Received yesterday. -jsq
News never reported in the Quitman FREE PRESS or in SOUTH GEORGIA NEWS MEDIA:
From the YouTube description:
Senator Emanuel Jones is demanding “all charges are dropped”Continue reading
Branson isn’t just a billionaire speaking his mind, he was also on the Global Commission on Drug Policy that studied the problem and recommended last summer that we end prohibition.Just as prohibition of alcohol failed in the United States in the 1920s, the war on drugs has failed globally. Over the past 50 years, more than $1 trillion has been spent fighting this battle, and all we have to show for it is increased drug use, overflowing jails, billions of pounds and dollars of taxpayers’ money wasted, and thriving crime syndicates. It is time for a new approach.
Too many of our leaders worldwide are ignoring policy reforms that could rapidly reduce violence and organised crime, cut down on theft, improve public health and reduce the use of illicit drugs. They are failing to act because the reforms that are needed centre on decriminalising drug use and treating it as a health problem. They are scared to take a stand that might seem “soft”.
But exploring ways to decriminalise drugs is anything but soft. It would free up crime-fighting resources to go after violent organised crime, and get more people the help they need to get off drugs. It’s time to get tough on misguided policies and end the war on drugs.
Branson does bring his business experience to bear: Continue reading
This comes from the ACLU’s Prison Voices, Episode 1: Private Prisons: Continue readingIn my view, the worst thing is that they have normalized the notion of incarcerating people for profit. Basically commodifying people, seeing them as nothing more than a revenue stream….
If you incarcerate more people and you put more people in your private prisons you make more money. Which provides perverse incentives against reforming our justice system.
And increasing the number of people we’re putting in prison, whether they need to be there or not, just to generate corporate profit. I think that’s incredibly immoral and unethical, I think that’s the worst aspect of our private prison industry.
In a refreshing changes from “jobs, jobs, jobs” as everything,
Andrea Schruijer,
Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
told the Lowndes County Democratic Party meeting, 5 December 2011,
that it wasn’t her job to create jobs, jobs, jobs; it was her job
to create an environment that let jobs be created.
Towards that end, she announced several new jobs at VLCIA,
including a PR and marketing position.
VLCIA Chairman Roy Copeland also spoke and helped answer questions
from the audience, including about
wages,
workers, and
green industries.
Perhaps not shown is her answer to my question about what does VLCIA do to promote new local industry. I believe she said VLCIA looks to the Chamber of Commerce for incubation, and helps once local businesses are established.
Here’s a playlist:
My job: create environment for jobs —Andrea Schruijer of VLCIA @ LCDP 5 Dec 2011
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director of VLCIA,
Monthly Meeting, Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 5 December 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman.
-jsq
In this video George goes into many years of evidence regarding jail violations.issue another Executive Order and STOP the jail deaths in the Valdosta, Lowndes County Jail. (30 Jail deaths from 1994-2009) Today the general public is told that the public does not have a right to know under the law.
-jsq
David Rodock wrote on the front page of the VDT today, Gov. suspends `Quitman Ten’ officials,
On Tuesday, Deal issued his order prior to the Brooks County Board of Education’s first meeting of 2012. Dr. Nancy Whitfield-Dennard, Elizabeth Diane Thomas and Linda Faye Troutman were notified of this suspension at approximately 4:30 p.m., according to sources.That’s a bit more context than the TV stations provided.
The VDT also says who gets to serve instead:
Following the governor’s suspension this week, Brooks County school board member Brad Shealy, who is also an assistant Southern district attorney, was appointed to serve as president of the board with board member Larry Cunningham serving as vice president. Shealy served many years as the school board president prior to Whitfield-Dennard being named president last year.That seems to be the same Brad Shealy who used to be chairman until the recent election.
The VDT adds this context: Continue reading
Jade Bulecza wrote for WALB yesterday, Governor orders Brooks Co. School Bd. suspensions
That would be the same Joe Mulholland who’s been on TV saying things like Continue readingSuperintendent Debra Folsom got the governor’s order Tuesday suspending the three board members.
“This is all new territory for us,” said Folsom. “We’re consulting our attorney to see what the next steps we will take to fill the positions.”
December 20 a review commission made up of the attorney general and two school board members from across Georgia were appointed by the governor to review the case.
“They heard evidence from the prosecution and from the accused and the conclusion of that they made a determination and forwarded that to the governor’s office whether to suspend or not to suspend the three school board members,” said South Georgia District Attorney Joe Mulholland.
December 30, the review panel unanimously made their decision.
Moreover, I have just been notified that the Quitman 10 will be traveling to Atlanta on Friday to meet with Georgia Governor Deal about remaining on the Brooks County Board of Education. I will most certainly miss Senator Robert Brown here in the State of Georgia.
-GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES
Patrick Davis wrote yesterday for the Macon Political Buzz Examiner,
Jim Crow politics on display as Brooks County absentee case proceeds
Brad Shealy, who had been the long-time chairman of the Brooks Board of Education faced the prospect of being voted out as chairman and witnessing a majority-black Brooks County Board of Education for the first time ever.Excuse me? The former Brooks County school board chairman works for the D.A.’s office? And the D.A. is going on TV for pre-trial propaganda in the case?Shealy lost his position when new leadership was elected in January 2011.
Shealy’s day job is the assistant district attorney under J. David Miller who originally started the investigation back in the late summer of 2010.
Patrick Davis asks the obvious question: Continue reading
Justin Schuver wrote for the Post-Searchlight 29 November 2011, Mulholland interviewed on Fox News
Local viewers of Fox News on Sunday morning might have seen aContinue readingfamiliar face on their screen, as South Georgia Judicial Circuit District Attorney Joe Mulholland was interviewed by the national news station about his prosecution of a voter-fraud case in Brooks County, Ga.
Mulholland spoke to Fox News newsman Eric Shawn for approximately four-and-a-half minutes about the case, which involves 12 citizens charged for allegedly tampering in a July 2010 primary election.
According to the Valdosta Daily Times, school board incumbents Gary Rentz and Myra Exum were leading in their races, before the absentee ballots were counted. After those 979 absentee ballots were tabulated, challengers Linda Troutman and Elizabeth Thomas were able to overtake the incumbents’ leads and eventually win election in November.
On Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested