Sometimes somebody does the right thing not for fear or favor,
just because it’s the right thing.
Catherine E. Shoichet wrote for CNN 28 June 2011 about Paul Bridges,
mayor of Uvalde,
Republican mayor in the South becomes unlikely advocate for immigrants:
Bridges is waging a deeply personal battle.Enforcement of the Georgia law could put him in prison and tear apart
the families of some of his closest friends.
He thinks Governor Nathan Deal got it wrong when he signed HB 87:
Received yesterday from Susan Leavens:
These are the open records that me and another animal control officer
sent to GDA
and I also have Amanda Jordans Statement if you would like
that. Please excuse some of the language in my statement she (pat smith
GDA inspector) told me to write it like it was said….
Here they are on the LAKE web pages.
These records include much more detail than
what we’ve heard before.
After reading them, do you think installing a few cameras is adequate
to deal with this situation?
-jsq
Why, indeed? -jsq
This is ridiculous.
- Why make it hard to obtain the budget?
- What is the “Bird Supper”?
- Why is the County Attorney $100k over budget?
- Why don’t I see
those cameras listed for the
Animal Shelter?-Jessica Bryan Hughes
This comment came in yesterday on
Proposed Lowndes County Budget published by LAKE.
W.E. Messamore wrote for caivn.org 18 June 2011,
Internet activists crash White House phone lines calling for an end to the War on Drugs:
On Friday June 17th, exactly 40 years after President Richard Nixon
declared a “War on Drugs,” Internet activists organizing from the social
news and activism website, Reddit.com, called the White House en masse
to demand an end to the War on Drugs, calling it a “trillion dollar
incarceration machine” with a measurable failure to reduce drug use,
or harm from drug use.
The
original post included this:
This is also the last vestige of Nixon’s fight against the civil rights and anti-war movements: And if you look at US incarceration rates, it’s been incredibly effective. . .
- 4,919 Black males per 100,000 population
- 1,717 Latino males per 100,000 of population
- 717 White males per 100,000 of population.
- South Africa under Apartheid (1993) – 851 Black males per 100,000
That’s right, almost six times as many black males per capita
get locked up in the U.S. than in South Africa under apartheid.
The numbers are even worse for young people and especially young black males,
leading to this summary:
This isn’t a War on Drugs: It’s a Race War; It’s a War on the youth,
likely to protest controversial policies (a war that conveniently takes
away those groups voting rights). It’s a war on the American People,
paid for by the American people, for the American people’s own good.
Yep.
Except a majority of the American people don’t want the “war on drugs”
any more.
It’s time for the laws to change.
Back to the
main article:
A blog called Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages
wrote at some unspecified date recently:
I beg to differ with Mr. Pritchard’s opinion regarding “malicious
intent”.Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard says, “I don’t believe through
our investigation, nor through any info we received from the Department
of Ag, are able to indicate any malicious intent.”
Mr. Pritchard should understand that it matters not if this was done
with “malicious intent” or not. “Malicous intent” should be
determined by the investigating criminal agency, not a county manager.
“Malicious Intent” is only important in determining whether the
crime should be filed as a felony, or a misdemeanor.The law is crystal clear regarding the denial of necessary medical care,
and/or humane euthanasia, for any animal deemed to be in need of such. Any
time a shelter impounds/houses a live animal, the shelter is required,
by law, to afford that animal with humane care – to include necessary
medical care or treatment.
The blogger then goes on to quote Georgia Code, which only brings
in the word “maliciously” for higher fines or imprisonment
for aggravated cruelty to animals.
The blogger summarizes:
What’s even more secretive than the
Industrial Authority?
Valdosta State Prison!
The
AJC has noticed
Sounds like trouble is brewing down I-75. —Jim Galloway
that the VDT
is getting serious about open records requests:
The Valdosta Daily Times’ Open Records request concerning violent incidents in the Valdosta State Prison was denied Monday.
The Department of Corrections (DOC) denied all requests in the Times’
Open Records filing, stating that, under Georgia law, the documents do
not have to be released.After receiving phone calls from concerned individuals who have knowledge
of recent violent prison attacks, the Times submitted the Open Records
request to Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens.
Kay Harris wrote that in the VDT today.
Curiously,
the state doesn’t even
provide a picture of the prison.
It’s enough to make you wonder what they have to hide.
Apparently the VDT wonders:
At 55, why would Harley G. Lappin
retire from his former cushy job
as Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons?
It might have something to do with being charged with a crime.
According to
Ryan J. Reilly at TMPMuckracker 30 March 2011,
Lappin was pulled over less than a half mile from his house at 3:59
a.m. on Feb. 26, the website reported. He’s been charged with driving
while under the influence, reckless driving, negligent driving and
failure to obey the instructions of a traffic-control device, according
to the news website. A spokeswoman said that Lappin informed his staff
of the arrest.Lappin will be due in court on June 16, a little over a month after his
resignation becomes effective on May 7.
Well, that will be interesting, to see if
the new private prison czar
gets off or ends up a felon.
CCA is the company that wants to build a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia.
Spend that tax money on education, instead.
-jsq
This came in to the submission address Thursday.
More in
this topic
and
this VDT story.
-jsq
From: “Jane Osborn”
Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 23:21:09 -0400
Subject: criminal issuesHere is what I just sent to the Sheriff’s office by email:
I wanted to ask if someone who witnessed the alleged abuse of animals
at the Lowndes County Animal Shelter has to make a direct report to law
enforcement for an investigation to be started or if second-hand
information from the media would be good enough. I will include a link
to a video of the testimony of a shelter officer at the Lowndes County
Commission meeting this week. I am under the impression that animal
abuse is a criminal offense and that just having these reports go to
the Department of Agriculture will only result in a fine for the
shelter, not resolution of possible criminal wrongdoing.Here is the link:
http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2011/05/neglect-abuse-suffering-falsifying-documents-susan-leavins-lcc-24-may-2011.htmlPlease let me know if it is possible for a criminal investigation can
be started to find out the truth about allegations of animal cruelty
and abuse.Thank you. Jane Osborn
If the commissioners will not handle this, perhaps law enforcement
will. JaneJane F. Osborn, MSSW
Valdosta, GA
The war on drugs causes violence, poverty, and illiteracy in Latin
America that drives illegal immigration into the U.S., for the profit
of Monsanto, military contractors, and private prison companies.
Does that seem right to you?
Neal Peirce wrote a syndicated column 22 May 2011,
Misguided U.S. drug policies afflict Mexico, Central America:
The war on drugs in Mexico, partially funded by hundreds of millions of
dollars in U.S. government assistance, has not only failed to curb the
trade but intensified horrific violence, corruption and human rights
abuses, writes Neal Peirce.For most Americans, the recent news of popular demonstrations in
Mexico was probably a small diversion from the daily tide of bloody
global reports from such faraway hot spots as Pakistan, Syria, Libya,
Afghanistan and Bahrain.
Why worry, most of us likely concluded, if thousands of Mexicans are
marching in the streets, protesting the horrific violence and high death
toll in their nation’s raging drug war? Isn’t that their problem?It’s true, the news reports focus less on the American role, more on
growing anger with the government of President Felipe Calderón and the
meager returns from the massive police and military crackdown on the
drug trade he inaugurated in 2006.Since then, more than 37,000 Mexicans have been murdered, often tortured
and brutalized before their deaths, as cartels battle for control of drug
smuggling routes and brazenly assassinate anyone, official or average
citizen, they think is in their way.The hard lesson is that the war on drug dealers, decreed by Calderón and
partially funded by hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government
assistance, has not only failed to curb the trade but intensified horrific
violence, corruption and human-rights abuses.
So what can be done?
Another Sunday; another group of religious people against private prisons;
a group that points out Georgia is already number one in locking people up.
Christians Against Prohibition is a nondenominational organization and
website that welcomes everyone no matter what your perspective on God or
the War on Drugs. Here at the website you will find educational materials
— from an areligious as well as Christian perspective — as to why the
Drug War and drug prohibition exacerbates every ill the prohibitionists
decry, what can be done about it, and what you can do about it. (Hint:
Legalize and Regulate.)
CAP has
a three-point mission statement:
They explain each point in practical and biblical terms.
And they spell out their position on the subject topic,
The Evils of For-Profit, “Private,” Prisons:
