Movie Review: Free Angela & all political prisoners Commentary: Progressives push back at Obama
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Angela Davis in the 1960s • The quintessential American radical has her story told in a new documentary
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ENTERTAINMENT
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The CSRA’s FREE WEEKLY WEEKLY
Newspaper Newspaper VOL.2 NO.30 VOL.2 NO.18
APRIL 11 - 17, 2013
Photo by Vincent Hobbs
Business Profile: Fyne Foot Care Center • Latanya P. Fyne, Podiatrist vPersonal and Business Income Tax Preparation vFees start at $55.00 vIRS & State Problem Resolution
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Dr. Latanya P. Fyne, Podiatrist 1710 Central Ave. Augusta, Ga 30904 706-373-4402
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BUSINESS PROFILE FYNE FOOT CARE CENTER
URBAN PRO: Can you tell us why you decided to pursue your medical studies with a concentration on the foot and ankle? DR. FYNE: I have been interested in the medical field for most of my life. After much research, I decided to become a Podiatrist because of the great demand for foot and ankle specialists, and my desire to have a well-balanced family life, as well as a great career, free of constant medical emergencies.
received your training and education. DR. FYNE: I attended Dillard University, in New Orleans, Louisiana for 3 years, majoring in Biology, Pre-Medicine, and then Kent State Podiatric Medical School (Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine) for 4 years. After completion of my first year at Kent State, I graduated from Dillard University with a Bachelor of Science degree from Dillard University. In June of 1988, I gradu-
ated from Kent State with a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree. I then did a two-year surgical residency at Physicians & Surgeons Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, in which I was chief resident. URBAN PRO: How important is it to buy the proper-fitting pair of shoes? What should we look for when deciding on a shoe purchase? DR. FYNE: It is more important than most people realize. When
deciding on a shoe purchase, keep the following in mind: 1.Try on shoes toward the end of the day; 2. Tie shoe laces when trying on shoes; 3. Always try on both shoes, and choose the size based on comfort of your largest foot; 4. Always stand and take a few steps in the shoes before making a purchase; 5. You should be able to wiggle your toes upwards in the shoes; 6. The heel counter should be firm; 7. If you have flat feet, you need a stiff, less flexContinued on next page
URBAN PRO: Who or what inspired you to become a doctor? DR. FYNE: Actually, my late sister, Patricia did. After many years of my professing to have a desire to become a nurse (just like my Mom was), my oldest sister stated to me, “why not become a doctor?” I then proceeded to tell her of my desire for family and career, and she encouraged me through several case scenarios to “go all the way”, stating that many women have successful careers as doctors, and are still able to spend quality time with their family. URBAN PRO: Foot or ankle problems can be a major concern of athletes, diabetics and the elderly – what sorts of injuries/concerns do you treat on a daily basis? DR. FYNE: I treat many patients with problems such as ingrown and fungal toenails, heel spur syndrome (plantar fasciitis), corns and calluses, bunions, hammertoes, foot and leg ulcers, diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), PAD (peripheral arterial disease), athlete’s foot, warts, flat feet, sprains, fractures, and many others. URBAN PRO: Tell us where you
In some cases, a simple problem that could have been easily treated in the office becomes a serious problem that requires hospitalization, and possible loss of a limb, Dr. Fyne says. All photos by Vincent Hobbs
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with proper foot care. Many of these are related to untreated or improperly treated diabetic foot ulcers, which occur as a result of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy. The direct cost of a single lower extremity amputation is estimated at $30,000 to $60,000. In my practice, I focus on treating the signs and symptoms of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in order to reduce the risk for Diabetic Foot Ulcers. I also aggressively treat patients who present to my office with foot and leg ulcers. I see most of my patients with diabetes every two to three months, and each time I see them, I examine their feet for any new problems, such as discoloration or deformity of toenails, skin lesions or areas of discoloration, soft tissue or bony prominences, and other problem areas. I also advise my patients to look for changes in the feet by regular self-examination. URBAN PRO: Tell us about the services you offer at your offices for foot and ankle problems.
Dr. Fyne, at her Augusta office, studies patient files. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
FYNE FOOT CARE CENTER from page 3 ible shoe; 8. If you have high arches, you need a well-cushioned shoe to improve shock absorption; 9. Shoes should be comfortable from day one, and should not have to be “broken in”; 10. Some people may need custom orthotics (arch supports) when the over-the-counter inserts do not relieve symptoms. These custom devices can be prescribed by your Podiatrist. URBAN PRO: Do you find that women are more prone to foot and ankle problems, due to the types of shoes they wear? DR. FYNE: For the most part, this is a true statement, although I see many males with similar problems. Keep in mind that many foot and ankle prob-
lems are hereditary, and some are attributed to improper care of the feet. For instance, one can develop an infected ingrown toenail by improper cutting of toenails. Also, some conditions, such as flat feet and bunions, are hereditary. URBAN PRO: What can we do to take better care of our feet? DR. FYNE: The main concerns are: 1. Proper cleansing and moisturizing; 2. Proper shoe wear based on activity, ie don’t wear high heeled shoes when standing or walking for several hours; 3. Immediate medical attention (preferably by a foot and ankle specialist) at the first sign of a foot or ankle problem; 4. Diabetics should see a Podiatrist at least 3-4 times per year.
URBAN PRO: What are some of the challenges you face as a podiatrist? DR. FYNE: A major challenge that I face is education of my patients and members of the community concerning the importance of seeking medical treatment for foot and ankle problems. People tend to think that they can self-treat these problems, and they find that this only leads to worsening and prolongation of the problem. In some cases, a simple problem that could have been easily treated in the office becomes a serious problem that requires hospitalization, and possible loss of limb. There are 50,000 lower extremity amputations every year in the United States, many of which could be avoided
DR. FYNE: We offer in-office procedures to get rid of ingrown toenails, deformed toes, warts and other skin lesions, treatment of corns and calluses, foot and leg ulcers, athlete’s feet, infections, fungal toenails, flat feet, sprains, fractures, tendinitis, and other problems. We offer out-patient surgical procedures for bunions, hammertoes, bone spurs, flat feet, and other conditions. We also offer testing for Neuropathy (nerve damage), vascular testing for PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease), and custom orthotics and diabetic shoes, We treat ALL ages!
URBAN PRO: Doctors are known for staying constantly busy with their patients. What do you do to relax or what sort of hobbies do you participate in during your downtime? DR. FYNE: During my down time, I enjoy spending time with my husband of 21 years and our 3 kids. I also enjoy reading, singing, line dancing, fishing, and exercising.
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UrbanProWeekly LLC Mailing Address: 3529 Monte Carlo Drive Augusta, Georgia 30906
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MOVIE REVIEW
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jay Z produce a documentary about radical intellectual Angela Davis.
by Ashley Calloway When filmmaker Shola Lynch appeared in the December 2006 issue of Black Enterprise, her Angela Davis documentary, Free Angela & All Political Prisoners, then in the works, only warranted a one-sentence mention at the very end of the article. Fast forward to the present, and Free Angela—which has been eight years in the making—seems to have taken on a life of its own. Marquee names such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z are attached to the film, and on Friday it is being released inselect theaters nationwide. Lynch, who made her directorial debut with the award-winning Chilshom ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, says that Free Angela & All Political Prisoners was inspired by the questions she had surrounding the world-famous activist. “She was a 26-year-old philosophy professor. How and why did she become an international political icon? How is that possible?” asks Lynch, who wrote and directed the film. Lynch admits that while she had an Angela Davis T-shirt, she had heard
Davis speak at an event, and knew that Davis was once chased by the FBI, that was the extent of her knowledge of the political icon. “This is an experience that hundreds of thousands of people have had,” Lynch says. “I realized that we couldn’t really tell you why we knew her. We knew she was important, but what’s the story?” Free Angela & All Political Prisoners opens with a silhouette of Davis’ iconic afro, and goes on to show her rise to an international political figure through interviews, old footage, recordings, photography, sketches, letters, files, and reenactments. The film follows Davis’ story through the early seventies, from the controversy surrounding her appointment as a philosophy professor at the University of California to being on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list to standing trial for murder, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. “It actually turned out to be a political crime thriller with a love story in the middle of it,” Lynch says. “Who knew?” The love story, one of several surprising aspects of the film, shows
The film follows Davis’ story through the early seventies, from the controversy surrounding her appointment as a philosophy professor at the University of California to being on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list to standing trial for murder, kidnapping, and criminal conspiracy. the romance that formed between Davis and George Jackson, one of the “Soledad Brothers” (Davis was an outspoken advocate for the release of the Brothers, three unrelated California inmates who were being charged with the death of a prison guard, and whom she considered political prisoners). George’s younger brother, Jonathan, who was a friend of Davis, led a botched kidnapping of a judge that left four people dead. The guns used in the kidnapping attempt were registered in Davis’ name, setting off a chain of events that indubitably changed the course of her life—and making for a very complicated love story. Lynch says that Davis’ relationship with George was central to the story because the prosecutor in Davis’ trial, the late Albert Harris Jr., then assistant
district attorney, built his case around it. “His whole theory of the crime was that she was a woman in love, almost crazily in love,” Lynch says. “So she masterminded a plot to kidnap a judge, in exchange for her lover, who was in prison.” Lynch stops short of describing George as Davis’ boyfriend or saying that they were in love, but the documents in the film, including love letters between the two, speak for themselves. For all the insights that the film offers—including Davis’ surprisingly limited involvement with the Black Panther Party—there is one question that remains unanswered: How did Jonathan get his hands on Davis’ guns? Lynch finds the question interesting, as she says audiences haven’t really fixated on that detail. She says there are two theories, and one was the prosecutor’s suggestion that Davis was the mastermind who gave Jonathan the guns. The defense’s argument was that Davis would not be so dense as to plan a kidnapping and then give someone guns that were registered in her name. Because no one could say they witnessed Jonathan taking the guns, it’s up to audiences to look at the evidence and come to their own conclusions. “You have two competing theories of the crime, and it’s left to the jury to decide which is true,” Lynch says. “I present it in the way that the jury would have been presented with the information.” Lynch says there are many details to the story, but “as filmmaker, as a historian, and as a storyteller, there’s not one detail left out that would change the narrative.”
AWARDS PREVIEW
Augusta officials to travel to D.C. to receive award for Laney-Walker revitalization projects Augusta’s Laney Walker/ Bethlehem Revitalization Initiative receives prestigious National Planning Award. AUGUSTA Representatives from the City of Augusta, including Commissioners William Fennoy and Bill Lockett and Director of Housing & Community Development, Chester Wheeler, are slated to be in Chicago the week of April 15 to accept a National Planning Excellence award from the American Planning Association for the Laney Walker/ Bethlehem Revitalization Project. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the Laney Walker/ Bethlehem Revitalization Initiative (Laney Walker/Bethlehem) in Augusta, Georgia, as one of two recipients of the 2013 HUD Secretary’s Opportunity and Empowerment Award. “It is with great pleasure that I share with you the latest national recognition of our Laney Walker/Bethlehem revitalization initiative,” comments Mayor
The Laney Walker/Bethlehem Revitalization Initiative, involving two historic African American neighborhoods in Augusta, Georgia, is a pioneering effort to reverse decades of blight and disinvestment and regenerate nearly 1,100 acres of Augusta’s urban center. Photo by Vincent Hobbs Deke Copenhaver. “This initiative continues to become a model for the rest of the nation to follow and we should all be very proud of it. I would like to thank Chester Wheeler and his staff at the Augusta Housing and Community Development Department, APD Urban Planning and Melaver McIntosh as
their groundbreaking initiative continues to evoke a sense of civic pride throughout our community” Laney Walker/Bethlehem is employing a multi-phased approach to guide redevelopment, growth and sustainability in a historic community. The HUD Secretary’s Award, pre-
sented jointly by HUD and APA, recognizes a plan, program, or project that has been in effect for at least three years and improves the quality of life for low- and moderate-income community residents. Emphasis is placed on how creative housing, economic development, and private investments have been used in or with a comprehensive community development plan to empower a community. “The impetus for and success of this project is a direct result of a few brave community leaders who actively engaged all members of the community and insisted that inner-city quality of life issues be addressed,” said Ann C. Bagley, FAICP, 2013 APA Awards Jury chair. “It is not surprising that the Harvard Student Journal on Real Estate cited it as a potential ‘game-changing’ model for public-private partnerships.” The HUD Secretary’s Award from APA is especially gratifying for Augusta’s housing and community development director, Chester A. Wheeler, III. “Our careful planning efforts laid the groundwork for the renaissance now taking place in Laney Walker/ Bethlehem. To be recognized by two leading organizations that are so integral to improving our urban neighborhoods is truly an honor.”
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Free Angela
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PEOPLE & organizations making a difference GRU to host alumni golf tournament The Georgia Regents University Alumni and Friends Lauderdale Golf Tournament will be held Friday, April 19 at the Forest Hills Golf Club. The entry fees for individuals are $100 for the senior or women’s divisions and $187.50 for the open divi-
sion. The entry fees for teams are $400 for the women’s and senior division and $750 for open division teams. The price includes lunch, golf cart, drinks and a gift. To register, go to giving.gru.edu/ Lauderdale, or call 706-721-2699.
DIVINE FITNESS FOR LIFE True Wellness is a Whole Body Concept Mind, Body & Soul GRU students travel to The Big Apple to attend the National Model United Nations Conference and bring back honors.
GRU students receive awards at National Model United Nations Conference in New York City Twenty-five Georgia Regents University students competed among more than 5,000 college students from across the world at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City last month and received awards in every possible category. The conference meets each spring to allow students to discuss current global issues on 20 selected committees. This year’s theme was “Change Your World.” Three GRU students won individual awards: Heather Ross, a junior, received a position paper award for her committee; and both Casey Ratliff, a sophomore, and Fady Tawadrous, a senior,
received the Best Delegate Award in their committee. The GRU team also received honorable mention as an overall delegation. The students attended the conference as part of the Model United Nations class, a semester-long political science course open to all majors. Students learned about the Islamic Republic of Iran, which they represented in mock debates at the conference, and received three hours of credit. Coursework included research papers, book summaries and weekly readings and practiced debates throughout the semester.
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Communities Matter @ Your Library AUGUSTA This week, the Augusta-Richmond County Public Libraries join libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library workers. Libraries today are often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study. Libraries are trusted places where everyone in the community can gather to reconnect and reengage with each other to enrich and shape the community and address local issues. Whether through offering e-books and technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or those to support early literacy, librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond. The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library serves county residents by providing books, e-books, digital magazines, children’s programming, GED and ESL classes, computer classes, online Jaden S. Jenkins, a second grader from Lake Forest Hills Elementary in Augusta, Ga., shared a stage with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
Unique Baskets
Augusta Second-grader places first in statewide design contest Jaden S. Jenkins, a second grader from Lake Forest Hills Elementary in Augusta, Ga., shared a stage with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle recently in honor of Georgia’s manufacturing industry. Jenkins took first place in his division of the 2013 Manufacturing Appreciation Week (MAW) student design contest. He received a $500 scholarship check, presented by Lt. Gov. Cagle at the MAW Governor’s Awards Luncheon held at the Georgia International Convention Center. “These young students are our best and brightest, and our future in manu-
facturing depends on them,” said Larry Callahan, CEO of Patillo Industrial Real Estate, as the awards were presented. Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products. Winners were named for grades 9-12, 6-8, and K-5 and will be posted online at www.georgiamaw.org with their winning artwork for this year. Co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the awards luncheon is the highlight of MAW, celebrated this year April 1-5.
practice tests for SAT, GRE, ASVAB and many other standardized/professional tests, meeting spaces for groups, online reference/research databases, community outreach services, and more! “Service to the community has always been the focus of the library,” said library director Darlene Price. “While this aspect has never changed, libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community.” Next week, the library will be offering: overdue fine forgiveness, educational and fun programming for all ages, and library card sign-up at local businesses. And, on Tuesday, April 16th at 12:30 p.m., Mayor Copenhaver will present a Proclamation to the Headquarters Library downtown designating this week as “Library Week in Augusta.” The press and the community are welcomed to join our local librarians and staff celebrate. For more information, visit any of the six public libraries in Richmond County, call 706-821-2600, or see the library web site at: www.ecgrl.org.
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Inaugural Annual Golf Tournament Friday, April 19, 2013 Pointe South Golf Club 4324 Peach Orchard Road, Hephzibah, Ga 30815 706-592-2222
Three Man Captain’s Choice
Fees: 70.00 per golfer; 200.00 per team Entry fee includes: 18 holes, green fees, cart fees, range balls, and lunch. Onsite registration: 7:30 a.m. Tee Time: 8:00 a.m. Shotgun Start Walk-ups Welcome For more information call: Conan Sanders 706-267-1302; Norris Rouse 706-836-1439 Gloria B. Lewis 706-722-0493
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UrbanProWeekly • APRIL 11 - 17, 2013
National Library Week • April 14-20
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FIRST FRIDAY REVERIE • An Arts Calvacade of Sights / Sounds
Top: A jazz performer soaring; Left: Eastern Star Dance Company performer; Above: Augusta artist Desmond Fletcher exhbits some of his artwork during First Friday festivities on Broad Street. All photos by Vincent Hobbs
#JazzLives Collective Culture + Soul Celebration
April 21, 2013 @ 7pm Julian Smith Casino Augusta GA
On April 21, 2013, Live Music, Art and Movement will be hosted by Garden City Jazz, Humanitree House and Soul Center Georgia. This collaboration will feature local rising stars, visual artists interpreting the music; dance and poetry; recording artists Snarky Puppy closes the show. Snarky Puppyhas one of the freshest sounds in the world of instrumental music today. This convergence of different cultures, races, ages, and musical backgrounds has birthed a sound that is setting trends and defying boundar-
ies worldwide. It is a delicate mixture of real American music, from jazz to funk to R&B to rock, and seasoned heavily with the sounds of Brazil, Puerto Rico, Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. While exotic, virtuosic, and laden with musical depth, Snarky Puppy has the ability to “go in multiple directions while remaining imminently listenable and ultimately, danceable. The music is completely uncompromised, unorthodox, and unmistakably unique. Join us as Julian Smith Casino is
transformed into a Soulful, Jazzy, Funky Paradise that is sure to engage your senses on every level. This is a family friendly event and all are welcome. You don’t want to miss this evening of EXPLOSIVE music, beautiful people and celebration. WHEN: Sunday, April 21, 2013 6:00 p.m. @ Julian Smith Casino TICKETS: $12 adv., $15 door or PURCHASE ONLINE @http://jazzlives.bpt.me/ CONTACT: Jazzlives@gardencityjazz.com • www.gardencityjazz. com • www.humanitreehouse.com
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Commentary Progressives push back against Obama’s Social Security, Medicare austerity budget by John Nichols President Obama’s plan to include Social Security cuts in his budget plan is well summed up by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as a “bitter disappointment.” Obama closed his 2012 campaign with a populist flourish that seemed to suggest he was finally coming to believe his own rhetoric about the need for growth, as opposed to austerity. The strength of his message earned the president a mandate: a popular vote margin of almost 5 million, a landslide win in the Electoral College and significant gains in Senate and House races. But, now, he proposes to squander that mandate in pursuit of a “grand bargain” with House Republicans – a bargain that would replace the current approach to calculating cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients with a “Chained-CPI” scheme. The change will harm not just seniors, children and people with disabilities but a fragile economic recovery. Additionally, the president is reported to be prepared to propose some means testing for Medicare. This is not Paul Ryan privatization. But it is a classic austerity cut. It is wrong economically, and politically. “Social Security is not driving the deficit; therefore it should not be part of reforms aimed at cutting the deficit. The chained CPI, deceptively portrayed as a reasonable cost of living adjustment, is a cut to Social Security that would hurt seniors,” says former
is going to hurt a lot of people,” said Sanders. The senator from Vermont is not going to let that happen without a fight. He has launched a petition opposing the president’s approach. It reads: At a time when the middle class is disappearing, poverty is increasing and the gap between the rich and everyone else is growing wider, we demand that the federal budget not be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable placed a major Social Security cut on people in our country. A federal budget that reduces the the table. “Social Security is too important to deficit by cutting cost-of-living adjustthe economic security of the American ments for Social Security and disabled people to be used as a bargaining veterans, raising the Medicare eligibilchip. The president’s own Secretary of ity age and lowering tax rates for the the Treasury and former Director of most profitable corporations in this the Office of Management and Budget country is not a grand bargain. It is a has written about the budget,” says bad bargain. We oppose the chained-CPI, a new Nancy Altman, a founding co-director of Social Security Works. “The problem way to measure inflation and conis not Social Security; the problem is sumer prices designed to cut benefits the mismatch between outlays and for Social Security recipients, disabled revenues in the rest of the budget.’ veterans and their survivors. We are strongly opposed to benApplying the so-called chained CPI to Social Security cuts the benefits of efit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, every single Social Security beneficiary, Medicaid, education, and the needs of now and in the future. The very groups our veterans. We demand a budget that puts milwho worked the hardest and voted in the highest percentages to re-elect the lions of Americans back to work in president -- working families, women, decent paying jobs. We demand a budget that makes people of color, young Americans -will be the ones hurt the most by the sure that the wealthiest Americans and cuts the president is reportedly includ- most profitable corporations pay their fair share. ing in his budget.” Within hours of the White House That’s a message that was echoed frequently Friday, as progressives pushed confirmation of the president’s plan, back against the president’s plan. “What the president is proposing Continued on next page
“Ever since Social Security’s inception in 1935 and Medicare’s 30 years later, Republicans have been trying to get rid of them. If average Americans have trusted the Democratic Party to do one thing over the years, it’s been to guard these programs from the depredations of the GOP . . . Why should Democrats now lead the charge against them?” Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. “There are several sensible reforms to Social Security that should be considered to help make it sustainable, including lifting the ceiling on income subject to Social Security from $113,700 to $200,000 or more, as well as instituting a 1 percent raise in the payroll tax rate, a rate that hasn’t changed in over 20 years.” Reich, a Democrat, warns that the president’s plan abandons a historic partisan commitment. “(Ever) since Social Security’s inception in 1935 and Medicare’s 30 years later, Republicans have been trying to get rid of them. If average Americans have trusted the Democratic Party to do one thing over the years, it’s been to guard these programs from the depredations of the GOP,” explains the former Clinton administration Cabinet member. “Why should Democrats now lead the charge against them?” The president’s pursuit of a “grand bargain” was quickly rejected by House Speaker John Boehner. Yet, despite the record of Republican obstruction, the White House has
Law and Disorder: The destructive dynamic of our segregated cities Policing tactics like NYC’s stop-and-frisk amount to punitive racial profiling. by Gary Younge On Saturday evening, a large number youths (by one account, as many as 500), most of them black, rampaged through downtown Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, fighting each other and generally creating mayhem. The ruckus had been planned ahead of time on social media. A mounted Chicago police officer was assaulted. There were more than 20 arrests but no reports of robberies, property damage or injuries. Community activist Andrew Holmes commented: “I caution those parents if their child has been arrested … You need to think about your child. Just don’t say the Chicago police picked on your child, when we watched all the assault going on, especially by teen women.” A couple days later, in a hearing on the NYPD’s controversial “stopand-frisk” tactic in Manhattan fed-
eral court, State Senator Eric Adams explained how New York Police Commissioner, Ray Kelly, told him of his policy of terrorising black and Latino neighborhoods: “[Kelly] stated that he targeted and focused on that group because he wanted to instill fear in them that every time that they left their homes they could be targeted by police.” Causally, the two events are unrelated. They took place in different cities, several hundred miles apart, on different days, completely independently of each other. There can be no excuse for either. Both are reprehensible. Contextually, however, they represent two sides of America’s mutually-reinforcing urban dysfunction. In which the inequalities of class and race are compounded by the inequities of police discrimination. The result is an environment in which potential for empathy, let alone solidarity, crashes on the rocks of institu-
tional neglect and social alienation, in which violence, be it systemic or episodic, are both chronic and inevitable. What Holmes doesn’t seem to understand is that black parents in American cities are thinking about their children precisely because the police do keep picking on them. In Hannah Arendt’s words: “As citizens, we must prevent wrongdoing because the world in which we all live, wrong-doer, wrongsufferer and spectator, is at stake.” The problem starts with poverty. Infant mortality rates for black families in Pittsburgh are worse than in Vietnam; male life expectancy in Washington, DC is lower than it is the Gaza Strip. Poverty rates in some black and Latino neighborhoods in almost every city are higher than 50%. In some, violence is rampant. By one estimate, between 20% and 30% Chicago school children have witnessed a shooting. The US now has
more people in its penal system than the Soviet Union did at the height of the gulag system. “The law,” wrote James Baldwin, “is meant to be my servant and not my master, still less my torturer and my murderer.” Yet, in the absence of even a partial plan, let alone a comprehensive one, to improve the economic lot of people in these areas, the state’s response is simply to contain the chaos engendered by this neglect as though they are occupied territories subject to collective punishment. To live there is to be suspect. “You’re working in Bed-Stuy, where everyone’s probably got a warrant,” Lt Jean Delafuente told officers at a roll call in 2008, insisting that making the arrest quota should be easy in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. To look like you live there suffices if you are in a certain demographic. Stop “the right people at the right Continued on next page
Obama’s budget from page 12 John Nichols is Washington correspondent for The Nation and associate editor of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. His most recent book is The “S” Word: A Short History of an American Tradition. A co-found-
Law and disorder from page 12
time, the right location”, and focus stop-and-frisks on “male blacks” between 14 and 21, Deputy Inspector Christopher McCormack of a South Bronx precinct, told one of his underlings. In one testimony, Reginald Bowman, the president of a public thousing resident leadership group, compared life in the public housing projects to a “penal colony”, where police question parents going to the estore to get milk and cookies for their tchildren. According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the class-action lawsuit currently being heard in Manhattan, claims that many of the stop-and-frisks in the past decade, mostly of black and Hispanic men, were made without cause. Whatever this is for, it is not about preserving order or efficient policing. According to the NYPD’s own reports, nearly nine out of 10 stopped-and-frisked New Yorkers have been completely innocent of any violation, let alone a crime. Yet, thanks to segregation, these mass infringements on civil liberties take place beyond the shadows of ,
d
er of the media reform organization Free Press, Nichols is co-author with Robert W. McChesney of The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again and Tragedy & Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections, and Destroy Democracy.
the downtown skyscrapers and out of sight of the mostly white and affluent residents of the city who fund political campaigns. All American cities are different. And yet, all share most of these basic issues. Many children in their poorest areas have never been downtown. Like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, “nobody ever comes in and nobody ever comes out” of the most blighted neighborhoods – that are known to the rest of the city only through crime reports. That sense of alienation from one’s immediate environment is both contagious and reciprocated. When some do emerge en masse, determined to cause mayhem, as they did in Chicago this weekend, it leaves the well-heeled shoppers and office workers from wealthier climes understandably resentful, unsettled and in shock. What they can’t or won’t grasp is that if wealth is not distributed evenly and fairly, then chaos will spread randomly and episodically. © 2013 The Guardian Gary Younge is a Guardian columnist and feature writer based in the US
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY
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The Richmond County School System will accept bids and request for proposals until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, for the following: 1. Kitchen Exhaust Hood System Cleaning RFP #13-632 2. Ambulance Service for Football Games RFP #13-637 3. Small Kitchen Equipment Bid #318 Bid specifications may be obtained by contacting Amy Bauman in the Business Office at 706-826-1298, on our web site at www.rcboe.org, or at the Richmond County School System, Central Office, 864 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Augusta, Georgia 30901. The Richmond County School System reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY By: Dr. Frank G. Roberson, Secretary
Notice to Lower Income Families Augusta Housing Authority This notice is to advise that effective Tuesday, April 9, 2013 the Augusta Housing Authority will open the waiting list for the Project Based Voucher Programs for The Legacy at Walton Oaks and Maxwell House Apartments. The waiting list for the Public Housing Program is open. The waiting list for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and Moderate Rehabilitation Program is currently closed. The Augusta Housing Authority will accept updated information from persons who have previously applied for the Section 8, Moderate Rehabilitation, Project Based and Public Housing Programs. Walton Communities provides a quality living environment in a “Breathe Easy, Smoke Free Community” for low income adults ages 55 and up. Special rental assistance will be provided with respect to 26 of the 75 apartment homes through the project based vouchers provided by the Augusta Housing Authority. Applications for the Section 8 Project Based Voucher Program for The Legacy at Walton Oaks will be accepted by applying in person at the Augusta Housing Authority located at 1435 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia between the hours of 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. and completing an on-line application at www.augustapha.org. The Legacy at Walton Oaks will access a $14 application fee to process your application. Eligible applicants will be placed on the site-based waiting list and will be ranked by date and time. Maxwell House, LLC provides 44 1-bedroom units of permanent supportive housing at Maxwell House Apartments. The Project Based Vouchers are used to provide rental assistance for 44 extremely low to lower income families. Maxwell House, LLC offers quality affordable housing while providing essential supportive services to assist special needs families to move successfully from dependency to self-sufficiency. Applications for the Section 8 Project Based Voucher Program for Maxwell House Apartments will be accepted by contacting Maxwell House Apartments at (706) 724-1927 and completing an on-line application at www.augustapha. org. Walk-in customers wanting to apply will not be seen during the open application period. This notice is also to advise that effective May 8, 2013 at 6:00p.m., the Augusta Housing Authority will close the waiting lists for the Project Based Voucher Programs for The Legacy at Walton Oaks and Maxwell House Apartments. The Augusta Housing Authority does not discriminate in admission or access to its federally assisted programs. Any potentially eligible individual who has a visual or hearing impairment will be provided with information necessary to understand and participate in the Augusta Housing Authority’s programs. Richard Arfman has been designated as the responsible employee to coordinate the Augusta Housing Authority’s efforts to comply with the nondiscrimination based on handicap regulations.
Equal Housing Opportunity The Housing Authority of the City of Augusta, Georgia By: Jacob Oglesby, Executive Director Mission Statement: To promote adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunity and a suitable living environment free from discrimination.
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Paine College mourns the death of an Upward Bound participant AUGUSTA Paine College mourns the passing of a local high school student. The student was a member of the Paine College Upward Bound Program and fell ill during an Upward Bound activity. She was transported to Georgia Regents Health Center where she later passed on April 3, 2013. The family will release additional information at a later time about the student. For all inquiries, please contact Brandon Brown, Vice-President of Institutional Advancement at Paine College at 706.821.8233.
Emergency Notification System
Fire Department offers emergency alert notification for mobile devices The Augusta Fire Department/ Emergency Management Division has implemented a system to alert residents of vital information affecting your area if there is an emergency. You can receive emergency alerts through your “land line” phone, cell phone, and email. Each Richmond County address can have as many phone numbers attached as you need; however phone numbers can only be connected to one address. If you have a “land line” phone, you’re already in the system, register your cell phone number and email address today! Notifications will be sent out using a recorded message or a written message based on the situation. We’ll leave a message if you don’t answer! STEP 1: Go to www.augustaga.gov and click “Emergency Notification SignUp” under Quick Links on the right side of the page STEP 2: Click the link for “Emergency
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Free CERT Training Offered The CERT training empowers citizens in Richmond County to help in their neighborhood until professional responders arrive. Participants learn team organization, basic first aid skills, light search and rescue techniques, how to extinguish a small fire, and they receive an introduction to terrorism and how it’s handled. Members participate in a county preparedness drill to put their skills to
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use and are recognized at a graduation ceremony where they receive their CERT kit. Classes are held on Tuesday nights for 7 weeks from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Next class starts May 7, 2013. Training is free.
To register contact: Sharon Bennett (706)821-1156 or email at swbennett@augustaga.gov
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