Tag Archives: Troy Davis

Video of stealth education panel at Lowndes High last night

Here’s George Boston Rhynes’ first video from last night’s stealth education panel. The VDT covered it, but, presumably due to its bizarre policy of not covering candidates for office, the VDT didn’t even mention that J.C. Cunningham, Democrat running for Georgia House District 175, was present, even though the VDT posted pictures and quotes from the incumbent, Republican Amy Carter, who apparently organized the panel. Charter schools were discussed; see below after the video.

Video of stealth education panel at Lowndes High last night
Video by George Boston Rhynes for K.V.C.I and bostongbr on YouTube,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 14 August 2012.

On the panel, left to right:

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Why Employers Support School Unification —Greg Justice

Received today from the Chamber. -jsq
Why Employers Support School Unification
By Greg Justice
Director of Manufacturing
Regal Marine Industries, Inc.

Look it up, states that rank among the highest in terms of quality of life and economic growth rank among the highest in terms of quality of education. Is this because these states have higher levels of education, or did they become attractive places to live because they have a focused approach to improving the quality of education? And does the same reasoning hold true for different nations?

It would seem we’re about to find out. In one generation, the U.S. has fallen from No. 1 to No. 9 in the number of people graduating with college degrees. We’re mediocre in education when compared to the other 34 industrialized nations. A 2009 study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science, and 25th in math – all lagging behind other leading industrialized countries.

It is hard to relate these statistics to our local schools,

And I thought business people liked hard work! Continue reading →

Valdosta State Students defend their right of free speech

Campus authorities tried getting students to move away from the University Center where Governor Nathan Deal was having a luncheon. The students stood their ground.

Here’s the video.


Protesting Gov. Nathan Deal at Valdosta State University (VSU), 16 September 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

The students had been standing on the sidewalk in front of the Continue reading →

Consolidation: A Financial Puzzle —Dr. Troy Davis @ LCBOE 4 October 2011

Dr. Troy Davis spelled out where we are financially in the school systems, and what consolidation would do to that: it would raise taxes and reduce services.

He took CUEE’s own figures for how much more consolidation would require to be spent per each Valdosta City school student, and demonstrated that not only would that require raising taxes for both Valdosta and Lowndes County residents to near the state-capped maximum of 21 mils, but even then there is no way enough tax revenue would be generated to pay for all the things CUEE proposes to do after consolidation, and probably not even enough taxes to continue employing all the teachers currently employed by the two school systems. Oh, plus consolidation would lose state and federal grant money by increasing the composite school system size, so the local taxpayers would have to make up that slack, too.

Here are his slides.

Here is a playlist.

-jsq

The other execution Wednesday night

Everybody knows the state of Georgia executed Troy Davis Wednesday, 21 September 2011. Fewer people know the state of Texas executed Lawrence Russell Brewer that same night. The cases are the same in one very basic way, and different in others.

One blog overstates the case. David Henson wrote for religion margins, the state killed two men; we only cared for one

Two men were executed last night by the state.

And no one said a word about one of them.

Because it wasn’t about Troy Davis. Because witnesses didn’t recant. Because the evidence was clear. Because hundreds of thousands worldwide didn’t sign a petition for him.

Because it was about a white supremacist.

Another blog is more accurate. Sam Worley wrote for Bleader 22 Sep 2011, The second execution, Continue reading →

Pardons board rejects clemency for Troy Davis

So now it’s down to Gov. Deal.

In the VDT via AP today:

Georgia’s pardons board rejected a last-ditch clemency plea from death row inmate Troy Davis on Tuesday despite high-profile support from figures including the pope and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.

Davis is scheduled to die Wednesday by injection for the killing of off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was slain while rushing to help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years that Davis’ execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.

Steve Hayes, spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said

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WALB on protesters and Gov. Deal at VSU

Jade Bulecza wrote for WALB today, Protesters approach governor on Troy Davis
South Georgia death penalty opponents took their protest to the governor while he was in Valdosta.

Governor Deal was in Valdosta to tour VSU’s nursing college but death penalty opponents confronted him about the upcoming execution of cop killer Troy Davis.

A small group of demonstrators gathered a VSU to plead for clemency for Troy Davis.

“We hope he uses his influence to the pardons and parole board to get out get rid of this execution,” said Deandre Jones, the president of the VSU’s NAACP college chapter.

Protesters approached the governor as he left the university center.

“The committee has followed the legal process and has gone through the appellate court,” said Deal.

Davis’ execution is set for Wednesday for killing an off duty Savannah police officer in 1989.

Student protesters greet GA Gov. Nathan Deal @ VSU 16 Sep 2011

Possibly the last thing Gov. Nathan Deal expected to find at Valdosta State University greeted him: student protesters!

Their main question was about the impending Sept. 21st execution of Troy Anthony Davis, about whom Amnesty International says there is too much doubt.


Student protesters greet Governor Nathan Deal at Valdosta State University, 16 Sep 2011.
Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

The press had already noticed: Continue reading →