At the age of 19 I left Venezuela for the States looking for a better chance, since my country seemed to not have much for us middle and lower class youth.  Most of my friends stayed but a lot of us left to the US and Europe, most likely forced by the situation.

The failed coup d’état against the fascist government of the day in 1992 gave us hope. Hugo Chavez told Venezuelans after his capture that he was guilty along with his fellow soldiers and that new ways must take our country through a different path.  My heart felt this man, the fact that he, like a true hero would give himself up and face the media with showing no remorse for what he tried to accomplish. He went to jail unlike all the corrupt crooks like Carlos Andres Perez.  He was the leader we were looking for then. 

In 1998 he was by an overwhelming majority of votes and ever since that moment he continues to work for the average Venezuelan to create a better country and a better Latin America. That is why I support Hugo Chavez, The Bolivarian Revolution and the changes that the world is experiencing and the massive private media refuse to show everyone. I thank the Cincinnati Beacon for existing and giving everyone a chance to read my story which is our story. The story of humanity.

I feel this is not my Revolution; this is our revolution, the revolution of humanity against corporations and profits over people. We are in a process of evolution once again and it is time to evolve or perish.

To reach Rixio Barrios please write to circulobolivariano@cincinnati.com

Rixio is the coordinator of an international grassroots movement called the Bolivarian Circles and they are all around the world. The circles support Hugo Chavez, The Bolivarian Revolution and a social democratic alternative of governing.

Who is will participate: Community, Labor & Faith Based groups and individuals in support of Rumpke Workers, The Sierra Club, The Day Labor Organizing Project & The Blue-Green Alliance

Flyer available here:
http://www.dlop.org/city_hall_flyer.pdf
Phone contact: 513.621.5991

Background on the struggle for living wages and increased recycling in Cincinnati

MORE VICTORIES

Rumpke recycling workers with the help of the Blue-Green Alliance have succeeded in bringing change to their jobs. By bringing public pressure calling for Rumpke and TLC to change, they now receive free transportation to the job site and the right to choose their own transportation back to TLC (avoiding the previous mandatory $7.00 fee). Earlier, they won changes to pay policies that have eliminated the 2 hour wait after each shift. They have won freely supplied safety equipment instead of paying costly fees.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

The employers have refused to pay the City’s living wage as mandated by law. Currently City Council is considering a motion that would require the City to include strong living wage language and increase recycling requirements in next year’s contract. The current contract expires on May 31.

One draft motion calls for a living wage for ALL recycling workers and an increase in the refuse diverted from the landfill to 30%-40%. We strongly support this motion. Please call the Mayor and City Council Members in support of this draft. Tell them you support a living wage for all Rumpke recycling workers and an increase in recycling to 30%-40% of the waste stream!

Please call Cincinnati Council members this week (May 12-16) to make sure that when the motion on Rumpke is brought up in the Finance Committee on Monday May 19 that it include a living wage for all day labor workers at the Rumpke recycling facility:

1.Vice Mayor Crowley: 352-2453, david.crowley@cincinnti-oh.gov
2. Jeff Berding, 352-3283; jeff.berding@ cincinnti-oh.gov
3. John Cranley (Chair of the Finance Committee, 352-3653, John.cranely@cinncinnati-oh.gov
4. Chris Monzel, 352-3653, chris.monzel@cinncinnati-oh.gov
5. Cecil Thomas, 352-3499, cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov
6. V.Laketa.Cole, 352-3255, laketa.cole@cincinnati-oh.gov
7. Lelsie Ghiz, 352-3344; leslie.ghiz@cincinnati-oh.gov
8. Roxanne Qualls, 352-3604, Roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov
9. Mayor Mark Mallory: 352-3250, mark.mallory@cincinnati-oh.gov

In Solidarity,
The Cincinnati Day Labor Organizing Project
at the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center
40 E McMicken, Cincinnati, OH
513 621-5991
cworkers@cinci.rr.com

Planning for the Rally
If you are interested in working with us on the rally, please contact us or come to a meeting to plan our strategy for the rally:
Saturday May 17, at 10:00 AM, Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center 40 E. McMicken (Nu BlendBuilding, entrance to our office is in back of the building.)

For example, someone named Tonietta Smith, from Oakley, added some things to her form that raise questions.  At the top of the form, she wrote “Democrat Primaries ONLY.” And she apparently crossed out some words on the statement, making the form read as follows:  “...that I desire to be affiliated with and that I support the principles of the ____ Party...” In the blank, she wrote the word “Democrat,” and right under the space she wrote ”TODAY ONLY.”

Donna Plummer filled out her form, stating that she supported the principles of the “Independent Party.” An asterisk next to the line refers to another line where the Precinct Officials either accept or reject the vote.  The form indicates the vote was “accepted,” and the note indicates that Plummer “Voted Democrat Ballot.”

Carol Hesser made her own notes on her form.  She started to write the “D” for “Democrat,” then stopped and wrote “Independent.” This was marked with an asterisk, which referred to the following note, also apparently written by Hesser:  “Voting today on the Democratic Ballot.  I hereby request a change to the Independent Party.  CSH 3/4/08”

Christopher Bartlett’s form has two kinds of handwriting on it.  Apparently, he left the date blank, as well as the line where he was to indicate party affiliation.  Under that line, an arrow points to the following statement:  “I am voting for whom I wish regardless of party affiliation.” The same hand which wrote the word “accept” at the bottom of the form apparently also filled in the date, and the word “Democratic” on the blank line.

Patricia Hinkley tried to have it both ways, stating that she was a member of the “Independent/Democratic” party.  The line on the bottom indicating whether her vote got accepted or rejected is blank.

Don Hinkey apparently did not understand that primary elections are for the respective parties.  He left the line of party affiliation blank, and wrote the following:  “Since when did someone else decide how an American citizen can vote?” At the bottom, lone Precinct Official Kitt Lowe signed off that his vote was accepted.

So what does this mean?  Are these some examples of voters implementing something akin to Limbaugh’s “Operation Chaos”? 

The 15 year-old Mayerson High School Service-Learning Program provides support to over 50 local schools whose students do community service in nonprofit organizations throughout the Tri-State.  Homelessness is an issue that captures the minds of many high school students who seek to get involved in eradicating this injustice in their home town.  The Coalition provides ways in which students can learn about the extent and causes of homelessness.  Many students serve in the soup kitchens and shelters that are members of the Coalition.  Some students create temporary shantytowns on their school’s campus to raise awareness of homelessness.  Students from seven high schools who have been involved in homelessness helped to create the mural that will be installed at the Coalition on May 22.

According to Mayerson Foundation President, Dr. Neal H. Mayerson, “the process of creating the mural helps students make sense of the experience they have had dealing with homelessness in their community.  The mural becomes a symbol of their feelings and an inspiration to others to get involved in the issues they feel strongly about.”

Steve Elliott, the Director of the Mayerson High School Service-Learning Program sees value in bringing diverse high schools together to work on projects that make the community stronger.  “The mural for the Coalition on the Homeless will be the 50th public art project completed by our program.  Large projects like this bring urban and suburban, public and private schools together where students share and learn from each other the ways in which their passions around service can help to build bridges,” said Mr. Elliott.

Building bridges between those who serve and those who are served is an important part of the Mayerson Program.  “Getting beyond the stereotype of homelessness is often the first step in our work,” said Georgine Getty, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless.  “The high school students working on the mural really got it.  They have understood there are many different ways of being homeless and they have captured that in a creative, very respectful way that will help us reach out to the public at-large”, said Ms. Getty. 

In addition to paying for all the materials used in the mural, the Mayerson Foundation hires a professional artist who serves as the coordinator for the mural project.  “I help the students refine the images they create and keep all seven groups of artists on track”, said lead artist Carol Ann Newsome.  Ms. Newsome has previously created murals to beautify neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati.

The schools and teachers whose students participated in the mural project are: Mt. Notre Dame High School – Shelly Brauer, Art Teacher; St. Ursula Academy – Alison Probst and Kurt Nicaise, Teachers; Seton High School – Margie Metz, Art Teacher; Lasalle High School – Mike Knueven, Art Teacher; Mason High School – Beth Ann Eline, Art Teacher; St. Xavier High School – Ted Mechley, Teacher; and Aiken University & College and Career High Schools – Family and Children First, Joan Pack-Rowe, Marty Kamrani, Gayla Sherman, Carolyn Bloomfield and Debbie Ray, teachers and sponsors.

The public is invited to the dedication ceremony of the mural at which refreshments will be served.  For additional information contact Jeff Seibert at 513-621-7500 or jeffs@mayersonfoundation.org. 

The additional EMUs will incorporate new Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, which will make more offenders eligible for EMUs.  Most prior EMU units could only be used with phone land-lines.

So far this year, through a variety of actions, the County has not had to release early any male inmates, a dramatic change from years past.

Also today, the Commission received an update on its Project Disarm initiative.  Under the initiative, prosecutors apply much more stringent federal sentences to the County’s most dangerous criminals—particularly when they commit crimes while illegally possessing a gun.  Over the past year, the initiative has locked up dozens of the region’s most serious criminals for an average of more than seven years--far longer than what these criminals would have faced locally.  And they spend this time in the federal corrections system, freeing up local jail space.

“This is locking up the worst and most dangerous offenders where they belong--in our federal system,” Pepper said.

If Obama wanted to be the real “people’s candidate” he would take the golden opportunity to attack the million ways the Republican’s have screwed up the country and spell out exactly how he would do things differently. I don’t see him differentiating himself at all. Americans DO want to hear that. Of course Republicans don’t and he wants so much to appeal to them, that he’s just going for the “America has great potential, we can do anything we set our mind to” patriotic, nationalistic, whip ‘em into an emotional frenzy message. He wants to create a bunch of Republicans for Obama, like the Democrats for Reagan bunch.

I copied the content from this post left by cincysuz on the older article.  And she took the bait!  Here is cincysuz arguing with herself:

Once he gets the nomination, he’ll have the opportunity to attack the Republicans. Right now he has to devote all of his energy to repelling the racist attacks that come from all fronts. I haven’t been following the Greens, Independents or Libertarians but wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve gotten their licks in too. But then the father of a two children that may very well face that scenario in this racist land isn’t concerned about “color.” Funny how white people always say color doesn’t matter but will find every flimsy excuse not to support a black man when the rubber meets the road. And it’s a laugh hearing you, who have treated all Republicans with kid gloves, extended every possible courtesy to your brethren, that someone else is weak on attacking Republicans. But I don’t think you and JJ and MEP in partnership with the rest of the Republicans will be successful this time in your efforts to install another Republican administration!

That’s when I responded with another tid-bit copied from cincysuz:

Obama and Clinton are one in the same. The only difference is that Obama names a Republican, Ronald Reagan, as his inspiration. Some choice.

You can see the original here.

After some prompting, she took the bait and argued with herself again:

Oh really? Well first why don’t you explain why you continue to bash the only viable non-Republican candidate for president? Sure, he’s not as progressive as I’d like, but the other choice is Clinton or the McCain/Nadar ticket. I think that like many white people, your motives are race based. You’re looking for an excuse not to support a black male presidential candidate and everything you say on this blog supports that. That would threaten the superiority of you and the other Beacon boys so you choose to support either the old white male that has decade after decade been rejected (you guys always love to say that Gore lost his own state when Nadar never takes anything) but like the ever ready bunny keeps on running, or the other old white male war mongering Republican. The choice would be clear to anyone BUT a hard core conservative. And I’m really eager to read YOUR response. But I don’t expect it.

I left one more piece dangling for her, but she didn’t bit a third time.  Did she figure out our game?  Who knows.  But it sure was great having fun with cincysuz!

Photo courtesy of here.

If you look closely (or check out this larger view), you can see, in the center, how a large stream of “water” is pouring directly into the creek. 

Is that really just plain, old, ordinary water?

And look towards the right side of the picture.  See that red flap?  Red usually means “danger.” Does something dangerous pour, occasionally, from that flap?  And look at the black residue dripping from the hole.  What is that stuff?

Here is another view:

Photo courtesy of here.

In addition to another view of both the red flap with black residue (bottom right), and the gushing liquids getting dumped (center), you can see other colors of flaps with black residue beneath them.  (Try this larger view, if necessary.) I see a yellow flap, like the red one.  “Yellow” usually means “caution,” right?  About what should we be cautious concerning that flap?  And, again, what is that black stuff?

Just some things I think about now, while driving to work each morning…

It’s not clear the manner by which Livingston’s story had been “spread far and wide,” but by linking to it Sloat has already done his part to increase the SEO of that particular entry.  Surely Sloat knows how linking increases site visibility.  So even while pretending to swoon with embarrassment at the salacious details Livingston provides, Sloat makes sure to do his part to drive people to those very same details.  And then he goes on to criticize the digital age for providing a flow for precisely that type of information!

Sloat writes, “We are now witnessing the unfettered and unchecked flow of information—perhaps scurrilous information—that is the downside ripple of the digital age.”

Sloat is like Lt. Frank Drebin, from The Naked Gun, standing in front of a fireworks factory, telling people there is “Nothing to see here.” (See image above.) He is either joking, or he has become a joke.

Knowing Heimlich, I figured something unpredictable was bound to happen and the May 3rd “Hard Truths” premiere did not disappoint. In fact, the very first guest was, surprise surprise, Bill Sloat. Did he somehow forgot to mention that in his April 30th Bellwether plug for Heimlich’s show or was he a last-minute booking? But I’m getting ahead of myself.

For the past few weeks, the only thing Sloat has been writing about on The Bellwether is the Marc Dann mess. It started with his April 13 critique in which Sloat took The Enquirer to task for failing to cover the story. Fair enough. Since then, it’s been wall-to-wall Dann at the Bellwether, ranging from newsworthy observations to moral indignation to inviting readers to “Name The Scandal”. (Sloat thinks “Boinkgate” is a winner.) Clearly, the former award-winning Plain Dealer reporter has has found a drum he enjoys beating.

It’s certainly a drum worth beating. Dann’s an embarassment and a joke, which is apparent to everyone but himself. My problem with Sloat’s non-stop coverage was how loud he was banging his anti-Dann drum. For example, his items had dirfted into the ”nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more“ category, the most juvenile example being this “Marc Dann appointment calendar”, an incredibly limp humor attempt: “4:30 p.m—Have Sex. 4:32 p.m.—Smoke Cigarette. 5:00 p.m.—Photo Op With Hugh Hefner. 5:30 p.m.—Order Silk Pajamas,” etc. Also, I don’t know about you, but whenever a hardened beat reporter starts acting like he’s going to faint because a politician was caught having an affair, I start itching. Sloat’s breathless POV on the Dann story required calamine.

His call-in interview with Heimlich last week was more of the same. It started with Heimlich saying, “If you think I just put this sex scandal on to get people to listen to my show, I want you to know that’s exactly what I’m doing” and went downhill from there. The milestone was when Sloat mounted the soapbox for a morality lesson and declared the AG’s office to be a “culture of copulation” which caused Phil to swoon over the alliteration. Good Christians of Character like Heimlich certainly have every right to work from the gutter; after all, Phil made his name as a bottom feeder. What had me flummoxed was why Sloat was playing monkey to Heimlich’s organ grinder.

The second half of the show continued along the same lines with a long interview with Kevin DeWine, who as, Phil repeatedly reminded everyone through the show, is incoming Republican Party chairman. In fact, Phil gets so far up DeWine, I was worried that he’d have to be surgically removed after the show. (I assume he was looking for a job up there.) Just like in Sloat’s interview, Heimlich and DeWine spent their quality airtime kicking Marc Dann around the block. But that’s expected of party apparachiks. We’d all be surprised if DeWine and Heimlich did otherwise. (For you masochists out there, the audio of the hour-long show is available on Heimlich’s website.)

But Bill Sloat is supposed to be an independent journalist, not a Republican Party flak. Is a reporter allowed to be opinionated in a radio interview? Of course. Can he make childish wisecracks? Sure, go for it dude. But if a reporter goes into an interview with a politically-driven agenda, his independence as a journalist is kaputski.

That’s why this two-minute section of the interview bothers me. After you get past the haw-haw jokes about Hawaiian pizza, Phil ‘n’ Bill start talking about e-mails which were obtained from Dann’s office in public records requests back from the Coingate days. First, Heimlich describes the e-mails and reads from one of them. Then over the phone, Sloat reads from a different e-mail from the same batch.

How did they both happen to have copies of these obscure e-mails? The only way I can figure is that either it’s an amazing coincidence or somebody exchanged paper before the show.

Bill Sloat and I have a collegial relationship and he usually responds promptly to my e-mails. Since Sunday I’ve sent him the following message twice:

Bill,

I’m reporting on your appearance as the premiere guest on “Hard Truths with Phil Heimlich” and I’d appreciate your answers to some questions.

1) Do you recall what date you received the invitation to appear on the show? Who contacted you?

2) Before the interview, did you communicate with Phil? If so, please describe in detail the extent of your communications.

3) In your years as a reporter, you’ve seen plenty of scandals come and go. On a low-high scale of 1-10, with 10 being Tom Noe/"Coingate," what ranking would you attach to the current situation in the Attorney General’s office?

Thanks and looking forward to your reply. If you could get back to me as soon as possible, that would be appreciated. I may have follow-ups.

Sincerely,

The Dean

Bill, if you’re reading this, I still haven’t received a reply.

###

NOTE: If you’re not mowing your lawn, tune in tomorrow to “Hard Truths” in which Phil’s guest will be another journalist whose commitment to objectivity and quality reporting is well-known: the Enquirer’s Peter Bronson.

Ohio imPACT TOWN HALL MEETING on Judicial Independence is designed to bring people together to look at the judicial branch, what judicial independence means and how it is threatened in Ohio. Why is this so timely? The judiciary, one of the three branches of government, is typically the least understood branch.  Yet it is the branch charged with protecting access to justice for all.

The presentation includes a brief DVD and speakers who can discuss the significance of the judiciary, handle questions and facilitate meaningful discussions on the importance of preserving fair and impartial courts. Students from the University of Cincinnati will also be participating.

Co-sponsors: Taft Research Center, CommonCause Ohio, League of Women =
Voters of Greater Cincinnati, and Ohio impact.

For more information see http://www.ohioimPACT.org

Open to the public. Free Lunch. 

RSVP to Alice Schneider at 381-4994.