A Chance to Make Good Reflection

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This article had many different subjects but I think the main theme was the tough journey that blacks went through in the face of mistreatment by whites. Before the Civil War the Ohio river and the Mason-Dixon line was the line between slavery and freedom. After the Civil War this line had still served as a divider in racial equality. Blacks had many more opportunities in the North and were treated with a little more respect. This is not to say that there was equality in the North, but it was a much more favorable environment than in the South. The Dred Scott v. Sanford case highlighted the issues on a national level when it ruled that blacks "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect." This ruling was dealt with the issue of newly freed slaves in the South, but became applicable to the nation at large. 
This ruling, along with many of the policies that were carried out after that war, show that racism was still very prevalent. Even in the North, were Blacks could migrate for a chance at a better life they were faced with discrimination and unnecessarily difficult circumstances. Blacks were forced to develop public institutions within their own communities in order to ensure they had some equality in education, community centers, etc. Through adversity many leaders emerged that helped the black community pull itself up from its' bootstraps and develop a community in which people could rely on each other. It is unfortunate that blacks had to go through extra adversity in the decades after their emancipation. It is a testament to their resolve that blacks have created an environment in which they can be seen on the most part, as equals. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Speech: "Beyond Vietnam"

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In Martun Luther King Jr.'s speech, on April 4, 1977, he has a much different tone than in many of his other famous speeches. It also happened to be exactly one year prior to his death in 1968. His "I have a Dream" speech was much more national oriented rather than directed at a international audience.

In King's "Beyond Vietnam" he spoke outrightly against the United States of America's involvement in the war in Vietnam. His speach showed the great task he was taking on as being more than just a leader in the "Civil rights movement." King speaking out about Vietnam- and against it no less- showed that he accepted his role as someone of great predominance in the United States of America.

Although Martin Luther King Jr. greatly displays his disagreement with the war in Vietnam, he also ties in United States African American civil rights into his arguments against the war. He points out the sheer absurdity of sending sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands of lower class African American families over to risk their lives in a war for freedoms of those in Southeast Asia- freedoms that had not even been granted to them.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech on April 4, 1967 at New York City's riverside Church was a very impactful speech and in hindsight it shows how many of his political views were extending beyond just the United States of America and, had he not been assassinated, he may have gone on to even great predominance than he already was.

Gary Okihio's Impounded Reflection

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Prior to this reading and our discussion in class I had no idea about the treatment of Japanese Americans before their internment. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 by Japan. The subsequent events following that bombing divided the United States from some of its own citizens. The government became suspicious of spies being within the United States borders and focused primarily on those with Japanese descent. The article quoted an approximate 120,000 Japanese-Americans that were sent to internment camps until the war with Japan was finished.
The blatant discrimination and racism that this act shows is simply unconscionable. National security is definitely an important issue that the U.S. government has to deal with, but this takes it a bit too far. Benjamin Franklin said that he who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither. Japanese Americans fell into this category except they had this sacrifice delegated to them by the government. Our country was founded upon the ideal of freedom, and therefor I think that this ideal should be afforded to all individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, etc. This action was certainly a mistake and I hope that the government has learned a lesson from it. To be American is to be free, and if we take that away from an entire group of Americans, what is it to be American?

"Amos 'n' Andy" Response

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Amos 'n' Andy was a radio comedy in the 1920's to 1950's in America. It exploited the racial stereotypes of African Americas in America in a disgusting manner. The main characters were purposely drawn as stereotypically to African Americans as possible. They had overly full lips and were made to seem extremely lazy. These are two things that are huge stereotypes of Blacks in America today and seemingly have been very big racial stereotypes of that race for sometime.



The creators Gosden and Correll were two people who were very familiar with the minstral traditions of early times. I found this very interesting that they were familiar with minstral traditions and chose to make their show using the stereotypes of African Americans. The minstral shows were also based in theory on the "happy go lucky darky on the plantation"- a seeming stereotype of the timeperiod of the minstral shows.

Amos 'n' Andy had some absolutely ridiculous aspects however there were some interesting things. The things I found most interesting were the creators prior knowledge of the minstral traditions as well as the fact that they blatantly displayed African Americans in a racist manner even in a time where African American civil rights were starting to gain steam in an American culture.

A Consumer's Republic

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I found the subject of "A Consumer's Republic" to be very interesting, as the book made many valid points that are often forgotten today.  I liked that she used many examples throughout her writing to illustrate her various points, including many from the Depression and World War II.  She shows how being a citizen in the United States of America in the post-war era has been drastically redefined by consumerism.  I also enjoyed the arguments she made and examples she gave about women and minorities during this time period, and how the effect they had on consumerism was later redeemed through Civil Rights movements of the 50s and 60s.
After reading this thought-provoking book, I feel much more educated about the United States twentieth century economic history.  Although I thought the book to be very interesting, I also found it difficult to follow at times because of the many long, winding sentences that are a part of her writing style.  I found myself having to re-read sections quite often in order to fully understand her argument.  However, I would definitely recommend this book to others, as it does a great job of depicting and analyzing consumerism.

When Seconds Matter

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AFD Ladder Truck #1
One critical component of war that has not changed since the dawn of civilization is the advantage of occupying the high ground--the quicker the better.  A major structure fire is a formidable foe where warlike strategies are brought to bear for a quick decisive victory, that oftentimes can make a life or death difference.

Ladder Truck #1 is like a big ol' battleship: a formidable tool for dealing with a formidable enemy...but, she requires lots of maneuvering room and a firm ground for footing.

A dozen years ago when the downtown Boltwood Walk Parking Garage war raged (yes, politics is also warlike)  one of the details NIMBYs pounced upon was the public safety concern that AFD could not maneuver the ladder truck over most of the new garage if an underground component was added.  

Town officials came up with simple plan for the ladder truck to get to the adjacent Clark House, a six story structure operated by the Amherst Housing Authority, loaded with senior citizens and folks with physical handicaps.  
Artisans beveled the curb at the Main Street garage entrance 20 feet across to allow a large heavy vehicle to easily pass up and over, and granite pavers were supposed to be sprinkled throughout the lawn area to add stability so that a firetruck would not get stuck.Curb beveled to allow easy vehicular access but no pavers added to greenway
Fast forward to today.  The pavers were never installed, two "Handicapped Parking" signs are now a direct obstruction and a ginkgo tree was recently planted that years from now may also be in the way (although all firetrucks carry a chainsaw).
 Signs need to go, large tree (center) needs branches pruned backClark House southern end 

Adjacent Ann Whalen Apartments are more easily accessible via Kellogg Avenue and using the parking lot the ladder truck could get to the halfway point of Clark House, but not the southernmost end




Rear side Ann Whalen (right) and northern side Clark House (left) which combined contain 180 units of affordable housing for the elderly, disabled and low income families
As it currently stands the ladder truck can only get to the southern end of Clark House with great difficulty because of two extra, time consuming 90 degree turns. Town officials or the Amherst Redevelopment Authority need to revert back to the original more efficient safety plan. Soon.

Yes, both apartment complexes are sprinklered--but then, so were the Twin Towers. And we already saw the horrific results of innocent civilians having to chose between death by fire, or death by fall.

Más Mexicano

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 Mission Cantina 485 West Street, South Amherst
Although Form Based Zoning, an attempt to stimulate development and create a village center, did not pass muster at Town Meeting for the Atkins Corner in deep South Amherst, the commercial area about a mile north of there is doing just fine--and this new restaurant in particular is thriving.

Mission Cantina opened last summer nestled in the spot formerly occupied by Andiamo and ever since then the parking lot is routinely full. The Mexican restaurant goes before the zoning board on June 7 to seek permission to expand into the adjacent space formerly occupied by South Amherst Liquor Mart who sold their assets to Cousins Market in the center of town last year.

Currently the restaurant only has four tables so, unless you arrive at 4:00 PM opening, waiting is all but guaranteed.  But the expansion should alleviate that. And a bit of competition perhaps.

Because meanwhile, a sombrero throw away, El Comalito, another Mexican restaurant, prepares to open in the old space formerly occupied by Latinos.  Mission Cantina has already proven that customers will flock to South Amherst like it's the American Southwest, so perhaps another offering will only enhance that atmosphere of a culinary destination place.


El Comalito 460 West Street, South Amherst

Wasted Legal Expenses

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Amherst Regional High School
One of the main reasons cited by the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee for hitting the snooze button on deciding later start times for Amherst regional secondary schools was the impact on the already fragile condition of school athletics--underscored by no longer sustainable annual subsidies of $50,000.

Yet this same diffident committee has looked the other way after deciding 18 months ago to fire attorney Giny Tate from "Special Education" matters for the school system. However they allow Tate (or more specifically allow Superintendent Maria Geryk to allow her) to continue litigating an expensive case or two when the other legal provider (Dupere & Dupere) could have handled them for no extra charge.

If Murphy Hesse Toomey & Lehane (Tate's firm) really were all that good, then why does Amherst (according to the state DOE website) spend twice the state average for "legal settlements"?

And this additional superfluous legal expense has already exceeded $42,000 for the first three quarters of the current fiscal year.

Tennis anyone?

FY12 Legal $ Amherst Region

Shutesbury Library: Noose Tightens

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 And NO, it will be
The desperate motion by attorney Michael Pill and FRIENDS OF THE M.N. SPEAR MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY, INC. for a review by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court of Judge Rup's recent decision to throw out his grown children's two yes votes in the overly contentious failed Shutesbury Library $1.4 million override vote has been denied.

The case remains in the appeals court but this attempt to leapfrog that judicial arena would have fast tracked the case thus giving it a chance to be heard before the June 30 deadline for the town to accept a $2.1 million state grant towards construction of the $3.5 million library.  Now it as all but assured the June 30 deadline cannot be met.  A very expensive overdue notice for sure.
 
Maybe now would be a good time for, um, compromise?

  Supreme Judicial Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

RE:    No. DAR-20760

FRIENDS OF THE M.N. SPEAR MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY, INC. & others
vs.
BOARD OF REGISTRARS OF VOLTERA OF THE TOWN OF SCHUTESBURY & others

Franklin Superior Court No. FRCV2012-00014
A.C. No. 2012-P-0843

    NOTICE OF DENIAL OF APPLICATION FOR DIRECT APPELLATE REVIEW

Please take note that on May 24, 2012, the above-captioned Application for Direct Appellate Review was denied.

Susan Mellen, Clerk

Dated: May 24, 2012

To:  William A. McDermott, Jr., Esquire
Michael Pill, Esquire
Donna L. Macnicol, Esquire
Alan Seewald, Esquire
Franklin Superior Court Dept.

Like loaves & fishes

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 249 South Pleasant Street, Amherst
The Planning Board will discuss this cute Amherst College owned house in my neighborhood as AC goes before them on June 6 for the easy to attain site plan review permission to double from a one to a two family dwelling thus allowing, duh, two families--or as is the case with conversions in most other parts of town, eight unrelated housemates (code for "college students").

This makes the third Amherst College owned house (out of 31 formerly "single family") to recently double in ocupancy, although planner Christine Brestrup confirms it will be the last for a while.  Amherst College is also busy building the new $200 million science center, and a bevy of renovation projects including a dormitory, Pratt Field, and the old Fiber Arts building in downtown Amherst.

Fiber Arts Building, downtown Amherst

GOP Blasts Obama For Advertising Benefits Of Obamacare, Ignores Larger Campaign Under Bush

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GOP Blasts Obama For Advertising Benefits Of Obamacare, Ignores Larger Campaign Under Bush
By Igor Volsky on May 23, 2012 at 11:30 am
Republicans are criticizing the Department of Health and Human Services for signing a $20 million contract with a public relations firm to educate Americans about the preventive health benefits included in the Affordable Care Act. The campaign — mandated by the law — “must describe the importance of prevention while also explaining preventive benefits provided by the healthcare law,” essentially informing the public about the availability of preventive services without additional co-pays.
The GOP touted the benefits of preventive medicine before Obama signed health reform into law and claimed that it could help lower the nation’s skyrocketing health care costs. But they’re now denouncing this campaign as an “unconstitutional” “propaganda” effort:
– SARAH PALIN: “This is one of the stupidest things I’ve heard coming out of the Obama administration. Not only is this, of course, pending in court, and I think it will be deemed unconstitutional, but this is a propaganda piece, which I think violates many of the procurement laws and other laws applicable to government contracts. This is propaganda. It’s just promoting ‘ObamaCare.’” [Fox News, 5/22/2012]
– JOHN MCCAIN: “Outrageous waste of taxpayer $ to promote #Obamacare – ‘HHS signs $20M PR contract to promote healthcare law’ [Twitter, 5/22/2012]
– ROY BLUNT: “It’s unacceptable that Pres Obama intends to waste $20M on the taxpayer’s dime to sell U.S. on unpopular #ObamaCare” [Twitter, 5/22/2012]
– RON JOHNSON: “$20M for marketing #ObamaCare? This is a wasteful inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.” [Twitter, 5/22/2012]
President George W. Bush also used federal funds to promote the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, which established the existing prescription drug benefit. In that case, however, an investigation by the Government Accountability Office and HHS’s own inspector General concluded that the federally funded campaign — which cost tax payers upwards of $23 million — was “misleading” and “may also have illegally used public money to make what in effect were fake news reports about the law that did amount to propaganda.”
In February of 2004, the administration distributed brochures and launched a $12 million radio, television, and Internet ad campaign to promote the Medicare reforms. “We’re going to provide seniors with straight answers,” said then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. “We’re going to let them know what benefits are coming and when.” Critics charged that the ads were misleading and some stations even stopped showing the spots.
In 2009, the GOP also defended Humana’s alleged use of federal dollars and data to send deceptive brochures warning Medicare customers that health reform will cut “important benefits and services.” Republicans rallied behind the insurer and accused Democrats of “trying to keep seniors in the dark about the consequences of congressional Democrats’ costly government-run health care bills.” But now they’re trying to undermine a campaign that will shine a light on prevention. Perhaps they’re worried that the more Americans learn about the law, the more they’ll like it.

Exclusive: New euro bailout fund may not have sufficient staff

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Exclusive: New euro bailout fund may not have sufficient staff


By Matthias Sobolewski
BERLIN | Wed May 23, 2012 8:07am EDT
(Reuters) - An external consulting firm charged with evaluating the structure of Europe's new permanent rescue facility has raised questions about whether it will have enough staff to function effectively, according to documents seen by Reuters.

In a May 12 letter addressed to Klaus Regling, the head of the bloc's temporary rescue fund, partners at A.T. Kearney warn that the approved staff of 75 for the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) may prove "too small" if the debt crisis rumbles on for several years.

The opinion comes less than six weeks before the ESM is due to come into force and as worries mount that Greece could be forced out of the currency bloc, a step that could fuel contagion to other member states, forcing the new facility into immediate action.

"With 75 people, the team will manage a balance sheet which is potentially 50 percent larger than the largest Sovereign Wealth Funds (Norway and Abu Dhabi), but with a fraction of the people employed," the letter from A.T. Kearney reads.

"Equally, the size is roughly twice the one of the APG Group, the largest European pension fund, which has roughly 700 people in financial operations alone."

A.T. Kearney notes that unlike such funds, the ESM will have little or no freedom to choose the majority of its assets, as these will depend on which euro zone countries require financial assistance. Because of this, it says an argument can be made for having a small team that is of very high quality.

But the consultants add: "Finally, as a market practitioner, we also observe that the current team size, as approved may be too small in size to operate effectively should the current crisis mode continue over a number of years."

The consulting firm says in its letter to Regling that it has been helping his team develop the ESM framework since December 2011.

"UNIQUE RATIOS"

European leaders agreed late last year to move forward the introduction of the ESM by a full year to July 1, 2012. It will raise funding and provide loans to euro zone states threatened by severe financing problems, and also have the power to buy the bonds of stricken members of the currency bloc.

The mechanism is to have an effective lending capacity of 500 billion euros that will be built up over a period of several years.

In a separate official document on the staff structure of the ESM prepared by Regling's team and dated May 11, it is acknowledged that each staff member of the new facility will have "significant responsibility" for the equivalent of 6.6 billion euros if the full lending capacity is exhausted.

"These are unique ratios in financial services and a highly responsible working environment is needed to ensure errorless operations," the document reads.

The existing European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), which will run alongside the ESM for a year before being phased out, employs around 25 people, but it also uses to the help of the staff of the European Central Bank for market operations and the German Debt Office for some other tasks.

The EFSF runs three financing programs -- for Greece, Ireland and Portugal -- and officials say it is understaffed. The ECB has not yet been asked to act as an agent for market operations for the ESM, although some officials said it was likely that it would.

According to the ESM framework document, euro zone government officials have given the new permanent fund a mandate to grow to 75-100 staff. The budget foresees a staff of 50 when it goes into operation in July, with staff rising to 75 by the end of the year.

One EU official familiar with the planning described the proposed size of the ESM staff as "fair", and said it was based on the experience of the EFSF and an opinion of an external consultant.

(Writing by Noah Barkin)

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Obama orders agencies to shift services to mobile application

WASHINGTON | Wed May 23, 2012 12:00pm EDT(Reuters) - President Barack Obama, hoping to spur U.S. innovation in the explosive field of mobile communications, on Wednesday ordered all major federal agencies to make many more of their services available on mobile telephones within the next year."Americans deserve a government that works for them anytime, anywhere, and on any device," Obama said in a statement.His administration has sought to hasten government adoption of new technology since running a 2008 election campaign that was widely praised for the innovative way in which it deployed the Internet and social media to marshal grassroots supporters.The presidential order tells each agency to make at least two services relied upon by the public available on mobile telephones within 12 months.What this means in practical terms is a massive expansion in public access to government data, from healthcare and education to energy and public safety, which the administration hopes will boost jobs along the way by encouraging innovation."The initiatives we're launching today will make government data resources even more accessible to the public and to entrepreneurs who can turn these data into services," said U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park.The Obama administration also released a new digital strategy on Wednesday that it said would drive a more efficient and coordinated delivery of federal services on mobile devices.This will require agencies to set up websites to provide online resources for outside developers, and make government information open and machine-readable by default."By making important services accessible from your phone and sharing government data with entrepreneurs, we are giving hard-working families and businesses tools that will help them succeed," the president said.(Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Jackie Frank)

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Woman Kicked Off Flight For Wearing A Pro-Choice T-Shirt

By Annie-Rose Strasser on May 23, 2012 at 12:30 pm

Woman Kicked Off Flight For Wearing A Pro-Choice T-Shirt
By Annie-Rose Strasser on May 23, 2012 at 12:30 pm
A woman was not allowed to board her connecting flight Tuesday because she was wearing a pro-choice shirt that was too offensive, according to American Airlines.
The woman emailed Jodi Jacobson, editor-in-chief of RH Reality Check, recounting the experience:
Right before we were set to land the flight attendant from first class approaches me and asks if I had a connecting flight? We were running a bit behind schedule, so I figured I was being asked this to be sure I would make my connecting flight. She then proceeded to tell me that I needed to speak with the captain before disembarking the plane and that the shirt I was wearing was offensive.
The shirt was gray with the wording, “If I wanted the government in my womb, I’d fuck a senator.” I must also mention that when I boarded the plane, I was one of the first groups to board (did not pass by many folks). I was wearing my shawl just loosely around my neck and upon sitting down in my seat the lady next to me, who was already seated, praised me for wearing the shirt.
The shirt’s words are actually lifted from a sign used by Oklahoma state Sen. Judy McIntyre (D) at a pro-choice rally. McIntyre told critics who found her sign offensive that “I would hope they would have that same passion about how offensive it is for the Republican Party of Oklahoma to ramrod, because they have the votes to do so, bills that are offensive to women and take away the rights of women.”
American Airlines has an exceptionally strict dress policy, according to CNN. It says that “it can refuse to transport you, or may remove you from your flight for reasons including ‘being clothed in a manner that would cause discomfort or offense to other passengers.’”

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Secret Service chief apologizes for prostitution scandal

By Susan Cornwell and Tabassum ZakariaWASHINGTON | Wed May 23, 2012 12:36pm EDT(Reuters) - The head of the Secret Service, in his first public appearance since a scandal involving Colombian prostitutes and his employees, apologized for the misconduct on Wednesday but lawmakers expressed doubt that this was an isolated incident.Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan, gray-haired in a blue striped suit and tie, faced the Senate Homeland Security Committee and asserted that the behavior of a dozen employees in Cartagena last month did not reflect the culture of the agency."I am deeply disappointed and I apologize for the misconduct of these employees and the distraction that it has caused," Sullivan said."Over the past several weeks, we have been under intense scrutiny as a result of this incident. To see the agency's integrity called into question has not been easy," he said.In the biggest scandal to hit the agency that protects the president, a dozen Secret Service employees were accused of misconduct for bringing women, some of them prostitutes, back to their hotel rooms in Colombia, ahead of a presidential trip.Senator Susan Collins, the senior Republican on the committee, said "the behavior is morally repugnant." She and other senators said they found it difficult to believe the misconduct was an isolated incident.Collins said there was no excuse for such "recklessness" and that the Secret Service employees had "willingly made themselves potential targets" and could easily have been drugged, kidnapped or blackmailed.Sullivan told the senators that it was "just absurd" to believe that this type of behavior was condoned by the agency in any way.Sullivan listened to senator after senator express concern about the actions of his employees in Colombia, including Senator Joseph Lieberman, the chairman of the committee, who called it a "sordid story.""That reputation, a great reputation, was badly stained last month when 11 Secret Service employees engaged in a night of heavy drinking in Cartagena, Colombia, which ended with them taking foreign nationals, women, back to their hotel rooms," said Lieberman, an independent.Lieberman, one of several lawmakers who has been briefed on the incident, described the evening in mid-April when the men, in separate groups of two to four, went to different nightclubs and strip clubs, drinking heavily.They returned to their hotel with women, some of whom were prostitutes, and registered them as overnight guests as required by hotel rules.During the course of the investigation, the Secret Service learned that another employee had engaged in similar conduct earlier in the week in Cartagena."If one of the agents had not argued with one of the women about how much he owed her, the world would never have known this sordid story," Lieberman said.(Writing by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Will Dunham)

It is what it is

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 AFD Chief Tim Nelson
Maybe it's a Holyoke thing, as former Police Chief Anthony Scott was widely known and respected for his "call them as he sees them" soundbites the local media thrived on.  Maybe Fire Chief Tim Nelson picked it up from Scott, or maybe--since Nelson served that rough and tumble city for 29 years--the other way around.

While calling a group of Hampshire College kids "idiots" for climbing up on a high roof, in the rain, late at night, may upset the genteel lily white Wimbledon sense of protocol so prevalent in our little town, it certainly was accurate...and succinct.

As the Chief pointed out three months ago when AFD responded to rescue another idiot, "The guy on the mountain made a bad choice but he had a choice. Those people who truly need our help don't have a choice."

Besides, the Chief had just endured almost three hours of Amherst Town Meeting (waiting to defend fire department equipment requests contained in an upcoming capital article), which would put any sane person in a surly mood.

Cost for the 48 minute rescue:  $550

A Vitriolic Debate

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The debate over article #25, Form Based Zoning for North Amherst Village Center, veered towards testy a couple times and in both cases from opponents who would eventually rule the day--but only because, in zoning, a minority can obstruct the will of the majority.


Nathan Turowsky, a rare UMass student member of Town Meeting, described by another youthful rookie member as  "an adorable dorky kid" came close to being escorted from the podium by the constable.  Not so adorable.

And over on the privately owned Amherst Town Meeting listserve a vociferous opponent came back to a positive post from Nancy Buffone, UMass Executive Director of External Relations and fairly long-time Amherst resident, by calling her a "buffoon"-- although he quickly apologized:

 "Today I realized that no matter which side ends up winning tonight, I will have lost. I get no pleasure out of this kind of strife and nastiness that's been going back and forth. I'm probably one of the more guilty folk but I am not alone. The bottom line is that I feel drained and depressed. I probably will not watch Town Meeting tonight because I really can't win win no matter what  the vote is. This has taken a lot out of me."

After article #25 failed to garner a two-thirds super-majority, losing 137-73, there are indeed no winners.

A Fitting Tribute

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 A cutting edge building
Since he was unique, I find it fitting that the George N Parks Minuteman Marching Band Building at UMass is the first of its kind on the Amherst campus to acquire LEED gold certification.  Perhaps if George had paced himself a little more over the years, conserving psychic energy, he would still be with us today.
 George N Parks leads his beloved band on the site of his new building
But he always put everything he had into each and every performance, leading the Power and Class and Class of New England...until there was nothing left to give.

Shine on George N Parks

Section 8 Waiting List will Open for the San Antonio Housing Authority

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SAHA Section 8 Electronic Application System

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List for the San Antonio Housing Authority SAHA, Texas will open on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 with a NEW online application process.

Applications must be submitted electronically with the SAHA web Online Application being available on May 15th at 8:00 am.

All Applications must be Submitted Electronically

Applications must be submitted electronically and can be completed on-line at any time, from any computer. Paper applications will be available only to persons with special needs. Again the on-line application link is https://saha.apply4housing.com/

For those who do not have access to a computer, the San Antonio Housing Authority SAHA has partnered with the San Antonio Public Library system, which has computers available at 23 locations throughout the city.

• Library system will provide special computers for this process.
• Applicants will not need library cards for use of these computers.
• Use of regular library computers will require library card.

Customer Service Call Center

A customer service call center with a toll free number, 877-550-1109, with a bilingual representative has been established. General information will be provided along with the ability to speak with a bilingual representative. Waiting List candidates may schedule an appointment with the Housing Authority representative to complete the on-line application.

Waiting List Rank

Wait List applications received from May 15th through midnight June 1st will be processed and assigned a fixed number. Wait List applicants will be ranked on the waiting list based on the highest number of preference points and the lowest assigned number.

Due to high demand, applicants will remain on the waiting list for 3-5 years. Remember, to be eligible for a Section 8 voucher a families’ income cannot exceed the annual income limits established by SAHA.

For more information go to:

• For submitting an on-line application go to San Antonio Housing Authority Web Site
• For special needs can call 877-550-1109.
• Find a library computer to apply on-line call 210-207-2500.

Related Links, Blog Postings, Presentations or Articles:

• San Antonio Housing Authority Section 8 Press release on SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS web site.
• Section 8 Miami Blog

Written by Bob Burns.

####

Deep in the Heart of Texas! Real Estate Investor Telephone #: 305-300-6242 email: sec8@planocho.com

Our Internet Footprint:

Real Estate Investment Commentary REIC: Section 8 Waiting List will Open for the San Antonio Housing Authority [del.icio.us]

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SAHA Section 8 Electronic Application System

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Waiting List for the San Antonio Housing Authority SAHA, Texas will open on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 with a NEW online application process.

Applications must be submitted electronically with the SAHA web Online Application being available on May 15th at 8:00 am.

All Applications must be Submitted Electronically

Applications must be submitted electronically and can be completed on-line at any time, from any computer. Paper applications will be available only to persons with special needs. Again the on-line application link is https://saha.apply4housing.com/

For those who do not have access to a computer, the San Antonio Housing Authority SAHA has partnered with the San Antonio Public Library system, which has computers available at 23 locations throughout the city.

• Library system will provide special computers for this process.
• Applicants will not need library cards for use of these computers.
• Use of regular library computers will require library card.

Customer Service Call Center

A customer service call center with a toll free number, 877-550-1109, with a bilingual representative has been established. General information will be provided along with the ability to speak with a bilingual representative. Waiting List candidates may schedule an appointment with the Housing Authority representative to complete the on-line application.

Waiting List Rank

Wait List applications received from May 15th through midnight June 1st will be processed and assigned a fixed number. Wait List applicants will be ranked on the waiting list based on the highest number of preference points and the lowest assigned number.

Due to high demand, applicants will remain on the waiting list for 3-5 years. Remember, to be eligible for a Section 8 voucher a families’ income cannot exceed the annual income limits established by SAHA.

For more information go to:

• For submitting an on-line application go to San Antonio Housing Authority Web Site
• For special needs can call 877-550-1109.
• Find a library computer to apply on-line call 210-207-2500.

Related Links, Blog Postings, Presentations or Articles:

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Newt Gingrich Campaign Vendors Wonder If They'll Ever Get Paid

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Newt Gingrich Campaign Vendors Wonder If They'll Ever Get PaidPosted: 04/11/2012 8:09 am Updated: 04/11/2012 1:22 pm
WASHINGTON -- For a long time, Larry Scheffler maintained a hard policy at his Nevada printing company: no credit for politicians. But when a friend called on behalf of GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich In January, saying the candidate needed signs for the upcoming Nevada caucus, Scheffler made an exception."They said they were going to pay right away," Scheffler, 61, said in an interview.Scheffler's company, Las Vegas Color Graphics, produced a trove of campaign materials for Gingrich: 5,000 rally signs, 5,000 bumper stickers, 5,000 lapel stickers, 5,000 cards targeting Hispanic voters, and nearly 100 yard signs. The tab came to $7,439.62.But more than two months after the caucus, Scheffler is still waiting for the check. "We got burned," he said.Like all the GOP presidential hopefuls, Gingrich has cast himself as a champion of small businesses, promising tax relief to American entrepreneurs and a deregulation plan that will spur job growth. But some small businesses are less than pleased with the former House speaker's presidential campaign -- in particular, some of the vendors who have performed work for it. Last month HuffPost reported how Gingrich was ramping up an expensive campaign even as he was running out of money and flagging in the polls. The loose spending should come as little surprise: Gingrich was trailed by 30 years' worth of debts, lawsuits and bankruptcies leading into the campaign.In interviews with HuffPost, many vendors listed in Gingrich's Federal Election Commission debt disclosures said they're still waiting to be paid, weeks or months after finishing work. Several said they've been given the runaround by campaign officials as they've tried to collect. Gingrich has vowed to slog on with his debt-ridden campaign, despite having won a mere 136 delegates, leaving some vendors to wonder when they can expect their checks.Gingrich campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond told HuffPost that Newt 2012 is doing its best to pay people. "Vendors have been contacted and we are paying bills as swiftly as we are able," Hammond said.Gingrich said Sunday that his campaign is "slightly less" than $4.5 million in debt, adding that he dipped into "personal funds" to help keep Newt 2012 moving "on a shoestring.""We owe much more than we wanted to," Gingrich said on Fox News Sunday. "Florida got to be a real brawl. And I think, unfortunately, our guys tried to match Romney and it turned out we didn't have anything like his capacity to raise money."Though Gingrich has long held himself up as a paragon of fiscal responsibility, vendors that include Noiseworks Media have found that the former speaker's campaign is apparently spending money it doesn't have. Based in Coral Gables, Fla., Noiseworks produced a handful of television and radio spots for the campaign, in English as well as Spanish, that aired in Florida and Arizona leading up to those primaries. Disclosure forms peg Gingrich's debt to Noiseworks at $10,500, but the firm's director, Tere Gutierrez, said the tab is closer to $24,000. The firm fronted nearly half of that money to actors, makeup artists and other contractors that the firm needed for the production, Gutierrez said."It's unusual that we don't get paid -- politicians are usually very good at that, they pay immediately," said Gutierrez. But with the Gingrich campaign, "It's getting from bad to worse. ... It's a lot of running around, 'We're going to get to you, we're going to do a payment plan.' We're calling and emailing, calling and emailing, every day. And nothing."According to Gutierrez, Noiseworks had the choice to work for either Gingrich or frontrunner Mitt Romney. But like Larry Scheffler's printing company, Noiseworks decided to do business with Gingrich because of a personal connection.Nobody had to pull strings to get Gregory Fournier doing work for the Gingrich campaign. The president of Florida-based political consulting firm Insite Political, Fournier also happened to be a Gingrich campaign chairman for Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach. Fournier happily performed roughly $5,000 of work for Newt 2012, having signs made for a Florida event and obtaining voter data for the Sunshine State's primary. But getting paid was like "going to war," Fournier said."At first it was, 'Well, they sent out the check, it went out in today's mail.' Then, 'The check was pulled. You have to contact the campaign manager.' He never returned any emails," said Fournier. "Luckily, I saved every single document of the state committee people asking me for stuff."Fournier was eventually paid in full about a month ago, but the experience left him with a bad taste. Adding further insult, he'd made a $2,500 donation to the campaign. He figured all of his support would maybe warrant a handshake, an autographed book or a thank-you, but he said he never got to meet the former speaker. Even so, he still supports Gingrich."It's not the speaker -- I believe in the speaker," Fournier said. "I think logistically his campaign was a mess."Not all the vendors reached by HuffPost had bad experiences with Newt 2012. Daniel Coats, the president of Red Cyclone, a Georgia-based company that produces campaign materials for conservative candidates, said the campaign paid him promptly. "They made good on everything," Coats said, though he also noted, "Our policy is we don't ship until we receive payment."Angel de la Portilla, an Orlando-based political consultant, didn't have such a policy. He said the Gingrich campaign owes him $6,000 for setting up events with Hispanic voters ahead of the Florida primary. (The campaign reported to the government that it owes de la Portilla $3,840.)"I have not yet been paid," de la Portilla said. "I have been told numerous times by different people at the senior level of the campaign that I would be paid. I got an email telling me the check was in the mail."It turned out the check wasn't in the mail. "It's just disappointing they way it's being handled," de la Portilla said.Gingrich's campaign bounced a $500 check last month for the fee to qualify for the Utah ballot, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. The campaign has not responded to the state's calls and a certified letter, according to the report. The campaign has until April 20 to pay the fee or Gingrich won't be on Utah's June 26 ballot.Some vendors may never get paid. Given that the campaign has little in the way of assets, Gingrich would likely need to either pay out of his own pocket or raise enough money from donors to settle the campaign's debts. Raising money becomes less likely as Gingrich's presidential hopes diminish. Vendors can wait years for a campaign to settle up. Former presidential candidate John Glenn famously took 23 years to pay off the roughly $3 million he ran up in campaign debt in 1984.Gingrich on Tuesday vowed to continue his campaign in the wake of Rick Santorum's departure. "I am committed to staying in this race all the way to Tampa so that the conservative movement has a real choice," Gingrich said in a statement.Scheffler, head of the Las Vegas printing company, said his firm has 150 employees and about $30 million in annual sales from printing and mailing political signs."It’s not gonna shove us down," he said of the Gingrich campaign debt. "It just really makes me mad they got the better of me when I knew better."Scheffler said he'd been calling three different Gingrich campaign officials about the debt, but none have gotten back to him in weeks. On Tuesday morning he saw a clip of Gingrich on Fox News, insisting his campaign wasn't going to end. "I am not conceding to Gov. Romney," Gingrich said in the clip, taped the previous evening.Scheffler was not impressed. "I can't believe he's talking like this with all the money he owes and he couldn't care less about the small businesses he's ripping off."Tuesday afternoon, Scheffler said he reached Gingrich on the candidate's mobile phone and said he wanted to be paid. "He said, 'We really ran behind when we were in Florida. I'll try to scrape up some money to get you paid.'"Scheffler said Gingrich hung up without taking down details of the debt.

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Romney Campaign Enlists GOP Women Who Opposed Equal Pay Bills To Attack Obama

By Josh Israel on Apr 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm
As part of its bizarre strategy of blaming President Obama for the GOP’s “war on women,” the Romney campaign released statements today from two Republican Congresswomen, Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The statements correctly note that women have been hit particularly hard by job losses in recent years, butmisleadingly lay the blame for those losses on Obama, just as Romney himself has been doing recently.“Mitt Romney supports pay equity for women and, as president, will do what President Obama has not — implement pro-growth economic policies that will allow women and all Americans to finally get back to work,” wrote McMorris Rodgers. “Women in the Obama economy are facing hardships of historical proportions,” added Bono Mack. “Simply put, women cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama.”But their concern for pay equity and women in the workplace must be a recent development. Both congresswomen voted against the landmark Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 — which empowers women to seek restitution for pay discrimination — and both voted against the proposed Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have made it easier for women to fight pay inequality.This morning, the Romney campaign refused to say during a conference call whether Romney supports the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first law that President Obama signed. The campaign later scrambled to assert that Romney “supports pay equity” and “is not looking to change current law.”

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“Free” Wifi in Hotels | It Ain’t So Free

1Howard Pinsky April 11, 2012 338 viewsArticles
Over the last 2 weeks, while visiting Europe, the only major complaint that I really had was in regards to connectivity. As an international traveler, I’d rather die than turn on roaming on my iPhone. But this isn’t the issue. I can understand why roaming costs are so high. My issue is with something which I would have thought by now, would be a non-issue. WiFi in hotels.

WIFI IN HOTELS | IT AIN’T SO “FREE”

Hotels are known for sucking every last penny out of their guests, whether it’s through $8 colas in the mini fridges, ridiculously priced breakfasts, or hidden Internet costs. What bothers me more, isn’t so much the cost, which I’ll touch on shortly, but the deceiving nature in which they advertise that they offer “High Speed Internet” at their hotels. I understand that hotels are companies, and that companies need to make money, but I believe there are better ways of going about it.I stayed at three hotels over the last 2 weeks. Two in London, and one in Paris. All three hotels stated in their “Complimentary Services” section, they they offer “High Speed Internet” at their hotels. And it’s only after you go on a treasure hunt do you discover that it’s “complimentary” only to those who have “Gold” membership status with the hotel in question. If you’re part of the “99%” who don’t have your wallets stuck up these hotel’s behinds, you better get ready to either suffer without Internet, or fork over your left arm, and a second mortgage. While I agree that it’s sometimes nice to disconnect from the world for a few days, if you’re like me, who runs a one-man business, it’s not very practical.All three hotels I stayed at offered daily or multi-day passes. The daily passes would have cost me about $20/day, while the 5 day pass ran about $80 after the currency conversion. Of course, there’s always a kicker. Another important fact that these hotels don’t tell you, is that the connection passes only allow you to use Internet on one or two devices. If you’re visiting the hotel with 3 people in a room, you are required to purchase an additional pass in order for all three guests to go online.

“IT COSTS TOO MUCH”

Of course, hotels claim that offering Internet in their hotels is a pricy endeavor. I have news for you. It’s really not. After researching hotels that do offer free wifi in their hotels, the service itself costs around $300/month, plus the installation of the routers (which should already be installed in most hotels).Assuming a hotels only has 300 rooms, which we all know isn’t the case, it would cost $1 per room, per night, for the additional service. Hotels that contain thousands of occupied rooms should have no excuse to not offer free wifi.

“WE GOTTA MAKE MONEY”

Sure, hotels need to make money. They advertise ‘dirt cheap’ rooms to their guests, hoping to stab them in the back with extra fees, like $5/minute local calls, but they’re doing it all wrong. If you’ve logged into a public hotspot recently, you’ve likely had to accept some terms, enter some basic information, or fork over your first child. Finding out that that connecting to the network will charge your card will steer away a large number of potential customers. If I had to guess, up to 80% of hotel guests would rather walk to a Starbucks than pay $20/day for wifi in their hotel. (I spent hours in a Paris McDonalds to avoid the hotel’s costs)So what’s the solution? To me, it’s simple. With the booming mobile advertising market, it surely wouldn’t be very difficult to strike a deal with Visa, Amex, or even a local company to run a 2 minute video ad before connecting to the network. Watch the ad, you get your wifi, the hotel gets paid. If you factor in the 80% of people who would now be connecting to the network, I bet hotels would make as much, if not more by offering free wifi. And I’m sure hotels would be able to easily strike a strong deal with advertisers looking to get their message out, especially in high tourist areas.

I COULD BE WRONG

I’m not a marketing guru, nor a financial adviser, so there’s a good chance that this idea makes no sense at all, but for a service that is offered at McDonalds and Starbucks at no additional cost, hotels can certainly follow suit. If they really want to make a extra buck, hire a good negotiator, and pop on a video ad before connecting to the network. I’d much rather sit through a 2 minute ad than pay $80 to stay connected, and I’m sure others would agree.