Why Southern Democrats are on the skids...

I will dedicate this blog post to the truth as to why Southern Democrats are on the skids.  It has all to do with the miraculous cloaking of so many leftover Dixiecrats in many positions of these state parties. Like YouTube sensation, Cadillac Kimberly said, "I don't go IN on anybody.  If I was going IN then I would put on a Teflon vest.  I speak the truth".

Most Southern white Democratic politicos aren't shit. It started with the American Civil Right Movement and the fight for equal rights, liberties, and protections for people of color (non-whites) under the law.  Most Southern states until the 1970s were dominated by Democrats.  Due to the Democratic party history of aligning itself with the New Deal programs championed by Franklin D. Roosevelt that benefited a great deal since it provided electricity and other modern amenities that others in the Northeast and Midwest had for a couple of decades.  However, this whole allowing "others" equal treatment and rights just didn't (and still doesn't sit well with most white Southerners).  These voters are called a love term known as Dixiecrats.  Oh yeah, don't let the dissolution of the "party" fool you at all, they still exist but are more covert about their ways...

In the South, many state Deep Southern Democratic parties like Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Georgia have coddled these type of voters with "Yellow Dog", "Blue Dog", or just plain conservative Democrats to conserve their partisan majority of their state legislatures.  This was at the advantage of productive socially progressive and many times fiscally sound decisions to better their respective states.  However, by the "1994 Wave" in states like Georgia, Democrats lost both houses of state legislature due to this persistent of coddling of a group of voters in areas where you know the white voters will associate Democrat label to "bettering others over them".   Now this "wave" has finally come to Alabama in form the same occurring nearly 15 years after neighboring Georgia.

In both states cases, the state Democratic party leadership has spent so much political capital trying to keep Democrats whom would turn on their own in a heartbeat in their ranks.  Now as a political independent, I'm all for fighting for your constituency, but there is a thin line between being a champion of the people and a selfish bastard. The recent episodes in Alabama and Georgia has shown that these types can play-pretend to care about the people but still get away for bloody murder in a gerrymandered or racially imbalanced district.

Many of these types are the latter because the now curious case of soon-to-be former Florida congressman, Alan Grayson, stood to the very end as a champion of the people and socially progressive leader although a number of the foolish asses in Florida's 8th congressional district that will listen to the sound of water boiling and think it's a platform.  (Interesting side note, FL-8 is a district that includes the eastern and northern portions of the city of Orlando, which are both predominately white, whereas the western side and more racially diverse side of the city is in another district.  This is all while the majority of FL-8 is west of the city of Orlando itself.  Another case of gerrymandering...)

What needs occur from here on out is Democrats realize that any white politico that spends more time basically speaking in cues about blocking social progress especially those that benefit non-whites and lower class shouldn't be trusted.  It seems more like these types have a demographic, mostly white males over age 50 years.  That can be traced back to the fact that they were born during or prior to the Civil Rights Movement and doesn't seem to have actual respect for the rights of those different than themselves.  It's time for them to take out the trash and make sure it doesn't stick around for more issues.

Oh yeah, let's not confuse these types with moderate Democrats, whom will actually support socially progressive stance, but show resistance to somethings on fiscally sound grounds.  Those types aren't a part of the problem because when push comes to shove involving social progress they tend to be on the right side of history.

And action!!!!

It's time for Congress to be the star of the short film called "Lame Duck" and watch the Congressional Democrats particularly from the Senate scramble to pass as much legislation as possible before January.  AND ACTION!

The first scene is the recommendation of a formal censure of Congressman Charlie Rangel of Harlem (aka Manhattan North these days) by the House Ethics Committee.  His acts of idiocy has come back to haunt him and now he will face the music which means he might not get his long-held chair roles on key Congressional committees back.  Anyways...

The Senate will attempt to muster up enough votes to remove DADT by attaching to the DREAM Act, which is more controversial than the DADT since it's about the immigrants.   Boy, does Harry Reid really know how to put those important bills together.

Nancy Pelosi was reanointed by the majority of House Democrats (68 members) as House Minority Leader.  I don't know how I feel about this considering she could have allowed former House Whip James Clyburn to be #2 rather than Steve Hoyer of Maryland.  It seems like there still need to appease the fickle within the ranks, but I'm not buying it. 

Now, I'm trying to figure out whether to began the series on the hypocrisies of the Congressional Republicans or not.  However, I will note before they have even taken helm of House, the Congressional Republicans are yet to prove to the people and their critics if they are going to refuse the Congressional Benefit Health Insurance after campaign against government-funded health care.  There still seems to be one of the incoming freshmen Republicans already whining and bitching about not being able to use his government-funded health insurance until February.  that r Also let's not forget the fuckery of how the House Republicans have already vowed to ban earmarks yet those amongst their ranks in the Senate like Alabama's own Richard Shelby has yet to show if they will do the same.  Talk is cheap, people, so put up or shut the fuck up...

UGH!!! There are too many idiots in this world, but way too many in the Nashville area

The foolishness of the fighting over a Muslim mosque in suburban Nashville has once again reaffirmed idiocy still is prevalent in modern society.  The on-going fight over a proposed mosque in Rutherford County, Tennessee, near Murfreesboro, has boiled down to the argument that Islam is attempting to take over the Westernized world to enforce Shariah law.  ***EYE ROLL***.  The attorney of the opponents of the mosque, Joe Brandon, Jr., has been pedaled ignorance involving this case to the point of absurdity in the Rutherford County Chancery Court.  Brandon has used random accusation saying the Rutherford County Planning Commission has predeclared the case prior to the vote on it over the summer to saying that Shariah law promotes pedophilia.   According to the Tennessean, even the Rutherford County Attorney, Jim Cope, has said this case has turned into a circus.

All I have to say about this is, "See I told ya that there are still some lunatic white Southerners whom will say ANYTHING to perpetuate fuckery that they feel is justified..."  You don't see any black Southerns that damn stupid to take some bullshit like this to court because they know it wouldn't fly.  Idiots.

The obvious racial problems still occurring in this nation

We live in a society where aversive bias still lives and thrives.  It was clear with the way some political pundits this evening wanted to declare that the "sweeping" losses for some Democratic politicos was the result of poor leadership from the President [Obama].  However, it is far from the contrary.  We still live in a society where many white Americans have yet to gotten over their issues of race at all and where there are forces at work that are destroying any chance of economic recovery.  Economics doesn't tell the full story behind what is really going on.  I'll mostly focus on the South since I know this region all too well.

In the South, a region that by default been one where there are clearly 2 categories of citizenry, poor and wealthy.  The middle class didn't exist in the South until the mid-20th century due to the invention of electricity (thanks to the New Deal programs of Tennessee Valley Authority and the creation of electric cooperatives).  It brought modernization and vast amounts of projects that brought employment for many following the Great Depression.  However, the middle class in the South has always been an anomaly.  Then you throw in the additional variable of race, where mostly poor and middle class whites would allow themselves to be manipulated (and to the day still do) by wealthier whites to hate and commit acts of oppression against people of color (non-whites).  This led to a stratification of economics on racial terms and beacon an on-going problem where many white Southerners doesn't like (whether overtly or covertly) non-white Southerners as neighbors, coworkers, or even as fellow citizens.  This rule of mindset shows itself in the way Southern states, more predominately in rural, less economically empowered regions, there will be an immediate backlash or outright rejection of the election of any form of leadership that isn't white or displays WASP values.  Interestingly enough, blacks haven't shown such bias against white leadership in areas where they are reside in large numbers.

However, as the past has shown that there are some neophytes within black political circles in the South whom will exercise some form of reverse racial bias against black politicos and even some progressive whites to win political races in majority black districts.  This has occurred multiple times the major Southern cities in Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans.  What is more is alarming is that state Democratic parties has given the nod-and-wink to instants where this occurred to in statewide offices.  This year alone in the states of Alabama and Georgia, the state Democratic leaders along with the black leaders have thrown strong and populist black gubernatorial candidates under the bus for white males with electability issues.  In the case of Alabama on the basis of his (Artur Davis') vote on the health care reform legislation in Congress, and the case of Georgia because the state party leadership felt that the former governor (Roy Barnes) was more electable to rural whites over his opponent (Thurbert Baker).

In the congressional races of candidates like Terri Sewell, the issues amongst black leaders with her more progressive, egalitarian style of campaigning because she was woeing the white and LGBT vote of Alabama's 7th congressional district.  Her candidacy unnerved the same forces that have been working behind the scenes  that has maintained power in Birmingham and Montgomery with Alabama Black Caucus in the state legislature.  On the other hand, the power-tripping and egotistical actions of Georgia congressman Sanford Bishop with him being one of the 3 black congressional reps implicated in giving scholarships allocated for citizens of their district for their own family or kin.  This along with the by-default racially bias mindset of the 2nd congressional district of Georgia may have cost him his seat to a white Republican, whom has a horrible track history in the Georgia General Assembly.

Racially omission has played a key role in the race between Alabama's 2nd congressional district representative, Bobby Bright and Montgomery council member Martha Roby.  There has literally been a painting and campaigning of white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant values over the more racially diverse district, which includes the majority black city of Montgomery.  The race itself is an example of this issue where there is nothing being offered by either candidate for the districts 25+% black constituency.    

In conclusion, this whole political overview shows what is going on in our society involving politics and race along with economics.  It's just a microcosm of what is going on nationwide in other major areas like the Midwest, Northeast, and the West Coast where there are bubbles of racial and ethnic diversity.

An objective take on the Florida senatorial race situation

It looks like there will be likely a runoff with Mark Rubio and Charlie Crist in the senatorial race in Florida.  However, the foolishness and bullshit of Bill Clinton to push for Kendrick Meeks isn't as "out-there-in-left-field" as most would perceive on the surface.  There is a practical reason for this, whether it is right or not, for him trying to do this.

1) Florida wasn't going to elect a black Democrat for shit, and that is a reality.  We are talking about FLORIDA, the state where if you are black then you better be light and damn near white to be considered "normalized" by the state's standards.  2) The political climate of this year and it being FLORIDA again.  The state is a "bellwether" that bounces from one end of the "moderate/swing" to the other.  It all depends on the marketability of the candidate.  We are in a time where black politicos and political figures are under attack thanks to the fuckery pedaled by the "Angry White People Coalition", the mainstream media and their agenda-setting habits, and duplicity of a number of black congress members for their antics over the past few months.  It's like a cornucopia of "get the darkies" that hasn't helped someone like Kendrick Meeks candidacy for nothing.  I hate to to be the barer of a reality check, but his candidacy was D.O.A. from day 1 thanks to the circumstances presented.  Meeks is from a "safe district" for Democrats and progressives, liberal alike in Florida, but statewide Florida is STILL a Southern state at the core, which means NO BLACKS for prominent offices unless they paint themselves in "our [white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant] values".

It's disheartening for me personally as a black male, but it's the truth.  The people and forces at work in our society still wants to play "let's get the nigger/darkie".  As pseudo-egalitarian as our society pretends to be (especially some whites), there is still the propensity for it to still blame all blacks for the actions of a few... 

As slimy and two-timing as Bill Clinton is (and Lord knows I can't stand him), his stunt with Meeks (like the one with Sestak in Pennsylvania) was pertinent to this situation this year.  He was essentially trying to keep the Democratic roles filled so the Dems can stay in power and keep the radicalized candidate on the Republican ticket out of office.

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)...

From now on...

I plan on attempting to post daily or at least 3 times weekly since...

Carry on...

The gifts that the Alabama Education Association (AEA) has brought to us

The Alabama Education Association (AEA) has basically sabotaged anything remotely progressive (or on that matter, rational) for Alabama for the next 4 years.  There are basically 2 morons running for governor, and anyone with a spark of knowledge about politics knows that it's usually this way.  However, the caught is that AEA has funded both of their campaigns by spreading lies about their primary opponents and using political action committees (PACs) to do it.  We all know the narrative about how the idiot known as Ron Sparks wind up on the Democratic gubernatorial ticket.  This time around, I'll tell the tale about how the ornery dermatologist from Tuscaloosa, Robert Bentley, wind up on the Republican ticket. 

Apparently, AEA and Stan Pate, a major Alabama real estate development from Tuscaloosa, got into cohorts with one another to spread lies via 9 different PACs against primary opponent, Bradley Byrne.  The PACs all swore they represented "conservative Alabamians" and such.  Meanwhile, all of their addresses were P.O. Boxes that were owned by AEA members or the organization itself.  The whole scheme wreaked of fraud and underhanded campaigning on the part of the AEA.  This led to the run-off between Byrne and Bentley where the PACs continued their spreading of misinformation.  This type of scam occurred on the Democratic ticket as well along with the help of Joe Reed and his sycophantic org, the ADC (Alabama Democratic Coalition) along with the pseudo-progressive black org, the ANSC (Alabama New South Coalition) against Artur Davis.  

Now the majority of Alabamians are having "buyers remorse" before the election because they finally realizing that were played like Nintendo by the AEA.  The AEA is a fraudulent organization that doesn't represent anything but status quo these days.  If they stood for integrity they would have helped Alabama secure funds for the the federal education improvement programmed created by President Obama instead of fighting against it all because it would allow state-administered charter schools.  They would have been fought tooth-and-nail to improve adequate funding for school districts in places like the Black Belt, rural South Alabama, where there are schools where there are no texts available for their students.  The AEA is another symptom of the shit that plagues Alabama and should be treated the same way other lobbyists are treated, with a long-handle spoon...

What the hell?

The dispute between the newly elected (uh why is this an elected position again?) Jefferson County treasury, Jennifer Champion and the Jefferson County Commission has gone too damn far.  According to the Birmingham News, now their dispute is apparently holding up the dispersing of payroll for those whom receive their salary via direct deposit.  It's getting to the point of disillusion because Champion, a Republican, and Jeffco Commission President, Bettye Fine Collins, a Republican as well have been butting heads since last spring over funds.  I swear there needs to be total, I MEAN TOTAL, overhaul of the Jefferson County government from elected officials such as treasury, sheriff, etc. to only being appointed by a county executive (whether it is county mayor, president, or executive) and approved by the Jefferson County legislative branch (whether it is a commission, board of legislators, council with at least 2 at-large elected seats).  I'm dumbfounded at how ignorant these individuals are about their stances on fighting and effecting others payroll in the process.  SMH

Things about the black religious fold to think about...

Earlier this week, Gallup released a poll on the popularity of allowing openly homosexual or bisexual members of the armed forces to serve as well as the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and same-sex unions.  The poll compares from 2008-2009 to 2010.  Well, apparently "folk" ain't down with either when compared to other ethnic groups.  ***SIGH***

Sometimes I just don't know what to say about why folk are so sanctimonious about LGBT/SGLs when there are plenty of other fires that need to be extinguished.  One of the fires is the likelihood of contracting an STI, 1 in 22 black Americans are likely to contracted HIV.  There are so many things going on, but folk want to hate on the LGBT/SGLs and them living their lives.

Surprisingly, black LGBT blogger Son of Baldwin wrote a lively list of likely reasoning behind the hypocritical and sanctimonious nature of folk when it comes down to it:

1. Religion.  Black Americans (or maybe ALL Americans) are among the most superstitious people on the planet. They have taken what was once their slave masters' religion and used it to liberate themselves from the tyranny of antebellum slavery.  However, we've yet to be ingenious enough to remove what is perhaps the inherent flaw in any organized religion: the need for an enemy.  Religion simply cannot function without an Other to demonize.  Throughout history, women, Pagans, Native Americans and blacks have found themselves the targets of religious terrorism.  Gays are simply the latest in a long line of subjects who are held up as scapegoats onto whom all the sins and vices of the society can be poured.  What makes black homophobia super egregious, however, is that having been the sacrificial lambs themselves, one would think that blacks would be more sympathetic to gay rights.  Instead, like the whites before them who said, "I may be poor, but at least I'm not black," blacks find shelter and solace in "I may be black, but at least I'm not gay."

2. Envy, entitlement, indifference and practicality.  On completely self-serving and emotional levels, blacks feel, quite simply, that since we don't yet have all the rights and privileges entitled to us (perhaps on paper, but certainly not in practice), gays shouldn't have theirs yet, either. In other words: Wait your turn! Blacks also feel that the right for gays to marry isn't as important as, say, the right not to be murdered in cold blood by police officers or the right to be able to properly feed and educate one's children or other immediate, tangible concerns. Apparently, everything is mutually exclusive when it comes to civil rights.

3. Racism in the gay community.  To most black people, white gays are indistinguishable from the white, often affluent society that they perceive as oppressors.  Unfortunately, the gay community has given blacks ample justification for this position.  Thus, blacks are adamant about not supporting any cause that will give whites--gay or straight--greater license to oppress them.  And gayness, in the minds of ignorant blacks, is most certainly a white thing.

4. Closeted black homosexuals. Since a great many black homosexuals are afraid to come out of the closet because of the rampant homophobia in black society (especially the black church), there are relatively few voices from within the community to combat the rhetoric and relatively few individuals to put a face on the specter.  Therefore, the ignorance remains largely unassailable.

SMH! I have no words for the craziness

 
There seems to be a coup amongst Southern rural white Democrat reps to down right sabotage any efforts to maintaining sanity in the region.  Let me see, there is Bobby Bright in Alabama's 3rd congressional district trying his damnedest to make sure his gullible (predominately white) constituency that he is an "conservative independent, gun-totting, down-to-earth type of guy".  Uh yeah, that'll work in the long, Bobby...

The curious case of déjà vu for Alabama's 5th congressional district (you know the place where current sitting representative Parker Griffith switched sides from Democrat to Republican because he felt it would help him get reelected), with their "Democratic" nominee (I used that term lightly), Steve Raby is basically playing from the same book of ambiguity as Griffith.  This is just Alabama.

Meanwhile in Georgia, there is their 8th congressional district (middle Georgia around Macon), their sitting representative, Jim Marshall, saying he is a "conservative, gun-totting, fighting against Washington conservative".  It seems like the same script, different cast all over the South with rural, white Democratic representatives.  They seem to want to be associated with this culture of hokey bullshit (yeah, I went there), so they can go back and repeat the same thing they did before (nothing that I can see other than be a placeholder).

This is bull is the textbook reason why I don't fool with rural politics because it's all about being very hokey and WASPy along with be very vague on platform details other.  The ad populum fallacy of this crap is they aren't progressing their constituents' interests nor are they being a leader at all rather jumping on the bandwagon of mediocrity.

I'm an independent, but have hardline stances that are represents social progression and fiscal responsibility.  Meanwhile, other constituents in their respective districts that maybe socially moderate, progressive, liberal, or non-white are left in the dust and having their loyalties to taken advantage of because they have a "D" behind their name.  This type of dysfunctional political behavior is the reason why most non-whites and socially progressive whites leave these areas.  These so-called "independent" Democrats are Tagalogs of the southern, closed-minded culture that has retarded this portion of the country as a whole.  My advice to them is position yourself as a social moderate and attempt to reach out and inspire the base to vote rather than chasing after the fickle and socially conservative whites, whom by default tend to vote for a Republican.

(Photos courtesy of Left in Alabama)

What did I miss?

I guess back in the Greater Birmingham area, there has been the continual battle amongst Jefferson County Commissioners over the 2011 general budget.  It's mostly been over whether or not they should allocate funds to open the Bessemer branch of county jail and paying the federally-appointed receiver a $1 million annual salary for the overseeing of the sewer debt.  We also have to throw in the future of the existence of the occupational tax administered on all incomes generated from Jefferson County.  Cruella de Ville, Jim Carns, and George Bowman voted to do neither, but sooner than later they will have to do these tasks...

Also suburban Bessemer voters has ousted two-term mayor Ed May from office on October 5th for Kenneth Gully.  I guess the incident of firing the Bessemer city clerk the night before the election was the straw that broke the camel's back...

Meanwhile, the Alabama legislators and lobbyists that went down over stalling the regular session in the spring over the gambling bill vote has cause all the leadership and their sycophants of the ADP (the Alabama Democratic Party for outsiders) to call foul over the case.  Many are claiming this is partisan and an "October Surprise" to ruin any chances of the idiot on the Democratic side of the gubernatorial ticket, Ron Sparks, of winning come November 2nd.  (Oh hell, oh well.  They brought that shit on themselves because those assholes in that damn party do right by Artur Davis then will continue to suffer from a bitch named "karma".  In the words of Cadillac Kimberly, "They all need to hold hands and kiss his muthafuckin' ass..."

I'm just plain blank staring at this mess because it's just aggravating watching this mess occur here.

A homosexual member of New Birth speaks out...

BET Videos

Well, I have to give it up to Samuel Brown and his partner coming out to admit they is in a homosexual relationship.  I don't know how or why he decided to stay in that church for all those years, but more power to you.

After browsing a little bit of his blog, I can understand his logic of trying to make changes from within the institution.

UPDATE: However, I see how Rod McCullom want to make a backhanded insult and his sycophants want to call the man and his partner "church queens".  SMH, some things changes and stays the same with them...

The Trifecta of Fuckery: Eddie Long edition

WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL, WELL!  THE CHICKENS HAVE COME HOME TO ROOST AND HAS CROWED 3 TIMES!

The messiness, foolishness, and sheer madness of this whole situation has brought me out of my work/career hiatus to post. (I hope to regularly post in general)  Hypocrisy, homosexual behavior, and the black religious fold.  This is PURE UNADULTERATED FUCKERY AT IT VERY BEST!  Now where do I start. 

I've been saying for years (pre-bloggging days) that foolishness ALWAYS finds it source.  Well, Eddie Long has a history of being involved in anti-LGBT foolishness from helping campaign for Georgia to ban any same-sex unions or domestic partnership in 2004 to his silly ass march in the winter of 2005 in Atlanta against same-sex unions to his rabid homophobic ranting in a good chunk of his "sermons" (if you want to call it that).  This man has been the walk body of the stereotype of homophobia in the black religious community.  Yet his stupid ass brought himself down over lust for another man, the irony.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the 3 plaintiffs (whom names I won't repeat since they are already is there for the world to see on most sites, just Google it) have said basically the same thing, Eddie Long likes to be called "Daddy", took them on lavish trips around the world, introduced them to celebs (or "popular people" in my vernacular), slept in the same bed with him, and sexual acts including masturbation, oral sex were engaged.

Now I'm going to speak on some stuff I allegedly now in vague terms since this is an ongoing case.  There are also allegations that Long has been doing this mess since the early 1990s when he first came popular in Atlanta and the black religious circles.  Things of such involving such as him taking those boys to the Atlanta Hawks basketball games and etc.

Art Franklin, New Birth's spokesperson is a former Birmingham news anchor has allegations about about him and his sexuality too (especially considering the allegations surrounding his divorce).  These are among some of the reasons why he allegedly left WBRC "FOX6" to go to Atlanta to work on his music and writing then later wind up at WBRC's former sister station, WAGA "FOX5" and now at New Birth as the spokesman. 

All I'm going to say is this mess is destructive and revealing the bed of hypocrisy involving some black folks especially in the religious and church circles.  That's why I've been giving most of them the side-eye for awhile now because it shows that folks need to leave the LGBTs alone like the racially bias need to leave people of color alone...

The aggregavation of housing...

Some things I do wonder about the world we reside in such as housing.  It seems to be the fabric of our communities since they offer shelter for all of us.  However, that necessity seems to be seen as a luxury by many bureaucratic paper-pushers.  In the case of the Metro Atlanta area, where nearly all the public housing developments have been demolished and replaces with high-end condominium development.  On the surface, this looks as if it is a good thing since public housing seems to attract all the "undesirable" elements in our nation's society, but on deeper look reveals that many of these people have no where else to turn aside from being homeless.  This within itself is disheartening because you have to evaluate the entire situation before casting a broad judgment on housing for low-income residents.

Since 2001, the Atlanta Housing Authority has practically eliminated all the public housing in Atlanta (gotta love gentrification and its side effects).  Now suburban Marietta, in Cobb County, its housing authority is doing the same and hopes to shutter and demolish all public housing by 2012.  The replacements for such developments were vouchers given to former residents so they could either get into senior housing for older residents or at-market rate private housing or apartments for others.

On the other hand, the realization that most of the vouchers only pay for only 65% of such living costs associated with housing puts these people in a tougher situation.  Many people don't have the luxury of being able to afford private apartment, which most decent ones start at $600/month in rent in Metro Atlanta.  The lack of affordable housing is seriously lacking nationwide, but particularly in the South.  Ironically, most of those suffering from this dilemma are our fellow non-white citizens.

I know it's wonderful to see cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, Memphis, and other Southern cities move from their past images as low-income, crime-ridden places with projects everywhere.  However, you should never go from one extreme to another where you are pricing out your own residents to appease a reluctant crowd of non-natives of the city to move there.  It creates a new vacuum where you continuously force those whom need government assistance to another rough place.  There needs to be some type of median place where we can create affordable housing and not go from one extreme to another.

On the road again....

I guess it's time to blog about what is really good with me....

I'm now in Auburn trying to obtain my Masters of Community Planning and graduate minor in Economic Development.  I've been trying to adjust to this really small urban area compared to that of the Greater Birmingham and Metro Atlanta.  I'll try to include some of the happenings and debauchery that occurs in the Auburn-Opelika and Columbus areas.  However, it is going to be an ADJUSTMENT because the area is clearly a fractured region where everything is at least 5 miles from anything.  I consider this a "pit stop" along the journey of my life, so it will be interesting how I can blog about the Greater Birmingham area (Central Alabama), East Alabama, and Georgia (which I've been doing for awhile now).  I can already tell it's going to be an interesting 2-3 years in this area.  My heart is still in the major metropolitan areas, but my body is there.

Oh yeah, small rant.  The Columbus (Georgia) television market sucks ass.  I've never seen a market that needs to get its act together and I mean SERIOUSLY.  Why is that ABC affiliate, WTVM also known as "WTVM, News Leader 9" (HORRIBLE BRAND NAME, BTW) is the only news operation in the market that actually airs regular newscasts all 7 days of the week?  They also produce the lone nightly newscasts on WXTX "FOX 54", which is operated by WTVM via a shared-services agreement (legalese for co-ownership via a property trust or a front company).  The Media General-owned CBS-affiliate, WRBL, "WRBL, News 3",  used to be a strong competitor of WTVM, but due to the cheapness of Media General the station only airs 4 newscasts per day and 5 days a week (meaning no weekend newscasts).  It is a shotty at best news operation with practically no on-air talent at all.  It's quite embarrassing.  The piped in news product of NBC-affiliate WLTZ, "WLTZ NBC 38"  is so-so as they do try to make it look local, but like WRBL, it doesn't have air anything on the weekend and only have evening newscasts for 5 days a week.  There is practically no CW affiliate (unless you get WLTZ digital sub-channel called "GA-BAMA CW"), thus me having to watch my Thursday night show, The Vampire Diaries, online.  The sad and twisted irony is WTVM Raycom Media-owned sister station in the Montgomery market & NBC affiliate, WSFA, "WSFA 12" airs on Charter Auburn cable channel line up, which essentially means the market is fractured because WLTZ has no real pull on Lee County viewership.  Anything I've learn about TV market designation is that there is 1 affiliate allowed in each market's local area and if there is a duplication amongst the major networks then it is a fractured market with weak stations.  The Columbus (sometimes hyphenated with Opelika-Auburn, AL) market reminds me of most Southern TV markets in the 1990s, where there were only 4 full-powered TV stations and all the good syndicated old sitcoms that didn't put you to sleep wind up airing on the local FOX affiliate (which it does with WXTX) along with some other channels from other cities airing on the line-up in some of the key places outside the main urban area (Columbus metro area).

ON THE URBAN LANDSCAPE: The layout of the area is laughable.  U.S 431 is practically a two-lane country road most of the area until you get to the core of Opelika.  U.S 280 is a four-to-six-lane highway through the entire region and all the way to Birmingham as well as Columbus.  280 does come close to being an official freeway when it gets to the western periphery of the Columbus urban area in Russell County (Alabama) near Phenix City.  However, the only real freeways in the entire region is I-85 and I-185.  It's an area that lacks major freeway/throughway infrastructure serving the area population.   I will give Auburn some points for its continuous usage of sideways and crosswalk signals around most major intersections within its corporate limits.  The area also tends to lean towards a neighborhood retail center type of spread with some retailers like Winn-Dixie and Kroger locations.  However, the area is poorly laid out as the main regional retail area surrounding The Village Mall is located on East University Drive, which a road that less that 2 miles to the south is in a residential area.

If one to compare Auburn to Opelika then you would know Opelika is the better planned one of the two.  It is also more proactive in its economic development initiatives like the power center, TigerTown at US 280 & I-85 led by the Opelika Development Authority.  However, its also a texbook example of urban sprawl and short-term, retail-oriented economic development rather than more sustainable white-collar and self-investing knowledge-based developments like pushing toward getting a more research center or entrepreneur incubator (since it's near Auburn University).  Auburn seems to go more towards the latter mentioned since they recently opened the Auburn Research Park, which will have long-term economic development benefits for the region.

Columbus is just there.  I mean I've been there a couple of times, but it doesn't seems like beyond the military base, Fort Benning, that there is much to its economy beyond that.  The lack of direct freeway/throughway access is an impediment for accessibility to anyone.  I-185 suck since it's a north-south directional freeway that only serves as a way for others on the Georgia side of the region to get to I-85 from Columbus and Fort Benning.  There are the attempts by locals in Columbus to make the RiverCenter, the Riverwalk walk and bike path along & whitewater rafting in the Chattahoochee River, and the local theaters via "Broadway in Columbus" as a draw, but I'm unimpressed.  The city just lacks the population base to pull anything major which I'm more accustomed to in North Alabama and North Georgia.

In general, I'm in an "it is what it is" mindset about this region.  Lee County (Alabama) and Muscogee County (Georgia) are the main population centers, but they aren't very cooperated in their strategy to make the region more attractive or impressive to newcomers or outsiders.  I'll just spend my time focusing on my studies and networking with those in the Auburn-Opelika area and look forward to transitioning to Georgia...

If we didn't already know, Joe Reed is a JACKASS!

It just seems like that splaboo doesn't spare any clockwork when he proves to the entire world along with the entire the Alabama Democratic Party (ADP) that he is one.  Instead of having some dignity and showing that he isn't a pompous egregious bigot about race (and sexuality), NO!!!!  He had to prove that he likes to be all about race and direct representation of it.

In the curious case of the replacement of Kenya Lavender Marshall, a lawyer whom was suppose to be the Democratic nominee for the Jefferson County Circuit Court seat come November (since there is no Republican competition), whom wind up disqualified and disbarred for using clients funds for personal usage.  The Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee had to appoint a replacement in time for the August 27th deadline, which is 45 days after the run-off.  Meanwhile, where comes the mighty splaboo, Joe Reed, to sweep in with his usual brand of down-home splabuvian ignorance that has been recorded time and time again on this blog.  Instead of appoint the runner-up in the Democratic race, Nicole Stills, the ASDEC (lead by that splaboo) appoints Elisabeth French, some random lawyer whom happens to be black, to the seat because Reed wants a black person to represent since a black woman won over a white woman (Stills).

If we have learned anything from all this crap is that playing racial politics in the South never bodes well for anybody especially progressives.  Reed is so ignorant and pathetic because all this type of buffoonery is going to lead to is destruction.  It's like Reed wakes up in the morning and says, "I wonder how in the world can I screw up the possibility of Alabama ever getting a decent black politician elected from a statewide office?"

I'm too through with this crap and the ADP because they gave him the keys to its destruction when they let his racially bigoted ass into the executive committee nearly 4 decades ago...

The only upside to this story is that the Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) and the Birmingham chapter of the SCLC called out this foolishness.

I haven't blogged in 2 weeks

I'm busy and will blog when I feel I have the time, so it is what it is.  Go to some of the blogs on my list at the bottom of my home page.  They will certainly provide you with similar point-of-views of my own.  In the meanwhile, business needs to be taken care of so I'll keep you posted...

One year, and so...

Now back to regular posting.  Today on the other side of the Sunbelt, a federal judge repealed California's Proposition 8 that banned same-sex unions and such, so congrats to them (for now because you know THEY are going to repeal to the SCOTUS)...

It's another one of those cases where you have to give those in the Democratic establishment in Georgia the side-eye.  This time it's Roy Barnes, whom deliberately avoided being seen near President Obama in Atlanta on Monday when he was there for Disabled Veterans organization speech and Democratic National Convention fundraiser (all in the same hotel, Hyatt Regency Atlanta in downtown).  That's what I call a "nod and wink" stunt to the black Democrats, whom he went all out the way to court up until 3 weeks after he won the Democratic gubernatorial primary...

In the Greater Birmingham area, an young, black Democratic nominee for circuit judge position of Jefferson County, Kenya Lavender Marshall,  might be disbarred by the Alabama State Bar for using clients compensation for personal use.  UH OH, HOT DOG!  That's has to be one of the DUMBEST things I've seen person do when they are running for a judicial position when it requires prudence and discernment to do the job...

Oh yeah, black Democratic Congress members Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters ought to be ashamed of themselves for being SO DAMN STUPID.  I mean allegations of taking money and using it for their own personal usage and now both face ethics violations when they know they are up for reelection in 3 months.   I don't care how progressive you too maybe on key social issues, you have to be DUMBEST DEMOCRATS in the current sitting Congress, plain and simple.  Once again you see another Southern (white) Democrat pretending to be too busy worried what some rural (white) people will think of them rather than just showing their face for a few minutes with the president...PATHETIC!

LESSON TO ALL BLACK DEMOCRATS: DON'T GIVE OTHERS A REASON TO GET YOU WHEN YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY WILL THOSE OUT THEM WANTING TO GET YOU!  YOU WILL GET GOT!

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!!!!