Afrospear

A national dialogue on race was to take place after Don Imus and Bernand McQuirk frothing at the mouth about the Rutger's Women Basketball team. However, in the Afrospear the dialogue has stepped over the two personalities who spewed the negative labels in describing the young college women. Afrospear is reaching for a higher ground.

Afrospear appears to be focused on the marketing of the war of words, hos and bitches and nappy head. Those who are spewing the negative message about women are only playing to the money. Young folks who have a talent for twisting, shaping lyrics may not have other opportunities appears to be the sentiments in the Afrospear. So joining the crowd to point fingers at the young cats is misdirected. Matter of fact, the Afrospear warns that we are playing right into the hands of the fat cats. We need to go to the root of the problem.

This is not to say that Afrospear is totally forgiving of the actions by folks who make noises that degrade women. But the Afrospear does not want readers to waste energy trying to separate one talent from the other talent because of inappropriate language. Instead put the spotlight on exactly who or what is exactly too blame for encouraging the inappropriate language. And that would be the airwaves, producers, and distributors of the noise. The paper trail is the source, the fat cats in the media. Artists are switched at the rate of a dime a dozen.

You can listen in some of the debate by going to : freeslave and his comment section on Hip Hop, Temple 3 gives some back ground on getting a clue on what is hip hop, rap and sexual healing music. Exodus Mentality is providing some examples of stuff we bob our head too, that just may contain words that we would not bob our heads too. EM expresses some concerns that a few artists are allowed to define millions and millions of other folks. Bronze Trinity is scanning the area for some good stuff after she created a petition affirming the commitment to hold our own accountable. Thanks to Bronze Trinity, a young blogger from Canada, has collected all the pages of the Afrospear members and placed them in a newsreader. Right here you can now read what each of the Afrospear members are saying and then some.

Update: African American Political Pundit and African American (Black) Opinion keeps us connected with our collective opinions. I would like to point our another resource, Afronary.com as another positive brother.

Obama in 07? No that's Obama 08 !

I made a big mistake. I was thinking Obama was going to be on the ballot this May 8, 2007. Not. I am an independent so I don't pay a lot of attention to local primary. I'm usually trying to run against them or get someone to run against them. And I normally would not vote in the primary, but I am interested in Obama. So, right now, I am trying to lift the head up and pretend that I did not make this big mistake.

Is that crow? Anyway, as I was informed by Kevin Knuth, or someone pretending to be Kevin Knuth( I have squatters on my blog). Anyways, I am told, it's Obama in '08'. Duh.

Let's see if I would do one thing at a time, maybe I remember these little things. Nope. Now that I've been straighten out, for a minute. Now what?


So now what am I to do? Should I vote republican to tick some folks off?

Should I just sit this one out?

Should I vote for a democrat?

It is a good thing I have a few more days to think about it?

And it's a good thing that Knuth hit my page, because I just know I would have turned the church out, if I did not see Obama's name on the ballot. No, it was a church I was not have turned out a church.

Vote somewhere, somebody May 8, 2007. I think I am?!!!! At least know who is going to be on the dang gone ballot.

I think every Democrat should vote republican. I think that's good strategy, now that I know Obama's not running.

Killer APP EXPO 7 Conference

The Killer App Expo 7 Conference is being held at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne Indiana from April 30, 2007 –May 2, 2007.

SecureCom Technologies LLC, created a security system where home and business owners can monitor their properties on a cell phone screen.

The Southfield, Mich.-based SecureCom Technologies is partnering with an industry giant, Verizon Wireless customers, to market its Mobilarm security system. in 14 states.

SecureCom Technologies plans to keep evolving with the technology field. The company is looking at new applications for Mobilarm and testing additional security products, including one designed to prevent hackers from attacking Web servers, Moore said. The product, PhantomGuard, could have a brighter future than Mobilarm.

Mobilarm seamlessly fuses video surveillance with your cellular phone. Anytime, day or night-from your home, care, in the flied or on vacation- you have complete access to your video monitoring system.

Source of first three quotes from Journal Gazette reporter Jenni Glenn. Last quote is from Mobilarm wireless video surveillance technology handout.

Crimes does pay-As a member of the GOP

Now this was no surprise. Douglas Foy has been given three year suspended sentence. Foy worked for the Allen County Republican Party. Foy worked under the Allen County Republican Party Chairperson Steven Shine. Shine was reelected as the Republican Party's chairman after Foy had been discovered forging signatures of its own party members. Scary huh? It gets scarier. Foy was also discovered helping himself to unauthorized funds belonging to the Republican party. No honor among thieves!

But, this was a surprise.

I have a new voting place. I've been moved.

Yesterday! When do we vote? May 8, 2007. And I am just now finding out I've been moved.

This is not the first time. When my voting place was first moved it was only a block away, and I was not a happy camper. The entry to the place was not clearly marked and I had to go into the basement to vote. What happened to accessibility? In the basement, what about all the old folks who are unable to climb stairs? But, I sucked it in. I did my civic duty. But now this, with only eight days before the primary!


I received in the mail a notice letting me know I need to go to a new voting poll. The notice does not even have my name on it just "resident". I am not a happy camper. I called my local election office to confirm my new location. Yes, it is official, I have been moved. I protest, it is so many other places that I could go to vote. Can't I simply cast a provisional ballot at any of these other places? No, is the answer. I am not a happy camper.

My new location is not in another county or anything. But the folks who are trying to keep Obama from winning did not pick the most convenient spot. If these same crooks created the poll tax to discourage African-Americans from voting. I can see this little move as one of their disenfranchisement tactic.


But, I am going to vote. If it was anybody else, I wouldn't bother for the primary. But, because it's Obama I am going to vote. If they place hot coals in front of my door, I am going to walk right over them. I don't care what they say or how they try to discourage the African-American voters from voting. Obama I am going to do my part. I am going to that new place and I am going to cast my vote.

My mind is made up, vote for Obama!

Summer Job

CURRENT TITLE: Residential Assistant (RA)

REPORTS TO: Mentor Coordinator

DEPARTMENT/CAMPUS: University College-Upward Bound / IUPUI

DURATION: 7 Weeks (June 3, 2007 – July 21, 2007)

SUMMARY:

Provide supervision, and counseling 5 to 10 high school students to enhance their residential experience during the IUPUI Upward Bound summer residential component during night shift from 8:00 PM to 8:30 AM for 7 days a week for 7 weeks including one week of training. 24 hour on-call duty is required on the weekends.

WORK HOURS:

The RA’s will be responsible for evening floor watch which will be shared between 8 RAs; all other RAs must be on stand-by between the hours of 8:00 PM and 8:30 AM and 24 hours at day on weekends. Hours may vary during overnight field trips.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide supervision, guidance, and mentoring to participants.
Live on same residence hall floor with participants of same gender.
Chaperone participants during field trips (Incentive for assistance will be available).
Attend breakfast with participants in cafeteria and perform nutrition meal checks.
Assist with planning and implementing program activities. Maintain Daily Roster of Students

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES REQUIRED:
Applicants must be proficient with reading, detailed work, confidentiality, problem solving, reasoning, verbal communication, written communication, math, student contact, multiple concurrent tasks, and interruptions. Applicant must be able to interact with the public in a polite and professional manner. Computer skills desired.

Applicants should be at least rising college juniors.


Please direct any inquiries to:

David C. Jones, MPA
Mentoring Coordinator
IUPUI Upward Bound Program
518 Indiana Avenue
Indianapolis, IN
Office - 317-278-1927
Fax- 317-278-7988
davcjone@iupui.edu

CURRENT TITLE: Student Ambassadors

REPORTS TO: Mentor Coordinator

DEPARTMENT/CAMPUS: University College-Upward Bound / IUPUI

DURATION: 7 Weeks (June 3, 2007 – July 21, 2007)

SUMMARY:
Provide supervision, and counseling 5 to 10 high school students to enhance their residential experience during the IUPUI Upward Bound summer residential component during night shift from 8:30pm to 8:30am for 7 days a week for 7 weeks including one week of training.
This is a non-residential position.

WORK HOURS:

There will be two shifts available (Monday-Friday)

Shift One - 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Shift Two - 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Additional incentives are available to individuals who are able to work additional hours by chaperoning field trips and other program activities outside of shift hours.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Provide supervision, guidance, and mentoring to participants.
Collect classroom attendance and runs errands on-campus for instructors and administrative staff.
Shadow students in the classroom
Attend meal(s) with participants in cafeteria and perform nutrition meal checks.
Assist with planning and implementing program activities.
Maintain Daily Roster of Students

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES REQUIRED:
Applicants must be proficient with reading, detailed work, confidentiality, problem solving, reasoning, verbal communication, written communication, student contact, multiple concurrent tasks, and interruptions. Applicants must be able to interact with the public in a polite and professional manner. Computer skills desired.

Applicants should be at least rising college juniors.

Please direct any inquiries to:

David C. Jones, MPA
Mentoring Coordinator
IUPUI Upward Bound Program
518 Indiana Avenue
Indianapolis, IN
Office - 317-278-1927
Fax- 317-278-7988
davcjone@iupui.edu

Courts suppress fifth, sixth seventh amendment rights

I earlier posted my misagreement about cellphones Allen County Legal Experts go Technical bans cellphones being so disruptive to the orderly flow of things in the temples, better known as courtrooms. I was stating the fact that few trials are held in the courthouse as I stated so in this post Safety-Cellphones-Snitches-Safety? and the ban was just the judicial folks flexing their muscles. And another post To Snitch or not to Snitch sharing my experience as a criminal investigator, and my mode of operation in getting defendants to contact their lawyers before agreeing to sign a plea agreement.

Today, Indiana Law blog has an article about how few trials are held compared to the number of cases that are filed. The reason why is because trials involved the public and can be costly as well as time consuming. The attorneys and judges have more control in plea bargaining. But that's my opinion. But the writer provides data supporting my opinion, today 1.3 percent of trials in the federal court as compared to 11.5 percent back in 1962.

We’ve moved in a way to a more European way of decision-making, by looking at the court file rather than through encounters with living witnesses whose testimony is tested by cross-examination,” Professor Galanter said.

In criminal cases, the vast majority of prosecutions end in plea bargains. In an article called “Vanishing Trials, Vanishing Juries, Vanishing Constitution” in the Suffolk University Law Review last year, a federal judge questioned the fairness of the choices confronting many criminal defendants.

Those who have the temerity to “request the jury trial guaranteed them under the U.S. Constitution,” wrote the judge, William G. Young of the Federal District Court in Boston, face “savage sentences” that can be five times as long as those meted out to defendants who plead guilty and cooperate with the government.

The movement away from jury trials is not just a societal reallocation of resources or a policy choice. Rather, as Judge Young put it, it represents a disavowal of “the most stunning and successful experiment in direct popular sovereignty in all history.”

Indeed, juries were central to the framers of the Constitution, who guaranteed the right to a jury trial in criminal cases, and to the drafters of the Bill of Rights, who referred to juries in the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Amendments. Jury trials may be expensive and time-consuming, but the jury, local and populist, is a counterweight to central authority and is as important an element in the constitutional balance as the two houses of Congress, the three branches of government and the federal system itself.

The writer writes:

I was on jury duty last week, in a state criminal court in Manhattan. During the orientation on Wednesday, a court officer, with mixed pride and hyperbole, said his was the busiest courthouse in America.
I never saw so much as the inside of a courtroom. After a couple of days of milling around in an assembly room with more than 100 other potential jurors, the State of New York thanked us for our service and sent us home.

. I added bold for emphasis. What I found funny about the article is what I suggested the tax payer do go visit the courtrooms and you would see how they are not busy with trials in the temples. The writer confirmed what I stated in my earlier article.

Note one of BlackProf's blog contributors, Paul Butler, is quoted in the article.

Single Mothers Against Crime and Killers

Above is an icon that I created over 12 years ago, in my crusade against violence. I introduce the image today, the day of silence for the blogopshere in honor of the Virginia Tech massacre. Silence is not me. Silence is not what is needed.

Violence is harmful it is not silence. Violence is brutal it is not silence. Those who commit violence acts seek our silence. Yesterday, I read a horrible story in the paper. The act speaks volume of the perpetrator. The perpetrator, sliced the throat of two young males, 10 and 12, and the third victim was lucky. Lucky I say, because she was sexually assaulted, but escaped with the stabbed wound in her neck. I was not there but no once can convince me that those two boys were not killed trying to protect their sister. I can not remain silent.


Who, where, how and what are the questions. Action is needed. It was not Cho, this time. It was not Virginia. It was not a gun. But the same harm was done. Some child at this moment is being harmed at the hands of adults, right now. Right now, while at work, someone is scheming and plotting the next act of violence. Someone will boldly step to you and rant and rage about kicking somebody behind today, tonight, whatever. You just smile drop your head, or shake it. But you remain silent. It's violence.

It may not be against you. You witness violent behavior and listen to violent words and you know it's whack. But, you say nothing. The actor Baldwin attacking the spirit of his daughter. Because he is powerful and has star power authority, he guaranteed to his daughter what he said he was going to do, he could do it. And as a child there was nothing she could do but take it. The daughter was silenced in this act of violence. Baldwin promise was what many parents urge in the threat, I brought you into the world...it's violence.

You think that's the other person's problem. With an anonymous note, hey this person need some serious help, might save someone's life. You may not be a doctor, but violence needs no doctor for a diagnosis. It needs action, intervention.

The man who killed those two young men, did not get up that morning and decide to stop being nice. Nope, he got up being his silent violent self. He simply played nice, gaining the trust of those boys' mother. He had to play nice to get inside the safe space of those children. He had to disrupt the order of the home, to wreck havoc on each member. So, he had to hold down his violence while he played nice.

The mother, thought she could reason with violence, when she uncovered it. She mistakenly took violence as something you could accommodate. She wanted to silent the violence by being nice. Violence was not nice. The mother has two sons to bury and a wounded daughter to restore. None will ever be the same, but silence is not going to stop violence from happening again.

A child is seeking the eyes of an adult for someone to tell. They want to tell that someone is not being nice. Will you act or remain silent? Read the story here. I don't think you are going to want to be silent.

The Primary-My mind is made up

This is the result of my informal poll. Those casting votes were not asked,if they were eligible to vote. I did not ask if they were registered voters. I did not limit voters to a single vote. I did not ask for race, age, gender data. I did not ask if voters were independent, republican or democrat.

I had only two questions:

One was to determine which candidate from the Democratic Party would readers of my blog pick. And from these readers what winning combination of selected pairing would the readers pick to represent the Democratic Party.

1. Who would you vote for to appear on the Democratic Ticket for President of the United States of America? Obama came in with the highest percentage. Pelosi the spoiler came in second. Gore came in third. Clinton came in fourth and Edward last.

Bloggers who read my blog leaned more toward Obama in the race. Although Gore is not a nominee, he came in third. The majority of the votes casted were for a male. However, women would get some votes, but Clinton was not their favorite female pick. Once again those who selected a woman voted favorably for the woman who was not the nominee, Pelosi.



Hilliary Clinton 13% 10
Al Gore 17% 13
Barack Obama 31% 23
Nancy Pelosi 29% 22
John Edwards 9% 7

There was a total of 75 votes casted on the blog. I would suggest that Obama has a greater chance of winning the nomination if their are a number of others running against Clinton. However, if the race was just between Clinton and Obama, Clinton would capture more votes.


2. Winning Democratic Ticket

Gore and Edwards came in first. Edwards and Obama came in second. Obama and Clinton came in third. Gore and Clinton came in fourth and Edwards and Clinton came in fifth. Obama and Pelosi was the spoiler and came in last.

Gore carries the pairing. Gore received votes in all pairing. Both Gore and Edwards were the favorite. However, Edward was unable to get any votes when paired with Clinton. However, Obama was able to get vote in each of his pairing. Obama even received votes when paired with Clinton. The strongest pairing did not occur and that would have been Gore and Obama in this poll. In the pair of candidates Obama has a better chance with a male candidate rather than a female running mate.

Obama/Clinton 18% 9
Edwards/Clinton 0% 0
Gore/Edwards 37% 18
Gore/Clinton 12% 6
Edwards/Obama 27% 13
Obama/Pelosi 6% 3

There was a total of 49 votes.



Poll powered by Pollhost. Poll results are subject to error.

The Cook Political Report

IPFW #4 vs #1 Pepperdine 2007 VolleyBall Opening Match up

Fort Wayne, IN - In a bit of a surprise, the MIVA Tournament Champion IPFW Mastodons have been seeded fourth for the NCAA men's volleyball semi-finals, hosted by Ohio State.

The Mastodons will face the tournament's at-large, and top-seed, Pepperdine in the opening match on Thursday at 5:00pm.

Pepperdine (26-2) holds the top ranking in the latest CSTV/AVCA Top 15 Poll. The Wave held a 2-0 lead before falling to UC-Irvine in the finals of the MPSF Tournament, 3-2. The loss snapped a 23 match winning streak.

IPFW (22-7) beat No. 6 Ohio State in three straight sets to capture the MIVA last night at Ohio State.

The Mastodons had expected a No. 3 seed for the tournament, but that slot went to the 7th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. PSU easily defeated unranked St. Francis (PA) in straight sets to win the EIVA. IPFW had swept PSU at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center, but lost to the Lions 3-2 in Happy Valley. Penn State also finished the season with a 22-7 record.

Penn State will face the tournament's second seed, UC-Irvine in the late semi-final.

The Anteaters (27-6) stormed back from that 0-2 deficit to drop the top seeded Wave in five. UC-Irvine was ranked third in the latest CSTV/AVCA Top-15 Poll.

The pairings were announced this afternoon on ESPN2.

More Money for Me-says state legislators

Indiana State legislators may not figure out how to reduce the tax burden on home owner property taxes. But they have figured out how to spent the extra money. They have padded the state budget bill with pay increases for themselves and bonuses for their leaders. And you thought you had elected law makers! Indiana law blog provides the details.

The Marketing of Downtown Midtown Crossing Condos

The Journal Gazette reports on Midtown Crossing condominium selling in the Harrison Square area. I found it interesting that home owners property value increases doubled while Midtown crossing value only increased up from between $5,000 to $10,000 in over 17 years.

Demand for the condominiums pushed sales prices 10 percent to 20 percent higher, Davis said. Two-bedroom condos are selling for $55,000 to $70,000. The same units sold for $50,000 to $60,000 a few years ago, he said. Davis has noticed the biggest jump in the past 18 months.

According to the article half of the 104 condos are owner occupied/52 and the other half are leased/ restricted ownership. Sounds like investing making money off of renting space, until the price increase enough to sell or purchase more of the units.


How is this possible? Read Indiana Law blog for more information about the problems with assessing property value.

The reassessment mania has spawned a mini-industry of consultants and mass-mailings offering to help people cut their bills. Last month, Protest, a property-tax consulting firm in Arlington, Texas, sent mailers to its clients and others, reminding them that they have just 30 days to challenge their latest assessment.

The firm charges a $150 fee, plus a "success fee" of between 50 cents and 75 cents per $100 of market-price reduction on a home. Tim Spoonemore of Protest says that while most people "can do this on your own, it's time-consuming when you have a hectic schedule."

Indeed, tax experts generally say there is little reason to hire help when appealing an assessment, particularly given that the fee can wipe out much of any first-year savings.

A surprising number of homeowners don't realize they can fight the assessment. "It's the best-kept secret," says Marc Vorchheimer, a financial planner in Nanuet, N.Y., who is gearing up to help several clients appeal their assessments in May.

Assessors and appraisers say they recognize that mistakes are certain to occur. After all, values are generally based on mass assessments of tens or hundreds of thousands of properties in a short period.

Joe Young, a commissioner in Bonner County, Idaho, says, "In 86% of the cases we were able to get to, we saw that assessors had made a mistake." His own assessment surged to $343,000 from just less than $200,000, while his neighbor's, with similar house and land, rose to just $285,000. "That's what aggravates people -- they see these inaccuracies," Mr. Young says.

The best way to win a reprieve is to back your case with evidence.

Thanks Wall Street I've saying this for at least 3 years.

The View: Star Jones vs Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell did not put up with all the crap from the barbie camp, as long as Star Jones did. So, just as Star Jones outted the VIEW barbie show as not really supportive of outspoken women so does bye bye Rosie the riveter. Somebody needs to tell Barbie she ain't no Oprah!

Money appears to be problem for local candidates

It appears that donors money contribution is a problem for local candidates running for local elections. Especially if you are a Democrat running for political office. Ben Lanka and Nikki Kelly reports on the coffers of those who are able to rely on their own funds or political friends:

Nelson Peters tap out of towners for more money:

As of Friday afternoon, Peters reported raising $16,500 in contributions. Peters contributors were: $1,500 from Edward and Barbara Nevers, of Howards Grove, Wis.; $2,500 from Thomas Helbing, of Indianapolis; $1,000 from Rudy Kachmann, of Fort Wayne; $5,000 from GAB LLC, of Fort Wayne; $2,500 from Martin Goldstine Knapke, of Fort Wayne; and $4,000 from Willis Conner, of Indianapolis.

Matt Kelty goes to his own funds to keep the money flowing:

Kelty reported raising $17,500 in extra cash contributions. His donors were: $1,000 from William Schneider, of Indianapolis; $5,000 from Private Bank Holdings LLC, of Fort Wayne; $1,000 from Vivian Priddy, of Fort Wayne; $1,000 from Margaret Shields, of Fort Wayne; $1,000 from Petroleum Traders Corp., of Fort Wayne; $2,000 from Bobay Web Development, of Fort Wayne; $2,000 from Mark Crumblish, of Richardson, Texas; $2,500 from Jeannette Quilhot, of Roanoke; $1,000 from Deborah Quilhot, of Fort Wayne; and $1,000 from Albert Dahm, of Fort Wayne.

Kelty also reported lending his campaign another $8,000, bringing the total amount the campaign owes the candidate to $156,000. John Popp, owner of Perfection Bakeries, also reported giving Kelty $5,500 in in-kind contributions for the large sign that hangs near the bakery off Main Street downtown.

Tom Henry is encouraged to stay in the race with a big pay out by the city's current Mayor.

Henry reported $10,000 in contributions. They came from: $5,000 from Mayor Graham Richard’s campaign account; $1,000 from Owen Morgan, of South Bend; $1,000 from Robert Kirkley, of Mishawaka; $1,000 from Gary Fisk, of Edwardsburg, Mich.; and $2,000 from Garden Mall Inc., of Fort Wayne.

Let's see Henry has raised $10,000 to Kelty's $156,000. Are we to take Henry as a serious candidate based on fundraising skills? Looks like the Democrats need to do a lot more on raising funds rather than moderating forums.

That is if it was really a real party, and not a fake political party. Look again only $10,000 for the candidate that is to be the frontrunner for Mayor!!!! William Crawford would be shamed to call himself a Democrat in this city. But at least the lack of big money in the primary gives hopes to other candidates in the Mayoral race.

Extra Extra -Property Tax Rebate

Indiana General Assembly is considering give a rebate to property owners. That's right a rebate. How much is still up in the air. But a rebate after your house value has been increased does not sound like a good deal. Nor does the fact that the entire property tax bill must be paid at once to be eligible for a check in December.


Let's see the bill does not come out until July. That means it is already a four month delay. Sound like the legislators are trying to create an incentive for folks to even pay the property bill ASAP. Where will the legislators get the money for the rebate? According to the Nikki Kelly of the Journal-Gazette:

House Democrats and Senate Republicans are set on $300 million in relief for this year’s residential tax bills, which would bring an expected statewide average increase of 24 percent down to about 9 percent or 10 percent.

The cash infusion would come from a separate bill authorizing slot machines at the state’s two horse tracks but would be placed in the state budget

Sounds like the legislators are betting on the voters to think they are getting something for nothing.

Crack Cocaine in the Neighborhood

the field negro: No love for the Gipper.does a great post about former President Ronald Reagan's connection to crack cocaine into African-American neighborhoods. Field Negro reminds us of how the late Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Gary Webb in his investigation report called "Dark Alliance" used the African- American news outlets and the Internet to get out information about crack cocaine. Webb's investigative report on the flooding of crack cocaine on the streets of California was attacked by mainstream media :

The wildfire-like sweep of "Dark Alliance" was all the more remarkable because it took place without the tinder of the mainstream press. Instead, the story roared through the new communications media of the Internet and black talk radio--two distinct, but in this case somewhat symbiotic, information channels. With the Internet, as Webb put it. "you don't have be the New York Times or the Washington Post to bust a national story anymore."

Understanding this media reality, Mercury Center, the Mercury News's sophisticated online service, devoted considerable staff time to preparing for simultaneous online publishing of the "Dark Alliance" stories on the World Wide Web. In the online version, many of the documents cited in the stories were posted on the Mercury Center site, hyperlinked to the story; audio recordings from wiretaps and hearings, follow-up articles from the Mercury News and elsewhere, and, for a time, even Gary Webb's media schedule were also posted

.

Sounds like a little Afrospear...

NFL Draft Number 26 Anthony Spencer

I was talking on the telephone with my sister and she mentioned a local in the NFL draft so I went back to Temple 3 running commentary on the NFL picks. And there it was, Temple 3 report on Number 26, Fort Wayne Native, Anthony Spencer. Dallas Cowboys select Purdue’s Anthony Spencer. I’ve already hit on this one.

Great job. Spencer has all the tools to contribute to this team for years. He comes highly recommended and should be productive working in tandem with DeMarcus Ware and the rest of a good Dallas defense.

UPDATE: 4-29-2007 Stacy Clardie at 5:48 a.m on Anthony Spencer

To Snitch or not to Snitch

I enjoyed working as an investigator at the Allen County Public Defender's Office. I worked there as a paid intern. I worked under two great individuals with little supervision. As an investigator I worked on behalf of individuals who could not afford a private attorney. Side note here, a public defender is still an attorney. It was not my duty to determine the guilt of the individual. Nor was it my duty to stand in judgment of those who were arrested or those who were charged with a crime. That job for judgment was for the judge or the jurors, my jobs was simply to get the facts for our clients.

Sometimes facts, from people you would not normally share the same space with, like a child molester. For me to get the facts, I had to ask questions and listen to details that I never would have tolerated. It was not for me to determine guilt. Which was so easy to do, if you just relied on arrest records. It was part of my job to interview those who were arrested and get their version of what happened beyond the arrest report. Was there something forgiveable in your trangression, that you could be rehabilitated? Because that's what the jurors and judge will need to know that is not going to be jumping off the page of the arrest report.

One day I had a raced white male who was beaten by a police officers. As the guy told what happened to him and showed me pictures of his injury, he was surprised that I was not outraged. He expressed that fact and wondered why I did not believe him? This type of incident happened all the time to the African-American community, he assured me,so where was my outrage?

I explained that I needed to get his version of what happened and I could not influence his version of what happened with my outrage. After I finished with the interview, I told him to keep the original pictures in a safe place and to bring back copies. And suggested he shared what happened to him immediately with the NAACP. He had to believe what happened to him was police abuse. I was not indifference, I needed folks to report the wrongdoingsthey had experienced. I needed them to be outraged.

Then it was my clients who I had to interview in jail.

Working for the public defender's office did not necessarily make the trip to the jail a pleasant trip. And the fact that I was a female entering a male domain,provided plenty of opportunity to put me in my submissive place.Sometimes I found myself stuck on the floors of the jail waiting until the operator of the elevator would send up the elevator for me to get off the floor. Or the jailors failure to tell me that they had an outbreak of lices in a section of the jail, I was visiting on that day. Or someone challenging my authority to get on the floor in the first place. I was banned from the jail for being sassy, as an African-American woman you better know how to speak to law enforcement. I had to become humble to keep my job. Humble is easy.

Humble is what I felt each time I took over a plea bargain to a defendant to sign. With each one that I took over, I read the whole thing, outloud and I informed the defendant that he had a right to an attorney. I was not an attorney, the defendant needed to demand to see his attorney. I informed the defendant they could write to their attorney, and I could come over an pick up that letter, but they had a right to see and talk with their attorney before signing anything. It was also good to communicate with their attorneys before appearing in court. My goal was to return each one of my plea agreements unsigned, I believed a client had the right to talk to his attorney.

But, only one client would sign a plea agreement under my watch without first talking to their attorney. I could not talk him into waiting to talk to his attorney. His mother had told him to sign whatever. I told him his mother was not going to serve his time. He decided to listen to his mom. I was just a part of the system, was how he saw me. But there is another client I was to bring back a signed plea agreement. What I thought was my little secret was noticed by those who ran the department. If I was being asked to bring back a plea agreement, it must have been important case. I was curious, but don't remember the case.


But I do remember one client. I spent four hours in a small holding area with a man who was going to sign a plea agreement that was going to give him a long time in some prison. I was in no hurry to get back, my punishment to other interns who did not work as hard as I did. It would become apparent as the work piled up from my absence. My four hours were spent with a thirty something male. This male had dated a former police officer's girlfriend. The defendant was in the wrong place at the wrong time during the wrong thing, dealing drugs. But, he had a bigger secret, he also was a secret user. The deal was he was to play a snitch because they wanted him to set up that girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, the police officer. The defendant was to give testimony against the police officer; the defendant was to lie about a drug deal. To reduce his time in prison, all he had to do was lie on a police officer. Did I fail to mention the police officer was an African-American and the girlfriend was raced white? It's the little things.

He just wanted to tell somebody, I was that somebody. His heart was heavy, he knew he was going to spend a long time behind bars in prison. Because he was not going to lie. He decided not to take the plea. He asked me to call his mother who lived in another state. Let her know where he was and for me to ask her to write him. He cried. I was angry. They needed a snitch and he refused. He got thirty years, that was 12 years ago. Should he had snitched?

Police fire 39 shots and kills 92 year old woman

Kathryn Johnston, 92
J.R. Smith, leftGregg Junnier, center

no knock wrong house..but

Both men also agreed to help investigators with their ongoing probe into the activities of Atlanta police narcotics officers.

When grown men come together to lie:

The charges followed the drug raid on the home of Johnston, 92. An informant had described buying drugs from a dealer there, police said. When the officers burst in without warning, Johnston fired at them, and they fired back, killing her.

Fulton County prosecutor Peter Johnson disclosed Thursday that the officers involved in Johnston's death fired 39 shots, striking her five or six times, including a fatal blow to the chest.

He said Johnston fired only once, through her door, and didn't hit any of the officers. That means the officers who were wounded were hit by their own colleagues, he said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Yonette Sam-Buchanan revealed Thursday that although the officers found no drugs in Johnston's home, Smith planted three bags of marijuana in the home as part of the cover story the officers concocted later.

Forgiveness is in the discretion of judges as proven in the following excerpt from the article as well as the fact that there was no drug testing of the police officer until after Johnston death:

Junnier and Smith had been charged in an indictment unsealed earlier Thursday with felony murder, violation of oath by a public officer, criminal solicitation, burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and making false statements. The murder charge was reduced to manslaughter as part of their pleas, and prosecutors agreed not to pursue the burglary and assault charges.

Junnier and Smith could have faced up to life in prison had they been convicted of murder.

The deadly drug raid had been set up after narcotics officers said an informant had claimed there was cocaine in the home.

When the plainclothes officers burst in without notice, police said Johnston fired at them and they fired back.

The case raised serious questions about no-knock warrants and whether the officers followed proper procedures.

Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington asked the FBI to lead a multi-agency probe into the shootout. He also announced policy changes to require the department to drug-test its nearly 1,800 officers and mandate that top supervisors sign off on narcotics operations and no-knock warrants.

Amy Sorrell gagged and sanctioned

Amy Sorrell failure to discourage students expression has left evidence of a school system intolerance of differences. The yellow ribbon delineating the evidence of intolerance was wrapped around the specific writing of one young student. The delineator attacked the taboo subject of same sex relationships within her junior-senior high school. Intolerance was outlined throughout the walls of the schools. Sorrell, the journalism advisor did nothing to stop the controversial article chalk marks.

East County School administrators did. They moved to remove Amy Sorrell, quickly. But the chalk marks were not so easy to be removed without a trace. Sorrell punishment to be banned, sent into exile to never be heard from again did not go as easy as East Allen county school had planned. East Allen found out the pen is mighty..and dangerous when it came find places to have it say.

Sorrell comes from a journalistic background. Sorrell's voice like the student writing was not to be silenced on the issue. Sorrell reputation was being harmed. Sorrell had followed the rules; the school may not have followed its own rules. Sorrell would be punished. She was just a she who wouldn't be missed.


Sorrell would be branded. She would be placed on the peripheral edge, marked as a rabble rouser and marginalized among her peers and journalism students. Removed from her current position and transferred to another school as a probational employee, marks her as defiant and one who does not follow the rules. Sorrell will constantly be monitored for signs of not assimilating into a culture of exclusion. Punishment would not swift, but it would be just for Sorrell.

Gagged.

Free speech comes at a high price. A price that requires Sorrell to remain silent if she wants to remain in the school system.

When grown men lie

This post was painful to write. Not just from the point of the constant pain that comes from my scalp or the early morning hours needed to prepare to work with young minds and their behavior. It pains me to write about soundbites that places gang activity in certain neighborhoods. Let's be clear about those certain neighborhoods that these political leaders are talking about that are riddled with gang activity. These selected neighborhoods are where the majority of African-American lives in our city.


Gangs

This post is my thoughts from someone who studied criminal justice, worked in the African-American community, worked in the criminal justice system. Someone who was taught by the former Police Chief of Fort Wayne, some prosecutors, and some judges who currently sit on the bench here in Fort Wayne. I have been taught by experts in the criminal justice field outside of the city of Fort Wayne. I served briefly on a Innocence Project in the State of Indiana. So, I am not giving any direct evidence to anything that I posted just my observations.

Back in the 1980, out of town gang members took advantage of Fort Wayne failure to invest dollars in certain part of the city. Gang members brought in drugs and money. Fort Wayne's Midwest mentality was brain dead on drugs and gang involvement. Law enforcement hicks were not that smart and had to rely on outside law enforcement training and on the ground street cred information about gang activity and drug trafficking. Fort Wayne goal was to follow the money. The need to follow the money was to find the source, the supplier. In the meantime young African-American males could make easy money standing on street corner introducing folks to crack cocaine.

Young and naive


Fort Wayne African-American families do not have a long tradition of belonging to gangs. The culture was introduced to the African-American through outsiders and television. Many young folks had no history of what it meant to be a part of a gang. Some of these young folks participated in group activity, and with that association were identified as gang members. These young folks began to emulate the dress code and hand signs of Detroit and Chicago gangs. Fort Wayne had entered the culture of cliques. Cliques in dealing drugs and growing it memberships to sell crack cocaine in the naive Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne African-American community was geographically located in the same areas but in clustered neighborhoods, separated only by school selections. Not gangs, but schools.

Drug trafficking not gangs.


From the 1980 to the 1990, Fort Wayne's lost manufacturing jobs. Money from the sell of crack cocaine supported and maintained many businesses that remained behind in the core of the city. The battle over the money lead to long sentences to those who were dealers in the central city. Those who were caught were held up as example on the city's tough on crime stance. Many of those who were arrested were users of crack cocaine were African-American males. Crack cocaine suppliers began to change with the arrest of African-American males.

The race to incarcerate

The picture was painted that the drug problem was an African-American problem. Law enforcement would focus on crack dealers hidden in pockets of African-American neighborhoods. Drugs were funneled into poorer neighborhoods by the new suppliers of the drug cocaine. These new suppliers lived outside of the African-American community but lived in the city.

No longer just selling in the African-American neighborhood

But because of the highly addictive nature of crack cocaine, opportunists began to distribute the drug within their own communities. Drug suppliers and their clientele could no longer be painted with a broad brush as a problem in the African-American community. Crack Cocaine went raced white as it moved into the suburbs.

The suburbs.

Not only was crack hitting the suburbs, but pain killers and the portable factories for manufacturing the new drug of choice, methamphetamine. Cheap drug, that did not need the deep pockets of silent partners in the crack manufacturing business into poor community. Methamphetamine was easy to get and any and everybody could play. It was hard to do a racial profile on methamphetamine makers or their users. Because the majority of the users were not the poster child of drug use; they were not young African-American males.

Raced white females.

Prisons were built mainly for males, not females. With the Clinton administration war on drugs, many African-Americans males who were simply drug users faced life in prison. Not because of any other criminal activity, but because of being in possession or using drugs. But drugs are not as exacting as the sentencing in selecting its victim. Females were attracted to crack cocaine. The cheap cost of crack cocaine introduced more women into the drug culture. Still prison were not built mainly for women. Laws drafted to punish women, by removing their children from the home were not strong deterrence. Women began to seek alternative to the highly addicted crack cocaine, they found in certain pain killers, and raced white women found it in methamphetamine.

Funding of drug use.

The drug use among raced white women has spillover to their children. A glowing example of this permissible drug use are the death of Anne Nicole Smith and her son. The culture of drug use may rob families of their wealth, but these families will try to keep hidden a family drug problem. Many of these families are seeing their daughters turn to drugs to compete among their peers.

Laws were crafted to assist these families in their fight against drugs. Rehabilitate is offered for these families rather than a criminal record. Insurance companies offered counseling to these families in fighting addiction.

So it pains me to see raced white men stand in the media and suggest that the problems in the community can be blamed on gangs. Gangs used as a code word for African-Americans in our community. The real problem, drugs, which could touch even some of their friends, family members or associates, does exist in pockets of the African-American community. But so does the drug probem exist in other pockets of the community. The drug business in Fort Wayne contributes millions and millions of dollars to raced white owned businesses. And millions of dollars in drug money leaves our community.

The problem of crime is not because of African-Americans involvement in gangs. The problem is the lack of enforcement against drugs distribution, manufacturing, and profit from the sale of drugs. Those arrests could happen outside the African-American community impacting raced white families. And elected officials do not want to be blamed for locking up raced white families.

911

Hey Mary J. Blige when you finished calling 911 could you call the United States Department of Justice...could you do that for me?

Harrison Square Part 2

No arrest- our officers need jobs

The get tough on crime cliches by political candidates are directed at police officers who need jobs. This stance is directed at city residents by elected officials who are unable to provide public safety within neighborhoods that are made unsafe. Neighborhoods that have reported criminal activity but a lack of cooperation from elected officials and polices in shutting down permissive crime such as drug operations in their neighborhoods.

Drugs provide lots of money for a city with low economic opportunities.

So, to appease fearful neighborhoods, candidates promise they will beef up staff.
Pay raises are promised to police officers to boost their morale in not being able to arrest criminals. The pay raise keeps the police officers mute on their ineffectiveness in impacting criminal activities. While those in crime ridden neighborhood have to fend for themselves against insurance companies and the permissible crime that is allowed to continue in their neighborhoods.

Residents options are either to leave the neighborhood or become criminals themselves. No one is coming in to save them from the criminal activity.

As long as elected officials feel safe in their home, they will point to other neighborhoods as being the source of the crime. When in fact, elected officials support crime to maintain their jobs. The tough on crime strategy is for more federal dollars to keep building the police force and maintain jobs for law enforcement. How often do you hear that our city is safe? But how many times have you heard a police officer is laid out from his job because of the reduction in crime? You don't? The men in blue are going to make sure they have jobs. How do you do that? You keep the criminals in circulation.

The real gangs are the cliques among elected officials. We saw one such clique recently. In the agreement that gave away over $25 million dollars of taxpayer money. Now presence in this deal were at least 5 or 6 police officers and no arrests were made..

Nice people stop being nice when they do bad things

Perhaps I am being to kind to the government workers by calling them incompetent. I am reminded by Temple 3, that where there is a pattern and with evidence call wrong doing what it is. No sugar coating. The actions should be viewed as what it is; criminal. And those who conduct such actions are filled with malice. And to remedy the injury suffers by those with such behaviors problem redress or economic reward should be available.

By calling it exactly what it is, the behavior is no longer unacceptable or excused as incompentency. Temple 3 goes on to say, these moments by such folks are self-revelation of their inter-personal bias. These moments will show up as request for accommodations or offers of appeasements. As ways to undermine those who are seeking to be seen and heard. Nie

Funding Harrison Square Park

Residential property tax bills are expected to rise an average of nearly 24 percent statewide this summer, much more sharply than anticipated, state lawmakers said today.

Theodore Kim from the Indianapolis Star:

Previously, legislative experts had estimated that residential bills would rise nearly 15 percent because of a number of factors, including a new six-year property assessment going into effect. Those projections have driven a debate by the General Assembly this year on property tax relief and reform.

However, new estimates based on updated assessed value information from 33 of Indiana’s 92 counties show that the increase in residential bills is now expected to be much higher.

Rep. Jeffrey Espich, R-Uniondale, the House GOP’s fiscal leader, revealed the new data during a speech today before the full House.

He and other lawmakers called the situation a “crisis” and a “disaster” that the General Assembly must help rectify before the session adjourns on Sunday.

City of Churches traded for a Room for Dreams

I rather be a drum major

Thanks goes out to Field Negro:the field negro: I wish I was a white person's pet. The part on mimicking raced white folks is good advice, I put it in bold.

I wish I was a white person's pet
By field negro



especially a dog.

In case you didn't know this; white people really really treat their pets well. I swear, white people love their pets more than they love people. Seriously, they have clothes for their pets, gourmet food for their pets, exercise schools for their pets, they take their pets in their cars with them, they have pet hotels,......well, you get the picture. I hope your life never depends on a white person choosing between you and his pet, or trust me, you will be a dead SOB.

I heard a white guy on the radio once talking about the fact that he just dropped $3,000 to try to save his dog's life,after some type of growth was found on his throat. He says the dog was old (11 years old I think) and even though the dog died, he said it was worth every penny. And I have a co-worker who damn near drops $30 per day to keep his dog in the doggy day care while both he and his wife are working . And he is not alone. If you have some money and want to open a profitable business, you might want to consider a doggy day care, or pet hotel in Center City, Philadelphia. You will be rich!

Ten people were shot to death this past weekend in Philadelphia, but that was still page two news here. Now I guarantee you, that if there were ten dogs shot all across the city, white people would be losing their f*****g minds. It would be on FOX and CNN. "What? Ten dogs shot? My God what is this country coming to? How can someone just shoot an innocent dog? The life expectancy of the average white person's pet is probably longer than that of an infant in most poor neighborhoods in this country. The infant mortality rate of puppies as opposed to little Indian children, and poor black and white children. Mmmmm, it would be interesting to find that out wouldn't it? Hey, I am sure it's close, cause I bet white people spend more on their pet's health care than us black folks spend on our own kids. (Someone should consider doing a study on that one)

And don't even get me started about you black folks and your pets. Damn ,you all treat your pets bad. I mean why would a dog or a pet even want to be owned by a black person? And honestly, you all don't need to be having pets any damn way. You don't have to do everything that white folks do. They can afford it, you can't. I remember I had a black lab when I was in law school named Virgo -may his soul rest in peace. My girl friend at the time didn't even want Virgo in the house when she came over, (yep, black folks don't keep their pets in the house) and she would lose her f*****g mind when Virgo came around her. I bet if I had a white girl she wouldn't have had a problem with Virgo being in the house. Why? Because white people are programed from child hood to love their pets. Black people are programed to treat their pets like....well animals. We use them to guard our shit, while white folks see them as a part of the family.

So now the country is in an uproar because poison was found in some pet food. As a result, white folks are losing their freaking minds again. Law suits are flying left and right, every major news outlet is on the story, and even congress is getting involved. I saw a white lady in the paper and she was beside her self with grief and rage, because her pet had died from tainted pet food. The inhumanity!! I mean, the in-pet-manity! I sure hope the republic can survive.

Any day now, those CEO's from Purina and all those other pet companies, will be doing a perp walk just like Ken Lay from Enron did. And white folks will be watching and cheering every tortured step.

On a more serious note:

Before I go I would like to apologize to Condoleezza Rice for referring to her as the "bad perm lady" in the past. I am publicly apologizing (something I never do) because in light of what happened recently with Don Imus, I realize that I am somewhat of a hypocrite. I can't rip the old coot for calling my sisters "nappy headed hoes", when in essence, I was doing the same thing in a public forum about the most powerful sister in the country.

So Condi, I am sorry for my choice of words, and I will never call you the "bad perm lady" again......

good one field negro, some folks don't mind getting that occasional pat on the head, or should I say that sympathetic handshake.

Having your say when others are trying to silence your voice

My first objective here was to express myself beyond the two minutes. My second objective was to do a FWOB. It almost worked, that is getting my blog in the paper. It is Fort Wayne African-American Independent Woman, not Fort Wayne African-American Woman. But thanks goes to Janelle Sou Roberts for the photo and name mention in Ben Lanka story.

I spoke on the value of giving away $25 million to a baseball park. Based on the lie that it would draw young people back to the city. Reports have stated that there is no drain brain in the Midwest, but a lack of jobs and job training opportunity for high paying position for young people. However, facts was not what was needed for the majority 6-3 do pass vote. The orchestrated hearing did what it was suppose to do, bring out the movers and the shakers to support the Mayor in this tax give away.

As I expressed to Council member Sam Talarico. I am neither for or against the baseball park. My problem was (and still is) with the use of public dollars given to a single out of down business. And if this was such a powerhouse deal, why did not the business folks who got on a list to speak first, not fork out dollars to make this grandiose deal work? And I would have thought that this fact, the use of public dollars) alone rather than feeling would govern or should govern the night.

This is not about young people or the opportunity for young people. The cost of the condominiums are between $180,000-$300,000. This is about an administration in office for too long without oversight and accountability from City Council members for the people. The question I did not ask was how many of the business people had signed on the dotted line to purchase one of these condos that spoke for the spending of other people money (OPM). Probably fewer then the several Wizard baseball game attended by the limited number of City Council members who voted for the project to go ahead.

My husband can't find brainless gullible folks to work here

CEO of Harrison Square Park-You say?

No Snake Oil for me- Mr. Mayor

Darfur- Africa how can we forget?

Talking with displaced Africans here in my hometown, I feel a sense of hopelessness. How can I help stop four years of genocidal violence? The countless number of lives lost. The sad amount of aid to Africa from the United States in ending the travesty against our people, and the indifference from the people in the United States. Outrage does nothing, as I type this message during the week of April 23rd through the 30th to highlight the war against people in Darfur.

Somewhere, tell someone that this is indeed happening in the world.

Voting as an Independent

The primary is not a good time for an Independent. The primary for Fort Wayne Indiana voters is limited to the Democrats and the Republicans. In Fort Wayne, the party participates are one and the same. However, this does not mean an independent can not vote. Independent usually don't vote because in doing so they are participating in a process that is discriminatory to the majority of voters.

Nevertheless, an Independent voters can vote in the primary, if they feel strongly about participating in the outcome. I went to a meeting and I heard Andy Down state the fact that only the Democrats or Republicans can vote. Downs, is a political science instructor, at our local junior college, Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne. I say this because Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne is not really a junior college but it has that feel it it, when compared to scholarly University. Indiana Purdue is a cliche college filled too many friends of friends, not great innovative minds. IPFW lacks the diversity of inclusive, but representative a slice of America.

Downs represents that part of America. Limited participation in the political process by its citizens is a challenge to the local Democratic party which Downs represents. The founding father crafted a document that excluded so many in America. The founding father took ideas from a few and applied against the majority. And so it is with the Democratic party locally that represents a few on the North Side, cliches, so founding fatherist. So, as I listened to Downs utter the words that the primary is for the Democrats and the Republicans, I smiled. I smiled because I knew I was get another chance to point out the discriminatory practices that exist in my fair city.

An Independent can vote. But an Independent must select either Democrat or Republican during the primary. No other party type are listed on the primary ballot. But that does not mean an Independent can not vote. As an Independent I have not voted in a primary election since 1995. Because I love my status as an Independent.

But guess what? If you goes to the election board they will tell you that I belong to a certain party. I am an Independent, I don't belong to either party. But..

Now if I chose to vote, this election I am not restrict to voting for the same party that I voted for in 1995. However, once I select a candidate, I will be labeled as belonging to that party, Democrat or Republican. Voting in the primary is a discriminatory process. Normally, it's been easy to sit out the primary, because both party candidates represented at least to me, the lessor of both evil. But this year, I willing to risk being placed in a box, by participating in the discriminatory process. This does not mean I am not an Independent. It just means I impacted the outcome in a discriminatory process.

I will still be an Independent. But on paper, I will give the number crunch a box to place me in. So, an Independent can vote in the primary, but they often will sit out the primary and wait on the general election. But, this election offers more than just the usual slice of America. But, I can vote in the primary.

Hardball Capital in MOU warns City of Fort Wayne

The first phase of financing the Harrison Square Park project was passed at last City Council meeting. The City Council without batting an eye expanded the Jefferson Pointe TIF District. This will allow for the City to capture the reserve funds from the Jefferson Pointe TIF District for the downtown area. Mainly to finance the $10 million Parking Garage and infrastructure surrounding the Harrison Square Park Development. It took me a minute to figure out, a council member statement that it did not cost us anything. I think that means the tax dollars remains in the city in the finance game of funding the Harrison Square Park project.

Whether or not Hardball Capital remains in the game as a partner in the public-private park will depend on the details expressed in the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Fort Wayne, Hardball Capital and Barry Real Estate. The MOU lays out specifically what the City of Fort Wayne must provide for Hardball Capital to continue to play ball in the downtown project in the current budgeted $113 million project.

Fort Wayne residents will be allowed for the first time to stand before City Council to question and address their concerns about the project. However, there may have been a good reason for City Council members not seeking residents input before making their decision on supporting or not supporting this project.

I suggest that the council members themselves were clueless in understanding the project details. Council members had to rely on different select focus groups, consultants and experts to gather information and provide feedback back to Council members. It was too much information overload for the majority of City council members with limited exposure to such a big ticket item when competing with the Hardball Capital team professional expertise.

It was much easy for city Council to frame the project to the public as a who is for or who is against rather than the outrageous amount of public financing being spent on the downtown project. Absence their own understanding of the budget that council has allowed to balloon year after year without responsible oversight. Which became more apparent in their rush to use public dollars for outsiders investments. Public dollars that could have been used to booster local small businesses throughout the city in the name of economic development. But tonight, the real test will be, the City of Fort Wayne and City Council willingness to raid the City's coffers. Especially those who will vote to approve the MOU's details for Hardball Capital's participation in the Harrison Square Park project.

If the MOU is not approved as is, the more the likelihood that the project would die on City Council's table. This makes the deadline date of April 24, 2007 very important. The MOU gives a warning to the City of Fort Wayne, that the Hardball Capital will withdraw from the project if certain specifics are not in place by the City of Fort Wayne by a certain time line.

But, even if City Council members approve the MOU as written, Hardball Capital still has option to withdraw. The MOU states that the funding is off if the $47 million hotel is not built. The hotel will stay around if Hardball Capital slams the deal. But the hotel option is to make it a much smaller hotel.

If the city can produce the larger hotel. The third phase for the City of Fort Wayne will begin with the producing of the necessary funds for the Harrison Square Park. The MOU states that Hardball Capital is donating only $5 million toward a $30 million public-private baseball park. If the baseball park construction cost exceed the $30 million the City of Fort Wayne will eat those extra expenditures. Whatever, those expenditure are when discovered in the preparing of the areas beyond the $30 million woe to the City of Fort Wayne.

Furthermore in this wooing of Atlanta based Hardball Capital, is the exclusive right to build on land provided by the City of Fort Wayne. Hardball Capital has the exclusive right to build the first sixty condominiums and retail on this land. For this right to build the first 60 housing units and retail, Hardball Capital will invest $15 millions. More than likely Hardball Capital will select the builder. The units will sell between $180,000-$300,000. Hardball Capital will have two other bites at this option to build similar numbers of units,if the first bite takes hold.

For the life of me, the cost of the condominium does not sound like it is to attract young folks. The other individuals I can figure out that would be able to afford these properties would be investors. Nevertheless the votes for approval of the details expressed in the MOU will go forward, that is a given. The unknown is, at the end of the day, where will the Wizard play baseball their next season?

Guns Kill

h/t to bag news notes.

That's what I'm talking about !

United States Marine Corps Master Sergeant Goode's Retirement

United States Marine Corps Master Sergeant Reggie Goode has announced his retirement effective in July, 2007. Master Sergeant Goode's announcement comes after twenty five years with the Marine Corps.

Master Sergeant Goode has traveled extensively during his career. Master Sergeant has traveled to such places as Parris Island, SC (where it all started), Maryland, Okinawa, Japan (3 times), Detroit, MI, San Diego, CA, Washington, DC and many other major and small cities throughout the United States.


Master Sergeant Goode looks forward to spending more time with his family and continuing his involvement with his church.


Master Sergeant Goode will remain in the Maryland area with his wife Tiana and two daughters, LaTara and Kiana.

His parents are Mr. Levert Goode and the late Mrs. Louise Goode. Marvin, brother who served in the US Army,(deceased). Other family members:Bernice & Catherine (Pensacola, FL), Delphine & Greta (Mobile, AL), Bernadine (Camden).


Goode has received a number of awards recognizing his many accomplishments: 3) Navy Commendation Medals, (3) Navy Achievement Medals, (8) Good Conduct Medals, (2) National Defense Service Medals, (1) Global War on Terror.

Master Sergeant Goode graduated from Wilcox County High School in 1982. He completed a bachelor's degree in Workforce, Education and Development from Southern Illinois University.




After his retirement, he will begin a new career working with the federal government.

Master Sergeant Goode will celebrate his retirement with family and friends at a retirement party. The Retirement Ceremony will be on July 20, 2007 at Evangel Assembly Church.

Notes from Master Sergeant Goode:

There will be a formal invitation sent to each of you via mail and/or e-mail in the near future with the details of the event. I wanted to send the hotel information in advance so that you can reserve your rooms before it’s too late in the game. I have reserved 20 rooms from 19-23 July 2007 at the following hotels less than 5 miles from my home in Maryland .

Best Western Potomac View @ Cost $108.90 per day
6400 Oxon Hill Rd.
Oxon Hill , MD 20745
(301) 749-9400

(10) Rooms reserved under “GOODE’s RETIREMENT PARTY”


Comfort Inn @ Cost $88.00 per day
6363 Oxon Hill Rd
Oxon Hill , MD 20745
(301) 839-0001

(10) Rooms reserved under “GOODE’s RETIREMENT”

Please call and reserve your rooms as soon as you can in order for us to get an estimate of how many people will be coming from out of town. I understand that all of you might not be able to attend, just know that you are all special to me and my family. A special thanks to everyone and we look forward to seeing you all in July.

FW Fusion 63 Spokane Shock 56

Unsung Hero

Ryan Clark

Virginia Tech senior, double major, G.P.A. 4.0.


list of loved ones of a senseless random act of violence.

Georgia-Lethal Weapon

Sometimes, a flip comment to a stranger or even someone you know can lead to a misunderstanding. No harm meant, but harm taken may lead to a fight. In Atlanta the harm was taken to the street, a fight over a perceived slight.

The police were called, but the disputed had been settled before their arrival. Still, somehow the police weapons were fired.

Pettaway was shot. One week before his 27th birthday, a police officer fired a shot to the back of Pettaway's head. The shot fired was fatal, Ron died.

Something went wrong. From the contagious gun firing, Pettaway's brother, Roy, was shot, in the back. Roy was attempting to intervene in his brother's behalf. The community is not trying to make sense of this tragic. It is a senseless lost of a life, period. The Afrospear offers it support to the Pettaway's family, friends and his fiancee. A website has been created in memory of Ron Pettaway. A link is included on this website for more details on how such a horrible tragic could occur from police contagious gun fire.

h/t to Exodus Mentality and Francis L. Holland.

Voters fraud vs voters suppression

A few weeks before the primary makes you think about voting irregularities. Temple 3 post a New York Time article on 12 questions for Alberto Gonzales, I post here only three question.

A question about voter fraud is among one of the question. Indiana Court's has recently address this issue. Indiana Law Blog has more information on voter's fraud.

Just say no

Sheriff Ken Fries withdrew the request for a grant that would fund the controversial Metro squad, citing “lack of co-operation from another agency.” The Allen County Council was scheduled to hear discussion on the grant at its meeting Thursday morning.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods grant would have funded overtime for the Allen County Sheriff’s Department and Fort Wayne Police Department officers who would have been participating in the federal gun crime reduction project.

Fries said the grant would have used 2006 money, and he plans to apply again to use 2007 money.

“We are working with the city to work out its problems with the memorandums of understanding,” Fries said.

Councilwoman Maye Johnson said she had received numerous phone calls about the squad and questioned its possible lack of diversity. She also asked Fries to look into working with local groups whose goal is the same as the squads’. She said she plans to set up a meeting with Fries and others about pursuing the grant in the future.

From 1995 to 2001, the squad targeted high crime areas and employed both county and city police officers.

Diversity? What is Johnson talking about? Those members who might have been selected from the city's police department would have lacked diversity based on seniority. The grant calls for a 50-50 split from the city and county. This means that the Mayor Dick appointee, Police Chief Rusty team members of the 50% split would have lacked diversity also.