Straight Talk

Alabama Voter ID Laws Disenfranchise African Americans

2015-10-10T03:29:00.003-07:00

President Lyndon B. Johnson had to sign a Voting Rights Act Bill in 1965 because African Americans were being denied the right to vote although the 15th amendment was passed in 1870. The 15th amendment granted to the Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Although ratified on February 3, 1870, the promise of the 15th Amendment would not be fully realized for almost a century (Library of Congress).

Southern Whites did not want African Americans to vote so they did everything to obstruct it using scare tactics, lynching, poll tax, literacy tax among other insidious acts. This supposedly came to an end when President Lyndon B. Johnson sign the Voters right Act in 1965 so we thought. The Republican Party has tried various tactics present day to obstruct the right to vote for African Americans and other minorities. The latest tactic is trying to implement VOTER ID LAWS under the guise of trying to stop voter fraud which the statistics suggest is virtually nonexistent. The GOP hopes to discourage minority vote from voting because they would mainly vote Democratic in the election.

The New Yorker reported that experts agree that actual incidents of in-person voter fraud -- the type of voter fraud that strict voter ID laws can prevent -- are "virtually non-existent," and fears of voter fraud have been largely invented as a way to "excite the base." [The New Yorker, 10/29/12.]

The New York University School of Law's Brennan Center has repeatedly explained that in-person voter fraud is not a justification for strict voter ID laws, because voter impersonation is "more rare than getting struck by lightning," and allegations of widespread fraud typically "amount to a great deal of smoke without much fire" and "simply do not pan out." [Brennan Center For Justice, 2007]

Loyola University Law School professor Justin Levitt, who investigated "any specific, credible allegation" of voter impersonation fraud, found a total of "about 31 different incidents" since 2000 of in-person voter fraud out of over 1 billion ballots cast. [The Washington Post, Wonk blog, 8/6/14

Alabama’s voter-identification law went into effect last year, requiring voters to present a government-issued photo ID at the polls. A state-issued driver’s license is the most popular form of identification, and critics say the closure of offices that issue them is yet another barrier for poor and minority voters. To add insult to injury, the Alabama State Government closed 31 driver’s- license offices which are all in heavy populated African American areas. This move was clearly a way to obstruct the African American vote. This must be highlighted, discussed and overturned. The power is in the ballot.

National Rifle Association, Congress and Guns Take America Hostage

2015-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

American citizens are being held hostage by Congress and Congress are being held hostage by the National Rifle Association(NRA). They refuse to do gun reform because the NRA threatens to spend millions on smear campaigns against them if they pass any legislation that would dig into the profits of gun makers and gun dealers. This is a travesty in the wake of the recent mass shootings that has afflicted America. In addition and just as important are the senseless and countless deaths of citizens all across the country in an epidemic of violence in wake of the spike in crime in urban cities all across America. In 2013 The U.S.Senate was going to vote on a gun reform bill which would be the first in decades. At the time polls showed that 90% of Americans favored and supported background checks for all gun purchases. It failed to pass legislation! Congress folded and failed! Why? Its because of the powerful NRA lobbyist and their piles of cash.

There are 4 ways the NRA lobbyist paralyze the gun reform legislative process. First,they exploit and prey on the pure passion and single mindedness of many gun owners. Second, they motivate their most passionate members to harass their elected officials and scare them from voting on such legislation. The elected officials want to get re-elected so they play into these scare tactics. Next, they will spend millions on smear campaign ads against any member of congress who will vote against their agenda. Finally, The NRA's ability to get their people out to vote on election day seals the deal. Common Sense laws are being ignored because of false fear, money and congress fear of not getting re-elected.

In 2011, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the U.S. had 11,101 homicides committed with firearms, which amounted to about 70 percent of all homicides, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a rate of about 3.6 gun killings per 100,000 people [source: Hoyert and Xu].

A 2004 study by University of Pennsylvania researchers for the Department of Justice found that from 1995 to 2003, gun crimes involving assault weapons that were banned by the law declined in six U.S. cities by between 17 percent and 72 percent.

These shootings also bring up another issue which is mental health going unchecked as well as those people having access to buy guns. Lets examine three of the many mass shootings which affect victims of all demographics in places of perceived safety such as school, church, and a U.S. military recruitment center.

Oct. 1, 2015. Roseburg, Ore.

At least 10 people were shot dead at Umpqua Community College in southern Oregon after gunman Chris Harper Mercer, 26, opened fire. The gunman died in an exchange of fire with the police.

July 16, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Four Marines and a Navy petty officer were killed after a man opened fire at two military locations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the gunman, who also died, as Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24.

June 18, 2015. Charleston, S.C.

Nine people are shot dead in a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. The victims range in age from 26 to 87 and include the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, a prominent state senator. Police arrest Dylann Storm Roof, 21, a white man with a history of anti-black views.

The NRA event spent money on ads attacking President Obama and his daughters! Check out the video!

This must stop! Do not let the NRA nor Congress take America Hostage! Reverse the tide and threaten not to re-elect congress who do not vote for common sense gun legislation!

Straight Talk: Make Education the Solution

2015-05-05T05:51:00.001-07:00

Straight Talk: Make Education the Solution: Growing up we were always told to go to school and learn the golden rule. Education was sold to us as the ultimate way to success. Today in ...

Make Education the Solution

2015-05-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

Growing up we were always told to go to school and learn the golden rule. Education was sold to us as the ultimate way to success. Today in 2015 students seem to think that education is not the solution to success or rather they do not believe in it to be their vehicle for achievement. Somehow and somewhere we lost the effectiveness of making education important to our youth. The media has played a huge part in this along with the lost of jobs and increasing technology. Oh what an irony that the increase of technology has played a part in the demise of education. The media part in this debacle is the portrayal of education as not needed and second fiddle to the instant start up entrepreneur in their parents garage. I'm not knocking that however its not being presented with balance. Those entrepreneurs had the basics of education and combined it with their creativity and knowledge. It was a process that included a basic foundation of education. Our students need to recognize and understand that this is a necessary process. The lost of jobs in this economy also has played a part. Children are watching their parents lose jobs and struggle although they went to college and have degrees. This can be challenging to explain however they must understand that this is even more of a reason to have a foundation in education to be able to make better moves and increase your competitive edge. This leads to the anomaly of technology which has changed the way the world operates. Things such as applying for college, scholarships, and jobs is now done in the blink of an eye with computers,laptops,tablets and smart phones. Although students have access to this technology they have been distracted with social media. They are consumed with imagery and consumption. The classroom environment is interrupted by the use of this medium more than being used for the progression of the student. We have to use this technology in the classroom to capture the attention and minds of our youth. We must incorporate technology and show students how they can use it for their advancement as well as their leisure. Creating a balance with education and technology will sell itself to students. Our students need this for education to become a more viable solution for their growth and success,

The Importance of Mentoring

2014-04-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

There is a saying that says, "It takes a village to raise a child." This is not just a cliche but rather a proven and necessary element for a child's success. The mentoring process can provide guidance for a child in the areas of life, education, career choices, etc. As adults sometimes we take it for granted but we all know that no one can succeed alone. We all need help and support along with the periodic nudge when we start to slack off from the things that make our goals attainable. These are all elements that make the mentoring process necessary for our young men and women to be successful in life as well as achieving their endeavors.

There has to be a process of raising the level of expectations for our youth today. We are in a age of instant gratification and the steps of working towards a goal have been eliminated in the lives of some of our youth. As a mentor we must instill that there are stages of progression which require work. We must nurture and guide this process for those whom we mentor. There has to be adherence to these steps for they will forever create life long learners and achievers. Allow me to share a real life example. The other day in Southeast D.C. I was mentoring and tutoring a male high school senior. He told me that he recently started to raise his level of expectations for himself because of the influence of mentors who expressed high hopes and expectations for him. Unfortunately this young male lost his mother at an early age to the streets. He was raised by his grandmother for a short time. He says that his grandmother told him that he did not have to get A's and B's for her to be happy or for him to be successful. She told him that as long as he earned C's he would be passing. So in turn he says that's what he aimed for....C's. He then lost his grandmother and moved in with his aunt who also expressed similar low expectations. It was when he was influenced by mentors that he realized that he can achieve higher. This young man has been accepted into college due to his hard work and dedication. He now says that he could have been accepted into more colleges along with receiving scholarships if he had higher grades early on. I encouraged him to still apply for scholarships now as well as every year that he is in college. He says that he plans to maintain a high GPA so that he can get more scholarships every year that he is in college. The power of mentoring can change lives just as it is transforming this young man.We need to take the opportunities within our families, neighborhoods, churches, civic organizations etc. to mentor a youth. Mentor a youth today.

Straight Talk: Higher Education: The New Bubble or Racket

2013-08-29T13:05:00.003-07:00

Straight Talk: Higher Education: The New Bubble or Racket: Higher Education is part of the American Dream. We were told when we were in school that if you go to college and work hard that there would...

Straight Talk: Poverty and Education

2013-08-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

Straight Talk: Poverty and Education: There has been an increase in child poverty in the United States and its affecting education. Whenever this topic is brought up some people ...

The Media Fail of 2012

2012-11-04T07:01:00.002-08:00

The News Media often referred to as the "Fourth Estate" or the 'Fourth Branch" of Government seem to have taken a turn for the worst in 2012. Media which shapes public opinion and has an influence on politics is suppose to be the Peoples' access to information that is true and accurate. In 2012 it seems that media has fallen prey to the feelings and opinions of the so called pundits and journalist. There are media outlets such as Fox News that seems to be an arm of the Republican party which spews out misinformation and lies against Presidents Obama and every Democrat that opposes the Republican agenda. This is not only limited to FOX but now it seems that other outlets that champions fair and balanced coverage such as CNN has taken on the ways of Fox news with not challenging the lies and misinformation as well as the continue spreading these lies. There has even been and infiltration of these practices by journalist and pundits on MSNBC which has sent its viewers into an outrage. How is this happening? What caused it?
Money has been called out as the culprit. Paid media? Yes, advertising is a billion dollar industry and has now become a part of the News outlets as well. This has allowed the lies and misinformation to be spread in the name of money. These are paid headlines and talking points. This has tainted the "Fourth Estate" which facilitated the process of the PEOPLE obtaining facts to make an informed decision on candidates, issues, and policies that affect their lives and the future course of America. The Power is with the People as we can see that there has been a push back of such misinformation and lies by fact checkers and social media outlets such as Twitter. you can sometimes get factual information faster on Twitter. You can also get facts checked from multiple sources which has become the Peoples filter of Lies and misinformation. So is Twitter and social media now the "Fifth Estate?" A necessary tool to create a balance that is beneficial for the People is needed and it seems appreciated. This new phenomenon has been a great push back to lies as well as a tool for the uninformed public. We the people must continue to press the Press for Truth and Facts. There is really Power in the People.

Higher Education: The New Bubble or Racket

2012-04-26T09:06:00.001-07:00

Higher Education is part of the American Dream. We were told when we were in school that if you go to college and work hard that there would be a job waiting for you after graduation. You would be able to buy that home and car along with marrying and starting a family. Fast forward to 2012 and it seems like it is a "dream" deferred. College grads are not finding jobs therefore causing them to stay at home with parents along with student loan debt that they can't repay. The banks which were middle men in the student loan process made off like bandits leaving students with a "handsome Kings Ransom" of loan debt. The Universities have been noted to have inflated the tuition prices knowing that students and parents had the ability to take out student and parent plus loans. It has also been said that Universities were literally banking on the fact that parents could refinance on their homes especially during the housing bubble if necessary to finance their kids education. Now as an option to seek further education or to escape repayment of loans is the emergence of the online programs. Students are pursuing masters degrees which puts current loans in deferment. These programs are most times over priced thereby forcing the student to seek further loans which is deeper debt. So who is making money from education? Is it the student? The banks? The universities and online programs? The answer is clearly not the student.

Trayvon Martin Case: Race Revisited

2012-04-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Trayvon Martin tragedy has cause the conversation to arise on whether America is post-racial. This tragedy was caused by profiling which is rooted in racism. The fact that a large amount of African American surveyed feels that race caused this tragedy but only a small portion of Whites believe it was race induced screams polarization. We have to be honest as a nation that the ills of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and other unfair institutional practices to African American and other minorities has had a long lasting effect that has not subsided. Some would say that racism does not exist because we have an African American President or that we have Blacks that are famous such as Oprah or Jordan. These are just individuals and should not be used to accurately describe the state of racial affairs in America. We can look at the disrespectful disdain from GOP members against the President. They have made racial remarks, racial cartoons, etc. in the media about an African American President. They have made threatening remarks about the President based on Race.
Every Black male know that we are judged by our color first in society. Women still clutch their purses when walking near Black men whether the men are college educated or not. These fears are based on racial stereotypes that are still played out in the media in 2012 although slavery was abolished in 1865. We are in denial if we say that racism does not exist. We have to face the problem with simple open minded discussion.

The Danger of Super Pacs

2012-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

It has always been said that money can buy anything. We are seeing in 2012 something that has never happened in the history of this country. When the Supreme Court decided to allow Millionaires to donate relentlessly with no restrictions it open the flood gates for a bought election. The sad irony is that the American public who knows whats going on yet fall for these false ads and misinformation campaigns. Millionaires and Billionaires should not be allowed to control these elections because they do not represent the interest of the common American. Their interest would be to protect their wealth and in order to do that they have to maintain a poor class. Its simple economics and capitalism. If they are champions of capitalism and striving to maintain and grow their wealth it would make logical sense for them to implement systems that suffice this. This is just another example of money in politics. We already have the lobbyist and special interest groups carrying their suitcases full of money through the halls of Congress. Now we have the elusive Pac Men wielding their big millions into a candidate. President Obama called out the Supreme Court last year on this during is SOTU address and one justice had the audacity and gall to shake his head "no" as the President was saying that this was a bad idea. The question should be, "What was the motivation for this precedent being set? It clearly is not fair to the people of the United States of America.

Race and Politics: The Tipping Point

2012-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Race relations has been problematic in this country since its inception. With all of the dreadful history, lives lost and lives changed due to the fight for equality in this country it is atrocious that racial incendiary language and tactics being used by the GOP candidates is allowed. This dangerous and careless behavior can lead to a Tipping point come the fall election. Newt Gingrich uses the word Food Stamp as a coded attack to imply a certain connotation especially when he intertwines it with our President who is African American. Newt further insults the African American community by saying kids have no role models. They have African American teachers who are their role models in addition to other hardworking people in the Black Community. Remember we have to work because most of us did not inherited wealth like the elitist out of touch GOP is who is slinging this bile. Governor Chris Christie continues with his recent insanity saying that the Civil Rights movement should have been a referendum. This comment is just jaw dropping to say the least. Either he was race baiting like Newt or just plain ignorant. These type of tactics will only increase as these elections go on especially in the general election. The peoples reaction to this is unknown however we cannot be naive to think that there will be no significant and hostile reactions. The theory of crowd frenzy starts to take place at these rallies and peoples emotions get the best of them. This can be combustible come fall. The GOP Candidates need to take heed and be more responsible and less careless in their tactics. After they have ran the race the people are still in these communities with these emotions riled up based on these lies and deceptions used by these candidates to win an election. The media pundits need to diffuse these lies with the truth. People also need to educate themselves so they would not fall for this trickery. I am speaking Black and White as well every minority in this country. We have to really know the truth in order to combat the lies.

The Lack of Social Studies in Education

2012-01-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

The essential element of any country is its citizens. In our country we have social studies in the educational curriculum but it is not being pushed as hard as the other disciplines specifically Math and Science. In the last 20 years there has been a race with other nations in Math and Science with our youth as it relates to test scores. Now I agree that we have to have great thinkers in Math and Science however basic knowledge and advance concepts in Social Studies promote better citizenship as well as active participation in the political process. If more citizens knew how this government worked there are a lot of things that would not have been allowed to happen such as Super Pacs. The so called Voter Id laws are unconstitutional but yet there is not enough public outcry about it. Of course people care but they do not know. Ignorance really is bliss but yet dangerous. The Political process of how to pass a Bill is something that the average American is aloof about. Long gone are the days of School House Rock, a Saturday Morning cartoon that showed the process of how a Bill is passed. It is not emphasized enough in school curricula. In some states it is not even tested like its Math and Science counterparts. The average American student does not know the name of the Vice President let alone who replaces the Vice President if something was to happen to the President and Vice President. This lack of knowledge of processes and information has caused an ignorance that has allowed political parties and candidates to run deceptive campaigns as it relates to the issues. It has also allowed unconstitutional implementation of laws such as the aforementioned Voter ID Laws. Candidates accusing the President of not passing Bills is slanderous because they know he needs the congress to pass the Bill. If more people knew this it would not work nor would it be used by these candidates. Parents have to be aware of this and push for better curriculum standards as it relates to Social Studies. I say start with the parents because they are the tax payers and their kids are the investment. Citizens also have to make it their personal responsibility to become knowledgeable of how our country works as well as how to actively participate in it. The idea is Power to the People but the people have to be knowledgeable, well informed and active.

Poverty and Education

2012-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

There has been an increase in child poverty in the United States and its affecting education. Whenever this topic is brought up some people like to point to the few examples of people who were blessed enough to make it. That is not the point. We know that people can succeed coming out of poverty but the sad fact remains that there are many who can't due to poverty and everything that comes along with it. Poverty is a real variable in the formula of attaining success through education. As an educator who has taught all over the United States in poverty stricken neighborhoods, I have witnessed some extreme poverty situations that put the kids at a serious disadvantage. When kids have to worry about where they are going to sleep at night and what they are going to eat after school, this can cause an inability to concentrate on the lesson of the day. I know of situations where a student and their siblings had to go and wait in a park after school for their parent to come and get them after she was finished at her domestic job. They did not have a house to go to. So of course this affects them doing their homework in a conducive environment.There are students whose only meals come when they are at school. You can use the day of the week to determine how a student in poverty would react. If its a Friday most kids are happy for the weekend but you will see some that are sad because they are not guaranteed to eat on Saturday and Sunday like they would have at school during the week. If its a Monday they are the ones happy to be back in some structure, warmth, and guaranteed meals.These are just a couple of examples from a myriad of thousands cases of poverty affecting education.
No candidate has addressed this correlation in their speeches and debates. These are the real issues affecting American Citizens all across America. According to the U.S. Census there are 1 in 4 children living in poverty. That is over 15 million people! This is an outrage and there should be public outcry. President Obama is the only one who addressed it by saying that we have to fight poverty from the bottom up starting with education and providing jobs for the parents of these kids. This question should have been explored in every Republican Debate but fails to surface. If this issue is not addressed it can destroy the future of our country. If children are the future how can we ignore the problems for our children in the present?

Mitt Romney: Outsourcing American Jobs

2012-01-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney likes to tout that he is a good business man and a champion of the private sector but that can be debated. While with Bain Captial Romney outsourced jobs. Holson Burnes(a Bain owned company) in 1992 sold its company for 2.8 million dollars. After this the company manufactured nearly 75 % of its product overseas. This was job lost to workers in South Carolina. Workers in Rhode Island faced a similar fate when a clock making division sent work overseas. This is not what America needs. We have lost thousands of manufacturing jobs to outsourcing overseas. These so called American companies are making there profit with cheap overseas labor. This is also costing workers their jobs here in America leading to them losing their homes. There should be sanctions put on these companies. American voters need to be on alert of this possible trend if Mitt Romney is elected. He needs to held accountable on this by the news media as well as his opponents. The Obama campaign can use this against him in relentless fashion. I am sure the workers who lost their jobs will not let him forget. Romney has proved that he is not for the middle class. He does not care about the unemployed and cannot to expect to be President if he cannot truly identify with the people he is suppose to represent.

Obama Vs. The Republican Circus

2012-01-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

The Republicans are obviously not happy with Mitt Romney. He is only getting 25% of the vote at best from his party. Big money wielders in the party are supposedly meeting in Texas to come up with an anti Mitt candidate to put money and resources behind. The other Republican candidates are not any better. The racist rants of Rick Santorum coupled with his sexist and other zany remarks is unbelievable. Ron Paul another known racist is on the fringe side of zany. Newt...well Newt is just Newt. The Obama administration and campaign has to be happy with this Republican circus. The Democrats who are running for office can also capitalize from this in their upcoming elections. The Republicans are in such disarray that President Obama may not only get the Independent vote but also some Republican voters. His plan going forward is what the people are asking for and even some polls suggest that a majority of Republicans agree. Lets look at some of the groups that President Obama has a lock on: The military men and women including their family members, veterans and wives that Michelle Obama has worked with, the workers in the auto industry that Obama revived, the workers and family members of McDonnell Douglas for getting the big contract, the domestic care workers who now will be paid overtime, the people who got unemployment insurance extensions, and the construction workers who want to go to work to rebuild the infrastructure. That is a major block of citizens across the country. This is a "no brainer" and its proving that the Republican party is the party with no brains.

Rick Santorum: Racist Rant

2012-01-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Rick Santorum has just showed who he is or either said some silliness to pander to the base of Republicans who like this psycho talk. Rick Santorum went as far to say that he did not want to help Black people by giving them other peoples money. He was referring to welfare and food stamps hinting that there are more Blacks on food stamps when actually that is not true. According to USDA.Gov there are 34% Whites on food stamps. On the contrary there are only 22% of Blacks receiving food stamps and 17% Hispanic. So Who is he really hurting when he say this? The fact is that his perception did not have to be guessed because he stated "Black People" clearly in his racist rant. We cannot afford to have this country run by people who are clearly stating their agenda of hate. In the United States of America we expect a President who want to not only represent the entire spectrum of the population but also uphold the morals and values of helping those who cannot help themselves. This is simply one of the functions of government. This candidate is going against the very moral fiber of this country and its constitution.

Ron Paul:Closet or Blatant Racist?

2011-12-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas who is running for the Republican nomination has made some racist remarks that he is now trying to avoid. Now the question is: Can we really have a president who is known to have biases toward groups of people who are American Citizens? Some of the rants include Ron Paul saying that the L.A. Riots only ended because Blacks had to go pick up their welfare checks. He has also said that there is no such thing as a hate crime which means that he see nothing wrong with Blacks, Jews, or Gays being attacked. He was also against Ronald Reagan for making Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a holiday. He called it hate "whitey" day. This congressman is also a medical doctor. He is responsible for treating patients and caring for lives! What would happen if you were a Black or Jewish patient? Would your life be worth saving? The media is not even asking that question in this blitz of information that has come forth. The American citizens has to really examine these candidates because your fate can be in the hand of these extremist.

Air Jordans: Christmas Gift or Curse

2011-12-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest NBA players of all time Michael Jordan has not only made money on the court he has made tons of money from his brand Air Jordan tennis shoe and athletic wear. Most notable the tennis shoe Air Jordan that has always caused frenzy. Back in the 1990's kids were killed for these shoes. To have the shoe was like a badge of honor or status symbol especially in the low economic neighborhoods across the United States.
Now lets fast forward to 2011. The new Air Jordan XI is causing frenzy all across the nation and technically its not a new shoe! It"s a retro version of the shoe that came out in the 90's!. There has been violence in Seattle and Atlanta at locations selling the shoes. Some locations had to suspend sales and lock their doors. In Baltimore, MD there have been incidents of police using pepper spray as well as other cities such as Richmond, California where gunshots rang out! Reportedly, a man shot in the air to clear the crowd so he could get closer in line. Now if this is happening in the neighborhoods where kids who have them are around kids who do not have them and would do anything to get them? We are about to see, hear, and read about senseless violence over a materialistic item! In reality the Air Jordan tennis shoe only costs about $9.00 in materials to make. So you do the math on the mark up and profit margin. It's ironic that during this season of Christmas that is supposed to symbolize giving, greed has crept in and led to this frenzy that will hurt or take human lives. Let's take precaution if you are partaking in acquiring of the Air Jordan XI.

Payroll Tax Obstruction

2011-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

This recent sham that the Republicans are doing will put 160 million Americans in jeopardy of losing their tax break as well as causing those who have unemployment insurance to not receive an unemployment check.These people depend on that check to pay their rent, utility bills, food etc while they look for employment. To cut this money will cause some to choose between paying their electric bill or paying for their insulin. To play politics at such a time of need for Americans during this crisis is just unforgivable and unacceptable.
The fact that they have come out and said that they will do anything to make President Obama look bad by creating a bad economic climate and preventing any viable solutions from passing is childish yet dangerous. There have been Senior Republicans even coming out slamming these so called "tea party" Republicans. The Wall Street Journal and other major news publications has come out and slammed these obstructionist also. Not only are they hurting the American people they are damaging the Republican Party. They can never come back from this debacle. They cannot be let of the hook. The news pundits and political analysts have to press these incompetent idiots when they are trying to spin this foolishness during interviews. The American public have to press with letters, emails, texts, tweets, etc to their congressional representatives expressing discontent. Go to these rallies and show your support. Most importantly, make sure you are registered to vote so you can Vote them out!

Class Warfare

2011-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

President Obama is trying to push a much needed jobs bill and the obstructionist Republicans are trying to stop it calling it "class warfare." Now of course even a five year old knows the concept of fairness and it would go to say that the poor majority should not be paying the majority of the taxes,especially not more than the millionaires and billionaires. The problem is that this has been going on forever! its always been about the wealthy. These laws are designed so that they can keep their wealth. Now the the scam has been exposed and they want to scream class warfare. Lets not continue to fall for the scams and the shenanigans. The lower class has always suffered and needed jobs but now that it is affecting the middle class it is a problem? This is the same thing that happened with the drug epidemic. It was not a problem unit it affected the middle class. Well with this problem everyone is affected but there is a cure......Jobs! Jobs can be created but they have been outsourced. Lets hold these companies accountable. Lets fix these broken bridges and highways. We can improve on our mass transit and rail system nationwide. This would create jobs with the construction as well as maintaining and operating these new and improved mass transit systems. Stop with the lies Republicans. Lets not fall for the obstructionist Republican Rhetoric. Lets get behind this bill and push our local congress and senate to do whats is right and fair.

The Death Penalty.......Fair Justice?

2011-09-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

The Troy Davis case has sparked wide world debate over the fairness of the death penalty in America. We have clearly seen that it is flawed with human error. We are suppose to be a model of humanity for the world but yet in 2011 we are still committed barbaric acts in the name or guise of justice. This has to be addressed or it will continue to happen. Thanks to groups such as the Innocence Project, Amnesty International, and Al Sharpton's National Action Network this case and other alike have come to light. But what does this mean to the average citizen in the state of Georgia and Texas who could easily face a similar fate? This has to be a wake up call for action against the unfair life and death call of the justice system. No man shall possess that much power especially when it has been proven that they have been in error. We have to press for change through the legislative process. The aforementioned groups will be pushing for this to be on a bill that is pushed through congress. Lets follow and support this cause.

Profit Over Humanity

2011-06-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of money being made in the United States of America but is it benefiting the people? We are operating on a system of what I call is "Profit Over Humanity." We will value profits of money more than the value of a human being. Lets start with the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes. Cigarettes causes cancer and deaths in this country at an all time high but they are still allowed to make them sell them, and make huge profits from them at the expense of peoples health. They even attach a surgeon general label telling of the dangers. Now lets not say people have a choice because we know the power of advertising media and addiction. The tobacco companies were already fined and exposed for making ads that were targeting children. They had already being doing that for over twenty years so the vulnerability was already in play. Now how come we could not just stop it? Huge profits to the companies which equals tax dollars and payoffs for the government.
Another way the Profit Over Humanity has occurred is because of companies being allowed to move their business over seas for cheap labor. Companies like NIKE for example were using child labor and poor work conditions in the form of sweat shops. It cost just $9 in material to make a NIKE shoe. The kids they had working were barely getting that much per day. This is not the only company. There are about 18,000 companies with off shore status which saves them money but we lose jobs here in America. When you call your cell phone company you are talking to rep in India. These are customer service jobs that we could have here. As long as companies are allowed to do this those customer service and manufacturing jobs will never come back to America.

Can You Afford to Retire?

2011-05-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Retirement is something that most people perceive to happen around the age of 65 but there has been a new trend emerging as a result of the economy and people living longer. Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies reports that 39% of people said they will work past 70! People are saying that they can't afford to retire at 65 because their retirement and social security is not enough to live on. Another 54% said they would work until at least age 69. These are things that we must think about and plan for. We sometimes take these things for granted if we are already in a comfortable position financially. Are you planning for retirement? Do you have a backup plan?
Your Health is your Wealth. Staying healthy should be part of your plan as to maintain your longevity to work if you had to and to decrease the amount of medical bill debt with no workable income coming in. Also create alternative income streams not just your job and savings. Wealthy people(46%) with 3 million in investment assets said they will continue to work in retirement! These are people with millions so what happens to the average working person who does not have that. We have to "read the tea leaves" and plan accordingly. Out of those with the 3 million in assets only 49% of them said they would leave an inheritance to their children. Some feel you will need at least $250,000 in retirement savings to survive after retirement. Can you afford to Retire?

No Teacher Left Behind

2011-05-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Job security was never a problem when it came to the teaching profession but in 2011 the security is not there. There has been a decrease in job security in the teaching profession due to misinterpretation of the No Child Left Behind Act, flaws and inconsistencies of that Act, budget shortfalls, etc. This has not only caused Teachers to be unstable in keeping there job but the most damaging effect is on the student who suffers from inconsistency in the classroom coupled with now overcrowding.
Let us examine some of the facets of this problem. For example, there is a formula that was used in Baltimore City Public Schools to save money by decreasing the payroll. This plan was veiled as if it was a recommendation coming from the No Child Left Behind Act. The district would say that the teachers were under performing or did not have credentials. They would create a solution which was to import teachers in from the Philippines and pay them less. Now this created a situation in which the students were in classroom with teachers who could barely speak the language and had absolutely no classroom management skills which lead to massive classroom disruption. This equal no learning. Some of these teachers would quit under the pressure of the disruptive student. Now the district would put a long term sub in that position for the remainder of the school year thus saving even more money. The result of the student is that they did not effectively learn due to the inconsistency and the incompetency.
Another formula that is being widely used is just to hire long term subs from the beginning. For example, if there is a teacher who has been teaching 12 years and apply to work in a new system, they will not get paid at their current step. There has been a salary cap placed on new hires in systems all across the country. They would only pay up to 5 years on the salary scale although you have worked for 12 years. This means that you have now taken a pay cut. A principal told me that they could hire 2 first year teachers for the price of i veteran teacher. They then went on to say they could just hire 4 long term subs for the price of 1 veteran teacher! They would save money because there would be no benefit package for the subs and they would not get paid for the holidays. This makes the principals look good to the district officials for saving money in the budget. In some cases the principals feel that they have to do this to save their own job. All of this once again has damaging effects on our students and this spills over into our larger society. There are real dedicated teachers ho are being left behind due to these formulas of saving money. This problem must be exposed and addressed to prevent the further dismantling of our education system.