The Lost Occupation of Atlanta and a Reminder Of Those Who Protect Their Right

The Occupy Atlanta continues to be a laugh a day sitcom. Yesterday they decided to take their little protest on the road, or should I say train, and go visit the center of financial activity in Atlanta known as the Atlanta Financial District. Well not really, actually they headed for an upscale mall presumably to engage in some sort of consumerism or something. That was at least until they got lost on the way.

To fully appreciate the sheer stupidity of this group of mental midgets you have to understand that the Atlanta rapid transit rail system has 2, yes 2 whole rail lines. One runs north/south and the other runs east/west. Where the protestors have set up as their home base is right at the train station where these two lines intersect, so all they had to do was go inside the train station, get on the north line and go 7 stops. On the map below you will notice that the line splits into a Red and Yellow line, which I guess could be confusing except the stops are labeled Buckhead on the Red side and Lenox on the Yellow. So if you were headed to the BUCKHEAD financial district stay on the Red line. If you were going to LENOX Square Mall get on the YELLOW line. Critical thinking skills are so important. Just for the record it really doesn't matter which one you take if you are going to Lenox Square since either stop will put you about a block from the mall. Sort of makes you think they don't have any local folks to help them out huh?

With their numbers decreased they managed to marshall their meager forces at one of the malls in the area only to be turned away by security guards who explained the difference between private property and public property to them. The best line of the day however belongs to former mayor Sam Massell.

Former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, now president of the Buckhead Coalition, had welcoming words for the visitors: "They have the right to conduct an orderly visit to Buckhead, and I hope they bring their credit cards.”

I had better things to do like attending the motorcade of a returning Marine who had been killed in action in Afghanistan protecting the rights of the people like these occupy numbnuts who will never fully appreciate what it means to be free and to enjoy their freedom to be stupid. To add insult to injury we also received word that the Westboro pukes are planning on attending this Marines' funeral and while the Patriot's Guard has turned out en-masse it is still a stark commentary on our times that they chose to protest a Marine's funeral rather then go bug their fellow travelers on the crazy train in the occupy movement.

Highly Educated Hitchhiker in Atlanta For Cosmic Cleansing or Something

An intrepid local reporter decided to venture into the swill that have taken over a park in Atlanta to get a sense of who the protestors are, and in the words of some beer commercial from long ago, they are who we thought they were!


A long-haired hippie with a master's degree who just floats around the country with no purpose, another with a degree who works as a bartender and part time roofer although he never reveals what his degree is in, and for me the most frightening is the old geezer at the end who is a retired history teacher and refers to the 60's in an active voice. Got to wonder what kind of history he taught.

The most sensible out of the crowd is the young lady who only had a high school diploma.

Atlanta Mayor Reed has caved into this pack of outside agitators yet again and refuses to clean them out of the park where they take daily walks making life miserable for people in the area, and always seeming to time their stunts with the afternoon rush hour. I know of a couple of commuter buses of people who are tired of their commute home delayed every day because of these asswipes and might just ask the driver to let them out for a few minutes while they clean up the park. It certainly won't make them any later getting home and they will do the city a favor.

The little hobbits who have taken over have to date have 1) denied the right of speech to civil rights icon John Lewis. 2) Blocked the entrance to a hospital thereby creating a real public health issue. 3) Marched to a Bank of America branch to demand something from the CEO only to discover that Bank of America's headquarters are in North Carolina and New York. 4) Renamed the park to Troy Davis Park in honor of a cop killer, and since they constantly refer to it nobody can find out where they are since there is no such thing as Troy Davis Park. Go ahead, look it up using Mapquest. I think you will get directions to a cemetery in Savannah.

The fact that we are going to have to suffer from these smelly, over-drugged hippies as some sort of leftover plague that not even the Egyptians had to endure is more then a person can take.

Getting HOT In Atlanta or Why We Are All Stuck In Traffic

Sit right down and I'll tell you a tale, a tale 'bout a federal highway, your tax dollars and why people aren't allowed to, or won't drive on that highway.

Way back in 2008 Georgia secured a grant from the feds for $110 million to convert what at the time were called HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes into HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes. Now you can just imagine the amount of work, man hours and materials that were to go into this project, afterall it was costing $110 million to transform this 15 mile stretch of highway from HOV to HOT.

Well actually not. Of course the residents of Atlanta had to endure 3 years worth of disruptions, delays, and general annoyance while this project which consisted of little more then painting a solid white stripe on the highway and putting some sensors in the lane was undertaken. Finally the big day arrived on Oct. 1, 2011 when the HOT lanes were unveiled in all their glory.

The premise behind HOT lanes is that the price to drive in this lane is adjusted according to need. The heavier the congestion is on the rest of the highway the more it will cost you to hop over into the HOT to get out of it and drive into work. In theory if you have 3 or more people you can get into the lane anytime you want for no charge. Well that is the theory. You see they have no way of knowing how many people are in the vehicle. You are required to buy a special pass called a Peach Pass which contains a microchip that is read by the sensors in the road and allows you to drive in this lane. Provided you logged onto the web site that morning or before departing work and going home that is and told them you had three people. Or more. Otherwise you pay the toll. Unless you didn't have the Peach Pass to start with in which case you also pay a fine.

Wait cried the people, didn't our tax dollars pay for this highway to be built? Why yes it did, now shut up this is different. Are you adding a lane they asked? No, but look at the paint. Isn't there a tax on gas on the state level and federal level that is supposed to be for this sort of thing? Yes, now shut up before we raise it even more.

Confused yet? Anyway by noon of Day One the complaints were rolling in, mostly about the cost of the lane with some people being charged up to $5 to drive a couple of miles in this new greatest innovation since asphalt, designed to meet all of our future needs and to end commuter frustration forever Orwellian torture device. After a few days and dwindling numbers of cars spotted in this wonder of modern engineering the governor decided to take a look at it and see what he could do, and that is where the Federal Department of Transportation once again stepped back in.

Remember that grant way back in 2008? Well you see the feds say that the rules are three or more people get to ride for free in the HOT lane and when Governor Deal wanted to explore the idea of reducing it to two people the federal nanny wagged her finger in the governor's face and said not so fast.

The picture at the top is how traffic looked when we had HOV lanes. The picture below is those same lanes, notice the double white stripe, as HOT lanes.

We understand that a lot of policies from Washington are designed to modify behavior, and in the last couple of years they have become even more draconian and unyielding, and that is exactly the idea behind HOT lanes. Force commuters to use public transportation, car pool, or discontinue the use of fossil fuels. They have made it so cost prohibitive to get to work now that a lot of people add in that cost when seeking a job, afterall if is going to cost you more to get to work then you will make why bother. Besides the government is going to be there handing out those checks anyway.

Occupy Atlanta Shows Their True (Lack of) Color

Well, the little self-indulgent hipsters descended upon Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta yesterday afternoon and began their occupation. I give them credit for one thing, they started their little hissyfit at a time that it dovetailed with another gathering that was already going on in the area and therefore made it appear to outsiders that they had a far bigger crowd then what was in reality their true numbers. As soon as the other folks realized what was going on they started leaving and it wasn't long before this group of hundreds was down to a group of dozens, but by far the biggest boneheaded stunt of the night goes to this group when they refused Rep John Lewis a chance to address the crowd.

Sorry that should read Civil Rights icon Rep. John Lewis. (I forgot the AP style book on his correct title.)

Rep. Lewis was already on the record as supporting the progressive causes espoused by these occupy folks, views which for most of the country are completely a mystery. Well, in truth they are a mystery to most of the folks participating in the protests too.

What made this snub so noteworthy was the fact that the mostly white, mostly young, and mostly southern accent-challenged crowd failed to realize that in Atlanta if Rep. Lewis shows up and wants to speak, you had better damn sure give him five minutes of your time or you are going to alienate a vast majority of the population.

Their rationale for refusing him is even more hilarious. I watched the whole thing last night on their UStream feed; I can't even begin to describe how torturous that was, something if utilized at Gitmo would most assuredly run afoul of most human rights groups. Their reason? Nobody was special. Everybody was equal.

Just imagine if something similar had happened at a Tea Party rally. We would never hear the end of it from the melanin-challenged cast of MSNBC and every race pimp in the country from Jesse Jackson to Al Sharpton would have taken to the airwaves to tell what despicable people they were to deny this icon a chance to speak.

The local Fox affiliate has probably the most unbiased report, yeah, no surprise, I know, but notice even they realize the need to send an African-American reporter to this location; she did manage to locate a couple of blacks to put on camera but notice all the group shots, including the one of Rep. Lewis surrounded by clueless masses. I choose this clip for precisely that reason. None of the others seemed able to get an African-American on camera.

Yes, this is the rainbows and unicorns alternate universe these folks live in. Everything they did last night was by consent of the crowd. They claim to have no leaders. It was a group decision. Nice way to avoid assigning blame, ya numbnuts.

Shortly after denying him a chance to speak many members of the group began to notice the lack of color in the crowd, something that is somewhat of a miracle to accomplish in downtown Atlanta. Especially in this location.

A little bit more about the location they chose. Woodruff Park is named in honor of the man who donated the money to have it built, the former Coca-Cola president Robert Woodruff.

Established in the early 1970s, Woodruff Park was formerly known as Central City Park. The park was created thanks to a philanthropic gift from former Coca-Cola Company president Robert W. Woodruff, who donated the money anonymously. After two years of planning and preparation, the park opened in 1973.

Yeah, one of those evil capitalists. Of course, if the occupiers are looking for something to do with their spare time might, I suggest a trip over to the Georgia Aquarium which is just a few blocks away.

The Georgia Aquarium started with The Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus. Marcus wanted to present a gift to the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia, one that would encourage education and economic growth. In November of 2001, he announced his plan to build an aquarium in downtown Atlanta. He and his wife Billi donated $250 million toward the Georgia Aquarium's construction.

Damn, more evil capitalism.

Well, I hope they enjoy themselves, and for God's sake, clean up after yourselves; but seeing as this is Saturday and football season in the south, most of us will have better things to do today then monitor the antics of this Ritalin-deprived crowd.

Go Ramblin' Wreck!

Update (JWF) : Really creepy video:

Al's Pals Know Where The Suckers Are

Noted race warlord and PMSNBC token minority host Al Sharpton may be running into a little bit of trouble in Atlanta.

So far, no one has proven it's a scam, but they haven't proven it's for real either.

This week more than 700 senior citizens filled out a rather skimpy form promising a $500 check from the American Opportunities Stimulus Program.

The organization promising these handouts is the local branch of Al Shaprton's National Action Network. I have no doubt Revrund Al will invoke the liberal standard denial of "not in my name," but it is proof that the grifters and scammers in the world know their target audience.

Besides, that sure looked legit to me. Who wouldn't trust somebody in a t-shirt and capri pants sitting on the front steps of a building promising you money?

How To Fire A Teacher In 20 Easy Steps

Well actually this list doesn't fire them either, it is just the steps a local school district must take but it leaves off at the appeal to the state board of education. Bear in the mind that throughout the entire process the taxpayers are still on the hook to pay not only the teachers' salary but the salary of the replacement teacher along with all the fees associated with the teachers' defense. Regardless of the outcome of the case some of these teachers will still be allowed to keep their pensions.

This has become a hot issue for the city of Atlanta in the wake of the largest teacher cheating scandal uncovered...so far. There is no teacher union in Georgia in the strictest definition of the word but there is a powerful association and in light of statements made by some of their representatives it is pretty clear that they are going pursue every step on the list, not out of any sense of duty to the teacher or to protect someone who may be wrongly accused. Their purpose here is to place as big a financial burden on the city and it's taxpayers as possible as some sort of perverse revenge for outing them.

This is only going to get messier and is meant to be a shot across the bow to any others who decide to investigate teachers in their areas. It is only further deteriorating the opinion of teachers and the education system within the community and the anger is only going to get worse the more this drags on.

Disgraced School Superintendent Has Time To Check Facebook

From a secret undisclosed location, probably one with no extradition agreement with the US, the disgraced former superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools system, Dr. Beverly Hall, has posted a message letting us know that everything that happened wasn't her fault and just the rogue acts of a few individuals. Umm, yeah like a 178 of 'em.

Now there is two ways to take this. If you give her the benefit of a doubt then she is merely an iron willed administrator who only had the children's best interest in mind when she was constantly telling those under her that test scores would improve and she never intended for any wrong doing to take place to accomplish this. Rather she wanted the teachers to get in the classroom, roll up their sleeves and get to work teaching.

I do not apologize for the reforms my staff and I implemented during my tenure as superintendent. The public has a right to hold educators - and administrators - accountable if they fail to teach children what they need to learn. We set goals for our schools because our students deserve no less. But, most importantly, we accompanied our targets and the targets mandated by No Child Left Behind with programs and facility improvements designed to give principals and teachers the means to achieve them.

Or as evidence shows, she tended to turn a blind eye to allegations of cheating whenever they were brought up to her, so while not condoning cheating explicitly by ignoring the reports she was giving her tacit approval.

To the extent that I failed to take measures that would have prevented what the Investigators have disclosed, I am accountable, as head of the school system, for failing to act accordingly. I sincerely apologize to the people of Atlanta and their children for any shortcomings. If I did anything that gave teachers the impression that I was unapproachable and unresponsive to their concerns, I also apologize for that. Where people consciously chose to cheat, however, the moral responsibility must lie with them.

I will leave it up to the individual to decide which of these scenarios you believe.

Unless you were a juror on the Casey Anthony trial then nevermind, have somebody explain it to you.

Uhh, Texas, About That New School Superintendent Y'all Just Hired

The DeSoto Independent School District (ISD), a suburb of Dallas, might be having some second thoughts about the hiring of their new school superintendent.

She won’t officially start work until next week but the new DeSoto Independent School District Superintendent is already under a cloud of suspicion.

New hire Dr. Kathy Augustine comes to DeSoto from the Atlanta, Georgia school system.

Earlier this week the Georgia Governor’s office issued a report naming Augustine as one of the school administrators suspected of giving investigators false information in their probe of massive test cheating.

Here is what the commission found specifically.

Dr. Augustine had a legal and ethical duty not to falsify, misrepresent, omit or erroneously report information submitted to governmental agencies. We conclude that Dr. Augustine violated this by duty by intentionally causing a letter containing false information to be transmitted to the state. Specifically, Dr. Augustine caused and allowed a letter to be transmitted to the state indicating that the investigation into allegations of cheating at Deerwood Academy was complete and that no evidence of cheating had been found.

We conclude that Dr. Augustine either knew or should have known cheating and other misconduct was occurring in schools in the APS system.

Finally, when questioned about the Deerwood Academy investigation and other matters, she made false statements.

Yeah, other then the part about the teachers sitting in the break room changing answers on the test while other teachers were surprised to discover that students who had previously been unable to read passed the CRCT test with flying colors. Of course, the principal making an occasional visit to the break room to get a candy bar and check up on their progress wasn't suspicious in the least.

The ball is in their court now. Let's see just how far that slogan "Don't Mess With Texas" goes.

Before Atlanta There Was Newark, NJ

Before coming to Atlanta to be the superintendent of schools, Beverly Hall was the superintendent of schools in Newark, New Jersey, where, surprise, surprise, allegations of intimidation and coercion were also made against her.

However, I must warn you to be prepared for Hall to say she did not know that such conditions existed. I must warn you to be prepared to be called a liar. I must warn you that you will probably be put into a room and escorted everywhere you go by a security guard until you see the errors of your ways. This is what happened to Mr. Embrey, former Principal of West Side High School now under house arrest, when he was brave enough to speak out for the children.

As for parental involvement which Dr. Hall cites as being important to her, here is what one parent had to say at that meeting in New Jersey.

Allegedly, Hall has since attempted to deny parents their 1st Amendment rights by sending investigators to the homes of parents who speak out at Advisory Board meetings.

This report from 1997 also contains allegations of mismanagement and misuse of funds, cronyism and the picture of a woman who ruled with an iron fist and would tolerate no insubordination in the ranks while painting only a rosy picture of the system she was in charge of.

Something she continued when she relocated to Atlanta in 1999. So if you want to read yet another damming report on this All Star of Academia go ahead and click on the link.

A Culture of Fear, Intimidation and Retaliation

"If Johnnie don't know how to read, he had better on test day"


What this investigation uncovered, and what is included in their 800-page report is, that for almost a decade, what began as isolated incidents of teachers cheating on the standardized tests to improve their students test scores became institutionalized, accepted, and practiced, and all who dare to question it quickly found themselves unemployed with their careers in shambles.

Replace educators with the corporate entity of your choice and imagine how much media attention this would be getting, even in light of the fact that this information is coming out at the same time as voyeur society is going nuts over the verdict in a murder case in Florida. A generation of kids lost, I guess, just doesn't have the glitz and glamor of hyperventilating pundits all offering their 2¢ worth on a unwed and unfit mother in the Sunshine State.

When the Educators Cheat

The results of a massive investigation in the government school system in Georgia, one which involved outside agencies such as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), has revealed what everybody in the state knew. With the release of the report we now have the hard evidence of just how poorly served your children are by those tasked with educating them.

In a report that Gov. Nathan Deal planned to release today, the investigators name nearly 180 educators, including more than three dozen principals, as participants in cheating on state curriculum tests, officials said over the weekend. The investigators obtained scores of confessions.

The findings suggest the national accolades that Hall and the school system have collected — and the much-vaunted academic progress for which she claimed credit — were based on falsehoods. Raising test scores apparently became a higher priority than conducting the district’s business in an ethical manner.

Those in academia of course are spraying excuses in all directions blaming everything from the color of paint on the classroom walls to the No Child Left Behind standards. Let me say this about the NCLB: while laudable in its goal, no reasonable person could have expected it to succeed in the real world. Some people are going to fail. Life sucks, but that is the truth. While it is noble to want help the failures at some point, you have hand them an apron and teach them to ask the customer if they want fries with their order.

Teachers are blaming the lack of parent involvement, which is really hypocritical when they constantly tell parents that they are not adequate when it comes to educating their kids, and over the years have sought to seize more and more control over your child. Administrators are blaming poverty, which will come as news for some of our past presidents, whom I seem to recall rose to the highest office in the land after spending a childhood in a log cabin with no running water or electricity and studied by candlelight.

No, what happened in Georgia, and mainly in Atlanta, is administrators wishing to keep drawing their six-figure salaries started fudging the data and in turn exerted pressure on the teachers. Teachers being predisposed to moral weakness and imbued with a philosophy that there is no right or wrong, only varying degrees of gray which can always be explained away to justify one's actions joined in. Soon these educators no longer knew right from wrong and cheating on tests and fudging data on other reports just became the accepted standard. It isn't just the competency tests that were changed, most other areas related to reporting of information related to the NCLB rules were also.

The investigators’ report, officials said, depicts a culture that rewarded cheaters, punished whistle-blowers and covered up improprieties.

Administrators no longer accurately reported bullying or assaults at their schools. Absenteeism was modified to show no problems and when it absolutely, positively became imperative to suspend a student it was more then likely an honor student for some sort of violation of the Zero Tolerance policy then it was the gang-banger selling crack in the hallway.

The report’s release comes less than a week after Hall departed from the district. It is likely to provide the harshest critique to date of her 12-year tenure, which reached an apex in 2009 when she was named Superintendent of the Year for the nation. [ed-Beverly Hall was the Superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools]

This report, while conducted in Georgia, and concentrated mainly on the Atlanta school system, could have been done anywhere; it is just that the governor could no longer ignore the smell and is indeed an indictment of the government-run school system. A system that is corrupt and dysfunctional at all levels, and like drug addicts, they seek to affix blame everywhere but where it belongs.

UPDATE: This thing is bigger then anybody imagined. Basically if you have a kid in the Atlanta School system they are screwed thanks to those wonderful professional "teachers" and "administrators". The full report is here. I don't know where the kids go to repair the damage. The next time you see your local teachers union out on strike or protesting, drop a copy of this report at their feet. If it happened in Atlanta you have to wonder how many other places it has/is occurring. A powerful indictment of academia in this country which so easily leaves their morals at the door.

Thanks to Instapundit for the link. Make sure to read today's update to this story. Yes, it gets worse.

In Praise of Local News

Often bloggers are accused of being the antithesis of traditional journalists and news media because of what seems to be our constant criticism of them. I want to take a moment to offer a little bit of praise for the guys and gals who work studiously for local news outlets.

It is because of the efforts of a couple of reporters for the Chicago Tribune that we became aware of how the Obamas rose to power and used the Chicago political machine to remove obstacles to their ambitions. Another recent case has been the shooting of Iraqi war veteran Guerena by the Pima County police force. The reporters there have worked tirelessly to piece together the story and get the information out. Both of those cases represent just how inadequate the big boys can be at reporting and reflect great credit upon those working on the local level.

Now comes another case that, while lacking the drama, is nonetheless important because it involves a group near and dear to my heart, our US military.

The story started with a YouTube video, like so many stories seem to trace their origins to nowadays, from a couple of NCO's complaining about baggage fees they were charged by Delta Airlines on their return from Afghanistan. At first blush, this story was unthinkable, but thanks to the work of some reporters at a local Atlanta channel, 11 Alive, we got more of the story and indeed got the ball rolling on getting the matter addressed.

The first kudo goes to Bill Liss, a consumer reporter for the channel who, upon being made aware of the video, went straight to the sourc--Delta Airlines--to get their side of the story. At that time, Delta issued the standard no comment. 11 Alive hosts an interactive portion of their newscast once their on-air presentation is over and it was during this session that they got a real sense of just how much this story meant to their viewers. The host Brenda Woods and producer Chris Sweigart began asking questions of those participating in the live chat and also informing them of what questions they were going to pursue. Watching this in action was fascinating, and the sense of commitment they conveyed to get to the bottom of the story came through, so I sat with crossed fingers to see what would happen.

I knew not to expect much overnight, but on each subsequent newscast they provided updates on the story. Right now the story stands at Delta issuing a statement promising to look into the matter, but thanks to the efforts of the 11 Alive crew they aren't letting Delta sit behind a mere statement and I expect that further action will be taken.

In fairness to Delta, they are not the only airline charging service members baggage fees. The reporters uncovered that United and Continental also do. For most travelers, they are probably wondering why baggage fees for service members is such a big deal. We all have to pay them, after all. True, but how many of you as a condition of employment must deploy for a year to war zone then pack up all of your worldly possessions, including your military issued gear, and return back to your home office? It is the charging of service members for having to carry their required equipment that causes the heartburn. Like the soldier in the video states, his fourth bag contained an M4 outfitted with a grenade launcher and a 9mm pistol, items that the TSA sort of frown upon as carry-on luggage.

Anyway, I just wanted to start your day out with a little bit of good news concerning our mass market media, but I have stated many times in the past that the local guys do a far better job then the national guys, and if you want to get to the root of a story you need to visit the source and not rely on the big guys. Also, I want to send more praise to the 11 Alive folks, who awhile back promised to present a newscast that was not merely a recap of the police blotter report and for making their news more engaging for their viewers. They host the interactive sessions several times a day, including an editorial session around 3 PM everyday for folks to sit in on to provide input on the stories that will make it on air during their regular 6 PM newscast. For folks in Georgia I encourage you check out the 11 Alive web site and get a glimpse of what the future of news is going to be. Interactive, engaged, with realtime feedback and more in touch with those whom they serve.

UPDATE: From Delta

After careful consideration, effective immediately, U.S. military personnel traveling on orders in First and Business Class can check up to five bags at no charge. This change also adds dependents traveling with active military on orders. Each bag may weigh up to 70 lbs. (32 kg) and measure up to 80 linear inches (203 cm), which offers added flexibility over the standard 50 lbs. and 62 linear inches (157 cm) allotment. Because of weight, balance and space constraints, Delta Connection carriers will accept up to four bags at no charge. You can read the updates to the travel policy on delta.com.

Before we get too excited, however, I need to point out that this policy only applies to those flying in First/Business class. Most, if not all military fly in coach, so I am not sure this change will have much if any impact. C'mon, Delta, you've got to do better.

Correction: While not contained in the explanation on the blog site, on their parent site they do list the new rules and indeed those flying in economy class are now allowed 4 bags at no charge.

Active duty U.S. military personnel traveling on orders to or from duty stations are allowed up to four checked bags in Economy Class and up to five checked bags in First and Business Class on Delta and Delta Connection® carriers at no charge. Each bag may weigh up to 70 lbs. (32 kg) and measure up to 80 linear inches (203 cm).

Thanks, Delta, for making this right.

I still give all the credit to the folks at WXIA 11 Alive in Atlanta who pursued this matter and I hope they continue to pursue it until Delta realizes that the military doesn't fly First Class, especially on unit moves like this one.

Emmy Award Winning Editor Lies, Journalistic Integrity Dies

He has won eight Emmy's, is the editor-in-chief of a weekly publication geared towards the African-American community, a staunch Democrat supporter and master of playing 5 card Hold 'Em race poker.

Oh yeah, and he lies about being assaulted at a metro Atlanta commuter station in an attempt to ratchet up pressure against the so-called rapid transit system.

Longtime Atlanta broadcaster Maynard Eaton has retracted comments made last Friday about an alleged attempted robbery at the Peachtree Center MARTA station.

Eaton had told the AJC he tumbled down an escalator after a group of young men tried to steal his laptop. The AJC used Eaton's account as part of a story on MARTA safety. On Tuesday Eaton left a voicemail with the newspaper saying, "I made some comments about MARTA ... that I’d like to retract. I simply fell and hurt my own self."

According to an incident report provided by MARTA, Eaton told the officer he "missed a step" on the escalator, causing him to fall. The officer wrote that Eaton was intoxicated.

All the news that's fit fabricated to be news.

Jeez, isn't it nice that bloggers don't have to live up to that whole journalistic integrity thing?

A Tale of Two Schools or Why School Choice Is Important

A recent incident in the beleaguered Dekalb county school system, yet another metro Atlanta school district facing an accreditation battle, points up just why having a school choice is important.

The first participant is Lithonia High School. Last year the school did not meet the goals in the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) as outlined under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program, and as a result parents were allowed to transfer their kids to a better school.

Well many of the parents did just that and transferred their kids to a Arabia Mountain High School.

There are some distinct differences between the two schools. Arabia requires the wearing of uniforms and boasts of it's numerous academic achievements, although in fairness I am not sold on their whole environmental theme.

Near 100% pass rate on the Georgia High School Writing Test
Highest participation rate of any Georgia high school in the Garden Club of Georgia’s annual essay contest
Technology Student Association (TSA) – 2nd place in System Control Technology at the 2010 State Conference
TSA – 1st place in Agriculture and Biotechnology Design at the 2010 State Conference
TSA – 1st place in Electronic Game Design at the 2010 State Conference
TSA – Arabia’s Andrew W. elected as the 2010-2011 TSA State Reporter
TSA Vex Robotics team winners at the DeKalb County Vex Tournament
3rd place win in the Iron Chef High School Competition held at the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School
Nine Arabia Mountain students were selected to perform in the 2009 Spivey Hall Honor Chorus

Lithonia applauds their athletes and on their main page post several warnings to the students and parents.

Punctuality plays an important role in the development of our students, and being on time to class further ensures optimal class time for instructional purposes.

As we monitor our hallways, we have noticed the number of students intentionally not arriving to class on time has increased. As you are aware, tardies are disruptive and interrupt the entire class during instructional time. Students having four classes in close proximity to each other and five minutes to transition to class on time, it is a reasonable expectation that all students are in class before the tardy bell sounds.

We have instituted a tardy lock-out process where occasional, random, unannounced tardy lock-outs will take place. Those students “swept” up in the lock-out will be escorted to the commons area where a discussion regarding punctuality will take place. The students will sign in, receive their tardy, and report to class. The awarded tardies will be cumulative, though if caught in a tardy lock-out, the following progressive discipline consequences will take place:

1st tardy lock-out : Warning/Parent Phone Call
2nd : Detention/Parent Phone Call
3rd : One Day In School Suspension/Parent Phone Call
4th : One Day Out of School Suspension with a
principal-parent conference and behavior contract
5th : Referral to School Social Worker

and

If a student misses 10 days of school, the Department of Motor Vehicles will rescind their driver's license or permit.

So what happened? Due to overcrowding at the high performing school the school was forced to bring in trailers. Citing a lack of space at the good school they located the trailers on the failing school grounds with the predictable results.

A fight, a near riot and vandalized trailers are why DeKalb County school officials moved 155 students from one campus to another Monday.

The county is going to separate the two schools but this points to one of the main arguments parents make for having a choice in which schools to send their kids too. Parents who are involved and concerned about their kids want to be able to send them to a school where they can have a chance to succeed. They want to get them out of an environment where low expectations are the norm. Remember the students at the high achieving school used to attend the low performing one, but once they were removed from that situation they suddenly became hated. When you punish success, or even the attempt at success you breed a mentality that becomes a deep seated hatred of those trying to climb above the station in life that has been assigned to them.

That applies to academics, business or any other endeavor in life. This lesson is lost on the fairness arguing folks. Life ain't fair. Never has been, never will. In the end we are left the choice to accept what happens to us and use it as an excuse to justify our failures or we treat it as a challenge and rise above it in spite of the obstacles.

Relax, It's Still Cool To Beat Up White Folks

Most people are aware by now of a beating of what has been revealed was a transgendered woman at a McDonalds in Baltimore. Now comes word that the police and prosecutors are looking into charging the two women involved with a hate crime. No, not because the attack was black on white but rather because the victim was transgender.

You see white folks ain't on a protected list so it is still open season on them. Do you see the flaw in these so-called hate crime laws?

In Atlanta they had a gang of about 20 youths, all black, attack two Delta employees aboard the commuter train. While little is known about the victims this is not being classified as a hate crime.

A Lesson In How To Scam Tax Dollars

I can not be the only one who is getting fed up with all of the lies, and that is what they are, that spew out of liberal politicians mouths. Unfortunately we live in a society that doesn't read beyond the headlines, or an email in this case and their expert opinion on matters is based on information provided in 10 second soundbites on their 6 or 11 newscast.

It is an established fact that the Democrats know as much about creating private sector jobs as they know about anything military related.

Rep John Lewis recently sent an email newsletter to the folks who have signed up for it in which he made the claim that a proposed streetcar project in Atlanta, here we go with the Dems love of trains again, in which he made the wild claim that it would create a gazillion jobs.

Even better, it would create jobs, according to a newsletter to constituents from U.S. Rep. John Lewis. Under the header "New jobs created by the Streetcar project," it said the line would generate 1,399 jobs to build and run it, and an additional 4,204 when it spurs economic development in surrounding neighborhoods.

Somebody sent the story to PolitiFact for a little research of these pie in the sky numbers and they were able to quickly label this as False. In more sleight of hand accounting that has got to infuriate Bernie Madoff, Lewis used figures provided to him by the group which applied for the taxpayer funds to hoodwink the feds. In reality the number of jobs that would be created, and I don't think created is even an accurate term since those who get the contract will probably use mostly current employees. The basic scheme behind these numbers is to count the same job for each year of the project, so for example if you employed 10 people for 10 years that equals 100 jobs using their new math.

Regarding the streetcar project. It is an attempt to recapture a time from Atlanta's past and it does have a certain appeal but Atlanta's biggest problem is that it does not really have what some would term a tourist area. The closet we have is an area known as Five Points which is where you will find attractions such as the Aquarium, the Coca-Cola Museum and Centennial Olympic Park. After you have made the rounds there you are left with not much else to do. The city has been struggling for years with trying to build some sort of character that would put Atlanta on the minds of people but they just can't seem to get it right. The biggest problem is that when the sun goes down most sensible people make sure they are outside of "The Perimeter". The perimeter is the area formed by I-285 which circles the city. They killed off the nightlife which used to abound in an area of town called Buckhead after some high profile killings, at least one of them involving Ray Lewis of the NFL. The other nightlife hot spot was Underground Atlanta but the same story. Criminals took over and regular patrons left. Venues that are hard to get to with the lack of security leaves most events for those visiting from out of town. They can't seem to figure out why sporting events have low attendance, especially those that take place at night. They are more likely to sell out a football or baseball game if it takes place during daylight then they will at night.

Anyway, this post is about a congress critter telling folks what they want to hear in order to secure our tax dollars for a project that will quite honestly probably yield little benefit either in the way of jobs or what it's intended purpose once completed is. We just come full circle on this spending argument though. Everybody says cut spending just don't cut my allowance. Hey, congress. Somebody is always going to be upset, so man up, grow up, step on a few toes and let's cut the damn spending.

Where Not To Live

Some group has come up with a list of the 25 most dangerous places to live in America and it should be no surprise that the boyhood home of our most famous community organizer tops the list, but 4 of the deadliest areas are in Atlanta, and in reality concentrated in one area.


The map shows the driving route if you went from point to point based on the zip codes given for the area. Gee don't see no pattern there. This is the infamous, for those of us who live in the area, southwest side of Atlanta. You only go there if you have a death wish.

'Spiritual' Traveler Arrives At Final Destination

Some stories just beg to be snarked on, and while this one is tragic, this one is just so full of all of those time hippie concepts that it is just asking for it.

But, said Amber Desilet, 25, of Tampa, who met him six years ago when she was a community college student in Tallahassee, Thornton didn't really have a home.

"He was a wandering gypsy," she said. "And over the years he just grew into this amazing spiritual being. I've never met anyone like him."

The first clue was her name was Amber. The object of her affection was found dead this week on somebodies patio after falling from an upper story while attending a party which had liberal amounts of alcohol and cocaine present.

The occupant of the 18th floor apartment, Jimmy Velez, told investigators that he had a party that night "where they drank and did cocaine," according to a police report obtained Wednesday.

Jimmy sounds like a winner doesn't he. Admitting to police that you had cocaine in your premises. Well stupid is, as stupid does. Remember kids, this is your brain on drugs.

The dearly departed, Zachary Thornton or Jay Tree or whatever name he was going by was a drifter. He would wander around the country, snagging the occasional airheaded chick and getting money from who knows where to fuel his fun and frolic before blowing town and heading somewhere else.

He traveled lightly, carrying a few changes of clothes and a beloved red accordion on which he played a variety of music, including reggae, Desilet said. Recently, he called her from New Mexico to tell her he'd gotten married and changed his name to Jay Tree, she said, adding that he had an abiding interest in Native American history and culture.

Desilet said Thornton brought his bride for a visit to Tampa and called her his "soulmate" but that she didn't believe the marriage was a formal one. "It was more of a spiritual union I came to find out," she said.

I haven't seen this much reference to spiritual, mystical, wandering lifestyle since the death of hippie movement in the early 70's. The bottom line is he was drifter sponging off of the good will and money of others, partying hard and when he felt he was wearing out his welcome he would board a bus or start hitchhiking is way out of town.

Domestic Violence Lobbyist Kills Husband

File this under truth is stranger then fiction. A 45-year-old woman killed her 26-year-old husband after just five days of marital bliss. Her occupation is as a lobbyist speaking against domestic violence. The shooting itself was strange since the woman dressed in a robe with a shower cap and calmly walked up to her beloved on a downtown street and shot him.

A 45-year-old woman, charged with ending a domestic dispute by killing her 26-year-old husband of five days, is a registered lobbyist for a group fighting domestic violence.

Arelisha Bridges was ordered held without bond in the Fulton County Jail. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing later this month on charges of felony murder, murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Officials said Bridges claimed she was unemployed. But records show she is a lobbyist for an organization called the National Declaration for Domestic Violence Order; its Web site says the group is pushing legislation to create a database of those convicted of sex crimes or domestic abuse.

I blame Al Gore and all of the snow we have been getting around here lately.

Secession Battle Brewing In Atlanta

Having a front row seat to this story, and seeing that it is now making waves outside of the Atlanta area, I guess it is alright to put my 2¢ in.

Those who have existed off of the taxes paid by the producers in the northern part of the county are the ones wishing to make this about race. They are Democrats after all and everything is all about race to them. The true fuel behind this fire is financial. The residents of the northern part of Fulton county, which encompasses the city of Atlanta, are sick and tired of having their tax money sent down the road while they get nothing in return.

What nobody can answer is how is it that the sides of the county managed to get this way. Well the answer isn't race, but it is related to personal beliefs that guide your life.

The difference between Republican and Democrats is no better illustrated then it is here. In the south is the folks who wish for the state to care for them from cradle to grave, never having to be responsible for their actions and always blaming their plight on somebody else.

To the north, a group that still believes in what has always led to success in this country. Self reliance, risk taking, and initiative to do things for ones self.

What used to be Milton County is now largely white and Republican and affluent. Atlanta and its southern suburbs are mostly black, are controlled by Democrats and have neighborhoods with some of the highest poverty rates in America. Buckhead, a trendy Atlanta neighborhood known for its clubs, restaurants and mansions, would remain in Fulton County.

The other issue, which is sort of a which came first, the chicken or the egg, type argument. Do you become a Democrat because you are poor, or are you poor because you are a Democrat? The same question goes to somebody who identifies with the Republican party.

Well you can't change your skin color. You can change your politics. If I thought for one minute that adapting some sort of philosophy would improve my lot in life I would probably pursue it enthusiastically. Instead of heaping scorn on those who succeed and demanding that they give me what they have earned I want them to share with me how they did it.

No, what is brewing in Fulton county in Georgia is not about race. It is about money and finances. The reason this will probably never make it through the state house is because the city of Atlanta also relies on the tax money paid by the residents of the northern part of the county, and they hold enough seats in the state house to block any efforts for this cash cow to leave. Atlanta is already in so much debt because of its' decades of Democrat leadership that there is no way they would let their Republican brethren leave to fend for themselves, and just further show the failings of liberal policies.

The recent mayoral election for Atlanta pointed this divide out dramatically. Both candidates were Democrats, one was a white woman, the other a black man. The black man once he accused the woman of being a Republican, a charge which was blatantly false, and by promising to give folks in the southern part of the city even more goodies won the election. What he hasn't explained yet is how he is going to pay for any of it since the city has about a $14 million shortfall.

By the way the people cited in the report claiming that this is about race are all Democrats and black.