) failed to secure the grant most likely due to the lack of allocated funding sources from the state of Alabama and local governments.  The same can be said about the issues plaguing the Atlanta Beltline light rail and streetcar system.  The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), like ALDOT, doesn't allow any funds to go towards public transit, so the Atlanta Regional Commission along with the Friends of the Beltline and the City of Atlanta are vying for the project one their own.  This is the very likely cause for the failure of securing any of the T.I.G.E.R. funds. 

Since the recent loss, the RPCGB has promised to find an alternative source of secured funds to push the In-Town Transit Partnership forward from the drafting table.  Similar efforts have been announced with the officials associated with Atlanta's Beltline. 

All I can say to both entities is, GOOD LUCK.  Considering the economic environment we are in during these times, both cities will be lucky to fund their existing mass transit infrastructure without making massive cuts in service.  Sadly, the BJCTA of Greater Birmingham isn't seeing its best times already with it begging the city of Birmingham to provide them a much needed $9 million in funds to continue its service through the rest of fiscal year after March 30 (which is the 6 month point for FY 2010).  The jackal is about as idiotic as they come, so don't expect any real decisions coming from the mayor's office on the problems with the BJCTA.  Sadly, MARTA is facing a similar crisis with tax revenue slipping from both Fulton and DeKalb counties, and the fact that DeKalb County is facing a financial meltdown that could possibly lead to a layoff or furloughing of county employees (sounds like Jefferson County all over again...).

SAD! 

Birmingham is held in contempt of court?

Well, this time for missing a key deadline on a 30-year-old lawsuit involving making all the personnel data of the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County Personnel Board transparent for everybody (since they are publicly-funded governmental agencies).  Birmingham under the tenure of the jackal, William Bell, failed to comply by January 31st, which was the deadline set back in 2008.  Oh well, another day on the voyage of a ship without an incompetent captain for the next 20 months...

Gary White's federal conviction reinstated

After months of uncertainty whether or not former Jefferson County commissioner Gary White would receive a new trial in federal court are over.  The three-judge panel ruled that White waived his right to be tried in the federal court district in which the alleged offenses were committed because he didn't raise the issue before the trial.  The Federal Court of Appeals in Atlanta reinstated the conviction of bribery and conspiracy along with sending it back to the federal circuit of North Alabama to either the Birmingham or Tuscaloosa federal courthouse. 

Well, that makes 5 former Jeffco commissioners that have been convicted in federal courts for bribery, conspiracy, or corruption charges.  What a damn shame, and embarrassment for Jefferson County government, but it's the government we as the citizen pay for since we don't seem to have the will to push for a reformation of the county government from a district-based system without an executive branch to one where there are separation of powers.  SMH

Birmingham is slashing and burning left and right and BJCTA along with other things are affected

Today during the usual Monday City Council Budget committee meetings, the Birmingham City Council has to figure out a way to remove $8 million of expenditures from the operating budget.  Some of the things mentioned to save funds includes 10 day furloughs for city employees, charges for garbage disposal, and not fully funding the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) the $9 million in payments.  This comes at a very bad time for the BJCTA which just settled for $30,000, one-fourth of the original $120,000 it charged Hoover for its U.S. 31 bus route that was saved by the negotiations.  The BJCTA is in literal dire straits, not figuratively at all, with buses leaking during rainfall, regular breakdowns, and disruptions of service due to these breakdowns.  Ironically, the funding for the BJCC multipurpose facility expansion wouldn't be affected since the city funds it after receiving invoices of progress and it comes from the "Birmingham Fund" capital budget that is separate from general budget fund.

Back to the Birmingham City Council budget debacle, interim mayor Roderick Royal was the one who proposed the reduction of expenditures.  Royal discusses plans to not pay the city employees for the New Year's Eve, Martin Luther King holiday, Good Friday and Memorial Day holidays to save $3.7 million.  However, many criticize this move along with the fact that just 3 weeks ago Royal said that the figures saying that the city unbudgeted itself by $20.89 million under Langford was an inaccuracy and it was only $1 million.  Now the tune is quite different and saying that he want wants to reduce $8 million from the budget any way possible since the FY 2010 revenue won't be enough to cover the $423 million expenditures budgeted.

Geez, my head is spinning and I can only image how anybody else feels about this.  The idiots that voted for Langford are to thank for the abyss of nuttiness where Smitherman and others knew what was going with Langford, but didn't do a damn thing until it was too late.  I'm so tired of this lot of morons it doesn't make any type of sense. 

Gotta love the idiot savancy of Alabama laws

The sex toys store Love Stuff in Hoover apparently has lost their court battle in the Alabama Supreme Court.  The claim is that the store is violating the state's anti-obscenity law and it is too close to daycares and churches.  Blah, blah, blah!  None of that is true because the area of Hoover it is located is at least a quarter of a mile from any daycare or church. 

Yeah, Alabama's anti-obscenity law claims that bans "adult-only entertainment" near churches and child care centers.  Get this it was passed in 1998 by a Huntsville Democrat in the Alabama State Legislature.  Once again affirming the screwiness of Alabama Democrats and why I absolutely hate the way they operate along with why I'm an Independent. 

Now we have to spend our time lobbying to have this stupid law repealed by the State Legislature so that it can remove the embarrassment from the state's reputation.  Another stupid move by Alabama...

U.S. Census bureau will count same-gender loving couple

Well, according to yesterday's Washington Post, the US Census Bureau will count same sex couples in the 2010 Census.  They did count same-sex couples in the 2000, but the Bush administration enforced the usage of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to prohibit the releasing of the numbers since they aren't "officially" recognized couples.  With the 2010 Census they will be counted and released since the Obama administration gave the A'OK to count and hopefully (if Obama gets re-elected) released in 2012 or 2013.