Excuse me? The process works? For who?

May 1, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. (CBSMiami/AP) — Former Gov. Jeb Bush (click here) said he trusts the legal process that resulted in charges against six Baltimore officers in the death of Freddie Gray.
Bush, a likely presidential candidate, was asked how a president can address rising anger toward police. Bush told reporters that a president can lead a conversation on how to fight the pockets of poverty that can result in dissatisfaction and anger.
Commenting on the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore, Bush said: “The process works” and “people are innocent until proven guilty.”...

Amazing, once a bureaucrat always a bureaucrat. I am surprised Jeb Bush didn't take credit for the charges. Sure he wasn't the very person that decided the charges and simply helped out those unfortunate females in Maryland and in the DOJ? 

Jeb Bush Interview (click here) "Everyone needs to respect property." When he was discussing Baltimore events. "People on the left CREATES a set of reasons why this happens.... Okay, I want every Democrat responsible for the death of Freddie Gray to turn themselves in to authorities and don't hold a riot to "Create a set of reasons."

There is a man dead and there is every reason to believe there are many men dead and all he has to say is "The process works." That is amazing. Dead people simply line the streets while 'the process works.' It worked THIS TIME because there were riots in the streets and he has the almighty nerve to state "the process works." Amazing. 

This must be Jeb Bush's Katrina. It simply arrived early and thankfully before he is President. 

Bush affiliates himself with racists. Is that surprising to anyone? It was his Secretary of State that disenfranchised African Americans in Florida's Dade County.

May 2, 2015
By Ziad Jilani

Charles Murray, (click here) a scholar at the right-wing American Enterprise Institute, is most known for his book The Bell Curve, which argued that intelligence differences among racial groups explaining inequalities in America. It is widely regarded as an attempt to justify racism using pseudo-science.
This week, Murray apparently gained a new fan. At an event with the National Review, Bush explained that his view on the breakup of American families has been informed by the notorious right-wing writer. According to Talking Points Memo:

[National Review editor Rich] Lowry asked Bush, “… is there any policy or anything public officials can do to help turn back what has been a rising tide of family breakdown crossing decades now?”

“Absolutely, there is,” Bush, a likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said. “It’s not exactly     the core. My views on this were shaped a lot on this by Charles Murray’s book, except I was reading the book and I was waiting for the last chapter with the really cool solutions — didn’t quite get there.”

Later in the interview, Lowry asked Bush what he likes to read. Again, he cited Murray.

I like Charles Murray books to be honest with you, which means I’m a total nerd I guess,” Bush said....

It all falls in with the Republican View of the World. Former US Senator Rick Santorum wrote a book that follows those same old racist stereotypes. It will be at least a generation more or more like two generations before Republicans finally drop the racism they count on to get them elected and policies that keep their donors coming back.

This is an example of the depth the Republicans are operating at to make a decision about a presidential nominee.

May 7, 2015
By Arleete Saenz
 
In Iowa this weekend, (click here) everyone will be listening closely to what comes out of Jeb Bush’s mouth, but they should also be paying attention to what he puts in it.

Last month, Bush revealed he follows the Paleo diet -- a strict regimen of eating only what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate: vegetables, meats, seafood, fruits and nuts.

“Continue to pray that I stick on this Paleo diet where my pants fall down,” Bush told donors in Tallahassee in February. “Perpetually starving to death apparently is the source of losing weight....

"The Paleo Diet" has made it to the Republican National Debate. And what is Former Secretary Clinton bringing to the Dems; "Income Inequality." There is no comparison to the platform of the DNC. There are real problems in the USA and not simply The Paleo Diet and how that relates to wealthy donors and patronizing electorate.

Tell me if hurts and I'll stop. Maybe.

May 2, 2015
By Aliyah Furmin

Today, thanks to a Supreme Court (click here) decision that unleashed unlimited money into politics, even the unlikeliest of long-shot presidential candidates needs only one very wealthy patron to run a credible campaign. It’s a system that many campaign finance reform advocates see as messy and bordering on corrupt. But now, Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is taking things to an entirely new level: putting off his official entry into the 2016 race so he can raise vast sums for a super PAC that’s supposed to be entirely independent of his all-but-certain campaign....

He hasn't said the words. That means he isn't running and is outside the parameters of fund raising? Really? Well, that explains it then, of course, Jeb Bush isn't corrupt to the core. He only engineered the election of his brother, but, that wasn't his fault, it was an underling. But, that wasn't corruption. Ask him how he views Voter ID when he is in ?

...By not officially jumping in the race, the former Florida governor doesn’t have to abide by the “hard money” rules of presidential campaigns, which cap primary donations at just $2,700 per individual. He’s raising unlimited funds for his Right to Rise super PAC instead....

I take it Former Governor Jeb Bush isn't discouraging Ohio from limiting the electorate in 2016. The truth is an entire election cycle should have to occur before any limitations on voting takes place. People have to gear up for these changes.

May 1, 2015
By Paula Bolyard 

A group of Republican lawmakers in Ohio (click here) will introduce a bill in the Ohio House next week that will require a driver’s license, state ID card, passport, or military ID in order to cast a ballot in person in the state.

 “This is a bill which I believe is very important for the state of Ohio for the sanctity of our election system, for the sanctity of making sure that it is one person, one vote and they are in fact residents and citizens of the United States,” said Andrew Brenner (R-Powell), the primary sponsor of the bill, in a press conference this week....

Talk about pandering. Give me a break. Kindly keep it real. The closest any Bush ever got to assault by police is when Georgie pleaded guilty to DUI.

How many mothers does Jeb Bush know? One and maybe the mother to his own children? A mother-in-law perhaps.

May 1, 2015 5:14 PM EDT - Former(click here) Florida governor Jeb Bush says the Baltimore mom who smacked her son during protests this week reminded him of his own mother, former first lady Barbara Bush. (Reuters)

The mother in the video from Baltimore wasn't disciplining her son, she was rescuing him from "...being another Freddy Gray...". She was afraid the police would also arrest her son, put him in the van and he would end up dead, too. Barbara Bush had the same problem, huh? Barbara Bush is afraid of cops? Really? Well, her sons have definitely lived through it.

 

It was an office culture. They exist.

I am confident everyone understands how an office culture exists and becomes part of a work day. This one was rather nasty with a group of Republicans surrounded by Democrats.

May 2, 2015
By R. W.

...The government’s inquiry into the jam, (click here) otherwise known as “Bridgegate”, has now yielded a guilty plea, two indictments and a rather delicious story of a conspiracy. On May 1^stPaul Fishman, New Jersey’s federal prosecutor, announced the indictment of two former top allies to Mr Christie: William Baroni, formerly a top-ranking executive at the Port Authority, and Ms Kelly, Mr Christie’s former deputy chief of staff. Both were charged with nine counts of conspiracy and fraud. David Wildstein, who went to school with Mr Christie and who worked for the Port Authority, pleaded guilty in a federal court on May 1st to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy against civil rights....

It is rather surprising the members of the group have been trusted members of government and law. I would never have guessed Bill Baroni was a surprise. I didn't thing he'd ever compromise a career.

Wildstein is rather new to NJ politics. I don't remember hearing that name before, but, that is due to his affiliations as a Republican. It appears as though Kelly's words are ambivalent. "Time to cause traffic problems in Fort Lee." Difficult to tell from an e-mail whether that was an order or a joke. The timeline puts that before the event, but, there is every reason to believe Mr. Wildstein acted on his own with mutual support from political friends. The court case will probably prove interesting as well.

David Samson was also a surprise. There seems to be a whole lot of hubris in this administration. But, that is all part of that office culture. Actually, Republicans as a rule are mired in hubris in their politics. It doesn't serve them well and alienates many Americans from taking them seriously, but, "the inflated ego" certainly is their brand. I think that fell into Mr. Samson's choices when he mixed business and politics.

When hubris mixes with power as occurred with these folks, it creates an environment of being untouchable. There is also the idea no one else can do it better than oneself. I think that sort of ego driven idea caused David Samson to trust only his own law firm. I can understand that, but, it completely compromised his career. It was not worth it.  

The fact Mr. Samson left his law firm and they changed the name of the firm, only speaks to the intense financial competition in the New York - New Jersey market. It is evident, image plays heavily into the choices New Yorkers  and Jerseyites make. If image matched by reputation lands contracts and otherwise Mr. Samson is really an odd breech in ethics I would not expect from a well seasoned and successful attorney. 

Chris Christie is not involved. I waited for the US Attorney and he made is very clear the events occurring in Bridgegate was not engineered by Christie. I am not surprised.

Did American jobs disappear under NAFTA?

General Motors

This is the GM site affectionately named "Chevy in the Hole." (click here)

This site was to be rehabilitated by planting trees to remove the contamination of the ground. This is Flint, Michigan.

Below is a black and white photo of the Chevy complex of 1920. Believe that? Chevy was actually this big in 1920. The arrow points to the original Buick factory on Kearsley street. (click here)

The Flint, Michigan plant opened it's doors in 1904 and was idled in 1999. It was a shock to the economy. This is an article from Forbes in 1998. The change in the USA consumption of goods and services was falling. The Middle Class was slowly drifting into poverty and Wall Street was worried. This was a foretelling of what was to come in 1999 and 2000. The country was on a slippery slope. It was slipping slowly, but, it was slipping just the same.

...O’Sullivan, (click here) one of the blue-chip bears, publishes an estimate of the impact of stock market gains on consumer spending, which makes up about 70% of GDP (see chart, left). Telling point: The market doesn’t have to go down to depress the economy. If it merely stabilizes, thus depriving consumers of that warm capital-appreciation feeling, consumer spending growth will ultimately tail off.

Just since this summer the Dow Jones industrials dropped nearly 2,000 points, regained most of the loss and then started slipping again....

This is a 1920 Buick Family Sedan. (click here)

NAFTA was introduced to the American legislature in 1990 by then President George H. W. Bush. It was signed on December 17, 1992 simultaneously by President George H. W. Bush of the USA,  Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas. Once signed it went to the legislatures to ratify it. Canada's Parliament fought the hardest, but, lost the fight when the electorate split their next vote between Liberal and Democrats which allowed the Pro-NAFTA Conservatives to win more seats and ratify the agreement. 

In the US, George H. W. Bush fought to 'Fast Track" his signature to pass the agreement, but, it never happened under his presidency. Part of the election of President Bill Clinton was due to the fight by labor to defeat NAFTA. What Bill Clinton did was to pass two other agreements which was to help protect labor and the environment.

The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) (click here)

The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) was signed on September 14, 1993, by the Presidents of Mexico and the United States, and the Prime Minister of Canada, as one of the supplementary accords to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It entered into force on January 1, 1994.

The NAALC was the first international agreement on labor to be linked to an international trade agreement. It provides a mechanism for member countries to ensure the effective enforcement of existing and future domestic labor standards and laws without interfering in the sovereign functioning of the different national labor systems, an approach that made it novel and unique....

That sounds fancy enough. What it did was to insure labor unions were wiped out by laws outside the USA in either Canada or Mexico. The USA would still maintain it's freedom of assembly which guaranteed the right to organize a labor union. What it didn't do was to insure the current labor statistics remained the same. There was no mechanism to do that. It could not control private industry and to that reality, the NAALC did little to protect the American Worker.

The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) (click here). 

It has a Preamble, seven parts and 51 articles. The preamble says it all really. The seven parts and articles simply put words to the understanding in the preamble. Here again it was an agreement to be sure one country's laws didn't effect the sovereign authority of another. In the USA the environmental laws would remain intact. 

PREAMBLE
The Government of the United States of America, the Government of Canada and the Government of the United Mexican States:
CONVINCED of the importance of the conservation, protection and enhancement of the environment in their territories and the essential role of cooperation in these areas in achieving sustainable development for the well-being of present and future generations;
REAFFIRMING the sovereign right of States to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and development policies and their responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction;...

The two agreements added by Clinton pretended to be an iron clad agreement to labor and the conservation community. It passed the US House nearly divided at 234-200. The 234 would break down to 132 Republicans and 102 Democrats. NAFTA with the two additional agreements passed the US Senate 61-38 with 34 Republicans and 27 Democrats facilitating the passage. There was never a "Fast Track" with NAFTA. Clinton never asked for one and signed it on December 8, 1993 putting it into effect on January 1, 1994.

In September of 1993 there was a big promotion that took place so the stupid agreement cold receive a bipartisan appeal. 

...The presence of three former presidents, (click here) two Republicans and one Democrat, to join President Clinton here today on this stage, is evidence of our country's ability to support what is in our nation's best interest over the long term without respect to partisanship....

No different than with this mess today, Wall Street pressured the White House enough to pull out all the stops and pass the lousy agreement. 

This is the GM facility in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. It is 275,000 Sq. Ft. of engineering, prototyping and manufacturing. It has 530 Employees. It opened it's doors in 1994.

Got that? 

NAFTA went into effect January 1, 1994 and GM wasted no time to welcome what many Americans would call "The Greedy Treaty."

The Flint, Michigan plants would remain open for five more years to facilitate a smooth shut down. It was shuttered completely in 1999. 

General Motors had it's international interests from early on with an Opel plant in the UK in 1905 and a Astra plant in Brazil in 1930, but, for the most part it was an American company until then. There were some international interests that took place in the 1950s or so, but, until NAFTA General Motors was primarily a United States Company. 

Once the gate was open, the company began to run into trouble, focused on large cars and trucks, lost a large part of it's market in the USA and began to tank. See what GM and most other Wall Street companies failed to grasp was the need for a well paid work force in the USA so they could sell their products. The foreign interests of these companies didn't provide the same size market place as the USA with consumers very different in their tastes and attitudes. Basically, poverty wages and employees didn't provide an income base to their products.

I have yet to hear of a success story from NAFTA. There might be one or two. The population in Canada in 1994 was slightly more than 29 million. The population in Mexico in 1994 was 93 million. The USA population in 1994 was 263 million. While Canada has a large geological footprint, it has dearly fewer people living there. The northern territories are not as interesting for settlement. 

But, from Wall Street's point of view the new populations of people in Canada and Mexico were nothing more than a huge increase in their bottom line. In other words, "The Gold Rush" was on. 

To say I am not impressed with the CEOs of GM from the past is to realize how completely stupid I know they were. GM took healthy markets for their products and discarded them because the employees were organized by unions. That was the only reason. Collective Bargaining has been hated by CEOs and Republicans alike. Yet, neither Republicans or CEOs will admit how completely ludicrous that hate is as it continues until today.

Should the Labor Agreement attached to NAFTA been eliminated? No. The markets in the USA to that point was very healthy. In order to make the "Booming Economy" of NAFTA happen Mexico would have to value a Middle Class and reform their laws to that outcome. That didn't occur, remember the word U-N-I-O-N was as good as a four letter word.

The rest is history. But, it isn't even pleasant history.

So, when people such as Mr. Furman attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of American Labor, they are making fools of themselves. For what outcome? Go figure.

May 1, 2005
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis 

...The 52-page report by Mr. Furman (click here) makes just one mention of Nafta, citing a 2007 study asserting that in Mexico in the decade after it went into effect, people born in states with “high exposure to globalization” made higher wages.

The report also seeks to debunk a common refrain by critics of Nafta and free-trade agreements in general: that they lead to job losses in the United States.

Free-trade agreements, the report asserts, “do not actually encourage outsourcing abroad. Instead, what may increase the outsourcing of American jobs is to remain in the status quo.”... 

Do we trust the federal government to do the right thing? According to the NY Times article, President Obama promised to renegotiate NAFTA during his election. In the Trans-Pacific agreement he states he has included Mexico and Canada. In that inclusion is the election promise he made to American Labor.

Labor understands what it had in NAFTA, but, it has yet to understand what it has in the TPP or the TiPP. 

Today, the USA has over 322 million people. That includes all age categories so that does not translate to 322 car buyers, but, there is a consumption of services to the GDP in all those age ranges. 

So, what will happen to the economy of the USA with these international agreements? So far no one is venturing a guess and there has not been concrete estimates in any of the countries signing these agreements. All anyone knows is that Wall Street has designs on growth and want anything and everything that can be included in that growth. Supposedly, everyone can trust Wall Street to do the right thing.

The question is not actually "Do we trust government?" The question actually is "Do we trust Wall Street?" The only people that do are the majorities in the US House and Senate because their jobs and income are secure if they deliver the goods to Wall Street.

After Citigoup pulled the stunt in the budget by adding an amendment under a majority Republican House and Senate, there is no controlling the greed or the need for more bailouts in the way of annual deductions for monies lost to exotic financial instruments. 

The amendment to the Budget by Citigroup simply makes the bailouts invisible as it moves from a legislative process every time it happens, to a place on the IRS form whenever it pleases the CEO to pull the plug for a bigger annual bonus.

Let's see the agreements and then we'll know exactly what we are looking at. There is every indication Labor will know better than anyone what is good for Wall Street and the government and it's tax base and what is not. There is no one that cares about the Middle Class except Labor Unions. They know more about the USA economy than anyone else in the picture.

The American people want guarantees. The Labor Unions are the only ones that can supply them without destroying the USA economy.

...Between 1993 and 1999, (click here) during the first seven years (peace time economy), President Bill Clinton’s presidency, the U.S. economy continued to grow consistently. However, by 2000, with the IT bubble bursting (and GM moving it's labor to foreign interests), the growth began to slow down and the decline continued during the first year of President George W. Bush. Of course, 9/11 did not help matters in that year....

End of discussion.

The reason cities, such as Baltimore, fall into disrepair and hopelessness and alternate economies is because 'State Rights" alone does not support the cities and people in their needs.

The reason there is a federal income tax and policies such as "The Education Department" with a Secretary at the President's Cabinet is to assist all American to find equity in their ability to live the promise of their birth right.

"The Military" is not the only purpose of the federal treasury.  

As of 2015 Maryland is ranked 15th in the country in GDP, $351,234,000,000.

For tax year 2014, Maryland's personal tax rates begin at 2% on the first $1000 of taxable income and increase up to a maximum of 5.75% on incomes exceeding $250,000 (or $300,000 for taxpayers filing jointly, heads of household, or qualifying widow(ers)).

That state tax is among the lowest in the country. Maryland is the boundaries that meet the national capital. It has median incomes that are highest in the country, however, Baltimore is among the poorest cities in the state and country. The median income in Baltimore is over $30,000 less than the median income of the State of Maryland.

Maryland - $73,783

Baltimore - $41,385 

The poverty rate in Baltimore is among the highest in the country at 28.3 percent. The poverty rate in Maryland is is 9.8 percent and among the lowest in the country. The country's poverty rate is currently 15 percent. 

Baltimore's demographics is 63 percent African American. The state of Maryland is 30.1 percent. The national average is 13 percent. 

The home ownership rate in Baltimore is 48.3 percent. Maryland has a home ownership rate of 67.6 percent. The current national home ownership rate is 64 percent. 

An article in "The Baltimore Sun."

December 1, 2014

"Poor Kids in Baltimore Have it Worse Than Those in Nigeria" (click here)

"When a teenager from East Baltimore was asked to describe his neighborhood, he spoke of “big rats going around in people’s trash, vacant houses full of squatters and needles on the ground.” A young woman in New Delhi, asked the same question, described the dirt and the “dirty water found lying on the roads,” while a young man in Ibadan, a large city in Nigeria, spoke of the smell of urine and streets “littered with paper and other refuse.”

Getting the picture yet?

While Maryland does relatively well as a US State, it is unable to bring about hope in Baltimore. The city is not completely unique. There are plenty of cities struggling to bring about hope for their impoverished. Yes, impoverishment is frequently a Democratic concern. 

The agricultural community of the Midwest sees poverty and demographics differently. If someone is so called "Lazy" in the Midwest where most Republicans find their victories in the Electoral College it is because they aren't ambitious enough to find a job. 

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted) (click here)

In March (2015), the Midwest had the lowest regional unemployment rate, 5.0 percent, while the West had the highest rate, 5.9 percent. Over the month, the only statistically significant unemployment rate change was in the West (-0.2 percentage point). Significant over-the-year rate decreases occurred in all four regions: the Midwest (-1.3 percentage points), West (-1.2 points), and Northeast and South (-0.9 point each). (See table 1.)

Among the nine geographic divisions, the West North Central had the lowest
unemployment rate, 4.2 percent in March. The Pacific had the highest rate, 6.3
percent. Over the month, the only statistically significant jobless rate change
occurred in the Pacific (-0.2 percentage point). All nine divisions had significant
rate declines from a year earlier, with the largest of these decreases occurring in
the East North Central (-1.4 percentage points).  

Baltimore has profound problems that require intense and high amounts of investment. That is not available especially after a global economic collapse. The people of Baltimore understand their problems. They know they are faced with complying with 'alternative economies' such as "The Drug Economy." They don't have hope in achieving a 'real life' so much 'an engineered life' of crime.

In that lies the reality of many African Americans considering the intense amount found in Baltimore. After generations of loss of hope they have adapted a life of relationships that exist between jail/prison and "the community." We saw Rep. Elijah Cummings with a loud speaker in his hand to tell everyone to go home when the curfew was looming. Why is that? Those folks didn't understand what 10 PM means or did they believe their opposition of government would lead to a greater opportunity to change the element of hope in Baltimore. BOTH.

About 9% of Maryland adult residents over the age of 18 had less than a high school diploma in 2009; 19% of these residents were from Baltimore City.

Illiteracy. Yes, in the USA a large city such as Baltimore has very high illiteracy rates. So, when a police officer confronts someone in Baltimore that can't sincerely change his life because of lack of opportunity what happens is a dehumanizing of the "career criminal." That is a heck of a designation, isn't it? "Career Criminal," you have arrived as the deepest fear of the majority of white Americans.

AND. "Career Criminals" have CHOSEN to be such. "W"rong. 

The cities, such as Baltimore, need help. They need help to change the future of their children. When the cities aren't able to provide THAT PATH to their children then parents such as Mr. Eric Garner 'take it on the chin' and tell his children to stay in school and go to college. Mr. Garner besides attending the PTA meetings also sells $1 cigarettes to pay for the next class trip his children will benefit from and ?college?, "Yeah, right." 

So, when I realized the children in Baltimore decided to march AFTER school let out, it was a profoundly different reality than I expected. They wanted to stay in school until the last bell because they now believe education is their 'way out of poverty.' Yet, they felt 'the call' to end the deaths of their peers and fathers at the hand of police. 

Now. When someone is completely disregarded by police as a 'viable' entity of the country and dehumanize them creating a culture that kills for absolutely no reason at all; people are going to get upset. When people get upset count on far more than an obituary and tears.

Today, due to the complete heinous reality of Black Men there is going to be people upset. Do not kill them. Do not maim them. Ask them what they need to make changes that matter and will create a life outside of poverty. 

And.

Oh, by the way.

The Working Poor is NOT AN ANSWER. 

This is the only example I found of leg laces. It is a wresting move.

I found nothing about such a restraint for police officers. The wrestler is this demonstration loop has an ambition to cause his opponent to be pinned with both shoulders on the mat while on his back.

The Police Union is welcome to defend it's members.

But, there is a man dead. He did nothing wrong to be arrested and mistreated. He went into police custody alive and innocent. He died while in their custody and there were six officers and a wall of silence. I strongly suggest the police union provide seminars to empowerment to their members to remove the Culture of Silence that is extremely obvious in this case.

One more time:

An innocent man who did nothing wrong died in police custody.

I haven't heard Mr. Gray's biography. His family can speak to whether he was a father and/or husband. Who is he? What were his aspirations?

This appeared in "The New Yorker." The title of the article is "Freddie Gray's Voice."  This picture accompanies the article.

April 21, 2015
By Amy Davidson

Two Sundays ago, (click here) just after eight-thirty in the morning, four Baltimore police officers were patrolling the streets around the Gilmor Homes housing project when, as the department’s deputy chief, Jerry Rodriguez, said at a press conference yesterday, they “made eye contact” with a twenty-five-year-old man named Freddie Gray. Gray ran, and after a brief chase on foot the officers caught him. They said they found a switchblade in his pocket. Carrying a spring-operated knife within Baltimore city limits can, in certain circumstances, be illegal, although the police commissioner said at the press conference, “Just running—there is no law against running."... 

I believe in acknowledging the intense review of the facts by the Baltimore Prosecutor's Office and again by the State of Maryland Attorney General's Office is to recognize the profound loss this man's life made upon the city and state. The loss of his life not only effected the officials in the city and state, but, also the nation. The title alone to this article is rather profound. Who indeed were the other Freddie Grays and why weren't they heard?

The community, while impoverished, understands and seek justice in their lives. They have witnessed men taken into custody to only achieve maiming or worse and not justice. The residents are stating there are other men who have died in the manner Mr. Freddie Gray died. 

Those that want to push back against the governments in this case do not stop to realize the actual nightmare Mr. Gray lived. 

"I can't breath." How many times now have black men stated those words. Then they die at the hand of THE SYSTEM of justice. Only it isn't just to them. 

Trayvon Martin was innocent and he is dead. The other end of the timeline is the innocent Freddie Gray and he is dead. This needs to be a nightmare to this country and resolve to end this hideous and aggrieved idea of law enforcement. 

It has been years now the American people have identified a militarized police force. That is illegal. It is like having the defense department turned loose on citizens. Just because they are in a police uniform doesn't mean they are legally conducting themselves within the borders of the country.

What does it take for the country to realize how completely inappropriate this type of policing has become. It has become a wall of silence whereby police are protected from causing the death of innocent people. There should be outrage by every American in this country. 

There should be outrage by every police officer that have conducted themselves morally and honestly while risking their lives to a line of work that is very dangerous. Americans realize the danger police face everyday they work. It is that status in our society that allows a wall of silence to exist. It is very dangerous to allow 'an image' to control a reaction to police that kill. When I realize how long and how far gone this society is to have this happen on a regular basis it is scarey. 

The country has to make this right. It has to realize the helplessness of the impoverished to make injustice known. The country has to do the work to change the face of the impoverished. It has to happen. There are many people dead in a country where freedom is suppose to be the right of every American. 

Unfortunately, "the image" of police is also politicized in the USA. It increases the drive to maintain the wall of silence. It has to stop. It is time for the country to make it right. This is primarily a minority issue, but, the same disease kills the homeless as well. This is going to end.

The City of Baltimore is not on trial.

There are six officers that allowed a man to die. There is exceptional proof those officers did not value human life, except perhaps their own. No one wants a police officer that doesn't value life. The lives of people are put in their hands everyday, they have to regard every human life with value even if they are suspects with an arrest warrant.

There are institutional problems, but, they are nation wide. The problem pervades policing in the USA. There is no city on trial, but, the practice of policing as it is applied in a militarized structure is on trial and it needs to end.

The State Attorney did not make political statements, she stated facts about herself as a reassurance she understood the problems. There was absolutely nothing out of line in her address to the people at a news conference.

The militarized standard of policing instilled during the Bush White House after September 11, 2001 removes Due Process from the citizen. It is an illegal culture that currently pervades the practice of policing. It places the citizen in opposition of police in a method that kills. There is nothing else to understand.

There is a common thread with every case starting with Trayvon.

The police do not carry the idea these black men are innocent until found guilty. They ASSUMED every one of them was guilty from their initial intervention. They don't have respect for the black men they are seeking to arrest and bring in for booking. 

They use overwhelming force with black men that were unarmed and nonviolent. 

Most of these same black men ran for their lives. When most of them ran it escalated the idea they were guilty. Why did they run? Did they see nothing but injustice if the police arrested them? Did they run for their lives fearing the ultimate sentence of death before their fingerprints were recorded at the police booking office? There is a lot wrong, beginning with a childhood of hopelessness in neighborhoods abandoned.

The police and/or vigilante acted as judge and jury and assigned these black men sentencing on the street. One was even a child engaged in play. This is simply astounding this happens in the USA.

Initial notes to announcement by State Attorney. She places "Due Process" high in esteem in the law. She identifies "No justice, no peace."

Probable cause, ....police made eye contact with Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray ran. Mr. Rice involved in foot persuit. Mr. Gray surrended. Mr. Gray handcuffed. Placed in prone position with arms handcuffed behind his back. "I cannot breath." Mr. Gray noted to have a knife and is lawful under Maryland law. Knife removed = Leg lace - Mr. Gray screaming. No crime committed by Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray was illegally arrested. Mr. Gray in wagon not restrained by seat belt. Removed Gray placed flex cuffs and leg cuffs on Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray still not secured in wagon. Mr. Gray from Backer Street severe neck injury incurred due to transport with no control of feet or legs. At no point did the police officers seek medical attention for Mr. Gray.

Officer Goodson

Dolphin Street and Drew Hill Ave. 

Officer Goodson and 

Mr. Gray requested help, he could not breath. He stated he needed a medic. Both officers assessed Mr. Gray and did not ask for additional 

1600 North Avenue was back up to arrest. Officer Goodson. Nero, Miller, Porter, Rice. Officer Alysia White. Nothing was done for Mr. Gray after assessing his condition. No officer responded to medical need of Mr. Gray.

Mr. Gray never received restraint as seat belt to transportation.

Medic finally called and determined Mr. Gray was severely injured. 

Maryland State Medical Examiner determined Mr. Gray's death is a homicide.

Goodson - 2nd degree murder, invol manslaughter, manslaughter of 2nd degree, manslaughter by auto due to repeated negligence of securing Mr. Gray in transport.

The list goes on and on for ever officer involved in the homicide.

She carries "the truth" in high esteem. 

The community has an indebtedness to the young woman who made the video of the illegal arrest of Mr. Freddie Gray. It compelled the community to identify with Mr. Gray and brought the outrage and demand for justice.

The video is contained in a news report. The media never gave up either. This movement needs to remain at the center of the country's concern for our minority citizens. There was a lot wrong in Mr. Gray's life, including the fact his neighborhood is deprived of the values of America's hope for all it's people. The movement must go forward. This is justice and it is direly needed for our minority members of our country. I am so grateful for everyone to continue this focus.

Death at the hands of police officers is completely abhorrent to what the majority of Americans believe about this country.

A full one third of the residents in Freddy Gray's neighborhood is in the state penitentiary.

From "The Washington Post" (Big Thank You and Thank you, "Morning Joe" for bringing it to the program.)

April 30, 2015
By Christopher Ingram

Inequality in Baltimore (click here) has been thrust into the national spotlight this week, with riots and civil unrest in that city following the funeral of Freddie Gray. This inequality has roots that stretch deep into the past. It's been exasperated by bad policy decisions in the present-day. And it makes itself felt in every aspect of life in the city, from the racial composition of neighborhoods to the number of empty houses standing in them.

For another illustration, let's look at a hypothetical case of two babies born on the same day this year in Baltimore. One is born in Roland Park, a wealthy neighborhood in the north of the city. The other is born just three miles away in Downtown/Seton Hill, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods....

The people in neighborhoods like this throughout the country find it impossible to break the reality of having a life defined by crime and punishment. The cost of the law enforcement and imprisonment in these neighborhoods justifies the reason this country has to do better.

The opposition to completely unnecessary deaths in this will not end. In remembering Eric Garner (click here) his one purpose for his life was to educate his children to get them out of the cycle of poverty and imprisonment. He is gone from his children's lives over a lousy cigarette he sold for $1.00. This is a very sick country and we have to bring this to the elections of 2016 and resolve to end the illness the USA suffers.

April 30, 2015
By Alexander Burns

The death of Eric Garner (click here) at the hands of the police on Staten Island has given rise to protests, marches and a federal civil rights inquiry, and brought national attention to the borough’s district attorney, Daniel M. Donovan Jr., when a grand jury declined to bring charges.

But in the special election in the 11th Congressional District in New York, where Mr. Donovan is the favorite to win on Tuesday, the Garner case has been reduced to a faint echo.

The election, to fill a vacant House seat representing Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, might have been expected to become part of the heightened debate over race and policing: a clash, at the ballot box, over the issues that have fueled civil unrest in parts of the country, most recently in Baltimore, where riots erupted after another black man died in police custody....

$1 trillion budget for nuclear missile system refit in 2016 budget.

Rep. John Geramendi's (click here) amendment to the 2016 budget was defeated on majority vote and was postponed on a roll call vote.

His statements were not about Iran, he stated the USA, Russia and China are engaged in a new nuclear arms race and one that is very dangerous with very short awareness of a hair trigger response. He is exceptionally worried and we need to pay attention. He stated there needs to be refocus on non-proliferation.

Evidently, the W80 nuclear warhead is a designed to be deployed on cruise missiles. That technology and stealth technology can bring a nuclear missile to the USA shores before it can be detected by radar. 

Volume 5, Issue 3, January 14, 2014 (click here)

The United States plans to spend at least $355 billion to maintain and rebuild its nuclear arsenal over the next decade, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Over the next 30 years, the bill could add up to $1 trillion, according to another independent estimate....

Rep. Geramendi states we are headed down the rat hole.

He stated there is nuclear capacity repeated four times in different technology.

Stealth jets, cruise missiles, navy submarines and the silos in the Midwest. He made an analogy to the years of "Duck and Cover" when he spoke. He states the arms race is unnecessary and Russia and China are attempting to match us. "Do we cause this? We are certainly a part of it. Where is the money for education? We are pushing the spending of over a trillion dollars and it is unnecessary." He questions about the spending as opposed to clean up facilities.

U.S. Nuclear Weapon “Pit” Production Options for Congress (click here)

Congressional Research Service

Summary

A “pit” is the plutonium core of a nuclear weapon. Until 1989, the Rocky Flats Plant (CO) mass-produced pits. Since then, the United States has made at most 11 pits per year (ppy). U.S. policyis to maintain existing nuclear weapons. To do this, the Department of Defense states that it needs the Department of Energy (DOE), which maintains U.S. nuclear weapons, to produce 50-80 ppy by 2030. While some argue that few if any new pits are needed, at least for decades, this report focuses on options to reach 80 ppy....

It is about individual Congresspersons and their coveted spending. There are 'jobs' mentioned with much of this spending. It needs to be reviewed by the United Nations for violations in the Non-Proliferation Agreement of which the USA is a member. It is very possible the US spending is way out of line by the US House. Mr. Geramendi is opposed to the level of the danger of the new technologies being entertained by the USA. There is escalation of the nuclear interests of the USA while they completely neglect the conventional needs of the military and domestic programs for the poor and children of the USA.

April 8, 2015
By Kris Osborn

National Harbor, Md. — Engineers with the U.S. Navy (click here) have finished drawing up specs for a future class of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, officials said.
The technical details, known as ship specification documents, will set the stage for engineering work and eventually construction of ships in the so-called Ohio Replacement Program being developed by General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat unit.
Consisting of three volumes, each with hundreds of pages, the documents detail the configuration, design and technical requirements for the next-generation boat, the first of which is slated to begin construction in 2021 and enter the fleet in 2031, Navy and company officials said....

The United Nations might ask members of the USA Congress to speak to the General Assembly and explain why the USA is increasing the danger in the world rather than at least limiting it or reducing it.

MOX fuel (click here) was first used in a thermal reactor in 1963, but did not come into commercial use until the 1980s. So far about 2000 tonnes of MOX fuel has been fabricated and loaded into power reactors. In 2006 about 180 tonnes of MOX fuel was loaded into over 30 reactors (mostly PWR) in Europe....

A MOX fuel facility was also discussed on the US House floor. 2016 is a Presidential election year. The discussion the United Nations can add to the global dialogue regarding the Non-Proliferation Treaty can be vital. If this runaway train of the USA can be brought to a halt, the elections can serve as a very good platform for a different role for the USA.

The USA should not be seeking to violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty for the sake of jobs. The spending for these programs are out of control, each project adding danger to the balance of power in the world. We all know the more monies spent on the military is less money to be spent on domestic programs. Neither Russia or China should be sacrificing their domestic economy for the sake of returning to the Cold War and nuclear prolifeation. 

The UN is not the place to divulge secrets, but, in this day and age with one country hacking into another country's computers the sincere secrets are in question. Let's say both Russia and China have the knowledge of the USA's plans for expanding it's nuclear weapons program. If all three permanent members are constructing these weapons beyond imagination to the precipice of danger; it is grossly negligent to ignore the danger and allow it to grow.

If Rep. Geramundi is correct, the 'brink of nuclear war' is brought down to minutes and far too late to respond adequately to prevent any escalation to destroying human life globally.

The USA is out of control in their military budget for the sake of jobs, especially where it spends on nuclear weapon technology. The USA conventional military is grossly out of repair and need new ships at the very least. When is the world going to not just ask 'pretty please' to stop the nuclear danger to life on Earth?

Russia and China are emerging economies, this is no time for them to be entering into a Cold War with the USA simply because some Congressperson needs jobs in their district. This is insane.

The least police are required to perform with suspects is sometimes referred to as "Ordinary Care."

Ordinary care is the care that an average reasonable man exercises to prevent harm to the person or property of others and failure to exercise which when under a duty to do so constitutes actionable negligence on the part of one causing such harm. 

That is a definition from Merrium-Webster. The Baltimore police officers did not perform ordinary care to protect Mr. Gray from being harmed in the van. He went into the van alive and he came out dead. There isn't anything else to say. At the very least this is negligent homicide. If there was deliberate steering of the van to inflict harm it then falls into a higher degree of murder.

The Washington Post has to print a retraction.

April 29, 2015
By Peter Hermann

...The prisoner, who is currently in jail, (click here) was separated from Gray by a metal partition and could not see him. His statement is contained in an application for a search warrant, which is sealed by the court. The Post was given the document under the condition that the prisoner not be named because the person who provided it feared for the inmate’s safety....

According to what the other person arrested that shared a van with Mr. Gray states he heard a noise lasting four seconds that could have been Mr. Gray pounding his head on the van. Four seconds is not a concerted effort to kill or maim one's self.  The other person arrested is not currently in jail.

He clarified his statement to Baltimore homicide while interviewed on television by a journalist. 

Mr. Freddy Gray's Death

The Baltimore Police Department already stated in a news conference early on, he was not buckled into the van. Mr. Gray was riding in the vans without seat belts.

The negligence is through the roof. Then take into account this is not the first negligent death. If there were actions by the police to facilitate an unsafe ride besides the seat belts makes it premeditated.

If the person in the next van compartment might hear his body banging against the sides of the van. A dead man has no muscle tone.

Allahu akbar! Amazing. I thought they revived the child. The baby was alive the entire time.

The men call out "Allahu akbar" several times during the rescue. Gives me chills. She moves spontaneously while have buried in rubble. I don't know if any of the men even would know CPR.

0.85 °C change in global temperature since the industrial revolution is an enormous change.

Question: How much heat does it take to raise Earth by one degree centigrade? 

Answer: A lot. 

When Earth heats it is not a minor event, it effects the global balance of heat distribution. 


Alaskan Tundra (click here)
Global warming is at it again, heating up one of America’s most prized natural possessions at an alarming rate- the breathtaking Alaskan Tundra. Rising temperatures are melting the permafrost, not only destroying the unique ecosystem but also acting as a super boost for global warming in other parts of the planet. The heat is on (no pun intended) for a solution, as we may be seeing more tropical tundra in the future. 

The Climate Crisis first evaporates the snow into water vapor used to mitigate global heat. Then it removes the water vapor from the actual soil. That does not happen overnight. Drought is a long term emergency. This level of drought is catastrophic to the biotic content.

28 April 2015 

If climate change was a game, (click here) we'd have racked up quite a score. A fresh study suggests that humans are responsible for a hefty number of today's extreme hot days and rainstorms.

Weather extremes, such as a Russian heatwave in 2010 and a drought in Texas in 2011, have been blamed on climate change before – but the attribution of individual events to it is still hotly debated.

So Erich Fischer and Reto Knutti at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science in Zurich, Switzerland, took a bird's-eye view of how human activity is changing the planet. Using 25 different climate models, they calculated how the odds of unusual events – such as a 1-in-100 day temperature high or a 1-in-10,000 day rainfall event – have changed with the rise in global temperatures.

Their results show that global warming of 0.85 °C since the industrial revolution has had a powerful effect. Climate change is now responsible for 75 per cent of our extreme highs in temperature and 18 per cent of extreme rainfall, according to the data. The rarer a particular event, the more likely that warming is the cause, they say....

How to charge Hillary Clinton as a public enemy; AKA as Karl Rove needs to get a life.

Let's see if I get this right.

Joe Scarborough states the newspapers he is reading states The Clinton Foundation received a huge donation from Algeria and then Algeria was removed from the terror list.

It was proved that was a lie because the only way to remove a country from the terror list involves a process with Congress. 

The truth is more than likely any monies received by The Clinton Foundation are matching funds met with private donors. Those monies will be turned back into the country with greater capacity and an expertise from the Foundation to make it happen. 

Moving countries forward is complicated and often is more about building better international relationships. The State Department can't have the same expertise as The Clinton Foundation. The Foundation has much more time and freedom to help countries understand how they have to create a more productive infrastructure including legislation. 

So, The Clinton Foundation is a uniquely qualified to provide necessary services to change the trajectory of an entire country of people. Their processes to achieve those goals is as complicated as the Former President and the Former Secretary themselves. Otherwise anyone could do this. We have already noted a unique demand by an international community and the people of the USA to shun retirement and engage a foundation that can continue to carry out his directives.

So, now that the Republicans have been proved liars to the idea of freelancing terrorists and their supports; the Clintons now are acting on Human Rights Statistics in their negligence of protecting the USA. 

Excuse me.

The 'descriptive' words to insight anger in the Public Court to defame Hillary is again a 'designer use of any law international or domestic.' The result is obvious. In both cases the Republicans are seeking to leverage "Hate of Hillary" as the most slippery candidate in the field.

This needs to end and the Republicans have issues to address. What are they afraid of is more the correct 'descriptive' words in the equation.

From 2001, "Racially Biased Policing."

American policing is facing a tremendous challenge (click here) —a wide spread perception that the police are routinely guilty of bias in how they treat racial minorities. This comes at a time when crime rates have fallen almost everywhere in recent years, and when the police might otherwise be celebrating their contribution to reducing crime and creating safe communities. Instead, the police find themselves baffled and defensive.

Racial and ethnic minorities constitute a substantial and growing segment of the U.S. population. Strength is in diversity, and we look to minority communities to participate fully in all aspects of society. Police are now looking to the public for partnerships and collaborative problem-solving solutions to community ills. If substantial segments of the community are the victims of police bias, or even perceive that they are, the likelihood of success is dim....

This is not going away until it DOES go away. Below is a report about Body Worn Video Cameras from 2012. Police Unions do not necessary like video cameras. Guess why.

For many police executives, (click here) the biggest challenge is not deciding whether to adopt one particular technology but rather finding the right mix of technologies for a given jurisdiction based on its crime problems, funding levels, and other factors. Finding the best mix of technologies, however, must begin with a thorough understanding of each type of technology. Police leaders who have deployed body-worn cameras

say there are many benefits associated with the devices

.

They note that body-worn cameras are useful for documenting evidence; officer training; preventing and resolving complaints brought by members of the public; and strengthening police transparency, performance, and accountability.

In addition, given that police now operate in a world in which anyone with a cell phone camera can record video footage of a police encounter, body-worn cameras help police departments ensure events are also captured from an officer’s perspective

.

Scott Greenwood of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said at the September 2013 conference:

The average interaction between an officer and a citizen in an urban area is already recorded in multiple ways The citizen may record it on his phone. If there is some conflict happening, one or more witnesses may record it. Often there are fixed security cameras nearby that capture the interaction.

So the thing that makes the most sense—if you really want accountability both for your officers and for the people they interact with—is to also have video from the officer’s perspective.