Fact-Free Crusades | RealClearPolitics:
"Amid all the heated, emotional advocacy of gun control, have you ever heard even one person present convincing hard evidence that tighter gun control laws have in fact reduced murders?"
Saturday, April 20, 2013
ACLU: Detroit Police Dumping Homeless Outside City
ACLU: Detroit Police Dumping Homeless Outside City « CBS Detroit:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan says Detroit police are removing homeless people from the popular Greektown entertainment district downtown and dropping them off miles away — sometimes outside the city.
Following a year-long investigation, the ACLU filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department and sent a letter to Detroit police demanding an end to what they call a “disturbing practice.”
“DPD’s practice of essentially kidnapping homeless people and abandoning them miles away from the neighborhoods they know – with no means for a safe return — is inhumane, callous and illegal,” said Sarah Mehta, ACLU of Michigan staff attorney. “
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan says Detroit police are removing homeless people from the popular Greektown entertainment district downtown and dropping them off miles away — sometimes outside the city.
Following a year-long investigation, the ACLU filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department and sent a letter to Detroit police demanding an end to what they call a “disturbing practice.”
“DPD’s practice of essentially kidnapping homeless people and abandoning them miles away from the neighborhoods they know – with no means for a safe return — is inhumane, callous and illegal,” said Sarah Mehta, ACLU of Michigan staff attorney. “
The city’s desire to hide painful reminders of our economic struggles cannot justify discriminating against the poor, banishing them from their city, and endangering their lives.
A person who has lost his home has not lost his right to be treated with dignity.”
The organization says it started receiving complaints last year and that the homeless are told they are not welcome in Greektown, which is popular with visitors to Detroit.
The organization says it started receiving complaints last year and that the homeless are told they are not welcome in Greektown, which is popular with visitors to Detroit.
The people are then forced in to vans, driven away and then deserted.
City of Boston gave 'subsidy' to bombing suspects' mosque
City of Boston gave 'subsidy' to bombing suspects' mosque | The Daily Caller:
"The Boston Redevelopment Authority, which is the city’s municipal planning agency and which is comprised of mayoral appointees, conveyed the land for the ISB’s purchase in 2000 at more than $400,000.
However, the city of Boston only charged ISB $175,000 for the land, with an agreement that the ISB perform other services for the city to make up the $225,000 remainder.
The ISB agreed to deliver a series of lectures at Roxbury Community College, to assist the Roxbury Community College Foundation in its fundraising efforts, and to maintain a Boston “play area.”
The deal was later described in media coverage as “an apparent financial handout” and a “possible government subsidy” from the city of Boston to the ISB.
The ISB has raised concerns in the past for its ties to radical figures in the Muslim world."
"The Boston Redevelopment Authority, which is the city’s municipal planning agency and which is comprised of mayoral appointees, conveyed the land for the ISB’s purchase in 2000 at more than $400,000.
However, the city of Boston only charged ISB $175,000 for the land, with an agreement that the ISB perform other services for the city to make up the $225,000 remainder.
The ISB agreed to deliver a series of lectures at Roxbury Community College, to assist the Roxbury Community College Foundation in its fundraising efforts, and to maintain a Boston “play area.”
The deal was later described in media coverage as “an apparent financial handout” and a “possible government subsidy” from the city of Boston to the ISB.
The ISB has raised concerns in the past for its ties to radical figures in the Muslim world."
U.N. Committee Says: This Speech Must Lead to a Criminal Prosecution of the Speaker
The Volokh Conspiracy » U.N. Committee Says: This Speech Must Lead to a Criminal Prosecution of the Speaker:
The German government decided not to prosecute the speaker based on this speech, but the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has recently stated the contrary, TBB v. Germany (Feb. 26, 2013). Here’s the speech that, according to the Committee, must lead to a criminal prosecution in countries that have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (I am pleased to say that the U.S. has not recognized the competence of the Committee to enforce the Convention, though most European countries have; the U.S. has also ratified subject to a specific reservation in favor of the freedom of speech.)
The German cultural journal Lettre International (2009 fall edition, number 86)3 published an interview with Mr. Thilo Sarrazin, the former Finance Senator of the Berlin Senate (from 2002 to April 2009, Social Democratic Party) and member of the Board of Directors of the German Central Bank (from May 2009), entitled “Class instead of Mass: from the Capital City of Social Services to the Metropolis of the Elite”. In this interview, Mr. Sarrazin expressed himself in a derogatory and discriminatory way about social “lower classes”, which are “not productive” and would have to “ disappear over time” in order to create a city of the “elite”. In this contex alia:
BOW NOT promises to oppose plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart, calls for April 24 protest
BOW NOT promises to oppose plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart, calls for April 24 protest | MLive.com:
"The opponents have created a group called Back Off Walmart – Not Our Town, which goes by BOW NOT. The group has created a Facebook page and used a Change.org website petition which has received more than 900 “signatures” from across the country asking that plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart be rejected.
A pro-Wal-Mart in Whitehall Township petition on change.org has 26 signatures.
But when it comes to more traditional protest, BOW NOT will be playing that game as well.
The group has asked Wal-Mart opponents to gather Wednesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. for a rally at the Whitehall Township Hall, 7644 Durham Road, before the 7 p.m. special Whitehall Township Planning Commission meeting."
"The opponents have created a group called Back Off Walmart – Not Our Town, which goes by BOW NOT. The group has created a Facebook page and used a Change.org website petition which has received more than 900 “signatures” from across the country asking that plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart be rejected.
A pro-Wal-Mart in Whitehall Township petition on change.org has 26 signatures.
But when it comes to more traditional protest, BOW NOT will be playing that game as well.
The group has asked Wal-Mart opponents to gather Wednesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. for a rally at the Whitehall Township Hall, 7644 Durham Road, before the 7 p.m. special Whitehall Township Planning Commission meeting."
In residential real estate, bid farewell to the 'master bedroom'
In residential real estate, bid farewell to the 'master bedroom' - Baltimore Business Journal:
The “master suite” is being phased out — not from our homes, but from our lexicon.
A survey of 10 major Washington, D.C.-area homebuilders found that six no longer use the term “master” in
their floor plans to describe the largest bedroom in the house. They have replaced it with “owner’s suite” or
“owner’s bedroom” or, in one case, “mastre bedroom.”
Why? In large part for exactly the reason you would think: “Master” has connotation problems, in gender (it
skews toward male) and race (the slave-master).
Enter the owner's suite.4/19/13 Inresidential real estate, bidfarewell tothe'master bedroom' - BaltimoreBusiness Journal
m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/04/16/homebuilders-scrap-racist.html?r=full 2/3
“I imagine it’s not only a more accurate description but also a more politically correct term of art,” said Steve
Nardella, senior vice president of operations for Bethesda-based Winchester Homes Inc.
Either way, the “master suite” has been linguistically shoved aside.
Winchester, Pulte Homes, NV Homes and Ryan Homes (both under the NVR Inc. umbrella), Van Metre Cos.
and D.R. Horton Inc. have allreplaced “master” in their floor plans, some more recently than others.
Richmond American Homes, Shulz Homes Corp. Sekas Homes Ltd. (in some of its models) and Quaker
Custom Homes LLC continue to employ the word “master” in their designs.
In general, said Grant Johnson of Sekas Homes, “we’re using owner suite, but sometimes it will come through as
master.”
Over time, “master” will be filtered out entirely, he said. The change is “just working through the industry, and
finally, bingo, we got it.”
Randy Creaser, owner of D.C.’s Creaser/O’Brien Architects PC, said he ditched “master” in the early 1990s in
his home designs. He vaguely recalled a few lawsuits brought against builders over the phrase. Pulte
spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said Pulte made the shift maybe three or four years ago.
The “master suite” is being phased out — not from our homes, but from our lexicon.
A survey of 10 major Washington, D.C.-area homebuilders found that six no longer use the term “master” in
their floor plans to describe the largest bedroom in the house. They have replaced it with “owner’s suite” or
“owner’s bedroom” or, in one case, “mastre bedroom.”
Why? In large part for exactly the reason you would think: “Master” has connotation problems, in gender (it
skews toward male) and race (the slave-master).
Enter the owner's suite.4/19/13 Inresidential real estate, bidfarewell tothe'master bedroom' - BaltimoreBusiness Journal
m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/04/16/homebuilders-scrap-racist.html?r=full 2/3
“I imagine it’s not only a more accurate description but also a more politically correct term of art,” said Steve
Nardella, senior vice president of operations for Bethesda-based Winchester Homes Inc.
Either way, the “master suite” has been linguistically shoved aside.
Winchester, Pulte Homes, NV Homes and Ryan Homes (both under the NVR Inc. umbrella), Van Metre Cos.
and D.R. Horton Inc. have allreplaced “master” in their floor plans, some more recently than others.
Richmond American Homes, Shulz Homes Corp. Sekas Homes Ltd. (in some of its models) and Quaker
Custom Homes LLC continue to employ the word “master” in their designs.
In general, said Grant Johnson of Sekas Homes, “we’re using owner suite, but sometimes it will come through as
master.”
Over time, “master” will be filtered out entirely, he said. The change is “just working through the industry, and
finally, bingo, we got it.”
Randy Creaser, owner of D.C.’s Creaser/O’Brien Architects PC, said he ditched “master” in the early 1990s in
his home designs. He vaguely recalled a few lawsuits brought against builders over the phrase. Pulte
spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said Pulte made the shift maybe three or four years ago.
Detroit EM Kevyn Orr letter could indicate end to collective bargaining with unions
Detroit EM Kevyn Orr letter could indicate end to collective bargaining with unions | MLive.com:
Unions in general are at odds with the 2012 emergency manager law that empowers state-appointed officials to trump and unilaterally amend existing bargaining agreements.
Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr on Thursday issued a letter to state labor officials saying he has no obligation to collaborative bargaining or arbitration, which some speculate could be a hint that he intends to circumvent traditional bargaining mechanisms and make changes to the pay and benefits of Detroit employees with or without their consent, Reuters reports (full story).
"It's obvious what they're trying to do," Dan McNamara, president of the firefighters' unions, told Reuters. "They don't plan to negotiate with us."
Days after Orr took office, a federal lawsuit was filed challenging the sweeping emergency manager powers.It's Orr's intention to restructure the city's budget and expenses to ensure it doesn't go bankrupt.
Detroit is running a $100 million annual budget deficit and has $14 billion in long-term debt. There are nearly 50 unions that contract with the city.
"Everything is on the table," Orr said when he was appointed March 17. "I hope to be inclusive... I am going to make decisions and move forward."
Lawmakers Call for Abolishing ‘Corruption-Infested’ Pennsylvania Turnpike
Lawmakers Call for Abolishing ‘Corruption-Infested’ Pennsylvania Turnpike | Heartlander Magazine:
"Pennsylvania has two transportation agencies.
One controls more than 40,000 miles of state roads and 25,000 bridges, and another maintains 545 miles of tolled highway.
The former has seven executives, one for every 5,857 miles of roadway; the latter nine executives, one for every 60 miles of roadway.
For a group of Republican lawmakers, this doesn’t add up, especially when one of those agencies was the subject of a 44-month long grand jury investigation over alleged bid-rigging."
"Pennsylvania has two transportation agencies.
One controls more than 40,000 miles of state roads and 25,000 bridges, and another maintains 545 miles of tolled highway.
The former has seven executives, one for every 5,857 miles of roadway; the latter nine executives, one for every 60 miles of roadway.
For a group of Republican lawmakers, this doesn’t add up, especially when one of those agencies was the subject of a 44-month long grand jury investigation over alleged bid-rigging."
Snyder defends secret project to reform education system
Snyder defends secret project to reform education system | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday defended his administration's involvement in a secret project that is trying to develop a cheaper way to deliver public education through a voucher-like funding system.
The education reform advisory team's existence had been secret until The Detroit News reported Friday about a months-long "skunk works" project to design a new "value school" that costs $5,000 per child annually to operate — $2,000 less than the state's minimum per-pupil funding. The group includes employees of software companies, charter school advocates and five state employees.
"There's people in the executive branch and any parts of government, actually in the general community, that get together and try to come up with new ideas and try to innovate and bring those ideas forward," Snyder told reporters Friday after the 14th annual Leadership Luncheon at the Renaissance Center in Detroit.
"That's what I would view a group like that — just working together to say they want to come up with new ideas and throw them out there. That's how you come up with new ideas. Most of them don't go anywhere, but you don't want to discourage people from trying and being creative."
Add Boston Marathon Bombing to pile of Failed Eliminationist Narratives
Add Boston Marathon Bombing to pile of Failed Eliminationist Narratives - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion:
It started with Bill Sparkman, the part-time Census worker who went missing and then was found dead, setting off an avalanche of mainstream media and left-blogosphere accusations that he was the victim of anti-government “right-wing” hate. It turned out that Sparkman killed himself, but there were few if any apologies coming.
The Sparkman accusations were based on nothing more than a desire to demonize the newly formed and rapidly growing Tea Party movement as terrorists and un-American. It was as if theywere hoping for an act of Tea Party violence.
Yet there was a theory behind the madness, the Eliminationist Narrative created by Dave Neiwart of Crooks and Liars about an “eliminationist” radical right seeking to dehumanize and eliminate political opposition. It was a play on the over-used narrative of Richard Hofstadter’s “paranoid style” in American politics.
The Eliminationist Narrative was aided and abetted by an abuse of the term “right-wing” to include groups who are the opposite of conservatism and the Tea Party movement.
In the case of Sparkman, the accusations were just Another Failed Eliminationist Narrative. And the Eliminationist Narrative would fail time and time again:
- James Holmes
- Jared Loughner
- The Cabby Stabber
- The “killer” of Bill Sparkman
- Amy Bishop
- The Fort Hood Shooter
- The IRS Plane Crasher
- The Pentagon Shooter
We can now add the Boston Marathon Bombing to the pile. The wild speculation that there was a Tea Party or “right-wing” connection proved false
Muskegon man shot at, home struck by gunfire in early morning shooting
Muskegon man shot at, home struck by gunfire in early morning shooting | MLive.com:
"The shooting incident occurred as two subjects were walking toward the victim.
One of the subjects was armed and fired several shots in the victim's direction, police said."
"The shooting incident occurred as two subjects were walking toward the victim.
One of the subjects was armed and fired several shots in the victim's direction, police said."
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