Wrong. It’s not badly needed to protect American workers jobs. Whether or not they can work still depends on a SS# and a valid ID / birth certificate. This tool just let’s you know up front if they are valid or not before you submit the paperwork. It’s a waste of money and time, really it is.
Hey Blubbering Badie, why don’t you write an article about the AJC finally admitting what a liberal rag they are? You always want to hear back from the readers and boy did they ever.
C’mon Badie. Try to be a journalist instead of occupying a booth at Denny’s and writing the stupid Snellville story over and over again. What is this the fourth or fifth one?
**Some readers believe we do a good job of being fair in our coverage and providing a balance of opinions. A few think we’re too conservative. But many more believe that our editorial pages are too liberal and that bias seeps into our news coverage. We have heard you on the bias issue and are taking deliberate steps to address this.**
**On the news pages, we have several editors who are assigned to look for bias and balance issues in stories and headlines. **
Yes to question number one, in this case; and yes again to question number two in every case throughout the State of Georgia. In fact or because of the fact, that this change in a charter was ever created by State Legislators is reason enough that we the people should get directly involved to prevent any further “misadventures in governance”.
PS. I don’t like the format change made to the blog and that is what I think about this page.
This particular case in Snellville is a good example of where ballot initiative and referendum should be use directly by we the people of Georgia to amend our State Constitution to prohibit our General Assembly, Counties and Cities from ever again establishing even numbered voting members setting on governing bodies with in the jurisdiction of the State of Georgia.
I’ll give this another try, maybe it’ll work correctly this time?
Yes to question number one, in this case; and yes again to question number two in every case throughout the State of Georgia. In fact or because of the fact, that this change in a charter was ever created by State Legislators is reason enough that we the people should get directly involved to prevent any further “misadventures in governance”.
This particular case in Snellville is a good example of where ballot initiative and referendum should be use directly by we the people of Georgia to amend our State Constitution to prohibit our General Assembly, Counties and Cities from ever again establishing even numbered voting members setting on governing bodies with in the jurisdiction of the State of Georgia.
PS. I don’t like the format change made to the blog and that is what I think about this page.
Little Tot/lt, we NEED the fundraiser for this country and all communities after bush with unregulated Wall Street and banks.
This country has always been partly socialist, long before Obama with have given huge tax breaks to oil companies making billions, companies making millions and the even farmers, no, not the Mom & Pop farms, but the mega farms.
This isn’t the first time we had to bail out an industry to keep it going and I’m sure it won’t be the last. You know lt you still have your head so far up bush’s butt, I swear I seen your feet sticking out of his pants as he boarded Marine One for his final, and thankfully last term as resident of the White House.
Brooke Nebel has heard folks ask ad nauseam what the stimulus package will do for them. She’s sick of it.
~
Here’s something new for people like Ms. Nebel to get sick of that they may choose to ignore: I’m not so concerned about, “what is the stimulus package going to do for me”, nearly as much as I’m dreadfully aware of what this intoxicated Congressional spending spree is going to do too me; and worse, far worse, is what this so-called stimulus package is going to do too several generations of our future grandchildren; who will soon be the United States of America.
Neither of the sides, Ms. Nebel, is doing much of anything good for the country nor is either of the political parties doing anything more than getting their petty very wasteful earmarks into this stimulus bill to fund their local pet pork projects. If your Obama was anything near the claim of being community-oriented, then he would have sent this so-called stimulus package back to the Congress instead of signing it into law; with instructions to strip out every piece of pork that the members of Congress put into that spending bill and start all over again in funding only the things the members and the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) could reasonably access that would yield a return of taxpayer money to the treasury with the good faith intent of creating the atmosphere conducive to producing well paying jobs for U.S. Citizens without outsourcing those jobs to any foreign labor inside or outside of this country.
It is very unfortunate that the good of the country is being sacrificed for the good of the moment. Accepting socialism in exchange for populism is yet another deceptive toxic asset in the corrupt making.
Which is very contrary to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Bruxie, the ever present moron, here is a definition of socialism for you.
**any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods**
Tell me you chorizo chugging halfwit, how the hell do tax cuts for businesses fall into this category?
Now Obama “Jimmy Carter Part 2″ wants health care and banks controlled by the government, which is socialism.
I would suspect some day that Brucie would get tired of getting proven wrong again and again, but he just keeps coming back for more. I’m suspecting he is a masochist.
If anybody wants to know what caused the economic crisis, look at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were being run by Obama financial advisor Harold Raines and Barney Frank Leather Daddy Herb Moses.
LT5000 with the facts, Brucie with reheated Karl Marx.
Obama is “community oriented”????? Yeah, right. That’s why he just signed the largest increase in FEDERAL spending since….. uh, wait, I don’t think anyone has spent this much.
Where in the article does it say anything about federal government or stimulus packages?
The article I read was about two organizations holding a fundraiser at a local business whose proceeds go towards providing essentials to those who are having difficulty providing for themselves.
I did read Ms. Nebel say, “Right now, with what’s going on currently with the economy, we all need to work together, and all the political parties are doing is bickering. Neither side is doing anything for us as a community.” It’s a statement with which, in this instance, I agree.
For every person that says “me, me, me” there is another person – probably more than person – who says “I don’t want charity, I want a job. I want my life back.” How do we help those people? Do we sit back and say, “too bad, so sad?” Do we say, “Well, you could work at McDonalds, only a non-taxpaying illegal immigrant has taken all the positions?”
What do we say to those who, through no fault of their own, want to be able to take care of themselves but can’t? Can’t because there are no jobs available, because they encountered an unexpected illness that decimated their savings, because they were involved in an accident for which they have no fault?
The problem with absolutes is that there are far more people that fall between the spectrums of “need vs. greed” than there are people who exemplify those spectrums. Why, then, is a person’s willingness to contribute to charity dependent upon one’s political beliefs? The symbol of need is represented by neither a donkey nor an elephant. And sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.
You have to excuse Brucie’s jock sniffer Bubba. He seems to have as much trouble with reading as Brucie does.
I think they are best friends from the Gwinnett County Home for the Mentally Retarded.
Which is why they think the Obama Administration is so great. Especially considering his huge gaffe of giving PM Brown a “gift” of DVD’s, sending Hillary forth with a gift for the Russians with a blatant mispelling or Hillary claiming that he US democracy is older than Europes. Not to mention his numerous nominees who have had to drop out.
Where’s the media catcalls of “Culture of Corruption”? It’s strictly amateur hour in the Obama Administration.
Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”?
Medicare, Medicade and bush’s drug program, a personal gift from bush to the drug industry, is not government control of health care?
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith, the embarrassed Republican poster boy, is now running around screaming “The sky is falling” about who will pay off the National Debt, laughable, while he remain mute when bush added the largest amount to the debt while destroying our economy at the same time.
Now Pork, I never heard of anyone from Congress or the district/state that received it sending it back, even those who stomp and yell about it, like Saxby. Pork provides jobs or maybe help inner city kids, because of a very few stupid examples the majority should suffer, ignorance at it’s best.
Brucie the dumbass strikes again. He views tax cuts as the government “losing” income. That’s like the local government losing income when the police don’t give you a speeding ticket.
His Che Guvera impersonation is wearing quite thin. Brucie the dumbass should look at who pays the taxes in this country.
**In 2002 the latest year of available data, the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.8 percent) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (30.6 percent) of income.**
Mr Obama’s genius plan is to tax the people who pay most of the taxes. Which will undoubtedly lead these people to move their businesses out of America. If they don’t move their businesses then they will be forced to cut employees to make up for the extra taxes they have to pay.
Only Brucie is dumb enough to think this plan is intelligent. Do us a favor Brucie and move to Cuba. I’m sure Fidel would welcome a “fellow traveler” such as yourself, except we would all know you are only what the Commie’s call “a useful idiot”.
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith, why should I care what Linder does, he’s not my Rep.? I mention our Senator and if one of ours excepts Pork both do.Ever hear of the tickle-down effect ‘Hemorrhoid’, if the Senators who, if you ever picked up a copy of the Constitution, represent the entire the State all enjoy the Pork they took home, is that not true?
Little Tot, isn’t it true that tax cuts work only if government controls spending to be less than the increased revenue raised, is that not true?
Again I ask, “Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”? “.
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith and Little Tot, you just don’t get it, Hemorrhoid wants people to get jobs, Little Tot tells us raising taxes on the top 5% will force companies overseas? Little Tot the companies left a long time ago, Michael Hemorrhoid Smith what jobs after what bush did to this economy?
The two embarrassed Republicans still embarassing themselves, sad, the last true die-hards.
Reagan pushed through tax cuts in the 80’s to help America recover from the Jimmy Carter debacle. All the while the Democrat congress spent and spent. It brought back the economy.
Know Brucie’s wet dream spank Bank hero, Barack Obama, somehow thinks he is going to raise taxes and increase spending 10 fold and somehow get out of a recession.
Brucie has earned his Obama kneepads behind the Quik Trip on Singleton. His Obama lust has driven him to delusions.
LT5000 always with the facts. Brucie armed only with his ignorance of history.
History, Reagan broke the Trillion dollar mark with the National Debt, his tax cuts did nothing more than to allow companies hire more movers to move them overseas. Also like bush, Reagan had a half, while bush had a full Congress for six of their eight years. As far as President Carter, what did Nixion and Ford leave him, an economy almost as bad as bush’s, and what did Pappy Bush leave, a recession, must run in the family.
Again I ask, “Again I ask, “Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”? “.”.
You cannot change or rewrite history, insults mean nothing, matter of fact, I’ll give them up, just proving who is the better man.
LT, one question for you won’t get confused. If tax cuts are suppose to bring in more than what is be spent, tell me when during Reagans, or either bush’s terms did it work when more money was going out?
President Willian Jefferson Clinton raised taxes and we ended up with a surplus.
There is your homework, when I check in the morning, don’t tell me the dog ate it.
Brucie you poor dimwitted fool. When you start defending the anti-Semite Jimmy Carter, you have already lost the argument.
Now go back to touching yourself while downloading images of Jimmy Carter and Karl Marx. You have already proven to the world what a moron you are, there isn’t anything left for you to do.
Did you write our Senator and tell him you don’t like earmarks Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox? Or is this just another one of your stupid flatulent socialist airings against Republicans only – the Democrats can but Republicans can’t? Ever hear of telling the truth you misspeaking disingenuous RUG? When if ever have you spoken against anything a dumbass dunkey spent pork money on and now you bemoan a Republican Senator?
I oppose earmarks spending across the broad Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox as my statement previously to Ms. Nebel makes known: “Neither of the sides,is doing much of anything good for the country nor is either of the political parties doing anything more than getting their petty very wasteful earmarks into this stimulus bill to fund their local pet pork projects….
It is very unfortunate that the good of the country is being sacrificed for the good of the moment. Accepting socialism in exchange for populism is yet another deceptive toxic asset in the corrupt making.
Which is very contrary to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Nah, Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox you just don’t get it. Your President Bill Clinton signed off on NAFTA (not Bush) and the present tax structure that rewards companies for locating offshore to avoid taxation. NOW MISSPEAK YOU RUG!
One of Bill’s greatest accomplishment, was NAFTA, said Queen Hilary. Now Obama is moon-walking on his past statements against Free Trade and he now calls it our salvation? HUH! What happened to Fair Trade Obama? What happen to tax cuts for businesses that locate here in the U.S. and tax penalties against U.S. companies that offshore outsource? Is this another community organizing flip flop?
We’ll just tax the rich to pay for all this spending… yeah right!
Obama, you don’t have enough rich people in this country to pay for all the spending you are doing.
No LT, small business owners that have remained in this country will not relocate outside of the country. If they could have they would have done it long before now, in joining the large U.S. corporations. They will simply relocate their money offshore to avoid the Obama tax, close their doors and put people like me out of a job. And with the threat of forced unionization through the use of an Un-American open-ballot card check it is a fore-drawn certainty that mom and pop business will take their money and run. Of course, we’ll never get Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox to admit that taxation beyond the means needed to operate an efficient government always stifles creativity and wealth creation. His true-die-hard socialism and Democrat hack socialist agenda will not permit it, no matter how embarrassing his socialist Obama failures become.
NAFTA, doesn’t that stand for the NORTH AMERICA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT? Tell me what President introduced the concept, talked to the leaders of both Mexico and Canada and lobbied for it’s passage?
I mentioned Saxby because he is a hypocrite, much as you are. The only change I’d like to see in Earmarks is the poor Districts moved to the top of the list, not the well connected Districts, the Districts we have promised help for so long. What confused you?
I’ll try to see if you dare answer, LT cannot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership?
You two forced to join together to debate me brings a smile, you both have lost all credibility. Do you think that “The people” here are not smart enough to check out whose right and whose wrong, history and facts cannot be changed, no matter what Lou says.
Nah, nah, Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox who singed off on NAFTA that is the issue you hypocrite that misspeaks like a RUG. Bill Clinton singed NAFTA that is the fact and the correct history that you cannot re-write.
You only mentioned Saxby because he is a Republican, you have plenty of hypocrite Democrats like yourself to have cited but you didn’t because you are disingenuous, no confusion on my part about that and there shouldn’t be confusion on anyone else’s part by now.
Oh I really do hope people check out the facts and history. When they do they will see you as the big misspeaking rug you’ve always been Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox.
Do remember Obama was caught MISSPEAKING like a RUG against Lou Dobbs when Obama was campaigning or Hispandering, point in fact and The Washington Post awarded him four Pinocchios for telling that big lie.
Yes, do check out the facts and the history about increasing taxes during economic downturns people. And do look over the earmarks to see how many will ever return a long term capital gain to the U.S. treasury in order to pay off the debt Obama and Congress is recklessly creating that our grandchildren will have to pay off in higher taxes and inflation.
Our president and Mr. Badie are correct: Through our volunteer efforts, We, the People, can and MUST do tremendous GOOD in our respective local communities.
Now that Brucie has been filleted, let’s move on to Dr Spinks.
Even though Brucie still claims the government is “losing income” though tax cuts. As Churchill said “A fanatic is one who won’t change his mind, but won’t change the subject”. That’s chorizo chugging Brucie to a T.
Obama doesn’t want to give his money to the community, he wants to tax everyone and give it to the community. The Obama gave virtually nothing until he decided to become President. Below 1% of their income.
So much for helping the community, now Obama just wants to help himself to our incomes.
Oh whine, whine, the trolls need attention. How much has Obama spent in less than 100 days? Will that old party that has now been in power for more than two years give the “AIG FAT CATS” those bonuses to be paid for out of our borrowed taxpayer dollars?
Tell’ya what Doc, all politics are local and all Federal spending is a kitchen table issue in every “ORGANIZED COMMUNITY” ad nauseam.
What George W. was to “strategery,” Barack Obama is to “change.” Every time he uses the word, America stifles a laugh.
Change? Please. One year ago, then Sen. Obama pledged to change “an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.”
Fifty days ago, President Obama promised to change the culture in Washington by “going through the budget line by line.”
But on Wednesday, Obama slipped into Dick Cheney’s old “undisclosed location” and signed the $410 billion, 9,000-earmark pork-u-lust bill. In just 50 days, Obama and the Democratic Congress have spent $1.2 trillion, which works out to $1 billion in new spending an hour, 24 hours a day.
Obviously it was all about the revenue Rick. It would be interesting to know exactly just how many lives had been lost at each intersection prior to the cameras being installed. I am willing to bet that the number is slim to none. Furthermore, when these new municipalities fork over the cash to install redlight cameras as practically a first purchase only a total idiot doesn’t see it as a way to generate revenue.
Accidents at intersections go up with red light cameras. They always report they are down since they focus on T-bone wrecks from running red lights, but rear end collisions increase. In anycase, the real reason why they can’t afford them here in GA is because of the rediculious contract the local red-light camera company charged the state. If you compare that contract to other states, you can see how GA got hosed. Doesn’t surprise me though since there’s nothing but idiots here. They need to renegotiate that contract and then they can keep thier precious little cameras.
As a Gwinnett taxpayer, I feel that money has been wasted with the purchases. If they choose to use them in the future, the technology will need to be enhanced. This is a perfect example of bad decisions. The entire reason for the camera was revenue, plain and simple. However, the operating cost outweighed the revenue generated.
This is not just a government issue, because I see it happening in corporate america every day.
Revenue generation was always a big selling point when these companies were hawking these systems to municipalities. I also have a problem with a PRIVATE company issuing citations, which was the case in some of these situations.
The extra second of yellow light was a good idea and should actually be expanded in dangerous intersections. I would also increase the delay between a red light on one side and the green light on the other.
I’m convinced the traffic photos are intentional money-makers. I am definitely against this type of government intrusion/Big Brother. There are many inaccuracies: I know someone who got a ticket for being in the intersection when the light turned red. But this individual was waiting to ensure oncoming traffic had stopped before completing the left turn. Thus, this defensive-driving was penalized.
I nearly caused a fender-bender when I stopped too soon, afraid the light would change will I was in the intersection. So rather than go through the intersection, I stopped, but the car behind nearly hit me. Overall, it’s a terrible invention and hope government will finally end the madness.
LT, it is cute the way you subscribed to Rick’s RSS feed so you would get every little update. And the way you respond, just like a middle schooler pinching the boy he has a crush on. It’s precious, really.
You are as smart as you are observant. I do not subscribe to Rick’s RSS feed. That would be a useless waste of bandwidth. Much like Badie’s twice weekly moronic musings.
By the way
Take a look at Badie’s pic, if you can stand it. It isn’t flattering in any way, shape or form. I can only imagine a video of this pudding of a man in action.
However, it does go a long way in explaining the insipid content of his blogs.
I believe it is/was all about the money. Too bad people who got tickets before the one second was added cannot get their $70.00 back. Both my kids got nailed. I once thought I would at the same intersection Rick is talking about as I made a rolling stop for a right turn on red, ticket never came though. Guess they didn’t get you for that.
Most cities in Gwinnett are giving up the program because it costs too much to run,thus no profit.Use your fingers and do at least a litte researh, it’s in the paper.
BTW, I think Rick’s picture is cute. LT5000 – whoever you are, you’re pathetic. I haven’t come across your column. Oh, that’s right – you don’t have one.
Conservative sister Laura Ingraham is poo-poohing the outrage over the AIG bonuses. What are people upset out, she asks. The bonus money is one-tenth of one-percent of the $170 billion bailout money AIG has received. Where’s the outrage about that, she asks. Well, Laura, people can wrap their minds around bad employees being paid millions of dollars in “bonuses,” for doing a bad job. And it ticks us off. “Rewarding” hacks with millions of our tax dollars for steering their business into the rocks is profoundly galling. What’s wrong with Lara Ingraham that she isn’t outraged, too? I think it’s because she’s a partisan hack and is paid millions to disagree with anything Obama says.
I’m not mad at AIG, I’m mad at our inept and unintelligent politicians who voted for this mess. Who in their right mind gives a blank check to a company who has completely bungled it’s finances? Politicians created this mess and they continue to add fuel (and our tax dollars) to the fire. Prior to giving ANY money to ANY company, they should have completed an independent audit of the company’s finances and put an independent comptroller in charge of the books. ALL company execs with bonuses written into their contracts, should have had to sign new contracts stating that if AIG received a bailout, that they would refuse any bonuses until the money was paid back.
The problem here is not AIG, it’s the nincompoops we have hired to represent us and handle our money. Our so-called “leaders” are the ones that need to be taken to task here. The majority of the voting public was against these bailouts and our congressmen and women acted in direct opposition to what their constituents wanted. The sad thing is, the constituents are smarter, have more vision, common sense and are better educated on these issues than the average government representative. It’s time for voters to take back our government, we have the power to do that through the polls and by selecting intelligent, experienced business people to stand up and run for office in the next election.
AIG is the poster child for Free Market Captalism, the iife blood of the United States to mainly conservatives, the only problem with the Free Market belief is we “The People” have to subsidize it. We have subsidize them long before AIG, oil company leases of government lands for a dollar, tax breaks, that you or I would never receive, the airlines and the list goes on.
A short couple of years ago when the oil companies were posting record profits, the then Republican Congress and that Republican guy in the White House gave them massive tax breaks? I guess the Republican conservatives believe it’s the government’s way of rewarding CEO’s.
Now that a Democratic President has taken over and is forced to pour money into the failing economy left to us by the last administration, it’s Socialism?
AIG handing out bonuses, pretty much like our last administration, for incompetence? What is happening is a perfect example of the conservative belief is government subsidized and unregulated Free Enterprise over the past eight years.
I have to add that I pulled an investment account I had with AIG, took a good hit with the penalty, but if they went or go belly up, I would have lost a great deal more. I had the account for years, matter of fact right after Bush took over and I pulled most of my stocks, I was assured that it was the most stable company around.
This time I spread the money around a bit, just to be safe.
As pointed out above, the AIG bail-out started under bush, how much did he received to contributions from AIG when he ran? Bet we’ll never get an answer.
My anger is that people are being laid off in the financial industry and “we” saved the company from “closing” for the good of the financial industry why do they deserve a bonus? What kind of legal arrangement was it that allowed them to receive a bouns and it could not be “overturned”? Not to mention the people that no longer work for the company they still go their bonus. Not only did AIG do a stuipd thing with our money but they are now protecting the people who received the bonus buy not disclosing there names. I don’t believe the government can get the money back from the individuals but I really think that AIG did a super stupid thing by giving the money away in a bonus.
You’re kidding, right Rick? I mean, even on this blog where comments occasionally push the limits?
Suffice it to say Justice Scalia should be kept in mind on don’t hold back. As he said, there is no such thing as unlimited rights.
I’ll try to keep my cool on this after semi-recovering, now that the after-burners have shut down.
Not one person in Congress or even our current President can excuse themselves from this AIG affair. A good deal of information has come out and no doubt more will be revealed in the coming days. Honestly, the people of this country are so angry (they have been, really), so completely at odds with both these two *%?$x^#@! political parties, if at least one new strong political party does not emerge in the next election cycle it will absolutely leave me speechless.
All we presently have in our country to represent us and our interest is two corrupt wings on one very dirty bird!
I am surprised, no really at awe, that the Free Enterprise supporters cannot defend the system or abuse of the last eight years?
We have to start demanding regulations and controls on many of these companies, why I say many and not all is because the honest ones will gladly accept them. Don’t forget the banks we know locaily are still among the honest.
Any fool that believes in “Free” anything is defenseless. Only bigger fools believe the current system and those in control of it will correct all the abuse, as it continues.
Do check out Senator Dodd’s confessional from his appearance on today’s CNN broadcast in which it was disclosed an inner circle dealing of sorts went on between he, the Treasury and the White House. Senator Dodd’s amendment to the stimulus bill assured that the AIG bonuses would be paid. To conclude: These bonuses were no big secret. They were known about by members of Congress and the White House for months, which was further revealed on CNN last night.
Obama tonight at least had the guts to take proper credit for AIG in saying, “blame me”. Something the left will eventual learn, as Obama obviously already has learned: When you take possession of an inheritance, you own it, its yours from that point onward.
I agree with Bikerchick 100%. I am and will be putting all my efforts in ousting any sitting politician, starting at local level all the way to the Feds. Crooks every single one of them.
Brucie the Dumbass proves his ignorance once again. His Bush Derangement Syndrome has rendered him unable to see the truth, even when it is obvious. I guess too much touching himself while gazing at pictures of Jimmy Carter have taken it’s toll.
Who put the amendment in the bill to give the AIG executives their bonuses? Why it was DEMOCRAT Chris Dodd, who now claims he was pressured by the Administration to leave it in there.
**As chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Dodd was heavily involved in the legislation that has since become controversial after the AIG bonuses were publicly revealed.**
Chris Dodd says: “I did not want to make any changes to my original Senate-passed amendment but I did so at the request of Administration officials, who gave us no indication that this was in any way related to AIG. ”
Brucie our resident chorizo chugging moron gets it wrong again. And again and again.
The facts always win and Brucie always loses.
Brucie, stick to what you do best. Blowing Mexicans behind Quik Trip.
I wonder why bush left the bonuses in the orginal Bail Out Bill? Dodd is not my Senator, I can’t vote him out. Our two resident embarrassed Republicans like to believe all the woes of this economy started on 1/20/2009 at high noon. To watch the tag team prance and dance around to blame everything on the Democrats is fun, soon President Obama will be blamed for invading Iraq.
Apparently Brucie suffered some head trauma chorizo chugging last night.
Take the schlong out of your mouth and read the links posted by Michael and myself.
Dodd and the Obama administration are to blame, not Bush.
And in about a year, we will be blaming Obama for losing Iraq. He is determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
It’s amateur hour at the Whitehouse. Read EJ Dionne’s article in the Washington Post, a liberal rag, that says Geitner didn’t think he was qualified for the job and Obama pushed him to take it.
Now, that’s leadership. Maybe Obama’s teleprompter told him to do it.
**”When Obama emerged from the first meeting, he was very effusive,” said the senior aide. “He said, ‘I feel good about him as a person; he inspires confidence.’ ” Geithner did not campaign for the job, which only sent his stock higher in the Obama circle. “He suggested that others might be better, that he might be more useful where he is,” said the Obama lieutenant. “That was impressive as well.”**
This is the fault of every politician in Washington, including the past administration. The even scarier thing is that not one person knows where the money has gone and is going for the TARP bailout. How are they going to track the huge so called stimulus package? Tim Geithner (spelling?) was in the original meeting when Bush was still in office and there is no way in you know what I’ll ever believe that he didn’t know about this until last week, same as Obama and Dodd. These politicians are expressing outrage at this as that is the politically correct thing to do. Yet Schumer thought that the American people didn’t care about the earmarks in the stimulus package which amounted to a lot more than these bonuses. I truly believe that if people attending a political rally were randomly picked for Congress they could do as good of a job (if not better) than the clowns in there now.
Facts are facts, whether they are in an Op-Ed or not.
Funny you didn’t comment on the links Michael posted. Those darn facts get in the way of Brucie Anti-American daydream.
I can only guess that you realize what a complete idiot you have made of yourself, yet again.
Here’s another fact. By the end of his first term, Obama is going to make Anti-Semite Jimmy Carter look like a capable President and Brucie will still be a teabagging Commie.
Thanks for the link Bruce. I’ll have to bookmark this one. I assume it will be updated regularly? I truly do hope that all this money thrown out does help the economy. That being said I still believe that everyone in Washington needs to be voted out come election time. As I’ve said before it is way past time for term limits in Congress.
So Brucie, you don’t dispute the facts in the article, you just choose to ignore it because it doesn’t fit your deluded version of things.
The article is by EJ Dionne, who has possibly touched himself more than you while looking at Obama’s picture.
Feel free to point out where I don’t have the facts.
Even Geithner knew that there were better choices for the job. Everyone knew except Obama.
I guess his Teleprompter didn’t tell him what to do.
**On this occasion, as a laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium, the script was belatedly switched over to the Taoiseach’s text – leaving Mr Obama inadvertently thanking himself for inviting everyone, to further laughter. “First, I’d like to say thank you to President Obama!” the President said.**
What would the media have said if Bush had done this?
That should have been I tried to post the link but this crap piece of blog ware won’t allow it. As you can tell I am agitated with this new junk-ware AJC.
Would these be the same handicapped that Obama mocked on the Tonight Show. What a class act.
Give me a break on GJAC I’ve been there several times. It is a perfectly accessible building. The parking lot isn’t more than 100ft from the front door.
Figures Brucie would be the one whining about it.
He probably want the government to send a limo to his house and ferry him back and forth to GJAC.
Another stupid Blubbering Badie article contributed to by one of the most insipid poster here.
served on jury duty and the parking is at least a football field, if not more, away from the building. It’s sad when smokers are closer to the building than the handcapped parking area, get rid of it like the hospital did. Some of those doors are heavy even for a healthy person, hate to try one from a wheelchair.
The article is right on Rick, sometimes we overlook the small things that help others.
So the handicap are not actually handicapable after all? I’m over 7′ tall, maybe they need to also start raising doorways and creating a set of stairs I can use where my feet don’t overlap 2 steps at once.
I thought this article featured a fellow blogger. After reading LT’s post I guess it is. I hate that Bruce has this condition. My mom was diagnosed with COPD about 8 years before she passed. Mom was a smoker, not sure if that is why Bruce is suffering from this or not. Regardless is it a devastating disease.
It is a long ways from the parking lot to the doors of the Justice center and I can imagine it is very hard for people with this disease or any breathing issues for that matter.
Although I rarely agree with Bruce’s view on political issues, I am very sorry to hear you have this debilitating disease.
It takes a really low person to make light of anyone less fortunate.
Number 1: Bruce didn’t say he couldn’t make the trip. He did it. Could it have been made better? Possibly. It’s a noble effort he’s making, as well as Badie, by mentioning it. This is a good story.
A person shouldn’t be disallowed to conduct business based on physical limitations.
Number 2: I am perfectly capable of walking. The last few times I’ve been to GJAC it was less than comfortable as well. I’m a woman. I generally wear some variance of high heels. Those grooves in the walkway really cause alot of discomfort for my otherwise healthy, normal feet.
Number 3: I got plenty wet. It was raining and I had my umbrella during the lengthy walk. Did I care? Nah, not really. I dried later. But now that I read this story, I can definitely understand how this could make an impact on someone who can’t get around so well.
Courthouse security is for sure more important than ease of use. But at the same time, maybe there are some changes that can be made without compromising safety.
This is just another stupid Badie blog bitching about another non issue. And he brings on Brucie the Anti-American halfwit who hates Georgia to buttress his case. Send Brucie back North, I’m sure every courthouse building is far more accessible than it is here in stupid, racist, backward Georgia.
Jill, you should go back to highschool. The parking lot is between 100 and 150ft from the building, not a football field. Feel free to use google satellite.
And there is a reason that they limit access to the building, as Cindy pointed out security.
if you are so infirm, I’m sure someone can bring a wheelchair outside for you.
And while Blubbering Badie blubbers on……
**Three illegal immigrant drug dealers who chained a man in a Gwinnett basement for a week have pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges.**
Please AJC give us someone who really writes about what is going on in Gwinnett. Fire Badie, he is an ass clown.
Citizens with disabilities have been using GJAC for years. Is it perfect for everyone – No. Probably Bush’s fault. Does it meet the accessibility requirement in the ADA – Yes. Probably due to Obama’s efforts. Move on.
Citizens with disabilities have been using GJAC for years because they have to. It ain’t like they can take their business elsewhere.
I’m surprised more nonsmokers don’t resent having to run the gauntlet of smokers. Why not move the smoking area to the back of the building?
They tried “separate but equal” in another era. The difference here is that people with disabilities want to work with the system, rather than get hit with bottles, pipes and fire hoses. Government doesn’t meed to kiss the a$$ of the disabled and bring out gold-plated wheelchairs. They don’t need it, don’t want it really. Just a little wider door through which to get in and out, just a wider area between aisles through which to navigate, just a bigger area in which to do their personal “business” instead of embarrassing themselves and others by asking for help.
I’m sure Bruce would much rather not have to deal with the oxygen tank. A paraplegic would much rather not have to deal with a wheelchair. And every disabled person I know would much rather walk the length of a parking lot than have to use the handicapped parking. It’s like having to ride the little bus every day for “special” people. You people are morons if you think disabled actually want or need this kind of attention.
Fact is, disabled people pay taxes too. They pay their keep, just as healthy people do. They spend money for goods and services, just as healthy people do. They live and enjoy life, just as healthy people do. Their ability to enjoy life may be hampered by crap they have to carry – a wheelchair, a cane, an oxygen tank – but they enjoy life more because, despite this crap, they are alive. Those who don’t have disabilities haven’t faced the “you-might-not-live-through-this-experience” like the disabled have.
I hope that never happens to anyone. Although, I think it would be poetic justice to have to ask assistance from the one who only months ago was the subject of your insult and ridicule. That is, if one has the cojones to try to go on living.
Look, ya’ll, all they’d have to do is open up the closer lot for vehicles with handicapped plates or stickers. Put a couple more folks to work as parking attendants – guiding those without handicapped ID to the main lot and assessing the needs of others, as well as fielding them for any possible violent intents.
Heck, any delivery truck can drive right up to the loading dock in back. Wasting the space in the front section in the name of security is really kind of inane.
There is a security gate to the back parking lot. Thanks for moronic comparison. Violent attacks in the GJAC parking lot? Pull your head out of your ass.
The point of the Blubbering Badie’s latest musings isn’t that the GJAC is without handicap access, but that it isn’t convenient enough for Brucie. Boo Hoo.
Apparently, Badie’s obesity made it hard for him to fit through a few doors and Brucie’s feeling were hurt that there wasn’t a mural of Karl Marx in the GJAC.
Please AJC get rid of Badie. His blogs serve no purpose.
LOL -5000; I can see by your lack of coherent reasoning processes that you don’t get out much and derive your viewpoints from sources like TV and Google, rather than being able to think for yourself.
Your arguments are embarrasingly moronic. The lack of access to this building is due to the Homeland Security measures taken during the post 9-11 Bush paranoia and, for your information, the back of the building is wide open.
If you ever actually stepped away from your Googling and viewed the real world, you would be exposed to the bigger picture. However, that is not to say you would recognize it without the ingrained prejudices you so proudly reveal.
Point out any violent assaults in the GJAC parking lot.
Address the fact that there are restricted access checkpoint to get to the GJAC building loading docks.
The basis of your two moronic contentions immediately disappears.
9/11 was just Bush paranoia? Tell that to 3000 Americans who died that day. Or to the FBI, numerous terrorist plots that have been thwarted since.
I suggest you think before you post. It will help you stop looking like a dimwit. But you can only hide your idiocy for so long. As you have already proven.
LT, tell us when the last time was you used a walker or wheelchair at the Justice Center, if you say never, then as usual you haven’t a clue of what you’re talking about, is that not true? In your world a football field is 150 feet, small mind, small field.
Jais the tin foil is slipping that old paranoia is coming back.
Jais, you have three three television stations and this paper loaded with investigative reporters, yet you want Rick in an opinion column to bring, what you believe as fact out? Try contacting those I mentioned above.
A challenge to all those that dismiss the handicapped problems at the Justice Center to a real test. Contact Rick, I’m sure he’ll be able to find someone for a loaner walker and do the same route as I, than let’s hear your comments, any takers?
Where is written in the Constitution that majority must surrender their rights to the minority and have government protect those special set of rights for the minority?
The question was actually a double edge sword. Since this is government property not private property, smoking should be prohibited because the majority of citizens in this county do not smoke. Got to light up to get that nicotine fix, then do it in your car or truck.
As for a couple of statements contained in this blog, they are really over exaggerated.
~
The walkway has intricate designs, not cobblestone, but something close.
“Deadly,” surmised Wilcox. “Have you ever tripped on one?”
~
I’ve walked on the front surfaces of GJAC and can say without reservation that anyone who would have trouble negotiating those surfaces would likely be challenged to negotiate most outdoor areas period.
~
We caught the elevator to check out the upstairs, notably courtroom access. “Do you think someone could get a wheelchair through there?” Wilcox asked. He pointed to a door that would be a tight squeeze for a super model, much less a motorized chair.
~
This one is really a hoot. I can tell you I’m no supermodel by anyone’s definition and I’ve yet to encounter a passageway door in GJAC I could not walk through comfortably.
While it is touching to read the outpouring of compassion and suggestions on what should be done, do keep in mind that when someone says pass the plate for a collection to pay for all of the wonder-world accommodating designs that those warm and fuzzy feelings usually disappear rather quickly: Then apart from public safety it becomes just somebody’s personal problem now doesn’t it; or a case of the majority surrendering to a minority a special set of rights?
Me and my grandmother walked up the path to the top of Stone Mountain this weekend, and she just turned 90 5 months ago. She also took her walker since she had hip surgery a few months back. She didn’t bitch once, she’s a real trooper.
I’ll add, that we did take the tram down though. I was worried she could fall on the steep parts. It’s a lot easier to lose your footing coming down, but still.
Why is this topic being discussed in a blog? Did Mr. Wilcox file a complaint with the GJAC? Has someone else filed a complaint that was ignored? Was the GJAC contacted for comment? This does not mean I am unsympathetic to Mr. Wilcox’s predicament or those of other physically challenged citizens. I just don’t like to see a point debated from only one side. I tend to agree with a lot of the points made by Bubba. I have elderly parents and their safety is a concern, although they would never have occasion to visit GJAC. Perhaps citizens like Mr. Wilcox should sit on advisory boards and make recommendations, do something productive? I don’t think this is the forum to do it, unless concerns have been addressed with the appropriate parties and ignored.
The pavement sounds like poor planning and lack of foresight. My mother tripped on a similar pavement in the town where she lives. Those “stone” walkways are up and down the boulevard there, and are a hindrance to all in inclement weather. In my mother’s case, she was averting a small snowbank along the curb where the walkway had been cleared. The “stones” are not easy to walk on unless you are wearing flat shoes. It is easy to lose your footing, especially if you are not steady on your feet. Let’s face it, the general population is aging.
To the poster who who talked about post 9/11 paranoia: Have you been to NYC to see the hole in the ground where those two magnificent towers once stood? Have you ever met a survivor or a family member of one who perished on that fateful day? You may be insulated and unafftected by the events of that day, except for some inconveniences, but that experience was very real and people don’t want to experience it ever again.
Brucie. Take your commie ass back north. I’m sure they have all the amenities you demand.
By the way, a football field is 100 yards. That isn’t 150 feet. I guess Brucie’s 3rd grade education comes back to haunt him.
Brucie’s whine wasn’t that the building wasn’t accessible, it wasn’t convenient enough for his candyass. Brucie wants every architect to consult him prior to building anything so it will be convenient for him.
Smith, the Constitution is designed to give the very same rights as the majority enjoys to the minorities of this country. One who cannot understand the Constitution cannot understand a woman’s right to vote or understand the Civil Rights Movement. Those who want to live where powered wigs are the fashion and in live years of olde, fine, this is realty. Like voting, all should have equal access.
As far as the sidewalk, if you happen to be in a walker it is very dangerous. Now think of it as the construction expert, as well as so many fields you happen to be an expert in, after time certain times sections start to fail, is that not true? I like this statement, “would likely be challenged to negotiate most outdoor areas period” no moosedung, but I’ll tell you it’s a lot easier to go a market around here with flat surfaces than it is going to the Justice Center.
Smith as far as statements this has to be the best,”This one is really a hoot. I can tell you I’m no supermodel by anyone’s definition and I’ve yet to encounter a passageway door in GJAC I could not walk through comfortably.”, tell me, what part of wheelchair confused you?
Pure ignorance from blowhard Smith, dare to take the challenge?
Wilcox, I’ll end this quickly for you, since you don’t understand the Constitution and equal rights. You have the same doors and surfaces I have at GJAC. That is equal rights!
No thank you reader, on Brucie setting the design requiremnets for buildings. I’m not about to pay for 48” and 56” fire rated automatic opening doors throught public buildings to just to satisfy crying Brucie’s stupid dumb A hole idea of a good building.
reader, this is the first time I’ve been back since 2004, at that time and not that far from 9/11, you could park in the front Handicapped parking lot next the building. This crap was done in 2006 come to fine out, seems like we missed a few years?
This is good, “Perhaps citizens like Mr. Wilcox should sit on advisory boards and make recommendations, do something productive?”, really now, where the GJAC?
The Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1977 and it covered construction. Should I file a complaint with the Federal governmentor should I file a complaint with the County or state?
I thought the Power of the Press would put the spotlight on the problems and let the county do it’s best to correct the problems would be the best way to go, but maybe you’re right, start filing complaints.
Smith, are you really saying all the laws that HAVE been based on the Constitution that were passed and approved by Whigs, Republicans and Democrats, approved by the Supremes, which means they met Constitutional muster are all wrong? That Lou and you are right?
Wilcox, is that crap you just posted an answer or more blathering whine for your special rights reqiuiremnets? On that do you and jesse think you are right?
Equal rights does not mean equal wants, grow up and accept that fact. Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands.
Smith, it goes likes this, someone writes a Bill, both house’s vote and approve it, the President signs it and it becomes law. The Americans With Disabilities Act, as I pointed out has been around since 1977, I had nothing to do with it’s passage.
Now lets see if you want to back up this statement, “Equal rights does not mean equal wants, grow up and accept that fact. Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands.”, would you say that to a disabled Marine back from Iraq, we share the same parking places?
Wilcox, I’ve read the ADA requirements on passage doors if you think you have something go for it. I seriuosly doubt that you do.
As to your question since I can answer and YOU can’t when asked A-hole: That depends on the extent of disablity, though, I personally don’t have a problem with up front parking for those who “really physically” need it. So you bet I’d say it where the person didn’t really physically need it for their own “safety”(referring back to my original post). But even that “special parking privilege” is being extremely abuse by those whose only disablities are mental and sorry laziness.
I worked for the engineering firm that helped build GJAC in 1986. While we were laying out the parking lot I felt it was a long way from the building. It is actually 150 feet to the first H/C lots, (if memory serves me correctly) and close to 500 feet to the parking spaces the longest distance away.
I also believe that the heavy doors inside of the courthouse are unnecessary. To me, most of them serve no real purpose. When you walk in on the first floor and turn right, why do they even have doors there? Maybe something to do with the heating and air is all I can figure. When you go through those doors you don’t have to go through security, this is the development and transportation departments.
I was recently in a large courthouse in another state. It was not as large as GJAC but laid out much more friendly for disabled people. I took my 86-year-old (disabled war vet) father with me to the courthouse. He had no trouble navigating the courthouse because, the H/C parking was very close to the door. The sidewalk was smooth, no heavy doors to open and the main doors opened automatically.
I like and appreciate the article Rick. I believe that Gwinnett County needs to make some changes to GJAC. Maybe this article and discussion will make that happen.
“But even that “special parking privilege” is being extremely abuse by those whose only disablities are mental and sorry laziness.” I agree this happens. The other night, two people got out of their “handicapped label” car at the parking lot at Outback. What their disability was, I have no idea.
Does that mean, though, that because some abuse the privilege, the privilege should be denied to all? Would one even consider denying such a space to a person in need a “privilege?”
I agree, Michael, that freedom of choice goes a long way toward countermanding the argument that all places need to be accessed to all people. Don’t like Kroger? Shop at Publix, or Trader Joe’s. The boutique in Norcross isn’t set up well for wheelchairs? Shop at Kohl’s.
However, if the government has business that requires my attention, then I must have access to that building. The Supreme Court recently found for a plaintiff in Tennessee who has put in jail for contempt of court. He had court business, but as a paraplegic, he couldn’t climb the stairs to the third floor courthouse. No parking, no elevator. He was put in jail because he couldn’t overcome the physical obstacles put before him to to meet his legal obligation of attending his summons.
Tennessee made your argument. “Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands..” Tennessee lost that argument.
Would you deny access to Stephen Hawking because the world doesn’t meet his wants or demands?
Let’s be real, Stephen Hawking wouldn’t complain about it. He’s more of a “just get it done” kind of a guy. Some people tackle their obstacles, others just whine and complain about them until someone else tackles them for them.
“Some people tackle their obstacles, others just whine and complain about them until someone else tackles them for them.” Agreed. So, Joey, do you fall in the category of “disabled who tackles their obstacles” or do you fall in the category of “disabled who whines and complains?”
Or, do you fall in the category of “perfectly healthy who doesn’t understand or really care about what people are tackling or whining?” If you fall into the third heading, so be it. I won’t begrudge you your health, and I can honestly say that I hope it never becomes an issue with which you have to contend. I mean that.
Talk to the woman who was left a paraplegic because she was an innocent bystander shot in a drug deal gone bad. Talk to the man who lost his legs because he was sideswiped by a drunk driver. I guarantee you that a vast majority of disabled people 1). Wish that it never happened to them 2). Would give anything to be “normal” again and 3). Will not let their circumstances dictate how they lead their lives. A vast majority of the disabled are “just get it done” people. To give up is to die.
So what’s wrong with a few suggestions on how to make a government building more accessible to all tax paying citizens?
The building is accessible as defined by the ADA. Brucie and Badie are whining because it wasn’t convenient for them.
Badie’s obesity made it difficult for him to walk the 150ft to the front door and then fit through it.
Bruice wanted a Limosine with crushed velvet seats to ferry him to the building while providing him with a double mocha latte. All on the taxpayer dime of course.
What’s next for Brucie the Whiny Anti-American. Will he and Lard Ass Badie go to the DMV and whine about the long lines?
Perhaps they will go to a Braves Games and complain there wasn’t a “Stair Glide” to escort them to their seats.
Hey Badie, how about your hero Obama mocking the Special Olympics? When will we see that blog?
Hey Brucie, how about those Obama Trillion dollar deficits? So much for Hope and Change. More like Dope and Change.
LT: I work out four days a week, dude. I weigh 220 and can bench my weight. Routinely. I box a little, too. Lemme know when you’re ready, bro. Gold’s Gym Lilburn. See ya there.
Rick, he won’t be there because his keyboard won’t work there. He’s simply a child, verbally abusing people via a blog, because he has no balls to say it to your face.
If you are such a hard ass thug, why are you afraid to do a ride along with the Gwinnett Police? I would expect such a tough guy to be able to make it across GJAC parking lot without crying like a little girl.
I use to box as well, but I’m a bit out of your weight class, by about 80 pounds. But I would be willing to give you a few rounds, the day after you actually write a blog worth reading.
“I use to box as well, but I’m a bit out of your weight class, by about 80 pounds. But I would be willing to give you a few rounds, the day after you actually write a blog worth reading.”
What I’d be more interested in, is a contest that we can all watch and enjoy, like say, maybe LT writing a blog for a couple of weeks?
Bikerchik: Come on, now. You’re asking way too much of Mr. LT. But if LT is up for it, I’ll turn over this space to him for a few days. Problem is: No nicknames or monikers. Use your real name and we’ll post a photo of him. Or her.
“Since I live in Norcross and would undoubtedly be addressing the illegal immigrant issue, for safety reasons I may have to use a nom de plume.”
So who’s the real “little girl” here? Come on LT, I live a couple of blocks from the house where the illegal immigrant drug dealers held a guy hostage in the basement. I’m also an “obese” middle-aged female and I’d be willing to do a blog about illegal immigration AND post my real name with a photo. So what’s your problem?
If it were just me, it wouldn’t be a problem. But I have a family.
I think we all know what absolute unscrupulous scumbags the Mexican gangs are.
Bikerchick, if you want to post your name and photo and rail against the illegals, you go right ahead. But I wouldn’t be surprised in La Raza paid a visit to your home.
You certainly can’t count on the government to help you.
LT, I have a family too and I didn’t say I would “rail against the illegals”, I said I’d do a blog on illegal immigration. So, if La Raza is reading the Rick Badie blog every day, then why not do a blog on something other than illegal immigration? Here’s some sample topics for you LT. How about the state of education in Gwinnett and how illegal immigration has impacted our schools? No railing, just actual facts? How about how illegal immigration has affected wages in the county? How has it impacted and changed the construction industry? How about illegal immigration vs. legal immigration? The topics are endless LT……pick one…….or shut up.
LT5000, Don’t let that alligator mouth get your little bunny azz in trouble. Rick called you out, and you turned yellow in the belly. Take your wife’s underwear off and be a man about it. If not, I suggest to Rick to ban you from this blog.
Okay Bubba picking up on your However. First the Tennessee case is obviously in violation of code with respects to the ADA Act and is therefore pardon the expression irrelevant to GJAC which had to meet the code requirements under the ADA Act 1977. (which has more to do with public and personal safety than convenience)
You also didn’t include or take into consideration my original statement so the court decision as you cite is not against my complete argument. I made specific reference to a person’s safety did I not? Check your facts first before reaching the wrong conclusions.(go back an read my original post- “apart from safety”) Anytime public safety or a person’s safety is in put in jeopardy, are you following me Bubba, then government is obligated to do whatever is within the powers of government to protect that person’s or the public’s safety from harm, otherwise no, the world nor the government shares or has any responsibility for someone’s wants demands or personal problems. Try that argument before the court, I believe I’ll win. Bear in mind there is no such things as unlimited rights for anyone, period – citing Justice Scalia.
@ T
I think if you reflect a moment it may come to you why the heavy doors are there and the purpose they serve. Doors like those in GJAC usually (I said usually might as well have been always) have to comply not only with width of opening for access but they must also be “fire rated” in every case I’ve seen, again that is government’s obligation to protect life from harm. Lighter doors I’m sure by now are on the market that would in all likelihood meet the fire ratings to code. As to the parking lot issue: Only wheelchairs would have somewhat of a valid claim, though access might be improved it is not necessary to have smooth surfaces, in fact such smooth surfaces could pose safety hazards of their own under inclement weather conditions; so even that is a toss up. The main doors did at least at one time open automatically. In the overall GJAC is a good and safe build that anyone could access and certainly access all areas with assistance, which is available during normal business hours.
To summarize my point on the cobbled pattern concrete sidewalks: Wilcox made a mountain out of a molehill.
See that Molehill Brucie? Ever tripped on that Mountain? Deadly!
Brucie people with very good legs in very good health trip over their own feet when they are not careful on very smooth concrete floors without any bumps. Nothing, not even government, can replace personal responsibility for one’s own personal safety.
BTW Brucie I work with a Nam Vet who’s 50% disabled, I told about that little cheap comment meant as a trap you used and he agreed with me and my reply. In fact though he could get a handicap tag or sticker he refuses to because he really doesn’t need one. You see, he like so many other Vets I know, both he and they don’t get into pity me or being patronized with cheap pity and most of these kids you talk about coming back from Iraq, even some of the amputees can out run me and kick mine and your butts any day of the week. And, that wouldn’t be anything but a warm-up exercise for them!
Yellow? Give me a break. I asked Badie to do a real Blog and I will do a few rounds with him. When he skips a couple Denny’s Grandslam breakfasts and does a ride along with the police, he can blog about it and I will meet him in the ring.
If it takes a boxing match with Blubbering Badie to make him actually write a salient article, then so be it. He can even have Brucie as a back up.
Biker Skank. I willing to bet the Illegal immigrants in your neighborhood probably keep the front yard of their trailer in better shape than you.
And While Blubbering Badie blubbers on. Here in sunny Norcross:
**JESUS BENITEZ-MENDOZA
1119 HAMPTON RIDGE DR
NORCROSS GA 30093**
The ADA – Ani Discrimination Act – was signed into law by Jimmy Carter in 1977. The ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – was signed into law by George Bush in 1990.
Dynapac LT5000-9 – 9″ x 13″ Vibratory Rammer for Soil w/ Honda GX100, 3.0 HP Gas Powered Engine
This rammer is suitable for compacting soil in trenches, around poles and in restricted spaces. It has been designed to comply with contractors’ highest demands in terms of efficiency, simplicity and operator’s comfort.
It even comes with your name on it LT!! Enjoy, Bikerchick
Rick, I may get annoyed at your blogs and express as much in my responses, but today I have built a new admiration for you. Although I’m still going to complain on your blogs.
ADA of 1977 (The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1977) which is the one that would apply to GJAC since it was constrcuted proir to The ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – was signed into law by George Bush in 1990. (If you are not aware of “grandfathering” as it apply to construction I’ll go into that if necessary, though I don’t think it is needed in this case it may explain itself later on)
However, here is what I reviewed last night: ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, which is more current and likely the stricter to comply with (see the dates in: about this edition) . From what I read on door opening access requirements GJAC would stand up against Brucie’s compliants about his “supermodel” being unable to get through the door. He hasn’t a legal leg to stand on as I recall the passageway doors widths in GJAC, IMHO.
See – 4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees.
And do review all exceptions where and as they apply under grandfathering clause.
Steve: You are free to express your opinion whenever you feel the need. I have no problem with that. Opinions are what makes the world go round. Everybody has one. PEACE, man. Be safe.
It certainly would be a step up. And I promise (Not an Obama promise either), no moronic blogs about Human Trumpets or chauffering around the anti-American Brucie Wilcox.
Smith, the requirement you cite fits my arguement perfectly,” 4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees.”. The doors do not meet the standard, due to the fact the heavy solid wood doors open up against the wall, thus taking say four inches off the opening. now the average standard manual wheelchair with an 18 inch seat will generally have an overall width of 24.5 to 26.5 inches. As a rule, the overall width of the chair tends to be approximately seven to nine inches wider than the seat. If you’re measuring for door clearance you’ll also want to add a few inches to each side, to leave room for hands and knuckles. Add to it that is approaching it dead on which can’t be done. Remember these were the second floor Courtrooms, have they been moved or updated since 1977? Grand fathering my ass.
About those “cobbled pattern concrete”, they’re interlocking concrete patio blocks divided by rough cement curbs, tell me, as the expert you are on everything, over time would not sections settle?
Glass doors are fire rated in Georgia even when they don’t reach the floor?
Simple solutions are right there and cheap, hope the commissioners are reading.
LT, you been called out and chicken out as far as I can see. Did you ever have the cajones? You ever want to call me out, hell, I can take off the O2 long enough to handle wimps.
As far as the link Smith provided, it is the site to be used, BUT, everytime they tell you to check out another updated link, it would take you days. There are over 250,000 words in the rules. Smith just used the one that worked for him.
Jais I’ll be in touch.
Rick, if you need a corner man I’m sure you’ll find a lot of volunteers.
You took measurements Wilcox or guessing is what you are doing? Heavy doors has nothing to do with how wide they will open, can the doors swing the full 90 degrees in order to take a correct measure?
One other thing Brucie, you didn’t read very much into the guidelines did you? The reason I ask is because there is more than the minimum to compliance than what I cited to consider but you wouldn’t know that or what I’m talking about, gasbag.
Yep grandfathering your ass Brucie and Wilcox grandfathering applies to the rules and makes exceptions to the rules, did you check that or again, as usual, you just choose to blow off at your big mouth thinking you are winning an argument when you are bluffing?
Do glass doors and floors shift and settle over time in Georgia, Wilcox?
You bet everything settles and shifts Brucie who thinks he knows everything in construction and by his own big mouth says he was a firefighter. Kind of out of your element aren’t you to access expertise in construction there aren’t you smoky?
Did you mention to anyone at GJAC that those concrete sections where extremely uneven and posed a safety hazard? Oh, excuse me, you chose to do that now on this blog?
You didn’t read very well did you, Wilcox?
What I’m using is updated guidelines, have you got guidelines from 1977 or updates to the timeframe in which GJAC was built? Remember the dates this covers and applies to, everything preceding the updated timeframe Wilcox, is grandfathered, regardless of your ass. Howbeit, instead of being dumb, do what I said, check those exceptions to the rules before you shoot off your mouth and complain because you as an expert in assessing someone’s expertise, who is only now figuring out how things actually work in the construction business and it does take days Brucie, even for the experts to cover all the bases but you are too lazy to do homework or research so you blame me by saying I chose the one that works for me and Wilcox, your own words just hung chump.
You can’t prove I chose the one that works for me because you haven’t read the over 250,000 words as you say that is in the rules to know if that is the only one that does works. There you go again, lying like a rug!
Solutions are not as cheap as you think Brucie and some fixes are impractical or very costly or present “structural problems”. See Brucie, I do read and research things like blueprints and spec books, make request to architects for more information (RFIs) which might and does take days at times to get an answer back from the experts to clarify things. Things, that sometimes changes because someone in the field like me caught something that needs to be changed in order for things to work or remain in compliance.
If you think you’ve really got something Brucie shut up, put up and sue. As I said I seriously doubt you do have anything but mouth or GJAC would never have passed final inspection with respects to the code in force at that time.
Smith your updates go as far as 2002, guess you didn’t bother to read it to well, hint, it’s the very first sentence.
‘Fire Doors’, are suppose to close and/or protect an area, for a limited amount of time yet you ask, “Do glass doors and floors shift and settle over time in Georgia, Wilcox?”, simple answer is yes. Since it’s yes, as you agree, are they still code rated fire doors? Don’t worry, many firefighters laugh at the idea that anything has the fire rating it did when the building was built.
As far as knowledge of construction, I worked as a carpenter’s helper on the Nine Mile Point Nuke Plant, took courses at both the National & New York Fire Academy’s. Plus as a Ladderman I had step on roofs to see if they were safe to ventilate, (thats to release the gases for the engine company can attack the seat of the fire) WE had/have to know construction to survive, not by specs, but by feel and experience.
Over 30 years ago, I was literally run over by a city bus – everything below my waist was broken, along with one of my hands, had some neck and back injuries as well and now arthritis has set in everywhere. I spent months in the hospital and then 3 months learning to walk again. I am in pain every day of my life but I work full time and try to lead as normal a life as I can. I am borderline COPD as well but I brought that on myself by smoking in my youth. I have to go to GJAC all the time and I enjoy the walk (except in the rain but you get wet at the malls, etc. too). I am sick and tired of all you people whining about how somebody constantly needs to accomodate your needs. There are legitimately handicapped people and they should be accomodated but having to breath a little harder because you have to walk a short distance is not that bad. Sorry, I know what I am talking about.
Yes, having an even number of votes is the perfect prescription for a tie vote, in which no action at all is taken. Having the mayor to vote allows him to use his power to intimidate the other regular councilmembers,as well as, the public when they are allowed to speak at the city council meetings. The Snellville Mayor is combative, opinionated and has a visible dislike of opinions other than his own.
I read this thing and I didn’t see any issues. Everything was handicap accessible. If you can’t make it 100 yards, you need somebody to help you. That’s the bottom line. Handicap people gotta have some kind of capabilities to get around unaided. More serious handicaps require assistance.
Brucie or Mr. Carpenter’s helper that took classes read this again, this time word for word slowly so you might pick up on something, because you and I don’t read the same things and yes, I did read the first sentence that is why “I told you there was more than just the minimum of 4.13.5.” . Still laughing, see fig 1.? Now who didn’t read too well? Go back and take construction classes Brucie, you flunked. Thaaaank You!
4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees. The door can’t open you say because it is too heavy? Not buying that line. But tell me what is the actual door measure, do you know? According to your little wheelchair ditty it would be 32″ is that right? Hint: “Clear Width”. If you have a 32″ door which would fit your wheelchair example, there’s no way you can get to a 32″ “Clear Width” opening, next commonly used stock door size up is 36″ which is the least that would give you what is needed to comply and that should accommodate your wheelchair example, provided the door opens as it must to the full 90 degrees. See you flunked reading too, the way I read the requirements. The door can’t be 32″; it will have to be larger than that to get a Clear Width opening of 32″. Door placement would also be a factor if the door is located near a wall per fig 1. to get that 36” continuous requirement as shown. In short Brucie what is being called for are actual door sizes lager than 32”. As I remember single doors that access the rooms at GJAC are larger than 32”.
Needless to say Brucie and I can’t say it enough, the guidelines in discussion now do not apply to GJAC they are years in advance of the facility’s construction, only guidelines that existed when GJAC was built would apply including State and County code. And don’t forget what I said about passing inspection.
Back to my counter claim to your BS about the supermodel: The doors at GJAC would accommodate any supermodel I can think of, since most are skin and bones anyway. If you’re going to make a case Brucie try sticking to the facts instead of exaggeration to the point of lying like hell.
And Brucie while your laughing about the fire code, keep laughing, because we in the construction business know that things that may be in code today probably won’t be in code before any building settling ever occurs. Code is constantly under review and updated from time to time that is why there is “grandfathering” clauses.
If I think of anything pertaining to fires I might ask a question. If it has to do with construction I’ll ask someone smarter on the subject than myself and that someone isn’t you Brucie.
LT: I work out four days a week, dude. I weigh 220 and can bench my weight. Routinely. I box a little, too. Lemme know when you’re ready, bro. Gold’s Gym Lilburn. See ya there.
Just show up LT, that’s how a man backs up his words, I doubt that Rick would beat on a little man.
Doctors delois and woodie guess you don’t get it like many here like you out of ignorance, no one is asking for any special treatment. Is not being forced to pass throught a smoking area is special treatment? Is a few more bench’s around the one black bench that is that asking too much? Inside most of the huge glass doors can be made to open and close slowly, a lot less cost than replacing, add a few more seats inside reserved for the handicapped, boom, ninety percent is done.
Now woodie if I misunderstood your intent, I apologize, but if you’re are saying anyone that cannot walk a 100 yards, well they shouldn’t be out there. That’s bull, that means many handicapped are doing their very best to be independent. Minor changes, fix the sidewalk to be even, get rid of the smoking area, that one is really important to someone on O2, add some benchs for some can rest, reserve a few of the benchs for the handicapped. A phone and a bus stop protection for those handicapped people who cannot make the 100 yards to ask for assistance, to much is to ask?
Mr. woodie, if a handicapped person cannot walk a 100 yards, should they be taxed? If you say yes, than you must agree with most of the things I pointed out, do you not agree?
Michael H. Smith you’re so full of yourself you just maybe LT’s pappy. Smith spec’s mean nothing when you’re in a fire and in all of my twenty years of firefighting I never had a spec reader crawling on hands and knees in heavy smoke calling out spec’s, have you ever done it?
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The Pilgrims were illegal when they arrived, yet we have no problem celebrating Thanksgiving. Why not implement a program that allows “hard working” immigrants who abide by our laws to become citizens in easier fashion, rather than the more complex effort and cost at deporting these good people?
When my husband’s grandparents came to America in the 1910s they had to have sponsors living here who said they would take care of them. This meant they would not be a drain on society. I guess those relatives also helped them figure out how to become legal citizens. Whatever happened to this sponsorship program? Eric, what do you mean by an “easier fashion?” Is speaking English one of the requirements? That may be many of the illegals biggest obstacle. What is the citizenship procedure? I know people who have become citizens in the past 10 years and didn’t think it was that difficult. But then they came here with a Visa or whatever you have to have.
LT, you’re the idiot. There is no security gate at the loading dock at GJAC. Any truck can back right up to the loading dock. I know, because I’ve done it. Getting into the building from the loading dock is a different matter, however. The only “security gate” is the gated access into the employee parking deck. I navigated GJAC in a cast with a broken foot several years ago and I don’t ever care to do it again. That was when the handicapped parking was actually next to the building.
As for the relocation of the handicapped parking spots in the front of the building, it was not done right after 9/11, it was several YEARS later.
Smoking is prohibited within 20 feet of the entrance doors to GJAC. Employees are not allowed to smoke anywhere but in their own personal vehicles. Used to be a smoking area on the patio out back behind the cafeteria, but access changed when the metal detectors were put in coming from the employee parking area, and now the building is supposed to be smoke free anyway.
As to the distance from the parking lot, it’s still a hike from the handicapped spots out front to the front door. My son uses a walker to get around, but we’d have to put him in his wheelchair due to the distance and those stupid stones at the entrance. Walker wheels get snagged in the cracks way too easily.
something all of you well-mannered commenters should keep in mind is that any disability is going to have different effects on different people. COPD will not affect Bruce the same way in affects someone else, and everyone will have good days and bad days. Until you’ve been in their shoes, you don’t know what they are dealing with and what their actual limitations are.
As for handicapped parking spaces….it’s not just the proximity to the door that’s an issue. You need space next to the vehicle to unload a wheelchair or a walker or whatever other medical equipment that’s coming along, and regular spaces don’t have that.
And I know LT will have something inane to fire back at me, which is fine, because I’m not coming back to read it.
I know I sound like a broken record on this one but my subdivision has had several major drug busts in it and the largest one involved two houses with 19 illegals living in them. Do any of you read or watch the news? Gwinnett is one of the major hubs in the U.S. for the Mexican drug cartels. We need to beef up our programs for God’s sake. I’m sorry that there are hardworking illegals here that feel like they are being picked on but until we get this county’s drug problems cleaned up, I am all for more stringent rules.
Eric – way to deflect the true problem. There were no immigration laws when the Europeans came to America. I am sick and tired of that straw man argument (look it up). It is NOW illegal to sneak into this country and live here without going through the proper channels. The people who do so know it, and they don’t care. Come back when you can argue the true problem rationally, Eric.
EUSEBIO JUARZE-MONTES
1137 FOREST VALLEY LANE #B3
NORCROSS GA 30093
Admitted: 3/23/2009 9:10 PM
Charges: CHILD MOLESTATION/AGG CHILD MOLES
RAPE
JESUS BENITEZ-MENDOZA
1119 HAMPTON RIDGE DR
NORCROSS GA 30093
Admitted: 3/22/2009 7:45 PM
Charges: CHILD MOLESTATION/AGG CHILD MOLES
Yep, Just some hardworking honest people. I hope these honest hardworking people don’t move in next door.
Now Obama has sent the Janet Napolatino after the program so his Aunty can stay in America illegally.
**Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has already ordered a review of the program. A top official at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is set to testify at a Congressional hearing today.**
**Known as 287(g), a reference to the section of a 1996 law authorizing it, the program has been promoted by immigration officials as an important tool in deporting serious criminals. It has also enjoyed the strong support of some local law enforcement agencies, including here in Maricopa County, where the sheriff operates the largest program, with 160 trained deputies.**
Just more Hope and Change. Strictly amateur hour in the White House.
The great Gil Favor (from the old TV series Rawhide) put it best: Head em up, move em out! There are already more than enough nice, hard working criminals with excuses crudding up our neighborhoods. Yes, it’s terrible to split up families – package deal, send them ALL back.
I get so sick of this one sided argument on illegals in this country,as long as the people being talked about are people of color we seem to forget about the illegal Europeans from places like Ireland,who out number legal citizens in some neighborhoods of Boston,Mass.
Eric, this was a stupid comment: “The Pilgrims were illegal when they arrived, yet we have no problem celebrating Thanksgiving.”
There was no immigration law for the Pilgrims to violate. Today, there is; and the law exists for good reason.
The debate over 287(g) and local action on illegal immigration ended for me when the federal government announced that Gwinnett had become the southeastern distribution center for Mexican drug cartels.
The County Commission and law enforcement authorities cannot do enough to address this problem; the emotion-driven illegal alien apologists be damned!
James McCoy – I ran a google search on the Irish drug cartels and how they were causing crime in Boston and guess what? The only links were to stories in Irish papers/websites about the Mexican drug cartels.
Rednecks,nativists, and ethnocentrist, be damned Bob G. I’ll take the illegals any day. These local bubbas aren’t doing a damn thing to combat any cartel with workplace roundups and other such harrassment of these immigrants. Sooner or later Gwinnett, Cobb, and some of these other bubbavilles will get sued into oblivion after their brigade of Barney Fifes profile and harrass the wrong LEGAL immigrant just because of their skin tone or accent.
For every illegal in this country committing a crime, there are natual born citizens committing the exact types of crimes. As a citizen, I don’t like the idea of kicking people out once they have arrived. I am a proponent of keeping the borders tightly gaurded, which we fell to do every day.
If we did a better job, we wouldn’t have the problem we are facing today. We should also create a better system for people who want to enter the country legally. In the past, we have not allowed certain groups access to enter this country legally. It’s usually people with money or who have friends and family in high places, who get the first opportunity to enter this country. That’s not entirely fair. Also, students come from all over the world, but not everyone has had the education to become a college student in this country.
In my opinions, the indians should have maintained better border patrol. Some people seem to forget about our migration into the new world and it wasn’t by invitation.
Eric you see the Pilgrims were white Europeans which gave them full rights to invade other lands and murder the native people, the United States carries on that tradition.
As far as making it easier, people here have short memories, just last year the bush/McCain/Kennedy bill would have done that, plus it would tax illegals putting a lot more change in the pot. But no, it was defeated, guess it’s better to keep it like it is.
Make Pot legal, there goes many of your drug cartels right there.
What’s really funny, we have built a stadium in a year, yet we cannot figure out the 287g program?
Ya, cause the drug cartels mostly deal in pot. I have no problems with illegals. I do have problems with crime. So far since living here, all the crimes that have happened to me have been from blacks. I’m not trying to be racist, I’m just saying what has happened to me.
I am tired of 8 cars in my neighbor’s driveway. I am tired of getting stared down when I walk my dog. I know when I go to sell my house, no one will want to buy into this neighborhood. Living in Gwinnett has become very very sad.
Everyone who wishes illegals would be granted amnesty or provided some sweet little convenient path to citizenship…since they’re here anyway…should not only miss them when they’re deported, but perhaps go along with them. I’m sure their native-country will welcome you with open arms, don’t-cha think? Yeah right.
To argue the point of what “was” (used to be) is counterproductive and a substitute for the fact that you have nothing of merit to contribute to the subject matter at hand. Your compassion and unwillingness to hurt illegal immigrants feelings has taken over. Look at the economy now. Open your eyes. When it truly affects you, you’ll sing a different tune.
As far as saying for every illegal who commits a crime, there’s a natural born citizen doing the same thing…i’m not sure there’s a true correlation there. The old saying “What’s good for goose is good for the gander comes to mind.” One rule doesn’t always fit. Sometimes it’s because the one’s we’re trying to enforce the rules on think they’re above them.
It’s a problem. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
P.S. Race baiting isn’t a valid discussion point either. Using insults adds nothing to the character of your comments…if anything, it actually takes something away from the merit of your content.
I concur. Just because a citizen does it doesn’t mean it’s OK for an illegal to do it.
We have enough criminals in this country. We don’t need to import anymore.
For Dawgbite:
**Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes Institute in Atlanta analyzed 1,500 cases from January 1999 through April 2006 that included serial rapes, serial murders, sexual homicides and child molestation committed by illegal immigrants. **
**She found that while the offenders were located in 36 states, most were in states with the highest numbers of illegal immigrants. California had the most offenders, followed by Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Florida. **
**Schurman-Kauflin concluded that, based on a figure of 12 million illegal immigrants and the fact that more of this population is male than average, sex offenders among illegals make up a higher percentage than offenders in the general population. **
On the one hand, the quote means nothing because most people on Earth are nice, hard-working people. OTOH, support for illegal activity in a major segment in most Hispanic communities is a major problem. We can’t allow one group to think that our laws don’t apply to them.
By the time the feds finish with Gwinnett County, the guidelines will probably be so watered down that it’s not even effective to go forward with the program. Gwinnett has ALOT of illegals…and THAT folks, is expensive to rectify. Expensive during a time when there’s no money to put towards something like 287g. Probably will be swept under a rug somewhere until Obama can either implement an amnesty program or until it’s no longer a viable option for Sheriff Conway to even continue to pursue for us. He’s pretty much the only county official who’s working toward the goal. The others don’t even care enough to enforce measures already in place, and actively look for loop-holes, to ensure they maintain all revenue flow possible.
Immigrants are responsible for a far lower percentage of crime than any other demographic in this country. Crimes against children are committed at a much higher rate by caucasians than any other group and that is a verifiable fact. Your facts are nothing but Red Herrings LT5000.
Bull Connor must hold a place of honor in your home Cindy. Yeah, old Bull and Sheriff Conway certainly have reservations in the Buford T. Justice Hall of Fame.
Illegal immigration doesn’t hold a place near nor dear in my heart, so if that, to you, translates into something else, that’s in your mind. However, it doesn’t make it a fact. Saying stuff like that, unfortunately doesn’t forward your agenda either. Basically, you’re deflecting from the topic by making a sharp turn and trying to steer the conversation into race baiting. It’s not about race. It’s about breaking the law.
I made valid, supported, well-thought out points. You countered them by bringing up Southern Racism. That particular matter has no seat at this table no matter how accusatory anyone tries to present it as fact. To mention Bull Connor and Sheriff Conway in the same context speaks volumes of how loudly you’ll speak to detract readers from noticing you’re not presenting anything of value. Like-minded people will now follow suit. Others who can think for themselves will see right through the ploy.
Not to detract from 287g…but where’d that saying come from anyway? You might be surprised just how bad azz school girls can be. And then they grow up to be women. I’m just saying.
**On June 30, 2006, an estimated 4.8% of black men were in prison or jail, compared to 1.9% of Hispanic men and 0.7% of white men.
For the 12 months ending June 30, 2006, State systems reported a larger increase than the Federal system in the number of inmates housed in private prisons. **
**Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for
– men (11.3%) than for women (1.8%)
– blacks (18.6%) and Hispanics (10%) than for whites (3.4%)**
JG and Dawgbite. Those darn facts get in the way of your storytelling.
Feel free to post data that proves me wrong. Otherwise you are just fools.
Brucie you really need to get over dumb yourself. Sore losers come up with anything rather than admit they lost. Pride can really be a down fall of a person. Delois stole all your thunder Brucie. You gotta love it when a phony liberal agenda falls apart. I mean, just saying.
Oh and Brucie when you build things to spec, sometimes that 1 or 2 hour fire rated door or wall that someone didn’t know about or ever cared to read about in a spec book, means they are alive to tell about the fire they escaped.
Unfortunately, they are also in the country illegally, a detail that can’t be overlooked, don’t you think?
No that detail can’t be overlooked, honest people don’t break the law, dishonest people do and none of the phony excuses made by regurgitating past history or playing on a skin color or judging how hard they do or do not work makes one bit of difference.
This is 2009 and America is a nation of laws, fortunately.
Illegal aliens can leave by their own choice or they can be deported by our laws but they cannot be given amnesty in any form and they cannot be allowed to remain in this country. They can go back home, immigrate legally the right way, for the right purpose and become English speaking Americans like all the rest who have immigrated legally and played by all the rules and naturalize into U.S. Citizenship.
Cindy, It’s very UnAmerican of you to tell others who are citizen of this country to LEAVE, just because you don’t agree with their opinion. I would like to offer you the same option.
Furthermore, I find your statement below hilarious.
***To argue the point of what “was” (used to be) is counterproductive and a substitute for the fact that you have nothing of merit to contribute to the subject matter at hand. Your compassion and unwillingness to hurt illegal immigrants feelings has taken over. Look at the economy now. Open your eyes. When it truly affects you, you’ll sing a different tune. *****
FYI.. …
Cindy,
Illegal’s do not have anything to do with why our economy is in such despair. Also, you obviously don’t have anything to contribute, because you can’t SEE past your hate of other people who do not look like you do. The immigration law would probably have been a great Supreme Court case, but it was probably make law during a time when the white elite in this country, had more influence than they should have been allowed to maintain. If I were the children of illegal immigrants, I would challenge all deportation of my parents at the Supreme Court level.
LT5000 –
The stats you use only point to the disparity in the legal system. There are many instances when whites should be incarcerated for the same crimes that blacks and Hispanics are speedily placed into our prison system. The other reasons would be non-minorities ability to afford better defense attorneys, because they usually have higher incomes or parents with higher incomes. They also get a “get out of jail free card” because of Judges and jurors who look like they do and sympathize with them. Then there are instances when the crime is not documented, because they want to keep the crime stats down in a particular area, due to income influence.
10 Things You Need to Know about 287(g): A Response to the ACLU/UNC Study
Dr. Jameson Taylor | March 24, 2009
In mid-February 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina and the Immigration and Human Rights Policy Clinic of UNC-Chapel Hill issued a report declaring that the 287(g) program should be eliminated because it is “too problematic, too costly, and too difficult to implement.” The 287(g) program is a federal-local partnership that trains local law enforcement to enforce immigration law. Seven North Carolina counties, along with the city of Durham, currently participate in 287(g).
Even as the ACLU asserts that 287(g) is an “ineffective means of immigration enforcement,” the group complains that the initiative is “a powerful immigration enforcement program” being “used indiscriminately to find, arrest, detain, and remove immigrants.” As the ACLU would have it, 287(g) is not actually intended to help local law enforcement officers enforce immigration law, as such. Rather, they contend that 287(g) should be limited to deporting illegal aliens convicted of a felony. Based on this presupposition, the ACLU claims that North Carolina’s local law enforcement officers are misusing 287(g) to arrest misdemeanor offenders, and in so doing, are engaging in racial profiling against Hispanics. These accusations are addressed below:
Claim #1: “The 287(g) program was originally intended to target and remove undocumented immigrants convicted of ‘violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering.’”
The Truth: The statutory language (see the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, § 133) authorizing 287(g) in no way restricts the program’s applicability to “serious” criminals or felons, but is specifically intended to encourage local law enforcement to help enforce immigration law. The quote used above is taken from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fact sheet stating that 287(g) provides local law enforcement with the “necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations” related to the above crimes. The document does not indicate that 287(g) enforcement is limited only to “serious” crimes. As confirmed by a January 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), “agencies participating in the 287(g) program are not prohibited from seeking the assistance of ICE for aliens arrested for minor offenses” – albeit the report cautions that focusing on minor offenses could place a strain on ICE resources. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, is already looking at alternative detention methods that could be used to accommodate “minor” offenders.
Claim #2: The majority of 287(g) arrests are for misdemeanors
The Truth: It is true that the majority of 287(g) arrests are for misdemeanors. This fact indicates that 287(g) offenders are being treated no differently than any other group because most arrests are for misdemeanors. If anything, 287(g) offenders are less – not more – likely to be arrested merely for a misdemeanor. Alamance County’s 287(g) program, for instance, resulted in an 80 percent misdemeanor arrest rate in 2007. Yet, statewide, 84 percent of total convictions for the 2006-07 fiscal year were for misdemeanors.
Moreover, it is well established that misdemeanor offenders are more likely than non-offenders to commit more serious crimes in the future. A 15-year study by the U.S. Department of Justice likewise found that so-called less serious offenders (property offenses, drug offenses and public order offenses) actually had higher recidivism rates than offenders convicted of more serious crimes like rape, assault or robbery. Consider also that four of the 9/11 terrorist hijackers — Mohammed Atta, Nawaf al Hazmi, Hani Hanjour and Ziad Jarrah – were pulled over for routine traffic stops in the six months prior to 9/11. In all four instances, local law enforcement could have arrested the terrorists for immigration violations. If those arrests had taken place, the loss of 2,996 American lives might have been prevented.
Claim #3: “287(g) encourages, or at the very least tolerates, racial profiling and baseless stereotyping.”
The Truth: This accusation can be understood in two ways: either there is something about the 287(g) program in itself that encourages racial profiling or the program is being misused in a manner that encourages racial profiling. The first accusation is entirely without merit. As even the ACLU acknowledges, under North Carolina’s “detention-model” 287(g) programs, “the general rule applies regarding the prohibition against law enforcement stopping, detaining, or seizing individuals based on racial characteristics.” While the second charge might have merit, it remains unproven.
Claim #4: “Anecdotal evidence and other data suggest that § 287(g)-deputized law enforcement officers in some North Carolina counties are violating legal standards and engaging in racial profiling by stopping motorists in the community who appear to be Hispanic/Latino.”
The Truth: Anecdotal evidence is insufficient to prove that North Carolina’s law enforcement officers are abusing the 287(g) program. This is especially the case insofar as this evidence is taken from persons who, by and large, are already violating immigration law. It is unclear what “other data” the ACLU possesses that would prove 287(g) officers in North Carolina are engaging in racial profiling. It seems the ACLU’s claims here are based on the following three documents: a survey on Tennessee traffic stops written by a pro-immigration group based in Nashville; a law review article acknowledging “there have been no official racial profiling complaints filed against [287(g)] officers”; and an apparently unpublished review of traffic stops in Mecklenburg and Alamance counties. The latter study, written by professors working with the Latino Migration Project at UNC-Chapel Hill, found a significant increase in the number of Hispanics cited for driving without a license between July 2005 and December 2007. This is hardly a smoking gun given that North Carolina finally stopped issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens in 2007.
Claim #5: Using race or ethnicity as a factor in investigating crime is always wrong.
The Truth: It is important to distinguish racial profiling from what law enforcement experts refer to as criminal profiling. Racial, or bias-based, profiling entails using race or some other personal factor (gender, religion, etc.) to establish probable cause. Criminal profiling is based on observed facts and, as such, may include personal factors such as race, gender or religion when such factors are relevant to identifying a suspect. According to the National Latino Peace Officers’ Association: “Criminal profiling is a bona fide activity that helps in focusing attention on persons likely to engage in specific crimes based on behaviors, not race.” When implemented as intended, 287(g) relies on self-selecting behavior, not race or ethnicity, as a trigger for checking immigration status. This is because in order for a 287(g) check to be run, a person must first be arrested for a non-immigration related offense.
Claim #6: 287(g) is having “detrimental effects on North Carolina’s communities.”
The Truth: The vast majority of North Carolina’s citizens support 287(g). According to Civitas’ polling:
88% of N.C. voters support county participation in the 287(g) program (July 2007);
91% support giving law enforcement officers the technology needed to confirm the identity and legal status of a driver who does not possess a valid driver’s license (April 2008);
89% support allowing police officers to ask arrestees if they are legal residents of the United States (September 2007);
73% think their local government needs to do more to combat illegal immigration (September 2008).
The GAO likewise indicates that participating law enforcement agencies believe 287(g) has made their communities safer and “improved the quality of life for the community.” These same agencies also acknowledge that while some members of the Hispanic community – 78 percent of illegal aliens are Hispanic – were afraid of possible deportation, nearly every 287(g) locality had conducted public outreach aimed at allaying these concerns.
Claim #7: The 287(g) program fosters “a fear of law enforcement that causes immigrant communities to refrain from reporting crimes.”
The Truth: It is important here to distinguish between legal immigrants and illegal aliens. Given that illegal immigration is a crime, it would be strange if illegal aliens were not afraid of being deported. More to the point, the ACLU provides no objective evidence that legal immigrants who have committed no other crimes are generally afraid of law enforcement because of 287(g). Indeed, the report indicates that “many immigrant crimes are not reported” for reasons that have nothing to do with 287(g). The fact is that 287(g) can make even illegal immigrant communities safer by deporting criminal illegal aliens who prey on other illegals. Consider, for instance, the case of Francisco Martinez, who was stopped by Raleigh police one night in May 2008 and found to have an expired license. Instead of arresting him, police let Martinez go. Six hours later, he killed three other illegal aliens in a drunk-driving accident. Had Martinez been arrested and flagged for deportation under 287(g), his victims would still be alive.
Claim #8: Immigration law is too “complicated” to expect local law enforcement to assist in enforcement.
The Truth: 287(g) does not require intricate knowledge of immigration law. The program merely facilitates the identification of illegal aliens by making it easier for local police to ask ICE to verify immigration status. After an arrest has been made, local law enforcement merely submits identifying information to ICE, which then makes a determination as to whether an offender should be detained for deportation. Here we might also add that according to numerous courts and the Department of Justice, it is a “well-settled” fact that local law enforcement officers are permitted to enforce federal statutes and that as “sovereign entities,” states and localities “have the inherent authority to enforce civil and criminal violations of federal immigration law.”
Claim #9: 287(g) has caused “economic devastation for already struggling municipalities, as immigrants are forced to flee communities, causing a loss of profits for local businesses and a decrease in tax revenues.”
The Truth: Illegal immigration has both costs and benefits. Employers who hire illegal aliens benefit the most by paying low wages and shifting healthcare costs to taxpayers. Employers who obey the law suffer most, as do low-income American workers, whose wages have declined owing to illegal immigration. Likewise, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that “the cost of providing public services to unauthorized immigrants at the state and local levels exceeds what this population pays in state and local taxes” (December 2007). Here in North Carolina the myth that illegal aliens are paying their own way has been perpetuated by a report (Kasarda and Johnson, 2006) sponsored by the Mexican consulate in Raleigh. Yet, even this study admits that Hispanic residents (the report makes no distinction between legal residents and illegal aliens) impose a net burden of $102 per capita. The report also undercounts costs, leaving out school construction costs, transportation costs, law enforcement costs, water and sewerage usage, electricity usage, pollution impacts and other budgetary impacts.
Claim #10: The ACLU wants to “improve” 287(g).
The Truth: Given ICE’s track record, it should come as no surprise that the federal agency that administers 287(g) needs to manage the program better. Already in January 2009, under the guidance of the GAO, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began to take steps to implement additional internal controls over 287(g). The impression one gets from the ACLU report, however, is that local sheriffs cannot be trusted to enforce federal law, such that their participation in 287(g) must be so heavily regulated as to make the program practically unworkable.
Indeed, the ACLU argues that “ultimately, the most obvious and effective way to eliminate the problems associated with 287(g) implementation is to eliminate the 287(g) program altogether.” Likewise, the organization is seeking the nullification of all prior 287(g) agreements, “in order to return all federal immigration enforcement powers to DHS only.”
Conclusion
Congress authorized 287(g) because the federal government understood it could not enforce immigration law without the assistance of local law enforcement. Consider that there are an estimated 11 million to 40 million illegal aliens in the United States. By comparison, ICE employs about 2,000 agents dedicated to interior enforcement, such that there are anywhere from 5,500 to 20,000 illegal aliens per agent. Yet, there are some 800,000 local law enforcement officers throughout the United States – making for a ratio of 50 to 1. This is not to say that every local police officer should devote the majority of their time to immigration enforcement. Rather, targeted enforcement, such as that facilitated by 287(g), will send the message that America’s communities are united in combating illegal immigration and upholding the dignity of the rule of law. It is only upon this basis that true immigration reform can occur.
Dr. Jameson Taylor is a senior policy fellow with the Civitas Institute
With the widespread murderous violence between warring Mexican drug cartels spilling over the U.S. border and the continuing threat from radical Islamic terrorists domestic and foreign, the government has to spend its law enforcement dollars where they can do the most good. Yet Democratic leaders in Congress and the Obama administration appear ready to scale back one of the most successful and cost-effective immigration law enforcement programs ever launched.
This program, known as 287(g), allows police, sheriffs, and other local law enforcement agencies to provide direct assistance to federal agents in identifying illegal alien criminals and putting them on the path to removal from the country. By expediting the removal of foreign lawbreakers, 287(g) saves taxpayers money.
Its cost: about $60 million over the last three fiscal years. In contrast, ICE spent more than ten times that annual cost — about $219 million — last year alone to remove 34,000 aliens under the fugitive operations program. There are local benefits, too; the Arizona Department of Public Safety saved nearly $3 million in incarceration costs in just the first year.
Currently, illegal aliens who make it past border patrol agents, consular officers and port of entry inspectors are largely home free. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has just a few thousand agents, concentrated in cities, to deal with a widely scattered illegal population that recently reached 12 million, including nearly seven million in the work force and as many as 400,000 in jails and prisons. This mismatch works well for illegal aliens, especially the criminals.
For a long time, local communities have been stuck with the economic and social consequences. But in 1996, Congress heeded their pleas and gave them this tool to address public safety problems associated with illegal immigration and help out the feds at the same time…. (MORE at: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31130 )
HavingMySay, “Illegal’s do not have anything to do with why our economy is in such despair”? How about them taking jobs away from Americans? How about them sending money home that never sees it’s way back into our economy? Take off those rose colored glasses and see the truth.
It’s simple. Illegal aliens are breaking the law. Period. End of story. I don’t care if they’re white (Polish, Bulgarian, Bosnian, etc.), black, hispanic. I don’t care. They are breaking the law.
What jobs? You are too lazy to cut your own grass. Not only that, since the economy has been in decline, the number of illegals have declined.
The decline in the number of hispanics in metro Atlanta has been the talk amongst, my friends and I.
Haven’t you been keeping up with the reports that show some neighboorhoods that were running over with illegal immigrants that are now completely empty. I was on Buford highway with a few friends for lunch and we were amazed.
So, in my opinion the laws for immigration are about to become MUTE. Now, is the time to close the border and amend the immigration laws.
Bruce didn’t call out LT. Bruce joined in behing Baddie as if he had something to do with it, but he didn’t. It was all Rick. I hate it when people ride others coattails. LT owns Bruce. Rick owns LT. Got it? Let’s put it behind us now.
LT5000, My memory is fine. Rick called you out, and your belly turned yellow. So, when is the bout?
Steve
Bruce didn’t call out LT. Bruce joined in behing Baddie as if he had something to do with it, but he didn’t. It was all Rick. I hate it when people ride others coattails. LT owns Bruce. Rick owns LT. Got it? Let’s put it behind us now.
You are right Steve, the damage is done. It looks like LT has old Bruce worked up and Rick scared old LT
Jobs are irrelevant. I don’t care if I’m too lazy to cut my own grass or flip my own burgers. It’s simple. Illegal aliens are breaking the law. Period. End of story. I don’t care if they’re white (Polish, Bulgarian, Bosnian, etc.), black, hispanic. I don’t care. They are breaking the law. If many leave because jobs are gone, I don’t care. They ALL need to go.
If I break the law, I get punished, be it murder, assault, DUI, what have you. Why should they not get punished? Because they need the work? I applied at Publix, because I needed extra $$$ to pay my bills. They weren’t hiring, all the positions were filled. I went to get some cubed meat for a stew I was making. The “butcher” needed to bring in a translator to take my order, because he couldn’t understand what I was saying.
If he’s here legally, then Publix needs to do a better job at customer service orientation. If he’s not, then I’ve been paying for almost 30 years taxes and unemployment what this guy hasn’t paid doodly squat to do a job that I – or any tax paying citizen -wants and a job to which he’s not entitled.
I have a hard enough time providing for myself. Congress and Wall Street exact their heavy tolls. I will donate to charity because I want to. You nor anybody of your ilk will make me donate because I have to. It’s that simple.
No one has addressed the cost of removing 12 million illegals from the country, nor how much manpower it would take, would it be a house to house search, roadblocks, warrents or no warrants, trial or no trial?
Why doesn’t someone like Lou Dobbs ever address it? People throw out solutions, but never mention the price?
Southern conservatives are boo-hooing over President Obama’s budget, the very same people who remained mute when bush whats driving us into the ground with his. Just imagine what the cost will be, billions or maybe over a trillion, then add keeping them there.
Bruce,
I tried to stear the conversation that way toward a cost and manpower discussion. What I got in return was emotion-based accusations because I hold an opinion somewhat different than a few other bloggers.
There won’t be any house-to-house search and seizures (hope I spelled that right and used the correct word). In Gwinnett, it will be hard enough to detain and deport the people who blatantly offend. Our cops don’t get bored and just go out looking for people who look illegal and if i’m not mistaken, the deputies who would be participating in the 287g program (if and when we get it) will be working within the sheriff’s dept. They won’t be out trying to drum up business either. The customers will be delivered to their door. Right? That’s my take on it anyway. I welcome any additional (accurate) information.
HavingMySay,
Perhaps you’re mistaken what “unAmerican” is. Maybe you’re unaware of the drain on our economy because you simply don’t understand anything other than being nice to people and welcoming everyone with open arms. That’s really NOT a bad thing. In retrospect I can even remember being able to relate to what you must be feeling.
However, in modern times, I can’t help but notice the strain not only on a national level, but on our local governments who are at their wits end trying to figure out which end is up. Revenue is what is was all about. More people, more money spent in our communities, right? Wrong. Take into consideration the fact that alot of the money illegal immigrants made over the past 10 years has been wired out of the United States to support families living elsewhere. Money FROM U.S. Citizens hands but not returned to U.S. economy.
I understand there’s only so many ways to say that before it sounds oh so boring and just plain redundant. So next, i’ll mention how many local dollars it takes to support our ever-growing school system. Tell ya what, go to the schools. Don’t take my word for it. Come back and report to us what you find there.
Then go to DFACS. Let us know what you find there too. But to give a truly accurate snapshot, you probably would’ve seen more of the big picture a year or two ago. Some of them might not be sitting in the waiting area now. Besides that, the counties aren’t sending their employees out now to area business parking lots asking illegals to come please sign up for assitance.
Now these things, I’ve said all of them before. But, I can’t figure out how you presume to know me, my race, my belief system toward others, or anything else that you accuse me of. You seem to think that anyone who doesn’t share your thoughts must be whitey and out to oppress anyone who is non-white, blond-haired, blue-eyed. About this, it is fruitless to further discuss it, as you already have your mind made up and I really don’t even care.
The natural-born children of illegal immigrants who you say should challenge the Supreme Court about their parents deportation…this too is bait and switch of yours. You’re trying to not discuss the topic of the blog and point fingers at everyone else, throw up a bunch of smoke and mirrors just so you can protest deportation and campaign for us to love everyone and shut the heck up. We’ve all sat around now for over a decade while our country has been permeated by illegal immigrants who’ve done not much other than bend the U.S. over and without so much as even a kiss. And up til now, we’ve taken it with a smile.
Cindy
Look at it this way, the 287g program is nothing more than just another feel good law. Sure it will send a few back, maybe break up a family for awhile, empty a driveway of one truck for a week or so, but it keeps the townfolk happy, man if that’s what the people need to shut them up, go for it.
Now as the Bleeding Heart Liberal I am, which everyone knows I am, but I’m proud of the label, I’m sure you’ll understand why I don’t like the program. Last year in Mexico 7,000 people were killed by drug cartels with guns and money supplied from this country. That’s more than we lost in the two wars we’re fighting, the difference, this is in one year. Do you want to send families into a war zone where the death toll is higher than both Iraq and Afganistan? We invade a country in the Middle East that had no air force, no navy, no nukes, no chemical weapons because they were such a danger to us and ignored our neighbors.
Tell me the truth Cindy, if you were living in a war zone, wouldn’t you try to escape with your family to your neighbor to the North?
This administration is sending more enforcement to the boarder, if people ever read the news. Nickle and dimeing a problem never works, show me the money.
As I said before make Pot legal, Nixon wanted to treat drugs as an addiction just as we do drunks, no one listened. Look whats happened, the drunks are fined, pot smokers jailed? Bet drunks kill more on the road than pot smokers.
The open borders lobby and ethnocentric groups thrive on disinformation and emotional rancor Cindy: So don’t expect to see much in the way of accurate information. You are right our police don’t need to create crime just to have something to do or to justify having a job and there are enough legal means under the law if our police and other authorized federal agents are allowed to use those lawful means to remove illegal aliens for deportation without implementing a house to house search or unlawfully kicking down doors.
Unfortunately, Obama and his administration, certain members of Congress, the open borders lobby and ethnocentric groups are making concerted efforts to dismantle every legal and lawful means to eradicate illegal immigration and illegal workers in this country with a great expediency: Not funding 287 g, stopping worksite inspections, stopping no match SS lettersand, ending E-Verify or any other legal means of confirming legal status; anything that will prevent legal deportations from occurring.
Even with the threats now posed on the southern border and within the country itself by Mexican drug cartels, Obama delays sending the only force able to secure the border, our military. Despite even Senator Joe Lieberman declaring a clear and present danger exists at the southern border and that inadequate resources are being deployed to confront that present danger.
Yes Cindy the truthfulness that we know is bad enough, we don’t have to lie or invent bogeymen. Like you said, they came to us or they are coming to us by means of their own criminal choice and we didn’t commit the crime of dragging any of them across our borders illegally to live here in a criminal residency.
Smith
Delois and yourself should really read the article again, please point out where I said it was for me? I turned up the O2, made it inside, walked around and talked sa bit as I pointed out what could/should be done. I had to rest on the way back to the parking lot, lucky for me the only bench was empty. Both your attacks make you look like the fools you are.
GJAC employee, the smoking area I’m pointing out is around the monument out front, just before the “NO SMOKING PASS THIS POINT” sign. I don’t know if they’re employee’s or visitors, but those special butt collectors are/were, hopefully have been removed, are there.
To really nit-pick, the Handicapped Parking sign coming in has the old arrow pointing staight ahead which would lead some poor soul to run into the safety shield, which means you must be a terrorist. The sign hasn’t been changed since the county decided it was a main target in 2006.
You see delois and smith, your kind knowledge goes down with one flush, well smiths usally takes two.
So now smith and Joe Lieberman want our military on the boarder with Mexico, so Joe and you want to declare Marshal Law, otherwise it’s another damn invasion. May I ask where your buddy Joe and you plan to get the military?
Our DEPLETED military, the National Guard, once weekend warriors, are now harden front lines soldiers who get re-cycled for a year at best only to return to the front. Now Joe and you don’t even want to give them a break, whats next a National Police Force?
The President Obama’s administration has been in power, what 70 days, yet all these ills just showed up. The parrot of Lou Dobbs offer all the solutions, yet can never tell where the $$$$ comes from or our military?
“…everybody that can get out of my community chooses to do so because of the influx of illegals. That’s just the reality of it and there nothing racist about that,”
Unless Loretta Jakubowski has access to the Department of Homeland Securities Database, she has no idea who is here illegal or not. So if people are moving just because there neighborhood are getting an inlfux of Latinos or Asians or both…it is called “WHITE FLIGHT” and it is a result of prejudice and a form of racism.
I think we should give Buford Highway back to Mexico, where it rightfully belongs. Just like we should give Cobb County back to Alabama, where it rightfully belongs.
And give this newspaper back to Charmins.
Hey AJC editors: PMS called. It wants its rag back.
The only way I would be scared of these two is if I had to read Badie’s articles to my dying day while listening to tapes of Brucie’s Anti-American rants.
And while Badie blubbers, the AJC dies a slow painful death due to incompetent writers like Badie. Time for Badie to get that resume into Denny’s. A job he is much better suited for.
**The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Wednesday it will cut its full-time news staff by about 90 people, or nearly 30 percent, to lower costs as it tries to regain profitability amid a severe revenue slump.**
**The company also announced it will eliminate distribution to seven more outlying counties, reducing its circulation area to 20 metro Atlanta counties, effective April 26. The cutback will pare daily and Sunday circulation by 2 percent.**
**The AJC’s news staff will drop to about 230 full-time positions, down from about 323 currently. Staff members with five or more years with the company will be offered voluntary buyouts, with layoffs to follow if they don’t achieve the targeted cuts, the company said.**
March 25th, 2009We’ve all sat around now for over a decade while our country has been permeated by illegal immigrants who’ve done not much other than bend the U.S. over and without so much as even a kiss. And up til now, we’ve taken it with a smile.
You should smile anytime anyone wants to bend you over Cindy. I bet that’s a rare thing indeed.
9:19 pm
Bruce,I see what you’re saying. But for counties who already have 287g in place, illegals know what they’re in for if they go there anyway and break the law. They’re also fully aware that Gwinnett County is fine to do whatever, we don’t have the current threat of deportation in place as a crime deterrent. Wouldn’t it be great to see a real number that shows the amount of money it costs Gwinnett County to house, school, jail and otherwise support illegal immigrants and their anchor-babies. Then a national number.
**Tell me the truth Cindy, if you were living in a war zone, wouldn’t you try to escape with your family to your neighbor to the North?**
The difference is Bruce, when the war-zone all moves here, and I have to escape to the North, I’ll do it legally and i’ll be documented as moving to my new location, and still responsible for my obligations I incur as being a U.S. Citizen.
The program isn’t just a feel-good measure but for now, it’s all we have. Our administration will dismantle it as they see fit though. We just have to be patient and accept it as we’re desensitized and made to like it. Speaking of of our military, I wonder how many illegals sign up to protect and serve the USA.
Know this: if we start rifling through populations of Hispanics in metro atlanta, there will be blood. There’s a generation long squatter’s justice entrenched in our midst. We can have some low grade civil war in a new york minute. Just start F’ing with the historically natural population migration across a border. Every bit of bad news in the story of man comes from cracking down on a perceived threat from some migration. It must be the path to political power: Simply point out the strange faces.
Populations migrate. They just do. You cant stop it. We only became a great planet because man is bigger than maps. You got the guts, you go down there and roust those Mexicans squatters. Go ‘head. Start a rebellion. That’s what Metro Atlanta needs.
HavingMySay, What jobs? The ones that were taken from Americans. And look around you fool. Those jobs consist of more than simply cutting grass. What about construction for example? Is is hard being a dumbass?
Mark he probably hides under a robe and hood as well. The LT5000s of the world are natural born cowards that have to hate to have any sense of self worth at all. Give me a hard working Mexican any day over trash like LT5000 and others of his ilk.
It’s usually a redneck bubba hiring the immigrants to work construction jobs.
Of course now that construction is slow, redneck bubba gets to sit around in the poor house, so he gets his just reward. He’s also probably sitting around trying to figure out how to pay his taxes right about now. Redneck bubba is also the one who gets to be held accountable when his workers fall down elevator chutes or when bridges collapse and noone on-site is a documented worker. Some of the redneck bubba’s can also be some of the ones who found themselves a wife from an off-shore location and brought her here, which in turn causes his view to be slightly different because of the confusion associating and comparing immigrants with illegal immigrants.
There are so many different contributing factors. It’s not so cut and dry. Pro’s and Con’s. Upsides and downsides. That’s why it’s so difficult to draw a line between compassion and…and…and…all of this.
HavingMySay, I failed to mention all the free healthcare we provide them, as well as living tax free. The illegals are a drain to this country’s economy in more ways than one. They need to be rounded up and deported, one way or another. Either by gov’t or by the citizens of this country. I belong to a group that’s ready to rid America of the filth when called upon. And it will be ugly, I can promise you.
…and we might not have so many people out there looking for jobs now. And if we did, it would just be the lazy, sorry a$$ ones who weren’t looking to work, anyway. And jobs might actually still be out there to look for, because all of the money wasn’t send out of the U.S. to support other countries economies. And we’re providing the health care also because bubba can hire illegals…they don’t expect benefits.
Vicious circle coming right up. Big picture ya’ll. Can’t cut and paste out the little inconvenient parts like splitting up families. I know it could get really expensive but maybe 287 should emcompass sending the whole family back. Might be more expensive to jump back over to the states a month later, that way too.
Chris Broe, “Go ‘head. Start a rebellion”. Oh, it’s coming. I am 1 of about 15,000 members of a group ready to do so. And we’re getting more soldiers every day. Unless something is done, then WE WILL take this country back.
Franklin Pierce, no dumbass. I am but one of over 15,000 true Americans who don’t just sit there and hope the problem fixes itself. What is your agenda Sir Franklin Pierce?
I guess Mark defines true American as only those that burn crosses in folks yards and posses the collective intellect of a flea. My agenda is to enjoy watching you “true Americans” bray like a herd of jackazzes about everything that isn’t just like you. It’s funny as hell to watch all that ignorance in action.
**That explains alot about how and why your belly turned yellow when Bruce called you out.**
Obviously your mother is also your aunt on your father’s side. Like Brucie the halfwit, you have no clue what you are talking about, but that doesn’t stop you from speaking.
Ignorant jerkoff (Franklin Pierce), “burn crosses in folks yards”?? I have no affiliation with the Aryan nation. I called Jackie what I did to match her “cracker” remark. We simply cannot let criminals running amok in this country. It takes away from our way of living and right to work. But you’ll still be there, sitting in your comfy chair, reading the NY Times….
Lol…Lol…Lol… It’s been awhile folks! I’m still laughing from the last blog and LT with his tail between his legs! Just what I always knew! If you’re not a female you are a classic example of
Napolean syndrome without a doubt! 140LBS?? Tee hee hee.
Anyway…just like the economic situation in this country, the problem with illegal immigrants is widespread as well. The answer, however, is not “legalizing” profiling and stereotyping. Unfortunately, Cindy, it does come back to the good old way things have been done and continue to be done in the South. Unable and unwwilling to accept changes.
It’s a new daggone day! We, the people, the world, have much bigger fish to be frying. Can we pull our servicemen out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Can we concentrate on fixing this great nation..ending the recession/depression? These problems we’re facing are not because we have too many illegal immigrants in the country. Let’s put all the ducks in a row and prioritize them. While it may be bothersome, 287g belongs at the bottom of the list.
NOWICUNVME,”Can we pull our servicemen out of Iraq and Afghanistan?” On a large scale, no. But a withdrawl is in sight. Then the troops can guard the borders of this country, after we rid Our country of illegal aliens.
Bottom line. The Democratic Party will come through with comprehensive immigration reform. Why? They counted the votes. No amount of braying from you throwback David Duke wannabes can stop it. Latinos are a powerful voting block now and they will band together against you scared crapless angry white folks. Furthermore, immigration as an issue doesn’t even hit double digits in importance to everyday Americans anymore. Most reasonable Americans can’t stand you nativist bigots either. Enjoy the outside looking in.
Idiots like you Mark are too stupid to know when the hand writing’s on the wall. The Dems don’t give a damn about a bunch of redneck bigots that don’t vote for them anyway. You and all you other daydreaming morons are done. You’re history. Comprehensive Immigration Reform will happen. Keep thinking it won’t and then cry us all a river when it does. You and those of your ilk are on the losing side of this one. SI SE PUEDE muthafuc$ers. Go stick one of your burning crosses up your stinky azz.
Franklin Pierce, Your whole post is mere speculation. And a tad angry. Next you’ll be telling me that most blacks didn’t vote for Obama because of his skin color. During a street interview I saw, reporters were asking blacks questions like ” So, what do you think of Obama’s running mate, Sarah Palin?” And questions of the like. They had no clue. One dude said that he “thought it was a good thing”. There were several more interviews like this, and it was amazing. The only thing the ones interviewed knew was the fact he was black, and they were going to vote for him. Nice voter base you have there…..
It’s getting ugly around here. Don’t agree with the premise that because a person wants illegal immigration addressed that they are an angry redneck. That’s absurd. Illegal immigration is a huge problem and especially in Gwinnett County. It doesn’t matter what country the illegals come from but let’s be real here most of the illegals in Gwinnett are Hispanic. They are truly a drain on the system. A lot of them have no health insurance, they have medicaid, they secure food stamps, they cannot speak English for the most part and now our schools have to have ESOL classes and teachers for that. Tell the folks in California that they don’t drain the system. The problem with 287g is that it’s going to be just another law on the books. Perhaps if the government enforced the laws that are already on the books we wouldn’t be having these discussions.
nana, don’t forget none of them have licenses or Insurance. They can’t unstand the national language (English), deal in drugs and violence, and decrease property values. Anyone have any pluses regarding illegal immigration? Besides making the big dog money?
President Obumer please read this now stop thimking about, just do it. And drop your un-American plans on immigration policy.
79% of Americans Want Military on Mexico Border
By Rasmussen Reports – March 16, 2009
Seventy-nine percent (79%) of U.S. voters now say the military should be used along the border with Mexico to protect American citizens if drug-related violence continues to grow in that area.
This marks a 21-point jump in support for the use of the U.S. military along the border in just two months.
Only 10% now say the military should not be used in that fashion, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national phone survey. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.
Republicans feel even more strongly about the use of the military than others. Ninety percent (90%) of GOP voters say the military should be used to protect U.S. citizens if the violence crosses into this country, compared to 72% of Democrats and 76% of voters not affiliated with either of the major parties.
President Obama has expressed concern about the rise of drug violence in Mexico and is reportedly considering sending the National Guard to the border if the high level of violence moves into this country.
Gov. Rick Perry asked Washington last month for 1,000 National Guard troops, to free up local police and sheriffs, and federal border, immigration and customs personnel. In McCain’s homestate of Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer has also asked for troops.
President Obumer can you here us now? Stop thinking just do it.
President Obumer can you hear us now? Stop thinking about it, do it, troops on the border works. You don’t need Mexico’s permission just a set of loyal American gonads.
Mexico says troops cut drug deaths in border city
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, March 23 (Reuters) – Mexico has dramatically cut drug murders in its most violent city on the U.S. border after deploying 7,500 soldiers earlier this month, the government said on Monday.
“The number of violent deaths linked to organized crime in Ciudad Juarez has fallen by more than 70 percent,” Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna said in a speech in the manufacturing city across from El Paso, Texas.
LT5000 – I just downloaded Google Earth to this laptop as I did not have it on this one. I would hope that it would be accurate. According to this latest version, it is about 266 feet from the front door to the edge of the bottom of the circle of the parking lot. To the closest handicapped parking space is another 79 feet or so for a total of 385 feet. These numbers are off by a few feet as I cannot determined the exact entrance to the building from the image Google has but for this discussion it is probably close enough. In any event, this is at least twice as far as you claimed.
Jais – This is blog about Gwinnet County. Covington is Newton County which is not even contiguous to Gwinnett. While the FEMA issue might need to be investigated, I fail to see why an opinion column about Gwinnett County should be held accountable for something going on 2 counties away.
To all that think that Rick replied with a challenge to fight, think again. It could lead to him losing his job. Anyone can use his name as their name on her. Further, when Rick legitimately replies, his name is highlighted in a different color. Just FYI.
My personal observation is that it is indeed a long way to the building for someone with a disability. I served on an extended jury assignement for a while in a cast for a broken foot and felt the uneven pavement and distance were issues. I agree that everyone reacts to a disability in a different way. I became much more sensitive to the issue as my father progressed from a cane to a walker to a wheelchair prior to his death and my own experiences. I’m a fairly big guy and understand how the internal doors could be an issue for someone with a disability.
Regarding the pavers, I know of a large local University that had to change the style of brick used in walking areas because of issues for women’s shoes. I don’t think us guys should comment on the suitability until we literally walk a mile in their shoes, in this case shoes with small area heels.
Amazing the lack of civility exhibited here! I fail to understand why those of you that are so adamant about Rick’s columns exert the effort to read and then argue so energetically and viscously. I guess it is the only forum some of you have or can ever hope to have. In any event, it is my opinion that you can and should argue factual errors but opinions are just that. I personally find Rick’s columns mostly entertaining and often educational and informative.
haha ya cause immigrants fall down elevator chutes and bridges are always falling down due to being built by illegals. Who is this dumb broad? Go bake me a pie.
This dumb broad is the one who presents the facts you’re too stupid to comprehend. Concern youself not so much with feeding your face, focus less on me and more on educating yourself on the going-ons in your community. Then maybe, just maybe, your comments won’t seem so ignorant (look it up…it means “unknowing of the facts”).
Bush was governor of Texas for eight years, President for eight years and this problem began on 1/20/2009 at noon?
I asked before smith, where do you get the military? You cry about the budget but never tell us how much this mass operation will cost, you want to send families into a war zone where 7,000 people were killed just last year alone. But you supported a invasion of a country that had no air force, no navy, no nukes or chemical weapons, to protect Iraqi’s from evil Saddam, you forget that bush asked, no begged for the McCain/Kennedy immigrantion reform bill.
You want Marshell Law turning the national Guard into a National Police Force.
Isn’t always Republicans who say we never pay attention to polls or the country should not be run by polls when they are in power, yet want Democrats to not only listen, but do exactly what the poll wants, strange reasoning indeed. The Republicans should have ran Rasmussen.
The embarrassed Republican smith is nothing more than a hypocrite.
Excuse me, that should be Martial Law. Bet 90% of those polled never heard of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, Title 18, Section 1385 of the U.S. Code., look it up.
Hank Greenberg ran that company as his own personal trash can for money for almost 40 years, and he got out before the stuff hit the fan. Hank Greenberg is Bernard Madoff times 50,000,000,000, but he’s being protected by a government too embarrassed to admit they all let it happen, a government too afraid of what will happen if the whole world knows that ALL INSURANCE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PONZI SCHEME. The bailouts are just like the IPO’s, and everybody knows that the IPO’s were just exit stategies for the insiders.
Don’t even get me started on that little Timmy Geithner gnome.
The FBI say that 80% of crime in the U.S. is gang-related. Observation shows that 80% of gang activity is ill eagle related. The gang capital of the southeast is Atlanta, specifically, Gwinnett, specifically, Duluth, and I have lived in Duluth for 20 years. These people ARE NOT honest, and if they ARE hard-working, I’m terrified of whatever they’re working so hard at doing.
Since we can’t even think about messing with the blacks anymore having the mexicans is actually a good thing. It gives white people something to take issue with since the blacks have buried us in political correctnes. The message has to stay out there that this is a white country, run by white people, and one where the white anglo saxon western European line will continue to dominate forever. If it warn’t for the damn mexicans we couldn’t be yelling loud and proud against the browning of America. This country belongs to us whites and always will.
Bruce Wilcox it’s because collectively most of these guys bashing the Mexicans are the lowest common denominator in our society and have a collective IQ of about 70. They’re too damn dumb to know that the bulk of financial crimes and human trafficking enterprises are run by lily white Eastern European and Chinese immigrants. Of course their color makes them no issue at all to white trash types like Mark and his posse of bigots.
Cindy, since we don’t have all of these problems in our community that you claim to have in yours, you are most likely pumping out talking points from someone like John Tanton or D.A. King. The Latinos in our neighborhood are great people, great neighbors, and I’ll take them over whining rednecks like you any day. They are a much better class of people than you are and a lot more interesting.
We are seeing children withdrawn from school because their families are moving away. Some of these children have told us that they are going back to Mexico. I am still waiting to see what happens. I want the goat roasting to stop in my neighborhood.
GT75, I recognize and duly make note of the fact that you couldn’t come here to discuss the topic, but only verbally rally against those whose opinion you don’t agree with. It is what it is…
Here is the 3rd illegal immigrant child molestor from Norcross arrested this week.
Are they molesting the children Americans are too lazy to molest?
Oh wait, according to the local idiot community it just shows that the American legal system is racist. Can’t hold anybody but White people accountable these days.
Oh it was definitely partly for yourself hypocrite, don’t lie Wilcox. Oh and by the way, several peopled hinted, rather all but asked, just how did you come by contracting COPD?
After reading your pitiful childish outburst in defense of narco-terrorist on the present blog 287g, to flush what you call knowledge would take and eternity. Such usually is the case with pathological lairs and of course pathetic Anti-American trash like yourself.
The City charter now in contention and the subject of this blog once too many times again that allows unbreakable tie votes to occur should never have been permitted under the State Constitution of Georgia.
And the AJC wonders why it is imploding. The staff is at 50% from 3 years ago.
Why doesn’t Blubbering Badie put down the Denny’s Grandslam breakfast and write about that? Or perhaps the mea culpa issued a few weeks ago by the AJC admitting what a useless left wing liberal rag they are.
Rick, since you can obviously never be a journalist, could you try to impersonate one? Just for one blog.
You know what? If I did this at my job I would be canned without a second thought. What makes these hillbillies in Snellville so special? Fire them, fire the city council and hold new elections. There was a time in snellville where the citizenry would have run them out of town for such trespasses against their city. By shotgun point.
The old-timer, “can’t handle change” board members on the Evermore CID can’t compete on the “field of ideas,” so they (Dwight Harrison, Forrest Adair, Kenny King, Emory Morsberger) try to resolve their “deadlock” by eliminating the competition– the competition being other equally qualified and duly elected board members… who have a different opinion.
The old-timer, “can’t handle change” board members on the Snellville City Council can’t compete on the “field of ideas,” so they (Robert Jenkins, Warren Auld, Kelly Kautz) try to resolve their “deadlock” by eliminating the competition– the competition being the equally qualified and duly elected Mayor… who has a different opinion.
The Evermore crowd can’t win in a fair and open election so they finagle the system via a shoddily (and probably, illegally) arranged recall vote in which a fraction of the CID members– the ones that Harrison et al could influence– supplant the will of the majority.
The Snellville Council crowd can’t win in fair and open debate so they finagle the system via a compliant state legislator with his own agenda in which three state legislators supplant the will of Snellville voters.
Voters should fire any bum they find in office, whether he is a bum in truth or not. It’s the voter’s sacrosanct right to fire an elected bum when he asks for more time.
Vote the bum out when he’s up for reelection. Period. If that’s what the voters decide.
I picked the two that decided to completely ignore the blog and start instigating a childish fight. Attack the blog. Attack the blog writer. Attack the opinions of users who differ from yours. At least be somewhat relevant. I gained nothing from reading that nonsense. Sorry for interupting the blog with yet another irrelevant entry.
No don’t Keith, don’t run along for that is exactly what it has, for the most part, becomes nothing more than an attack board. The issues get lost in the personal attacks, many that post here doesn’t realize that. I have stooped to that level many times myself. But without new opinions, like yours, what we do best is attack each another.
There is a lack of really intelligent discussion and that applies to the Snellville City Council too. The only thing left to do is drop back ten years and punt.
A recent article in the ajc compared Snellville to Suwanee and pointed out that the city council make-up of 4 member and 1 mayoral vote was the same. However, Suwanee’s didn’t tie as often.
Snellville’s council, elected at the last election, is representative of the changes going on right now in Snellville. There is a vocal, older, more conservative community that is being pushed out by a more ethnically diverse population. While the council does represent the changes, it does not yet represent the diverse population itself. That will happen eventually..
However, as to Don Balfour getting in the middle of Snellville’s business, it seems to me that he, as representing us at the state level, should not be able to change Snellville’s city charter without a local vote, or, without it, he should be changing every city charter in the state that has the same voting make-up of its council members and mayor. Somehow, singling out Snellville doesn’t seem quite legal.
Actually my reply was to a post made by LT in response to MARK that has since been removed.
If you had seen the original LT post you’d understand that I was tired of seeing him put stuff in his posts that was distasteful. Now that his comment has been removed mine can be taken out of context and seen as being negative.
Lesson learned on my part: From now on I won’t reply to anything negative posted by LT as it may reflect poorly on me.
I’m happy to see the offending stuff removed and apologize to anyone I’ve offended here.
Bruce I’m glad that you said that you have stooped low, because you have done that in the past. That said, you are a bigger man than most to admit it an move on.
Roska your comments were harsh, but they were a reasonable response to some foul comments by LT; a guy (or girl) who seems obsessed with hounding Rick and talking about gay sex.
Keith, who appears to be selective in his outrage, only called out the two who put LT down. That was a little strange. I would also say to Keith, this is just a blog, you should’nt be attacking anyone.
Rick has an interesting blog much of the time. If you don’t like the contents, then skip it and find another one.
There are 5000 other things Blubbering Badie could comment on in Gwinnett, but he has to write the same stupid article about the Snellville city council for the 6th time.
And the AJC wonders why they have had to reduce their staff by half in just under 3 years? It’s the moron columnists like Badie and Cynthia Tucker that have taken the AJC to this low.
Trust me, Blubbering Badie’s twice weekly stories on Human Trumpets and Shoe shine boys isn’t bringing new readers to the AJC. Don’t worry though, in a few short months, the staff at Denny’s will love to hear his moronic musings.
After all this I figured I’d at least comment about the Snellville situation.
You know, we tend to get what we vote for. When we vote for idiots we tend to get idiotic government and that appears to be what is happening in Snellville. It isn’t two factions disagreeing on policy so much as it is two entrenched political groups that refuse to put what’s best for the city ahead of their own agendas. It is to the point that the major has to have an escort to go to the bathroom – that’s grade school stuff.
We can see the same problems with Gwinnett County goverment right now as a matter of fact. Big tax increases on the way, a ballfield that we can’t afford sucking up tax resources, crime and illegals running rampant but our glorious elected officials are working real hard on our trash can problem. Yes sirree, gotta love those people working so hard on our trash cans.
The solution to having bad politicians in office is to vote them out – not to go running to yet another government entity to fix the problem as has been done in Snellville. Almost every election I’ve seen in Gwinnett the oldest guy/gal who’s been in politics the longest wins. Everybody complains about crooked politicians but they keep voting them back in. The problem is US if we don’t start voting in honest people with a passion to serve instead of connected people with a passion for lining their own wallet.
Off soap box.
Respectfully submitted. No bloggers were harmed in this post.
Interesting perspective. I fear, however, that you may have omitted the most responsible party in this fracas. That being, the voters that refuse to un-elect the unscrupulous.
Keep in mind the words of Lily Tomlin when she said–“Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It’s the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.”
You hit the nail on the head regarding the Duluth police. My bet is that this behavior was encouraged during the Lasseter regime. The bad news is that we now have Shirley and her even more looney mentor Charles Bannister running the show in Gwinnett. I recall Chief Walters actively campaigning for Bannister via his staff meetings, yet he got a slap on the wrist (10 day suspension) – surprisingly no ethics complaints from George Anderson. Anyway, slow down and watch your backs!
So much for Blubbering Badie writing about Gwinnett issues.
Of course, Blubbering Badie doesn’t mention that Moats ran a red light and was only detained for 13 minutes. That would disturb his “All Cops be racist” meme.
**NFL running back Ryan Moats, 26, told police that he rolled through a red light with his hazard lights on March 17 as he was rushing his family to a Plano hospital to visit his dying mother-in-law. Powell pulled over the Moatses’ SUV outside the emergency room. He kept Moats and another relative there for 13 minutes as he wrote a traffic ticket.**
LT5000 with the facts, Blubbering Badie with another moronic blog that has nothing to do with Gwinnett.
What happened in that situation was probably the result of this policeman’s past bad experiences, but that does not excuse him. Anyone should know someone running a red light with his flashers on, and ending up at a hopspital emergency room is likely to have a valid excuse for the haste, and should cut them some slack. Perhaps let the fellow run into the hospital, take his car tag, and deal with the questions later. Where has rational thought gone??
I know several police officers and have family members that are on the force. I really believe these ladies and gentlemen become so-jaded after serving for years that it is very hard to know how to respond in every situation.
When you are lied to by most every person you meet, it will definitely affect your judgment. For all this officer knew these people were lying to him. Yes, I believe his response was wrong. But, come on, how was he to know what was really going on.
There are plenty of criminals smart enough to try something like pretending they need to run into the hospital. After this incident we will probably have a rash on emergency rooms visits where the person gets out and runs inside to hide the dope they have on them, yelling, “My mom’s dying I got to go!” Sad but true.
I am glad that the officer made a public apology.
Let me ask this question:
If the person involved wasn’t a professional athlete, would there be this much fuss made about the incident? I say, probably not. How many of you have reported incidents to the police department about bad behavior by an officer and nothing ever happened?
I’m sure there are racist cops like there are racists in all walks of life. There are also black cops who treat white people with disrespect which would make them racist as well, right?
However, I cut cops a break because they never know who will produce a gun and try to shoot them. I understand why cops take a defensive posture until they are positive that the situation is under control. If anyone here had to serve as a cop they’d probably feel the same way.
Why didn’t Blubbering Badie cover this horrible story involving an NFL player?
Oh, that’s right, he’s black.
**NFL Player Reportedly Drunk Driving When He Killed Pedestrian in South Florida
**Donte Stallworth, who plays wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, was involved in an accident last week that resulted in the death of a pedestrian in Miami Beach, Florida. According to articles written after the crash, Stallworth submitted to a field sobriety test and also had his blood drawn to determine his blood alcohol content (BAC) after the crash. The toxicology reports showing his BAC have not been completed, however there are reports that Stallworth’s BAC was 0.14 around the time of the accident, according to an article on Miamiherald.com. **
At least in Moats case, no one died. Heaven forbid Blubbering Badie actually be a journalist and cover the numerous misdeeds of NFL players.
I think Jais has had a bit of altercations and encounters with police are you looking to get arrrested and sue the police department and use the race card issue.
FYI I am white, I just feel quite strongly about people who get a job as a cop so they can push people around and exert authority over whoever they want
Carol, the mother in law die’ing had nothing to do with the officer or the situation in the parking lot. I think that is the point LT was trying to make. Jais acted as if it was the officers fault she had died.
I use to really like your articles and you have even used my comments in the newspaper on several occassions. You use to write about helping troubled youth and subjects worthy of discussion.
However, Your articles turn me off and make me mad when it is a article that is meant to be a racial issue, the white man is still holding the black man back.. God when will the black race bury that bullsh**. As I have said a million times in a million blogs their are still stupid uneducated rednecks and white trash that are prejudice in the white race and their are uneducated nigg*** in the black race that are still prejudice. When will America start praying for God to perform a complete restoration of this world and pray to end racial lines. My God we have a black president now. Sorry but black people seem to keep racial hatred alive more than white people do. THEIR WILL BE NO COLOR IN BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN WITH GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST AS THE HEAD OF THE KINGDOM !!!!!! Sometimes I wish God would literaly cause anyone that is prejudice or keeps racial divide alive in any way BLIND. Strike their eyesight from them.
Now to the article. Yes I agree that their are cops out their that abuse their power in a lot of ways that should be fired from the force. I also agree that their are dirty corrupt cops, detectives, chiefs, ect in the law enforcement field that should be fired and put in prison. The law enforcement, judicial and elected jobs, all have corrupt, abuse power, prejudice, fools in them.
However, because we live in such a horrible screwed up society we need cops, law enforcement. They do sacrafice a lot and really are hero’s. If you dont believe that, suit up and go on a ride along program with a cop that works grave yard shift. Cops along with the Military deserve more money, respect, thank you’s and “that a boys”.
The fear of the Gwinnett police is not just a racist thing.
when my son (we are white) was in college he worked a cook at a diner. By the time he cleaned up, etc., it was after midnight when he would get on 316 heading home. At least once a month he was stopped by the police who would ask him if it was all right to look through his car. He always told them to have at it. I told him that this was the USA, and he didn’t have to let the police look through his property unless they had a subpoena. He looked at me like I was insane. He said that if he ever declined, there was no doubt in his mind that they would “beat the crap” out of him. This is not right. We have devolved into a police state. And, yes I do know they have a tough job. But there needs to be more emphsis on protect and serve.
Just because there was no doubt in his mind that they would “beat the crap” out of him, doesn’t make it true. They wouldn’t. They may delay him though and bring down a K9 to sniff for drugs.
LT5000, have you watched the video? Not oen time did Mr. Moats cop an attitude or pull the “I’m an NFL Player.” The nurses came out of the hospital to tell Mr. Moats his relative was coding. Hospital security guards came out to get him. ANOTHER officer asked the cops if he was done yet. Sorry, this isn’t a racial incident. Jst another example of a bully cop. Protect and Serve is apparently long gone.
The guy was detained all of 13 minutes and morons like you and Blubbering Badie are trying to make a federal case of it.
The cop was doing his job, he pulled over a vehicle that ran a red light. Is that racist?
As usual, Blubbering Badie will overlook any misdeed from a black person, but will rail against a cop who was doing his job.
I trust we all remember his idiotic blog accusing the Gwinnett cops of a taser murder. Of course, Badie was wrong, but he won’t let that stand in the way of a good police slander.
**But I know to go inside when it rains, and where I grew up that’s a
good sign of one having some common sense.**
**When a healthy 31-year-old man dies after being shocked five times
with a stun gun, it stands to reason the gun might have something to
do with it. At least where I come from.**
**But here in Gwinnett, we’ve been told otherwise about the death of
Frederick Jerome Williams of Lawrenceville.**
And as usual, moron Badie was wrong. Apparently, his IQ is inversely poprotional to his cholesterol.
**Five shocks to the chest with a Taser gun did not cause the death of a man injured in a scuffle with sheriff’’s deputies, a medical examiner’’s report concluded Wednesday. **
**Frederick Jerome Williams, 31, a Liberian native who lived in Lawrenceville, died of brain damage from a heart attack after the altercation in May, according to the final autopsy report in the case. But investigators at the Gwinnett County medical examiner’’s office were not able to determine what caused Williams” heart attack, according to the report. **
Keep slandering those cops Badie, even if you have to go outside the scope of Gwinnett County to do it.
I love how you state the facts. However, you are missing the point here.
1. I agree that Moats broke the law by crossing a red light.
2. I agree that the cop has every right to stop the vehicle and request everyone to stay where they are. At this point he has no clue what is happening inside the hospital.
3. I agree that cops never believe people because they are lied to quite often.
However, once the nurse (a hospital employee) comes out to say that the mother in law is dying that very moment you would expect a cop to show a little compassion. He could have very easily let him go upstairs, finish writing his ticket, and have the security guard deliver the ticket. But he didn’t do that. He chose to keep him there and on top of that, lectured him for a few more minutes. You say that he was only detained for 13 minutes. But guess what, a woman he loved died during those 13 minutes. He never got to say goodbye because of those 13 minutes.
Who cares what color they are. This just boils down to a cop not using his common sense. He had several chances to let him go pay his last respects but he didn’t even care to do so.
So if you are going to state the facts, please do so. But don’t leave essential information out in order to try to validate your argument.
Jack, I agree with your post. It’s time we realize that all this hatred and prejudice does no one any good. Find something better to do instead of perpetuating the problem. Give your opinion, but do it in a respectful manner and don’t let hatred guide your words.
All of you defending that cop need to go back and read that article thoroughly and put yourself in Ryan Moats place. This is not about law and order. This is about being human. That transends law and order. Laws should serve mankind, not oppress. If you want to live in a country that keeps people from saying good by to their dying loved-ones, and body slams women less than half their size, and shoots old ladies, you need to move to China. You’ll love it there.
This cop should be off the force, because he carries a gun his lack of common sense makes him a danger to all. Stopping a car with flashers on within sight of a hospital, then pulling up to the front door, would have given anyone a clue something is wrong and it’s an emergency.
LT, there have been several accidental deaths by our deputies Tasering a prisoner. The one I recall that is sickening is five deputies holding a down a handcuffed and shackled man zapping him. That’s the one where our D.A. Porter didn’t show the tape to the grand jury because they didn’t want to see it? At the very least it shows very poor training of our deputies in the use of this deadly Taser.
Cops have no right to bully because they get lied to a lot, that’s crazy, when was the last time you lied to a cop.
Cops have to be held to a much higher standard than the rest of us, they have the guns. They need better training, less accidental deaths or dead old ladies. And mental stablity testing on a regular basis, I can imagine the job can play games with the noggin over time.
We have a few Barney Fife’s over here in Lilburn, don’t feel bad Jais and Chuck.
As a women and a black women at that I must say up front that I have always received respect from any police officer I have come in contact with. That being said I do believe gender and race plays a great deal in how you are treated by some law enforcement. Also the time of day, past experiences and the officers general prejudices can come into play. We must first admit there are bad apples in any police department. Rouge and over the top cops are not anything new just as there are cops who do there jobs well at the same time treating each situation with the right touch of toughness. But this cop in Dallas should be ashamed of himself. Once that nurse come out and told him what the family said was true he should have backed off until the situation passed. The ticket he took all that time to write was thrown out anyway and he if had any sense he would have realized that was bound to happen. Did he really think this citation was going to stand up in court. He showed poor judgement for someone in the first line of defense in law enforcement. It’s probably a good thing the family didn’t stop until they reached the hospital (less than a few minute after passing though that red light) because the way he carried on not even the daughter who after trying to explain, disregarded him and ran would have been there to say good by to her mom. Should he be fired? I don’t know. But he should be taken off of street duty and receive some kind of counseling for dealing with like afairs. Nobody won in this circumstance and everybody lost big time.
All cops are simply glorified Barney Fifes. Their wives probably are the authority figures at home, so they become cops so they can have authority somewhere. But still, they’re nothing but pigs.
LT5000 – I’m not making a federal case out of anything. The cop was being a jerk. He could have handled the situation very differently, he chose not to. Again, I ask you, have yuo watched all 13 minutes of the dashboard video? Apparently even his union wouldn’t stick up for him. He resigned;
I do not believe that Mr. Bradie choose this incident or srticle because of a cop that did or didn’t do his job. I believe he picked this subject because the cop was white.
Mr. Bradie would you have written about this if the cop was a black man? I doubt it. I am very upset because it seems that you are prejudice and love to keep the racial divides alive. Be a journalist not a malcolm X.
I was in the U.S. States Marine Corps, The U.S. Army both on active duty, I have dated black women and I presently go to one of the only multi-cultural churches in Georgia. Black, white, mexican, chinese, ect.. we all bleed the same color and when we die and go to heaven their wont be color. I love all people.
Their is good and bad in every color, culture and nationality. Will this world ever be a true melting pot? The slavery days are gone, today is a new day.
I don’t think racism has anything to do with it. “Mr. Bradie would you have written about this if the cop was a black man?” What the hell does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
“Oh no,” you say, “Mr. Badie is a black man. He must have an agenda. I’m sick and tired of ‘those’ people crying racism all the time.” Then you go on by saying, “I go to a multi-cultural church, back, white, Mexican, polka dotted people wearing flippety flops.” You, sir, are a racist, and I say that because you feel the need to point out how multicultural you are.
The fact is, ignorance doesn’t discriminate. The harder you try to prove that, the more ensconced you are in your ignorance. I saw the video. I didn’t notice a white cop harassing a black man. I saw an authority figure abuse his power over someone who had no power to exercise. The race of the parties involved is irrelevant.
Racism will exist because ignorance will exist. Racism is only a symptom. If there won’t be color in heaven, sir, then why don’t you try to bring a little heaven to earth, stop thinking about the world in terms of color, and instead focus your efforts on the war of ignorance?
The poster Jack is more frightening then our resident nut LT5000,IN ONE BREATH HE CLAIMS TO BE COLOR BLIND BUT CALLS PEOPLE EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK.PLEASE TELL US ALL WHAT CHURCH YOU ATTEND SO WE CAN STAY AWAY!
Chime with McCoy and GoodGrief–Jack, you scare me. Even more than Jais the loose cannon and LT the resident repressed homosexual (not that there is anything wrong with that). You seem like someone that can flip on a dime–by far the most racist posts that are on this blog.
Apparently Blubbering Badie forgot that he was supposed to write about Gwinnett when he penned this blog. Maybe Brucie wasn’t available to hold hands and whine that some building wasn’t convenient enough.
Brucie, has Badie given you his varsity ring yet?
And while Blubbering Badie blubbers on, in Gwinnett a man foils a kidnapping attempt on his wife at La Pantera Rosa in Norcross.
Anyone care to guess Mr. Marco Leal-Villeda’s legal status? Guess this isn’t news to Badie.
Maybe Badie could write about our local Buckhead rapist, Lavell McNutt, oh that’s right, he’s black.
And while Badie pens yet another moronic blog, the AJC keeps getting smaller and smaller.
Experienced technical difficulties with my last posting but, the bottom line is this….PO Powell did the right thing by resigning. His actions were inexcusable and an embarassment to the department. More than we can say for the officer in Monroe, GA (Walton county, adjacent to Gwinnett) who was heard across the nation calling a young black male youth all kinds of racial epithets and how he boasted of arresting him and teaching him a lesson for his flip mouth. There are good cops and there are bad cops. Yes, racism and ignorance plays a part in many unethical, immoral behaviors of some, and others just plain stupidity. Many behave and believe they are above the law. “Would Moats and his family been treated differently if they were white?” Maybe. Maybe not. The only one who really knows for sure is Powell. Mr. Badie did not raise the race issue. The people and the media did. Anyone with any type of cognizance will realize this is an opinion blog and Mr. Badie holds and “open forum” column. For the simple and the small minded who dare to suggest Mr. Badie plays favortism towards any particular issue or race is cowardly and ludacris. Then again, allegedly we do have an outted 140lb wimpy punk amongst us. You know who you are.
BTW, personal knowledge and experience frees me to say that Chief Walters and others of the Gwinnett PD are not exempt from unethical behavior and have also exhibited lack of integrity and moral behavior. How’s that for your Gwinnett news??
If anyone noticed there is no mention of race in what Rick said, now those who raised it as an issue, gee, how do you defend yourselves, it should be interesting?
If anyone noticed there is no mention of race in what Rick said, now those who raised it as an issue
Same ones who can’t tolerate any black columnist (Cynthia Tucker) so much as hinting that being black in America might at times be problematic, even in the two-thousandsies.
Read ALL the comments, and then respond once. Idiot. And who the hell is Ms. Tucker? If you’re going to try to be funny, at least make it a joke we don’t have to live in the back woods of GA to understand.
That cop was way off base. To his credit, he has admitted as much and honorably resigned his job. Since no one was hurt by Moats’ driving violations, the officer should have acknowledged their duress and let them go on their way. He has admitted it. Good for him.
Hello “GoodGrief”. Your comments were illogical and incorrect.
The gentleman (Jack) who posted **stated that he dated ladies who were black** as well as stating the need for us all to get along **regardless of race** as ultimately it doesn’t really matter.
Your comments were incorrect, and his were the **opposite** of of the definition of being racist.
Well golllly, Mark, I kinda sorta thought that readers of the AJC’s editorial pages might be already somewhat familiar with the AJC’s editorial page editor, but since you aren’t, here ye be…
(You know how to click those links in order to make another web page appear, yes? Or should I explain that as well?)
Wow, some of these comments truely amazes me. I am trying to become a gwinnett police officer, even though my family is against it. Officer Moats definately cross the line, Police officers are suppose to serve and protect not bully and insult our citizens. I understand that police officers face alot and are proned to be defensive, however I have seen a lack of common sense/understanding from a few officers. Its as if these few police officers automatically assume that all persons are criminals. I have a long way to go, but if I make it, I promise my fellow Gwinnettians that I will do my best to serve you while upholding the law.
Of course Blubbering Badie doesn’t like me. Would you like someone who points your numerous errors on a weekly basis?
**Rick Badie writes about people, places and issues in Gwinnett County.**
With so many other pressing issues in Gwinnett, why is Blubbering Badie tackling this 3 week old story? Not only is he out of his supposed purview, but his reporting is, as usual, stale. Badie is out of league, T-ball, and late to the party.
Another third rate AJC blogger strikes again, while the AJC crumbles from within.
Unfortunately too few people choose to become officers to “serve and protect” but rather to exert authority over people. I used to be a waiter and we’d give free meals to cops, firefighters, etc. You would be surprised to see how unappreciative most of the cops were. They would still act like jerks and not tip very well after receiving a free meal. Although the nice cops were the best tippers of the day. It’s the same reason why most bouncers are jerks, it takes a certain personality to want a job that requires you to be in authoritarian position.
I thought GA ranked almost dead last in schools. Isn’t it also the only state to ever lose accreditation? Let’s be honest. The streets here are full of morons and idiots. All the talent comes in from out of state that thankfully for the low cost of living, decide to come here. They don’t stay long once they realize that stupid lives here, and stupid sure does love to commit crimes.
Both of my children are products of GPS. I had no problems with any of the teachers or administrators at either of their schools. Granted the high school my daughter graduated from was going downhill quickly. By that I mean there were too many apartment complexes in the district and the children’s parents were not involved in the least at the school. We moved to a district where there were no apartments and the parents were much more involved in the school. It was and remains the high school in Gwinnett with the highest test scores. Granted had I been able to swing it they would have both gone to private schools as I think Rick’s kids do.
If Rick wrote more about this topic, then he would re-writing an article already written by another AJC employee, D. Aileen Dodd. It would be rude to Ms. Dodd for him to do that. He is simply sharing the information, leading you to the article.
As far as Gwinnett County Schools (or any school) is concerned, students get out of it what they put into it. I have 2 children in high school and one in elementary school. I’ve been very pleased with Gwinnett County Schools. I had a private school education most of my life, and my kids amaze me with their knowledge – especially of science and the world. I think that some people think that just because they pay for education, that the education will be better.
Private school does tend to eliminate the children of parents who just don’t care to discipline their kids. That’s one way private school could be perceived to be better.
Gwinnett County Schools does a fantastic job, considering the lack of support teachers get from parents. My son’s in kindergarten and they have little homework assignments. Sometimes only 3-5 kids out of an entire class turn in the assignments. If the parents can’t be supportive in kindergarten, how are the kids going to be motivated to do their work in the coming years?
LT5000…Although Badie would never utter a favorable word to his generalization of bad cops….a group of them running into a burning house to pull a victim out is why I support them. There is always a few bad apples in anything you do…considering Badie’s physique, I ‘m guessing he writes from the ground and not in the tree….I would have arrested the football player because the cop that controls the ’stop’, controls his life….thanks to your profession sir….
I reckon this here school system aint much diffrent than any other school system in the country. We alls needs our education and i’m be very proud of my states schools since they know how to get the job done in what counts in this country. Good job ya’ll!
Both your children are products of GPS. They ran out and got knocked up, and now have to deal with a whole slew of interracial grandkids. Sounds like you have quite the successful family going there. hahahaha
Best make it quick Mr. Badie, firearms sales are at an all time high. Any guess as to why? In a word: Obama or “Obumer” (sic) as I prefer. Obumer’s AG and the Democrats are anti-gun anti-second amendment. Now that queen Hillary down in Mexico condemns the U.S. as the source of weapons being supplied to these narco-terrorists the anti-gun crowd will push ever harder for gun control to leave a law abiding citizenry disarmed . Funny how Mexico or the Mexican government will only give U.S. authorities serial numbers to one in four of the confiscated weapons? hmmm………. Don’t suppose any AK-47s or RPGs make their way through Central American countries into Mexico? Oh but of course not, never happens, just “BLAME AMERICA FIRST” and bash those GUN TOTING AMERICANS.
Binghamton, New York: How long did it take to kill 13 people? Enough time for a cop to arrive? In about 2 minutes 13 people were dead. Let the LIBERALS rant and rave all they want, when confronted with someone that is determined to kill you or others, even themselves, waiting on a cop is a signed, sealed and delivered death certificate with your name on it.
Word of advice Mr. Badie, get your gun, whatever training you feel necessary and teach your family responsible gun ownership and use too.
Quite the conundrum. On the one hand, the availability of guns to all who would wish to do harm makes me think – as you do, Mr. Badie – that I should take advantage of this availability and purchase a gun to use to help myself and neighbors in need. On the other hand, if you restrict the purchase of guns, then you remove availability but you also remove the ability to protect oneself from those who would obtain the guns illegally. Crime rates would go down, I’m sure, the extent to which cannot be quantified until the plan goes into effect. What, then, would you say to victims who, by law, were unable to protect themselves?
I guess my conclusion is that those who would intend to do harm will do so, whether or not guns are available, legally or no. Unless and until mankind can find a way to identify and remove criminal/violent tendencies from the species, this conundrum will exist. The question, then, is: Do I have the right to defend myself?
I personally don’t like guns. I am, however, considering purchasing one for my protection. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Remove the desperate from the times, and it becomes a non-issue. Good luck accomplishing that.
The problem with guns is that it removes the need for one to become personally and physically involved in the violence he commits. It’s easier, after all, to fire a bullet from a distance than it is to penetrate a heart with a knife, or bash in a head with a pipe or bat. Less physical, less messy, less of a threat by a potential victim to react. Common sense says that death tolls in war increase as the technology to kill from a distance increases. Apply that logic to individual crime, and….
Well, on the surface, it seems logical that removing this threat from criminals by taking away the advantage of killing from a distance would make sense. The flaw is that criminals don’t act logically, don’t act within the boundaries of common sense. If they did, there wouldn’t be crime.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, I guess.
I don’t know where Anthony Sorrow lives but if you are afraid to be in your front yard and have to make sure you get in the garage and shut the door before you can get out of the car, then it’s time to move. Yes, crime is up everywhere and we have to be more vigilant but I’m not going to be a prisoner in my own house. I live in west Georgia and the only thing I worry about in my yard is coyotes and bobcats. If you stand real still when you see one, they’ll walk on by.
Hello My name is Sandra Kurtz I spoke with you about my German Shepard P.K. that has been diagnosed with heart worm disease. His treatment at Wellpet Humane will cost $450.00. I am going through hardship so I am asking for help please donate what you can everyone to help P.K. My girls have had P.K. since they could hold him in the palm of their hands. Donations can be made directly to wellpet humane for Pico Kurtz. That is his real name!lol PLEASE HELP US!
Forest’s Mom, “Until “y’all” learn to spell “youse guys” your credentials to critique stupidity will remain impeccable as the voice of experience.” Another ignorant redneck.
There seems to be some sort of shoot out every other day lately. That’s why I always carry my umbrella as a weapon. I also caryy a gun that fires backwards, in case some crook ever finds my gun, gets mad, and shoots me with it, he gets the big surprise.
Of course, I always carry one extra ounce of insurance against muggers: The umbrella that fires backwards.
In the past few years I have learned to use guns as my husband has several. I am no longer afraid of them now that I learned the proper way to handle them. We go to the shooting range at least once every 2-3 months to target practice and to keep myself familiar with the guns. I obtained a conceal carry license 2 1/2 years ago. All this anti-gun $*(# is just that $*(# the criminals don’t abide by laws, hence the name criminal, if guns are outlawed the only ones carrying guns will be the criminals. Even on the best day if a criminal approaches you with intent to harm at your home or anywhere there is no way a cop will get there in time to save your behind. I am also armed with a TASER since there are some places guns are banned but not a TASER. In this day and time and especially in this economy a person must be prepared to defend themselves. Good for you Eleanor Rigby if all you have to worry about is coyotes and bobcats. But do realize that bad things can happen in what would/could be considered good areas.
Three officers killed in Pittsburg this morning, more injured. The guy was worried that President Obama may pose a ban on weapons, moral of the story kids, start blowing people away before the ban hits.
Assault weapons ban, no way, we all should be allowed to blow away as many people as we can in the shortest amount of time.
That said, if the county would ever get the finger printing machine back up and running, I could renew my permit and my wife could get hers.
Second, there is no real renewal anymore, you have to start all over again? I never realized my fingerprints changed in ten years and back then it was the old ink and roll.
What I don’t like is there is no required training course, even South Carolina has one, any legal fool can by a pistol, take it home, load it and leave it in the nightstand where Little Johnny just found a new toy.
Required traing is not a restriction, just plain common sense. But any state where the use of seat belts is not required in pick-up trucks, guess there isn’t much common sense around.
Same thing happened to my husband Bruce, he had to get re-fingerprinted, etc. on renewal for his conceal carry permit. Probably about revenue. I think they expire in 5 years, did it used to be 10? I agree on the training though it should be required.
Was the guy in Pittsburg already a criminal? I thought it was a domestic violence call?
nana, no it was five years, but the last time I renewed I just had to fill out a form, not start all over again.
I know it was a domestic violence call, don’t know if he had a history, but those calls are dangerous. You have no idea on what you may walk in on. What was it, four in Oakland two weeks ago, now these three, seven, scary.
Blowbama will never get his gun ban, ths amateur gives DVD collections and iPods as gifts to foreign dignitaries and bowed to King Abdullah.
By this time next year, you won’t be able to find anybody who admits they voted for Obama. That is if America still exists under his trillion dollar plus deficits.
By the way Badie, what are the demographics on these criminals?
I’d say you might run into trouble on “requiring training” nana, though, I’m all for responsible gun ownership and use. As to this guy in Pittsburgh the facts – yeah those pesky facts that usually get in the way of a good tall-tale based on hearsay story – are vague at the moment. First indications are the guy had some emotional problems in his past and his joblessness seems to have played a big role in his actions. Second, this thing seems to have been pre-meditated, it wasn’t simply a case of domestic violence spur of the moment. Third, fact remains law abiding citizens more than ever need their second amendment right protected from government and the criminals that never abide by any gun laws that always find a way to have guns and use them to commit crimes. Fourth, the question you have to ask yourself is this nana: If someone goes off the deep-end so to speak like these last two individuals determined to kill, would your odds of survival be better with a weapon or without one?
I know I feel alot safer in knowing a few of my neighbors have guns, just in case some heavily armed vest-wearing loony snaps and starts killing people around us at least one of us will get off a head shot.
LT, Obumer’s deficit spending that some project will double the debt in five years and triple it in ten is gun control. We’ll have to pawn all of our guns just to pay his taxes, after paying for inflation of course.
Can we replace our so-called sober Congress with our drunken Navy sailors to save the country a few bucks please?
So the cops in Pittsburgh and Oakland didn’t carry guns? That’s interesting. Of course they had guns, they were police officers with training! Nonetheless, it did not stop them from being shot and killed. Sad, but true to say, when it’s your time, it’s just your time. I believe everyone has a right to protect themselves by any and all means necessary. Whatever the gun laws may be in each state, I highly doubt anyone defending themself against a home invasion or armed robbery will be facing 25 to life for an expired gun permit or lack of one entirely.
Do whatever you have to to protect you and yours. If that means getting a security system, carrying a weapon, or taking karate, go for it! But please, please don’t become an automatic victim or feel like a prisoner in your own backyard. If so, you let the criminals win. Just like 9/11…people were terrified to fly, take the trains, basically scared to live! Anyone that even looked like they were from the Middle East were harassed, threatened and even beat up. Life is too short not to enjoy it the way you want to…Or at least try.
Too all the Obama haters: Keep on hating…We’re loving it, and so are he and First Lady Michelle. In case you didn’t know, the only thing your haters do, is make you stronger….
now…..I didn’t see any “obama haters” so to say, I surely don’t hate the man I don’t care for a lot of his policies but I don’t hate the “man” himself. I think you can give up the Obama 09….he’s already in office just sayin’
Dear Nana: Are you serious or just trying to be facetious?? Your happy face comes through as phoney. While you scurry to look up that word, let me just reiterate for you…Whether you or anybody else hates the man, his policies, his ideas, his wit, intelligence, or his swagger…NOBODY CARES! President Obama has been in office for all of two months;suffice it to say, the constant whiners obviously were not his supporters from the get. I mean that’s a no brainer right? So, basically stop crying, move on, and get over it!
Same goes for me and my OBAMA 09. Do you really think I care what YOU think?? Thanks for informing me he’s already in office though, cause I wasn’t too sure. I want you to feel special knowing that the next line is for your eyes only.
(1). For those Second Amendment fanatics (that are often Obama haters) — many of whom I doubt have ever read the Second Amendment or could even spell “constitution” — you have little to fear with an Obama Presidency. The great thing about the Constitution is that it limits the powers of the Executive branch as well. And though most reasonable people agree that assault weapons (as they were defined during the Clinton Administration) should be banned, the kind of weaponry that you’ll need to protect your home and family will not be banned nor will you have your access unduly restricted anytime in the near future to handguns or the shotguns you currently buy with few issues (as a matter of FEDERAL law).
(2). It’s sad that we’ve got to feel this way about the places where we live, but I’m waiting on a politician (especially in the Atlanta mayoral race) to be clear as to how they actually intend to police any differently than they currently are and how they intend to recruit and retain police officers beyond a property tax increase (e.g .policing strategy). The tax increase may be necessary, but we were having issues with crime before the furloughs. Recent comments suggest that a few frontrunners are open to leaving the incompetent Chief Pennington in place. I believe in protecting myself, but I’d also like a competent, well-staffed police department on the beat such that I can avoid violent altercations.
Within minutes, all three officers were fatally shot by the subject of the domestic call, later identified as Richard “Pop” Poplawski, 22. A dishonorably charged Marine, he adhered to a number of right-wing conspiracy theories and expressed fears of a “Zionist nation” revoking his right to own guns.
Police said he’d also spent the night “drinking”.
Police said Poplawski knew his mother had called 911. He apparently lay in wait for them, armed with an AK-47 assault-style rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a revolver and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Wasn’t Obumer for the “D.C. gun ban”. As I recall there was a case where a D.C. cop couldn’t have a functional gun in his house? Was there a court case on that one?
Citing DC v Heller
That old second amendment fanatical Supreme Court, they are probably Obumer haters
President Obama endorsed a handgun ban in Illinois during 1996, despite its proven failure in Washington, D.C. Although Mr. Obama claims he does not favor a handgun ban, “his signature was on a document endorsing a state ban of the sale and possession of handguns in Illinois”.
Republican Enlists 65 Pro-Gun Dems to Oppose Assault Weapon Ban
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Ross (AR-04) led a group of 65 pro-gun Democrats in denouncing recent comments made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s on February 25 that the Obama administration intended to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
The group of 65 pro-gun Democrats, led by Ross, sent a letter to the Attorney General on March 18, 2009, urging him to abandon any effort to reinstate the assault weapons ban and to focus instead on effective law enforcement strategies to enforce the nation’s current laws against violent criminals and drug traffickers.
“Firearms are an important means of self defense and, as an avid hunter and outdoorsmen, an important part of our way of life,” said Ross. “I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and will continue to fight any efforts in Washington that restrict our right to own and bear arms.”
The group argued that the ban was ineffective during the 10 years it was law, and that crime began falling before the ban was passed in 1994, and continued falling during and after the ban. The last time the murder rate was at its current level was more than forty years ago. Even the Urban Institute study of the ban’s effectiveness mandated by the 103rd Congress found that it could only have a limited effect because “the banned weapons and magazines were never used in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders.”
“Criminals will get guns whether we have gun control laws or not. Regulating guns will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but it will keep guns out of the hands of those trying to defend themselves from criminals,” said Ross.
I’m with you nana I don’t hate Obumer but I extremely dislike like Obumer’s socialists policies and his gun control issue is one of them.
Neighborhood watches, community policing, electronic security systems, other self-defense weaponry whose owners possess both the training and the will to use them as well as a broadly, firmly and openly promulgated citizen contempt for criminal activity should work wonders in increasing public safety and reducing criminality in the places where we live. Any other ideas?
Evans, everything you mentioned helps. I hope you don’t use the wordy lawyer talk in every day life, but you were on the subject and quickly made your point. Thanks for that.
Point of information: The DC gun ban was one of the most far-reaching HANDGUN bans (much broader than the ASSAULT RIFLE BAN) in the country (all firearms including rifles and shotguns be kept “unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock” — a direct quote from the old statute), and it was, indeed, a violation of Mr. Heller’s Second Amendment rights. The President, a former constitutional law professor no less, surely understands any ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN he puts in place must comport to the general outlines laid out by the Court in Heller. Again, I’ll reiterate, the Obama administration will not unduly burden our access to the kinds of handguns and non-assault rifle shotguns that we currently have access to.
See the President’s response to the Heller case:
“I don’t know what my aide said but I’ve been very consistent, I teach constitutional law,” Obama said. “What I said was that I believe Second Amendment as being an individual right and have said that consistently. I also think that individual right is constrained by the rights of the community to maintain issues with public safety. I don’t think those two principles are contradictory and in fact what I’ve been saying consistently is what the Supreme Court essentially said today.”
Much like every other individual rights in the Constitution, it is not absolute and there are valid spaces for federal regulation (e.g. a ban on assault rifles) as well as exercises of state (and local) police power (e.g. gun training courses, etc.). The kind of outright ban on handguns we saw in D.C. in Heller is indeed unconstitutional. The President has now said that his stance is aligned with that of the Court — a locality or a state cannot impose a blanket ban on handguns, and the feds may (as they have before) limit access to assault rifles. And given that we’re in a post-Heller world, the President and AG Holder realize that they must tread carefully in limiting even individual access to assault rifles. Any comments that Obama somehow wants to “take your guns” or prevent you from having what you need to protect your home and your family is absurd. You don’t need a military-style assault weapon to protect your home as the federal law in 1994 left plenty of room for the kinds of handguns that will kill an intruder just as well as any other weapon. And restricting the civilian flow of assault weapons (not all weapons) should also restrict their flow in black markets domestically and abroad. You were okay in 1994 when the first assault weapons ban was passed, and you’ll be fine now.
See the AG comments on the scope of the new administration’s gun control policy in a post-Heller world:
“I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of cop-killer bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons ban permanent, would be something that would be permitted under Heller,” Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Washington, D.C. v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an individual’s right to own a weapon.”
Folks, we can still have the guns we need to protect ourselves and if the Obama Administrations steps beyond Heller, our federal judiciary can step in. Period. The Obama hysteria is silly.
Here you go Badie, this may push you in the right direction.
**Police look for 3rd suspect in home invasion**
**NORCROSS – Tipsters with details about the third suspect in a Wednesday night home invasion could earn cash for their efforts.**
**Gwinnett police are offering up to $2,000 through the Crime Stoppers program to anyone with information leading to an armed robbery suspect who, along with two accomplices, kicked in the door of a Norcross-area home, posed as police and demanded drugs, authorities said.**
**The two who didn’t get away, according to police, are Dantavious D. Ponder, 22, of Stone Mountain, and Theodore Roundtree Jr., 22, of Marietta. Both are charged with six counts of aggravated assault and attempted armed robbery, as well as burglary and other charges.**
People if you want journalism, look to the Gwinnett Daily Post, because it certainly isn’t in the AJC.
Hey now…..whose crying? Remember this is an opinion blog not just your opinion but anyone who wants to comment. You attack anyone who doesn’t agree with you. Get over yourself.
Michael, I just heard on the news that the fellow in Pittsburgh got an dishonorable discharge from the services for throwing something (I think it was a food tray) at an officer. The guy obviously had/has some other serious issues. Kind of like some on this blog.
About 100 thousand americans are shot every year by firearms. (1/3 perish)
I would remind every blogger here to clean their guns regularly. Join the NRA. And talk gun safety to as many people as will listen. (even if you have to force them to listen at the point of a gun).
Our federal judiciary does not step into anything until there is a legal challenge brought before the court.
What is silly is Obumer’s, “I was for the D.C. gun ban before I was against it”, these liberal Democrats anti-gun anti-second amendment individual rights position, his and their dangerously silly socialists ideology of which gun control is only one of a number of such issues that says their idea of the change we need, is one we, our grandchildren and America cannot afford.
It is coming folks so get ready to write and call members of Congress to head this socialist group off at the legislative passage.
BTW, did the Execs at Freddie and Fannie get their “retention bonuses”, just like the Fat Cats at AIG?
Tell me more Barney Frank, inquiring minds want to know?
This Pittsburgh guy was on the fringe and attracted to, if not directly involved with, extremist groups (ethnocentric of course). The two things both these two recent shooting nut-jobs definitely have or half had in common now, is their narcissism and a challenged self-esteem. There were plenty of warnings they gave off that should have caught someone’s attention that these two had real serious mental issues which posed a potential for public endangerment.
Real simple, if you see a problem in your neighborhood tell a cop what you know. I got an idea police throughout America are going to watch individuals that they know have issues very differently in the future after these recent shooting events and this case of the guy in Washington State who killed his children and himself in the midst of a domestic dispute.
With the economy in a mess and job losses occurring, that is sometimes all the tipping point people on the fringe need to push them over the line.
Of course the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae execs got their bonuses the politicians in Washington are too far in debt to those execs to stop those sort of like Dodd was indebted to AIG. There is absolutely no way those in Washington are going to fix the problems that they perpetuated.
oops…..I was wrong about the bonuses at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae they haven’t been given out yet they are to be given out (don’t know when) to the tune of $210 million….let’s hope they aren’t but I’m not holding my breath.
I understand all too well that the federal judiciary will not step in unless a justiciable legal issue is raised, but know that if the assault weapons ban (”AWB”) passes, pro-gun groups will engage in vetting potential plaintiffs for impact litigation that will address head-on the constitutionality of the AWB (a question I think we have to have answered in a Post-Heller world). Know and believe that Heller, Brown v. Board and darn near every other significant piece of socially significant Supreme Court jurisprudence since 1954 has been a part of a broader political strategy crafted by legal advocates. Let’s not be naive enough to think that these matters pop up randomly and that NRA legal counsel is not already preparing themselves for a battle beginning in our District Courts if the AWB passes. Did you think Heller was random? Of course, not (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701055.html). Believe me you, if the NRA feels that the Barry O overstepped his boundaries, the federal judiciary will be taking up cases on the constitutionality of an assault weapons ban soon after it passes. The Courts don’t step in unsolicited on these matters, but they won’t have to because advocacy groups are hard at work manufacturing impact litigation.
Obama’s current position has always been that he believes that there can be reasonable, constitutional restrictions on handgun use, and Heller actually confirms his view. He inartfully expressed his thoughts before, but that’s the crux of his stance on gun control post-Heller (which means we have what we need to protect ourselves). We already know what he and Holder want to see in place (see my previous posting), and they’ll surely be litigation on these matters when or if they pass regarding their constitutionality. Their proposals are arguably constitutional, but Heller now provides some guidance as to how we can or cannot restrict handguns and more legal guidance, I think, is necessary on the constitutionality of the AWB. I’d bet that the Obama Administration and most Americans could agree on that.
If Jais’s comments don’t convince you that some people simply don’t need access to extremely deadly assault weapons, then I do not know what would. I could spend hours dissecting the nonsense and alarmism that pervades his response, but I think most reasonable people could agree that President Obama will not declare martial law. Let’s get serious. Take off the aluminum foil cap and unplug your CB radio, Jais. Ninety percent of the administration are former bankers? Get real. And what’s the racial stuff? That’s not where we were going with this.
And, chances are any legislation would grandfather in existing owners where an entirely different strategy would need to be deployed to address black market circulation of all handguns. I think we can all agree that the Second Amendment protects and allows legal, law-abiding owners to bear arms, but the Constitution and Heller creates space for governments to regulate access to assault weapons whose mere existence, ARGUABLY (emphasis here because this contention is open for debate) in civilian population possibly pose a serious threat to the health, safety and morals of the citizenry.
Can we get a moderator to screen this kind of nonsense? I appreciate the thoughtful, non-accusatory, posts on this website but this guy Jais is over the top, lol. Jeez….
I’m not waiting on Obumer to get his and the liberal Democrat’s anti-gun legislation passed and then proceed to the courts to reverse his and the liberal Democrats gun control agenda (I don’t need to see your previous posting when you obviously choose to ignore mine that counters your arguments completely). Congressional Democrats are already trying to renew ABW based on happenings going on in Mexico, which is a red herring and they know it. Now they will turn to these two poster kids for AWB and gun control to push their offensive, since the liberal’s 90% argument has been blown away.
The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.
While 90 percent of the guns traced to the U.S. actually originated in the United States, the percent traced to the U.S. is only about 17 percent of the total number of guns reaching Mexico.
Source: Fox News
I disagree with your idea and the limitation you would put on the second amendment and your assessment on what limits most Americans favor being imposed on their Constitutional right to bear arms.
Most sensible Americans understand murder does not require a gun, not even mass murders require AK-47s or M-16s, which many Americans own and never have, and never likely will use to kill another human being.
The majority of Americans are not the ones who need legal guidance, it is our misguided leaders in Congress and the Courts who choose to ignore what we tell them is Constitutionally acceptable to us who could use the clarity.
Including Obumer’s and anti-gun agenda which is not acceptable nor is it the right answer to his conundrum with gun violence and it will not stop mass murder or massive killing.
Australia experiencing mass murder despite gun control
Howard Nemerov
Austin Gun Rights Examiner
Australia’s most heinous mass murder occurred after their gun ban in 1997.
After the recent article on the addiction of gun control, a reader left this rebuttal:
Odd. In Australia, we have very strict gun control laws, brought in by a conservative government after a gun massacre, of the type that Americans seem to experience every few weeks. Since the laws, we have not had any such massacres…
First, what defines a “massacre,” or more definitively, a mass murder? Australian criminology researcher Jenny Mouzos’s criteria is 4 or more victims per incident.
Mouzos co-authored another paper, in which they documented four mass murders since Australia enacted their gun ban:
Between 1996–97 and 2000–01 there were four mass homicide incidents: two incidents involved four victims (knife and carbon monoxide gas), one incident had five victims (carbon monoxide gas), and another incident fifteen victims (arson/fire).
There seems to be a very elastic definition among gun controllers as to what comprises a massacre. A Violence Policy Center press release calls the 1989 Stockton, California shooting a “massacre,” where a man with a history of mental illness killed five school children. Gun Control Australia notes 32 “gun massacres” where 141 people were killed. This averages out to between 4 and 5 victims per incident. But curiously, after a country enacts massive gun confiscation, mass homicide incidents with between four and 15 victims suddenly do not qualify as “massacres.”
One might as easily conclude that the best way to limit multiple murders is not to disarm, but to arm responsible, law-abiding citizens. Anti-rights supporters deny reality in order to promote an idyllic fantasy of a peacefully disarmed citizenry, but while there have been no mass murders using guns since the Australian gun ban, there have been “massacres” as defined by gun control groups.
In his book The Bias Against Guns, John Lott examined the relationship between gun availability and multiple murders. He concluded:
If right-to-carry laws allow citizens to limit the amount of attacks that still take place, the number of persons harmed should fall relative to the number of shootings… And indeed, that is what we find. The average number of people dying or becoming injured per attack declines by around 50 percent.
Lott also found that both the total number and rate of multiple murders in right-to-carry states are one-third that of restrictive states. In an email interview, he clarified this data by stating:
The simplest numbers showed a 67 percent drop in the number of attacks and about a 79 percent drop in the number of people killed or injured from such attacks. The number of people harmed fell by more than the number of attacks because some attacks that weren’t deterred were stopped in progress by people with guns.
Recently, Australia experienced its worst mass murder in history, and no guns were required:
The Australian prime minister accused arsonists of “mass murder” today as the death toll from the deadliest bushfires in the country’s history reached 135. Officials in Victoria believe some of the 400 fires that reduced towns to blackened ruins may have been deliberately set, or have been helped to jump containment lines. The incinerated towns have been officially declared as crime scenes.
As a perfect example of the denial prevalent in gun control addiction, the reader, whose quote appears earlier in the article, made their statement when a Google search of “Australia mass murder” returns dozens of media reports on the arson murders dating back to February 9, 2009, 48 days before the addiction article.
The next investigative report examines further disparity between anti-rights wishes and reality.
For in-depth analysis of gun control in England and Australia and its consequences, see chapter 2 in Four Hundred Years of Gun Control: Why Isn’t It Working?, which deconstructs the gun control agenda and motivates more people to support our civil right of self-defense.
Ok ban all guns period,to heck with any perceived rights to bare any arms.If you want to shoot guns,join the army,the killer of the cops in Pittsburgh was a white racist,not some extreme right wing but a racist.For you folks running out to buy guns because you are afraid that you will be a victim of crime,well you have a better chance of being killed on I-85!
Michael, I saw the interview that Greta Van Susteran (sp??) had with Hilary Clinton a week or so ago and she (Hilary)made the comment that the drug violence that is going on in Mexico is America’s fault in part due to the guns coming from the US. I later heard the claim that 90% of the guns were coming from America. I missed the piece this a.m. on the news when they indicated they would be dubunking her 90% claim as we were leaving for church. By what you posted I assume that the actual # is 17%….that’s quite a difference. It appears that what might need to be better watched, and maybe regulated are these people who are buying bullet proof vests. I might be wrong but I can’t really think of (at least right now) of anyone that would need a bullet proof vest that isn’t in law enforcement.
As we continue to report, Congress has jumped into the topic of Mexican border violence with both feet, having held 10 different Subcommittee and Full Committee hearings on the topic, with more coming. It has also become clear that anti-gun politicians and groups are intent on using this issue to advance new gun laws.
In the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Drugs and Crime, Sen. Dianne Feinstein renewed her attacks on gun owners’ rights. During her remarks, she stated that there are over 2,000 guns smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each day. But when she tried to elicit support for that number from a representative from the BATFE, he responded that the number was much lower. Senator Feinstein was clearly unhappy that he would not endorse her anti-gun sound bite.
(1). Firstly, the job of a Court is not to do what “we tell them to do.” It’s to interpret the law. See Marbury v. Madison for that proposition, my friend. Legislatures respond to the people, and federal judges (thank God) respond to constitutional and other doctrinal norms and not to democratic majorities. If only all states could depoliticize (to the extent possible) their judiciaries, I’d be even happier.
(2). The issue in Mexico does not gird my belief that government can constitutionally restrict handgun access. The Heller decision did. Have you even read the Heller decision? As a matter of public policy, the evidence is a matter of debate (taking into account the statistics you cite and the link I attach, why can’t we agree that is the kind of empirical matter where easy answers are probably undesirable and difficult to come by thusly warranting its submittal to Congress for a final legislative resolution where both sides of the debate have valid points of view?).
(3). The facts you provide do not unearth any novel arguments about gun control laws. I’m well aware that gun control regulation alone cannot reduce gun crimes. That’s never been my contention. However, they should be earnestly considered as an element of a comprehensive federal criminal justice scheme. I’m no doctrinaire liberal (far from it), but I do realize that gun control laws could be helpful though they must be supplemented by a host of other strategies.
(4). Why exactly do you misspell the President’s name so often?
(5). We could play the data game all day (see: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ZJ5J-GTTL/guns.htm). Especially when we choose the sources of data that comport to our point of view. The point I am making is that the sky won’t fall if the Obama policy priorities are law (and that they’re probably constitutional), and you’ll be able to defend yourself adequately. That’s all.
(6). There are political agendas on both sides of the issue, and both sides of the gun control issue will find “irrefutable proof” in correlations (that don’t always prove causation, as I’m sure you know) and attempt to demonize opposition groups. Neither approach moves this discussion forward as a matter of public policy nor as a matter of constitutional law. Presumably, the Administration will issue their proposals to Congress and they’ll have the very discussions we’re having today, and then we’ll let the people decide (through their Congressional representatives). If they step beyond their constitutional boundaries in enacting said laws, the Courts will step in. Why is the operation of our government as the Constitution dictates so objectionable to you?
well, think what you may, Morehouse guy. Your college is known for its liberal views and you are just another part of the obvious distraction. I already got my arms, and no- nobody’s going to take them away without some undue holes in their person. Not a cop, not a legistator and definitely not obama. If anyone here thinks for a second that our elected officials are legit…do some looking.
Do you really think mass media ideals give these figureheads their validity? Mass media is owned by banks. The federal reserve is owned by a private party. AIG is now controlled by the government on most levels. Why are we going into another war when Obama told us he was pulling out? Why did he spend the most money in American History?
No, morehouse guy, G20 is indeed a meeting of these elite globalists and can probably be debunked with just a tad bit of reading. Take a look at their website for god sakes, they want to impliment new trade borders, a global currency and agreement on consolidating american soil into their conglomerate. Tinfoil hats? You rhetoric has grown stale and your setup played out, Morehouse. Would you care to debunk these statements or are you just going to hurumph it off as preposterous? OPEN YOUR freaking eyes man. Every day in the white house these bankers are at work reaping wealth while this country closes up shop.
(1). Firstly, my views in no way represent the College. I use that user name because I am proud alumnus, someone with ties to the AJC region developed through my relationship with the College and I’ve used it before to post. And depending who you ask, the College is quite conservative. Others see that it is an HBCU and assume it’s liberal. It’s like UGA, Harvard or any other school — it contains elements of every political persuasion you could imagine. My views on the “liberal-conservative” spectrum run the gamut much like many that have graduated from the College. And even if it were “liberal”, that need not have any impact whatsoever on my views.
(2). Much of the mass media is publicly traded and owned by shareholders or are family-run, closely held entities. The banks don’t “own” mass media. Everyday investors like you and I (through our 401(k)s), employees and directors of these firms, and institutional investors (like college endowments and pensions) “own” much of the stock in this country and that includes publicly-traded media companies. The rest are family owned, but likely also “owned” by other stockholders, many of which are entrepreneurial spirits like you and I. Leave the grapevine, conspiracy theory “philosophizing” to the guys in the barber shop. It gets us nowhere.
(2)(a). As to what taxpayers “own” we do have common stock in a number of financial institutions (that pay us regular dividends, see: http://obama.wsj.com/article/0c122EAdcBb5F?q=Bank+of+America) and in firms like AIG (who’ll have to pay us back). These institutions are key to our financial recovery and their instability will continue to cause folks to “close up shop.” What’s your beef?
(3). As I stated, your beloved assault rifle would likely be “grandfathered” in as disarming would be costly and likely ineffective.
(4). Obama made a promise to withdraw troops in the Iraqi conflict while expanding our footprint in Afghanistan/Pakistan. These are two theatres of war. Why are you lumping them together? They’re distinctly different.
(5). He spent the most money in American history to win the election. Why else would he do it?
(6). Oh, I’m well aware of the PROPOSALS that were put forth at the G-20. But, other than some form of international regulatory scheme (of which the devil will certainly be in the details) nothing binding came of the G-20 meeting. Only ideas and promises to work together on broad outlines that will likely fall apart or have so many loopholes/exemptions/exceptions that corporate interests will be protected (even by a “socialist” like Obama, lol). You seem the populist’s populist so I’d see your issue with international financial regulatory scheme with said loopholes. But again, that’s wild speculation on my part and until something passes, we can only speculate.
(7). Lots of “bankers” are also losing their jobs and having a working, healthy relationship with the financial sector is absolutely critical to our economic well-being (the “closing shop” you speak of may be due to clogged credit markets that could be rectified by the very bankers you loathe). Your populism gone awry is the only thing that’s stale and you need to open your eyes to the reality within which the rest of the rest of the civilized world operates. We don’t get Americans back to work by demonizing banks or conspiracy theories. That’s for sure.
Firstly who must ratify that Constitution? Not your Court, my friend and THANK GOD! The Courts and the Congress even your Obumer must listen to the people, eventually. If they that are the government choose to continually ignore the will of the people, we have the right to dismiss our present government and declare a new one that serves us.
Power is derive from where and by what means are we governed: Power is derived from our hands and we are by governed our consent.
I’ll be very happy when the American people rise up and tell this government we have that really is not serving us that this government only exists because We the People say it can exist. You’ll find that in the Declaration of Independence.
The second amendment is all the gun authority I ever needed; Heller was nothing more than affirmation of that amendment.
Laws are helpful only when applied to the lawless, otherwise they are useless to the law abiding and in their defense. Controlling guns will control criminals or stop or reduce crime, which is your argument? At best that is negligible in effect and has been proven otherwise invalid. So I hope you don’t think you brought anything new to fore of benefit to me, I’ve known that other strategies aimed directly at the people who commit crimes has to be the major priority: Whether it is in pursuing the illegal gun sellers and/or illegal buyers but again, it is certainly not in restricting legal purchases of guns by someone like Badie, York or Smith no matter what our weapon of choice.
As for Obumer’s laws – gun laws- he wants enacted not harming me or putting me in danger, HOOEY! I’m not foolish enough to think “an adequate police force” can ever be provided to, as you say, avoid violence( and the framers of the Decalration of Indepenedence and Constitution were also not so foolish). You’ve just witness two police forces defeated, one failed the two minute warning and 13 people lay dead; the other was absolutely clueless as to what they were walking into and 3 cops were killed. That’s no data-data non-sense that is reality on just how quickly deadly violent force can be used. Even with a gun you only have a chance but at least it is better than no chance whatsoever of stopping someone that is going to kill you or others. And truth is a chance often times is all a cop has against an armed criminal.
Why is the operation of our government as the Constitution dictates so objectionable to you?
Are you trying to be facetious, our government is not operating as the Constitution dictates.
Thanks for the links Micheal. Interesting stuff. I also enjoyed reading Morehouse Guy’s comments. There were some valid and good points. The one thing you brought up though is “the Administration will issue their proposals to Congress and they’ll have the very discussions we’re having today, and then we’ll let the people decide (through their Congressional representatives).” It doesn’t seem that the Congress we now have has any real discussions they just seem to rubber stamp everything the administration wants and then some. Hopefully this gun control will die out and nothing will come of it. The only gun control that is needed is on the criminals not those of us that are law abiding citizens and have a right to bear arms.
The only gun control that is needed is on the criminals not those of us that are law abiding citizens and have a right to bear arms.
Your welcome and you can frame that one, nana.
A rubber stamp government has no Constitutional authority to exist, so that is poof enough our government is not operating as the Constitution dictates.
Article four Section four: The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union “a republican form of government”, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.
Your extra chromosome has obviously affected your memory as well as your ability to put together a coherent thought. Get a high school diploma before you spout.
When are you and your army of 15000 going to clean up the streets of Norcross? I have a feeling it would look more like Pride fest than a paramilitary movement.
On this day in history, John Charles Carter died in 2008, aka, Charlton Heston, aka, Moses. Now we can pry the gun from his cold dead hands. Whats funny a Frenchman has run the NRA for many years now, are NRA members hypocrites, naa, just have enough brain cells to handle one issue.
The Declaration of Independence is not the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence stated what we hoped to become, the Constitution is what we are, where we are is not all that bad, but I hate it when some confuse the two to attempt to win a weak arguement.
The Marbury v. Madison decision proved once and for all that laws passed by Congress or orders by the President have to meet Constitutional muster.
Think about kids, they took away the Blacks right to vote, by the Southern states attacking the United States and Jim Crow laws, they took a womens right to vote away, just because they were women, then the booze, only to be restored, when did they take away the Right to Bear Arms? Bunch of paranoid rednecks, no more, no less.
Rick, get a Taser for both your wife and you, no danger to the children.
Without the Declaration of Independence the Constitution has no legal standing as we would remain Her Majesty’s now fifty rebellious colonies. I hate it when some liberal thinks they can separate the two documents because they have no argument that will reasonably stand up in support of their anti-second amendment rights agenda. So they only offer more of their oxygen deprived hypocrisies to exhale in exhaustion resorting to a usual round of Supreme Omnipotent Bigotry, as if playing their silly ignorant race game trumps all to kneel before them.
No law has to pass a court challenge until it is brought before a court to decide.
Rick as all others can do as they want, it is their choice to buy and have a gun and their right to protect their lives and that of their families when government fails in its’ obligation to protect their life for whatever reason.
Don’t you love it when a hypocrite that argued against the county using TASERs at the jail as being deadly, now argues for their safety around children! LOL OMG!
Wow. The veteran Bruce and the newcomer Morehouse Guy are laying it down. You hit all the nails on the head right on. Especially the part about extracting and interpreting data to go along with your way of thinking. Some people still want to debate the election, when the election is over.
BTW Morehouse, just to fill you in a little; LT and Jais are the special ed posters. Extremely over the top and like you said absolutely should not be in possesion of any types of weaponry. Often, they miss they’re regularly scheduled doses of medication. Michael makes alot more sense but he just has to have the last word and if you don’t agree with him, it will always be a battle. Just a little FYI.
Nana, I’m done with you! I’m not going to banter back and forth with you. I made a generalized statement…you came at me specifically with your sarcasm, had a problem with my insignia, and you don’t even understand the verbiage on how the word “hater” was used. I’ll get over myself when you get your facts straight; The whacko cop killer in Pittsburgh couldn’t have been dishonorably discharged from the Marines because he never made it out of bootcamp. Luckily, due to his bullet proof vest and the demographic make-up of his neighborhood, this upstanding citizen is still alive today. He was able to hold SWAT teams at bay due to the mini arsenal he had acquired. Didn’t the Virginia Tech massacre involve assault weapons too? Hmmmmm…Just saying….Keep those AK47’s coming!
Mr. Simth, a columun or two ago I said I would be polite to all, with you on this issue and you’re twisting of my words, add the refusal of answering any simple questions offered, really makes it hard, but I’ll do my best.
“Without the Declaration of Independence the Constitution has no legal standing”, like duh.Unless the King sent a letter back saying all is cool, you dudes and dudettes can have your freedom and we will pull all of our Redcoats out. No man, this country had to fight, fight for themselves for indpedentence. We didn’t have anyone invading us deciding we needed it.
The Second Amendment, whoa, it’s added to the Constitution, it’s an Amendment, wow, the Bill of Rights of Rights were overlooked in the last draft?
“No law has to pass a court challenge until it is brought before a court to decide.”, like duh again, all laws have to pass Constitutional muster,believe or not most meet that standard.
Hypocrite about Tasers? Mr. Smith now you’re starting to be a pain. Five deputies holding down a handcuffed and shackled man is not misuse? Poor training is what I said, there have been more in one this county that have died from it. Thankfully they have finally read the manual
yada yada Bruciecumv go buy one of those “deadly safe TASERs” and shock yourself out of hypocrisy and back into reality or better yet take a Kool Aid enema so you can breathe life back into those two dysfunctional brain cells you have left.
I’ve counter your every argument and I hope you liberals go for this AWB renewal that has proven worthless. It is just the issue that is needed to burn alot of that Obumer political capital and get liberal democrats defeated who support it when the 2010 elections are held. And then, somebody else in ‘12 besides Obumer the one term wonder of socialism.
Morehouse guy, we do need to go racial here. Minorities commit most of the street crimes, fill the prisons and drain the tax bases of major cities. Clean up your own neighborhoods and stay out of ours.
Is fear the price of freedom? We constantly tout our freedoms to the world, but fear grips us tightly. We are hooked on fear. Our local media dishes up a daily doese of FEAR! Be afraid. Be very afraid. People constantly refer to downtown Atlanta as scary. Saturday I walked throughout downtown. Lots of kids and families were in Olympic Park enjoying themselves. The food court at CNN Center was packed. Where Peachtrree meets International Blvd. throngs of tourist were out and about. Yes there was the occasional homeless bum here and there. Woodruff Park did have its share of homeless enjoying their front porch, but they weren’t bothering anyone. Sometimes I wonder what downtown some of you refer to when you say downtown is so scary. Is it because there are so many poor, black faces down there. Poor people use downtown as free entertainment. This has always been the case.
now…I will address you one more time. It’s too bad you don’t have even half the intelligence Morehouse Guy has. You don’t need to “school” him on the posters on this blog he’s intelligent enough to figure everyone out and to figure you out too. Good riddance.
Man, I love Scott’s comment. He hit the nail on the head. His comment is more reality than racial. But I think his comment can be improved.
Morehouse guy, minorities commit most of the street crimes, fill the prisons, and drain the tax bases of major cities. Clean up your neighborhoods. Build your institutions. Quit exploiting the helpless black masses for personal gain. And stay out of the business of white people. It’s the only non-genocidal avenue available to black people.
We are starting to see the signs for “HUD home, $100 down” on the foreclosures in our neighborhood. Soon HUD will turn these homes into Section 8 and, if you’ve read any of the stories about the Section 8 houses going into formerly nice residential areas, then you will know why our guns are clean and ready to be fired at our house. But we are also in the midst of getting rid of everything we own to downsize so we can move out of Gwinnett and Georgia so anybody who breaks into our house will be sorely disappointed – a couple of old computers and no flat screens or surround sound at our place and a 2002 Chrysler in the garage. Have at it – we’ll gladly let you take our old junk – that’s less stuff we have to get rid of before we move. Oh and we have a kid in college so we don’t have any money or credit cards to be stolen either. We’ll get killed because there’s nothing to rob from us.
Whites are running for the hills again, soon they’re won’t be anywhere to run. In the past month 48 people have died in mass killings, 95% percent commited by whites.
The so-called educated integrationist blacks are the real reason for the crime in white areas. During the years of separation, before mandatory integration, the minds of black people were focused on acquiring education for the purpose of building institutions capable of meeting the basic needs of the masses of black people. There was minimal crime in the black community and almost no black person was responsible for crime in the white community in the south. By then, it was already too late for the north, they had already integrated. But the integrationist Negroes, supported by others, negatively influenced ninety percent of black people with their integrationist liberal social policies in the south.
Just think about it. The so-called educated integrationist black person has deprived the average black man and woman of the honor of having meaningful education and institutions. As a result, the masses of black people can’t satisfy their basic needs and are struggling to survive by any means necessary. Black people shouldn’t blame whitey. Whitey is not responsible for educating black people or building their institutions. Blackey is to blame.
Everybody should be careful out there. The so-called educated integrationist Negro via media is on the prow attempting to teach black people that they are individually responsible for their wretched existence. And if that fails to absolve the so-called educated integrationist New World Order Negroes of their criminality and penalty for the existing genocidal conditions in the black community, they always point the finger at whitey.
Moved to grayson in 1995 – quiet and peaceful. Today was the first time in 14 years that I put my outgoing mail in the mailbox. Between 9 am and 12 noon it was stolen. Snellville, Grayson, Loganville have become ‘hoods and we seem powerless to stop the thugs from taking over.It isn’t always the new kidsonthe block either – many of the hoodlums are kids that grew up here but became surly, disrespectful teens – and their parents don’t try to stop it either.
A definition of a slave is any ethnic group that voluntarily or involuntarily depends on another group of people to service/meet their basic needs; food, clothing, shelter, education, employment, health-care…. It is from that point forward that the respective individuals/ groups can’t discuss any topic without rightfully distinguishing between the total dominance of one group and the abject servility of the other. No slave can dictate to his master.
Listen Up. This is not a racial thing at all, you cannot blame it on anyone group, as I pointed out, 48 people have died in the past month, the majority killed by Whites, how do you explain it? Gangs for the most part kill gang members, anyone posting here who is a member of a gang (besides the Republican party), that killed someone of late?
Hopefully not, so that leaves us with a bunch of paranoid gun holders who are too afraid to go out after dark, sad as it may seem, they’re the most dangerous to you and I.
Crime is crime. Doesn’t matter if the act was committed by a Hispanic, Nigerian, Romanian, Korean. You can break it down by race or nationality, if you wish. All you’re doing, IMO, is creating a job market for experts who write books, go on talk shows and come up with creative ways to collectively say, “It’s not their fault.”
An “inconvenient truth” (sorry Al) is that violent crime is linked more by poverty than by a propensity for one race or another to behave in a characteristic way. One is not desperate because he is Mexican or Nigerian. He’s desperate because he’s poor. The problem is that poverty doesn’t qualify, in media reports, as a “standout statistic.” We can talk about percentages of blacks vs. whites vs. Hispanics vs. stars-upon-thars in terms of demographics of incarceration. I’d venture to say that poverty is one thing that these demographics have in common, but “poverty” isn’t a headline any more.
So if I choose to purchase a gun for my protection, I’m not doing so to protect myself from black or from Mexicans. I’m doing so to protect myself from those who don’t have taking what I have. Am I going to stop and say, “I better not shoot my assailant because he’s (insert nationality here)?” No. I’m going to shoot someone to prevent them from taking from me money, property, and/or my life what is not theirs to take.
The fact that you are just now considering owing a weapon would indicate just how UnAmerican you’ve been in the past. Not only is it our constitutional right to own a weapon, it has been explained as a duty by many of our constituional framers in order to maintain our freedoms.
I would suggest you also consider a lifetime membership in the NRA while you are at it.
Come on Big Bubba, get with the program. The so-called educated integrationist Negroes betrayed the masses of black people by depriving them of the critical institutions needed to service their basic needs. As a result, the masses of Negroes look to other groups/races of people to provide food, clothing, shelter, employment, etc. Said differently, Negroes depend on other people to sustain their lives. And if forever reason elite individuals in other races/groups fail to adequately provide for the needs of the Negro, a la the homeless on Juniper Street and many others, they have no alternative but to turn to crime or die.
And as long as Negroes as a group have no economy of their own, poverty is a present virus for each and every Negro in America. Whoever is servicing the Negro’s basic needs can activate the virus of poverty on a whim. That’s how so-called wealthy Negroes are controlled.
“…the masses of Negroes look to other groups/races of people to provide food, clothing, shelter, employment, etc. Said differently, Negroes depend on other people to sustain their lives.” Good grief, Charles, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Charles (nod-wink-nudge), the white man has done everything in his power since the Emancipation Proclamation and the resulting amendments from the Civil War to ease the transition of the black man from slavery into productive member of society. I mean, it only took 100 years from the end of slavery to the enactment of civil rights legislation to help integrate the black man into “civilized” society.
So what? If a man’s breaking into my house, threatening to rob me at knife point or gun point, threatening assault upon my person, I don’t give a flying f*** about any egregious trangressions society may or may not have committed against him. Crime is crime. I will defend my person and my property. Period. Doesn’t matter if my transgressor’s ancestors were slaves, or hopped across a border without telling anybody else, or maybe he did tell someone else. It doesn’t matter. No one has the right to deprive me of my freedom, property or well-being. We can have touchy-feely conversations over a beverage if you wish, but when the conversation’s over, I’m going to make sure my gun is loaded, that the safety is on, and pray as I walk to my car or lock the doors on my house that no one deprives themselves of their like if they first try to deprive me of my life or my property.
Good grief, Good grief, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? It doesn’t matter whether slavery is voluntary or involuntary. And in the case of Negroes today, it’s volunteer slavery.
Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Good Grief (nod-wink-nudge), Pharaoh did everything in his power to retain the services of his slaves, the Children of Israel. God had to send several plagues to break his pernicious desire. And when Pharaoh finally decided to set the Children of Israel free, he suddenly changed his mind and chased them to the Red Sea. That’s when Pharaoh and his army were drowned.
I’m sure that some of the Children of Israel didn’t want to be free. They had been slaves for too long, four hundred years… There is no question that some of the people of God disobeyed Moses and Aaron and went back into Egypt/slavery to integrate with Pharaoh and his people. And I’m sure Pharaoh worked many hours to make integration look like something other than slavery.
I have absolutely no problem with your second paragraph.
Good grief, Good grief, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? It doesn’t matter whether slavery is voluntary or involuntary. And in the case of Negroes today, it’s volunteer slavery.
Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Good Grief (nod-wink-nudge), Pharaoh did everything in his power to retain the services of his slaves, the Children of Israel. God had to send several plagues to break his pernicious desire. And when Pharaoh finally decided to set the Children of Israel free, he suddenly changed his mind and chased them to the Red Sea. That’s when Pharaoh and his army were drowned.
I’m sure that some of the Children of Israel didn’t want to be free. They had been slaves for too long, four hundred years… There is no question that some of the people of God disobeyed Moses and Aaron and went back into Egypt/slavery to integrate with Pharaoh and his people. And I’m sure Pharaoh worked many hours working to make integration look like something other than slavery.
I have absolutely no problem with your second paragraph.
Rick:
I enjoyed the column about crime fears. I’ve read some of the comments here, and there is a lot of drivel written here. My comments are, however, more about the sad state of our culture, where we feel the need to be armed, even in our homes. I agree that bad times probably drive up the crime rates, but I have long commented that it seems that everyday there is another killing in Metro Atlanta. And as your friend Bill York noted, I too am too old to try to beat anyone off me. Chuck Norris on his best day could not stop a thug with a gun that was 10 feet away. Those of us that were in the military, no matter how many years ago, remember very well
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john mobley
March 12th, 2009
11:04 am
this program is badly needed to protect american workers jobs.
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Josh
March 12th, 2009
12:32 pm
Wrong. It’s not badly needed to protect American workers jobs. Whether or not they can work still depends on a SS# and a valid ID / birth certificate. This tool just let’s you know up front if they are valid or not before you submit the paperwork. It’s a waste of money and time, really it is.
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nana
March 12th, 2009
3:02 pm
Hey Rick, they “updated” your blog too. Seems like there were a lot more posts than this though….they vanished???
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Josh
March 12th, 2009
4:55 pm
Sure, why not.
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Steve
March 12th, 2009
7:05 pm
Why should should a state legislator be in the City’s business? What happened to local control? Thats what elections are for, right?
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LT5000
March 12th, 2009
7:16 pm
Hey Blubbering Badie, why don’t you write an article about the AJC finally admitting what a liberal rag they are? You always want to hear back from the readers and boy did they ever.
C’mon Badie. Try to be a journalist instead of occupying a booth at Denny’s and writing the stupid Snellville story over and over again. What is this the fourth or fifth one?
**Some readers believe we do a good job of being fair in our coverage and providing a balance of opinions. A few think we’re too conservative. But many more believe that our editorial pages are too liberal and that bias seeps into our news coverage. We have heard you on the bias issue and are taking deliberate steps to address this.**
**On the news pages, we have several editors who are assigned to look for bias and balance issues in stories and headlines. **
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2009/03/08/pubnote0308.html
LT5000
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Michael H. Smith
March 12th, 2009
8:16 pm
Yes to question number one, in this case; and yes again to question number two in every case throughout the State of Georgia. In fact or because of the fact, that this change in a charter was ever created by State Legislators is reason enough that we the people should get directly involved to prevent any further “misadventures in governance”.
PS. I don’t like the format change made to the blog and that is what I think about this page.
This particular case in Snellville is a good example of where ballot initiative and referendum should be use directly by we the people of Georgia to amend our State Constitution to prohibit our General Assembly, Counties and Cities from ever again establishing even numbered voting members setting on governing bodies with in the jurisdiction of the State of Georgia.
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Michael H. Smith
March 12th, 2009
8:20 pm
I’ll give this another try, maybe it’ll work correctly this time?
Yes to question number one, in this case; and yes again to question number two in every case throughout the State of Georgia. In fact or because of the fact, that this change in a charter was ever created by State Legislators is reason enough that we the people should get directly involved to prevent any further “misadventures in governance”.
This particular case in Snellville is a good example of where ballot initiative and referendum should be use directly by we the people of Georgia to amend our State Constitution to prohibit our General Assembly, Counties and Cities from ever again establishing even numbered voting members setting on governing bodies with in the jurisdiction of the State of Georgia.
PS. I don’t like the format change made to the blog and that is what I think about this page.
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Steve
March 12th, 2009
10:48 pm
You can say that again!
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nana
March 13th, 2009
11:26 am
I have to agree with LT on this one….we read a similar article on this issue from Mr. Badie several weeks ago.
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The Voice of Raisin
March 13th, 2009
12:46 pm
Text ♫ type here ☺
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:-) Gandalf, the White!
March 13th, 2009
3:40 pm
I don’t read the AJC, just Badies Blog and WTW…fun!
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:-) Gandalf, the White!
March 13th, 2009
3:41 pm
©
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:-) Gandalf, the White!
March 13th, 2009
3:44 pm
Text ♫ type here ☺
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Patrick
March 13th, 2009
4:20 pm
Instead of changing the charter the Snellville residents could try electing adults next time.
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Lance
March 14th, 2009
5:14 pm
hehe “Rainbow” Village.
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LT5000
March 14th, 2009
9:39 pm
The Blubbering Badie Obama informercial.
If Brooke Nebel is truly inspired by Obama and his friends she should stop paying her taxes.
By the time Obama gets done with his new American Socialist overhaul, we’ll all need to have a fundraiser for ourselves.
Apparently Obama buyers remorse hasn’t set in for Mrs. Nebel yet.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 14th, 2009
10:56 pm
Little Tot/lt, we NEED the fundraiser for this country and all communities after bush with unregulated Wall Street and banks.
This country has always been partly socialist, long before Obama with have given huge tax breaks to oil companies making billions, companies making millions and the even farmers, no, not the Mom & Pop farms, but the mega farms.
This isn’t the first time we had to bail out an industry to keep it going and I’m sure it won’t be the last. You know lt you still have your head so far up bush’s butt, I swear I seen your feet sticking out of his pants as he boarded Marine One for his final, and thankfully last term as resident of the White House.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 14th, 2009
11:02 pm
Kind of a short notice Rick, I can understand with all the changes going on.
Best of luck to Brooke Nebel and THANK You.
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Michael H. Smith
March 15th, 2009
2:15 am
Me, me, me.
What’s in it for me?
Brooke Nebel has heard folks ask ad nauseam what the stimulus package will do for them. She’s sick of it.
~
Here’s something new for people like Ms. Nebel to get sick of that they may choose to ignore: I’m not so concerned about, “what is the stimulus package going to do for me”, nearly as much as I’m dreadfully aware of what this intoxicated Congressional spending spree is going to do too me; and worse, far worse, is what this so-called stimulus package is going to do too several generations of our future grandchildren; who will soon be the United States of America.
Neither of the sides, Ms. Nebel, is doing much of anything good for the country nor is either of the political parties doing anything more than getting their petty very wasteful earmarks into this stimulus bill to fund their local pet pork projects. If your Obama was anything near the claim of being community-oriented, then he would have sent this so-called stimulus package back to the Congress instead of signing it into law; with instructions to strip out every piece of pork that the members of Congress put into that spending bill and start all over again in funding only the things the members and the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) could reasonably access that would yield a return of taxpayer money to the treasury with the good faith intent of creating the atmosphere conducive to producing well paying jobs for U.S. Citizens without outsourcing those jobs to any foreign labor inside or outside of this country.
It is very unfortunate that the good of the country is being sacrificed for the good of the moment. Accepting socialism in exchange for populism is yet another deceptive toxic asset in the corrupt making.
Which is very contrary to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
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LT5000
March 15th, 2009
10:33 am
Bruxie, the ever present moron, here is a definition of socialism for you.
**any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods**
Tell me you chorizo chugging halfwit, how the hell do tax cuts for businesses fall into this category?
Now Obama “Jimmy Carter Part 2″ wants health care and banks controlled by the government, which is socialism.
I would suspect some day that Brucie would get tired of getting proven wrong again and again, but he just keeps coming back for more. I’m suspecting he is a masochist.
If anybody wants to know what caused the economic crisis, look at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were being run by Obama financial advisor Harold Raines and Barney Frank Leather Daddy Herb Moses.
LT5000 with the facts, Brucie with reheated Karl Marx.
LT5000
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Lee
March 15th, 2009
11:04 am
Obama is “community oriented”????? Yeah, right. That’s why he just signed the largest increase in FEDERAL spending since….. uh, wait, I don’t think anyone has spent this much.
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Bubba
March 15th, 2009
12:43 pm
I’m confused.
Where in the article does it say anything about federal government or stimulus packages?
The article I read was about two organizations holding a fundraiser at a local business whose proceeds go towards providing essentials to those who are having difficulty providing for themselves.
I did read Ms. Nebel say, “Right now, with what’s going on currently with the economy, we all need to work together, and all the political parties are doing is bickering. Neither side is doing anything for us as a community.” It’s a statement with which, in this instance, I agree.
For every person that says “me, me, me” there is another person – probably more than person – who says “I don’t want charity, I want a job. I want my life back.” How do we help those people? Do we sit back and say, “too bad, so sad?” Do we say, “Well, you could work at McDonalds, only a non-taxpaying illegal immigrant has taken all the positions?”
What do we say to those who, through no fault of their own, want to be able to take care of themselves but can’t? Can’t because there are no jobs available, because they encountered an unexpected illness that decimated their savings, because they were involved in an accident for which they have no fault?
The problem with absolutes is that there are far more people that fall between the spectrums of “need vs. greed” than there are people who exemplify those spectrums. Why, then, is a person’s willingness to contribute to charity dependent upon one’s political beliefs? The symbol of need is represented by neither a donkey nor an elephant. And sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.
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Michael H. Smith
March 15th, 2009
12:50 pm
Top of the page bubba, you can read it again word for word.
Quote
Me, me, me.
What’s in it for me?
Brooke Nebel has heard folks ask ad nauseam what the “stimulus package” will do for them. She’s sick of it.
End Quote.
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Bubba
March 15th, 2009
1:16 pm
Yes, Michael. “She’s sick of it.”
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LT5000
March 15th, 2009
1:32 pm
Michael,
You have to excuse Brucie’s jock sniffer Bubba. He seems to have as much trouble with reading as Brucie does.
I think they are best friends from the Gwinnett County Home for the Mentally Retarded.
Which is why they think the Obama Administration is so great. Especially considering his huge gaffe of giving PM Brown a “gift” of DVD’s, sending Hillary forth with a gift for the Russians with a blatant mispelling or Hillary claiming that he US democracy is older than Europes. Not to mention his numerous nominees who have had to drop out.
Where’s the media catcalls of “Culture of Corruption”? It’s strictly amateur hour in the Obama Administration.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 15th, 2009
1:40 pm
Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”?
Medicare, Medicade and bush’s drug program, a personal gift from bush to the drug industry, is not government control of health care?
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith, the embarrassed Republican poster boy, is now running around screaming “The sky is falling” about who will pay off the National Debt, laughable, while he remain mute when bush added the largest amount to the debt while destroying our economy at the same time.
Now Pork, I never heard of anyone from Congress or the district/state that received it sending it back, even those who stomp and yell about it, like Saxby. Pork provides jobs or maybe help inner city kids, because of a very few stupid examples the majority should suffer, ignorance at it’s best.
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Michael H. Smith
March 15th, 2009
4:09 pm
House earmarks
Linder, John R-GA $0 0
http://wsbradio.com/blogs/jamie_dupree/2009/03/more-house-earmarks.html
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LT5000
March 15th, 2009
4:46 pm
Brucie the dumbass strikes again. He views tax cuts as the government “losing” income. That’s like the local government losing income when the police don’t give you a speeding ticket.
His Che Guvera impersonation is wearing quite thin. Brucie the dumbass should look at who pays the taxes in this country.
**In 2002 the latest year of available data, the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.8 percent) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (30.6 percent) of income.**
Mr Obama’s genius plan is to tax the people who pay most of the taxes. Which will undoubtedly lead these people to move their businesses out of America. If they don’t move their businesses then they will be forced to cut employees to make up for the extra taxes they have to pay.
Only Brucie is dumb enough to think this plan is intelligent. Do us a favor Brucie and move to Cuba. I’m sure Fidel would welcome a “fellow traveler” such as yourself, except we would all know you are only what the Commie’s call “a useful idiot”.
LT5000
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Richal
March 15th, 2009
4:56 pm
I like your picture but not the new blog format.
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Susie
March 15th, 2009
7:25 pm
I agree with Steve – electing adults to the City Council would be good! OR the people we elect could grow up!
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jessie j. jones
March 15th, 2009
7:42 pm
2 9 0
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Bruce Wilcox
March 15th, 2009
9:13 pm
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith, why should I care what Linder does, he’s not my Rep.? I mention our Senator and if one of ours excepts Pork both do.Ever hear of the tickle-down effect ‘Hemorrhoid’, if the Senators who, if you ever picked up a copy of the Constitution, represent the entire the State all enjoy the Pork they took home, is that not true?
Little Tot, isn’t it true that tax cuts work only if government controls spending to be less than the increased revenue raised, is that not true?
Again I ask, “Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”? “.
Michael Hemorrhoid Smith and Little Tot, you just don’t get it, Hemorrhoid wants people to get jobs, Little Tot tells us raising taxes on the top 5% will force companies overseas? Little Tot the companies left a long time ago, Michael Hemorrhoid Smith what jobs after what bush did to this economy?
The two embarrassed Republicans still embarassing themselves, sad, the last true die-hards.
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LT5000
March 15th, 2009
9:56 pm
Brucie only proves what a dumbass he is again.
Reagan pushed through tax cuts in the 80’s to help America recover from the Jimmy Carter debacle. All the while the Democrat congress spent and spent. It brought back the economy.
Know Brucie’s wet dream spank Bank hero, Barack Obama, somehow thinks he is going to raise taxes and increase spending 10 fold and somehow get out of a recession.
Brucie has earned his Obama kneepads behind the Quik Trip on Singleton. His Obama lust has driven him to delusions.
LT5000 always with the facts. Brucie armed only with his ignorance of history.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 15th, 2009
10:20 pm
History, Reagan broke the Trillion dollar mark with the National Debt, his tax cuts did nothing more than to allow companies hire more movers to move them overseas. Also like bush, Reagan had a half, while bush had a full Congress for six of their eight years. As far as President Carter, what did Nixion and Ford leave him, an economy almost as bad as bush’s, and what did Pappy Bush leave, a recession, must run in the family.
Again I ask, “Again I ask, “Little Tot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership”? “.”.
You cannot change or rewrite history, insults mean nothing, matter of fact, I’ll give them up, just proving who is the better man.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 15th, 2009
10:28 pm
LT, one question for you won’t get confused. If tax cuts are suppose to bring in more than what is be spent, tell me when during Reagans, or either bush’s terms did it work when more money was going out?
President Willian Jefferson Clinton raised taxes and we ended up with a surplus.
There is your homework, when I check in the morning, don’t tell me the dog ate it.
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LT5000
March 15th, 2009
10:30 pm
Brucie you poor dimwitted fool. When you start defending the anti-Semite Jimmy Carter, you have already lost the argument.
Now go back to touching yourself while downloading images of Jimmy Carter and Karl Marx. You have already proven to the world what a moron you are, there isn’t anything left for you to do.
The facts win and Brucie always loses.
LT5000
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Michael H. Smith
March 15th, 2009
10:42 pm
Did you write our Senator and tell him you don’t like earmarks Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox? Or is this just another one of your stupid flatulent socialist airings against Republicans only – the Democrats can but Republicans can’t? Ever hear of telling the truth you misspeaking disingenuous RUG? When if ever have you spoken against anything a dumbass dunkey spent pork money on and now you bemoan a Republican Senator?
I oppose earmarks spending across the broad Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox as my statement previously to Ms. Nebel makes known: “Neither of the sides,is doing much of anything good for the country nor is either of the political parties doing anything more than getting their petty very wasteful earmarks into this stimulus bill to fund their local pet pork projects….
It is very unfortunate that the good of the country is being sacrificed for the good of the moment. Accepting socialism in exchange for populism is yet another deceptive toxic asset in the corrupt making.
Which is very contrary to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Nah, Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox you just don’t get it. Your President Bill Clinton signed off on NAFTA (not Bush) and the present tax structure that rewards companies for locating offshore to avoid taxation. NOW MISSPEAK YOU RUG!
One of Bill’s greatest accomplishment, was NAFTA, said Queen Hilary. Now Obama is moon-walking on his past statements against Free Trade and he now calls it our salvation? HUH! What happened to Fair Trade Obama? What happen to tax cuts for businesses that locate here in the U.S. and tax penalties against U.S. companies that offshore outsource? Is this another community organizing flip flop?
We’ll just tax the rich to pay for all this spending… yeah right!
Obama, you don’t have enough rich people in this country to pay for all the spending you are doing.
No LT, small business owners that have remained in this country will not relocate outside of the country. If they could have they would have done it long before now, in joining the large U.S. corporations. They will simply relocate their money offshore to avoid the Obama tax, close their doors and put people like me out of a job. And with the threat of forced unionization through the use of an Un-American open-ballot card check it is a fore-drawn certainty that mom and pop business will take their money and run. Of course, we’ll never get Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox to admit that taxation beyond the means needed to operate an efficient government always stifles creativity and wealth creation. His true-die-hard socialism and Democrat hack socialist agenda will not permit it, no matter how embarrassing his socialist Obama failures become.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 15th, 2009
11:22 pm
NAFTA, doesn’t that stand for the NORTH AMERICA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT? Tell me what President introduced the concept, talked to the leaders of both Mexico and Canada and lobbied for it’s passage?
I mentioned Saxby because he is a hypocrite, much as you are. The only change I’d like to see in Earmarks is the poor Districts moved to the top of the list, not the well connected Districts, the Districts we have promised help for so long. What confused you?
I’ll try to see if you dare answer, LT cannot, when we use or lose tax dollars to subsidize private companies is that Free Enterprise or “collective or governmental ownership?
You two forced to join together to debate me brings a smile, you both have lost all credibility. Do you think that “The people” here are not smart enough to check out whose right and whose wrong, history and facts cannot be changed, no matter what Lou says.
As always it has been a fun night.
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Michael H. Smith
March 16th, 2009
12:08 am
Nah, nah, Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox who singed off on NAFTA that is the issue you hypocrite that misspeaks like a RUG. Bill Clinton singed NAFTA that is the fact and the correct history that you cannot re-write.
You only mentioned Saxby because he is a Republican, you have plenty of hypocrite Democrats like yourself to have cited but you didn’t because you are disingenuous, no confusion on my part about that and there shouldn’t be confusion on anyone else’s part by now.
Oh I really do hope people check out the facts and history. When they do they will see you as the big misspeaking rug you’ve always been Señorito Brucie the dumbass-hole Wilcox.
Do remember Obama was caught MISSPEAKING like a RUG against Lou Dobbs when Obama was campaigning or Hispandering, point in fact and The Washington Post awarded him four Pinocchios for telling that big lie.
Yes, do check out the facts and the history about increasing taxes during economic downturns people. And do look over the earmarks to see how many will ever return a long term capital gain to the U.S. treasury in order to pay off the debt Obama and Congress is recklessly creating that our grandchildren will have to pay off in higher taxes and inflation.
http://wsbradio.com/blogs/jamie_dupree/
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Bruce Wilcox
March 16th, 2009
12:44 am
This is from 2003 and you’re boo-hooing about it now?
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2003/11/03/the_biggest_tax_is_debt/
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Bruce Wilcox
March 16th, 2009
12:53 am
Facts made easy…
http://community.post-gazette.com/forums/t/4761.aspx
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Dr. Craig Spinks /Evans
March 16th, 2009
3:52 am
Our president and Mr. Badie are correct: Through our volunteer efforts, We, the People, can and MUST do tremendous GOOD in our respective local communities.
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LT5000
March 16th, 2009
1:08 pm
Now that Brucie has been filleted, let’s move on to Dr Spinks.
Even though Brucie still claims the government is “losing income” though tax cuts. As Churchill said “A fanatic is one who won’t change his mind, but won’t change the subject”. That’s chorizo chugging Brucie to a T.
Obama doesn’t want to give his money to the community, he wants to tax everyone and give it to the community. The Obama gave virtually nothing until he decided to become President. Below 1% of their income.
So much for helping the community, now Obama just wants to help himself to our incomes.
The Obama buyers remorse is starting to set in.
LT5000
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The Voice of Raisin
March 16th, 2009
1:15 pm
Snnnnooooorrreee. Next subject, PLEASE!
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Threadkiller
March 16th, 2009
3:19 pm
I think you guys need to get a woman!!
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Michael H. Smith
March 16th, 2009
4:06 pm
Oh whine, whine, the trolls need attention. How much has Obama spent in less than 100 days? Will that old party that has now been in power for more than two years give the “AIG FAT CATS” those bonuses to be paid for out of our borrowed taxpayer dollars?
Tell’ya what Doc, all politics are local and all Federal spending is a kitchen table issue in every “ORGANIZED COMMUNITY” ad nauseam.
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Michael H. Smith
March 16th, 2009
5:42 pm
A change for worse
What George W. was to “strategery,” Barack Obama is to “change.” Every time he uses the word, America stifles a laugh.
Change? Please. One year ago, then Sen. Obama pledged to change “an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.”
Fifty days ago, President Obama promised to change the culture in Washington by “going through the budget line by line.”
But on Wednesday, Obama slipped into Dick Cheney’s old “undisclosed location” and signed the $410 billion, 9,000-earmark pork-u-lust bill. In just 50 days, Obama and the Democratic Congress have spent $1.2 trillion, which works out to $1 billion in new spending an hour, 24 hours a day.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1158212&srvc=home&position=rated
Time to organize a community Tea Party like the rest of the country.
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LT5001
March 16th, 2009
10:25 pm
There’s a party in my mouth and everyone’s invited!
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QT Brucie
March 17th, 2009
1:02 am
Then stop gurgling and swallow. That’s what I always do when there’s a party in my mouth.
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LT5000
March 17th, 2009
1:49 pm
I had heard that a sasquatch was photographed in Lilburn, but it turned out it was just Badie running a red light.
LT5000
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DawgBite
March 17th, 2009
1:54 pm
Obviously it was all about the revenue Rick. It would be interesting to know exactly just how many lives had been lost at each intersection prior to the cameras being installed. I am willing to bet that the number is slim to none. Furthermore, when these new municipalities fork over the cash to install redlight cameras as practically a first purchase only a total idiot doesn’t see it as a way to generate revenue.
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Steve
March 17th, 2009
2:03 pm
Accidents at intersections go up with red light cameras. They always report they are down since they focus on T-bone wrecks from running red lights, but rear end collisions increase. In anycase, the real reason why they can’t afford them here in GA is because of the rediculious contract the local red-light camera company charged the state. If you compare that contract to other states, you can see how GA got hosed. Doesn’t surprise me though since there’s nothing but idiots here. They need to renegotiate that contract and then they can keep thier precious little cameras.
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TrueLoosers
March 17th, 2009
4:31 pm
As a Gwinnett taxpayer, I feel that money has been wasted with the purchases. If they choose to use them in the future, the technology will need to be enhanced. This is a perfect example of bad decisions. The entire reason for the camera was revenue, plain and simple. However, the operating cost outweighed the revenue generated.
This is not just a government issue, because I see it happening in corporate america every day.
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Stan
March 17th, 2009
5:09 pm
Come one Rick, you have to wonder about it? All about $$$. Always has been.
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Bubba
March 17th, 2009
6:08 pm
Show me da money!!!!
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Regularjoe
March 17th, 2009
6:14 pm
I believe that it was about the money, more than safety. Maybe the extra second on the yellow lights is a better solution.
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Lee
March 17th, 2009
7:47 pm
Revenue generation was always a big selling point when these companies were hawking these systems to municipalities. I also have a problem with a PRIVATE company issuing citations, which was the case in some of these situations.
The extra second of yellow light was a good idea and should actually be expanded in dangerous intersections. I would also increase the delay between a red light on one side and the green light on the other.
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Eric
March 17th, 2009
8:47 pm
I’m convinced the traffic photos are intentional money-makers. I am definitely against this type of government intrusion/Big Brother. There are many inaccuracies: I know someone who got a ticket for being in the intersection when the light turned red. But this individual was waiting to ensure oncoming traffic had stopped before completing the left turn. Thus, this defensive-driving was penalized.
I nearly caused a fender-bender when I stopped too soon, afraid the light would change will I was in the intersection. So rather than go through the intersection, I stopped, but the car behind nearly hit me. Overall, it’s a terrible invention and hope government will finally end the madness.
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LT
March 17th, 2009
9:04 pm
LT, it is cute the way you subscribed to Rick’s RSS feed so you would get every little update. And the way you respond, just like a middle schooler pinching the boy he has a crush on. It’s precious, really.
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LT5000
March 17th, 2009
9:55 pm
LT,
You are as smart as you are observant. I do not subscribe to Rick’s RSS feed. That would be a useless waste of bandwidth. Much like Badie’s twice weekly moronic musings.
By the way
Take a look at Badie’s pic, if you can stand it. It isn’t flattering in any way, shape or form. I can only imagine a video of this pudding of a man in action.
However, it does go a long way in explaining the insipid content of his blogs.
LT5000
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nana
March 17th, 2009
10:10 pm
I believe it is/was all about the money. Too bad people who got tickets before the one second was added cannot get their $70.00 back. Both my kids got nailed. I once thought I would at the same intersection Rick is talking about as I made a rolling stop for a right turn on red, ticket never came though. Guess they didn’t get you for that.
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LT
March 17th, 2009
10:36 pm
LT, you are the only one analyzing the picture. It is touching, I mean it.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 17th, 2009
11:11 pm
Most cities in Gwinnett are giving up the program because it costs too much to run,thus no profit.Use your fingers and do at least a litte researh, it’s in the paper.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 17th, 2009
11:22 pm
Now if you want to talk about Big Brother, that as an a different thing. To me it would be against the 4th, 5th and 6th, Amendents
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JSC
March 17th, 2009
11:49 pm
C’mon, Rick – of course it was all about the money.
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JSC
March 17th, 2009
11:51 pm
BTW, I think Rick’s picture is cute. LT5000 – whoever you are, you’re pathetic. I haven’t come across your column. Oh, that’s right – you don’t have one.
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Mort Merkel
March 18th, 2009
11:14 am
Conservative sister Laura Ingraham is poo-poohing the outrage over the AIG bonuses. What are people upset out, she asks. The bonus money is one-tenth of one-percent of the $170 billion bailout money AIG has received. Where’s the outrage about that, she asks. Well, Laura, people can wrap their minds around bad employees being paid millions of dollars in “bonuses,” for doing a bad job. And it ticks us off. “Rewarding” hacks with millions of our tax dollars for steering their business into the rocks is profoundly galling. What’s wrong with Lara Ingraham that she isn’t outraged, too? I think it’s because she’s a partisan hack and is paid millions to disagree with anything Obama says.
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Mort Merkel
March 18th, 2009
11:16 am
Oh, and, Laura the AIG bailout started with the previous administration, in case you forgot.
Thanks, Rick. Glad to get that off my chest.
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delois
March 18th, 2009
11:38 am
It’s all the fault of the illegals. That should get Smith and Wilcox started for you Rick.
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Bikerchick
March 18th, 2009
12:00 pm
I’m not mad at AIG, I’m mad at our inept and unintelligent politicians who voted for this mess. Who in their right mind gives a blank check to a company who has completely bungled it’s finances? Politicians created this mess and they continue to add fuel (and our tax dollars) to the fire. Prior to giving ANY money to ANY company, they should have completed an independent audit of the company’s finances and put an independent comptroller in charge of the books. ALL company execs with bonuses written into their contracts, should have had to sign new contracts stating that if AIG received a bailout, that they would refuse any bonuses until the money was paid back.
The problem here is not AIG, it’s the nincompoops we have hired to represent us and handle our money. Our so-called “leaders” are the ones that need to be taken to task here. The majority of the voting public was against these bailouts and our congressmen and women acted in direct opposition to what their constituents wanted. The sad thing is, the constituents are smarter, have more vision, common sense and are better educated on these issues than the average government representative. It’s time for voters to take back our government, we have the power to do that through the polls and by selecting intelligent, experienced business people to stand up and run for office in the next election.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 18th, 2009
12:41 pm
AIG is the poster child for Free Market Captalism, the iife blood of the United States to mainly conservatives, the only problem with the Free Market belief is we “The People” have to subsidize it. We have subsidize them long before AIG, oil company leases of government lands for a dollar, tax breaks, that you or I would never receive, the airlines and the list goes on.
A short couple of years ago when the oil companies were posting record profits, the then Republican Congress and that Republican guy in the White House gave them massive tax breaks? I guess the Republican conservatives believe it’s the government’s way of rewarding CEO’s.
Now that a Democratic President has taken over and is forced to pour money into the failing economy left to us by the last administration, it’s Socialism?
AIG handing out bonuses, pretty much like our last administration, for incompetence? What is happening is a perfect example of the conservative belief is government subsidized and unregulated Free Enterprise over the past eight years.
Socialism doesn’t sound so bad.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 18th, 2009
2:39 pm
I have to add that I pulled an investment account I had with AIG, took a good hit with the penalty, but if they went or go belly up, I would have lost a great deal more. I had the account for years, matter of fact right after Bush took over and I pulled most of my stocks, I was assured that it was the most stable company around.
This time I spread the money around a bit, just to be safe.
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LT5000
March 18th, 2009
3:11 pm
What a surprise Blowbama and Chris Dodd were the top recipients of AIG contributions. Will the Messaih be returning that 100K+?
Dodd, Chris (D-CT) Senate $103,100
Obama, Barack (D-IL) Senate $101,332
And let’s not forget this little nugget.
Obama’s Tax Cheat stooge Tim Geitner was at all the meetings to bail out AIG.
Brucie of course, is always wrong.
The Obama buyers remorse sets in.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Analysis-White-House-Dems-apf-14677357.html
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 18th, 2009
3:42 pm
As pointed out above, the AIG bail-out started under bush, how much did he received to contributions from AIG when he ran? Bet we’ll never get an answer.
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Alicia Westbrooks
March 18th, 2009
4:05 pm
My anger is that people are being laid off in the financial industry and “we” saved the company from “closing” for the good of the financial industry why do they deserve a bonus? What kind of legal arrangement was it that allowed them to receive a bouns and it could not be “overturned”? Not to mention the people that no longer work for the company they still go their bonus. Not only did AIG do a stuipd thing with our money but they are now protecting the people who received the bonus buy not disclosing there names. I don’t believe the government can get the money back from the individuals but I really think that AIG did a super stupid thing by giving the money away in a bonus.
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Michael H. Smith
March 18th, 2009
4:12 pm
You’re kidding, right Rick? I mean, even on this blog where comments occasionally push the limits?
Suffice it to say Justice Scalia should be kept in mind on don’t hold back. As he said, there is no such thing as unlimited rights.
I’ll try to keep my cool on this after semi-recovering, now that the after-burners have shut down.
Not one person in Congress or even our current President can excuse themselves from this AIG affair. A good deal of information has come out and no doubt more will be revealed in the coming days. Honestly, the people of this country are so angry (they have been, really), so completely at odds with both these two *%?$x^#@! political parties, if at least one new strong political party does not emerge in the next election cycle it will absolutely leave me speechless.
All we presently have in our country to represent us and our interest is two corrupt wings on one very dirty bird!
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Bruce Wilcox
March 18th, 2009
10:02 pm
I am surprised, no really at awe, that the Free Enterprise supporters cannot defend the system or abuse of the last eight years?
We have to start demanding regulations and controls on many of these companies, why I say many and not all is because the honest ones will gladly accept them. Don’t forget the banks we know locaily are still among the honest.
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Michael H. Smith
March 18th, 2009
11:34 pm
Any fool that believes in “Free” anything is defenseless. Only bigger fools believe the current system and those in control of it will correct all the abuse, as it continues.
Do check out Senator Dodd’s confessional from his appearance on today’s CNN broadcast in which it was disclosed an inner circle dealing of sorts went on between he, the Treasury and the White House. Senator Dodd’s amendment to the stimulus bill assured that the AIG bonuses would be paid. To conclude: These bonuses were no big secret. They were known about by members of Congress and the White House for months, which was further revealed on CNN last night.
Obama tonight at least had the guts to take proper credit for AIG in saying, “blame me”. Something the left will eventual learn, as Obama obviously already has learned: When you take possession of an inheritance, you own it, its yours from that point onward.
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Michael H. Smith
March 18th, 2009
11:56 pm
Oh and one other footnote as to leave no lie… oops “misspeak”, told go unchallenged: It is reported Bush received $200K from AIG.
Guess we did actually find out what Bush received from AIG after all.
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Michael H. Smith
March 19th, 2009
12:08 am
In reference to my comment made March 18th, 2009
11:34 pm.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/18/aig.bonuses.congress/index.html
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Dot Richard
March 19th, 2009
7:54 am
I agree with Bikerchick 100%. I am and will be putting all my efforts in ousting any sitting politician, starting at local level all the way to the Feds. Crooks every single one of them.
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LT5000
March 19th, 2009
8:31 am
Brucie the Dumbass proves his ignorance once again. His Bush Derangement Syndrome has rendered him unable to see the truth, even when it is obvious. I guess too much touching himself while gazing at pictures of Jimmy Carter have taken it’s toll.
Who put the amendment in the bill to give the AIG executives their bonuses? Why it was DEMOCRAT Chris Dodd, who now claims he was pressured by the Administration to leave it in there.
**As chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Dodd was heavily involved in the legislation that has since become controversial after the AIG bonuses were publicly revealed.**
Chris Dodd says: “I did not want to make any changes to my original Senate-passed amendment but I did so at the request of Administration officials, who gave us no indication that this was in any way related to AIG. ”
Brucie our resident chorizo chugging moron gets it wrong again. And again and again.
The facts always win and Brucie always loses.
Brucie, stick to what you do best. Blowing Mexicans behind Quik Trip.
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2009/03/chris-dodd-3.html
LT5000
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Freddie
March 19th, 2009
9:59 am
Thanks for the laughs Rick. It’s always entertaining when you get these guys going.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 19th, 2009
10:33 am
I wonder why bush left the bonuses in the orginal Bail Out Bill? Dodd is not my Senator, I can’t vote him out. Our two resident embarrassed Republicans like to believe all the woes of this economy started on 1/20/2009 at high noon. To watch the tag team prance and dance around to blame everything on the Democrats is fun, soon President Obama will be blamed for invading Iraq.
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LT5000
March 19th, 2009
10:54 am
Apparently Brucie suffered some head trauma chorizo chugging last night.
Take the schlong out of your mouth and read the links posted by Michael and myself.
Dodd and the Obama administration are to blame, not Bush.
And in about a year, we will be blaming Obama for losing Iraq. He is determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
It’s amateur hour at the Whitehouse. Read EJ Dionne’s article in the Washington Post, a liberal rag, that says Geitner didn’t think he was qualified for the job and Obama pushed him to take it.
Now, that’s leadership. Maybe Obama’s teleprompter told him to do it.
**”When Obama emerged from the first meeting, he was very effusive,” said the senior aide. “He said, ‘I feel good about him as a person; he inspires confidence.’ ” Geithner did not campaign for the job, which only sent his stock higher in the Obama circle. “He suggested that others might be better, that he might be more useful where he is,” said the Obama lieutenant. “That was impressive as well.”**
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402116_pf.html
LT5000 with the facts, Brucie with nothing but reheated Jimmy Carter.
LT5000
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nana
March 19th, 2009
12:06 pm
This is the fault of every politician in Washington, including the past administration. The even scarier thing is that not one person knows where the money has gone and is going for the TARP bailout. How are they going to track the huge so called stimulus package? Tim Geithner (spelling?) was in the original meeting when Bush was still in office and there is no way in you know what I’ll ever believe that he didn’t know about this until last week, same as Obama and Dodd. These politicians are expressing outrage at this as that is the politically correct thing to do. Yet Schumer thought that the American people didn’t care about the earmarks in the stimulus package which amounted to a lot more than these bonuses. I truly believe that if people attending a political rally were randomly picked for Congress they could do as good of a job (if not better) than the clowns in there now.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 19th, 2009
1:06 pm
Nana try this…
http://www.recovery.gov/
plus Georgia is suppose to have it’s own to show how the money is spent.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 19th, 2009
1:09 pm
Lt someone else’s opinion is still just an opinion and a old one at that, try being orginal, E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008.
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jim d
March 19th, 2009
1:50 pm
An excellent example of why one should never buy a pig in a poke.
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LT5000
March 19th, 2009
1:52 pm
Brucie,
Facts are facts, whether they are in an Op-Ed or not.
Funny you didn’t comment on the links Michael posted. Those darn facts get in the way of Brucie Anti-American daydream.
I can only guess that you realize what a complete idiot you have made of yourself, yet again.
Here’s another fact. By the end of his first term, Obama is going to make Anti-Semite Jimmy Carter look like a capable President and Brucie will still be a teabagging Commie.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 19th, 2009
2:24 pm
LT, that was actual news that he posted, not an old opinion piece, when you know the difference maybe you’ll start making sense.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 19th, 2009
2:26 pm
After bush, even Hoover looked good.
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nana
March 19th, 2009
4:05 pm
Thanks for the link Bruce. I’ll have to bookmark this one. I assume it will be updated regularly? I truly do hope that all this money thrown out does help the economy. That being said I still believe that everyone in Washington needs to be voted out come election time. As I’ve said before it is way past time for term limits in Congress.
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LT5000
March 19th, 2009
5:23 pm
So Brucie, you don’t dispute the facts in the article, you just choose to ignore it because it doesn’t fit your deluded version of things.
The article is by EJ Dionne, who has possibly touched himself more than you while looking at Obama’s picture.
Feel free to point out where I don’t have the facts.
Even Geithner knew that there were better choices for the job. Everyone knew except Obama.
I guess his Teleprompter didn’t tell him what to do.
**On this occasion, as a laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium, the script was belatedly switched over to the Taoiseach’s text – leaving Mr Obama inadvertently thanking himself for inviting everyone, to further laughter. “First, I’d like to say thank you to President Obama!” the President said.**
What would the media have said if Bush had done this?
The buyer’s remorse continues.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5931422.ece
LT5000
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Jack
March 19th, 2009
9:31 pm
Bikerchick you rock!!! Your post was well spoken, everything you said was dead on. You go girl…..
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Michael H. Smith
March 19th, 2009
10:13 pm
Nope, I really don’t like the new dysfunctional blog format.
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LT5000
March 20th, 2009
3:58 pm
Any bets Blubbering Badie won’t pen one word regarding Obama mocking the Special Olympics?
How about those trillion dollar deficits Brucie. You may have to actually start charging the Mexicans behind Quik Trip.
The national nightmare has just begun.
LT5000
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Michael H. Smith
March 20th, 2009
4:09 pm
An interesting article worth reading that will clear the air of some “misspeak”: Lessons from AIG takes things back to the Clinton administration.
Wall Street Watch dot org.
Sorry I try to post the link but this crap piece of blog-ware won’t it.
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Michael H. Smith
March 20th, 2009
4:13 pm
That should have been I tried to post the link but this crap piece of blog ware won’t allow it. As you can tell I am agitated with this new junk-ware AJC.
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LT5000
March 21st, 2009
12:12 pm
Would these be the same handicapped that Obama mocked on the Tonight Show. What a class act.
Give me a break on GJAC I’ve been there several times. It is a perfectly accessible building. The parking lot isn’t more than 100ft from the front door.
Figures Brucie would be the one whining about it.
He probably want the government to send a limo to his house and ferry him back and forth to GJAC.
Another stupid Blubbering Badie article contributed to by one of the most insipid poster here.
LT5000
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Jill
March 21st, 2009
1:49 pm
served on jury duty and the parking is at least a football field, if not more, away from the building. It’s sad when smokers are closer to the building than the handcapped parking area, get rid of it like the hospital did. Some of those doors are heavy even for a healthy person, hate to try one from a wheelchair.
The article is right on Rick, sometimes we overlook the small things that help others.
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Jarvis
March 21st, 2009
6:00 pm
So the handicap are not actually handicapable after all? I’m over 7′ tall, maybe they need to also start raising doorways and creating a set of stairs I can use where my feet don’t overlap 2 steps at once.
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nana
March 21st, 2009
8:33 pm
I thought this article featured a fellow blogger. After reading LT’s post I guess it is. I hate that Bruce has this condition. My mom was diagnosed with COPD about 8 years before she passed. Mom was a smoker, not sure if that is why Bruce is suffering from this or not. Regardless is it a devastating disease.
It is a long ways from the parking lot to the doors of the Justice center and I can imagine it is very hard for people with this disease or any breathing issues for that matter.
Although I rarely agree with Bruce’s view on political issues, I am very sorry to hear you have this debilitating disease.
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Cindy
March 21st, 2009
8:39 pm
It takes a really low person to make light of anyone less fortunate.
Number 1: Bruce didn’t say he couldn’t make the trip. He did it. Could it have been made better? Possibly. It’s a noble effort he’s making, as well as Badie, by mentioning it. This is a good story.
A person shouldn’t be disallowed to conduct business based on physical limitations.
Number 2: I am perfectly capable of walking. The last few times I’ve been to GJAC it was less than comfortable as well. I’m a woman. I generally wear some variance of high heels. Those grooves in the walkway really cause alot of discomfort for my otherwise healthy, normal feet.
Number 3: I got plenty wet. It was raining and I had my umbrella during the lengthy walk. Did I care? Nah, not really. I dried later. But now that I read this story, I can definitely understand how this could make an impact on someone who can’t get around so well.
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Cindy
March 21st, 2009
9:15 pm
Ok, I did a little more thinking on the matter.
Courthouse security is for sure more important than ease of use. But at the same time, maybe there are some changes that can be made without compromising safety.
That’s all for now. I’m still mulling it over…
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LT5000
March 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
This is just another stupid Badie blog bitching about another non issue. And he brings on Brucie the Anti-American halfwit who hates Georgia to buttress his case. Send Brucie back North, I’m sure every courthouse building is far more accessible than it is here in stupid, racist, backward Georgia.
Jill, you should go back to highschool. The parking lot is between 100 and 150ft from the building, not a football field. Feel free to use google satellite.
And there is a reason that they limit access to the building, as Cindy pointed out security.
if you are so infirm, I’m sure someone can bring a wheelchair outside for you.
And while Blubbering Badie blubbers on……
**Three illegal immigrant drug dealers who chained a man in a Gwinnett basement for a week have pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges.**
Please AJC give us someone who really writes about what is going on in Gwinnett. Fire Badie, he is an ass clown.
LT5000
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LTheartsRB
March 22nd, 2009
12:25 am
LT, kisses to you and RB….I see that you are still trying to seduce him.
Cindy~go back under the rock..
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Cindy
March 22nd, 2009
7:32 am
Acrually LTheartsRB, you can shove the rock up your butt. Crossways. Twice, for all I care. Newsflash…you don’t run me.
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Patrick
March 22nd, 2009
7:58 am
Rick,
Citizens with disabilities have been using GJAC for years. Is it perfect for everyone – No. Probably Bush’s fault. Does it meet the accessibility requirement in the ADA – Yes. Probably due to Obama’s efforts. Move on.
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Bubba
March 22nd, 2009
9:16 am
Citizens with disabilities have been using GJAC for years because they have to. It ain’t like they can take their business elsewhere.
I’m surprised more nonsmokers don’t resent having to run the gauntlet of smokers. Why not move the smoking area to the back of the building?
They tried “separate but equal” in another era. The difference here is that people with disabilities want to work with the system, rather than get hit with bottles, pipes and fire hoses. Government doesn’t meed to kiss the a$$ of the disabled and bring out gold-plated wheelchairs. They don’t need it, don’t want it really. Just a little wider door through which to get in and out, just a wider area between aisles through which to navigate, just a bigger area in which to do their personal “business” instead of embarrassing themselves and others by asking for help.
I’m sure Bruce would much rather not have to deal with the oxygen tank. A paraplegic would much rather not have to deal with a wheelchair. And every disabled person I know would much rather walk the length of a parking lot than have to use the handicapped parking. It’s like having to ride the little bus every day for “special” people. You people are morons if you think disabled actually want or need this kind of attention.
Fact is, disabled people pay taxes too. They pay their keep, just as healthy people do. They spend money for goods and services, just as healthy people do. They live and enjoy life, just as healthy people do. Their ability to enjoy life may be hampered by crap they have to carry – a wheelchair, a cane, an oxygen tank – but they enjoy life more because, despite this crap, they are alive. Those who don’t have disabilities haven’t faced the “you-might-not-live-through-this-experience” like the disabled have.
I hope that never happens to anyone. Although, I think it would be poetic justice to have to ask assistance from the one who only months ago was the subject of your insult and ridicule. That is, if one has the cojones to try to go on living.
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RhondaG
March 22nd, 2009
9:42 am
Look, ya’ll, all they’d have to do is open up the closer lot for vehicles with handicapped plates or stickers. Put a couple more folks to work as parking attendants – guiding those without handicapped ID to the main lot and assessing the needs of others, as well as fielding them for any possible violent intents.
Heck, any delivery truck can drive right up to the loading dock in back. Wasting the space in the front section in the name of security is really kind of inane.
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LT5000
March 22nd, 2009
12:04 pm
Rhonda,
There is a security gate to the back parking lot. Thanks for moronic comparison. Violent attacks in the GJAC parking lot? Pull your head out of your ass.
The point of the Blubbering Badie’s latest musings isn’t that the GJAC is without handicap access, but that it isn’t convenient enough for Brucie. Boo Hoo.
Apparently, Badie’s obesity made it hard for him to fit through a few doors and Brucie’s feeling were hurt that there wasn’t a mural of Karl Marx in the GJAC.
Please AJC get rid of Badie. His blogs serve no purpose.
LT5000
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RhondaG
March 22nd, 2009
12:43 pm
LOL -5000; I can see by your lack of coherent reasoning processes that you don’t get out much and derive your viewpoints from sources like TV and Google, rather than being able to think for yourself.
Your arguments are embarrasingly moronic. The lack of access to this building is due to the Homeland Security measures taken during the post 9-11 Bush paranoia and, for your information, the back of the building is wide open.
If you ever actually stepped away from your Googling and viewed the real world, you would be exposed to the bigger picture. However, that is not to say you would recognize it without the ingrained prejudices you so proudly reveal.
Have a nice day, -5000.
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LT5000
March 22nd, 2009
12:49 pm
Rhonda,
Please feel free to point out where I am wrong.
Point out any violent assaults in the GJAC parking lot.
Address the fact that there are restricted access checkpoint to get to the GJAC building loading docks.
The basis of your two moronic contentions immediately disappears.
9/11 was just Bush paranoia? Tell that to 3000 Americans who died that day. Or to the FBI, numerous terrorist plots that have been thwarted since.
I suggest you think before you post. It will help you stop looking like a dimwit. But you can only hide your idiocy for so long. As you have already proven.
LT5000
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Mark
March 22nd, 2009
2:46 pm
LT5000, Next time you have a beer, hold it against the area where your heart is located. It will get cold real fast.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 22nd, 2009
3:49 pm
LT, tell us when the last time was you used a walker or wheelchair at the Justice Center, if you say never, then as usual you haven’t a clue of what you’re talking about, is that not true? In your world a football field is 150 feet, small mind, small field.
Jais the tin foil is slipping that old paranoia is coming back.
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Jais
March 22nd, 2009
6:58 pm
@ Cindy – Lawl!
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Bruce Wilcox
March 22nd, 2009
7:35 pm
Jais, you have three three television stations and this paper loaded with investigative reporters, yet you want Rick in an opinion column to bring, what you believe as fact out? Try contacting those I mentioned above.
As far as the Justice Center, I’m glad you agree.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 22nd, 2009
7:44 pm
A challenge to all those that dismiss the handicapped problems at the Justice Center to a real test. Contact Rick, I’m sure he’ll be able to find someone for a loaner walker and do the same route as I, than let’s hear your comments, any takers?
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Michael H. Smith
March 22nd, 2009
9:21 pm
Where is written in the Constitution that majority must surrender their rights to the minority and have government protect those special set of rights for the minority?
As for the design of GJAC: I’ve seen worse.
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Cindy
March 22nd, 2009
10:24 pm
FEMA camps popping up in Covington? WTH?
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Michael H. Smith
March 22nd, 2009
10:47 pm
The question was actually a double edge sword. Since this is government property not private property, smoking should be prohibited because the majority of citizens in this county do not smoke. Got to light up to get that nicotine fix, then do it in your car or truck.
As for a couple of statements contained in this blog, they are really over exaggerated.
~
The walkway has intricate designs, not cobblestone, but something close.
“Deadly,” surmised Wilcox. “Have you ever tripped on one?”
~
I’ve walked on the front surfaces of GJAC and can say without reservation that anyone who would have trouble negotiating those surfaces would likely be challenged to negotiate most outdoor areas period.
~
We caught the elevator to check out the upstairs, notably courtroom access. “Do you think someone could get a wheelchair through there?” Wilcox asked. He pointed to a door that would be a tight squeeze for a super model, much less a motorized chair.
~
This one is really a hoot. I can tell you I’m no supermodel by anyone’s definition and I’ve yet to encounter a passageway door in GJAC I could not walk through comfortably.
While it is touching to read the outpouring of compassion and suggestions on what should be done, do keep in mind that when someone says pass the plate for a collection to pay for all of the wonder-world accommodating designs that those warm and fuzzy feelings usually disappear rather quickly: Then apart from public safety it becomes just somebody’s personal problem now doesn’t it; or a case of the majority surrendering to a minority a special set of rights?
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Josh
March 22nd, 2009
11:46 pm
Me and my grandmother walked up the path to the top of Stone Mountain this weekend, and she just turned 90 5 months ago. She also took her walker since she had hip surgery a few months back. She didn’t bitch once, she’s a real trooper.
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Josh
March 22nd, 2009
11:48 pm
I’ll add, that we did take the tram down though. I was worried she could fall on the steep parts. It’s a lot easier to lose your footing coming down, but still.
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reader
March 22nd, 2009
11:58 pm
Why is this topic being discussed in a blog? Did Mr. Wilcox file a complaint with the GJAC? Has someone else filed a complaint that was ignored? Was the GJAC contacted for comment? This does not mean I am unsympathetic to Mr. Wilcox’s predicament or those of other physically challenged citizens. I just don’t like to see a point debated from only one side. I tend to agree with a lot of the points made by Bubba. I have elderly parents and their safety is a concern, although they would never have occasion to visit GJAC. Perhaps citizens like Mr. Wilcox should sit on advisory boards and make recommendations, do something productive? I don’t think this is the forum to do it, unless concerns have been addressed with the appropriate parties and ignored.
The pavement sounds like poor planning and lack of foresight. My mother tripped on a similar pavement in the town where she lives. Those “stone” walkways are up and down the boulevard there, and are a hindrance to all in inclement weather. In my mother’s case, she was averting a small snowbank along the curb where the walkway had been cleared. The “stones” are not easy to walk on unless you are wearing flat shoes. It is easy to lose your footing, especially if you are not steady on your feet. Let’s face it, the general population is aging.
To the poster who who talked about post 9/11 paranoia: Have you been to NYC to see the hole in the ground where those two magnificent towers once stood? Have you ever met a survivor or a family member of one who perished on that fateful day? You may be insulated and unafftected by the events of that day, except for some inconveniences, but that experience was very real and people don’t want to experience it ever again.
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
12:00 am
Brucie. Take your commie ass back north. I’m sure they have all the amenities you demand.
By the way, a football field is 100 yards. That isn’t 150 feet. I guess Brucie’s 3rd grade education comes back to haunt him.
Brucie’s whine wasn’t that the building wasn’t accessible, it wasn’t convenient enough for his candyass. Brucie wants every architect to consult him prior to building anything so it will be convenient for him.
Boo-Hoo. Cry me a friggin’ river.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 23rd, 2009
12:12 am
Smith, the Constitution is designed to give the very same rights as the majority enjoys to the minorities of this country. One who cannot understand the Constitution cannot understand a woman’s right to vote or understand the Civil Rights Movement. Those who want to live where powered wigs are the fashion and in live years of olde, fine, this is realty. Like voting, all should have equal access.
As far as the sidewalk, if you happen to be in a walker it is very dangerous. Now think of it as the construction expert, as well as so many fields you happen to be an expert in, after time certain times sections start to fail, is that not true? I like this statement, “would likely be challenged to negotiate most outdoor areas period” no moosedung, but I’ll tell you it’s a lot easier to go a market around here with flat surfaces than it is going to the Justice Center.
Smith as far as statements this has to be the best,”This one is really a hoot. I can tell you I’m no supermodel by anyone’s definition and I’ve yet to encounter a passageway door in GJAC I could not walk through comfortably.”, tell me, what part of wheelchair confused you?
Pure ignorance from blowhard Smith, dare to take the challenge?
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
12:36 am
Wilcox, I’ll end this quickly for you, since you don’t understand the Constitution and equal rights. You have the same doors and surfaces I have at GJAC. That is equal rights!
Now stupid dumb-A-hole Brucie, say you don’t.
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
12:44 am
No thank you reader, on Brucie setting the design requiremnets for buildings. I’m not about to pay for 48” and 56” fire rated automatic opening doors throught public buildings to just to satisfy crying Brucie’s stupid dumb A hole idea of a good building.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 23rd, 2009
12:55 am
reader, this is the first time I’ve been back since 2004, at that time and not that far from 9/11, you could park in the front Handicapped parking lot next the building. This crap was done in 2006 come to fine out, seems like we missed a few years?
This is good, “Perhaps citizens like Mr. Wilcox should sit on advisory boards and make recommendations, do something productive?”, really now, where the GJAC?
The Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1977 and it covered construction. Should I file a complaint with the Federal governmentor should I file a complaint with the County or state?
I thought the Power of the Press would put the spotlight on the problems and let the county do it’s best to correct the problems would be the best way to go, but maybe you’re right, start filing complaints.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 23rd, 2009
1:06 am
Smith, are you really saying all the laws that HAVE been based on the Constitution that were passed and approved by Whigs, Republicans and Democrats, approved by the Supremes, which means they met Constitutional muster are all wrong? That Lou and you are right?
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
1:21 am
Wilcox, is that crap you just posted an answer or more blathering whine for your special rights reqiuiremnets? On that do you and jesse think you are right?
Equal rights does not mean equal wants, grow up and accept that fact. Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 23rd, 2009
1:39 am
Smith, it goes likes this, someone writes a Bill, both house’s vote and approve it, the President signs it and it becomes law. The Americans With Disabilities Act, as I pointed out has been around since 1977, I had nothing to do with it’s passage.
Now lets see if you want to back up this statement, “Equal rights does not mean equal wants, grow up and accept that fact. Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands.”, would you say that to a disabled Marine back from Iraq, we share the same parking places?
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
2:09 am
Wilcox, I’ve read the ADA requirements on passage doors if you think you have something go for it. I seriuosly doubt that you do.
As to your question since I can answer and YOU can’t when asked A-hole: That depends on the extent of disablity, though, I personally don’t have a problem with up front parking for those who “really physically” need it. So you bet I’d say it where the person didn’t really physically need it for their own “safety”(referring back to my original post). But even that “special parking privilege” is being extremely abuse by those whose only disablities are mental and sorry laziness.
Your complaint on doors and the paving is junk.
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T
March 23rd, 2009
6:20 am
I worked for the engineering firm that helped build GJAC in 1986. While we were laying out the parking lot I felt it was a long way from the building. It is actually 150 feet to the first H/C lots, (if memory serves me correctly) and close to 500 feet to the parking spaces the longest distance away.
I also believe that the heavy doors inside of the courthouse are unnecessary. To me, most of them serve no real purpose. When you walk in on the first floor and turn right, why do they even have doors there? Maybe something to do with the heating and air is all I can figure. When you go through those doors you don’t have to go through security, this is the development and transportation departments.
I was recently in a large courthouse in another state. It was not as large as GJAC but laid out much more friendly for disabled people. I took my 86-year-old (disabled war vet) father with me to the courthouse. He had no trouble navigating the courthouse because, the H/C parking was very close to the door. The sidewalk was smooth, no heavy doors to open and the main doors opened automatically.
I like and appreciate the article Rick. I believe that Gwinnett County needs to make some changes to GJAC. Maybe this article and discussion will make that happen.
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Bubba
March 23rd, 2009
7:57 am
“But even that “special parking privilege” is being extremely abuse by those whose only disablities are mental and sorry laziness.” I agree this happens. The other night, two people got out of their “handicapped label” car at the parking lot at Outback. What their disability was, I have no idea.
Does that mean, though, that because some abuse the privilege, the privilege should be denied to all? Would one even consider denying such a space to a person in need a “privilege?”
I agree, Michael, that freedom of choice goes a long way toward countermanding the argument that all places need to be accessed to all people. Don’t like Kroger? Shop at Publix, or Trader Joe’s. The boutique in Norcross isn’t set up well for wheelchairs? Shop at Kohl’s.
However, if the government has business that requires my attention, then I must have access to that building. The Supreme Court recently found for a plaintiff in Tennessee who has put in jail for contempt of court. He had court business, but as a paraplegic, he couldn’t climb the stairs to the third floor courthouse. No parking, no elevator. He was put in jail because he couldn’t overcome the physical obstacles put before him to to meet his legal obligation of attending his summons.
Tennessee made your argument. “Because you have a problem does not mean the world shares your problem and must comply with your wants or demands..” Tennessee lost that argument.
Would you deny access to Stephen Hawking because the world doesn’t meet his wants or demands?
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Joey
March 23rd, 2009
8:30 am
Let’s be real, Stephen Hawking wouldn’t complain about it. He’s more of a “just get it done” kind of a guy. Some people tackle their obstacles, others just whine and complain about them until someone else tackles them for them.
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Bubba
March 23rd, 2009
10:24 am
“Some people tackle their obstacles, others just whine and complain about them until someone else tackles them for them.” Agreed. So, Joey, do you fall in the category of “disabled who tackles their obstacles” or do you fall in the category of “disabled who whines and complains?”
Or, do you fall in the category of “perfectly healthy who doesn’t understand or really care about what people are tackling or whining?” If you fall into the third heading, so be it. I won’t begrudge you your health, and I can honestly say that I hope it never becomes an issue with which you have to contend. I mean that.
Talk to the woman who was left a paraplegic because she was an innocent bystander shot in a drug deal gone bad. Talk to the man who lost his legs because he was sideswiped by a drunk driver. I guarantee you that a vast majority of disabled people 1). Wish that it never happened to them 2). Would give anything to be “normal” again and 3). Will not let their circumstances dictate how they lead their lives. A vast majority of the disabled are “just get it done” people. To give up is to die.
So what’s wrong with a few suggestions on how to make a government building more accessible to all tax paying citizens?
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
10:39 am
Bubba you are an idiot.
The building is accessible as defined by the ADA. Brucie and Badie are whining because it wasn’t convenient for them.
Badie’s obesity made it difficult for him to walk the 150ft to the front door and then fit through it.
Bruice wanted a Limosine with crushed velvet seats to ferry him to the building while providing him with a double mocha latte. All on the taxpayer dime of course.
What’s next for Brucie the Whiny Anti-American. Will he and Lard Ass Badie go to the DMV and whine about the long lines?
Perhaps they will go to a Braves Games and complain there wasn’t a “Stair Glide” to escort them to their seats.
Hey Badie, how about your hero Obama mocking the Special Olympics? When will we see that blog?
Hey Brucie, how about those Obama Trillion dollar deficits? So much for Hope and Change. More like Dope and Change.
Another moronic Blubbering Badie Blog.
LT5000
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Rick Badie
March 23rd, 2009
11:36 am
LT: I work out four days a week, dude. I weigh 220 and can bench my weight. Routinely. I box a little, too. Lemme know when you’re ready, bro. Gold’s Gym Lilburn. See ya there.
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Mark
March 23rd, 2009
12:30 pm
Rick, he won’t be there because his keyboard won’t work there. He’s simply a child, verbally abusing people via a blog, because he has no balls to say it to your face.
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Steve
March 23rd, 2009
12:40 pm
haha Rick has called out LT. That’s awesome! Game on!
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
12:41 pm
Rick,
If you are such a hard ass thug, why are you afraid to do a ride along with the Gwinnett Police? I would expect such a tough guy to be able to make it across GJAC parking lot without crying like a little girl.
I use to box as well, but I’m a bit out of your weight class, by about 80 pounds. But I would be willing to give you a few rounds, the day after you actually write a blog worth reading.
LT5000
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Rick Badie
March 23rd, 2009
1:01 pm
Yeah, right.
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Bikerchick
March 23rd, 2009
1:01 pm
“I use to box as well, but I’m a bit out of your weight class, by about 80 pounds. But I would be willing to give you a few rounds, the day after you actually write a blog worth reading.”
What I’d be more interested in, is a contest that we can all watch and enjoy, like say, maybe LT writing a blog for a couple of weeks?
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Rick Badie
March 23rd, 2009
1:06 pm
Bikerchik: Come on, now. You’re asking way too much of Mr. LT. But if LT is up for it, I’ll turn over this space to him for a few days. Problem is: No nicknames or monikers. Use your real name and we’ll post a photo of him. Or her.
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Bubba
March 23rd, 2009
1:07 pm
sniff…. sniff…. Smells like chicken s**t around here, doesn’t it?
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
1:35 pm
Rick,
Run it past your editors. It would be the first article worth reading in the AJC in more than a decade.
It might even stem the tide of Red Ink the AJC is bleeding day after day.
Since I live in Norcross and would undoubtedly be addressing the illegal immigrant issue, for safety reasons I may have to use a nom de plume.
Though Rick, I won’t be asking you to be my private escort, my car gets bad enough gas mileage as it is.
LT5000
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Bikerchick
March 23rd, 2009
1:44 pm
“Since I live in Norcross and would undoubtedly be addressing the illegal immigrant issue, for safety reasons I may have to use a nom de plume.”
So who’s the real “little girl” here? Come on LT, I live a couple of blocks from the house where the illegal immigrant drug dealers held a guy hostage in the basement. I’m also an “obese” middle-aged female and I’d be willing to do a blog about illegal immigration AND post my real name with a photo. So what’s your problem?
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
2:26 pm
If it were just me, it wouldn’t be a problem. But I have a family.
I think we all know what absolute unscrupulous scumbags the Mexican gangs are.
Bikerchick, if you want to post your name and photo and rail against the illegals, you go right ahead. But I wouldn’t be surprised in La Raza paid a visit to your home.
You certainly can’t count on the government to help you.
LT5000
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Rick Badie
March 23rd, 2009
2:31 pm
LT — and you know this — we don’t use fake names. Bye.
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nana
March 23rd, 2009
2:46 pm
Oh boy it’s getting interesting now.
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Bikerchick
March 23rd, 2009
2:49 pm
LT, I have a family too and I didn’t say I would “rail against the illegals”, I said I’d do a blog on illegal immigration. So, if La Raza is reading the Rick Badie blog every day, then why not do a blog on something other than illegal immigration? Here’s some sample topics for you LT. How about the state of education in Gwinnett and how illegal immigration has impacted our schools? No railing, just actual facts? How about how illegal immigration has affected wages in the county? How has it impacted and changed the construction industry? How about illegal immigration vs. legal immigration? The topics are endless LT……pick one…….or shut up.
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Mark
March 23rd, 2009
3:39 pm
Bubba, I smell it too.
LT5000, Don’t let that alligator mouth get your little bunny azz in trouble. Rick called you out, and you turned yellow in the belly. Take your wife’s underwear off and be a man about it. If not, I suggest to Rick to ban you from this blog.
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
4:58 pm
@Bubba
Okay Bubba picking up on your However. First the Tennessee case is obviously in violation of code with respects to the ADA Act and is therefore pardon the expression irrelevant to GJAC which had to meet the code requirements under the ADA Act 1977. (which has more to do with public and personal safety than convenience)
You also didn’t include or take into consideration my original statement so the court decision as you cite is not against my complete argument. I made specific reference to a person’s safety did I not? Check your facts first before reaching the wrong conclusions.(go back an read my original post- “apart from safety”) Anytime public safety or a person’s safety is in put in jeopardy, are you following me Bubba, then government is obligated to do whatever is within the powers of government to protect that person’s or the public’s safety from harm, otherwise no, the world nor the government shares or has any responsibility for someone’s wants demands or personal problems. Try that argument before the court, I believe I’ll win. Bear in mind there is no such things as unlimited rights for anyone, period – citing Justice Scalia.
@ T
I think if you reflect a moment it may come to you why the heavy doors are there and the purpose they serve. Doors like those in GJAC usually (I said usually might as well have been always) have to comply not only with width of opening for access but they must also be “fire rated” in every case I’ve seen, again that is government’s obligation to protect life from harm. Lighter doors I’m sure by now are on the market that would in all likelihood meet the fire ratings to code. As to the parking lot issue: Only wheelchairs would have somewhat of a valid claim, though access might be improved it is not necessary to have smooth surfaces, in fact such smooth surfaces could pose safety hazards of their own under inclement weather conditions; so even that is a toss up. The main doors did at least at one time open automatically. In the overall GJAC is a good and safe build that anyone could access and certainly access all areas with assistance, which is available during normal business hours.
To summarize my point on the cobbled pattern concrete sidewalks: Wilcox made a mountain out of a molehill.
See that Molehill Brucie? Ever tripped on that Mountain? Deadly!
Brucie people with very good legs in very good health trip over their own feet when they are not careful on very smooth concrete floors without any bumps. Nothing, not even government, can replace personal responsibility for one’s own personal safety.
BTW Brucie I work with a Nam Vet who’s 50% disabled, I told about that little cheap comment meant as a trap you used and he agreed with me and my reply. In fact though he could get a handicap tag or sticker he refuses to because he really doesn’t need one. You see, he like so many other Vets I know, both he and they don’t get into pity me or being patronized with cheap pity and most of these kids you talk about coming back from Iraq, even some of the amputees can out run me and kick mine and your butts any day of the week. And, that wouldn’t be anything but a warm-up exercise for them!
@Badie
Rick, man you trip me out. LOL
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
4:59 pm
MArk,
Yellow? Give me a break. I asked Badie to do a real Blog and I will do a few rounds with him. When he skips a couple Denny’s Grandslam breakfasts and does a ride along with the police, he can blog about it and I will meet him in the ring.
If it takes a boxing match with Blubbering Badie to make him actually write a salient article, then so be it. He can even have Brucie as a back up.
Biker Skank. I willing to bet the Illegal immigrants in your neighborhood probably keep the front yard of their trailer in better shape than you.
And While Blubbering Badie blubbers on. Here in sunny Norcross:
**JESUS BENITEZ-MENDOZA
1119 HAMPTON RIDGE DR
NORCROSS GA 30093**
**Admitted: 3/22/2009 7:45 PM**
**Charges: CHILD MOLESTATION/AGG CHILD MOLES**
Anyone
LT5000
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Bubba
March 23rd, 2009
5:27 pm
Michael,
The ADA – Ani Discrimination Act – was signed into law by Jimmy Carter in 1977. The ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – was signed into law by George Bush in 1990.
Which one are we talking about?
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Bikerchick
March 23rd, 2009
5:37 pm
Dynapac LT5000-9 – 9″ x 13″ Vibratory Rammer for Soil w/ Honda GX100, 3.0 HP Gas Powered Engine
This rammer is suitable for compacting soil in trenches, around poles and in restricted spaces. It has been designed to comply with contractors’ highest demands in terms of efficiency, simplicity and operator’s comfort.
It even comes with your name on it LT!! Enjoy, Bikerchick
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Laughing
March 23rd, 2009
7:18 pm
Game, set, match, LT–you are the loser. Step up, dude. Put your name and picture on a blog—-Rick has given you the space. Coward.
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Steve
March 23rd, 2009
7:40 pm
Rick, I may get annoyed at your blogs and express as much in my responses, but today I have built a new admiration for you. Although I’m still going to complain on your blogs.
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
8:08 pm
ADA of 1977 (The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1977) which is the one that would apply to GJAC since it was constrcuted proir to The ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act – was signed into law by George Bush in 1990. (If you are not aware of “grandfathering” as it apply to construction I’ll go into that if necessary, though I don’t think it is needed in this case it may explain itself later on)
However, here is what I reviewed last night: ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities, which is more current and likely the stricter to comply with (see the dates in: about this edition) . From what I read on door opening access requirements GJAC would stand up against Brucie’s compliants about his “supermodel” being unable to get through the door. He hasn’t a legal leg to stand on as I recall the passageway doors widths in GJAC, IMHO.
See – 4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees.
And do review all exceptions where and as they apply under grandfathering clause.
Here’s the link(if it posts):
http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm
Oh, and while I was thumbing through my memory, there are much lighter fire rated doors on the market today, the inner core is made of wheat straw.
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Rick Badie
March 23rd, 2009
8:59 pm
Steve: You are free to express your opinion whenever you feel the need. I have no problem with that. Opinions are what makes the world go round. Everybody has one. PEACE, man. Be safe.
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LT5000
March 23rd, 2009
9:24 pm
Bring the blog on. Rick has my email.
It certainly would be a step up. And I promise (Not an Obama promise either), no moronic blogs about Human Trumpets or chauffering around the anti-American Brucie Wilcox.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 23rd, 2009
10:29 pm
Smith, the requirement you cite fits my arguement perfectly,” 4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees.”. The doors do not meet the standard, due to the fact the heavy solid wood doors open up against the wall, thus taking say four inches off the opening. now the average standard manual wheelchair with an 18 inch seat will generally have an overall width of 24.5 to 26.5 inches. As a rule, the overall width of the chair tends to be approximately seven to nine inches wider than the seat. If you’re measuring for door clearance you’ll also want to add a few inches to each side, to leave room for hands and knuckles. Add to it that is approaching it dead on which can’t be done. Remember these were the second floor Courtrooms, have they been moved or updated since 1977? Grand fathering my ass.
About those “cobbled pattern concrete”, they’re interlocking concrete patio blocks divided by rough cement curbs, tell me, as the expert you are on everything, over time would not sections settle?
Glass doors are fire rated in Georgia even when they don’t reach the floor?
Simple solutions are right there and cheap, hope the commissioners are reading.
LT, you been called out and chicken out as far as I can see. Did you ever have the cajones? You ever want to call me out, hell, I can take off the O2 long enough to handle wimps.
As far as the link Smith provided, it is the site to be used, BUT, everytime they tell you to check out another updated link, it would take you days. There are over 250,000 words in the rules. Smith just used the one that worked for him.
Jais I’ll be in touch.
Rick, if you need a corner man I’m sure you’ll find a lot of volunteers.
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Michael H. Smith
March 23rd, 2009
11:59 pm
You took measurements Wilcox or guessing is what you are doing? Heavy doors has nothing to do with how wide they will open, can the doors swing the full 90 degrees in order to take a correct measure?
One other thing Brucie, you didn’t read very much into the guidelines did you? The reason I ask is because there is more than the minimum to compliance than what I cited to consider but you wouldn’t know that or what I’m talking about, gasbag.
Yep grandfathering your ass Brucie and Wilcox grandfathering applies to the rules and makes exceptions to the rules, did you check that or again, as usual, you just choose to blow off at your big mouth thinking you are winning an argument when you are bluffing?
Do glass doors and floors shift and settle over time in Georgia, Wilcox?
You bet everything settles and shifts Brucie who thinks he knows everything in construction and by his own big mouth says he was a firefighter. Kind of out of your element aren’t you to access expertise in construction there aren’t you smoky?
Did you mention to anyone at GJAC that those concrete sections where extremely uneven and posed a safety hazard? Oh, excuse me, you chose to do that now on this blog?
You didn’t read very well did you, Wilcox?
What I’m using is updated guidelines, have you got guidelines from 1977 or updates to the timeframe in which GJAC was built? Remember the dates this covers and applies to, everything preceding the updated timeframe Wilcox, is grandfathered, regardless of your ass. Howbeit, instead of being dumb, do what I said, check those exceptions to the rules before you shoot off your mouth and complain because you as an expert in assessing someone’s expertise, who is only now figuring out how things actually work in the construction business and it does take days Brucie, even for the experts to cover all the bases but you are too lazy to do homework or research so you blame me by saying I chose the one that works for me and Wilcox, your own words just hung chump.
You can’t prove I chose the one that works for me because you haven’t read the over 250,000 words as you say that is in the rules to know if that is the only one that does works. There you go again, lying like a rug!
Solutions are not as cheap as you think Brucie and some fixes are impractical or very costly or present “structural problems”. See Brucie, I do read and research things like blueprints and spec books, make request to architects for more information (RFIs) which might and does take days at times to get an answer back from the experts to clarify things. Things, that sometimes changes because someone in the field like me caught something that needs to be changed in order for things to work or remain in compliance.
If you think you’ve really got something Brucie shut up, put up and sue. As I said I seriously doubt you do have anything but mouth or GJAC would never have passed final inspection with respects to the code in force at that time.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 24th, 2009
2:32 am
Smith your updates go as far as 2002, guess you didn’t bother to read it to well, hint, it’s the very first sentence.
‘Fire Doors’, are suppose to close and/or protect an area, for a limited amount of time yet you ask, “Do glass doors and floors shift and settle over time in Georgia, Wilcox?”, simple answer is yes. Since it’s yes, as you agree, are they still code rated fire doors? Don’t worry, many firefighters laugh at the idea that anything has the fire rating it did when the building was built.
As far as knowledge of construction, I worked as a carpenter’s helper on the Nine Mile Point Nuke Plant, took courses at both the National & New York Fire Academy’s. Plus as a Ladderman I had step on roofs to see if they were safe to ventilate, (thats to release the gases for the engine company can attack the seat of the fire) WE had/have to know construction to survive, not by specs, but by feel and experience.
Any questions duke?
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Common Sense (Not so common!)
March 24th, 2009
8:42 am
~**BOOOooorrrrriiinnnggg!~
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delois
March 24th, 2009
9:40 am
Over 30 years ago, I was literally run over by a city bus – everything below my waist was broken, along with one of my hands, had some neck and back injuries as well and now arthritis has set in everywhere. I spent months in the hospital and then 3 months learning to walk again. I am in pain every day of my life but I work full time and try to lead as normal a life as I can. I am borderline COPD as well but I brought that on myself by smoking in my youth. I have to go to GJAC all the time and I enjoy the walk (except in the rain but you get wet at the malls, etc. too). I am sick and tired of all you people whining about how somebody constantly needs to accomodate your needs. There are legitimately handicapped people and they should be accomodated but having to breath a little harder because you have to walk a short distance is not that bad. Sorry, I know what I am talking about.
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Threadkiller
March 24th, 2009
9:49 am
Boy, Some of you guys need a Woman!
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A Childers
March 24th, 2009
12:44 pm
Yes, having an even number of votes is the perfect prescription for a tie vote, in which no action at all is taken. Having the mayor to vote allows him to use his power to intimidate the other regular councilmembers,as well as, the public when they are allowed to speak at the city council meetings. The Snellville Mayor is combative, opinionated and has a visible dislike of opinions other than his own.
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Jais
March 24th, 2009
3:07 pm
REPENT! THE FIRES OF HELL AWAIT THE SINNERS!
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What?????
March 24th, 2009
3:38 pm
Badie, you not only look like a thug, I guess you really are. Classy man!
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Jais
March 24th, 2009
3:44 pm
FEMA FEMA FEMA FEMA someone do a story on the camps go go go go
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woodie
March 24th, 2009
4:40 pm
I read this thing and I didn’t see any issues. Everything was handicap accessible. If you can’t make it 100 yards, you need somebody to help you. That’s the bottom line. Handicap people gotta have some kind of capabilities to get around unaided. More serious handicaps require assistance.
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Michael H. Smith
March 24th, 2009
5:22 pm
Brucie or Mr. Carpenter’s helper that took classes read this again, this time word for word slowly so you might pick up on something, because you and I don’t read the same things and yes, I did read the first sentence that is why “I told you there was more than just the minimum of 4.13.5.” . Still laughing, see fig 1.? Now who didn’t read too well? Go back and take construction classes Brucie, you flunked. Thaaaank You!
4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees. The door can’t open you say because it is too heavy? Not buying that line. But tell me what is the actual door measure, do you know? According to your little wheelchair ditty it would be 32″ is that right? Hint: “Clear Width”. If you have a 32″ door which would fit your wheelchair example, there’s no way you can get to a 32″ “Clear Width” opening, next commonly used stock door size up is 36″ which is the least that would give you what is needed to comply and that should accommodate your wheelchair example, provided the door opens as it must to the full 90 degrees. See you flunked reading too, the way I read the requirements. The door can’t be 32″; it will have to be larger than that to get a Clear Width opening of 32″. Door placement would also be a factor if the door is located near a wall per fig 1. to get that 36” continuous requirement as shown. In short Brucie what is being called for are actual door sizes lager than 32”. As I remember single doors that access the rooms at GJAC are larger than 32”.
Needless to say Brucie and I can’t say it enough, the guidelines in discussion now do not apply to GJAC they are years in advance of the facility’s construction, only guidelines that existed when GJAC was built would apply including State and County code. And don’t forget what I said about passing inspection.
Back to my counter claim to your BS about the supermodel: The doors at GJAC would accommodate any supermodel I can think of, since most are skin and bones anyway. If you’re going to make a case Brucie try sticking to the facts instead of exaggeration to the point of lying like hell.
And Brucie while your laughing about the fire code, keep laughing, because we in the construction business know that things that may be in code today probably won’t be in code before any building settling ever occurs. Code is constantly under review and updated from time to time that is why there is “grandfathering” clauses.
If I think of anything pertaining to fires I might ask a question. If it has to do with construction I’ll ask someone smarter on the subject than myself and that someone isn’t you Brucie.
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Regular Joe
March 24th, 2009
5:45 pm
Rick Badie
LT: I work out four days a week, dude. I weigh 220 and can bench my weight. Routinely. I box a little, too. Lemme know when you’re ready, bro. Gold’s Gym Lilburn. See ya there.
Did LT accept the challenge? When is bout?
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Regular Joe
March 24th, 2009
5:47 pm
When is “the” bout. Sorry
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Rick Badie
March 24th, 2009
8:29 pm
Regular Joe: No bout. No blog. Next chapter. (But who do you think would have won, bro?)
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LT5000
March 24th, 2009
10:10 pm
REgular Joe. Read above.
Keep in mind I would I would be giving up 80lbs. But it would be worth it to get a salient blog.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
12:09 am
Just show up LT, that’s how a man backs up his words, I doubt that Rick would beat on a little man.
Doctors delois and woodie guess you don’t get it like many here like you out of ignorance, no one is asking for any special treatment. Is not being forced to pass throught a smoking area is special treatment? Is a few more bench’s around the one black bench that is that asking too much? Inside most of the huge glass doors can be made to open and close slowly, a lot less cost than replacing, add a few more seats inside reserved for the handicapped, boom, ninety percent is done.
Now woodie if I misunderstood your intent, I apologize, but if you’re are saying anyone that cannot walk a 100 yards, well they shouldn’t be out there. That’s bull, that means many handicapped are doing their very best to be independent. Minor changes, fix the sidewalk to be even, get rid of the smoking area, that one is really important to someone on O2, add some benchs for some can rest, reserve a few of the benchs for the handicapped. A phone and a bus stop protection for those handicapped people who cannot make the 100 yards to ask for assistance, to much is to ask?
Mr. woodie, if a handicapped person cannot walk a 100 yards, should they be taxed? If you say yes, than you must agree with most of the things I pointed out, do you not agree?
Michael H. Smith you’re so full of yourself you just maybe LT’s pappy. Smith spec’s mean nothing when you’re in a fire and in all of my twenty years of firefighting I never had a spec reader crawling on hands and knees in heavy smoke calling out spec’s, have you ever done it?
Didn’t think so.
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Post: March 25th, 2009: ERS-2009-03-25 #152 Show Notes « The Elevator Radio Show Podcast
March 25th, 2009
6:39 am
[...] shadows promising elevator market – Bangladesh San Francisco elevator death ruled accidental Resident reveals building’s shortfalls to aid handicapped The high cost for elevators at the NYCHA Memon investments awards contract to ETA Melco [...]
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Eric
March 25th, 2009
7:49 am
The Pilgrims were illegal when they arrived, yet we have no problem celebrating Thanksgiving. Why not implement a program that allows “hard working” immigrants who abide by our laws to become citizens in easier fashion, rather than the more complex effort and cost at deporting these good people?
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Common Sense (Not so common!)
March 25th, 2009
8:29 am
Badie’s posts seem to be getting shorter and shorter…wonder why?
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Gail
March 25th, 2009
9:40 am
When my husband’s grandparents came to America in the 1910s they had to have sponsors living here who said they would take care of them. This meant they would not be a drain on society. I guess those relatives also helped them figure out how to become legal citizens. Whatever happened to this sponsorship program? Eric, what do you mean by an “easier fashion?” Is speaking English one of the requirements? That may be many of the illegals biggest obstacle. What is the citizenship procedure? I know people who have become citizens in the past 10 years and didn’t think it was that difficult. But then they came here with a Visa or whatever you have to have.
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GJAC employee
March 25th, 2009
9:44 am
LT, you’re the idiot. There is no security gate at the loading dock at GJAC. Any truck can back right up to the loading dock. I know, because I’ve done it. Getting into the building from the loading dock is a different matter, however. The only “security gate” is the gated access into the employee parking deck. I navigated GJAC in a cast with a broken foot several years ago and I don’t ever care to do it again. That was when the handicapped parking was actually next to the building.
As for the relocation of the handicapped parking spots in the front of the building, it was not done right after 9/11, it was several YEARS later.
Smoking is prohibited within 20 feet of the entrance doors to GJAC. Employees are not allowed to smoke anywhere but in their own personal vehicles. Used to be a smoking area on the patio out back behind the cafeteria, but access changed when the metal detectors were put in coming from the employee parking area, and now the building is supposed to be smoke free anyway.
As to the distance from the parking lot, it’s still a hike from the handicapped spots out front to the front door. My son uses a walker to get around, but we’d have to put him in his wheelchair due to the distance and those stupid stones at the entrance. Walker wheels get snagged in the cracks way too easily.
something all of you well-mannered commenters should keep in mind is that any disability is going to have different effects on different people. COPD will not affect Bruce the same way in affects someone else, and everyone will have good days and bad days. Until you’ve been in their shoes, you don’t know what they are dealing with and what their actual limitations are.
As for handicapped parking spaces….it’s not just the proximity to the door that’s an issue. You need space next to the vehicle to unload a wheelchair or a walker or whatever other medical equipment that’s coming along, and regular spaces don’t have that.
And I know LT will have something inane to fire back at me, which is fine, because I’m not coming back to read it.
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delois
March 25th, 2009
9:52 am
I know I sound like a broken record on this one but my subdivision has had several major drug busts in it and the largest one involved two houses with 19 illegals living in them. Do any of you read or watch the news? Gwinnett is one of the major hubs in the U.S. for the Mexican drug cartels. We need to beef up our programs for God’s sake. I’m sorry that there are hardworking illegals here that feel like they are being picked on but until we get this county’s drug problems cleaned up, I am all for more stringent rules.
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JSC
March 25th, 2009
10:15 am
Eric – way to deflect the true problem. There were no immigration laws when the Europeans came to America. I am sick and tired of that straw man argument (look it up). It is NOW illegal to sneak into this country and live here without going through the proper channels. The people who do so know it, and they don’t care. Come back when you can argue the true problem rationally, Eric.
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LT5000
March 25th, 2009
10:32 am
EUSEBIO JUARZE-MONTES
1137 FOREST VALLEY LANE #B3
NORCROSS GA 30093
Admitted: 3/23/2009 9:10 PM
Charges: CHILD MOLESTATION/AGG CHILD MOLES
RAPE
JESUS BENITEZ-MENDOZA
1119 HAMPTON RIDGE DR
NORCROSS GA 30093
Admitted: 3/22/2009 7:45 PM
Charges: CHILD MOLESTATION/AGG CHILD MOLES
Yep, Just some hardworking honest people. I hope these honest hardworking people don’t move in next door.
Now Obama has sent the Janet Napolatino after the program so his Aunty can stay in America illegally.
**Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has already ordered a review of the program. A top official at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is set to testify at a Congressional hearing today.**
**Known as 287(g), a reference to the section of a 1996 law authorizing it, the program has been promoted by immigration officials as an important tool in deporting serious criminals. It has also enjoyed the strong support of some local law enforcement agencies, including here in Maricopa County, where the sheriff operates the largest program, with 160 trained deputies.**
Just more Hope and Change. Strictly amateur hour in the White House.
LT5000
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Paul
March 25th, 2009
11:37 am
The great Gil Favor (from the old TV series Rawhide) put it best: Head em up, move em out! There are already more than enough nice, hard working criminals with excuses crudding up our neighborhoods. Yes, it’s terrible to split up families – package deal, send them ALL back.
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James McCoy
March 25th, 2009
11:50 am
I get so sick of this one sided argument on illegals in this country,as long as the people being talked about are people of color we seem to forget about the illegal Europeans from places like Ireland,who out number legal citizens in some neighborhoods of Boston,Mass.
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Bob G
March 25th, 2009
11:50 am
Eric, this was a stupid comment: “The Pilgrims were illegal when they arrived, yet we have no problem celebrating Thanksgiving.”
There was no immigration law for the Pilgrims to violate. Today, there is; and the law exists for good reason.
The debate over 287(g) and local action on illegal immigration ended for me when the federal government announced that Gwinnett had become the southeastern distribution center for Mexican drug cartels.
The County Commission and law enforcement authorities cannot do enough to address this problem; the emotion-driven illegal alien apologists be damned!
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delois
March 25th, 2009
12:00 pm
James McCoy – I ran a google search on the Irish drug cartels and how they were causing crime in Boston and guess what? The only links were to stories in Irish papers/websites about the Mexican drug cartels.
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DawgBite
March 25th, 2009
12:09 pm
LT500 is always more than willing to interrupt his Klan activities to bash a better class of people.
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DawgBite
March 25th, 2009
12:15 pm
Rednecks,nativists, and ethnocentrist, be damned Bob G. I’ll take the illegals any day. These local bubbas aren’t doing a damn thing to combat any cartel with workplace roundups and other such harrassment of these immigrants. Sooner or later Gwinnett, Cobb, and some of these other bubbavilles will get sued into oblivion after their brigade of Barney Fifes profile and harrass the wrong LEGAL immigrant just because of their skin tone or accent.
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DawgBite
March 25th, 2009
12:22 pm
LT5000 you forgot to mention that the majority of the type crimes you mentioned above is committed by dirty old WHITE guys. Lame argument moron.
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HavingMySay
March 25th, 2009
12:46 pm
For every illegal in this country committing a crime, there are natual born citizens committing the exact types of crimes. As a citizen, I don’t like the idea of kicking people out once they have arrived. I am a proponent of keeping the borders tightly gaurded, which we fell to do every day.
If we did a better job, we wouldn’t have the problem we are facing today. We should also create a better system for people who want to enter the country legally. In the past, we have not allowed certain groups access to enter this country legally. It’s usually people with money or who have friends and family in high places, who get the first opportunity to enter this country. That’s not entirely fair. Also, students come from all over the world, but not everyone has had the education to become a college student in this country.
In my opinions, the indians should have maintained better border patrol. Some people seem to forget about our migration into the new world and it wasn’t by invitation.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
12:51 pm
Eric you see the Pilgrims were white Europeans which gave them full rights to invade other lands and murder the native people, the United States carries on that tradition.
As far as making it easier, people here have short memories, just last year the bush/McCain/Kennedy bill would have done that, plus it would tax illegals putting a lot more change in the pot. But no, it was defeated, guess it’s better to keep it like it is.
Make Pot legal, there goes many of your drug cartels right there.
What’s really funny, we have built a stadium in a year, yet we cannot figure out the 287g program?
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Steve
March 25th, 2009
1:05 pm
Ya, cause the drug cartels mostly deal in pot. I have no problems with illegals. I do have problems with crime. So far since living here, all the crimes that have happened to me have been from blacks. I’m not trying to be racist, I’m just saying what has happened to me.
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Laura
March 25th, 2009
1:20 pm
I am tired of 8 cars in my neighbor’s driveway. I am tired of getting stared down when I walk my dog. I know when I go to sell my house, no one will want to buy into this neighborhood. Living in Gwinnett has become very very sad.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
1:22 pm
Everyone who wishes illegals would be granted amnesty or provided some sweet little convenient path to citizenship…since they’re here anyway…should not only miss them when they’re deported, but perhaps go along with them. I’m sure their native-country will welcome you with open arms, don’t-cha think? Yeah right.
To argue the point of what “was” (used to be) is counterproductive and a substitute for the fact that you have nothing of merit to contribute to the subject matter at hand. Your compassion and unwillingness to hurt illegal immigrants feelings has taken over. Look at the economy now. Open your eyes. When it truly affects you, you’ll sing a different tune.
As far as saying for every illegal who commits a crime, there’s a natural born citizen doing the same thing…i’m not sure there’s a true correlation there. The old saying “What’s good for goose is good for the gander comes to mind.” One rule doesn’t always fit. Sometimes it’s because the one’s we’re trying to enforce the rules on think they’re above them.
It’s a problem. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
P.S. Race baiting isn’t a valid discussion point either. Using insults adds nothing to the character of your comments…if anything, it actually takes something away from the merit of your content.
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LT5000
March 25th, 2009
1:33 pm
Cindy,
I concur. Just because a citizen does it doesn’t mean it’s OK for an illegal to do it.
We have enough criminals in this country. We don’t need to import anymore.
For Dawgbite:
**Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes Institute in Atlanta analyzed 1,500 cases from January 1999 through April 2006 that included serial rapes, serial murders, sexual homicides and child molestation committed by illegal immigrants. **
**She found that while the offenders were located in 36 states, most were in states with the highest numbers of illegal immigrants. California had the most offenders, followed by Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Florida. **
**Schurman-Kauflin concluded that, based on a figure of 12 million illegal immigrants and the fact that more of this population is male than average, sex offenders among illegals make up a higher percentage than offenders in the general population. **
LT5000 Always with the Facts
LT5000
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24AheadDotCom
March 25th, 2009
1:55 pm
On the one hand, the quote means nothing because most people on Earth are nice, hard-working people. OTOH, support for illegal activity in a major segment in most Hispanic communities is a major problem. We can’t allow one group to think that our laws don’t apply to them.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
2:12 pm
By the time the feds finish with Gwinnett County, the guidelines will probably be so watered down that it’s not even effective to go forward with the program. Gwinnett has ALOT of illegals…and THAT folks, is expensive to rectify. Expensive during a time when there’s no money to put towards something like 287g. Probably will be swept under a rug somewhere until Obama can either implement an amnesty program or until it’s no longer a viable option for Sheriff Conway to even continue to pursue for us. He’s pretty much the only county official who’s working toward the goal. The others don’t even care enough to enforce measures already in place, and actively look for loop-holes, to ensure they maintain all revenue flow possible.
There’s always a bigger picture.
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JG
March 25th, 2009
2:49 pm
Immigrants are responsible for a far lower percentage of crime than any other demographic in this country. Crimes against children are committed at a much higher rate by caucasians than any other group and that is a verifiable fact. Your facts are nothing but Red Herrings LT5000.
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DawgBite
March 25th, 2009
2:54 pm
Bull Connor must hold a place of honor in your home Cindy. Yeah, old Bull and Sheriff Conway certainly have reservations in the Buford T. Justice Hall of Fame.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
3:12 pm
Illegal immigration doesn’t hold a place near nor dear in my heart, so if that, to you, translates into something else, that’s in your mind. However, it doesn’t make it a fact. Saying stuff like that, unfortunately doesn’t forward your agenda either. Basically, you’re deflecting from the topic by making a sharp turn and trying to steer the conversation into race baiting. It’s not about race. It’s about breaking the law.
I made valid, supported, well-thought out points. You countered them by bringing up Southern Racism. That particular matter has no seat at this table no matter how accusatory anyone tries to present it as fact. To mention Bull Connor and Sheriff Conway in the same context speaks volumes of how loudly you’ll speak to detract readers from noticing you’re not presenting anything of value. Like-minded people will now follow suit. Others who can think for themselves will see right through the ploy.
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Mark
March 25th, 2009
3:15 pm
LT – Always the outspoken candy azz who was called out by bruce, then ran like a school girl.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
3:30 pm
Not to detract from 287g…but where’d that saying come from anyway? You might be surprised just how bad azz school girls can be. And then they grow up to be women. I’m just saying.
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LT5000
March 25th, 2009
4:00 pm
JG you moron.
Immigrants isn’t a demographic.
**On June 30, 2006, an estimated 4.8% of black men were in prison or jail, compared to 1.9% of Hispanic men and 0.7% of white men.
For the 12 months ending June 30, 2006, State systems reported a larger increase than the Federal system in the number of inmates housed in private prisons. **
**Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for
– men (11.3%) than for women (1.8%)
– blacks (18.6%) and Hispanics (10%) than for whites (3.4%)**
JG and Dawgbite. Those darn facts get in the way of your storytelling.
Feel free to post data that proves me wrong. Otherwise you are just fools.
LT5000
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LT5000
March 25th, 2009
4:01 pm
Mark,
Huh? Teabagging at Inserection has affected your memory.
LT5000
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Michael H. Smith
March 25th, 2009
4:07 pm
Brucie you really need to get over dumb yourself. Sore losers come up with anything rather than admit they lost. Pride can really be a down fall of a person. Delois stole all your thunder Brucie. You gotta love it when a phony liberal agenda falls apart. I mean, just saying.
Oh and Brucie when you build things to spec, sometimes that 1 or 2 hour fire rated door or wall that someone didn’t know about or ever cared to read about in a spec book, means they are alive to tell about the fire they escaped.
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Michael H. Smith
March 25th, 2009
4:30 pm
Unfortunately, they are also in the country illegally, a detail that can’t be overlooked, don’t you think?
No that detail can’t be overlooked, honest people don’t break the law, dishonest people do and none of the phony excuses made by regurgitating past history or playing on a skin color or judging how hard they do or do not work makes one bit of difference.
This is 2009 and America is a nation of laws, fortunately.
Illegal aliens can leave by their own choice or they can be deported by our laws but they cannot be given amnesty in any form and they cannot be allowed to remain in this country. They can go back home, immigrate legally the right way, for the right purpose and become English speaking Americans like all the rest who have immigrated legally and played by all the rules and naturalize into U.S. Citizenship.
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HavingMySay
March 25th, 2009
4:58 pm
Cindy, It’s very UnAmerican of you to tell others who are citizen of this country to LEAVE, just because you don’t agree with their opinion. I would like to offer you the same option.
Furthermore, I find your statement below hilarious.
***To argue the point of what “was” (used to be) is counterproductive and a substitute for the fact that you have nothing of merit to contribute to the subject matter at hand. Your compassion and unwillingness to hurt illegal immigrants feelings has taken over. Look at the economy now. Open your eyes. When it truly affects you, you’ll sing a different tune. *****
FYI.. …
Cindy,
Illegal’s do not have anything to do with why our economy is in such despair. Also, you obviously don’t have anything to contribute, because you can’t SEE past your hate of other people who do not look like you do. The immigration law would probably have been a great Supreme Court case, but it was probably make law during a time when the white elite in this country, had more influence than they should have been allowed to maintain. If I were the children of illegal immigrants, I would challenge all deportation of my parents at the Supreme Court level.
LT5000 –
The stats you use only point to the disparity in the legal system. There are many instances when whites should be incarcerated for the same crimes that blacks and Hispanics are speedily placed into our prison system. The other reasons would be non-minorities ability to afford better defense attorneys, because they usually have higher incomes or parents with higher incomes. They also get a “get out of jail free card” because of Judges and jurors who look like they do and sympathize with them. Then there are instances when the crime is not documented, because they want to keep the crime stats down in a particular area, due to income influence.
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zeezil
March 25th, 2009
5:07 pm
10 Things You Need to Know about 287(g): A Response to the ACLU/UNC Study
Dr. Jameson Taylor | March 24, 2009
In mid-February 2009, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of North Carolina and the Immigration and Human Rights Policy Clinic of UNC-Chapel Hill issued a report declaring that the 287(g) program should be eliminated because it is “too problematic, too costly, and too difficult to implement.” The 287(g) program is a federal-local partnership that trains local law enforcement to enforce immigration law. Seven North Carolina counties, along with the city of Durham, currently participate in 287(g).
Even as the ACLU asserts that 287(g) is an “ineffective means of immigration enforcement,” the group complains that the initiative is “a powerful immigration enforcement program” being “used indiscriminately to find, arrest, detain, and remove immigrants.” As the ACLU would have it, 287(g) is not actually intended to help local law enforcement officers enforce immigration law, as such. Rather, they contend that 287(g) should be limited to deporting illegal aliens convicted of a felony. Based on this presupposition, the ACLU claims that North Carolina’s local law enforcement officers are misusing 287(g) to arrest misdemeanor offenders, and in so doing, are engaging in racial profiling against Hispanics. These accusations are addressed below:
Claim #1: “The 287(g) program was originally intended to target and remove undocumented immigrants convicted of ‘violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling and money laundering.’”
The Truth: The statutory language (see the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, § 133) authorizing 287(g) in no way restricts the program’s applicability to “serious” criminals or felons, but is specifically intended to encourage local law enforcement to help enforce immigration law. The quote used above is taken from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fact sheet stating that 287(g) provides local law enforcement with the “necessary resources and latitude to pursue investigations” related to the above crimes. The document does not indicate that 287(g) enforcement is limited only to “serious” crimes. As confirmed by a January 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), “agencies participating in the 287(g) program are not prohibited from seeking the assistance of ICE for aliens arrested for minor offenses” – albeit the report cautions that focusing on minor offenses could place a strain on ICE resources. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, is already looking at alternative detention methods that could be used to accommodate “minor” offenders.
Claim #2: The majority of 287(g) arrests are for misdemeanors
The Truth: It is true that the majority of 287(g) arrests are for misdemeanors. This fact indicates that 287(g) offenders are being treated no differently than any other group because most arrests are for misdemeanors. If anything, 287(g) offenders are less – not more – likely to be arrested merely for a misdemeanor. Alamance County’s 287(g) program, for instance, resulted in an 80 percent misdemeanor arrest rate in 2007. Yet, statewide, 84 percent of total convictions for the 2006-07 fiscal year were for misdemeanors.
Moreover, it is well established that misdemeanor offenders are more likely than non-offenders to commit more serious crimes in the future. A 15-year study by the U.S. Department of Justice likewise found that so-called less serious offenders (property offenses, drug offenses and public order offenses) actually had higher recidivism rates than offenders convicted of more serious crimes like rape, assault or robbery. Consider also that four of the 9/11 terrorist hijackers — Mohammed Atta, Nawaf al Hazmi, Hani Hanjour and Ziad Jarrah – were pulled over for routine traffic stops in the six months prior to 9/11. In all four instances, local law enforcement could have arrested the terrorists for immigration violations. If those arrests had taken place, the loss of 2,996 American lives might have been prevented.
Claim #3: “287(g) encourages, or at the very least tolerates, racial profiling and baseless stereotyping.”
The Truth: This accusation can be understood in two ways: either there is something about the 287(g) program in itself that encourages racial profiling or the program is being misused in a manner that encourages racial profiling. The first accusation is entirely without merit. As even the ACLU acknowledges, under North Carolina’s “detention-model” 287(g) programs, “the general rule applies regarding the prohibition against law enforcement stopping, detaining, or seizing individuals based on racial characteristics.” While the second charge might have merit, it remains unproven.
Claim #4: “Anecdotal evidence and other data suggest that § 287(g)-deputized law enforcement officers in some North Carolina counties are violating legal standards and engaging in racial profiling by stopping motorists in the community who appear to be Hispanic/Latino.”
The Truth: Anecdotal evidence is insufficient to prove that North Carolina’s law enforcement officers are abusing the 287(g) program. This is especially the case insofar as this evidence is taken from persons who, by and large, are already violating immigration law. It is unclear what “other data” the ACLU possesses that would prove 287(g) officers in North Carolina are engaging in racial profiling. It seems the ACLU’s claims here are based on the following three documents: a survey on Tennessee traffic stops written by a pro-immigration group based in Nashville; a law review article acknowledging “there have been no official racial profiling complaints filed against [287(g)] officers”; and an apparently unpublished review of traffic stops in Mecklenburg and Alamance counties. The latter study, written by professors working with the Latino Migration Project at UNC-Chapel Hill, found a significant increase in the number of Hispanics cited for driving without a license between July 2005 and December 2007. This is hardly a smoking gun given that North Carolina finally stopped issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens in 2007.
Claim #5: Using race or ethnicity as a factor in investigating crime is always wrong.
The Truth: It is important to distinguish racial profiling from what law enforcement experts refer to as criminal profiling. Racial, or bias-based, profiling entails using race or some other personal factor (gender, religion, etc.) to establish probable cause. Criminal profiling is based on observed facts and, as such, may include personal factors such as race, gender or religion when such factors are relevant to identifying a suspect. According to the National Latino Peace Officers’ Association: “Criminal profiling is a bona fide activity that helps in focusing attention on persons likely to engage in specific crimes based on behaviors, not race.” When implemented as intended, 287(g) relies on self-selecting behavior, not race or ethnicity, as a trigger for checking immigration status. This is because in order for a 287(g) check to be run, a person must first be arrested for a non-immigration related offense.
Claim #6: 287(g) is having “detrimental effects on North Carolina’s communities.”
The Truth: The vast majority of North Carolina’s citizens support 287(g). According to Civitas’ polling:
88% of N.C. voters support county participation in the 287(g) program (July 2007);
91% support giving law enforcement officers the technology needed to confirm the identity and legal status of a driver who does not possess a valid driver’s license (April 2008);
89% support allowing police officers to ask arrestees if they are legal residents of the United States (September 2007);
73% think their local government needs to do more to combat illegal immigration (September 2008).
The GAO likewise indicates that participating law enforcement agencies believe 287(g) has made their communities safer and “improved the quality of life for the community.” These same agencies also acknowledge that while some members of the Hispanic community – 78 percent of illegal aliens are Hispanic – were afraid of possible deportation, nearly every 287(g) locality had conducted public outreach aimed at allaying these concerns.
Claim #7: The 287(g) program fosters “a fear of law enforcement that causes immigrant communities to refrain from reporting crimes.”
The Truth: It is important here to distinguish between legal immigrants and illegal aliens. Given that illegal immigration is a crime, it would be strange if illegal aliens were not afraid of being deported. More to the point, the ACLU provides no objective evidence that legal immigrants who have committed no other crimes are generally afraid of law enforcement because of 287(g). Indeed, the report indicates that “many immigrant crimes are not reported” for reasons that have nothing to do with 287(g). The fact is that 287(g) can make even illegal immigrant communities safer by deporting criminal illegal aliens who prey on other illegals. Consider, for instance, the case of Francisco Martinez, who was stopped by Raleigh police one night in May 2008 and found to have an expired license. Instead of arresting him, police let Martinez go. Six hours later, he killed three other illegal aliens in a drunk-driving accident. Had Martinez been arrested and flagged for deportation under 287(g), his victims would still be alive.
Claim #8: Immigration law is too “complicated” to expect local law enforcement to assist in enforcement.
The Truth: 287(g) does not require intricate knowledge of immigration law. The program merely facilitates the identification of illegal aliens by making it easier for local police to ask ICE to verify immigration status. After an arrest has been made, local law enforcement merely submits identifying information to ICE, which then makes a determination as to whether an offender should be detained for deportation. Here we might also add that according to numerous courts and the Department of Justice, it is a “well-settled” fact that local law enforcement officers are permitted to enforce federal statutes and that as “sovereign entities,” states and localities “have the inherent authority to enforce civil and criminal violations of federal immigration law.”
Claim #9: 287(g) has caused “economic devastation for already struggling municipalities, as immigrants are forced to flee communities, causing a loss of profits for local businesses and a decrease in tax revenues.”
The Truth: Illegal immigration has both costs and benefits. Employers who hire illegal aliens benefit the most by paying low wages and shifting healthcare costs to taxpayers. Employers who obey the law suffer most, as do low-income American workers, whose wages have declined owing to illegal immigration. Likewise, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that “the cost of providing public services to unauthorized immigrants at the state and local levels exceeds what this population pays in state and local taxes” (December 2007). Here in North Carolina the myth that illegal aliens are paying their own way has been perpetuated by a report (Kasarda and Johnson, 2006) sponsored by the Mexican consulate in Raleigh. Yet, even this study admits that Hispanic residents (the report makes no distinction between legal residents and illegal aliens) impose a net burden of $102 per capita. The report also undercounts costs, leaving out school construction costs, transportation costs, law enforcement costs, water and sewerage usage, electricity usage, pollution impacts and other budgetary impacts.
Claim #10: The ACLU wants to “improve” 287(g).
The Truth: Given ICE’s track record, it should come as no surprise that the federal agency that administers 287(g) needs to manage the program better. Already in January 2009, under the guidance of the GAO, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began to take steps to implement additional internal controls over 287(g). The impression one gets from the ACLU report, however, is that local sheriffs cannot be trusted to enforce federal law, such that their participation in 287(g) must be so heavily regulated as to make the program practically unworkable.
Indeed, the ACLU argues that “ultimately, the most obvious and effective way to eliminate the problems associated with 287(g) implementation is to eliminate the 287(g) program altogether.” Likewise, the organization is seeking the nullification of all prior 287(g) agreements, “in order to return all federal immigration enforcement powers to DHS only.”
Conclusion
Congress authorized 287(g) because the federal government understood it could not enforce immigration law without the assistance of local law enforcement. Consider that there are an estimated 11 million to 40 million illegal aliens in the United States. By comparison, ICE employs about 2,000 agents dedicated to interior enforcement, such that there are anywhere from 5,500 to 20,000 illegal aliens per agent. Yet, there are some 800,000 local law enforcement officers throughout the United States – making for a ratio of 50 to 1. This is not to say that every local police officer should devote the majority of their time to immigration enforcement. Rather, targeted enforcement, such as that facilitated by 287(g), will send the message that America’s communities are united in combating illegal immigration and upholding the dignity of the rule of law. It is only upon this basis that true immigration reform can occur.
Dr. Jameson Taylor is a senior policy fellow with the Civitas Institute
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zeezil
March 25th, 2009
5:11 pm
ENFORCEMENT PAYS – 287g
With the widespread murderous violence between warring Mexican drug cartels spilling over the U.S. border and the continuing threat from radical Islamic terrorists domestic and foreign, the government has to spend its law enforcement dollars where they can do the most good. Yet Democratic leaders in Congress and the Obama administration appear ready to scale back one of the most successful and cost-effective immigration law enforcement programs ever launched.
This program, known as 287(g), allows police, sheriffs, and other local law enforcement agencies to provide direct assistance to federal agents in identifying illegal alien criminals and putting them on the path to removal from the country. By expediting the removal of foreign lawbreakers, 287(g) saves taxpayers money.
Its cost: about $60 million over the last three fiscal years. In contrast, ICE spent more than ten times that annual cost — about $219 million — last year alone to remove 34,000 aliens under the fugitive operations program. There are local benefits, too; the Arizona Department of Public Safety saved nearly $3 million in incarceration costs in just the first year.
Currently, illegal aliens who make it past border patrol agents, consular officers and port of entry inspectors are largely home free. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has just a few thousand agents, concentrated in cities, to deal with a widely scattered illegal population that recently reached 12 million, including nearly seven million in the work force and as many as 400,000 in jails and prisons. This mismatch works well for illegal aliens, especially the criminals.
For a long time, local communities have been stuck with the economic and social consequences. But in 1996, Congress heeded their pleas and gave them this tool to address public safety problems associated with illegal immigration and help out the feds at the same time…. (MORE at: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31130 )
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Mark
March 25th, 2009
5:11 pm
HavingMySay, “Illegal’s do not have anything to do with why our economy is in such despair”? How about them taking jobs away from Americans? How about them sending money home that never sees it’s way back into our economy? Take off those rose colored glasses and see the truth.
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Mark
March 25th, 2009
5:13 pm
LT5000, My memory is fine. Rick called you out, and your belly turned yellow. So, when is the bout?
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Bubba
March 25th, 2009
5:15 pm
It’s simple. Illegal aliens are breaking the law. Period. End of story. I don’t care if they’re white (Polish, Bulgarian, Bosnian, etc.), black, hispanic. I don’t care. They are breaking the law.
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HavingMySay
March 25th, 2009
5:53 pm
Mark,
What jobs? You are too lazy to cut your own grass. Not only that, since the economy has been in decline, the number of illegals have declined.
The decline in the number of hispanics in metro Atlanta has been the talk amongst, my friends and I.
Haven’t you been keeping up with the reports that show some neighboorhoods that were running over with illegal immigrants that are now completely empty. I was on Buford highway with a few friends for lunch and we were amazed.
So, in my opinion the laws for immigration are about to become MUTE. Now, is the time to close the border and amend the immigration laws.
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Steve
March 25th, 2009
6:51 pm
Bruce didn’t call out LT. Bruce joined in behing Baddie as if he had something to do with it, but he didn’t. It was all Rick. I hate it when people ride others coattails. LT owns Bruce. Rick owns LT. Got it? Let’s put it behind us now.
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Justin
March 25th, 2009
7:30 pm
Havingmysay, according to info from the Gwinnett Sheriff’s Office the number of illegals arrested is
still rising. Just sayin.
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LT5000
March 25th, 2009
7:48 pm
Mark,
Take the schlong out of your mouth and the balls off your chin. Read your previous post you dumbass.
I offered to throw down with Badie when he writes a useful article, like a ride a long with the local law enforcement.
I’m not going to step into the ring with somebody 80 pounds heavier than I am for nothing.
If he wants the chance to kick my ass Blubbering Badie is going to have to earn it.
Wipe your chin.
LT5000
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Regularjoe
March 25th, 2009
8:17 pm
Mark
LT5000, My memory is fine. Rick called you out, and your belly turned yellow. So, when is the bout?
Steve
Bruce didn’t call out LT. Bruce joined in behing Baddie as if he had something to do with it, but he didn’t. It was all Rick. I hate it when people ride others coattails. LT owns Bruce. Rick owns LT. Got it? Let’s put it behind us now.
You are right Steve, the damage is done. It looks like LT has old Bruce worked up and Rick scared old LT
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Bubba
March 25th, 2009
8:41 pm
HavingMySay,
Jobs are irrelevant. I don’t care if I’m too lazy to cut my own grass or flip my own burgers. It’s simple. Illegal aliens are breaking the law. Period. End of story. I don’t care if they’re white (Polish, Bulgarian, Bosnian, etc.), black, hispanic. I don’t care. They are breaking the law. If many leave because jobs are gone, I don’t care. They ALL need to go.
If I break the law, I get punished, be it murder, assault, DUI, what have you. Why should they not get punished? Because they need the work? I applied at Publix, because I needed extra $$$ to pay my bills. They weren’t hiring, all the positions were filled. I went to get some cubed meat for a stew I was making. The “butcher” needed to bring in a translator to take my order, because he couldn’t understand what I was saying.
If he’s here legally, then Publix needs to do a better job at customer service orientation. If he’s not, then I’ve been paying for almost 30 years taxes and unemployment what this guy hasn’t paid doodly squat to do a job that I – or any tax paying citizen -wants and a job to which he’s not entitled.
I have a hard enough time providing for myself. Congress and Wall Street exact their heavy tolls. I will donate to charity because I want to. You nor anybody of your ilk will make me donate because I have to. It’s that simple.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
8:44 pm
Steve I’ll call you out, the O2 can come off, I’m a New Yorker, I never back down, what say?
LT doesn’t own anyone when he’s challenged and runs, just a kid hiding behind a screen.
Bet you two even play together. Let’s see whose coattail hits the ground first.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
8:55 pm
No one has addressed the cost of removing 12 million illegals from the country, nor how much manpower it would take, would it be a house to house search, roadblocks, warrents or no warrants, trial or no trial?
Why doesn’t someone like Lou Dobbs ever address it? People throw out solutions, but never mention the price?
Southern conservatives are boo-hooing over President Obama’s budget, the very same people who remained mute when bush whats driving us into the ground with his. Just imagine what the cost will be, billions or maybe over a trillion, then add keeping them there.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
9:19 pm
Bruce,
I tried to stear the conversation that way toward a cost and manpower discussion. What I got in return was emotion-based accusations because I hold an opinion somewhat different than a few other bloggers.
There won’t be any house-to-house search and seizures (hope I spelled that right and used the correct word). In Gwinnett, it will be hard enough to detain and deport the people who blatantly offend. Our cops don’t get bored and just go out looking for people who look illegal and if i’m not mistaken, the deputies who would be participating in the 287g program (if and when we get it) will be working within the sheriff’s dept. They won’t be out trying to drum up business either. The customers will be delivered to their door. Right? That’s my take on it anyway. I welcome any additional (accurate) information.
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Cindy
March 25th, 2009
9:43 pm
HavingMySay,
Perhaps you’re mistaken what “unAmerican” is. Maybe you’re unaware of the drain on our economy because you simply don’t understand anything other than being nice to people and welcoming everyone with open arms. That’s really NOT a bad thing. In retrospect I can even remember being able to relate to what you must be feeling.
However, in modern times, I can’t help but notice the strain not only on a national level, but on our local governments who are at their wits end trying to figure out which end is up. Revenue is what is was all about. More people, more money spent in our communities, right? Wrong. Take into consideration the fact that alot of the money illegal immigrants made over the past 10 years has been wired out of the United States to support families living elsewhere. Money FROM U.S. Citizens hands but not returned to U.S. economy.
I understand there’s only so many ways to say that before it sounds oh so boring and just plain redundant. So next, i’ll mention how many local dollars it takes to support our ever-growing school system. Tell ya what, go to the schools. Don’t take my word for it. Come back and report to us what you find there.
Then go to DFACS. Let us know what you find there too. But to give a truly accurate snapshot, you probably would’ve seen more of the big picture a year or two ago. Some of them might not be sitting in the waiting area now. Besides that, the counties aren’t sending their employees out now to area business parking lots asking illegals to come please sign up for assitance.
Now these things, I’ve said all of them before. But, I can’t figure out how you presume to know me, my race, my belief system toward others, or anything else that you accuse me of. You seem to think that anyone who doesn’t share your thoughts must be whitey and out to oppress anyone who is non-white, blond-haired, blue-eyed. About this, it is fruitless to further discuss it, as you already have your mind made up and I really don’t even care.
The natural-born children of illegal immigrants who you say should challenge the Supreme Court about their parents deportation…this too is bait and switch of yours. You’re trying to not discuss the topic of the blog and point fingers at everyone else, throw up a bunch of smoke and mirrors just so you can protest deportation and campaign for us to love everyone and shut the heck up. We’ve all sat around now for over a decade while our country has been permeated by illegal immigrants who’ve done not much other than bend the U.S. over and without so much as even a kiss. And up til now, we’ve taken it with a smile.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
10:12 pm
Cindy
Look at it this way, the 287g program is nothing more than just another feel good law. Sure it will send a few back, maybe break up a family for awhile, empty a driveway of one truck for a week or so, but it keeps the townfolk happy, man if that’s what the people need to shut them up, go for it.
Now as the Bleeding Heart Liberal I am, which everyone knows I am, but I’m proud of the label, I’m sure you’ll understand why I don’t like the program. Last year in Mexico 7,000 people were killed by drug cartels with guns and money supplied from this country. That’s more than we lost in the two wars we’re fighting, the difference, this is in one year. Do you want to send families into a war zone where the death toll is higher than both Iraq and Afganistan? We invade a country in the Middle East that had no air force, no navy, no nukes, no chemical weapons because they were such a danger to us and ignored our neighbors.
Tell me the truth Cindy, if you were living in a war zone, wouldn’t you try to escape with your family to your neighbor to the North?
This administration is sending more enforcement to the boarder, if people ever read the news. Nickle and dimeing a problem never works, show me the money.
As I said before make Pot legal, Nixon wanted to treat drugs as an addiction just as we do drunks, no one listened. Look whats happened, the drunks are fined, pot smokers jailed? Bet drunks kill more on the road than pot smokers.
That’s all I got.
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Michael H. Smith
March 25th, 2009
10:44 pm
The open borders lobby and ethnocentric groups thrive on disinformation and emotional rancor Cindy: So don’t expect to see much in the way of accurate information. You are right our police don’t need to create crime just to have something to do or to justify having a job and there are enough legal means under the law if our police and other authorized federal agents are allowed to use those lawful means to remove illegal aliens for deportation without implementing a house to house search or unlawfully kicking down doors.
Unfortunately, Obama and his administration, certain members of Congress, the open borders lobby and ethnocentric groups are making concerted efforts to dismantle every legal and lawful means to eradicate illegal immigration and illegal workers in this country with a great expediency: Not funding 287 g, stopping worksite inspections, stopping no match SS lettersand, ending E-Verify or any other legal means of confirming legal status; anything that will prevent legal deportations from occurring.
Even with the threats now posed on the southern border and within the country itself by Mexican drug cartels, Obama delays sending the only force able to secure the border, our military. Despite even Senator Joe Lieberman declaring a clear and present danger exists at the southern border and that inadequate resources are being deployed to confront that present danger.
Yes Cindy the truthfulness that we know is bad enough, we don’t have to lie or invent bogeymen. Like you said, they came to us or they are coming to us by means of their own criminal choice and we didn’t commit the crime of dragging any of them across our borders illegally to live here in a criminal residency.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
11:13 pm
Smith
Delois and yourself should really read the article again, please point out where I said it was for me? I turned up the O2, made it inside, walked around and talked sa bit as I pointed out what could/should be done. I had to rest on the way back to the parking lot, lucky for me the only bench was empty. Both your attacks make you look like the fools you are.
GJAC employee, the smoking area I’m pointing out is around the monument out front, just before the “NO SMOKING PASS THIS POINT” sign. I don’t know if they’re employee’s or visitors, but those special butt collectors are/were, hopefully have been removed, are there.
To really nit-pick, the Handicapped Parking sign coming in has the old arrow pointing staight ahead which would lead some poor soul to run into the safety shield, which means you must be a terrorist. The sign hasn’t been changed since the county decided it was a main target in 2006.
You see delois and smith, your kind knowledge goes down with one flush, well smiths usally takes two.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 25th, 2009
11:51 pm
So now smith and Joe Lieberman want our military on the boarder with Mexico, so Joe and you want to declare Marshal Law, otherwise it’s another damn invasion. May I ask where your buddy Joe and you plan to get the military?
Our DEPLETED military, the National Guard, once weekend warriors, are now harden front lines soldiers who get re-cycled for a year at best only to return to the front. Now Joe and you don’t even want to give them a break, whats next a National Police Force?
The President Obama’s administration has been in power, what 70 days, yet all these ills just showed up. The parrot of Lou Dobbs offer all the solutions, yet can never tell where the $$$$ comes from or our military?
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Brandon
March 26th, 2009
1:44 am
“…everybody that can get out of my community chooses to do so because of the influx of illegals. That’s just the reality of it and there nothing racist about that,”
Unless Loretta Jakubowski has access to the Department of Homeland Securities Database, she has no idea who is here illegal or not. So if people are moving just because there neighborhood are getting an inlfux of Latinos or Asians or both…it is called “WHITE FLIGHT” and it is a result of prejudice and a form of racism.
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Chris Broe
March 26th, 2009
8:15 am
I think we should give Buford Highway back to Mexico, where it rightfully belongs. Just like we should give Cobb County back to Alabama, where it rightfully belongs.
And give this newspaper back to Charmins.
Hey AJC editors: PMS called. It wants its rag back.
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LT5000
March 26th, 2009
9:17 am
You guys are delusional.
Scared of Brucie and Badie? Give me a break.
The only way I would be scared of these two is if I had to read Badie’s articles to my dying day while listening to tapes of Brucie’s Anti-American rants.
And while Badie blubbers, the AJC dies a slow painful death due to incompetent writers like Badie. Time for Badie to get that resume into Denny’s. A job he is much better suited for.
**The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Wednesday it will cut its full-time news staff by about 90 people, or nearly 30 percent, to lower costs as it tries to regain profitability amid a severe revenue slump.**
**The company also announced it will eliminate distribution to seven more outlying counties, reducing its circulation area to 20 metro Atlanta counties, effective April 26. The cutback will pare daily and Sunday circulation by 2 percent.**
**The AJC’s news staff will drop to about 230 full-time positions, down from about 323 currently. Staff members with five or more years with the company will be offered voluntary buyouts, with layoffs to follow if they don’t achieve the targeted cuts, the company said.**
LT5000
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DawgBite
March 26th, 2009
9:19 am
Cindy
March 25th, 2009We’ve all sat around now for over a decade while our country has been permeated by illegal immigrants who’ve done not much other than bend the U.S. over and without so much as even a kiss. And up til now, we’ve taken it with a smile.
You should smile anytime anyone wants to bend you over Cindy. I bet that’s a rare thing indeed.
9:19 pm
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
9:40 am
DawgBite, is that the very best you got? I expected better…even from you.
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
9:58 am
Bruce,I see what you’re saying. But for counties who already have 287g in place, illegals know what they’re in for if they go there anyway and break the law. They’re also fully aware that Gwinnett County is fine to do whatever, we don’t have the current threat of deportation in place as a crime deterrent. Wouldn’t it be great to see a real number that shows the amount of money it costs Gwinnett County to house, school, jail and otherwise support illegal immigrants and their anchor-babies. Then a national number.
**Tell me the truth Cindy, if you were living in a war zone, wouldn’t you try to escape with your family to your neighbor to the North?**
The difference is Bruce, when the war-zone all moves here, and I have to escape to the North, I’ll do it legally and i’ll be documented as moving to my new location, and still responsible for my obligations I incur as being a U.S. Citizen.
The program isn’t just a feel-good measure but for now, it’s all we have. Our administration will dismantle it as they see fit though. We just have to be patient and accept it as we’re desensitized and made to like it. Speaking of of our military, I wonder how many illegals sign up to protect and serve the USA.
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Chris Broe
March 26th, 2009
10:43 am
dawg, does cindy have an older sister for me?
Know this: if we start rifling through populations of Hispanics in metro atlanta, there will be blood. There’s a generation long squatter’s justice entrenched in our midst. We can have some low grade civil war in a new york minute. Just start F’ing with the historically natural population migration across a border. Every bit of bad news in the story of man comes from cracking down on a perceived threat from some migration. It must be the path to political power: Simply point out the strange faces.
Populations migrate. They just do. You cant stop it. We only became a great planet because man is bigger than maps. You got the guts, you go down there and roust those Mexicans squatters. Go ‘head. Start a rebellion. That’s what Metro Atlanta needs.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
12:43 pm
HavingMySay, What jobs? The ones that were taken from Americans. And look around you fool. Those jobs consist of more than simply cutting grass. What about construction for example? Is is hard being a dumbass?
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Sam
March 26th, 2009
1:13 pm
Mark he probably hides under a robe and hood as well. The LT5000s of the world are natural born cowards that have to hate to have any sense of self worth at all. Give me a hard working Mexican any day over trash like LT5000 and others of his ilk.
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Sam
March 26th, 2009
1:17 pm
I haven’t heard a one of you here mention that it is usually a redneck bubba hiring the immigrants to work construction jobs.
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
1:35 pm
I didn’t realize it beared mentioning.
Just for you Sam:
It’s usually a redneck bubba hiring the immigrants to work construction jobs.
Of course now that construction is slow, redneck bubba gets to sit around in the poor house, so he gets his just reward. He’s also probably sitting around trying to figure out how to pay his taxes right about now. Redneck bubba is also the one who gets to be held accountable when his workers fall down elevator chutes or when bridges collapse and noone on-site is a documented worker. Some of the redneck bubba’s can also be some of the ones who found themselves a wife from an off-shore location and brought her here, which in turn causes his view to be slightly different because of the confusion associating and comparing immigrants with illegal immigrants.
There are so many different contributing factors. It’s not so cut and dry. Pro’s and Con’s. Upsides and downsides. That’s why it’s so difficult to draw a line between compassion and…and…and…all of this.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
1:47 pm
HavingMySay, I failed to mention all the free healthcare we provide them, as well as living tax free. The illegals are a drain to this country’s economy in more ways than one. They need to be rounded up and deported, one way or another. Either by gov’t or by the citizens of this country. I belong to a group that’s ready to rid America of the filth when called upon. And it will be ugly, I can promise you.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
1:48 pm
If the illegals weren’t here, then “Bubba” wouldn’t hire them……
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
2:14 pm
…and we might not have so many people out there looking for jobs now. And if we did, it would just be the lazy, sorry a$$ ones who weren’t looking to work, anyway. And jobs might actually still be out there to look for, because all of the money wasn’t send out of the U.S. to support other countries economies. And we’re providing the health care also because bubba can hire illegals…they don’t expect benefits.
Vicious circle coming right up. Big picture ya’ll. Can’t cut and paste out the little inconvenient parts like splitting up families. I know it could get really expensive but maybe 287 should emcompass sending the whole family back. Might be more expensive to jump back over to the states a month later, that way too.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
2:16 pm
Chris Broe, “Go ‘head. Start a rebellion”. Oh, it’s coming. I am 1 of about 15,000 members of a group ready to do so. And we’re getting more soldiers every day. Unless something is done, then WE WILL take this country back.
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CD
March 26th, 2009
2:17 pm
The only filth that needs to be removed from this country are people like you Mark.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
2:19 pm
And that’s 15,000 soldiers country wide……..
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
2:20 pm
CD, keep your uneducated ass comments to your loathsome self. You are clueless.
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Jackie
March 26th, 2009
2:21 pm
I heard ya Mark. 15,000 imbeciles.
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Jackie
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
Mark is a cretin.
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DDT
March 26th, 2009
2:25 pm
That Mark character is retarded.
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Franklin Pierce
March 26th, 2009
2:29 pm
With dumbazzes like Mark spearheading the anti-Mexican “war” his side will definately lose. That idiot couldn’t organize a one man circle jerk.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
2:34 pm
Franklin Pierce, I organized nothing. I am but 1 soldier. And keep your hands off that thing. you’ll go blind.
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Franklin Pierce
March 26th, 2009
2:43 pm
WOW! A big bad army of 1 aryan brother piece of dog crap, huh Mark?
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
2:46 pm
Franklin Pierce, no dumbass. I am but one of over 15,000 true Americans who don’t just sit there and hope the problem fixes itself. What is your agenda Sir Franklin Pierce?
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Franklin Pierce
March 26th, 2009
3:00 pm
I guess Mark defines true American as only those that burn crosses in folks yards and posses the collective intellect of a flea. My agenda is to enjoy watching you “true Americans” bray like a herd of jackazzes about everything that isn’t just like you. It’s funny as hell to watch all that ignorance in action.
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LT5000
March 26th, 2009
3:06 pm
Mark says:
**That explains alot about how and why your belly turned yellow when Bruce called you out.**
Obviously your mother is also your aunt on your father’s side. Like Brucie the halfwit, you have no clue what you are talking about, but that doesn’t stop you from speaking.
Life is hard, it’s even harder if you are stupid.
LT5000
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
3:18 pm
Ignorant jerkoff (Franklin Pierce), “burn crosses in folks yards”?? I have no affiliation with the Aryan nation. I called Jackie what I did to match her “cracker” remark. We simply cannot let criminals running amok in this country. It takes away from our way of living and right to work. But you’ll still be there, sitting in your comfy chair, reading the NY Times….
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
3:20 pm
LT5000, Cut the crap. We all know what went down. Now STFU, candyass….
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NOWICUNVME
March 26th, 2009
3:32 pm
Lol…Lol…Lol… It’s been awhile folks! I’m still laughing from the last blog and LT with his tail between his legs! Just what I always knew! If you’re not a female you are a classic example of
Napolean syndrome without a doubt! 140LBS?? Tee hee hee.
Anyway…just like the economic situation in this country, the problem with illegal immigrants is widespread as well. The answer, however, is not “legalizing” profiling and stereotyping. Unfortunately, Cindy, it does come back to the good old way things have been done and continue to be done in the South. Unable and unwwilling to accept changes.
It’s a new daggone day! We, the people, the world, have much bigger fish to be frying. Can we pull our servicemen out of Iraq and Afghanistan? Can we concentrate on fixing this great nation..ending the recession/depression? These problems we’re facing are not because we have too many illegal immigrants in the country. Let’s put all the ducks in a row and prioritize them. While it may be bothersome, 287g belongs at the bottom of the list.
OBAMA 09
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
3:39 pm
NOWICUNVME,”Can we pull our servicemen out of Iraq and Afghanistan?” On a large scale, no. But a withdrawl is in sight. Then the troops can guard the borders of this country, after we rid Our country of illegal aliens.
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Franklin Pierce
March 26th, 2009
3:42 pm
Bottom line. The Democratic Party will come through with comprehensive immigration reform. Why? They counted the votes. No amount of braying from you throwback David Duke wannabes can stop it. Latinos are a powerful voting block now and they will band together against you scared crapless angry white folks. Furthermore, immigration as an issue doesn’t even hit double digits in importance to everyday Americans anymore. Most reasonable Americans can’t stand you nativist bigots either. Enjoy the outside looking in.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
3:46 pm
Franklin Pierce,”The Democratic Party will come through with comprehensive immigration reform”
And monkeys will fly out of my ass. Man, you clueless morons are truly pathetic.
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Chris Broe
March 26th, 2009
3:47 pm
I think we should give buford highway back to mexico, and give cobb county back to alabama.
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Franklin Pierce
March 26th, 2009
3:56 pm
Idiots like you Mark are too stupid to know when the hand writing’s on the wall. The Dems don’t give a damn about a bunch of redneck bigots that don’t vote for them anyway. You and all you other daydreaming morons are done. You’re history. Comprehensive Immigration Reform will happen. Keep thinking it won’t and then cry us all a river when it does. You and those of your ilk are on the losing side of this one. SI SE PUEDE muthafuc$ers. Go stick one of your burning crosses up your stinky azz.
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
4:19 pm
gmail
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
4:26 pm
Franklin Pierce, Your whole post is mere speculation. And a tad angry. Next you’ll be telling me that most blacks didn’t vote for Obama because of his skin color. During a street interview I saw, reporters were asking blacks questions like ” So, what do you think of Obama’s running mate, Sarah Palin?” And questions of the like. They had no clue. One dude said that he “thought it was a good thing”. There were several more interviews like this, and it was amazing. The only thing the ones interviewed knew was the fact he was black, and they were going to vote for him. Nice voter base you have there…..
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
4:29 pm
Franklin Pierce, FYI, I was born and raised in NY, so me being a redneck is simply a word you people misuse often.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
4:35 pm
BTW, Jackie. I had your racist post removed.
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nana
March 26th, 2009
4:42 pm
It’s getting ugly around here. Don’t agree with the premise that because a person wants illegal immigration addressed that they are an angry redneck. That’s absurd. Illegal immigration is a huge problem and especially in Gwinnett County. It doesn’t matter what country the illegals come from but let’s be real here most of the illegals in Gwinnett are Hispanic. They are truly a drain on the system. A lot of them have no health insurance, they have medicaid, they secure food stamps, they cannot speak English for the most part and now our schools have to have ESOL classes and teachers for that. Tell the folks in California that they don’t drain the system. The problem with 287g is that it’s going to be just another law on the books. Perhaps if the government enforced the laws that are already on the books we wouldn’t be having these discussions.
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Mark
March 26th, 2009
5:28 pm
nana, don’t forget none of them have licenses or Insurance. They can’t unstand the national language (English), deal in drugs and violence, and decrease property values. Anyone have any pluses regarding illegal immigration? Besides making the big dog money?
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Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2009
5:56 pm
President Obumer please read this now stop thimking about, just do it. And drop your un-American plans on immigration policy.
79% of Americans Want Military on Mexico Border
By Rasmussen Reports – March 16, 2009
Seventy-nine percent (79%) of U.S. voters now say the military should be used along the border with Mexico to protect American citizens if drug-related violence continues to grow in that area.
This marks a 21-point jump in support for the use of the U.S. military along the border in just two months.
Only 10% now say the military should not be used in that fashion, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national phone survey. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.
Republicans feel even more strongly about the use of the military than others. Ninety percent (90%) of GOP voters say the military should be used to protect U.S. citizens if the violence crosses into this country, compared to 72% of Democrats and 76% of voters not affiliated with either of the major parties.
President Obama has expressed concern about the rise of drug violence in Mexico and is reportedly considering sending the National Guard to the border if the high level of violence moves into this country.
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Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2009
6:07 pm
Gov. Rick Perry asked Washington last month for 1,000 National Guard troops, to free up local police and sheriffs, and federal border, immigration and customs personnel. In McCain’s homestate of Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer has also asked for troops.
President Obumer can you here us now? Stop thinking just do it.
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Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2009
6:20 pm
President Obumer can you hear us now? Stop thinking about it, do it, troops on the border works. You don’t need Mexico’s permission just a set of loyal American gonads.
Mexico says troops cut drug deaths in border city
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, March 23 (Reuters) – Mexico has dramatically cut drug murders in its most violent city on the U.S. border after deploying 7,500 soldiers earlier this month, the government said on Monday.
“The number of violent deaths linked to organized crime in Ciudad Juarez has fallen by more than 70 percent,” Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna said in a speech in the manufacturing city across from El Paso, Texas.
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Pete
March 26th, 2009
6:56 pm
LT5000 – I just downloaded Google Earth to this laptop as I did not have it on this one. I would hope that it would be accurate. According to this latest version, it is about 266 feet from the front door to the edge of the bottom of the circle of the parking lot. To the closest handicapped parking space is another 79 feet or so for a total of 385 feet. These numbers are off by a few feet as I cannot determined the exact entrance to the building from the image Google has but for this discussion it is probably close enough. In any event, this is at least twice as far as you claimed.
Jais – This is blog about Gwinnet County. Covington is Newton County which is not even contiguous to Gwinnett. While the FEMA issue might need to be investigated, I fail to see why an opinion column about Gwinnett County should be held accountable for something going on 2 counties away.
To all that think that Rick replied with a challenge to fight, think again. It could lead to him losing his job. Anyone can use his name as their name on her. Further, when Rick legitimately replies, his name is highlighted in a different color. Just FYI.
My personal observation is that it is indeed a long way to the building for someone with a disability. I served on an extended jury assignement for a while in a cast for a broken foot and felt the uneven pavement and distance were issues. I agree that everyone reacts to a disability in a different way. I became much more sensitive to the issue as my father progressed from a cane to a walker to a wheelchair prior to his death and my own experiences. I’m a fairly big guy and understand how the internal doors could be an issue for someone with a disability.
Regarding the pavers, I know of a large local University that had to change the style of brick used in walking areas because of issues for women’s shoes. I don’t think us guys should comment on the suitability until we literally walk a mile in their shoes, in this case shoes with small area heels.
Amazing the lack of civility exhibited here! I fail to understand why those of you that are so adamant about Rick’s columns exert the effort to read and then argue so energetically and viscously. I guess it is the only forum some of you have or can ever hope to have. In any event, it is my opinion that you can and should argue factual errors but opinions are just that. I personally find Rick’s columns mostly entertaining and often educational and informative.
Just my $.02.
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Josh
March 26th, 2009
7:50 pm
haha ya cause immigrants fall down elevator chutes and bridges are always falling down due to being built by illegals. Who is this dumb broad? Go bake me a pie.
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Cindy
March 26th, 2009
8:09 pm
This dumb broad is the one who presents the facts you’re too stupid to comprehend. Concern youself not so much with feeding your face, focus less on me and more on educating yourself on the going-ons in your community. Then maybe, just maybe, your comments won’t seem so ignorant (look it up…it means “unknowing of the facts”).
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Bruce Wilcox
March 26th, 2009
10:29 pm
Bush was governor of Texas for eight years, President for eight years and this problem began on 1/20/2009 at noon?
I asked before smith, where do you get the military? You cry about the budget but never tell us how much this mass operation will cost, you want to send families into a war zone where 7,000 people were killed just last year alone. But you supported a invasion of a country that had no air force, no navy, no nukes or chemical weapons, to protect Iraqi’s from evil Saddam, you forget that bush asked, no begged for the McCain/Kennedy immigrantion reform bill.
You want Marshell Law turning the national Guard into a National Police Force.
Isn’t always Republicans who say we never pay attention to polls or the country should not be run by polls when they are in power, yet want Democrats to not only listen, but do exactly what the poll wants, strange reasoning indeed. The Republicans should have ran Rasmussen.
The embarrassed Republican smith is nothing more than a hypocrite.
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Bruce Wilcox
March 26th, 2009
10:45 pm
Excuse me, that should be Martial Law. Bet 90% of those polled never heard of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, Title 18, Section 1385 of the U.S. Code., look it up.
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vlscpa
March 26th, 2009
10:57 pm
Hank Greenberg ran that company as his own personal trash can for money for almost 40 years, and he got out before the stuff hit the fan. Hank Greenberg is Bernard Madoff times 50,000,000,000, but he’s being protected by a government too embarrassed to admit they all let it happen, a government too afraid of what will happen if the whole world knows that ALL INSURANCE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PONZI SCHEME. The bailouts are just like the IPO’s, and everybody knows that the IPO’s were just exit stategies for the insiders.
Don’t even get me started on that little Timmy Geithner gnome.
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vlscpa
March 26th, 2009
11:04 pm
The FBI say that 80% of crime in the U.S. is gang-related. Observation shows that 80% of gang activity is ill eagle related. The gang capital of the southeast is Atlanta, specifically, Gwinnett, specifically, Duluth, and I have lived in Duluth for 20 years. These people ARE NOT honest, and if they ARE hard-working, I’m terrified of whatever they’re working so hard at doing.
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ben
March 26th, 2009
11:21 pm
thanks God for OBAMA, i think God is good w good ppl
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Mark
March 27th, 2009
7:42 am
Since we can’t even think about messing with the blacks anymore having the mexicans is actually a good thing. It gives white people something to take issue with since the blacks have buried us in political correctnes. The message has to stay out there that this is a white country, run by white people, and one where the white anglo saxon western European line will continue to dominate forever. If it warn’t for the damn mexicans we couldn’t be yelling loud and proud against the browning of America. This country belongs to us whites and always will.
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GT75
March 27th, 2009
7:49 am
Bruce Wilcox it’s because collectively most of these guys bashing the Mexicans are the lowest common denominator in our society and have a collective IQ of about 70. They’re too damn dumb to know that the bulk of financial crimes and human trafficking enterprises are run by lily white Eastern European and Chinese immigrants. Of course their color makes them no issue at all to white trash types like Mark and his posse of bigots.
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GT75
March 27th, 2009
8:05 am
Cindy, since we don’t have all of these problems in our community that you claim to have in yours, you are most likely pumping out talking points from someone like John Tanton or D.A. King. The Latinos in our neighborhood are great people, great neighbors, and I’ll take them over whining rednecks like you any day. They are a much better class of people than you are and a lot more interesting.
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Sarah H
March 27th, 2009
8:24 am
We are seeing children withdrawn from school because their families are moving away. Some of these children have told us that they are going back to Mexico. I am still waiting to see what happens. I want the goat roasting to stop in my neighborhood.
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Cindy
March 27th, 2009
9:01 am
GT75, I recognize and duly make note of the fact that you couldn’t come here to discuss the topic, but only verbally rally against those whose opinion you don’t agree with. It is what it is…
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LT5000
March 27th, 2009
9:44 am
Here is the 3rd illegal immigrant child molestor from Norcross arrested this week.
Are they molesting the children Americans are too lazy to molest?
Oh wait, according to the local idiot community it just shows that the American legal system is racist. Can’t hold anybody but White people accountable these days.
LT5000
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LT5000
March 27th, 2009
9:45 am
FELIX OSCAR GOMEZ-AYALA
APT 2023 1635 PIRKLE RD
NORCROSS GA 30093
Admitted: 3/26/2009 2:49 PM
Charges: AGG CHILD MOLESTATION
SODOMY/AGGRAVATED SODOMY
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Cindy
March 27th, 2009
10:26 am
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-08-mex-cartels_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip&POE=click-refer
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Michael H. Smith
March 27th, 2009
8:08 pm
Oh it was definitely partly for yourself hypocrite, don’t lie Wilcox. Oh and by the way, several peopled hinted, rather all but asked, just how did you come by contracting COPD?
After reading your pitiful childish outburst in defense of narco-terrorist on the present blog 287g, to flush what you call knowledge would take and eternity. Such usually is the case with pathological lairs and of course pathetic Anti-American trash like yourself.
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Michael H. Smith
March 28th, 2009
10:41 am
The City charter now in contention and the subject of this blog once too many times again that allows unbreakable tie votes to occur should never have been permitted under the State Constitution of Georgia.
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boots on the border now
March 28th, 2009
11:13 am
Hezbollah uses Mexican drug routes into U.S.
Works beside smuggler cartels to fund operations
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/27/hezbollah-uses-mexican-drug-routes-into-us/
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LT5000
March 28th, 2009
11:43 am
Awwww, not this crap again.
Blubbering Badie blog #6 on this non-story.
And the AJC wonders why it is imploding. The staff is at 50% from 3 years ago.
Why doesn’t Blubbering Badie put down the Denny’s Grandslam breakfast and write about that? Or perhaps the mea culpa issued a few weeks ago by the AJC admitting what a useless left wing liberal rag they are.
Rick, since you can obviously never be a journalist, could you try to impersonate one? Just for one blog.
LT5000
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Jais
March 28th, 2009
3:25 pm
You know what? If I did this at my job I would be canned without a second thought. What makes these hillbillies in Snellville so special? Fire them, fire the city council and hold new elections. There was a time in snellville where the citizenry would have run them out of town for such trespasses against their city. By shotgun point.
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Bob G
March 28th, 2009
3:50 pm
Here is an interesting parallel for you…
The old-timer, “can’t handle change” board members on the Evermore CID can’t compete on the “field of ideas,” so they (Dwight Harrison, Forrest Adair, Kenny King, Emory Morsberger) try to resolve their “deadlock” by eliminating the competition– the competition being other equally qualified and duly elected board members… who have a different opinion.
The old-timer, “can’t handle change” board members on the Snellville City Council can’t compete on the “field of ideas,” so they (Robert Jenkins, Warren Auld, Kelly Kautz) try to resolve their “deadlock” by eliminating the competition– the competition being the equally qualified and duly elected Mayor… who has a different opinion.
The Evermore crowd can’t win in a fair and open election so they finagle the system via a shoddily (and probably, illegally) arranged recall vote in which a fraction of the CID members– the ones that Harrison et al could influence– supplant the will of the majority.
The Snellville Council crowd can’t win in fair and open debate so they finagle the system via a compliant state legislator with his own agenda in which three state legislators supplant the will of Snellville voters.
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LT5000
March 28th, 2009
5:07 pm
Roska,
It was a response to Mark, not you. And I addressed the Blubbering Badie Blog #6 about a story that wasn’t worth one blog.
You can stop whining now.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
March 28th, 2009
11:33 pm
Smith want part of being a firefighter for twenty years didn’t you understand? What have you ever done?
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Michael H. Smith
March 29th, 2009
1:06 am
Can’t give a straight answer? Are you saying your COPD is purely job related to firefighting?
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Michael H. Smith
March 29th, 2009
1:17 am
Making things real simple Wilcox, did you ever smoke?
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Chris Broe
March 29th, 2009
11:02 am
Voters should fire any bum they find in office, whether he is a bum in truth or not. It’s the voter’s sacrosanct right to fire an elected bum when he asks for more time.
Vote the bum out when he’s up for reelection. Period. If that’s what the voters decide.
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Keith
March 29th, 2009
11:12 am
Seriously, Mark and Roska, I don’t need to read your personal attacks on people.
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Regularjoe
March 29th, 2009
3:35 pm
Keith, is it only Mark and Roska making personal attacks? Why did you only choose those two?
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Keith
March 29th, 2009
5:31 pm
I picked the two that decided to completely ignore the blog and start instigating a childish fight. Attack the blog. Attack the blog writer. Attack the opinions of users who differ from yours. At least be somewhat relevant. I gained nothing from reading that nonsense. Sorry for interupting the blog with yet another irrelevant entry.
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Mark
March 29th, 2009
6:56 pm
Keith, you can go. Now run along…..
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Bruce Wilcox
March 30th, 2009
12:14 am
No don’t Keith, don’t run along for that is exactly what it has, for the most part, becomes nothing more than an attack board. The issues get lost in the personal attacks, many that post here doesn’t realize that. I have stooped to that level many times myself. But without new opinions, like yours, what we do best is attack each another.
There is a lack of really intelligent discussion and that applies to the Snellville City Council too. The only thing left to do is drop back ten years and punt.
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Common Sense (Not so common!)
March 30th, 2009
9:50 am
ZZZZzzzzz….. *boring!*
No offense.
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liza doolittle
March 30th, 2009
1:31 pm
A recent article in the ajc compared Snellville to Suwanee and pointed out that the city council make-up of 4 member and 1 mayoral vote was the same. However, Suwanee’s didn’t tie as often.
Snellville’s council, elected at the last election, is representative of the changes going on right now in Snellville. There is a vocal, older, more conservative community that is being pushed out by a more ethnically diverse population. While the council does represent the changes, it does not yet represent the diverse population itself. That will happen eventually..
However, as to Don Balfour getting in the middle of Snellville’s business, it seems to me that he, as representing us at the state level, should not be able to change Snellville’s city charter without a local vote, or, without it, he should be changing every city charter in the state that has the same voting make-up of its council members and mayor. Somehow, singling out Snellville doesn’t seem quite legal.
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Jais
March 30th, 2009
3:45 pm
lawl no posts since common sense reared it’s ugly head hahaha!
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Roska
March 30th, 2009
6:13 pm
Actually my reply was to a post made by LT in response to MARK that has since been removed.
If you had seen the original LT post you’d understand that I was tired of seeing him put stuff in his posts that was distasteful. Now that his comment has been removed mine can be taken out of context and seen as being negative.
Lesson learned on my part: From now on I won’t reply to anything negative posted by LT as it may reflect poorly on me.
I’m happy to see the offending stuff removed and apologize to anyone I’ve offended here.
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Regular Joe
March 30th, 2009
8:48 pm
Bruce I’m glad that you said that you have stooped low, because you have done that in the past. That said, you are a bigger man than most to admit it an move on.
Roska your comments were harsh, but they were a reasonable response to some foul comments by LT; a guy (or girl) who seems obsessed with hounding Rick and talking about gay sex.
Keith, who appears to be selective in his outrage, only called out the two who put LT down. That was a little strange. I would also say to Keith, this is just a blog, you should’nt be attacking anyone.
Rick has an interesting blog much of the time. If you don’t like the contents, then skip it and find another one.
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LT5000
March 30th, 2009
10:31 pm
Regular Joe,
There are 5000 other things Blubbering Badie could comment on in Gwinnett, but he has to write the same stupid article about the Snellville city council for the 6th time.
And the AJC wonders why they have had to reduce their staff by half in just under 3 years? It’s the moron columnists like Badie and Cynthia Tucker that have taken the AJC to this low.
Trust me, Blubbering Badie’s twice weekly stories on Human Trumpets and Shoe shine boys isn’t bringing new readers to the AJC. Don’t worry though, in a few short months, the staff at Denny’s will love to hear his moronic musings.
LT5000
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Roska
March 30th, 2009
10:42 pm
After all this I figured I’d at least comment about the Snellville situation.
You know, we tend to get what we vote for. When we vote for idiots we tend to get idiotic government and that appears to be what is happening in Snellville. It isn’t two factions disagreeing on policy so much as it is two entrenched political groups that refuse to put what’s best for the city ahead of their own agendas. It is to the point that the major has to have an escort to go to the bathroom – that’s grade school stuff.
We can see the same problems with Gwinnett County goverment right now as a matter of fact. Big tax increases on the way, a ballfield that we can’t afford sucking up tax resources, crime and illegals running rampant but our glorious elected officials are working real hard on our trash can problem. Yes sirree, gotta love those people working so hard on our trash cans.
The solution to having bad politicians in office is to vote them out – not to go running to yet another government entity to fix the problem as has been done in Snellville. Almost every election I’ve seen in Gwinnett the oldest guy/gal who’s been in politics the longest wins. Everybody complains about crooked politicians but they keep voting them back in. The problem is US if we don’t start voting in honest people with a passion to serve instead of connected people with a passion for lining their own wallet.
Off soap box.
Respectfully submitted. No bloggers were harmed in this post.
Roska
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Roska
March 30th, 2009
10:48 pm
Correcting post above:
It is the MAYOR who needs an escort to the bathroom.
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jim d
March 31st, 2009
10:22 am
Bob G,
Interesting perspective. I fear, however, that you may have omitted the most responsible party in this fracas. That being, the voters that refuse to un-elect the unscrupulous.
Keep in mind the words of Lily Tomlin when she said–“Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It’s the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.”
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Mark
March 31st, 2009
10:33 am
I am the post remover, and will continue doing so until LT5000 either leves or grows up.
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Chuck
March 31st, 2009
1:48 pm
You hit the nail on the head regarding the Duluth police. My bet is that this behavior was encouraged during the Lasseter regime. The bad news is that we now have Shirley and her even more looney mentor Charles Bannister running the show in Gwinnett. I recall Chief Walters actively campaigning for Bannister via his staff meetings, yet he got a slap on the wrist (10 day suspension) – surprisingly no ethics complaints from George Anderson. Anyway, slow down and watch your backs!
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Mark
March 31st, 2009
1:48 pm
I sense the post above is angry black stuff but it’s a bit too long to read. Someone have a summary?
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Janie
March 31st, 2009
1:52 pm
How did the officer cause a ‘old’ lady of 45 to lose her life? She was in the hospital dying of breast cancer.
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LT5000
March 31st, 2009
2:02 pm
So much for Blubbering Badie writing about Gwinnett issues.
Of course, Blubbering Badie doesn’t mention that Moats ran a red light and was only detained for 13 minutes. That would disturb his “All Cops be racist” meme.
**NFL running back Ryan Moats, 26, told police that he rolled through a red light with his hazard lights on March 17 as he was rushing his family to a Plano hospital to visit his dying mother-in-law. Powell pulled over the Moatses’ SUV outside the emergency room. He kept Moats and another relative there for 13 minutes as he wrote a traffic ticket.**
LT5000 with the facts, Blubbering Badie with another moronic blog that has nothing to do with Gwinnett.
LT5000
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Eleanor Rigby
March 31st, 2009
2:22 pm
LT5000 must be a cop.
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Class of '98
March 31st, 2009
2:29 pm
Didn’t some (black) kid kill four cops in Oakland a few days ago? I don’t have a problem with cops doing what is necessary to protect themselves.
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Joan
March 31st, 2009
2:31 pm
What happened in that situation was probably the result of this policeman’s past bad experiences, but that does not excuse him. Anyone should know someone running a red light with his flashers on, and ending up at a hopspital emergency room is likely to have a valid excuse for the haste, and should cut them some slack. Perhaps let the fellow run into the hospital, take his car tag, and deal with the questions later. Where has rational thought gone??
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T
March 31st, 2009
2:40 pm
I know several police officers and have family members that are on the force. I really believe these ladies and gentlemen become so-jaded after serving for years that it is very hard to know how to respond in every situation.
When you are lied to by most every person you meet, it will definitely affect your judgment. For all this officer knew these people were lying to him. Yes, I believe his response was wrong. But, come on, how was he to know what was really going on.
There are plenty of criminals smart enough to try something like pretending they need to run into the hospital. After this incident we will probably have a rash on emergency rooms visits where the person gets out and runs inside to hide the dope they have on them, yelling, “My mom’s dying I got to go!” Sad but true.
I am glad that the officer made a public apology.
Let me ask this question:
If the person involved wasn’t a professional athlete, would there be this much fuss made about the incident? I say, probably not. How many of you have reported incidents to the police department about bad behavior by an officer and nothing ever happened?
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Roska
March 31st, 2009
3:14 pm
I’m sure there are racist cops like there are racists in all walks of life. There are also black cops who treat white people with disrespect which would make them racist as well, right?
However, I cut cops a break because they never know who will produce a gun and try to shoot them. I understand why cops take a defensive posture until they are positive that the situation is under control. If anyone here had to serve as a cop they’d probably feel the same way.
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LT5000
March 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
Why didn’t Blubbering Badie cover this horrible story involving an NFL player?
Oh, that’s right, he’s black.
**NFL Player Reportedly Drunk Driving When He Killed Pedestrian in South Florida
**Donte Stallworth, who plays wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, was involved in an accident last week that resulted in the death of a pedestrian in Miami Beach, Florida. According to articles written after the crash, Stallworth submitted to a field sobriety test and also had his blood drawn to determine his blood alcohol content (BAC) after the crash. The toxicology reports showing his BAC have not been completed, however there are reports that Stallworth’s BAC was 0.14 around the time of the accident, according to an article on Miamiherald.com. **
At least in Moats case, no one died. Heaven forbid Blubbering Badie actually be a journalist and cover the numerous misdeeds of NFL players.
LT5000
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lovelyliz
March 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
Arrognace does not make one evil, but it can make for a bad law enforcement officer.
Evidently is also accouints for lack of common sense.
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Stan
March 31st, 2009
4:33 pm
Roska,
Treating someone of a different skin color with disrespect is NOT I repeat NOT racist!
I think this officer let himself get caught up in the moment. He was wrong for losing his cool, which he did.
BTW Rick, could you narrow it down as to who the resident nut is? there are like 4-5 of them
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Mark
March 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
I think Jais is from Mars.
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Carol
March 31st, 2009
7:16 pm
I think Jais has had a bit of altercations and encounters with police are you looking to get arrrested and sue the police department and use the race card issue.
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Carol
March 31st, 2009
7:19 pm
“At least in Moats case, no one died. Heaven forbid Blubbering Badie actually be a journalist and cover the numerous misdeeds of NFL players.”
LT5000 his mother in law did indeed die get your facts straight
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Jais
March 31st, 2009
9:11 pm
FYI I am white, I just feel quite strongly about people who get a job as a cop so they can push people around and exert authority over whoever they want
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Mark
March 31st, 2009
10:10 pm
Carol, the mother in law die’ing had nothing to do with the officer or the situation in the parking lot. I think that is the point LT was trying to make. Jais acted as if it was the officers fault she had died.
Jais, you are white like I am Rosie O’Donnell.
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Jack
March 31st, 2009
10:17 pm
Mr. Bradie,
I use to really like your articles and you have even used my comments in the newspaper on several occassions. You use to write about helping troubled youth and subjects worthy of discussion.
However, Your articles turn me off and make me mad when it is a article that is meant to be a racial issue, the white man is still holding the black man back.. God when will the black race bury that bullsh**. As I have said a million times in a million blogs their are still stupid uneducated rednecks and white trash that are prejudice in the white race and their are uneducated nigg*** in the black race that are still prejudice. When will America start praying for God to perform a complete restoration of this world and pray to end racial lines. My God we have a black president now. Sorry but black people seem to keep racial hatred alive more than white people do. THEIR WILL BE NO COLOR IN BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN WITH GOD AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST AS THE HEAD OF THE KINGDOM !!!!!! Sometimes I wish God would literaly cause anyone that is prejudice or keeps racial divide alive in any way BLIND. Strike their eyesight from them.
Now to the article. Yes I agree that their are cops out their that abuse their power in a lot of ways that should be fired from the force. I also agree that their are dirty corrupt cops, detectives, chiefs, ect in the law enforcement field that should be fired and put in prison. The law enforcement, judicial and elected jobs, all have corrupt, abuse power, prejudice, fools in them.
However, because we live in such a horrible screwed up society we need cops, law enforcement. They do sacrafice a lot and really are hero’s. If you dont believe that, suit up and go on a ride along program with a cop that works grave yard shift. Cops along with the Military deserve more money, respect, thank you’s and “that a boys”.
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Rage Against the Machine
April 1st, 2009
12:28 am
Could it be that Jais is the resident nut? I must ponder this a while.
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deborahinAthens
April 1st, 2009
7:00 am
The fear of the Gwinnett police is not just a racist thing.
when my son (we are white) was in college he worked a cook at a diner. By the time he cleaned up, etc., it was after midnight when he would get on 316 heading home. At least once a month he was stopped by the police who would ask him if it was all right to look through his car. He always told them to have at it. I told him that this was the USA, and he didn’t have to let the police look through his property unless they had a subpoena. He looked at me like I was insane. He said that if he ever declined, there was no doubt in his mind that they would “beat the crap” out of him. This is not right. We have devolved into a police state. And, yes I do know they have a tough job. But there needs to be more emphsis on protect and serve.
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Mark
April 1st, 2009
8:29 am
Just because there was no doubt in his mind that they would “beat the crap” out of him, doesn’t make it true. They wouldn’t. They may delay him though and bring down a K9 to sniff for drugs.
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DontTreadOnMe
April 1st, 2009
8:47 am
LT5000, have you watched the video? Not oen time did Mr. Moats cop an attitude or pull the “I’m an NFL Player.” The nurses came out of the hospital to tell Mr. Moats his relative was coding. Hospital security guards came out to get him. ANOTHER officer asked the cops if he was done yet. Sorry, this isn’t a racial incident. Jst another example of a bully cop. Protect and Serve is apparently long gone.
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Not Your Baby's Daddy
April 1st, 2009
9:52 am
So many lunatics, so little time. People, please get a job, get a life. Or at least take up a new hobby!
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LT5000
April 1st, 2009
10:08 am
Don’t Tread,
The guy was detained all of 13 minutes and morons like you and Blubbering Badie are trying to make a federal case of it.
The cop was doing his job, he pulled over a vehicle that ran a red light. Is that racist?
As usual, Blubbering Badie will overlook any misdeed from a black person, but will rail against a cop who was doing his job.
I trust we all remember his idiotic blog accusing the Gwinnett cops of a taser murder. Of course, Badie was wrong, but he won’t let that stand in the way of a good police slander.
LT5000
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LT5000
April 1st, 2009
10:16 am
I quote the great Blubbering one:
**I’m no forensic scientist.**
**But I know to go inside when it rains, and where I grew up that’s a
good sign of one having some common sense.**
**When a healthy 31-year-old man dies after being shocked five times
with a stun gun, it stands to reason the gun might have something to
do with it. At least where I come from.**
**But here in Gwinnett, we’ve been told otherwise about the death of
Frederick Jerome Williams of Lawrenceville.**
And as usual, moron Badie was wrong. Apparently, his IQ is inversely poprotional to his cholesterol.
**Five shocks to the chest with a Taser gun did not cause the death of a man injured in a scuffle with sheriff’’s deputies, a medical examiner’’s report concluded Wednesday. **
**Frederick Jerome Williams, 31, a Liberian native who lived in Lawrenceville, died of brain damage from a heart attack after the altercation in May, according to the final autopsy report in the case. But investigators at the Gwinnett County medical examiner’’s office were not able to determine what caused Williams” heart attack, according to the report. **
Keep slandering those cops Badie, even if you have to go outside the scope of Gwinnett County to do it.
LT5000
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Threadkiller
April 1st, 2009
10:58 am
LT, What does electricity do to the heart?
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What?
April 1st, 2009
11:12 am
LT5000,
I love how you state the facts. However, you are missing the point here.
1. I agree that Moats broke the law by crossing a red light.
2. I agree that the cop has every right to stop the vehicle and request everyone to stay where they are. At this point he has no clue what is happening inside the hospital.
3. I agree that cops never believe people because they are lied to quite often.
However, once the nurse (a hospital employee) comes out to say that the mother in law is dying that very moment you would expect a cop to show a little compassion. He could have very easily let him go upstairs, finish writing his ticket, and have the security guard deliver the ticket. But he didn’t do that. He chose to keep him there and on top of that, lectured him for a few more minutes. You say that he was only detained for 13 minutes. But guess what, a woman he loved died during those 13 minutes. He never got to say goodbye because of those 13 minutes.
Who cares what color they are. This just boils down to a cop not using his common sense. He had several chances to let him go pay his last respects but he didn’t even care to do so.
So if you are going to state the facts, please do so. But don’t leave essential information out in order to try to validate your argument.
Jack, I agree with your post. It’s time we realize that all this hatred and prejudice does no one any good. Find something better to do instead of perpetuating the problem. Give your opinion, but do it in a respectful manner and don’t let hatred guide your words.
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Eleanor Rigby
April 1st, 2009
11:14 am
All of you defending that cop need to go back and read that article thoroughly and put yourself in Ryan Moats place. This is not about law and order. This is about being human. That transends law and order. Laws should serve mankind, not oppress. If you want to live in a country that keeps people from saying good by to their dying loved-ones, and body slams women less than half their size, and shoots old ladies, you need to move to China. You’ll love it there.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 1st, 2009
12:27 pm
This cop should be off the force, because he carries a gun his lack of common sense makes him a danger to all. Stopping a car with flashers on within sight of a hospital, then pulling up to the front door, would have given anyone a clue something is wrong and it’s an emergency.
LT, there have been several accidental deaths by our deputies Tasering a prisoner. The one I recall that is sickening is five deputies holding a down a handcuffed and shackled man zapping him. That’s the one where our D.A. Porter didn’t show the tape to the grand jury because they didn’t want to see it? At the very least it shows very poor training of our deputies in the use of this deadly Taser.
Cops have no right to bully because they get lied to a lot, that’s crazy, when was the last time you lied to a cop.
Cops have to be held to a much higher standard than the rest of us, they have the guns. They need better training, less accidental deaths or dead old ladies. And mental stablity testing on a regular basis, I can imagine the job can play games with the noggin over time.
We have a few Barney Fife’s over here in Lilburn, don’t feel bad Jais and Chuck.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 1st, 2009
12:33 pm
Dunwoody cops make first traffic stop in 15 minutes after starting up. Add Dunwoody to the Barney Fife Hall of Fame.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/04/01/dunwoody_police_first_day.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
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PJ
April 1st, 2009
12:54 pm
As a women and a black women at that I must say up front that I have always received respect from any police officer I have come in contact with. That being said I do believe gender and race plays a great deal in how you are treated by some law enforcement. Also the time of day, past experiences and the officers general prejudices can come into play. We must first admit there are bad apples in any police department. Rouge and over the top cops are not anything new just as there are cops who do there jobs well at the same time treating each situation with the right touch of toughness. But this cop in Dallas should be ashamed of himself. Once that nurse come out and told him what the family said was true he should have backed off until the situation passed. The ticket he took all that time to write was thrown out anyway and he if had any sense he would have realized that was bound to happen. Did he really think this citation was going to stand up in court. He showed poor judgement for someone in the first line of defense in law enforcement. It’s probably a good thing the family didn’t stop until they reached the hospital (less than a few minute after passing though that red light) because the way he carried on not even the daughter who after trying to explain, disregarded him and ran would have been there to say good by to her mom. Should he be fired? I don’t know. But he should be taken off of street duty and receive some kind of counseling for dealing with like afairs. Nobody won in this circumstance and everybody lost big time.
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Popeye
April 1st, 2009
1:12 pm
I ain’t no doctors, but I knows that I’m losing me patience.
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Mark
April 1st, 2009
2:17 pm
All cops are simply glorified Barney Fifes. Their wives probably are the authority figures at home, so they become cops so they can have authority somewhere. But still, they’re nothing but pigs.
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DontTreadOnMe
April 1st, 2009
3:16 pm
LT5000 – I’m not making a federal case out of anything. The cop was being a jerk. He could have handled the situation very differently, he chose not to. Again, I ask you, have yuo watched all 13 minutes of the dashboard video? Apparently even his union wouldn’t stick up for him. He resigned;
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Powell-Resigns-From-Dallas-Police-Department.html
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Bubba
April 1st, 2009
4:00 pm
Give it up. Tread. The cop was LT’s brother.
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Jack
April 1st, 2009
5:53 pm
I do not believe that Mr. Bradie choose this incident or srticle because of a cop that did or didn’t do his job. I believe he picked this subject because the cop was white.
Mr. Bradie would you have written about this if the cop was a black man? I doubt it. I am very upset because it seems that you are prejudice and love to keep the racial divides alive. Be a journalist not a malcolm X.
I was in the U.S. States Marine Corps, The U.S. Army both on active duty, I have dated black women and I presently go to one of the only multi-cultural churches in Georgia. Black, white, mexican, chinese, ect.. we all bleed the same color and when we die and go to heaven their wont be color. I love all people.
Their is good and bad in every color, culture and nationality. Will this world ever be a true melting pot? The slavery days are gone, today is a new day.
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GoodGrief
April 1st, 2009
6:37 pm
I don’t think racism has anything to do with it. “Mr. Bradie would you have written about this if the cop was a black man?” What the hell does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
“Oh no,” you say, “Mr. Badie is a black man. He must have an agenda. I’m sick and tired of ‘those’ people crying racism all the time.” Then you go on by saying, “I go to a multi-cultural church, back, white, Mexican, polka dotted people wearing flippety flops.” You, sir, are a racist, and I say that because you feel the need to point out how multicultural you are.
The fact is, ignorance doesn’t discriminate. The harder you try to prove that, the more ensconced you are in your ignorance. I saw the video. I didn’t notice a white cop harassing a black man. I saw an authority figure abuse his power over someone who had no power to exercise. The race of the parties involved is irrelevant.
Racism will exist because ignorance will exist. Racism is only a symptom. If there won’t be color in heaven, sir, then why don’t you try to bring a little heaven to earth, stop thinking about the world in terms of color, and instead focus your efforts on the war of ignorance?
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James McCoy
April 1st, 2009
6:49 pm
The poster Jack is more frightening then our resident nut LT5000,IN ONE BREATH HE CLAIMS TO BE COLOR BLIND BUT CALLS PEOPLE EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK.PLEASE TELL US ALL WHAT CHURCH YOU ATTEND SO WE CAN STAY AWAY!
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amen.and.amen
April 1st, 2009
7:21 pm
Chime with McCoy and GoodGrief–Jack, you scare me. Even more than Jais the loose cannon and LT the resident repressed homosexual (not that there is anything wrong with that). You seem like someone that can flip on a dime–by far the most racist posts that are on this blog.
btw, it’s Mr. Badie not ‘Bradie’, ya dipshyt.
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LT5000
April 1st, 2009
8:29 pm
Apparently Blubbering Badie forgot that he was supposed to write about Gwinnett when he penned this blog. Maybe Brucie wasn’t available to hold hands and whine that some building wasn’t convenient enough.
Brucie, has Badie given you his varsity ring yet?
And while Blubbering Badie blubbers on, in Gwinnett a man foils a kidnapping attempt on his wife at La Pantera Rosa in Norcross.
Anyone care to guess Mr. Marco Leal-Villeda’s legal status? Guess this isn’t news to Badie.
Maybe Badie could write about our local Buckhead rapist, Lavell McNutt, oh that’s right, he’s black.
And while Badie pens yet another moronic blog, the AJC keeps getting smaller and smaller.
Anybody wonder why?
LT5000
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NOWICUNVME
April 1st, 2009
8:29 pm
Enter your comments here
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NOWICUNVME
April 1st, 2009
9:29 pm
Experienced technical difficulties with my last posting but, the bottom line is this….PO Powell did the right thing by resigning. His actions were inexcusable and an embarassment to the department. More than we can say for the officer in Monroe, GA (Walton county, adjacent to Gwinnett) who was heard across the nation calling a young black male youth all kinds of racial epithets and how he boasted of arresting him and teaching him a lesson for his flip mouth. There are good cops and there are bad cops. Yes, racism and ignorance plays a part in many unethical, immoral behaviors of some, and others just plain stupidity. Many behave and believe they are above the law. “Would Moats and his family been treated differently if they were white?” Maybe. Maybe not. The only one who really knows for sure is Powell. Mr. Badie did not raise the race issue. The people and the media did. Anyone with any type of cognizance will realize this is an opinion blog and Mr. Badie holds and “open forum” column. For the simple and the small minded who dare to suggest Mr. Badie plays favortism towards any particular issue or race is cowardly and ludacris. Then again, allegedly we do have an outted 140lb wimpy punk amongst us. You know who you are.
BTW, personal knowledge and experience frees me to say that Chief Walters and others of the Gwinnett PD are not exempt from unethical behavior and have also exhibited lack of integrity and moral behavior. How’s that for your Gwinnett news??
OBAMA 09
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Bruce Wilcox
April 1st, 2009
10:58 pm
If anyone noticed there is no mention of race in what Rick said, now those who raised it as an issue, gee, how do you defend yourselves, it should be interesting?
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LT5000
April 2nd, 2009
6:42 am
Blubbering Badie’s new jock sniffer, Brucie, is here to serve as his blog bodyguard.
LT5000
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DB, Gwinnettian
April 2nd, 2009
7:56 am
If anyone noticed there is no mention of race in what Rick said, now those who raised it as an issue
Same ones who can’t tolerate any black columnist (Cynthia Tucker) so much as hinting that being black in America might at times be problematic, even in the two-thousandsies.
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DB, Gwinnettian
April 2nd, 2009
7:57 am
Oh, and LT, I’ll just say pre-emptively that you’re not fit to consume the contents of Ms. Tucker’s newly adopted baby’s diapers.
(Although I’d pay to watch you being forced to do so.)
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DB, Gwinnettian
April 2nd, 2009
7:58 am
Not a lot of money, mind you. But yeah, a few bucks, if it’s a charitable event.
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Mark
April 2nd, 2009
8:23 am
Read ALL the comments, and then respond once. Idiot. And who the hell is Ms. Tucker? If you’re going to try to be funny, at least make it a joke we don’t have to live in the back woods of GA to understand.
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Mac
April 2nd, 2009
8:34 am
That cop was way off base. To his credit, he has admitted as much and honorably resigned his job. Since no one was hurt by Moats’ driving violations, the officer should have acknowledged their duress and let them go on their way. He has admitted it. Good for him.
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Common Sense
April 2nd, 2009
8:44 am
Hello “GoodGrief”. Your comments were illogical and incorrect.
The gentleman (Jack) who posted **stated that he dated ladies who were black** as well as stating the need for us all to get along **regardless of race** as ultimately it doesn’t really matter.
Your comments were incorrect, and his were the **opposite** of of the definition of being racist.
You = FAIL!
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nana
April 2nd, 2009
9:42 am
What is happening to my post(s)???
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DB, Gwinnettian
April 2nd, 2009
10:09 am
who the hell is Ms. Tucker?
Well golllly, Mark, I kinda sorta thought that readers of the AJC’s editorial pages might be already somewhat familiar with the AJC’s editorial page editor, but since you aren’t, here ye be…
(You know how to click those links in order to make another web page appear, yes? Or should I explain that as well?)
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GoodGrief
April 2nd, 2009
11:29 am
Common Sense,
If race doesn’t matter, why even mention it? Badie didn’t. Jack did. So did you.
You = FAIL!
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Lenny
April 2nd, 2009
12:23 pm
Wow, some of these comments truely amazes me. I am trying to become a gwinnett police officer, even though my family is against it. Officer Moats definately cross the line, Police officers are suppose to serve and protect not bully and insult our citizens. I understand that police officers face alot and are proned to be defensive, however I have seen a lack of common sense/understanding from a few officers. Its as if these few police officers automatically assume that all persons are criminals. I have a long way to go, but if I make it, I promise my fellow Gwinnettians that I will do my best to serve you while upholding the law.
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What're you an idiot?
April 2nd, 2009
3:49 pm
LT0000, Rick was referring to you when he referred to the resident nut. In spite of the outstanding job done by Jais to impersonate a nut.
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LT5000
April 2nd, 2009
4:23 pm
Of course Blubbering Badie doesn’t like me. Would you like someone who points your numerous errors on a weekly basis?
**Rick Badie writes about people, places and issues in Gwinnett County.**
With so many other pressing issues in Gwinnett, why is Blubbering Badie tackling this 3 week old story? Not only is he out of his supposed purview, but his reporting is, as usual, stale. Badie is out of league, T-ball, and late to the party.
Another third rate AJC blogger strikes again, while the AJC crumbles from within.
LT5000
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abock
April 2nd, 2009
6:02 pm
Unfortunately too few people choose to become officers to “serve and protect” but rather to exert authority over people. I used to be a waiter and we’d give free meals to cops, firefighters, etc. You would be surprised to see how unappreciative most of the cops were. They would still act like jerks and not tip very well after receiving a free meal. Although the nice cops were the best tippers of the day. It’s the same reason why most bouncers are jerks, it takes a certain personality to want a job that requires you to be in authoritarian position.
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emanon
April 2nd, 2009
6:47 pm
*Another third rate AJC blogger strikes again, while the AJC crumbles from within.*
Uh, LT? Didn’t Rick offer you the chance to write a blog? You were afraid to sign your real name, if I remember correctly. You’ve lost cred, bro.
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Mark
April 2nd, 2009
10:17 pm
I thought GA ranked almost dead last in schools. Isn’t it also the only state to ever lose accreditation? Let’s be honest. The streets here are full of morons and idiots. All the talent comes in from out of state that thankfully for the low cost of living, decide to come here. They don’t stay long once they realize that stupid lives here, and stupid sure does love to commit crimes.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 2nd, 2009
11:39 pm
Abock, how many firefighters have stopped by for a free lunch or dinner? How many during their shift? Unlike the police, firehouses have kitchens?
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Roska
April 2nd, 2009
11:40 pm
You can’t fix stupid.
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Chicano
April 3rd, 2009
8:39 am
Wow, only 2 1/3 sentences to this “blog”? Not impressive.
No offense Mr. Badie but a little bit of effort wouldn’t kill. Although I realize you’re busy with your paper delivery route.
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LT5000
April 3rd, 2009
8:52 am
Chicano,
The AJC has done a study, the less words Badie writes, the slower the AJC loses readers.
Go figure.
LT5000
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nana
April 3rd, 2009
9:20 am
Both of my children are products of GPS. I had no problems with any of the teachers or administrators at either of their schools. Granted the high school my daughter graduated from was going downhill quickly. By that I mean there were too many apartment complexes in the district and the children’s parents were not involved in the least at the school. We moved to a district where there were no apartments and the parents were much more involved in the school. It was and remains the high school in Gwinnett with the highest test scores. Granted had I been able to swing it they would have both gone to private schools as I think Rick’s kids do.
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MySnellvilleBlog
April 3rd, 2009
11:10 am
If Rick wrote more about this topic, then he would re-writing an article already written by another AJC employee, D. Aileen Dodd. It would be rude to Ms. Dodd for him to do that. He is simply sharing the information, leading you to the article.
As far as Gwinnett County Schools (or any school) is concerned, students get out of it what they put into it. I have 2 children in high school and one in elementary school. I’ve been very pleased with Gwinnett County Schools. I had a private school education most of my life, and my kids amaze me with their knowledge – especially of science and the world. I think that some people think that just because they pay for education, that the education will be better.
Private school does tend to eliminate the children of parents who just don’t care to discipline their kids. That’s one way private school could be perceived to be better.
Gwinnett County Schools does a fantastic job, considering the lack of support teachers get from parents. My son’s in kindergarten and they have little homework assignments. Sometimes only 3-5 kids out of an entire class turn in the assignments. If the parents can’t be supportive in kindergarten, how are the kids going to be motivated to do their work in the coming years?
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Maxine
April 3rd, 2009
11:29 am
LT5000…Although Badie would never utter a favorable word to his generalization of bad cops….a group of them running into a burning house to pull a victim out is why I support them. There is always a few bad apples in anything you do…considering Badie’s physique, I ‘m guessing he writes from the ground and not in the tree….I would have arrested the football player because the cop that controls the ’stop’, controls his life….thanks to your profession sir….
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Nono
April 3rd, 2009
12:51 pm
So which school here teaches that “praying for rain” is a viable solution to a problem? That’s the school I will not be sending my kids to.
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Curtis
April 3rd, 2009
1:39 pm
I reckon this here school system aint much diffrent than any other school system in the country. We alls needs our education and i’m be very proud of my states schools since they know how to get the job done in what counts in this country. Good job ya’ll!
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abock
April 3rd, 2009
2:49 pm
Bruce,
I didn’t realize that firefighters ate all of their meals in the firehouse kitchen. I guess I wouldn’t know since I served them a lot.
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DB, Gwinnettian
April 3rd, 2009
2:51 pm
Granted the high school my daughter graduated from was going downhill quickly. By that I mean there were too many apartment complexes in the district
Oh no! anything but… APARTMENT COMPLEXES!
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Mark
April 3rd, 2009
3:43 pm
Curtis, Obviously, you skipped school alot.
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Mark
April 3rd, 2009
3:46 pm
I moved here from NY in 1980. Up north, we considered “ya’ll” southerners ignorant and uneducated. We were right.
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Mark
April 3rd, 2009
3:49 pm
emanon, LT is simply a narrow minded yellowbelly. He may even have a mangina…..
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nana
April 3rd, 2009
6:01 pm
Go ahead and live in or near apartment complexes DB. I for one don’t care to and this is an opinion blog remember?
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nana
April 3rd, 2009
6:03 pm
Oh yeah and I’ve seen your comments on other blogs DB….why don’t you go back over to those you’re always an AZZ.
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Josh
April 3rd, 2009
7:08 pm
Both your children are products of GPS. They ran out and got knocked up, and now have to deal with a whole slew of interracial grandkids. Sounds like you have quite the successful family going there. hahahaha
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nana
April 3rd, 2009
9:46 pm
Josh, do you have a problem with black folks? If so you need to find another blog. …hahahaha moron.
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Forest’s Mom
April 3rd, 2009
10:23 pm
Until “yous guys” learn to spell “y’all” your credentials to critique stupidity will remain impeccable as the voice of experience.
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Regularjoe
April 4th, 2009
7:55 am
MySnellvilleBlog, thanks for a response that makes sense.
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Michael H. Smith
April 4th, 2009
11:17 am
Best make it quick Mr. Badie, firearms sales are at an all time high. Any guess as to why? In a word: Obama or “Obumer” (sic) as I prefer. Obumer’s AG and the Democrats are anti-gun anti-second amendment. Now that queen Hillary down in Mexico condemns the U.S. as the source of weapons being supplied to these narco-terrorists the anti-gun crowd will push ever harder for gun control to leave a law abiding citizenry disarmed . Funny how Mexico or the Mexican government will only give U.S. authorities serial numbers to one in four of the confiscated weapons? hmmm………. Don’t suppose any AK-47s or RPGs make their way through Central American countries into Mexico? Oh but of course not, never happens, just “BLAME AMERICA FIRST” and bash those GUN TOTING AMERICANS.
Binghamton, New York: How long did it take to kill 13 people? Enough time for a cop to arrive? In about 2 minutes 13 people were dead. Let the LIBERALS rant and rave all they want, when confronted with someone that is determined to kill you or others, even themselves, waiting on a cop is a signed, sealed and delivered death certificate with your name on it.
Word of advice Mr. Badie, get your gun, whatever training you feel necessary and teach your family responsible gun ownership and use too.
Remembering a Great American:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ju4Gla2odw
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Bubba
April 4th, 2009
12:02 pm
Quite the conundrum. On the one hand, the availability of guns to all who would wish to do harm makes me think – as you do, Mr. Badie – that I should take advantage of this availability and purchase a gun to use to help myself and neighbors in need. On the other hand, if you restrict the purchase of guns, then you remove availability but you also remove the ability to protect oneself from those who would obtain the guns illegally. Crime rates would go down, I’m sure, the extent to which cannot be quantified until the plan goes into effect. What, then, would you say to victims who, by law, were unable to protect themselves?
I guess my conclusion is that those who would intend to do harm will do so, whether or not guns are available, legally or no. Unless and until mankind can find a way to identify and remove criminal/violent tendencies from the species, this conundrum will exist. The question, then, is: Do I have the right to defend myself?
I personally don’t like guns. I am, however, considering purchasing one for my protection. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Remove the desperate from the times, and it becomes a non-issue. Good luck accomplishing that.
The problem with guns is that it removes the need for one to become personally and physically involved in the violence he commits. It’s easier, after all, to fire a bullet from a distance than it is to penetrate a heart with a knife, or bash in a head with a pipe or bat. Less physical, less messy, less of a threat by a potential victim to react. Common sense says that death tolls in war increase as the technology to kill from a distance increases. Apply that logic to individual crime, and….
Well, on the surface, it seems logical that removing this threat from criminals by taking away the advantage of killing from a distance would make sense. The flaw is that criminals don’t act logically, don’t act within the boundaries of common sense. If they did, there wouldn’t be crime.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, I guess.
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Eleanor Rigby
April 4th, 2009
12:42 pm
I don’t know where Anthony Sorrow lives but if you are afraid to be in your front yard and have to make sure you get in the garage and shut the door before you can get out of the car, then it’s time to move. Yes, crime is up everywhere and we have to be more vigilant but I’m not going to be a prisoner in my own house. I live in west Georgia and the only thing I worry about in my yard is coyotes and bobcats. If you stand real still when you see one, they’ll walk on by.
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Sandra K.
April 4th, 2009
1:22 pm
Hello My name is Sandra Kurtz I spoke with you about my German Shepard P.K. that has been diagnosed with heart worm disease. His treatment at Wellpet Humane will cost $450.00. I am going through hardship so I am asking for help please donate what you can everyone to help P.K. My girls have had P.K. since they could hold him in the palm of their hands. Donations can be made directly to wellpet humane for Pico Kurtz. That is his real name!lol PLEASE HELP US!
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Mark
April 4th, 2009
1:27 pm
They can have my gun when they pry my cold dead fingers from it.
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Mark
April 4th, 2009
1:28 pm
Off the subject here, but Rap “artists” being inducted to the rock and roll hall of fame? Is it just me? (c)rap isn’t even music.
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Mark
April 4th, 2009
1:33 pm
Forest’s Mom, “Until “y’all” learn to spell “youse guys” your credentials to critique stupidity will remain impeccable as the voice of experience.” Another ignorant redneck.
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Sandra K.
April 4th, 2009
1:34 pm
Enter your comments here
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Chris Broe
April 4th, 2009
2:29 pm
There seems to be some sort of shoot out every other day lately. That’s why I always carry my umbrella as a weapon. I also caryy a gun that fires backwards, in case some crook ever finds my gun, gets mad, and shoots me with it, he gets the big surprise.
Of course, I always carry one extra ounce of insurance against muggers: The umbrella that fires backwards.
That’s my ace. That’s what I’m going in with.
Punks.
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nana
April 4th, 2009
3:15 pm
In the past few years I have learned to use guns as my husband has several. I am no longer afraid of them now that I learned the proper way to handle them. We go to the shooting range at least once every 2-3 months to target practice and to keep myself familiar with the guns. I obtained a conceal carry license 2 1/2 years ago. All this anti-gun $*(# is just that $*(# the criminals don’t abide by laws, hence the name criminal, if guns are outlawed the only ones carrying guns will be the criminals. Even on the best day if a criminal approaches you with intent to harm at your home or anywhere there is no way a cop will get there in time to save your behind. I am also armed with a TASER since there are some places guns are banned but not a TASER. In this day and time and especially in this economy a person must be prepared to defend themselves. Good for you Eleanor Rigby if all you have to worry about is coyotes and bobcats. But do realize that bad things can happen in what would/could be considered good areas.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 4th, 2009
3:17 pm
Three officers killed in Pittsburg this morning, more injured. The guy was worried that President Obama may pose a ban on weapons, moral of the story kids, start blowing people away before the ban hits.
Assault weapons ban, no way, we all should be allowed to blow away as many people as we can in the shortest amount of time.
That said, if the county would ever get the finger printing machine back up and running, I could renew my permit and my wife could get hers.
Second, there is no real renewal anymore, you have to start all over again? I never realized my fingerprints changed in ten years and back then it was the old ink and roll.
What I don’t like is there is no required training course, even South Carolina has one, any legal fool can by a pistol, take it home, load it and leave it in the nightstand where Little Johnny just found a new toy.
Required traing is not a restriction, just plain common sense. But any state where the use of seat belts is not required in pick-up trucks, guess there isn’t much common sense around.
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nana
April 4th, 2009
3:51 pm
Same thing happened to my husband Bruce, he had to get re-fingerprinted, etc. on renewal for his conceal carry permit. Probably about revenue. I think they expire in 5 years, did it used to be 10? I agree on the training though it should be required.
Was the guy in Pittsburg already a criminal? I thought it was a domestic violence call?
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Bruce Wilcox
April 4th, 2009
5:01 pm
nana, no it was five years, but the last time I renewed I just had to fill out a form, not start all over again.
I know it was a domestic violence call, don’t know if he had a history, but those calls are dangerous. You have no idea on what you may walk in on. What was it, four in Oakland two weeks ago, now these three, seven, scary.
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LT5000
April 4th, 2009
6:43 pm
Blowbama will never get his gun ban, ths amateur gives DVD collections and iPods as gifts to foreign dignitaries and bowed to King Abdullah.
By this time next year, you won’t be able to find anybody who admits they voted for Obama. That is if America still exists under his trillion dollar plus deficits.
By the way Badie, what are the demographics on these criminals?
LT5000
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Michael H. Smith
April 4th, 2009
7:43 pm
I’d say you might run into trouble on “requiring training” nana, though, I’m all for responsible gun ownership and use. As to this guy in Pittsburgh the facts – yeah those pesky facts that usually get in the way of a good tall-tale based on hearsay story – are vague at the moment. First indications are the guy had some emotional problems in his past and his joblessness seems to have played a big role in his actions. Second, this thing seems to have been pre-meditated, it wasn’t simply a case of domestic violence spur of the moment. Third, fact remains law abiding citizens more than ever need their second amendment right protected from government and the criminals that never abide by any gun laws that always find a way to have guns and use them to commit crimes. Fourth, the question you have to ask yourself is this nana: If someone goes off the deep-end so to speak like these last two individuals determined to kill, would your odds of survival be better with a weapon or without one?
I know I feel alot safer in knowing a few of my neighbors have guns, just in case some heavily armed vest-wearing loony snaps and starts killing people around us at least one of us will get off a head shot.
LT, Obumer’s deficit spending that some project will double the debt in five years and triple it in ten is gun control. We’ll have to pawn all of our guns just to pay his taxes, after paying for inflation of course.
Can we replace our so-called sober Congress with our drunken Navy sailors to save the country a few bucks please?
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NOWICUNVME
April 4th, 2009
8:34 pm
So the cops in Pittsburgh and Oakland didn’t carry guns? That’s interesting. Of course they had guns, they were police officers with training! Nonetheless, it did not stop them from being shot and killed. Sad, but true to say, when it’s your time, it’s just your time. I believe everyone has a right to protect themselves by any and all means necessary. Whatever the gun laws may be in each state, I highly doubt anyone defending themself against a home invasion or armed robbery will be facing 25 to life for an expired gun permit or lack of one entirely.
Do whatever you have to to protect you and yours. If that means getting a security system, carrying a weapon, or taking karate, go for it! But please, please don’t become an automatic victim or feel like a prisoner in your own backyard. If so, you let the criminals win. Just like 9/11…people were terrified to fly, take the trains, basically scared to live! Anyone that even looked like they were from the Middle East were harassed, threatened and even beat up. Life is too short not to enjoy it the way you want to…Or at least try.
Too all the Obama haters: Keep on hating…We’re loving it, and so are he and First Lady Michelle. In case you didn’t know, the only thing your haters do, is make you stronger….
OBAMA 09
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Rick Badie
April 4th, 2009
9:09 pm
LT: Don’t know the demographics on the criminals. Don’t care.
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nana
April 4th, 2009
10:04 pm
now…..I didn’t see any “obama haters” so to say, I surely don’t hate the man I don’t care for a lot of his policies but I don’t hate the “man” himself. I think you can give up the Obama 09….he’s already in office
just sayin’
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NOWICUNVME
April 4th, 2009
10:35 pm
Dear Nana: Are you serious or just trying to be facetious?? Your happy face comes through as phoney. While you scurry to look up that word, let me just reiterate for you…Whether you or anybody else hates the man, his policies, his ideas, his wit, intelligence, or his swagger…NOBODY CARES! President Obama has been in office for all of two months;suffice it to say, the constant whiners obviously were not his supporters from the get. I mean that’s a no brainer right? So, basically stop crying, move on, and get over it!
Same goes for me and my OBAMA 09. Do you really think I care what YOU think?? Thanks for informing me he’s already in office though, cause I wasn’t too sure. I want you to feel special knowing that the next line is for your eyes only.
OBAMA 09
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Morehouse Guy
April 4th, 2009
10:37 pm
(1). For those Second Amendment fanatics (that are often Obama haters) — many of whom I doubt have ever read the Second Amendment or could even spell “constitution” — you have little to fear with an Obama Presidency. The great thing about the Constitution is that it limits the powers of the Executive branch as well. And though most reasonable people agree that assault weapons (as they were defined during the Clinton Administration) should be banned, the kind of weaponry that you’ll need to protect your home and family will not be banned nor will you have your access unduly restricted anytime in the near future to handguns or the shotguns you currently buy with few issues (as a matter of FEDERAL law).
(2). It’s sad that we’ve got to feel this way about the places where we live, but I’m waiting on a politician (especially in the Atlanta mayoral race) to be clear as to how they actually intend to police any differently than they currently are and how they intend to recruit and retain police officers beyond a property tax increase (e.g .policing strategy). The tax increase may be necessary, but we were having issues with crime before the furloughs. Recent comments suggest that a few frontrunners are open to leaving the incompetent Chief Pennington in place. I believe in protecting myself, but I’d also like a competent, well-staffed police department on the beat such that I can avoid violent altercations.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
1:03 am
Here you go nana
Within minutes, all three officers were fatally shot by the subject of the domestic call, later identified as Richard “Pop” Poplawski, 22. A dishonorably charged Marine, he adhered to a number of right-wing conspiracy theories and expressed fears of a “Zionist nation” revoking his right to own guns.
Police said he’d also spent the night “drinking”.
Police said Poplawski knew his mother had called 911. He apparently lay in wait for them, armed with an AK-47 assault-style rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a revolver and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Wasn’t Obumer for the “D.C. gun ban”. As I recall there was a case where a D.C. cop couldn’t have a functional gun in his house? Was there a court case on that one?
Citing DC v Heller
That old second amendment fanatical Supreme Court, they are probably Obumer haters
President Obama endorsed a handgun ban in Illinois during 1996, despite its proven failure in Washington, D.C. Although Mr. Obama claims he does not favor a handgun ban, “his signature was on a document endorsing a state ban of the sale and possession of handguns in Illinois”.
Republican Enlists 65 Pro-Gun Dems to Oppose Assault Weapon Ban
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Ross (AR-04) led a group of 65 pro-gun Democrats in denouncing recent comments made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s on February 25 that the Obama administration intended to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
The group of 65 pro-gun Democrats, led by Ross, sent a letter to the Attorney General on March 18, 2009, urging him to abandon any effort to reinstate the assault weapons ban and to focus instead on effective law enforcement strategies to enforce the nation’s current laws against violent criminals and drug traffickers.
“Firearms are an important means of self defense and, as an avid hunter and outdoorsmen, an important part of our way of life,” said Ross. “I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and will continue to fight any efforts in Washington that restrict our right to own and bear arms.”
The group argued that the ban was ineffective during the 10 years it was law, and that crime began falling before the ban was passed in 1994, and continued falling during and after the ban. The last time the murder rate was at its current level was more than forty years ago. Even the Urban Institute study of the ban’s effectiveness mandated by the 103rd Congress found that it could only have a limited effect because “the banned weapons and magazines were never used in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders.”
“Criminals will get guns whether we have gun control laws or not. Regulating guns will not keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but it will keep guns out of the hands of those trying to defend themselves from criminals,” said Ross.
I’m with you nana I don’t hate Obumer but I extremely dislike like Obumer’s socialists policies and his gun control issue is one of them.
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Craig Spinks /Evans
April 5th, 2009
1:54 am
Neighborhood watches, community policing, electronic security systems, other self-defense weaponry whose owners possess both the training and the will to use them as well as a broadly, firmly and openly promulgated citizen contempt for criminal activity should work wonders in increasing public safety and reducing criminality in the places where we live. Any other ideas?
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Regularjoe
April 5th, 2009
8:14 am
Evans, everything you mentioned helps. I hope you don’t use the wordy lawyer talk in every day life, but you were on the subject and quickly made your point. Thanks for that.
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Morehouse Guy
April 5th, 2009
11:20 am
Point of information: The DC gun ban was one of the most far-reaching HANDGUN bans (much broader than the ASSAULT RIFLE BAN) in the country (all firearms including rifles and shotguns be kept “unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock” — a direct quote from the old statute), and it was, indeed, a violation of Mr. Heller’s Second Amendment rights. The President, a former constitutional law professor no less, surely understands any ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN he puts in place must comport to the general outlines laid out by the Court in Heller. Again, I’ll reiterate, the Obama administration will not unduly burden our access to the kinds of handguns and non-assault rifle shotguns that we currently have access to.
See the President’s response to the Heller case:
“I don’t know what my aide said but I’ve been very consistent, I teach constitutional law,” Obama said. “What I said was that I believe Second Amendment as being an individual right and have said that consistently. I also think that individual right is constrained by the rights of the community to maintain issues with public safety. I don’t think those two principles are contradictory and in fact what I’ve been saying consistently is what the Supreme Court essentially said today.”
Much like every other individual rights in the Constitution, it is not absolute and there are valid spaces for federal regulation (e.g. a ban on assault rifles) as well as exercises of state (and local) police power (e.g. gun training courses, etc.). The kind of outright ban on handguns we saw in D.C. in Heller is indeed unconstitutional. The President has now said that his stance is aligned with that of the Court — a locality or a state cannot impose a blanket ban on handguns, and the feds may (as they have before) limit access to assault rifles. And given that we’re in a post-Heller world, the President and AG Holder realize that they must tread carefully in limiting even individual access to assault rifles. Any comments that Obama somehow wants to “take your guns” or prevent you from having what you need to protect your home and your family is absurd. You don’t need a military-style assault weapon to protect your home as the federal law in 1994 left plenty of room for the kinds of handguns that will kill an intruder just as well as any other weapon. And restricting the civilian flow of assault weapons (not all weapons) should also restrict their flow in black markets domestically and abroad. You were okay in 1994 when the first assault weapons ban was passed, and you’ll be fine now.
See the AG comments on the scope of the new administration’s gun control policy in a post-Heller world:
“I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of cop-killer bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons ban permanent, would be something that would be permitted under Heller,” Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Washington, D.C. v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an individual’s right to own a weapon.”
Folks, we can still have the guns we need to protect ourselves and if the Obama Administrations steps beyond Heller, our federal judiciary can step in. Period. The Obama hysteria is silly.
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LT5000
April 5th, 2009
11:27 am
Of course you don’t care about the demographics of the criminals Badie, that would be too much like journalism for you.
The key to solving a problem is identification of the variables.
LT5000
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LT5000
April 5th, 2009
11:30 am
Here you go Badie, this may push you in the right direction.
**Police look for 3rd suspect in home invasion**
**NORCROSS – Tipsters with details about the third suspect in a Wednesday night home invasion could earn cash for their efforts.**
**Gwinnett police are offering up to $2,000 through the Crime Stoppers program to anyone with information leading to an armed robbery suspect who, along with two accomplices, kicked in the door of a Norcross-area home, posed as police and demanded drugs, authorities said.**
**The two who didn’t get away, according to police, are Dantavious D. Ponder, 22, of Stone Mountain, and Theodore Roundtree Jr., 22, of Marietta. Both are charged with six counts of aggravated assault and attempted armed robbery, as well as burglary and other charges.**
People if you want journalism, look to the Gwinnett Daily Post, because it certainly isn’t in the AJC.
LT5000
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nana
April 5th, 2009
11:44 am
Hey now…..whose crying? Remember this is an opinion blog not just your opinion but anyone who wants to comment. You attack anyone who doesn’t agree with you. Get over yourself.
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nana
April 5th, 2009
11:48 am
Michael, I just heard on the news that the fellow in Pittsburgh got an dishonorable discharge from the services for throwing something (I think it was a food tray) at an officer. The guy obviously had/has some other serious issues. Kind of like some on this blog.
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Chris Broe
April 5th, 2009
12:14 pm
About 100 thousand americans are shot every year by firearms. (1/3 perish)
I would remind every blogger here to clean their guns regularly. Join the NRA. And talk gun safety to as many people as will listen. (even if you have to force them to listen at the point of a gun).
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
12:17 pm
Our federal judiciary does not step into anything until there is a legal challenge brought before the court.
What is silly is Obumer’s, “I was for the D.C. gun ban before I was against it”, these liberal Democrats anti-gun anti-second amendment individual rights position, his and their dangerously silly socialists ideology of which gun control is only one of a number of such issues that says their idea of the change we need, is one we, our grandchildren and America cannot afford.
It is coming folks so get ready to write and call members of Congress to head this socialist group off at the legislative passage.
BTW, did the Execs at Freddie and Fannie get their “retention bonuses”, just like the Fat Cats at AIG?
Tell me more Barney Frank, inquiring minds want to know?
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
12:55 pm
nana,
This Pittsburgh guy was on the fringe and attracted to, if not directly involved with, extremist groups (ethnocentric of course). The two things both these two recent shooting nut-jobs definitely have or half had in common now, is their narcissism and a challenged self-esteem. There were plenty of warnings they gave off that should have caught someone’s attention that these two had real serious mental issues which posed a potential for public endangerment.
Real simple, if you see a problem in your neighborhood tell a cop what you know. I got an idea police throughout America are going to watch individuals that they know have issues very differently in the future after these recent shooting events and this case of the guy in Washington State who killed his children and himself in the midst of a domestic dispute.
With the economy in a mess and job losses occurring, that is sometimes all the tipping point people on the fringe need to push them over the line.
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nana
April 5th, 2009
1:52 pm
Of course the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae execs got their bonuses the politicians in Washington are too far in debt to those execs to stop those sort of like Dodd was indebted to AIG. There is absolutely no way those in Washington are going to fix the problems that they perpetuated.
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Mark
April 5th, 2009
1:54 pm
LT5000, You can’t shoot a gun accurately while you’re running away in the opposite direction. Kinda like what you did when Rick called you out.
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nana
April 5th, 2009
2:20 pm
oops…..I was wrong about the bonuses at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae they haven’t been given out yet they are to be given out (don’t know when) to the tune of $210 million….let’s hope they aren’t but I’m not holding my breath.
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Morehouse Guy
April 5th, 2009
2:23 pm
Mr. Smith,
I understand all too well that the federal judiciary will not step in unless a justiciable legal issue is raised, but know that if the assault weapons ban (”AWB”) passes, pro-gun groups will engage in vetting potential plaintiffs for impact litigation that will address head-on the constitutionality of the AWB (a question I think we have to have answered in a Post-Heller world). Know and believe that Heller, Brown v. Board and darn near every other significant piece of socially significant Supreme Court jurisprudence since 1954 has been a part of a broader political strategy crafted by legal advocates. Let’s not be naive enough to think that these matters pop up randomly and that NRA legal counsel is not already preparing themselves for a battle beginning in our District Courts if the AWB passes. Did you think Heller was random? Of course, not (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701055.html). Believe me you, if the NRA feels that the Barry O overstepped his boundaries, the federal judiciary will be taking up cases on the constitutionality of an assault weapons ban soon after it passes. The Courts don’t step in unsolicited on these matters, but they won’t have to because advocacy groups are hard at work manufacturing impact litigation.
Obama’s current position has always been that he believes that there can be reasonable, constitutional restrictions on handgun use, and Heller actually confirms his view. He inartfully expressed his thoughts before, but that’s the crux of his stance on gun control post-Heller (which means we have what we need to protect ourselves). We already know what he and Holder want to see in place (see my previous posting), and they’ll surely be litigation on these matters when or if they pass regarding their constitutionality. Their proposals are arguably constitutional, but Heller now provides some guidance as to how we can or cannot restrict handguns and more legal guidance, I think, is necessary on the constitutionality of the AWB. I’d bet that the Obama Administration and most Americans could agree on that.
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Morehouse Guy
April 5th, 2009
3:27 pm
If Jais’s comments don’t convince you that some people simply don’t need access to extremely deadly assault weapons, then I do not know what would. I could spend hours dissecting the nonsense and alarmism that pervades his response, but I think most reasonable people could agree that President Obama will not declare martial law. Let’s get serious. Take off the aluminum foil cap and unplug your CB radio, Jais. Ninety percent of the administration are former bankers? Get real. And what’s the racial stuff? That’s not where we were going with this.
And, chances are any legislation would grandfather in existing owners where an entirely different strategy would need to be deployed to address black market circulation of all handguns. I think we can all agree that the Second Amendment protects and allows legal, law-abiding owners to bear arms, but the Constitution and Heller creates space for governments to regulate access to assault weapons whose mere existence, ARGUABLY (emphasis here because this contention is open for debate) in civilian population possibly pose a serious threat to the health, safety and morals of the citizenry.
Can we get a moderator to screen this kind of nonsense? I appreciate the thoughtful, non-accusatory, posts on this website but this guy Jais is over the top, lol. Jeez….
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
4:07 pm
I’m not waiting on Obumer to get his and the liberal Democrat’s anti-gun legislation passed and then proceed to the courts to reverse his and the liberal Democrats gun control agenda (I don’t need to see your previous posting when you obviously choose to ignore mine that counters your arguments completely). Congressional Democrats are already trying to renew ABW based on happenings going on in Mexico, which is a red herring and they know it. Now they will turn to these two poster kids for AWB and gun control to push their offensive, since the liberal’s 90% argument has been blown away.
The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.
While 90 percent of the guns traced to the U.S. actually originated in the United States, the percent traced to the U.S. is only about 17 percent of the total number of guns reaching Mexico.
Source: Fox News
I disagree with your idea and the limitation you would put on the second amendment and your assessment on what limits most Americans favor being imposed on their Constitutional right to bear arms.
Most sensible Americans understand murder does not require a gun, not even mass murders require AK-47s or M-16s, which many Americans own and never have, and never likely will use to kill another human being.
The majority of Americans are not the ones who need legal guidance, it is our misguided leaders in Congress and the Courts who choose to ignore what we tell them is Constitutionally acceptable to us who could use the clarity.
Including Obumer’s and anti-gun agenda which is not acceptable nor is it the right answer to his conundrum with gun violence and it will not stop mass murder or massive killing.
Australia experiencing mass murder despite gun control
Howard Nemerov
Austin Gun Rights Examiner
Australia’s most heinous mass murder occurred after their gun ban in 1997.
After the recent article on the addiction of gun control, a reader left this rebuttal:
Odd. In Australia, we have very strict gun control laws, brought in by a conservative government after a gun massacre, of the type that Americans seem to experience every few weeks. Since the laws, we have not had any such massacres…
First, what defines a “massacre,” or more definitively, a mass murder? Australian criminology researcher Jenny Mouzos’s criteria is 4 or more victims per incident.
Mouzos co-authored another paper, in which they documented four mass murders since Australia enacted their gun ban:
Between 1996–97 and 2000–01 there were four mass homicide incidents: two incidents involved four victims (knife and carbon monoxide gas), one incident had five victims (carbon monoxide gas), and another incident fifteen victims (arson/fire).
There seems to be a very elastic definition among gun controllers as to what comprises a massacre. A Violence Policy Center press release calls the 1989 Stockton, California shooting a “massacre,” where a man with a history of mental illness killed five school children. Gun Control Australia notes 32 “gun massacres” where 141 people were killed. This averages out to between 4 and 5 victims per incident. But curiously, after a country enacts massive gun confiscation, mass homicide incidents with between four and 15 victims suddenly do not qualify as “massacres.”
One might as easily conclude that the best way to limit multiple murders is not to disarm, but to arm responsible, law-abiding citizens. Anti-rights supporters deny reality in order to promote an idyllic fantasy of a peacefully disarmed citizenry, but while there have been no mass murders using guns since the Australian gun ban, there have been “massacres” as defined by gun control groups.
In his book The Bias Against Guns, John Lott examined the relationship between gun availability and multiple murders. He concluded:
If right-to-carry laws allow citizens to limit the amount of attacks that still take place, the number of persons harmed should fall relative to the number of shootings… And indeed, that is what we find. The average number of people dying or becoming injured per attack declines by around 50 percent.
Lott also found that both the total number and rate of multiple murders in right-to-carry states are one-third that of restrictive states. In an email interview, he clarified this data by stating:
The simplest numbers showed a 67 percent drop in the number of attacks and about a 79 percent drop in the number of people killed or injured from such attacks. The number of people harmed fell by more than the number of attacks because some attacks that weren’t deterred were stopped in progress by people with guns.
Recently, Australia experienced its worst mass murder in history, and no guns were required:
The Australian prime minister accused arsonists of “mass murder” today as the death toll from the deadliest bushfires in the country’s history reached 135. Officials in Victoria believe some of the 400 fires that reduced towns to blackened ruins may have been deliberately set, or have been helped to jump containment lines. The incinerated towns have been officially declared as crime scenes.
As a perfect example of the denial prevalent in gun control addiction, the reader, whose quote appears earlier in the article, made their statement when a Google search of “Australia mass murder” returns dozens of media reports on the arson murders dating back to February 9, 2009, 48 days before the addiction article.
The next investigative report examines further disparity between anti-rights wishes and reality.
For in-depth analysis of gun control in England and Australia and its consequences, see chapter 2 in Four Hundred Years of Gun Control: Why Isn’t It Working?, which deconstructs the gun control agenda and motivates more people to support our civil right of self-defense.
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James McCoy
April 5th, 2009
4:32 pm
Ok ban all guns period,to heck with any perceived rights to bare any arms.If you want to shoot guns,join the army,the killer of the cops in Pittsburgh was a white racist,not some extreme right wing but a racist.For you folks running out to buy guns because you are afraid that you will be a victim of crime,well you have a better chance of being killed on I-85!
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nana
April 5th, 2009
4:35 pm
Michael, I saw the interview that Greta Van Susteran (sp??) had with Hilary Clinton a week or so ago and she (Hilary)made the comment that the drug violence that is going on in Mexico is America’s fault in part due to the guns coming from the US. I later heard the claim that 90% of the guns were coming from America. I missed the piece this a.m. on the news when they indicated they would be dubunking her 90% claim as we were leaving for church. By what you posted I assume that the actual # is 17%….that’s quite a difference. It appears that what might need to be better watched, and maybe regulated are these people who are buying bullet proof vests. I might be wrong but I can’t really think of (at least right now) of anyone that would need a bullet proof vest that isn’t in law enforcement.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
4:45 pm
If the link post this is the Fox News story, nana.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/02/myth-percent-guns-mexico-fraction-number-claimed/
I agree with you on what will happen with those Freddie and Fannie bonuses.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
4:51 pm
Another read nana on the liberals anti-gun push
Mexican Drug Violence–Anti-Gunners Lead Witness
As we continue to report, Congress has jumped into the topic of Mexican border violence with both feet, having held 10 different Subcommittee and Full Committee hearings on the topic, with more coming. It has also become clear that anti-gun politicians and groups are intent on using this issue to advance new gun laws.
In the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Drugs and Crime, Sen. Dianne Feinstein renewed her attacks on gun owners’ rights. During her remarks, she stated that there are over 2,000 guns smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each day. But when she tried to elicit support for that number from a representative from the BATFE, he responded that the number was much lower. Senator Feinstein was clearly unhappy that he would not endorse her anti-gun sound bite.
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=4713
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Morehouse Guy
April 5th, 2009
4:55 pm
(1). Firstly, the job of a Court is not to do what “we tell them to do.” It’s to interpret the law. See Marbury v. Madison for that proposition, my friend. Legislatures respond to the people, and federal judges (thank God) respond to constitutional and other doctrinal norms and not to democratic majorities. If only all states could depoliticize (to the extent possible) their judiciaries, I’d be even happier.
(2). The issue in Mexico does not gird my belief that government can constitutionally restrict handgun access. The Heller decision did. Have you even read the Heller decision? As a matter of public policy, the evidence is a matter of debate (taking into account the statistics you cite and the link I attach, why can’t we agree that is the kind of empirical matter where easy answers are probably undesirable and difficult to come by thusly warranting its submittal to Congress for a final legislative resolution where both sides of the debate have valid points of view?).
(3). The facts you provide do not unearth any novel arguments about gun control laws. I’m well aware that gun control regulation alone cannot reduce gun crimes. That’s never been my contention. However, they should be earnestly considered as an element of a comprehensive federal criminal justice scheme. I’m no doctrinaire liberal (far from it), but I do realize that gun control laws could be helpful though they must be supplemented by a host of other strategies.
(4). Why exactly do you misspell the President’s name so often?
(5). We could play the data game all day (see: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ZJ5J-GTTL/guns.htm). Especially when we choose the sources of data that comport to our point of view. The point I am making is that the sky won’t fall if the Obama policy priorities are law (and that they’re probably constitutional), and you’ll be able to defend yourself adequately. That’s all.
(6). There are political agendas on both sides of the issue, and both sides of the gun control issue will find “irrefutable proof” in correlations (that don’t always prove causation, as I’m sure you know) and attempt to demonize opposition groups. Neither approach moves this discussion forward as a matter of public policy nor as a matter of constitutional law. Presumably, the Administration will issue their proposals to Congress and they’ll have the very discussions we’re having today, and then we’ll let the people decide (through their Congressional representatives). If they step beyond their constitutional boundaries in enacting said laws, the Courts will step in. Why is the operation of our government as the Constitution dictates so objectionable to you?
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Jais
April 5th, 2009
5:44 pm
well, think what you may, Morehouse guy. Your college is known for its liberal views and you are just another part of the obvious distraction. I already got my arms, and no- nobody’s going to take them away without some undue holes in their person. Not a cop, not a legistator and definitely not obama. If anyone here thinks for a second that our elected officials are legit…do some looking.
Do you really think mass media ideals give these figureheads their validity? Mass media is owned by banks. The federal reserve is owned by a private party. AIG is now controlled by the government on most levels. Why are we going into another war when Obama told us he was pulling out? Why did he spend the most money in American History?
No, morehouse guy, G20 is indeed a meeting of these elite globalists and can probably be debunked with just a tad bit of reading. Take a look at their website for god sakes, they want to impliment new trade borders, a global currency and agreement on consolidating american soil into their conglomerate. Tinfoil hats? You rhetoric has grown stale and your setup played out, Morehouse. Would you care to debunk these statements or are you just going to hurumph it off as preposterous? OPEN YOUR freaking eyes man. Every day in the white house these bankers are at work reaping wealth while this country closes up shop.
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Morehouse Guy
April 5th, 2009
6:04 pm
(1). Firstly, my views in no way represent the College. I use that user name because I am proud alumnus, someone with ties to the AJC region developed through my relationship with the College and I’ve used it before to post. And depending who you ask, the College is quite conservative. Others see that it is an HBCU and assume it’s liberal. It’s like UGA, Harvard or any other school — it contains elements of every political persuasion you could imagine. My views on the “liberal-conservative” spectrum run the gamut much like many that have graduated from the College. And even if it were “liberal”, that need not have any impact whatsoever on my views.
(2). Much of the mass media is publicly traded and owned by shareholders or are family-run, closely held entities. The banks don’t “own” mass media. Everyday investors like you and I (through our 401(k)s), employees and directors of these firms, and institutional investors (like college endowments and pensions) “own” much of the stock in this country and that includes publicly-traded media companies. The rest are family owned, but likely also “owned” by other stockholders, many of which are entrepreneurial spirits like you and I. Leave the grapevine, conspiracy theory “philosophizing” to the guys in the barber shop. It gets us nowhere.
(2)(a). As to what taxpayers “own” we do have common stock in a number of financial institutions (that pay us regular dividends, see: http://obama.wsj.com/article/0c122EAdcBb5F?q=Bank+of+America) and in firms like AIG (who’ll have to pay us back). These institutions are key to our financial recovery and their instability will continue to cause folks to “close up shop.” What’s your beef?
(3). As I stated, your beloved assault rifle would likely be “grandfathered” in as disarming would be costly and likely ineffective.
(4). Obama made a promise to withdraw troops in the Iraqi conflict while expanding our footprint in Afghanistan/Pakistan. These are two theatres of war. Why are you lumping them together? They’re distinctly different.
(5). He spent the most money in American history to win the election. Why else would he do it?
(6). Oh, I’m well aware of the PROPOSALS that were put forth at the G-20. But, other than some form of international regulatory scheme (of which the devil will certainly be in the details) nothing binding came of the G-20 meeting. Only ideas and promises to work together on broad outlines that will likely fall apart or have so many loopholes/exemptions/exceptions that corporate interests will be protected (even by a “socialist” like Obama, lol). You seem the populist’s populist so I’d see your issue with international financial regulatory scheme with said loopholes. But again, that’s wild speculation on my part and until something passes, we can only speculate.
(7). Lots of “bankers” are also losing their jobs and having a working, healthy relationship with the financial sector is absolutely critical to our economic well-being (the “closing shop” you speak of may be due to clogged credit markets that could be rectified by the very bankers you loathe). Your populism gone awry is the only thing that’s stale and you need to open your eyes to the reality within which the rest of the rest of the civilized world operates. We don’t get Americans back to work by demonizing banks or conspiracy theories. That’s for sure.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
6:14 pm
Firstly who must ratify that Constitution? Not your Court, my friend and THANK GOD! The Courts and the Congress even your Obumer must listen to the people, eventually. If they that are the government choose to continually ignore the will of the people, we have the right to dismiss our present government and declare a new one that serves us.
Power is derive from where and by what means are we governed: Power is derived from our hands and we are by governed our consent.
I’ll be very happy when the American people rise up and tell this government we have that really is not serving us that this government only exists because We the People say it can exist. You’ll find that in the Declaration of Independence.
The second amendment is all the gun authority I ever needed; Heller was nothing more than affirmation of that amendment.
Laws are helpful only when applied to the lawless, otherwise they are useless to the law abiding and in their defense. Controlling guns will control criminals or stop or reduce crime, which is your argument? At best that is negligible in effect and has been proven otherwise invalid. So I hope you don’t think you brought anything new to fore of benefit to me, I’ve known that other strategies aimed directly at the people who commit crimes has to be the major priority: Whether it is in pursuing the illegal gun sellers and/or illegal buyers but again, it is certainly not in restricting legal purchases of guns by someone like Badie, York or Smith no matter what our weapon of choice.
As for Obumer’s laws – gun laws- he wants enacted not harming me or putting me in danger, HOOEY! I’m not foolish enough to think “an adequate police force” can ever be provided to, as you say, avoid violence( and the framers of the Decalration of Indepenedence and Constitution were also not so foolish). You’ve just witness two police forces defeated, one failed the two minute warning and 13 people lay dead; the other was absolutely clueless as to what they were walking into and 3 cops were killed. That’s no data-data non-sense that is reality on just how quickly deadly violent force can be used. Even with a gun you only have a chance but at least it is better than no chance whatsoever of stopping someone that is going to kill you or others. And truth is a chance often times is all a cop has against an armed criminal.
Why is the operation of our government as the Constitution dictates so objectionable to you?
Are you trying to be facetious, our government is not operating as the Constitution dictates.
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nana
April 5th, 2009
7:34 pm
Thanks for the links Micheal. Interesting stuff. I also enjoyed reading Morehouse Guy’s comments. There were some valid and good points. The one thing you brought up though is “the Administration will issue their proposals to Congress and they’ll have the very discussions we’re having today, and then we’ll let the people decide (through their Congressional representatives).” It doesn’t seem that the Congress we now have has any real discussions they just seem to rubber stamp everything the administration wants and then some. Hopefully this gun control will die out and nothing will come of it. The only gun control that is needed is on the criminals not those of us that are law abiding citizens and have a right to bear arms.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
8:00 pm
The only gun control that is needed is on the criminals not those of us that are law abiding citizens and have a right to bear arms.
Your welcome and you can frame that one, nana.
A rubber stamp government has no Constitutional authority to exist, so that is poof enough our government is not operating as the Constitution dictates.
Article four Section four: The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union “a republican form of government”, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
8:08 pm
Sorry about that, “poof” should read “proof”. My bad.
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LT5000
April 5th, 2009
8:25 pm
Mark,
Your extra chromosome has obviously affected your memory as well as your ability to put together a coherent thought. Get a high school diploma before you spout.
When are you and your army of 15000 going to clean up the streets of Norcross? I have a feeling it would look more like Pride fest than a paramilitary movement.
LT5000
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Bruce Wilcox
April 5th, 2009
9:39 pm
On this day in history, John Charles Carter died in 2008, aka, Charlton Heston, aka, Moses. Now we can pry the gun from his cold dead hands. Whats funny a Frenchman has run the NRA for many years now, are NRA members hypocrites, naa, just have enough brain cells to handle one issue.
The Declaration of Independence is not the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence stated what we hoped to become, the Constitution is what we are, where we are is not all that bad, but I hate it when some confuse the two to attempt to win a weak arguement.
The Marbury v. Madison decision proved once and for all that laws passed by Congress or orders by the President have to meet Constitutional muster.
Think about kids, they took away the Blacks right to vote, by the Southern states attacking the United States and Jim Crow laws, they took a womens right to vote away, just because they were women, then the booze, only to be restored, when did they take away the Right to Bear Arms? Bunch of paranoid rednecks, no more, no less.
Rick, get a Taser for both your wife and you, no danger to the children.
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Michael H. Smith
April 5th, 2009
10:30 pm
Without the Declaration of Independence the Constitution has no legal standing as we would remain Her Majesty’s now fifty rebellious colonies. I hate it when some liberal thinks they can separate the two documents because they have no argument that will reasonably stand up in support of their anti-second amendment rights agenda. So they only offer more of their oxygen deprived hypocrisies to exhale in exhaustion resorting to a usual round of Supreme Omnipotent Bigotry, as if playing their silly ignorant race game trumps all to kneel before them.
No law has to pass a court challenge until it is brought before a court to decide.
Rick as all others can do as they want, it is their choice to buy and have a gun and their right to protect their lives and that of their families when government fails in its’ obligation to protect their life for whatever reason.
Don’t you love it when a hypocrite that argued against the county using TASERs at the jail as being deadly, now argues for their safety around children! LOL OMG!
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NOWICUNVME
April 5th, 2009
11:49 pm
Wow. The veteran Bruce and the newcomer Morehouse Guy are laying it down. You hit all the nails on the head right on. Especially the part about extracting and interpreting data to go along with your way of thinking. Some people still want to debate the election, when the election is over.
BTW Morehouse, just to fill you in a little; LT and Jais are the special ed posters. Extremely over the top and like you said absolutely should not be in possesion of any types of weaponry. Often, they miss they’re regularly scheduled doses of medication. Michael makes alot more sense but he just has to have the last word and if you don’t agree with him, it will always be a battle. Just a little FYI.
Nana, I’m done with you! I’m not going to banter back and forth with you. I made a generalized statement…you came at me specifically with your sarcasm, had a problem with my insignia, and you don’t even understand the verbiage on how the word “hater” was used. I’ll get over myself when you get your facts straight; The whacko cop killer in Pittsburgh couldn’t have been dishonorably discharged from the Marines because he never made it out of bootcamp. Luckily, due to his bullet proof vest and the demographic make-up of his neighborhood, this upstanding citizen is still alive today. He was able to hold SWAT teams at bay due to the mini arsenal he had acquired. Didn’t the Virginia Tech massacre involve assault weapons too? Hmmmmm…Just saying….Keep those AK47’s coming!
OBAMA 09
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Bruce Wilcox
April 6th, 2009
12:23 am
Mr. Simth, a columun or two ago I said I would be polite to all, with you on this issue and you’re twisting of my words, add the refusal of answering any simple questions offered, really makes it hard, but I’ll do my best.
“Without the Declaration of Independence the Constitution has no legal standing”, like duh.Unless the King sent a letter back saying all is cool, you dudes and dudettes can have your freedom and we will pull all of our Redcoats out. No man, this country had to fight, fight for themselves for indpedentence. We didn’t have anyone invading us deciding we needed it.
The Second Amendment, whoa, it’s added to the Constitution, it’s an Amendment, wow, the Bill of Rights of Rights were overlooked in the last draft?
“No law has to pass a court challenge until it is brought before a court to decide.”, like duh again, all laws have to pass Constitutional muster,believe or not most meet that standard.
Hypocrite about Tasers? Mr. Smith now you’re starting to be a pain. Five deputies holding down a handcuffed and shackled man is not misuse? Poor training is what I said, there have been more in one this county that have died from it. Thankfully they have finally read the manual
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Michael H. Smith
April 6th, 2009
12:26 am
yada yada Bruciecumv go buy one of those “deadly safe TASERs” and shock yourself out of hypocrisy and back into reality or better yet take a Kool Aid enema so you can breathe life back into those two dysfunctional brain cells you have left.
I’ve counter your every argument and I hope you liberals go for this AWB renewal that has proven worthless. It is just the issue that is needed to burn alot of that Obumer political capital and get liberal democrats defeated who support it when the 2010 elections are held. And then, somebody else in ‘12 besides Obumer the one term wonder of socialism.
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Michael H. Smith
April 6th, 2009
12:29 am
Mr. Simth, a columun or two ago I said I would be polite to all?
Horse-crap you lied again RUG. Good night phony.
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scott
April 6th, 2009
1:07 am
Morehouse guy, we do need to go racial here. Minorities commit most of the street crimes, fill the prisons and drain the tax bases of major cities. Clean up your own neighborhoods and stay out of ours.
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Reality
April 6th, 2009
8:25 am
Is fear the price of freedom? We constantly tout our freedoms to the world, but fear grips us tightly. We are hooked on fear. Our local media dishes up a daily doese of FEAR! Be afraid. Be very afraid. People constantly refer to downtown Atlanta as scary. Saturday I walked throughout downtown. Lots of kids and families were in Olympic Park enjoying themselves. The food court at CNN Center was packed. Where Peachtrree meets International Blvd. throngs of tourist were out and about. Yes there was the occasional homeless bum here and there. Woodruff Park did have its share of homeless enjoying their front porch, but they weren’t bothering anyone. Sometimes I wonder what downtown some of you refer to when you say downtown is so scary. Is it because there are so many poor, black faces down there. Poor people use downtown as free entertainment. This has always been the case.
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nana
April 6th, 2009
8:29 am
now…I will address you one more time. It’s too bad you don’t have even half the intelligence Morehouse Guy has. You don’t need to “school” him on the posters on this blog he’s intelligent enough to figure everyone out and to figure you out too. Good riddance.
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"Charles", The Original
April 6th, 2009
9:19 am
Man, I love Scott’s comment. He hit the nail on the head. His comment is more reality than racial. But I think his comment can be improved.
Morehouse guy, minorities commit most of the street crimes, fill the prisons, and drain the tax bases of major cities. Clean up your neighborhoods. Build your institutions. Quit exploiting the helpless black masses for personal gain. And stay out of the business of white people. It’s the only non-genocidal avenue available to black people.
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delois
April 6th, 2009
10:42 am
We are starting to see the signs for “HUD home, $100 down” on the foreclosures in our neighborhood. Soon HUD will turn these homes into Section 8 and, if you’ve read any of the stories about the Section 8 houses going into formerly nice residential areas, then you will know why our guns are clean and ready to be fired at our house. But we are also in the midst of getting rid of everything we own to downsize so we can move out of Gwinnett and Georgia so anybody who breaks into our house will be sorely disappointed – a couple of old computers and no flat screens or surround sound at our place and a 2002 Chrysler in the garage. Have at it – we’ll gladly let you take our old junk – that’s less stuff we have to get rid of before we move. Oh and we have a kid in college so we don’t have any money or credit cards to be stolen either. We’ll get killed because there’s nothing to rob from us.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 6th, 2009
12:08 pm
Whites are running for the hills again, soon they’re won’t be anywhere to run. In the past month 48 people have died in mass killings, 95% percent commited by whites.
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Mark
April 6th, 2009
12:16 pm
LT5000, when are you gonna man up, and take Rick’s offer? You afraid that your illiteracy will shine thru?
RUN FORREST, RUN!!
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Mark
April 6th, 2009
1:03 pm
I agree with Nana. The blacks are the real reason for the crime in our area.
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Mark
April 6th, 2009
2:22 pm
Who ever is using my name, stop it!
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nana
April 6th, 2009
2:22 pm
Excuse me Mark…..when did I say “The blacks are the real reason for the crime in our area.” You apparently have me confused with someone else.
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"Charles", The Original
April 6th, 2009
2:49 pm
The so-called educated integrationist blacks are the real reason for the crime in white areas. During the years of separation, before mandatory integration, the minds of black people were focused on acquiring education for the purpose of building institutions capable of meeting the basic needs of the masses of black people. There was minimal crime in the black community and almost no black person was responsible for crime in the white community in the south. By then, it was already too late for the north, they had already integrated. But the integrationist Negroes, supported by others, negatively influenced ninety percent of black people with their integrationist liberal social policies in the south.
Just think about it. The so-called educated integrationist black person has deprived the average black man and woman of the honor of having meaningful education and institutions. As a result, the masses of black people can’t satisfy their basic needs and are struggling to survive by any means necessary. Black people shouldn’t blame whitey. Whitey is not responsible for educating black people or building their institutions. Blackey is to blame.
Everybody should be careful out there. The so-called educated integrationist Negro via media is on the prow attempting to teach black people that they are individually responsible for their wretched existence. And if that fails to absolve the so-called educated integrationist New World Order Negroes of their criminality and penalty for the existing genocidal conditions in the black community, they always point the finger at whitey.
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disappointed
April 6th, 2009
4:12 pm
Moved to grayson in 1995 – quiet and peaceful. Today was the first time in 14 years that I put my outgoing mail in the mailbox. Between 9 am and 12 noon it was stolen. Snellville, Grayson, Loganville have become ‘hoods and we seem powerless to stop the thugs from taking over.It isn’t always the new kidsonthe block either – many of the hoodlums are kids that grew up here but became surly, disrespectful teens – and their parents don’t try to stop it either.
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nana
April 6th, 2009
4:38 pm
I thought this blog was about crime pushing us to arm ourselves? How did it turn to a racial thing?
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Lee
April 6th, 2009
5:25 pm
Nana, just take a gander at the Department of Justice’s Uniform Crime Statistics and you’ll see why.
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"Charles", The Original
April 6th, 2009
5:48 pm
A definition of a slave is any ethnic group that voluntarily or involuntarily depends on another group of people to service/meet their basic needs; food, clothing, shelter, education, employment, health-care…. It is from that point forward that the respective individuals/ groups can’t discuss any topic without rightfully distinguishing between the total dominance of one group and the abject servility of the other. No slave can dictate to his master.
That’s how it turns into a racial thing.
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Bruce Wilcox
April 6th, 2009
10:35 pm
Listen Up. This is not a racial thing at all, you cannot blame it on anyone group, as I pointed out, 48 people have died in the past month, the majority killed by Whites, how do you explain it? Gangs for the most part kill gang members, anyone posting here who is a member of a gang (besides the Republican party), that killed someone of late?
Hopefully not, so that leaves us with a bunch of paranoid gun holders who are too afraid to go out after dark, sad as it may seem, they’re the most dangerous to you and I.
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Bubba
April 7th, 2009
8:07 am
Crime is crime. Doesn’t matter if the act was committed by a Hispanic, Nigerian, Romanian, Korean. You can break it down by race or nationality, if you wish. All you’re doing, IMO, is creating a job market for experts who write books, go on talk shows and come up with creative ways to collectively say, “It’s not their fault.”
An “inconvenient truth” (sorry Al) is that violent crime is linked more by poverty than by a propensity for one race or another to behave in a characteristic way. One is not desperate because he is Mexican or Nigerian. He’s desperate because he’s poor. The problem is that poverty doesn’t qualify, in media reports, as a “standout statistic.” We can talk about percentages of blacks vs. whites vs. Hispanics vs. stars-upon-thars in terms of demographics of incarceration. I’d venture to say that poverty is one thing that these demographics have in common, but “poverty” isn’t a headline any more.
So if I choose to purchase a gun for my protection, I’m not doing so to protect myself from black or from Mexicans. I’m doing so to protect myself from those who don’t have taking what I have. Am I going to stop and say, “I better not shoot my assailant because he’s (insert nationality here)?” No. I’m going to shoot someone to prevent them from taking from me money, property, and/or my life what is not theirs to take.
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Crime Victims Media Report › Columnist Rick Badie on Crime
April 7th, 2009
10:00 am
[...] thoughtful column by Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Rick Badie on the ways people are changing their lives to [...]
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jim d
April 7th, 2009
11:44 am
Rick,
The fact that you are just now considering owing a weapon would indicate just how UnAmerican you’ve been in the past. Not only is it our constitutional right to own a weapon, it has been explained as a duty by many of our constituional framers in order to maintain our freedoms.
I would suggest you also consider a lifetime membership in the NRA while you are at it.
http://membership.nrahq.org/
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jim d
April 7th, 2009
11:48 am
Rick,
Looks like you’ve been sucked in by the spin!!
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"Charles", The Original
April 7th, 2009
12:30 pm
Come on Big Bubba, get with the program. The so-called educated integrationist Negroes betrayed the masses of black people by depriving them of the critical institutions needed to service their basic needs. As a result, the masses of Negroes look to other groups/races of people to provide food, clothing, shelter, employment, etc. Said differently, Negroes depend on other people to sustain their lives. And if forever reason elite individuals in other races/groups fail to adequately provide for the needs of the Negro, a la the homeless on Juniper Street and many others, they have no alternative but to turn to crime or die.
And as long as Negroes as a group have no economy of their own, poverty is a present virus for each and every Negro in America. Whoever is servicing the Negro’s basic needs can activate the virus of poverty on a whim. That’s how so-called wealthy Negroes are controlled.
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jim d
April 7th, 2009
1:13 pm
Rick,
Lets see if we can make this painless.
Next Eastman show in Gwinnett.
April 25-26 North Atlanta Trade Center (formerly the Elco Building, Gwinnett County, GA (9-5 and 10-5 respectively)
Hope to see you there.
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GoodGrief
April 7th, 2009
2:00 pm
“…the masses of Negroes look to other groups/races of people to provide food, clothing, shelter, employment, etc. Said differently, Negroes depend on other people to sustain their lives.” Good grief, Charles, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Charles (nod-wink-nudge), the white man has done everything in his power since the Emancipation Proclamation and the resulting amendments from the Civil War to ease the transition of the black man from slavery into productive member of society. I mean, it only took 100 years from the end of slavery to the enactment of civil rights legislation to help integrate the black man into “civilized” society.
So what? If a man’s breaking into my house, threatening to rob me at knife point or gun point, threatening assault upon my person, I don’t give a flying f*** about any egregious trangressions society may or may not have committed against him. Crime is crime. I will defend my person and my property. Period. Doesn’t matter if my transgressor’s ancestors were slaves, or hopped across a border without telling anybody else, or maybe he did tell someone else. It doesn’t matter. No one has the right to deprive me of my freedom, property or well-being. We can have touchy-feely conversations over a beverage if you wish, but when the conversation’s over, I’m going to make sure my gun is loaded, that the safety is on, and pray as I walk to my car or lock the doors on my house that no one deprives themselves of their like if they first try to deprive me of my life or my property.
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"Charles", The Original
April 7th, 2009
2:37 pm
Good grief, Good grief, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? It doesn’t matter whether slavery is voluntary or involuntary. And in the case of Negroes today, it’s volunteer slavery.
Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Good Grief (nod-wink-nudge), Pharaoh did everything in his power to retain the services of his slaves, the Children of Israel. God had to send several plagues to break his pernicious desire. And when Pharaoh finally decided to set the Children of Israel free, he suddenly changed his mind and chased them to the Red Sea. That’s when Pharaoh and his army were drowned.
I’m sure that some of the Children of Israel didn’t want to be free. They had been slaves for too long, four hundred years… There is no question that some of the people of God disobeyed Moses and Aaron and went back into Egypt/slavery to integrate with Pharaoh and his people. And I’m sure Pharaoh worked many hours to make integration look like something other than slavery.
I have absolutely no problem with your second paragraph.
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"Charles", The Original
April 7th, 2009
2:38 pm
Good grief, Good grief, isn’t that what slavery was all about to begin with? It doesn’t matter whether slavery is voluntary or involuntary. And in the case of Negroes today, it’s volunteer slavery.
Is there some power in the “magic wand of freedom” that automatically tells previously enslaved people how to be free? Sure Good Grief (nod-wink-nudge), Pharaoh did everything in his power to retain the services of his slaves, the Children of Israel. God had to send several plagues to break his pernicious desire. And when Pharaoh finally decided to set the Children of Israel free, he suddenly changed his mind and chased them to the Red Sea. That’s when Pharaoh and his army were drowned.
I’m sure that some of the Children of Israel didn’t want to be free. They had been slaves for too long, four hundred years… There is no question that some of the people of God disobeyed Moses and Aaron and went back into Egypt/slavery to integrate with Pharaoh and his people. And I’m sure Pharaoh worked many hours working to make integration look like something other than slavery.
I have absolutely no problem with your second paragraph.
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Bill Mangum
April 7th, 2009
3:50 pm
Rick:
I enjoyed the column about crime fears. I’ve read some of the comments here, and there is a lot of drivel written here. My comments are, however, more about the sad state of our culture, where we feel the need to be armed, even in our homes. I agree that bad times probably drive up the crime rates, but I have long commented that it seems that everyday there is another killing in Metro Atlanta. And as your friend Bill York noted, I too am too old to try to beat anyone off me. Chuck Norris on his best day could not stop a thug with a gun that was 10 feet away. Those of us that were in the military, no matter how many years ago, remember very well