Author Archives: admin

NAACP on MLK on War on Drugs

I hate to repeat a preacher, but it’s Sunday, and Robert Rooks wrote for NAACP 24 August 2011 U.S. Approach to War on Drugs Ignores Dr. King’s Lessons on Justice, Compassion.
After forty years of the war on drugs, America continues to have laws that stratify society based on race and class and continues to ignore Dr. King’s lessons on justice, compassion and love.

My favorite quote from Dr. King speaks to the heart of the problem with America’s criminal justice system. “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”

America’s criminal justice system is reckless and discriminate. America has five percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Blacks are incarcerated at four to five times the rate of whites for drug crimes, even though the majority of those who use and sell drugs are white. The majority of those incarcerated are people who have a history with mental health and substance abuse.

Not only does incarceration impact individuals but it undermines families,

Continue reading →

Wal-Mart Workers Need Help Now From American Government Elected Officials! —George Rhynes

Received yesterday. -jsq
The following video shows Mr. Charles Judge!

“First off, you have to know what your job is.”
—Charles Judge
He was one of the several employees I supervised as Sporting Goods Department Manger at Wal-Mart Store #2615 in Valdosta, Georgia. On March 20, 2008, I was wrongfully terminated for “INABILITY TO PERFORM JOB” without training.


Video by George Boston Rhynes.

It has been 3 1/2 years since my wrongful termination and I have written Wal-Mart Stores Inc. thirty letters, thirteen videos, 34 pages of documented proof that I was never trained; nor entered into Wal-Mart Stores Inc. four week mandatory training program as other employees. Moreover, it should be a shame and disgrace that several former and current President Mike Duke has all ignored me as if I was a worker in the Republic of China or in some other third world nation!

Even more un-American is that Chairman David Glass along with his entire Wal-Mart Board of Directors has followed the local Wal-Mart Store Manager at Store #2615 in what is definitely unprofessional behavior along the lines of respecting workers rights. Wal-Mart Executives seem to believe that the American People (customers) have made Wal-Mart Stores Inc. a god beside God and answers to no one. More videos will follow from real workers and former assistant managers until you are as sure as I am that Americans need workers Rights in this NATION for all employees.

As elected officials (government officials) I do hope that you begin to look at workers rights and my wrongful termination without any recourse because I am in an “At Will to Work State”, Georgia. This means any worker can be fired for GOOD cause, BAD cause, or for no cause at all and like Wal-Mart. They are not required to provide a reason for you, your spouse, child or neighbor for why they wrongfully terminated you! http://walmartstore2615.blogspot.com

We are 100% sure that there is nothing Wal-Mart Executives or Board of Directors will or can do in my case or cases like mine. Therefore, as a Retired Military of the United Armed Forces that followed our “Code of Conduct” in the military need a code of conduct for (ALL) American Workers.

My wrongful termination has forced me to follow the same “CODE OF CONDUCT” that all United States Military Veterans had to follow. Therefore, if I could place my life on the line and face death for foreigners on foreign battlefields then surely I can stand up for my own family members and love ones.

Yes, I intend to fight as hard for myself, my own family and fellow American Workers here in the Home Land! God Bless both the righteous and the not so righteous. Peace, love and overstanding. We are not who we claim to be; but who we prove ourselves to be over a given period of time and after three and one-half years Wal-Mart EXECUTIVES has proven who they are to the American people and the world.

GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Retired United States Armed Forces Military Vietnam
A concerned citizens and brother of all humanity

T-SPLOST Public Meetings Set —SGRC

Received yesterday. -jsq
For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
August 25, 2011Corey Hull, 229-333-5277

Public Meetings Set for Transportation Sales Tax Project List

The Southern Georgia Regional Transportation Roundtable has set a series of public meetings to review the Draft Constrained Investment List for the following counties, representing the Special District for a proposed transportation sales and use tax: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.

In 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, a law prescribing a regional sales tax referendum for transportation projects. Jay Roberts, State Representative from District 154-Ocilla, and Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said “This law gives

Continue reading →

5.a. First time I’ve heard some of these arguments —Deidra White @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Deidra White wondered what would be the repercussions if council took more time to decide this issue, since this was the first time she had heard some of these arguments.

Attorney Talley said he wasn’t sure what the timeline was to prepare ballots.

Um, maybe he should talk to the Board of Elections.

Manager Hanson said there are different sections of the Constitution that might apply.

Attorney Talley noted that the Home Rule Act did not apply, even though it was cited in the petition, since the school system charter is not in the City of Valdosta charter; it’s a separate pact.

Manager Hanson noted qualifying for city elections is next week, so Continue reading →

5.a. the situation we’ve been placed in —Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Robert Yost said he didn’t like the position council was in of almost being required to vote one way to cover their rears from litigation.
So of course I’ll be voting exactly how I feel it needs to be tonight, litigation or not.
He also seemed to say that he hadn’t heard anybody say it was about consolidating county and city government.

It’s interesting that Yost seemed to be arguing against the referendum, since he has long been on record as for school system consolidation:

“We need one school system in this city and county,” said Yost. “But sadly that isn’t the case.”
That’s from when he was last running for Valdosta City Council back in 2009; you can watch him say it on video. At the time he also said the city should annex the whole county, but claimed that was just a joke. Has something changed his mind about either of those things?

Here’s the video from Thursday’s council meeting: Continue reading →

5.a. We’re not actually going to deny, are we? —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011

Rather heated discussion as Tim Carroll seemed incensed that Sonny Vickers thought consolidation proponents had a hidden agenda. He mentioned Rusty Griffin, Walter Hopgood, and George Bennett.
It just bothers me when I hear “hoodwinked”.
Carroll repeatedly mentioned the number of citizens who had petitioned asking to put the referendum on the ballot. He said there might be issues between CUEE and VBOE, but not with city council.

Here’s the video:


5.a. We’re not actually going to deny, are we? —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011
petition, education, referendum,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. school consolidation not initiated by school system —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council James Wright stated concerns that neither citizens nor the city school board had initiated school consolidation, and cited several statutes that he said indicated the local board of education needed first to request a feasibility study from the state and then to approve it, and that has not happened in this case.

Here’s the video:


5.a. school consolidation not initiated by school system —James Wright @ VCC 25 August 2011
petition, education, referendum,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. motion to deny education referendum —Sonny Vickers @ VCC 25 August 2011

Some backers of school consolidation have a hidden agenda of consolidating the city and county governments, said Council Sonny Vickers.

Council Sonny Vickers made a motion to deny the school consolidation referendum, and then stated a number of reasons, among them that unification would do nothing to improve education, judging by many previous examples. Plus he noted a hidden agenda of some of the backers of consolidation who spent thousands of dollars: consolidation of the city and county governments.

Here’s the video:


5.a. motion to deny education referendum –Sonny Vickers @ VCC 25 August 2011
petition, education, referendum,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. has common sense prevailed over precedent? —Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Robert Yost wondered could the council have voted down the city school system’s millage? The City Attorney said they were required to vote on it but could have voted it down (I think that’s what he meant). The mayor noted again that a vote against the petitioned referendum would probably cost the city more money. See for yourself.

Here’s the video:


5.a. has common sense prevailed over precedent? –Robert Yost @ VCC 25 August 2011
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

5.a. petition for school referendum —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011

Council Tim Carroll noted citizens have a right to petition their government according to the Georgia Constitution, and wondered if it would be “against the Constitution” for the council to deny such a petition. City Attorney Talley noted that the language of a legal precedent says the council shall. The mayor noted there could be frivolous petitions such as to change the name of Friday to Thursday, that wouldn’t require affirmation, but the state has certain guidelines, and school systems especially fall under those guidelines.

Here’s the video:


5.a. petition for school referendum —Tim Carroll @ VCC 25 August 2011
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 August 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq