Shaquanda Cotton Mother gives Interview to Free Shaquanda Cotton

Shaquanda Cotton's mother gave an interview to DryerBuzz in the battle to free Shaquanda Cotton. Creola Cotton, mother of Shaquanda Cotton provides interesting details on the imprisonment of her 14 years old daughter. Creola Cotton is part of a group called Concerned Citizens for Racial Equality that has made folks in Paris Texas School system uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that they used a minor incident to silence Shaquanda Cotton's mother and the group.

The controversial shoveling incident allegedly snowballed when Shaquanda Cotton nor Creola Cotton would admit guilt for their part in the incident. The incident involved an injury to Shaquanda Cotton and a failure to inform the parent in a timely fashion about the incident. A recommendation was made to impose a severe indeterminate sentence on Shaquanda Cotton as punishment for failure of mother and daughter to comply. The sentence pulled a 14 year out of school and placed her into prison for seven (7) years, an indeterminate sentence. Shaquanda Cotton's action were upgraded to criminal charges making her eligible for imprisonment.

The indeterminate sentence was a message to the mother and the child, that punishment would be handed down based on their being defiant rather than Shaquanda Cotton's guilt. In other words, a longer sentence for mother and daughter lack of compliance with what authorities requested. It did not matter if Shaquanda Cotton was innocence, Shaquanda Cotton and her mother needed to plead guilty to appease those making the request.

Charles Dudley Warner writes

An indeterminate sentence is a commitment to prison without any
limit. It is exactly such a commitment as the court makes to an
asylum of a man who is proved to be insane, and it is paralleled by
the practice of sending a sick man to the hospital until he is
cured.

Not only that the sanction handed down branded Shaquanda Cotton as a criminal for life. It tells others that Shaquanda Cotton is marked unfit to be treated in an humane manner. It tells others that Shaquanda Cotton is not to be viewed as a mere child but viewed as a threat to their quality of life.

Shaquanda Cotton does not need our sympathy, she needs her freedom now. Free Shaquanda Cotton now. Shaquanda Cotton needs this sanction removed from her and for us to write the Governor of Texas and to demand her immediate release. Write and tell the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry Shaquanda Cotton has served 365+ day to many for this minor incident. Just click on his name.


Don't let Shaquanda Cotton be another Katrina. Let us not be just outraged and do nothing. Act. Write. Do something. Free Shaquanda Cotton.

It came be done. I had written my letter. Go here and let Shaquanda Cotton know you have intervened in her behalf.


Read more about Shaquanda Cotton

Harrison Square Park and the Wizard's Magic

Downtown Fort Wayne Baseball gets a hat tip on this one...Harrison Square Park

I decided to play with the editorial.


What is the Jefferson-Illinois Economic Development Area?

It is a piece of property that is exempt from seeking its property dollars to the state. It is called a tax incremental finance district, TIF, for short.


Where will the money go?

Local entity has stated the exempted funds will be used to pay for improvement in that specific area.

What does this have to do with Harrison Square?

Because TIF dollars are only to be used in the specific geographic area, and Harrison Square is not in that area. The TIF is being expanded to include Harrison SQuare by the redevelopment department.

Just as the redevelopment failed to first appraise property as required by state law before purchasing the property. This team is attempting to circumvent the limited use of TIF in the geographic area.

Why is this important for the Harrison Square project?

To pay for infrastructure and the building of a new parking garage downtown. The new parking garage is a business deal for the city to capture some revenue from the Baseball Stadium and the new hotel development.

Why should we care if TIF is being expanded for the Harrison Square Project?

Because if TIF can be gerrymandered to serve the interest of big business, why not use TIF dollars for the existing small businesses that are all ready downtown.

Does TIF keep my property taxes low?

No property taxes is determined by the budget of your various departments, the salary and expenses for running the departments. Unless some of the staff department, or buildings are being reduced property taxes will continue to be increased.

What TIF does is every time property taxes are increased for the folks who live within that specific taxing district the increase will be set aside and used for improvement in that specific area. And it insures that the bond will be paid off.

Is this fair?

No because TIF is a financial enhancement that does not include all businesses, individuals or other tax jurisdiction. The $12 millions dollar that is collected in TIF dollars could be better used to improve our combined sewer problems. The burden of the TIF special district capture these dollars and remove them for such uses and places the burden of another city experimental project doctored up to be for the good of the residents while lining the pockets of a few. It is not an equitable, effective nor efficient tool used for economic development.

So what's next?

According to the Journal Gazette:

The redevelopment commission’s approval was the first in a four-part process to amend the economic development area’s boundaries. The Fort Wayne Plan Commission will review the expansion proposal on Monday to make sure it fits with the city’s comprehensive plan. Then the Fort Wayne City Council will vote to approve or reject the plan.

The final step is for it to return to the city redevelopment commission for a public hearing and confirming resolution.

The expansion of the area is an important step in securing a large portion of the money needed to pay for Harrison Square. But it does not obligate the city to spend a single cent, and it does not mean the project has to go ahead. It will allow the city to follow through on its promises if the project is approved or ensure the city will have money to pay for another downtown economic development project if Harrison Square is nixed.

Appeal your reassessment, by using the proper evidence.

And go to the city council meeting and let your voice be heard.

Or sell your house and get the hell out of the city of Fort Wayne.

Fight Fight-Why's everybody always picking on me?

Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colt Coach, first was too meek to win a Superbowl championship. Fire him was a call. He wins a Superbowl. We love Dungy they howled. But no rest for the weary. Now Superbowl Coach Dungy is being lumped in with the immaturity of two African-American males who displayed intolerance to same sex individuals. And with Ann Coulter who blatantly used a negative terms to emasculate John Edwards, a potential presidential candidates whom good looks appeal to women voters .

Michael Morot writes in the Indy Star

Former NBA star Tim Hardaway apologized twice after responding to a question about his reaction to a gay teammate by saying "I hate gay people." Actor Isaiah Washington, of the hit television show "Grey's Anatomy," sought counseling after using a gay slur when he referred to another cast member. Author-columnist Ann Coulter was chastised for repeating the slur when referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards during a speech to a conservative group.

Coach Dungy used no negative terms to denigrate the same sex community. The community is looking for a fight where there is none. Coach Dungy, it is reported, does not even use pejorative language. And in Coach Dungy not using pejorative language he has made a conscious choice for expressing himself, knowing that such language is objectionable and offensive.

Because Coach Dungy comments at the program honoring him as a family man was not hate speech, he is entitled to express himself under the first amendment:

Coach Dungy is speaking for himself and expressing his views, which he is fully entitled to do," league officials said in a statement. "No doubt there are people in our league that have a different view. We respect the right of employees to have and express their views and don't regulate the political or religious views of team or league employees."

, from Morot's article.

Bil Browning, who runs bilerico.com, a blog that focuses on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues, wrote: "When the head coach publicly states that part of the Colts fan base should be second-class citizens, you can't expect those same fans to support the team."

The same sex battle is with the government, your legislators, go rough them up.

WAR ON dRUGS

Former President Richard Nixon'S war on drugs has not stopped adults from continuing their drug use. Over 20 millions adults use drugs. And according to news report over 3 millions use cocaine. And Anna Nicole death is a testament to the abuse of prescription drugs.

Indiana is not exemption from drug use. Indiana has its fair share of cities which earned the title for crack cocaine distribution. Gary and Fort Wayne are two cities well known for trafficking drugs. Indiana is also well known for its Meth Lab. Methamphetamine Labs environmentally unsafe. Chemicals can be left behind in containers that can explode. Department of Environmental Management has new rules governing who can cleanup property used for manufacturing controlled substances and who will bear the cost of cleaning up the meth mess.

The directive is aimed directly at business owners whom property is used for meth cooking.

The cleanup would be required at an apartment building, multi-family dwelling, condominium, hotel or motel, rental storage units, outbuildings accessible to children, and more where the controlled substance was manufactured, with some exceptions, before the property could be reoccupied or transferred.

Sec. 8. (a) "Contaminated property" means real property, a vehicle as defined in IC 9-13-2-196, a mobile home as defined in IC 6-6-5-1, or a watercraft as defined in IC 9-13-2-198.5 that has been used for the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance.
(b) For an apartment building, multifamily dwelling, condominium, hotel, or motel, the term is limited to the unit that was identified by the law enforcement agency as having been used for the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance if all of the following are true:
(1) The entry to the unit is located on the:
(A) outside of the structure; or
(B) interior of the structure and is closed by a fire door assembly.
(2) The unit has no other opening to another unit or space.
(3) The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for that unit is enclosed within that unit and is separate from the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system of any other unit, except for:
(A) a hot water boiler that serves more than one (1) unit in the structure; or
(B) an air conditioning condenser located outside the structure.
(c) The property is not a contaminated property if the law enforcement agency that identifies the property as having been used for the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance determines that:
(1) the process used to manufacture the controlled substance has not been started;
(2) all chemicals to be used in the illegal manufacture of the controlled substance have been removed; and
(3) no contamination related to the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance is present.
(d) The term includes any areas outside a structure that were used for the disposal of chemicals used in the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance.
(e) A property is no longer a contaminated property when the certificate of decontamination prepared under 318 IAC 1-5-9 for that property has been issued or the activities required by 318 IAC 1-6-2 have been completed.

However, this law will impact single dwelling home. Landlords of such properties are so fearful of having to pay for such clean up that they are educating themselves on how determine if their property is being used for a meth lab.

Arthur E. Foulkes writes in the Terre Haute Tribe- Star:

When you cook meth, you’re releasing smoke [and] gas that coats all the surfaces it comes into contact with,” said Eric Lawrence, director of forensic analysis at the Indiana State Police laboratory in Indianapolis. These chemicals travel through a home’s ventilation system and are “deposited in the baby’s bedroom, in the kitchen and every place else,” Lawrence said.

Some of the potentially dangerous chemicals used in making meth include anhydrous ammonia (farm fertilizer), lithium (camera batteries), ether (engine starter), brake cleaner, muriatic acid, paint thinner and kerosene, according to information provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The high price of cleaning up meth lab properties has gotten the attention of people who rent residential housing, said Charlie France, a founder of Indy Property Investors, an Indianapolis group designed to help people in the real estate business.

The risk of finding a meth lab in a rental home creates “a big deterrent for us,” France said. “We’re the ones that … have our money and credit locked up” while a meth lab is being dismantled, she said. A rental home may sit vacant for months even before the landlord’s cleanup can begin, she said.

Landlord associations, such as Indy Property Investors, have sought advice from police and others about how to spot potential meth-lab activity.

“We know what to look for now,” France said, but there are still risks. “We can’t put our heads in the sand” about meth, she said.

But law enforcement must use the tool. Here in Fort Wayne, a man has been arrested for meth and bond amount informs of law enforcement interest. It tells us nothing of how much drugs were confiscated or dollar collected in the bust.


And the law impacting the manufacturing of illegal controlled substance could be used to discourage landlord from renting property to crack cocaine makers. Many rental property owners would more than like get out of the business of making money off the drug problem if they knew they would have pay for clean up in neighborhoods were drugs are sold.

Indiana Law Blog gets another hat tip.

Scott Wims-Track Star

Former Northrop Sprinter Scott Wims is building on his track record at Nebraska University.

Men's 4x400-Meter Relay

Nebraska’s young 4x400-meter relay provided the team with an addition point to push it into a tie for 25th place in the final team standings. Senior Nate Probasco and freshmen Scott Wims, Daniel Christensen and Lukas Hulett each garnered All-America honors after clocking in with a time of 3:08.68 to place second in their heat, as well as eighth overall. The foresome became the first Husker men’s relay to earn an NCAA placing since the team won the 1996 national title in the distance medley relay. The last NU 4x400 to place was in 1994.

Men's 200-Meter Dash Prelims
Neither senior Nate Probasco nor freshman Scott Wims advanced to the finals of the men's 200-meter dash. Probasco was only two spots short after clocking the 10th-best time of 21.02, which marked a season-best performance. Wims' time of 21.37 earned him 16th place.

Both Huskers will have one more opportunity to earn an NCAA scoring position, as they will join Hulett and redshirt freshman Daniel Christensen Saturday for the 4x400-meter relay.

Below is Wims' Bio..read more here.

Courtesy: NU Media Relations
Release: 01/07/2007

Personal Bests:
Prep Indoors: 55m, 6.38; 60m, 7.94
Prep Outdoors: 100m, 10.43; 200m, 21.10

High School: Arthur "Scott" Wims should make an instant impact for Nebraska in the short sprints after emerging as one of the nation’s top prep sprinters as a senior... finished sixth in the 100-meter dash at the 2006 USA Junior Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis with a time of 10.46... posted his personal-best mark of 10.43 to win his qualifying heat... also competed in the USA junior 200-meter dash... was an alternate on the U.S. 4x100-meter relay that claimed gold-medal honors at the 2006 IAAF World junior meet in Beijing, but did not run during the competition... ran a personal-best 60-meter dash time of 6.94 during the semifinals at the 2006 Nike Indoor Nationals in Landover, Md., but did not reach the finals... swept the Indiana state titles in the 100 and 200 as a senior at Northrop High School with respective times of 10.46 and 21.15... also helped push the Bruins to a fifth-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay and a third-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay... earned his first two state titles as a junior in 2005 with victories in the 200 (21.52) and 4x400-meter relay, while also placing fourth in the 100... competed in both the 200 and 4x100-meter relay during his first state meet appearance as a sophomore in 2003. Personal: High school coach was Bob Shank... major is electrical engineering... parents are Art and Karen Wims... born May 30, 1988

House Rule Committee SJR-7 Debate-Video

SJR-7 debate listen here .to the You will need about 3-5 hours of listening time.

Hat tip to Indiana Law blog

Rev. Michael Latham, what were you thinking?

Ken Fries, Allen County Sheriff stated during his campaign nobody was going to tell him how to do his job. And that include you, Mr. President of the Local NAACP. Fries talked about all the millions of dollars leaving Fort Wayne based on drugs. How much do you think some of that drug money can keep those new sheriff posse members working? Sheriff Fries did promise them raises did he not? And did you notice his posse was made up of all raced white males. Yep, so much for inclusive in the Sheriff Department.

Now he decides he needs to convene the MetroSquad because he cares about African-Americans dying? Rev. Michael Latham, look deep into the man's eye and then tell me, if you think he cares one iota about a child dying on the southside. Tell him to hire some of these young men, if he is really concerned about their health or lives.

Can we say Tasers?

If you meet with the new sheriff in town, tell him to focus on getting some of those big money drug dealers off the street that harms thousands upon thousands of lives. Kevin Leininger wrote the story to say African-Americans don't want cowboys in our crime infested neighborhood. The point is we don't want cowboy harassing innocence folks in our neighborhood, which has pockets of permissible criminal activity. And the biggest activity everyone can agree on is drugs. Focus on that.

And I have a court case you can read and share with Sheriff Fries involving one of his staunchest supporter (one of his idol) and its got drugs written all over it. And if you could warn Fries about worshipping idol, it's in the bible. That's right, but Leininger's not going to write about that because it's an allegation. But Leininger has no problem writing about allegations about the thoughts and behavior of all African-Americans on the southside. I forgot these are his friends..can you say Republicans friends. You know your kind of friends Rev. Latham.

Tell the truth and shame the devil.

And while you're at it lay your hands on Leininger cause he needs Jesus.

Amen Amen

Speechless

At first you think a deer and you keep reading:

He was found guilty in April 2005 of felony mistreatment of an animal after he killed a horse with the intention of having sex with it. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail and two years of extended supervision on that charge as well as six years of probation for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.

And the judge reaction

:"The type of behavior is disturbing," Judge Michael Lucci said. "It's disturbing to the public. It's disturbing

to the court."

Hmmm, sick sick sick.

Hey It's Spring

Want to know how I can tell? The smell of barbecue. Folks are cooking out on their grills. Forget all the rain, pull your grill out and bar-b-que on the porch.

I am so glad that 12 year old boy scout was found. Still wondering, what made him take off in the middle of the night? Question seeking an answer.

Why grinning cheesy smiling males should be questioned..6 year old boy found dead

Six year old boy came up missing. Where did they find him? On the side of a road in a trash bag dead. Nope. I don't have time to entertain liars among men. Nope, bad things happen when you allow men to come together based on secrecy and lies. Three adults, count them..are responsible for harm to an innocence child. What came three evil adults do:

A convicted child molester and his father took turns sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy while the molester's mother watched, then they choked the boy to death, according to an indictment issued Wednesday. The indictment charges all three family members with murder and child molestation in the slaying of young Christopher Michael Barrios, whose body was found last Thursday inside a trash bag dumped by a roadside.
District Attorney Stephen D. Kelley said he will seek the death penalty against 32-year-old George David Edenfield, who has a prior child molestation conviction from 1997, and his parents, David and Peggy Edenfield

Yep, they made it a family affair. Nope, criminals are not just on the street stealing stuff. They come together and cause harm to satisfy their ego. Ego..what else can explain the taking of this child life.

It also claims George Edenfield and his 58-year-old father sodomized the boy and forced him to perform oral sex while Peggy Edenfield watched and masturbated.

These adults were 57, 58, and 32 and only one was labeled a sexual violator, the 32 year old. Quess where he learned it from, the 58 year old, his father:

His father, David Edenfield, pleaded guilty to incest in 1994. He was accused of having sex with an adult relative who was not his son.

Nope,so folks in the blogosphere who hurl racial slur and sexual material about as fun and game. I don't trust them within an inch of my space..their intent is always questionable. If my children heard their names they would know instantly, they are not in the company of a safe person.

Nope because who you entertain, especially liars among men.

Amiri Baraka

Write a poem with the wrong language you may lose your job.

Opening argument comments on language used on the Internet and what can be done about it.

Folk you are all grown up now. Recognize the fact that if you have a professional business, or job you can not talk trash. If you are in your home or on the street, you may be able to get away with the dumb stuff. Bow down, humble yourself when you are on the job. You can not talk your racialist hatred language without paying a price.

You don't like me. Fine. But I'll be darn, if I stand and let you call me names. Nope ain't going to happen. Stop right there. Back your rear end up. Go on about your business. But I am not the one. There is no law on the book, that's said you are in uniform and you get to do it. Nope. Sorry, and if I am the one to educate you on the new day rule. I don't mind. Nope, I don't mind one bit.

No need for threats or anything else. You know I know that your rear end, can be sued all the way up to your elbow. Yep, that's right. No need to bargain with the devil, cuss or anything else. You say, I'll see ya in court. Ask AWB.

Plain and simple.

Calling me a druggie, or other names is not going to change the fact, it's a new day.

Manager cussed at woman

Kevin Leininger wants to push forward the notion that race relations are progressing in Fort Wayne. Why because a male with 29 years was let go because he cussed at a customer. The man who fired the 29 year employee was an African-American. Yep, Leininger is saying when African-American are discriminating against raced whites.

Because of the outward appearance, is it reverse discrimination when the two are of difference races? No, it because of an action taken through no fault on your part and you are dismissed based on race. Does Leininger, a newspaper writer, even know what reverse discrimination is ? Does Leininger even know what discrimination is really? The manager cussed at a customer. Would Leininger think it was okay for his wife to be cussed at in a store by a manager?

The man represented the company. The company is not going to allow you to use pejorative language in its store to it's customers who they are receiving money from. The language can be heard by other customers. But Leininger treats his readers as if they are stupid, when suggesting the manager was fired based on his race. The man believes it was based on his age or seniority on the job. And he has filed his complaint.

Ask Mr. Leininger, how many customer can he cuss at and still maintain his job?

Language can get you in trouble. You can't go around working for folks and talking to folks any kind of way. Be professional..or may cost you your job. Barry Shaw is a nice guy..but he lost control of the situation. And it suffered what happens to many folks who rage out of control. Be professional at all time, because folks ain't going to but up with "BS" just because you carry a title. Now those days are over with, when talking about the progress of the races because "BS" can hit the door, yes sirre bob.

REports on SRJ-7

Advance Indiana blogs about yesterday hearing on SRJ-7. SRJ-7 involves amending Indiana State Law to ban marriage between same sex couple. And denying benefits that are bestowed upon marriage couple to not be granted to those couple who can legally marriage but chose not to. Which will exclude such benefits to those who can not legally marry.In one of Advance Indiana's blog on his site, he talks about African-Americans not being able to legally marry and later restricting who African-Americans were permitted to marry.

I should add on a sad note, Indiana once enshrined discrimination in its constitution against African-Americans through the so-called exclusion amendments. Interestingly, those amendments were placed in the Article 13 rather than the Bill of Rights. These amendments did such things as exclude blacks from entering the state and ban interracial marriages. The Article 13 amendments were invalidated by the enactment of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution following the Civil War. They were subsequently repealed.

African-Americans did not wait on the laws to be repealed.


African-Americans did it anyways. African-Americans did what they had to do fighting against though appointed to make such crazy laws. Unless they entered the arena and became part of the rule making body to change things. It was not going to be done with the status quo, who created such laws in the first place. It is an ongoing battle.

Coach Tony Dungy is not a lawmaker, he is a Superbowl Coach.


Dungy is not one of the legislators who are opposing SJR-7. I don't understand how same sex proponents line themselves up with Democrats or Republicans . Both members of both parties oppose SJR-7, yet I don't hear the same sex individuals, saying let's not supporting these parties. They keep voting for the Party. How hard is it to write in your name or stop another party. That's what the Republican did. They created a new party from the Whigs.

Why, the big deal over SJR-7 ? It's the benefit part to be in a same sex relation is less costly if companies proves certain benefits. It was interesting to hear that two of the largest companies stepped forward in this debate. Suggesting that SJR-7 may hurt the companies should attracting certain employees. I did not interpret that to necessary mean same sex couple, but more like those who can legally marry choosing not to marry.

Many couples are choosing not to marriage but attempt based on living together arrange attempt to provide and bestow benefits on each other as if they were married, such as sharing the same last name, property, and health benefit. Many of these folks are protected from the legal messiness of divorce law when they decide to go their separate ways. I believe these were the folks the two big companies were most concerned about not attracting.

And let's stop picking on Dungy. You are not going to get him fired. Dungy is not the poster child African-American who is spreading hate. It's just same sex folks looking for another excuse to hate African-Americans, by pointing to a prominent African-Americans and saying he is against same sex folks. It just not true. The man is going to retire from his job.

And the comparison to African-Americans is not a comparison. African-Americans have not been given anything. The struggle continues.

more on the hearing on Indiana Law Blog.

Obstructive of Justice-This ones for you Lucy

A little bitty woman is beat down while on her job.

Abbate also faces possible charges related to witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. Navarro said that after he beat the bartender and fled, another man came into the bar a few minutes later and offered her money if she agreed not to press charges

.

By who you say? An off duty police officer twice her size. Guess what he did after the beat down Lucy? The officer sent someone in to pay off the bartender..intimidation and obstruction of justice all rolled up into one.

Abbate also faces possible charges related to witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. Navarro said that after he beat the bartender and fled, another man came into the bar a few minutes later and offered her money if she agreed not to press charges.

Bam, but read it for yourself.

Update: Disclaimer, for those who read this you may wish to compare this to the incident that I had here with the incident that occurred in Chicago. Don't It is educate Lucy on exacting what obstruction of justice mean. Of course the meaning was missed, so I am going to highlight the section providing the necessary information.

Corrupt manipulative politicians under the magnifying glass

Kathleen Quilligan writes about wanna bees called political leaders in the News Sentinel. Self-interest. When corrupt politicians lie to the public they should be scrutinized. The three on the front page really need to be looked at. And ain't it funny, how all three look alike, all raced white males. Go figure. And Andy Downs, reminds me of George Bush, Jr. Got a job based on his father name, yes I typed it out loud.

Yes sirree bob, Enron, showed us criminals come from high places. Tom Smith had his face and name connected to the Fort Wayne Housing Partnership. And sweet quiet gentlemanly John Crawford, tried to do away with Metro. Yes, you got to love smiling politicians. The greatest fighter there ever was and is , Muhammad Ali, understood all his smiling paying fans were not necessary paying to see him win a fight. Some were paying to see him lose. The public is not stupid when it comes to the marketing of these grinning Cheshire cats, they are not about the right thing.

Quilligan in another article writes about the self-interest of this crew. It just so happen that businesses in Andy Down neighborhood will be able to borrow money. Yet Downs took a family that they could open their own home on John street to tutor children, sitting on the Zoning Board. What's up with that? Oh it was not in Andy Downs neighborhood.

If you look at them sideways, they run scared, because they know the dirt they have done to the taxpayers. As I would tell my own children, don't have to whip you. You'll whip yourself, when you do wrong. These are some wrong politicians. Politicians who are scared of the wrong they have committed against innocence people, not angry people, wronged people. It's a big difference. Who would steal from the poor to enrich themselves, read the story.

From a different lens my point of view.

Starbucks'Coffee

I'm not a big coffee drinker. My mother was a big drinker of coffee, Instant Maxwell House. She loved Maxwell House. I tend to drink coffee when I am very very tired or sick tired. I love McDonald's Coffee. But, I have to have lots of sugar and lots of cream Yesterday, the dental assistant was going on and on about Starbucks' coffee. She was tired from the night before and need a shot or two of Starbucks' Coffee. She loves Starbucks' Coffee. I've had Starbucks 'Coffee at least twice, too expensive. And now it seem Starbucks have latched onto an exotic coffee bean that's pretty costly. Here's another reason, for not drinking Starbucks found on African American News Alert.

Starbucks is real costly to the farmer who has the coffee bean, a trademark issue. Do you think they will build a school in Ethiopia?

Fraud Alert-Health Workers of Indiana

Courier-Journal reports a hacker was able to access the social security numbers of some health care workers.

An audit of a state government Web site database after someone hacked into the system found that personal information including Social Security numbers for 71,000 health-care workers had been accessed, officials said yesterday.

The breach occurred about two months ago, during the theft of some credit card information.

The breach occurred Jan. 3 at the same time that the hacker accessed credit-card information of about 5,600 people and businesses

.

Folks received letters in the mail informing them of the breach. Hat tip to Indiana law blog

I sure hope Attorney General Carter is checking up on these website sponsored and supported by local government. The damage a hacker can do.

Superbowl Coach Dungy Steps are not ordered by same sex advocate

The Indianapolis same sex community had their panties in a bunch upon hearing that Indianapolis Colt's Coach Anthony Dungy was to be honored by Indiana Family Institute's annual dinner. A political group that the Indy's same sex community believe is anti-same sex. Dungy the man of integrity did not give Indy same sex community what they were hoping for. A religious African-American male bashing same sex relationship. How can not not love the man, Dungy that is. Reported in Indy Star and blogged about on Advance Indiana.

IFI is saying what the Lord says," Dungy said. "You can take that and make your decision on which way you want to be. I'm on the Lord's side."
The coach said his comments shouldn't be taken as gay bashing, but rather his views on the matter as he sees them from a perspective of faith.
"We're not anti- anything else. We're not trying to downgrade anyone else. But we're trying to promote the family -- family values the Lord's way," Dungy said.

Follow procedures-Steps to Censorship

Amy Sorrell, a teacher at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School is in the hot seat. Sorrell failed to discourage an opinion piece written by a student. Did Sorrell not read what happened to a young male student at Carroll High School in expressing his views about a friend. This student was kicked out of school for expressing an opinion also for defending a friend but in his own publication that dogged his school.

But student, Megan Chase expressed an opinion in support of a friend with same sex issues. Bad, Bad She wrote this opinion and it was printed in the school student newspaper. For all the other students to be exposed to same sex issues. Hello, can we say Rosie, Ellen, Rock Hudson, just to name a few. It's not like it's the student looking hearing about the issue. Nevertheless, Chase's opinion stirred the Woodlan's Principal into action. The Principal took over the student newspaper. This way, he will have final say on what goes on in the student's newspaper.

It's not like the school is against same sex issues. Sorrell does not understand how it could have come to her losing her job. Krista Stockman reports:

The East Allen County Schools teacher at the center of a controversy over the newspaper at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School has been placed on paid leave.

English and journalism teacher Amy Sorrell was told Monday that she was being placed on leave while the district investigates allegations that could lead to terminating her contract.

She said she doesn’t know what the investigation is about or why she is being placed on leave.

“I’m assuming it’s with this whole mess of all this other stuff, but I really don’t see how it got this far,” Sorrell said.

Sorrell, probably got caught up in groupthink and decided she is an adult and skirted the rule of going through through the proper channels. Had Sorrell followed the correct procedure, the article would not have seen the light of day.. or at best would have been more balance. Balanced in the fact that the articlewould not have leaned so heavily toward supporting same sex relationships. Lesson, students need to follow school rules. And learning about same sex relationship has nothing to do with following man rules.

Sorrell knows the rules, she's a teacher. First and foremost schools are not about what students think. You can gossip all day, but don't have a student thinking. It is a place to teach them how to fit into society. Second rule, do not challenge authority. Who cares if authority, or role model are wrong. Heck the President started a war based on information that was wrong. But the President is authority, just follow the rules.

Sorrell broke the rules, and now her job is on the line. Sorrell took the risk, and now a quick dismissal will teach the students the price of not following the rules. Schools don't care if you eat, sleep, chew gum and even have sex, but for goodness sake, it's not a place to encourage students to think.

Oh by the way, Sorrell is a female. The student who wrote the opinion was a female. The reaction towards these two female is not out of character for a district that allegedly stopped collective bargaining with a group of workers who were mainly females.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) A federal labor board has ruled that an Indiana school district may have discriminated against female employees when it stopped collective bargaining with employee groups made up mostly of women.

East Allen County Schools said in December 2004 that the district would no longer negotiate contracts with nurses, secretaries, paraprofessionals and food service workers. District officials said the decision would save the district money, and noted there was no legal requirement to bargain with the associations, though they had done so for decades.

The four groups had a total of about 310 employees in 2005, but less than five were men. Union officials say the EEOC will work with the school district and the groups to come to an agreement.

East Allen County Schools attorney Tim McCaulay said he would forward the determination to the school board and consult with outside legal counsel about the ruling.

The saying goes, if you discriminate against one you will discriminate against others.

So now what? Hopeful those in the same sex community will stand with Sorrell and the student. Sorrell stood. Sorrell stood for the right to express your view. That students do have opinions and they need to be able to express these views without being censored. Let's see if the same sex community is without bias by standing up in defense of a female.

Education-The fear factor

Parents are concerned about their children's education. Some parents move to community in hopes of getting a good solid education for their children. Some fearing that their students are not being challenged enough, hire private tutors. Others remove their children from schools and began homeschooling as a choice in providing their children with a certain type of education.

Other families are less fortunate, unable to home school or even to hire tutors, see their children failing in schools. Some of these students need only a little help that is unavailable in crowded classrooms. Those students unable to keep up, give up. Low grades, low test scores, lead many of these students to just simply exit the schoolhouse all together. The drop out rate increases not just in urban schools there was an increase in the drop out rate in the rural area. Children willing to forgo higher learning and go it along in the new high tech world. Government decided to intervene, seeing not children failing, but schools failing to produce students prepared to lead its country. The No Child Left behind Act wanted to do something about the lack of academic achievement of students in these schools.

It would offer federal oversight for parents and demand accountability from schools. Those school committed to teaching would be rewarded, those teachers who failed to educate the students who showed up would see their schools closed. The teachers were required to teach no matter the students.

Tutoring program would be available to offer assistance to students who want to compete, but the resources they need are either in short supply or unavailable. Parents who want to be engaged in their child learning, can utilize tutoring program online. ATS is one such program:

ATS Project Success is an on-line tutoring program for math and reading.
We send our computer to your home and provide dial-up access to our program. Students work on our program in the comfort and safety of their own homes, any time of day, any day of the week. To be eligible for our program, you must have a land telephone line in your home and your child must attend a NCLB qualifying school.

The computer is very easy to set up and technical assistance is available if needed. Parents are sent reports weekly about their student’s progress and are also called weekly to discuss progress.

Parents love what ATS Project Success does to help their children improve their grades and test scores in math and reading! They love the way their child’s attitude improves toward school and their increased self-esteem.

If a child attends a qualifying school, there is no cost at all to the parents. The school pays for the tutoring. We charge the school $40 per hour. Each school district determines how much money the student is allocated. Most students are eligible for 25 - 35 hours of tutoring, based on the school district's per student allocation. Students keep the computer until they have finished their tutoring hours. Then we have UPS pick it up at no charge to them.

Our website is www.projectsuccessworks.com.

The need for educational reforms has prompt others to remove accountability from the federal level back to the state. On the fifth year anniversary of NCLB new legislature is in the works to end No Child Left Behind mandate to fund certain program. Today, Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act of 2007 has been introduced by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Academy. According to Senator Cornyn website:

A-PLUS would give states flexibility to consolidate federal education programs and funding and redirect these resources to state education reform initiatives. Currently, the U.S. Department of Education forces states to use federal education funds on specific programs, an approach that has shown little success. In exchange for the flexibility A-PLUS provides, states would be required to be transparent about academic results.

Under the A-PLUS Act:

All states would have the option of establishing a 5-year Performance Agreement with the Secretary of Education.

States could consolidate funds from a few or all of the federal education programs and redirect them to innovative programs created at the state level.

In exchange for this flexibility, participating states would be required to meet their state performance objectives for improving student academic achievement and demonstrate a narrowing of achievement gaps.

If a state fails to improve academic achievement, its Performance Agreement would be revoked and it would revert back to the NCLB system.

Accountability and student achievement would remain a high priority with A-PLUS, but unlike NCLB, A-PLUS allows states to use a variety of innovative accountability programs.

Transparency would be ensured by requiring states to submit annual reports on student progress to parents and taxpayers.

, according to the website.

Cornyn suggest that if state really believe in preventing brain drain, improve their schools. And to get the federal government out the business of oversight of local schools, based on the belief that the state should know what works best for their students. But parents are still protected by the new legislature, because if the state fails to do what it is in the business of doing, meaning improving academic achievement for all of its students, the state will go back into oversight by the federal government.


Locally we are concerned with renovating our school buildings, at the national levels the concern is a quality education for all of its students. Something that every parents wants for his or her child.