Oh brother, Mississippi is still doing this...

On Tuesday, Senior Judge Tom S. Lee serving in the U.S. District Court of Southern Mississippi had to issue an order requiring that Walthall County in Southwestern Mississippi to desegregate their school district.  Apparently, school officials were allowing a large chunk of the white students to transfer to a majority white set of schools while depleting any sense of diversity in the reminder of the county schools, which are majority black. 

WASHINGTON – A federal court has ordered the Walthall County, Miss., School District to eliminate policies that have resulted in significant racial segregation among students in the school district, the Justice Department today announced.

The United States filed a motion on Dec. 21, 2009, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi arguing that the Walthall School District is in flagrant violation of a prior court order from 1970, the Equal Protection Clause and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"More than 55 years after Brown v. Board of Education, it is unacceptable for school districts to act in a way that encourages or tolerates the resegregation of public schools," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "We will take action so that school districts subject to federal desegregation orders comply with their obligation to eliminate vestiges of separate black and white schools."

According to the motion, the district's practice of permitting hundreds of students – the vast majority whom are white – to attend schools outside their assigned residential attendance zone without restriction prompted a disproportionate number of white students to attend a single school in the district, leaving a number of other schools disproportionately black.

Indeed, evidence in the case suggested that the community regarded certain schools in the district as "white schools" or "black schools." The United States also asserted that officials in certain district schools grouped, or "clustered," white students together in particular classrooms, resulting in large numbers of all-black classes at every grade level in those schools.

The order issued today by the court requires the district to modify its transfer policy to permit students to transfer to a school outside their residential zone only if the student can demonstrate a compelling justification for the transfer. The court further ordered the district to implement protocols to ensure that students within district schools will hereafter be assigned to classrooms in a manner that will not lead to segregation.

The enforcement of the Equal Protection Clause and Title IV in school districts is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

According to the Washington Post:

For years, the local school board has permitted hundreds of white students to transfer from its Tylertown schools, which are about 75 percent African American and serve about 1,700 students, to another school, the Salem Attendance Center, which is about 66 percent white and serves about 577 students in grades K-12. The schools are about 10 miles apart.

Salem became "a racially identifiable white school while the student enrollment of the Tylertown schools has become predominantly black" because of the transfers, U.S. officials alleged in December, based on data from the 2007-08 school year, according to Lee's order.

At the same time in Tylertown four K-12 schools, "District administrators group, or 'cluster,' disproportionate numbers of white students into designated classrooms . . . resulting in significant numbers of segregated, all-black classrooms at each grade level," the judge wrote, summarizing the Justice Department lawyers' case.

So the clustering of white students in majority white school and the cluster of black students in other school, huh?  Well, Mississippi Department of Education have a lot of explaining to do considering they likely knew of this when they did their annual enrollment and demographic profiles of each schools in each school district.  Considering this is the notorious for being still practically "Indentured Servitude Country" aka Southwestern Mississippi, I just not surprised that is occurred here at all.  This is portion of Mississippi that is still stuck in the early 20th century in so many ways more than one can explain.  Mississippi is making a name for itself this year and it's only been 4 months in; first, with the prom fiasco in Itawamba County and now this ignorance.  WOW, WOW, WOW! 

I'm loving this foolishness

Today, Alabama Democratic gubernatorial candidate announced today that he isn't looking for endorsement from either the Alabama Democratic Coalition, Alabama New South Coalition, etc.  This is following the press release from the New South Coalition that would meet and decide to endorse a candidate in the Alabama Democratic gubernatorial primary on Saturday.  He made it pretty clear with this statement:

“The night I was elected to Congress in 2002, I declared that while I have great respect for the legacies of ADC, the Alabama New South Coalition, and the Jefferson County Citizen’s Coalition, the day has ended when these groups decide who wins the support of black voters in this state.  My election that night-- in the face of unanimous opposition from these groups and their leadership-- proved as much.  The latest proof will be our win on June 1 over the traditional power-brokers who are backing Ron Sparks.

Sparks and the Montgomery insiders who fuel his candidacy still believe that black voters require a sample ballot and an “x” to know who they need to vote for. They also believe that the old politics of “GOTV” money and “influence” over appointed positions is the path to win black political support.  Finally, they have the nerve to seek African American support while offering coded language about the “electability” of black candidates.

The old politics and the old ways of doing things have broken down in this state and Alabamians of all races deserve a new approach.  Democrats who are tired of losing five of the last six governors’ races should also welcome a campaign that is about reforming our politics and our economy and our schools and not stale arguments over “electability” or closed door promises and deals.

For these reasons, I have decided not to participate in the screening processes of ADC, New South, or the Coalition. As much as I admire the legacy of these groups and their current contributions, the African American voters who will participate in the primary need no permission, and no sample ballots, to decide who they favor in this Governor’s race.  In fact, the best way to honor the legacy of Senator Sanders, Dr. Reed, and Dr. Arrington is for candidates to give black Alabamians the respect of honoring their independence and their capacity to make informed judgments.”

LMAO, this is too much for me since I know Joe Reed would have let hell froze over before he would allow ADC to endorse Davis.  However, if the ADC does endorse Sparks over Davis and he loses their credibility would be shot.  Now, I'm not really aversive toward the Alabama New South Coalition, but they like the increasingly useless ADC shouldn't use their pull to wield some power of progressive black politicos so they can further their power into another generation.  It's got to cease and desist with these groups because their reasons of existence is purely political and truly lacks the social activism of NAACP or SCLC.  Davis is so right to ignore them both...

Georgia's 1st black female and youngest chief justice is being considered for departing U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens

While I was under the weather for the last few days (literally after I returned from Atlanta), Leah Ward Sears, Georgia's 1st black and youngest chief justice name has popped up on the list of names to replace John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS).  According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Sears' name now is among more than half a dozen candidates being considered by the president to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, who is retiring this summer.

Well, this is an interesting series of developments involving the foolishness that has been pedaled by Senatorial Republicans at the idea of President Obama appointing another justice to the SCOTUS like Alabama's very own junior senator Jeff Sessions (backwoods, aversive racist asshole).  According to the Mobile Press-Register, Session released a long, yet convoluted statement commending and condemning President Obama if even thinks about attempting to nominate anything other than a social conservative to the post currently held by the clearly liberal John Paul Stevens.  This excerpt is so tale-telling about the double standard that Sessions along with the majority of the Senatorial Republicans on this process:

Justice Stevens' approaching retirement sets in motion an important constitutional process to nominate and confirm the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. In exercising its 'advise and consent' role, the Senate must act on behalf of the American people to carefully scrutinize the nominee's qualifications, prior speeches and writings, and record. Senate hearings are the public's best opportunity to become involved in this process, and it is critical that the Judiciary Committee conduct a fair and thorough evaluation of whomever President Obama nominates for this extraordinary lifetime appointment.

We know from the nomination of Justice Sotomayor last spring that the public is rightly concerned about the future of our judiciary. The product of her confirmation hearing was a near-universal rejection of President Obama's empathy standard, the flawed notion that judges should allow personal feelings, political opinions, and social views to guide judicial decision-making. Senators on both sides of the aisle--and the nominee herself--disavowed the president's standard because it lies contrary to the traditional role of a judge in our legal system. Such an approach opens the door to an anti-democratic abuse of power where unaccountable federal judges set national policy according to their own views and political agendas. That approach is deeply unpopular with the American people, and any nominee who subscribes to it should expect bipartisan opposition.

The courtroom is a place reserved for the search for truth and the fair adjudication of disputes, free from politics. The American people want judges of the utmost integrity who have demonstrated a commitment to the Constitution and a willingness to impartially apply the law to the facts to reach a just outcome, without regard to the parties involved. There is a growing movement that is calling for more fidelity to our constitutional order, not less.

This idiot is telling me that he made sure that Roberts and Alito were properly vetted in the Senatorial approval process?  That one is HIGHLY DOUBTFUL considering how bias on opinions Alito clearly is on rulings moreso than any other justice on the SCOTUS.  I hope that Obama nominates Sears for the SCOTUS since it would bring another open-minded moderate with progressive leanings and bonus of this one would a black female.  On the flip side, according to the Washington Post, Sears is friends with current sitting justice Clarence Thomas, so it would be interesting to see if he will do some backdoor campaigning in her favor. 

This is going to be a three-ring-circus and the Senatorial Republicans of the socially conservative and hyper-partisan ilk are just going to make this one so more dubious and annoying...

Oklahoma bill that would block local law enforcement from assistancing in a federal hate crime investigation is dead

Another thing that occurred while I was away in Atlanta was the death of the bill in the Oklahoma State Legislature that would have blocked law enforcement from assisting in the investigation of a hate crime.  Oklahoma State House Representative Mike Shelton of Oklahoma City, co-chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and member of the Oklahoma Black Caucus took the State Senate bill and being the House sponsor of it and killed it.  Shelton asked specifically for the committee to not hear the bill and essentially killing it.  However, the bill's senatorial author socially conservative Republican Steve Russell also of Oklahoma City said if local law enforcement didn’t object to turning over the information, court approval would not be needed, Russell said.  Also that the law is needed to protect free speech after the passage of a federal law that added sexual orientation or gender identity to the categories protected under the federal hate-crimes law would have prohibited Oklahoma law enforcement agencies from cooperating with any federal agency in the investigation of a federal hate crime.  (Bigoted idiot...  Oh well...)

HUH?

Again Virginia's socially conservative Republican governor Bob McConnell has made an ass of himself and the Commonwealth of Virginia this time with the proclamation of April as Confederacy History Month.  This idiot is a simple as an Easy-Bake Oven, and had the audacity to deliberately omit the acknowledgment of the enslavement of black Americans and the ramifications. Interestingly, McConnell unlike his Democratic predecessors, feels that this proclamation will help with the state's tourism involving the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War...

Interestingly, Virginia's first black governor and the first one of a Southern state L. Douglas Wilder, who refused to endorse that Democratic pushover in last year's gubernatorial race and tacitly endorsed McConnell, spoke out against this proclamation.  According to the Washington Post, Wilder called it "mind-boggling to say the least" and "Confederate history is full of many things that unfortunately are not put forth in a proclamation of this kind nor are they things that anyone wants to celebrate. It's one thing to sound a cause of rallying a base. But it's quite another to distort history." Also Shelia Johnson, BET founder Bob Johnson's ex-wife, who also endorsed McConnell called him out as well.  Now Johnson had endorsed McConnell because he was for "job, jobs, jobs" according to her advertised endorsement from last year's campaign.  Also word on the street is that heifer was also looking for a nod-and-wink from McConnell and the mostly Republican Virginia General Assembly over tax incentives for a real estate venture she was attempting to construct in Northern Virginia. (Too little, too late Johnson and we all know you have something against anybody that isn't black and wealthy as yourself).  McConnell half-assed attempted to apologize for the omission of slavery, but will keep the proclamation to appease the idiots.

The idiocy continues although it wasn't as highly publicized Alabama's socially conservative buffoon governor Bob Riley did the same thing on March 22nd.  I've yet to understand what is the purpose of these Southern Republican governors attempting to appease the lowest common denominator of their populous hoping to buy some political cool points and capital along the way.  Whereas, these idiotic gestures are solidifying their dissonance with non-white Southerners particularly blacks and to a certain extent young, educated whites.  Funny when they have the Southern Republican Leadership Conference this weekend in New Orleans hoping to strategize and reclaim a majority in Washington and in their individual Southern state capitals. 

I can't even step away and go to Atlanta for a few days without having more stupidity and racial omission at its very worst going on...

I want some people to STFU on this whole Obama Census form crap!

Over the New York Times story discussing how Barack Obama filled out on the race identification section of the U.S. Census form for himself.  REALITY CHECK: if Barack Obama was an average citizen that was seen on the streets or (God forbid) pulled over for an offense by law enforcement do you realize that his race would be identified as a black male.  Yeah, he was raised by his clearly white mother along with his second generation Irish American maternal grandparents, but he said in his own autobiographical story that he has come to identify himself as an 'African American' or in my terms, black.  It's not that hard to understand that since the one-drop rule has been enforced in most social circles of our society in this nation since the times of slavery that if a person appears have more physical traits uncommon to most white Americans then they are considered 'non-white'.  This following quote by a commentator on The Huffington Post sums it up quite eloquently:

Most people do not consider biracial black/whites to be white 9.5/10 no matter what. If Barack Obama was some hustler in Chicago, or a janitor in Idaho no one would look at him and say "Oh, he's half white so he really could be white". That just doesn't happen. Like he's said in his books, Obama has always been treated and regarded as a Black man.

The only time anyone wanted to seriously talk up his "White" side was when it looked like he was about to become President and afterwards. Just like South Koreans wanted to claim Hines Ward 'after' he became MVP. In lesser circumstances these men would be considered (and treated) as black period.

Obama's white side never helped him catch cabs. It never stopped many whites from calling him an affirmative action candidate. His white side didn't stop Glenn Beck from saying he has a deep seated hatred of white people. His white side didn't help him in the Louis Gates incident last year when whites freaked out after he said police officers acted stupidly (which they did). His white side hasn't helped convince ignorant masses that our Democratically elected president is a legal citizen of the US.

He can identify as he likes and he identifies as Af-American. I'm not sure why some whites are getting upset over a societal norm that they created, promoted, and complacently live by everyday.

The fact that some whites want to claim Barack Obama as a member of the in-group when many doesn't even consider their own biracial or multiracial relatives as 'white' although their blood says A LOT of the trivialized mindset of a number of individuals in that demographic group.  It's quite simple, the man sees himself as black and if you don't respect then that is your problem.  However, don't conveniently consider a person a part of a demographic group when otherwise other individuals who have more apparent traits associated with being white are denied instantly because of their lack of prominence or achievements.  It's hypocritical and very evident of the apparent sift and dissidence in our society when it comes to concepts of race identification and white privilege.  (I'll leave that to the blog Stuff White People Do to discuss since it's entirely dedicated to such topics). 

I guess Michael Steele has finally read the memo

That memo is if you're black then your ass is always on the line...


He addressed that very factoid on ABC's Good Morning America this morning when asked about the controversy that I intentionally neglected to cover of the past week involving the Republican National Convention (because controversy and the RNC or social conservatives are as common as people farting and belching, so Google it if you want to know it was).  However, silly ole Steele finally realize those white guys and (white women) in the RNC doesn't have much patience for his black ass or any of his antics, but he's not stepping down. (Obviously because the paycheck, perks, and speaking engagements along those financial benefits from them are too good to relinquish without being officially forced out).

Here's a quote from his interview:

"The honest answer is, 'yes,' Barack Obama has a slimmer margin. A lot of folks do. It's a different role for me to play and others to play and that's just the reality of it. But you take that as part of the nature of it....  My view on politics is much more grassroots oriented, it's not old boy network oriented, so I tend to, you know, come at it a little bit stronger, a little bit more street-wise, if you will. That's rubbed some feathers the wrong way"

It's ironic yet rather potent how he now wants to acknowledge what most black professionals deal with daily in prominent position although the U.S. alleges it is post-racial since the election of Barack Obama as president.  Well, it's not and until that time comes, you got be assertive and call it like you see and experience.

My open letter to Constance McMillian

This is my official response in form of a letter to the scheme that apparently Itawamba County School District officials and parents did this past weekend to Constance McMillian, her girlfriend, and a handful of other students.  They invited Constance and those others to an alleged fake prom while hold an actual prom sponsored by the school district unofficially at another location and later confirmed by the local newspaper, Tupelo Daily Journal.  Apparently, the parents and the officials of the district felt it was more important to scheme and set a ploy so that the district wouldn't be held in contempt of court, and with that alone I shake my head.

Dear Constance,


I understand your aggravation and disappointment with your local school district, the parents, students, and even the federal justice system on the case of your senior prom this year.  It's clear that the school district's legal team has made it apparent that the prom isn't an official school event, so the federal judicial circuit could not force them to invite you and your girlfriend or hold it as originally planned.    However, I look at this as a blessing in disguise as you wouldn't have to subject yourself or your girlfriend to the foolishness those idiots have been in their hearts and soul because of ignorance.  If that was me, I wouldn't want to be in the company of anybody who doesn't appreciate my time or presence.  People like your fellow classmates, their parents, and school officials are what is wrong with a great chunk of the South and Midwest where people find it A'OK to discriminate, but you and your girlfriend should graduate from school at the end of next month and move somewhere you and her can live productive and happy lives rather than entertain the idiocy of a significant number of citizen in northern Mississippi.


Sincerely, 


J.L. 

Why Erykah Badu? Why?

Why would you think it was a good idea for your black ass to film a music video without a permit in Dealey Plaza of the central business district of Dallas and then strip nude in front of a group of majority white bystanders?
Hello?  You are in TEXAS for all sense and purposes; although you are a native of the region, you KNOW this is the Bible Belt and one of the most socially conservative states in the Union. SMDH! 



Personally, I think it is a good song, but the video sucks ass.  Reeks of low-budgetness compared to the other videos I know of in her decade and half long music career, so WTF?  It's not really artistic when you are trying to make a psuedo-sociopolitical statement in your hometown when nobody including your fans doesn't even get it...

Now you have the simple-minded white suburbanites of the Metroplex blogging and talking about how "indecent",  "unartistic", and "needs to be rebuked" along with the Dallas City Council is looking to tighten its city ordinances on film production within the city limits.  On top of that now you have to deal with a disorderly conduct charge within Dallas Municipal Court.  I'm just saying if you going to make a point then at least make on that is solvent or coherent to the point that most of us would understand what you are trying to say rather than looking like a desperate attention whore in anticipation of your latest album.   Going to jail over something that is miscellaneous like this when you could be protesting much more important things like the economic and social issues then you are a lost soul truly.

Houston's mayor issues all encompassing executive orders including ethnicity, race, sexuality, and gender identity

According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston's first LGBT mayor, Annise Parker, has issueed 2 executive orders including all city employees from discrimination, slurs, or harassment including race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, and gender identity.  This order essentially extends the order issued by former Houston mayor and Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Bill White, which included all homosexual and bisexual city employees after Dallas.  This first order now includes transgenders city employees and the second one prohibits in form of harassment or intimidation based on the aforementioned category of groups.

However, all within Houston municipal government is showing much enthusiasm associated with the orders like City Attorney Arturo Michel, who said the city orders only extend to city employees only. This leaves individual citizens vulnerable existing ordinances which pretty much excludes transgenders.  Also the socially conservative community activist, Dave Wilson, who campaigned against Parker in last year's mayor's race because of the fact that she is openly gay, said he fears the executive orders may be “only the beginning” of city efforts to strengthen gay rights under Parker's leadership. 

Oh hell, oh well!  I mean Houston is now one of the 4th largest city in the nation, so if they are going to hold the title then it's best they act as if they are a major city.  The fact those naysayers are whining shows that the South still has a long way to go before as a whole it's a more progressive region although this is the 4th largest municipality in the U.S. 

Poll: Black voters show aptness towards voting again in November

Black voters seem to be still enticed to vote in the Congressional midterm elections later on this year although President Obama won't be on the ballot.  A poll conducted by the nonpartisan Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies surveyed 500 blacks in the states of Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Indiana about the upcoming election cycle.  2/3rd of their responses were very optimistic about voting again come November.  This might be a good sign for Democrats in these states since the majority of these black voters also identified as Democrats.

However, as I warned Democrats up for reelection in February, to stop being so damn literal and reactive towards rural and exurban white voters since most of them are going to vote emotionally rather rational or logically.  The true swing voters in this election cycle may just be the turnout of non-white voters who seem to be more reactive towards economic, social, and political conditions rather than the 2 of the 3 issues associated with most of the aforementioned demographic of white voters.  

It's going to be an interesting year politically with so many people who spent their wheels in the first quarter of the year shitting on anybody that didn't agree with their point-of-view.  Now with the healthcare reform issue resolving itself with the Congressional bill's passage, it's time for those to either get-over-it or focus on more tangible issues like immigration, the economy, jobs, or social issues.  All of which is something those who bitch and moan are better at rationalizing a legitimate argument.

The brazen lies and intentional omission of the obvious

After reading this idiotic article on Real Clear Politics about how "liberals doesn't white politics" by David Paul Kuhn.  The amount of foolishness spewed by this guy is AMAZING to even somebody with a social psychology background as myself.  He attempted to brush over how although there has been some incidents of racial bias and what not, the TEA party movement isn't about race or ethnic bias.

Disregard centuries of furious debate over the role of government. Disregard the Great Recession, historic economic anxiety, this hyper-partisan era, or the comparable vitriol Bill Clinton knew. Disregard white working class skepticism of liberalism since the Great Society, when liberal policy became less concerned with them. Disregard the average man today who sees rich guys and poor guys getting the big breaks from big government. No, Rich explains, it's all about whites who want to "take our country back" from a black president.

What then shall we make of Howard Dean? Over and over, fiery Dean railed during the 2004 campaign, "It's time to take our country back!"

This is the argument that suffices for logic. Rich tosses out the most loaded charge in American life, racism, without evidence. All he has are anecdotes of angry white activists. So he stereotypes. It's like a white person who watches a black criminal on the local news and draws racist generalizations.

Clearly, some Tea Party activists are driven by racial animus. We read it in the signs. Dale Robertson, Teaparty.org founder, held up a sign last year that read, "Congress = Slaveowner, Taxpayer = Niggar." Recently, in an ugly scene near the Capitol, some Tea Party protesters reportedly hurled racist epithets at members of the Congressional Black Caucus (including civil rights hero John Lewis). But it's the generalizations that are absurd and self-defeating.

Yeah, only a fool would believe that one, Kuhn.  He conveniently forgot how some spewed the word "nigger" to Georgia Congressman John Lewis and spat on Missouri Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver on the weekend in which healthcare reform has passed.   Let's keep it real, some of those who originally wanted start the TEA party movement might have objectively wanted it to remain racially ambiguous, but let's face the facts.  First, the movement is still over 90% white and the few non-whites involved are negligible since they are as entertainment for the crowd like Jerome Lewis.  The twisted irony of how they conveniently formed after a black president was elected and a Democratic-majority of Congress occur isn't a coincidence.

White politics exists, and most politic experts such as such as myself are well-informed of this, but most of it involves the omission of the social ailments of non-whites and usually rails upon how white males are "mistreated" by the changing American society.  Hell, you and those like you should take a note from your predecessors handbook and was told to non-whites, "either get with the program or get lost".  If you can't keep up with the economy and increasingly diverse nation then you need to evolve and change so you can survive rather than using rhetoric like "taking our country back".  Notice non-whites have never said such things because they don't believe in owing this country rather just being citizens that contribute to the place as most productive members of a society.  This article posted by David Seaton on Talking Points Memo explains exactly what has been occurring best.  If you are using that type of rhetoric that lets us all know that the problem with white politics is it's about ownership and possessiveness in a patriarchal sense rather than being just a productive contributing member of society.

IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND DON'T BE MAD THAT EVERYBODY HAS CLOCKED YOU AND THOSE THAT ARE THINKING LIKE YOURSELF!

Another chapter in the ongoing saga involving Birmingham

As mentioned earlier this year, there is a bill that has been floating around the Alabama State Legislature to synchronize all municipal election seats including City Council and mayor into one date every four years.  It would alleviate the double-dipping, backstabbing, and saboteur behavior of elected officials in Birmingham City Hall every 2 years while vying for the seat of mayor all the time.  Although that version had passed the Alabama State House, Merika Coleman listened and used some common sense and resubmitted her bill back to its original version with ending the current mayoral term held by the jackal, William Bell, in 2011 rather than extending it to 2013.  The next mayor of Birmingham would have an abbreviated term of 2 years and would have to run again in 2013 with the City Council. 

Wise choice, Coleman, very wise choice.  You are wise to listen to those who warned you of the repercussions of extending that jackal's term. 

The battle in GA amongst the Governor, State Assmbly Republicans, and the Attorney General

Another health care reform passage spin-off, instead of the Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker joining the ranks of the other Southern state attorney generals like the gay obsessed Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli, closeted Alabama AG Troy King, South Carolina AG Henry McMaster, Florida AG Bill McCollum, and Louisiana James D. "Buddy" Cadwell (who is a Democratic, probably a socially conservative one that allowed Mr. Jindal aka "Mr. I wish I was a white" to encourage him), and Texas AG Greg Abbott suing the federal government over the health care bill.  He is refusing to sue over the healthcare reform law and its enforcement, so the Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue along with Republican-majority State Assembly are pushing for the state to sue on its own and impeach Baker over his refusal.  Perdue was attempt to use an ultimatum to force Baker to react and file a suit against the portion of the law requiring all individuals to obtain health insurance as unconstitutional.  However, Baker also a Democratic gubernatorial candidate refused to oblige to the threats.  

GOOD FOR YOU, BAKER.  I wouldn't listen to the idiocy and political grandstanding bullshit either because it's a waste of state funds when there are more imperative things that all these states need to be concerned with like a balanced budget...

But there's more!!!!

The blogosphere is a buzzing about Alabama Congressman and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Artur Davis' steadfast stance to vote against healthcare reform although he said it was needed.  His talking out of both sides of his mouth looks stupid and confusing on the surface, but he might have A POINT.  Now, I'm one who doesn't trying to psychologically analyze the mind of somebody as flip-flopping as Davis, but he does have a means to an end.  However, the empirical question to this whole situation is "Was the "no" vote really worth it?"

Here's my take, it might not be as serious as some people like Rod McCullom of Rod 2.0, who loves making cheap shots at Davis wherever possible but won't do the same to others while giving them Swiss cheese-like passes for their bullshit or the salon.com and the talking head brigade.  Alabama is a moderate-to-conservative state where there is more socially conservative whites that vote in drives over any other group of people.  Oh yeah for the record, although Alabama's 7th Congressional district is the most "Democratic-leaning" (as they allege only salon.com) in the state, doesn't equate to most "gay-friendly" (to Rod and the simpleton brigade).  This district is quite the place for Democrats, but the kind like that isn't progressive for nothing.  Mainly since most of the LGBT population in Greater Birmingham doesn't even live in Birmingham proper, which is the coextensive with most of this district's boundary in this region.  If you want to know who makes up this district, yeah they are black but they are socially conservative and not very gay-friendly at all (just see the Birmingham municipal elections for measure).   Honestly, I believe the dog-and-pony show outside his main Birmingham office last week and the statement by his primary Ron Sparks was more for show by some this state's scrupulously simply Democratic party.  You guys can have fun on the ignorance you're pedaling around the Internet about a place you don't know, so when somebody calls you out don't say I didn't say "I TOLD YA SO!"

Anyways, Davis is a politico, who shouldn't be taken that serious, and is stuck between a rock and a hard place in this bizarre state.  He knows he was taking a political gamble being as placing your entire stack of chips on the blackjack table for wager, but he might not lose after all.  The only people he has to ultimately answer to will be those who will actually go to the voting booth come November not the hearsayer, naysayer, or talking heads that lack the facts on the blogosphere.  IN OTHER WORDS, if you are black or non-white in Alabama and eligible to vote then get off your ass and do it if you want your voice hear.   However, IMO Davis, Pelosi, and Obama were all in on his "no" vote and he was doing to protect his ass from further ostracism coming from that aforementioned simple-minded group of majority white voters in Alabama.

OH WELL, I'M NOT LOSING ANY SLEEP OVER HIS VOTE BECAUSE THE SHIT STILL PASSED...

Tragically, ACORN is done...

While the healthcare reform legislation passed in the House and Democrats and some Progressive patting themselves on the back for the accomplishment of a controversial issue, ACORN's board of directors decided to fold the national urban issues advocacy organization citing depleting funds.  SIGH! 

It's a time like this when we really need ACORN because they have fought long and hard for the people against predatory lending involved in the housing crisis, jobs, living wage, voting right, and education reform.  Last fall, the ignorant brigade of Angry White People Coalition and idiots and so-called "progressives" like Congressman John Conyers voted to strip the critical funding that the federal government gave to the organization.  Those idiots were reacting and believing that garbage from that idiotic white boy who prove to be a fraud and a criminal himself.  ACORN did win a court battle that they fought to get their funding back, but unfortunately the damage was done...

This shit disgusts me to no end because this organization actually helped those who couldn't speak for themselves.  The New Orleans-based organization's mission was always to fight to the hardships of those who were either impoverish, undeserved, or non-white, but of course this will go into the abyss because healthcare... SMH

Now the TRUE COLORS are coming out!

While the healthcare debate comes to a head, I mean vote, there have been hoards of TEAbaggers in DC around the governmental buildings cutting up like roaches in an empty nasty house.  Those jackasses were calling out names at John Lewis of Georgia's 5th Congressional District (which is pretty much all of the city of Atlanta and some of the surrounding areas) and openly gay Massachusetts' 4th district Congressman Barney Frank.  The terms "nigger" and "faggot".others such Missouri's 5th district Congressman Emmauel Cleaver was spat on.  Meanwhile, the supporters of the "movement" is purportedly denying the existence of racial bias (however, I doubt that one for sure).  Now they aren't going to be as nice about the whole homophobia at all because that is openly accepted.  However, it's disgusting yet not surprising that some white people are showing their TRUE COLORS within the "Angry White People Coalition".  What's even more tale-telling is how obvious some people are to this for all this time when in reality there the indicators have been there from jump, the TEA Party movement is the closed-minded, white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant crowd that doesn't give a flying fuck about anybody but themselves and obviously abhors the thought of having a non-white president because it shows they are losing control of the nation's leadership positions.

Time for one of my random thoughts about places involving media...

Well, when I think about places across the South, mainly the cities, I always who is the dominant and most reliable outlet of information in that region.  Like in Atlanta, it's a given that its the Cox Media-owned ABC affiliate, WSB-TV "Channel 2", who has been the leader of the region since literally the beginning since its the first TV station to come on air in the South (according to them).  While growing up, I used to think it was so funny that WSB-TV would have all this local programs in an era where local programming was going out of favor because of corporate ownership of media choosing syndicated programs over such.  However, Channel 2 would air "Close-Up with Monica Kaufman", who is legendary in the Atlanta region and those who are familiar with WSB-TV since she is the station's longest serving anchor to-date and one of the nation's longest serving female newscast anchors (35 years).  Also their airing of the nation's largest Independence Day parade on July 4th called "Salute 2 America" along with the "Macy's Great Tree" at Lenox Square shopping mall.

What so sad about the whole situation in Atlanta is the closest competitors, NewsCorp-owned WAGA-TV "FOX5 Atlanta" has half the ratings of anything WSB airs, which I know somebody at NewsCorp and FOX is pissed about consistently in a major market like Atlanta. 

The local NBC-affiliate WXIA-TV, is my personal favorite, but it has been fighting for years to remain #2 in the market with "FOX5 Atlanta".

What's so funny is they had been so dominate with their identity and signature "Action News" product of WSB-TV is that stations in other portions of the South have immolated them like WMC-TV in Memphis with similar logo, news products, and simplification of identity.

The station that has immolated WSB-TV is WMC-TV 5, which is the leading station is arguably the leading news station in Memphis.  The Raycom Media-owned NBC affiliate of the market, which was formerly owned by Atlanta-native, Bert Ellis, who was a huge fan of WSB-TV and used it as a benchmark to create the current look of WMC-TV.

Also Atlanta is one of those dubious markets where the other stations had to shuffle network affiliations due to because WAGA-TV was originally a longtime CBS affiliate until 1994 then it wind up on longtime independent station WGNX, now WGCL-TV.  Since WGNX/WGCL-TV has been hobbling along without a solid identity for years since its days as 'WGNX 46' then owned by Tribune Broadcasting, but now known as "CBS Atlanta" and owned by Meredith Corporation.

When applying that knowledge to here in Birmingham, well there isn't a leader because it is a market where corporatization took away any sense of locality for any of the stations.  The closest station to be "local leading station" was WBRC, but the whole NewsCorp-New World Communications deal back in the 1990s like WAGA-TV in Atlanta, took away that and made it into a FOX-owned station until 2008.  Now its back in the hands of the Alabama-based Raycom Media, but it's just lacking because the station has maintained the "FOX6" name for over a decade.

The other stations here like formerly NBC-Universal-owned NBC affiliate WVTM, which is owned by the god-awful Media General corporation is joke, and WBMA/WJSU/WCFT "ABC 33/40", the combination ABC affiliate is such a small town oriented station.  Whereas, WIAT has resurrected from the decade of ownership by Media General and now owned by New Vision Television, but it is immolating what WBRC and WBMA/WJSU/WCFT have been doing and that is create this "small town mindset" which is so counterproductive to the region as a whole in unification around Birmingham. 

Yeah, even the media here sucks...

The battle over the title "Capital of the South"

Oh brother, Charlotte is trying HARD to gain the title of the "Capital of the South" over longtime titleholder Atlanta in the past decade.  It seems the battle continues through this horribly deep recession.  Charlotte popped off the shots a few years ago when the leaders in North Carolina wooed then financial corporation after the merger of Philadelphia First Union and Winston-Salem-based Wachovia to Charlotte in 2001.  The city already had Bank of America since 1998 when Charlotte-based NationsBank merged with BankAmerica.

In reality, Charlotte isn't even remotely on Atlanta's level at all since one has a little over 2 million inhabitants whereas the other has 5.4 million inhabitants in their respective metropolitan regions.  Also the amount investment in Atlanta in more diversified economy compared to generally financial and service oriented economy of Charlotte.  Most urban studies observers such as myself will give Charlotte kudos for creating the LYNX light-rail transit (LRT) system from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in 2008 and having an active and livelier downtown area called "Uptown Charlotte" even during the afterwork hours with substantial population.  However, the infrastructure and population of the combined areas of Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead of Atlanta with MARTA service to all those areas as well surpasses Charlotte still.  Charlotte has the potential of leading the league of cities like Orlando, Tampa, Denver, Austin, Baltimore, etc. because of its size and immense amount investment in infrastructure and strong leadership.  However, its infrastructure still isn't a major hub in the road network, air, or water categories since there's only 2 interstates that pass through Charlotte (I-77 & I-85), Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is up there and an actual international airport but only in certain categories, but like Atlanta it lacks a major river or waterway.  The 2 cities are alike, yet not alike because Atlanta developed way sooner, has a more massive population base, larger airport, more roadway and rail infrastructure, and finally total domination as hub of the state of Georgia.  Whereas, Charlotte is competing with Raleigh and its sister city, Durham, for the dominance of North Carolina because Raleigh is still growing at a rate much faster than Charlotte and its home county, Wake, is well on its way like Charlotte's Mecklenberg to being the state's first with 1 million inhabitants.  On the other hand, North Carolina is a more urbanized and progressive state than Georgia since NC did go for the nation's first black president, Barack Obama, by a razor thin margin and has invested in rail transportation while Georgia still chooses to be typical southern state that is automobile-oriented, socially conservative, and anti-city ideology. 

In the end, sorry Charlotte, but you guys still are only a second-tier city compared to Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, and Washington in the domination of major cities.

Road rankings and Georgia still fairs better than Alabama

In the Readers' Digest ranking where they looking at the quality of roads and the most deadliest states for DUI, speeding tabulated from the Federal Transportation Administration from 2009.  According to the rankings, Alabama is the 9th deadliest state for roads in general and driving under the influence of a controlled substance and #1 for speeding.  The good news is Alabama has the 28th best roads in the nation based on the quality rankings.  However, our eastern neighbor, Georgia, has the 9th best roads based on the quality rankings, but is 20th deadliest state for roads overall.  Other Southern states are as followed: Tennessee was #19 for best roads, #15 for deadliest roads; Mississippi was #38 for best roads, 6th for deadliest roads and DUI, and 2nd deadliest for speeding; South Carolina was #35 for best roads, 3rd deadliest roads and deadliest for speeding, and 2nd deadliest for DUI; North Carolina was #36 for best roads and 17th for deadliest roads; Florida was 20th for best roads and 14th deadliest roads; Louisiana has the nation's worst roads (#50), 2nd deadliest roads, and 3rd deadliest for DUI; Arkansas was #31 for best roads, 5th for deadliest roads and #10 for deadliest for DUI; Texas was 29th for best roads, 16th for deadliest, 8th for deadliest for DUI, and 10th for deadliest for speeding; Oklahoma was 46th for best roads and 11th deadliest; Virginia was #9 for best roads and 40th for deadliest; Finally, Kentucky was 34th for best roads and  7th for deadliest.  The link for the full list is here.

However, the Southern states got mixed reviews, but the larger states were the ones with better roads than the smaller ones who seem to all rank poorly on the good rankings.

Why teachers' unions are the problem?

After watching enough TV ads into ad nauseum from Alabama's Education Association (AEA) and other teachers' unions across the nation, I've come to the conclusion when it comes to education reform in Alabama and most places that teachers' union are at fault.  Yeah, I said it!  They seem to be come preoccupied with preserving the teachers' jobs rather than educating students with the best methods.  However, instead we have this bizzaro situation where they are flooding the airwaves with the same ignorance that socially conservative interest groups uses to scare the common consumer into believing that "Washington wants to control your lives and your children's education with their liberal ideology".  Sounds familiar, huh? 

Also in other non-Southern states like Rhode Island, where there are school districts that are bold enough to terminate the entire teaching staff of a school when that isn't the answer either.  The administrators should be held as equally accountable as the teaching staff because this problem didn't form overnight and those administrators who have been there for years have seen this coming and knew what was happening.  So if you are going to fire the teachers then the administrators needs to be fired as well.  This hierarchical prejudice and ridicule of those on the lower end of the totem pole needs to cease because those higher ups are just as responsible.

Meanwhile, states like Alabama are missing out on critical funds that are needed to fund charter schools because the teachers' unions are too busy trying to cover their asses and member enrollment and dues.  The radical polarity of their isn't wise or practical at all because most solutions to any problem doesn't require switching from one end of the spectrum to another.  Also this is the time for those with a little sense and individual thought to stand up to these damn teacher's unions and their bullshit whining, bitching, and moaning about preserving their members' jobs when they are have school districts like Birmingham that are nothing but jokes, but all the administrators are getting paid $100K salaries annually....  SMDH

A little advice to Progressives, don't ally yourself with unions especially teachers' unions because as every other interest group, it's every man for himself.  Pluralistic alliances are ALWAYS the most productive ones because it allows the issue to be pushed to the forefront and made into a policy.

What is wrong with Houston's METRORail?

This afternoon, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County's METRORail experienced another crash with its fellow METRO Bus in downtown Houston.  The problem with METRORail is their long track records of collisions with either private vehicles and fellow METRO Buses in the Greater Houston area since the system's inception in 2003 prior to Houston hosting Super Bowl XXXVIII.   In the system's inaugural year of 2004, there were 61 crashes and on April 15, 2006, is where one turned fatal.  Now what I'm wondering what in the hell is wrong with this particular system?  Houston is a very automobile-oriented city and this one of the last major cities to implement rail transit into their public infrastructure.  However, those cities like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Charlotte have all introduced light rail transit (LRT) in the 00s, but in the case of Houston their LRT has mixed traffic right-of-way.  Interestingly enough, other cities with mixed traffic right-of-way, METRORail has been one crash after another hence their fucked up reputation.  Texas Department of Transportation (TDOT), like most southern state transportation departments, seems to be so gung ho to continue to build roads over public transit.   So this doesn't bode well for the system when they are in the midst of planning and implementing a massive expansion by 2030 the plans are on the table to have 5-line regional LRT system servicing most areas withing the I-610 (Houston) beltway.  I want MTA of Harris County needs to get it together on this and fix this shit because Houston is in the league of Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington as gridlock cities when it comes to commutes, so PLEASE GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER! 

Oh, WOW! Step away for a week and all hell breaks loose...

In Virginia, Bob McConnell pretty much tells his own State Attorney General to STFU on the whole removal of non-discriminatory language from state colleges and universities.  McConnell's own words:  "It was very important for me... to say discrimination will not be tolerated, and there will be sanctions for anyone that engages in discrimination."  Now, that's what I call COMEDY!  He told Mr. Cuccinelli to shut his shit the fuck up on the political grandstanding against LGBTs in Virginia.  Also McConnell is covering his own ass so he won't be seen as an overt bigot but not as a "traitor" to the socially conservative cause. 

The officials in Itawamba County, Mississippi, decided to cancel the main county high school's prom because of a lesbian couple want to attend together as a couple.  Now, unlike what went down at Thraptown High School in Franklin County last year in Northwest Alabama, these students both attend this high school, so the circumstances have a more internalized effect.  Whereas, the Franklin County situation was their "justification" of outside-of-district, but it was soon resolved when the lack of logic and rationale of the argument was exposed for the world to see.  However, in the case of Itawamba County in Northern Mississippi, the officials are standing by their guns so one of the teens has filed a lawsuit against the school district in federal court.  In all likelihood, she will win because the school isn't violating any real policies since they are both students of the school at an event just hosted by not an official event of the school. 

In Texas, a state that I've always considered a lost cause socially and politically, the state board of education has approved a referendum that would enforce an ultra-conservative curriculum in state public schools.  An ultra-conservative faction within the Texas Board of Education was successful in injecting conservative ideals into social studies, history and economics lessons that will be taught to millions of students for the next decade.  They want to remove mentions of the Enlightenment period and Thomas Jefferson from the state curriculum and replace these with the discussion of John Calvin and the Judeo-Christian ideology of the nation.  Also mention the nation is not a democracy, but constitutional republic.  Now, that is true about the last part, but the rest is bologna.  However, I stand my statement that Texas is a lost cause politically because it is one of those places where you see more ignorance-based emotional foolishness pedaled than logic.  Let's be real, the only real election there is the Republican elections because outside of Dallas, Houston, and Austin, there is little to any progressiveness in the state, and even then I wouldn't waste my time trying to move there.  Honestly, Austin doesn't count because it is too damn whitewashed for politically because the non-white population is too small to make any real affect, so that "Keep Austin Weird" crap is for the birds.  It's a crazy state where you have to give the side-eye to altogether. 
 
Also in Oklahoma, another lost cause, the state senate has approved a bill that would become an amendment of the state constitutional allowing the law enforcement to chose not to assist federal officials in the investigation of hate crimes.  Here's some of the bill's language:  Under the new provisions of Senate Bill 1965, reports that were collected during investigations of possible hate crime that did not end in a conviction would be destroyed or kept by the Oklahoma Bureau of Invesigations.  The bill originally was to investigate the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, but state senator Steve Russell, a socially conservative Republican from Oklahoma City and former army commander at Fort Hood in Texas, was the one who perverted the bill into its current form.  I'm going to take some words from Dr. Martin Luther King, "an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere".  Especially in a racially-aversive state like Oklahoma, where if you are non-white, LGBT/SGL, or anything out of the WASPy-ordinary then you are subject to be a victim of this ignorant law.

Meanwhile, here in Alabama, a caravan of idiots, OOPS!  I mean Birmingham City Council members, mayor, and some of their staffers are going to the National League of Cities conference in DC this week.  However, they are practically leaving the city without any really leadership.  The jackal, William Bell, just announced last week that the city is going to have to make cost-cutting measures such as delaying funding and contracts for the rest of the fiscal year, yet he along with the rest of the caravan of idiots are going to DC blowing $31,000 of city funds.  Now, Carole Smitherman is staying behind and politically grandstanding saying "somebody has to man the shop".  Yeah, the judgment is clear that all of the leadership in Birmingham is idiotic and irresponsible as hell as far as I'm concerned.  Who in the fuck goes on a trip and then takes their staffers as well to when you have a $77 million gaping hole in the budget?  Smitherman, you are just as irresponsible as the rest in my book because you knew what has been going on since jump and just trying to reconcile your reputation with folks, but it's tarnished so save the drama for ya mama.  SMDH

Oh yeah, the jackal and that xenophobic third-generation Greek immigrant mayor of Hoover, Tony Petelos, wanted to question the financing of the monstrosity that is being forced-fed on people in the Greater Birmingham area.  Here's a clue you two morons, why don't you flat out and oppose the thing instead allowing this bullshit to be constructed? Also the Battle Royale of 2 white women with power trips is amusing to me, Jefferson County Commission President Bettye Fine Collins and Jefferson County Treasury Jennifer Parsons Champion over the distribution of federal funds that were allocated from the federal stimulus package last year.  CUTE, BUT YOU BITCHES ARE BOTH STUPID...

That's what been going on that I want to talk about in the past week, and I'll be back to regularly posting probably this week...

Hmmm.... More craziness from Virginia...

Well, I see the Commonwealth of Virginia and their newly elected socially-conservative officials in the governor's and attorney general offices obviously have nothing else better to do than worry about "tha gays".  First, the governor rescinded the executive order issued by former Democratic governor and current DNC chair Tim Kaine allowing for LGBT/SGL employees to be a protected from termination.  Then the Northrop Grumman controversy with Equality Virginia and Maryland tied all into this, and now this ignorance and press-ness of Ken Cuccinelli, who was behind the idea of the rescinding the LGBT protections by Governor Bob McDonnell, now telling all public colleges and university to end their protections extended to LGBT students, faculty, and other employees.  WOW, WOW, WOW!  Cuccinelli, who is from Fairfax County in the DC Metro, seems to be a little too pressed and worried about about the LGBT/SGLs in VA.  Is maybe because he has some lenient homosexual tendencies???  Maybe so because this one white boy doesn't seem to get the memo that we are in 2010 not the 1900's anymore, so going gaga over ''tha gays" usually a psychological cue that you might have some unresolved issues within yourself. 

Here's some excerpt from the letter:

"It is my advice that the law and public policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia prohibit a college or university from including 'sexual orientation,' 'gender identity,' 'gender expression,' or like classification as a protected class within its non-discrimination policy absent specific authorization from the General Assembly," 

So Cuccinelli, you feel like it is your duty to go out of your way to issue a legal advice on an issue that hasn't come to the forefront?  Yeah, you are a queer with some deep-seeded issues that is waiting to boil over sooner than later.  Oh well, at least outgoing Alabama Attorney General Troy King will have a successor as the most controversial AG from the South pedestal and might even been vying for "the biggest closet-cased white boy in power award".  One thing I have to give to black homophobes most of them either foolish reverends or pastors or ignorant ass hypocrites that cite the Bible for their convenience, but most white homophobes be those closet-cases white guys that are oozing to get out their mental gay hells.  

Unfortunately, Virginia progressives will learn that you can't conveniently expect those in the Democrat Party to let them cause inept, bitch-ass candidates to run for statewide offices anymore.  You have to vie for candidates that are pragmatic yet progressive or at least moderate to run for statewide offices if you want to prevent a repeat of the idiocy that is now leading your state.  That's the problem I have with some fellow progressives, they let liberals and conservatives control the discussion when they should open their mouths and voice some rationale, reasoning, and common sense into the political arena about who you want for a candidate for office.   SMH

Well, former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford was sentenced to 15 years to prison

Another day, another one goes DOWN.  This morning, federal justice Scott Coogler sentenced former Jefferson County Commissioner and Birmingham mayor Larry Langford to 15 years in federal prison for his conviction of 60 counts ranging from tax fraud to money laundering while as Jefferson County Commissioner.  Meanwhile, Birmingham is suffering another blow to its reputation as a place because of the ignorance and lack of discernment of the electorate.

In my own word, another nigga went down for their own stupidity and greed, and has to now pay for it.  If he had any sense he would walked away from that situation, but was blinded by his own ego and greed.  SMH

College Cost Carnage nationwide!

Now this is something serious!  The cost of college will be going up in a number of states even for in-state students this year and this shit is bananas.  The curious case of Georgia where the State Assembly is predicting that there is going to be a $1 billion shortfall in the state budget, so that means an additional $300M cut from the  University of Georgia System budget including the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech (yikes!).  

Well, a number of protests are scheduled and have occurred in response to this proposed cuts that will affect everybody practically.

More information about this story: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/04/us.day.of.action/index.html

Another tale of partisan idealism versus realism

Oh Ar-kansas!  You are a state that I mostly ignore aside from KIPR, the mainstream urban station out of Little Rock that sometimes listen to online or Crittenden County because its apart of the Memphis metropolitan area.  However, the stoic tale surrounding your senior U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln is a textbook example of why I give the Democratic Party the side-eye.

Organized labor and liberals have committed more than $5 million to Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s primary election opponent, Bill Halter, signaling that the Arkansas Democratic Senate primary is shaping up, for the left, as a hill to die on.

Virtually overnight, outside groups have erased the seemingly insurmountable financial advantage Lincoln brought to the contest. On Tuesday, an umbrella of four labor groups that have long been frustrated over Lincoln’s refusal to support card check legislation — the AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, AFSCME and United Steelworkers of America — jointly announced they were each pledging to spend $1 million in an all-out effort to dislodge Lincoln.

By Wednesday morning, a coalition of liberal organizations led by MoveOn.org — which blasted out a fundraising appeal calling Lincoln “one of the worst Democratic senators” — had raised an eye-popping $1.1 million for Halter, Arkansas’s lieutenant governor, who announced his candidacy Monday.

The Sierra Club, meanwhile, announced it was going up with a radio ad blasting Lincoln for her effort to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases.

The progressive Netroots, for its part, has embraced Halter, with Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas writing, “Bill Halter will rescue the Democratic establishment from itself and help us hold a seat Lincoln is guaranteed to lose.” Firedoglake blogger Jane Hamsher prominently featured Halter in fundraising appeals on her site and blasted Lincoln as a “corporatist.”

For liberals, discouraged over the inability to push through a sufficiently progressive agenda in President Barack Obama’s first year in office, the opportunity to take down Lincoln, a two-term incumbent who has opposed high-profile items ranging from cap and trade to the public option for health reform, is proving to be irresistible.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33880.html#ixzz0hERSvkBj

Boy, this is where liberals and progressives split because most progressives are realists whereas their liberal counterparts are more idealistic about partisanship.  The Arkansas Democrats are mostly moderate to conservative group of people that would in political vernacular be considered centrists, so the forcing the hand of the people in a state that has little political shifting over the years due to explosive population growth and ethnic diversity compared to say North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida is a recipe for disaster.  The idiocy of trying to force Democrat out of office over something like that will prove quite fatal in the long run.  Ar-kansas isn't exactly a progressive state at all, and the idea of getting all these liberalized groups interfering with the Democratic primary reeks of trouble down the line if Bill Halter is to win.  I've been hearing for years that the Arkansas Republican Party has been bloodthirsty to get a conservative Republican in the U.S. Senate from their state and the liberals have made it very possible this year.  I've learned to "lee-bee-it-bee", let it be, let it be, about Blanche because she would play her own self out (just like Evan Buh-Bayh).  However, the input of those like moveon.org and AFL-CIO will just fire up the rural, conservative white base to go for the Republicans in the end which would mean no more Democratic-dominant Senatorial delegation. 

I'm one of those who say if you can't find a moderate to run in a mostly conservative state like Arkansas, then leave it the hell alone...

A bill to synchronize the elections of Birmingham City Council members with the mayoral elections

Alabama State House Representative Merika Coleman of Birmingham drafted a bill that would synchronize municipal council and mayoral elections in Birmingham to all on the same day.  The bill passed the House committee on Monday and will go to the full Jefferson County delegation to debate the bill.  However, the bill would extend the term of the jackal from 2011 to 2013 (hmmm...). It sounds like to me Coleman is allowing that jackal more time to prove how much of a jackass he is to the people rather than who potent he is to the city.  The Birmingham City Council agree with me (to certain extent) and that is not giving Bell an additional 2 years in office.  The election should be held next year in 2011 rather than 2013. 

Also State House Rep. John Rogers of Birmingham also has drafted a bill that would realign the City Council representation from 9 districts to 8 districts and on at-large seat for the City Council President (not a bad idea).  However, why don't they just go back to all at-large voting for all seats which would allow the possibility of a more progressive city council?  I mean it would remove the existence of fiefdom ideology from the City Council elections where people think they can talk shit about one side of the city and its demographic of citizenry without being held accountable to all the citizens at the ballot.  The more accountability, the better because Birmingham needs to force those idiots "who want to have their cake and eat it to" to be gone if they decide to run for mayor instead of going back to being a vindictive city councilor.  My advice to Merika Coleman is, rewrite the bill and move the election to 2011 if you want to gain more support and likelihood of your legislation's passage. 

The current electronic bingo bill failed in the Alabama Senate

DISCLAIMER: Honestly, I feel like it was a flawed bill from the beginning because Alabama should do like neighboring Mississippi and just legalize class III gambling which is casino-style gaming including slot machines and table games rather than this crap.

The bill in the Alabama State Legislature that would allowed electronic bingo gaming at only 7 sites in state stalled in the Senate after the vote didn't yield enough for its passage.  The "Sweet Home Alabama" bill would have allowed electronic bingo games, what they call "casino", at 10 establishments in Jefferson, Mobile, Hale, Macon, Houston, and Lowndes counties.  The vote was 18-16, 3 short of what is needed for a 2/3rd majority for its passage.  The main opponents of it were Republicans from all over the state, particularly the ones from Greater Birmingham like Hank Erwin from Alabaster, Jabo Waggoner from Vestavia Hill, and Steve French of Birmingham.  The bill was drafted and sponsored by the controversial pork-barreling Rodger Bedford of Hamilton (Democrat) and pushed by Alabama Senate President Pro-Tem Rodger Smitherman (and also husband of Birmingham District 6 City Councilor, Froglady aka Carole Smitherman). 

Like I said go for the full fledged thing of casino-style gambling rather than select locations of this bullshit when you know you can go the full 100 yards rather than 45-50 yards with retarded results. 

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! 

It's official!

Washington, D.C. is now the first city in the South that allows full-fledged same-sex unionships within its jurisdiction. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case by Fauntroy and the other haters, so the case went back to the District Superior Court, where the justices there also refused.  It's a turning of a page for an area that has been plagued with so much controversy surrounding this one issue from the Archdioceses of Washington, D.C. removing its spousal benefits from all employees to the ending of foster care services within the District itself, but leaving it in suburban Montgomery County in Maryland.  The trifecta of fuckery with the Northrop Grumman involving Equality Virginia and Maryland officials badmouthing Virginia because of the acts of Governor McDonnell. 

Congrats, DC!

The first female chair of the NAACP

Last week, the NAACP announced their new chair following the outgoing chair Julian Bond, and for the first time it was a woman.  Rosyln M. Brock is also the youngest person to sit as the chair of the National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People (NAACP).  The Washington Post focused on the relevancy and generational shift of leadership of the NAACP, and how Brock could change things.  One thing that did stand out to me in the article was this exert:

"We have to recognize and to own that we can't be all things to all people, and that there are new players in the space that we operate in who may be able to do some things better than we can."

The article also talking about how organization president Ben Jealous has focused on improving the NAACP online presence.  As well, Jealous has pointed out that work with LGBT organizations would improve the organization presence on those issue.   Brock and Jealous both want to make the NAACP more oriented towards getting the younger generation of people involved in the organization's mission to improve the quality of life of ethnic minorities. 

However, the Baltimore Sun in an op-ed posted a question of whether or not the NAACP will focus on the LGBT agenda? They pointed out how Brock and Jealous are the youngest to hold their pedestals, but the specifics of how will the two work toward expanding the parameters of social justice to include LGBTs of color like those in the military, where they make up a large number of those discharged by "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".  The article also digs into how they can get the "rank-and-file" members to adjust their beliefs on homosexual behaviors and how that like slavery and segregation, it was taught that the bible justified it at one point. 

Personally, I feel there should be some coordination between the NAACP and other orgs on the LGBT issues, but totally partaking into the arena of it would be reaching at best.  The case and point of David Patterson be an eery reminder of what the slippery slope of running to include LGBT issues without pluralistic support will get you especially when you have orgs like Equality Virginia will burn their proverbial bridges with otherwise allies because they didn't get their way all the time.  Some of these organizations seem to have their own agenda first and forehand and then essentially abandon their "allies" in their key times of need for political support.  I would cautiously aide those when possible, but wouldn't throw myself under the bus for somebody that doesn't seem apt to do the same.  REAL TALK.

In additional DC news...

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has made another major move to prove they are asses with agendas.  First in late February, the Archdiocese's Catholic Charities announced it would end its 80-year-old foster care program offered in the District in response to the passage of the same-sex union ordinance.  They did it basically to prevent recognizing LGBT employees who would want extended benefits for their partners.

Also now the Archdiocese of Washington is refusing to honor any spousal benefits whatsoever involving its employees.

Employees at Catholic Charities were told Monday that the social services organization is changing its health coverage to avoid offering benefits to same-sex partners of its workers -- the latest fallout from a bitter debate between District officials trying to legalize same-sex marriage and the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.

Starting Tuesday, Catholic Charities will not offer benefits to spouses of new employees or to spouses of current employees who are not already enrolled in the plan. A letter describing the change in health benefits was e-mailed to employees Monday, two days before same-sex marriage will become legal in the District.

"We looked at all the options and implications," said the charity's president, Edward J. Orzechowski. "This allows us to continue providing services, comply with the city's new requirements and remain faithful to the church's teaching."

Catholic Charities, which receives $22 million from the city for social service programs, protested in the run-up to the council's December vote to allow same-sex marriage, saying that it might not be able to continue its contracts with the city, including operating homeless shelters and facilitating city-sponsored adoptions. Being forced to recognize same-sex marriage, church officials said, could make it impossible for the church to be a city contractor because Catholic teaching opposes such unions.

WOW, WOW, WOW!  The Archdiocese in DC is determine to make sure they don't have to recognize any form of same-sex unions.  It's a mess, but hey it's legal because all employees will lack spousal benefits including the heterosexual ones.

The opponents of the District's same-sex unionship ordinance makes a last-minute hail mary to the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and declare that the ordinance should be upon for a public vote via referendum.  Walter E. Fauntroy, a civil rights-era organization of the March on Washington and the District's then-non-voting delegate in Congress, was the one of those who filed papers to the Chief Justice John Roberts to place the ordinance on a ballot before its goes into affect on March 3rd. 

THAT'S CUTE, looks like those who are desperate to worry about other's lives are just so pressed and determined like the Archdiocese to make a scene.