Swim Clubs and Gross Pointe Michigan, Shameful!

I just returned from visiting family and friends in Detroit over the July Fourth weekend. While there as I often do when I visit a city or town, I like to read the local paper. I picked up the July Fourth edition of the Detroit paper and there I came across a story, A story about an interracial couple’s harassment complaint which was filed with their local police department.

The couple stated that their home was “Egged”, and the criminals also scribbled the “N” word on their vehicles.
The couple stated that they decided to file a complaint because the egging has crossed the line into using hate language by writing the “N” word on their vehicles. Prior to this latest incident which resulted in this complaint the couple stated that they have been the victims of having their home egged in the past but did not file a complaint with the Gross Pointe Police Department.

I am prompted to write this article today because of a story I saw reported on CNN this morning. The story was about black and Latino children who were told they were no longer welcome to swim at the local swimming club.

Initially, the swimming club accepted money from a contract the club allegedly signed to share their Swimming Club with these children. CNN interviewed the little boy who said he personally heard racial statements being said about the blacks and minorities in his presence. Then the little boy broke down and began crying because he simply had not experienced racism before. Yes it hurts like hell, at his age, and at any age. When will we see the light.
We as Americans only months ago voted for the first Black President of the United States. We no longer are required to sit in the back of buses or eat at separate lunch counters and the like. But we most continue to teach are young that although we have “Equal Rights”, racism, hate and intolerance are still alive and well. This is despite the fact that we as a Nation, just elected an African American President. We must continue to educate our youth to the reality of today despite what is on the surface called progress.

Why does an interracial couple, consisting of a black man and a white woman living in Gross Pointe Michigan still have to suffer at the hands of vicious racist in their communities?

Why must little black boys and girls and Latino children still feel the pain and sting of hearing that they are somehow inferior or inhuman because of the color of their skin and are not welcome!, in 2009. Why!!!

How About Twenty-Five Billion to Save Detroit, the City

Recently I wondered what if the past and current administrations had invested the roughly fifty billion dollars that it “invested” in the auto industry in redeveloping the city of Detroit?

What If the federal government had invested half the amount of money that it invested in Chrysler and G.M., which is about twenty-five billion to redevelop the city of Detroit? What might  the results be?  I believe that such an investment would have lifted up the overall auto industry in Motown?

Today there is no other word to describe Detroit other than just sad. You walk around downtown as I did a few months ago and you see all these great old tall buildings and it makes you cry to think about how awesome a downtown this once was.

Using twenty-five billion in redevelopment capital targeted towards making Detroit a World Class city once again verses Bailing out G.M. and Chrysler with fifty billion dollars might have been a better investment. After all both companies still went into bankruptcy and are being sold off in parts to other auto makers. We could have just saved that fifty billion and just let the business cycle be fulfilled under the capitalist system we believe in..

Who would have thought back when the government was debating what to do to save the auto industry other than me, that a better way to help the “Big Three” is to rebuild the city of Detroit. History has repeatedly demonstrated the obvious, and that is a region goes up together, as well as, falls down.

When a city or region is infused with a massive amount of targeted development and redevelopment, you not only reinvigorate the city, but also the industries and businesses in that region, as well as bring in new industries and businesses to meet the needs of a reborn World Class City.

Twenty-five billion would go a long way in making this, my dream, a reality.

Gingrich and Republicans, Back Off the Speaker!

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said again today and will continue saying tomorrow that Nancy Polosi should step down.

Please somebody tell Newt Gingrich these facts about his ambitions. Number One, Even if Nancy Polosi steps down from the House Speakership, He can’t get his old job back. By the way didn’t he step down or was he push down? I know it was not pretty.

Tell Newt, that as much as He and his cronies i.e. Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh, and D.Cheney, would like to dictate what Obama should and should not do, in the case of Cheney. And now every time you turn on T.V. there’s is Newt dictating to Nancy Polosi to step down.

Who is Newt Gingrich? The man less influential than Romney, Giuliani, and McCain otherwise he would have decided to run for the White House instead of backing out at the eleventh hour. However with little to no support you cannot raise the amazing amounts of money required to run a first rate campaign and Newt saw the writing on the wall and sat on the sidelines. He continued his puppetry as a talking head at Fixed News. You know the fair and balanced cable station.lol.

Newt Gingrich realizes I think that he is only making Democrats stand by her side instead of agreeing with him and the dumb republicans that Polosi should step down. Gingrich and his republican cohorts are attempting to pressure a fine women of integrity to abdicate her position by that bunch of opportunist and buffoons who attack her relentlessly. Simply to advance their own agenda. Politics will always be politics and politicians will be politicians. In the end the best man or women wins. In this battle of the Speakers I’ll bet on Nancy, Mr.Speaker

Gingrich will continue to beat the dead horse. The democratic party will continue to believe Nancy Polosi’s statement about what she was told about Torture. Over Newt Gingrich’s big mouth assertions because his words are not proof of truth either. He’s nothing more than a publicity hound.

Gingrich and Cheney have had their day but as they say some people are addicted to power long after they realize that they don’t have any.

Mr. President Please Consider an African-American Woman for the U.S. Supreme Court

U.S, Supreme Court Justice David Souter made his announcement that he would be retiring from the Court at the end of the Court’s session in June. This departure will open the door for President Obama to nominate a replacement.

Much speculation has already taken place as to what kind of replacement The President will choose. A Woman has a shoe in already, or a Latino or a Liberal. Ultimately the Obama administration will select a candidate for nomination who will eventually be confirmed provided that there are no skeletons in their closets and their judicial record is clear of possible roadblocks that the neo-cons in the Senate can use to drag out the confirmation process.

When I look at the Court’s composition at present, I noticed that it is comprised of mostly white men. One Woman and one African-American man.

There is speculation that Obama could choose the first latino women to the Court. Time will tell what he decides but what is going on now is that many who would like to see a nominee who they feel will represent their interest are dropping names of the kinds of judges they would prefer to see on the Highist Court in the land.

I too would like to advocate for a specific judge. One who can bring a new voice for under represented citizens in this country.

For me the decision would be easy based on the criteria of representing an under represented minority. We all have heard the phrase “First Come First Serve” Therefore it would be fitting that a decendent of American Slaves whose ancestors endured Centuries of Slavery and terror to finally have her chance to form and shape the legal definitions of this same nation that is greatly brutallized its Black American citizens.

So when I watch the Pundits toss out possible replacements, Why don’t you all consider the very real possibility that President Obama just might choose an African-American women too. I never see the media types even considering an African-American Women in their speculations.

Is that so strange?

Bubbles, Bail Outs, Barack and AIG

President Obama has been in office nearly ten weeks. Around seventy days now. The Financial Bubble bust prior to him taking the helm from the former administration. And continued to deflate well into his young presidency.

I should have mentioned “Balls” too in the title of this article. The President has many balls to juggle which requires his nimbleness, finesse, and a belief in his abilities to not just face the challenges before him but to rectify these conditions and to lead the Nation and I dare say the World back to sounder footing.

While acknowledging that the United States long term success as a nation is dependent on the rest of the G-7 nations having solid financial systems. Therefore in order to guarantee the soundness of these “Major” and “To Big to Fail” financial institutions (Where were the Anti-Trust protections.) must have a regulatory mechanism that is both transparent and strictly monitored and regulated. If this requires Congress granting new authority to the Treasury Department to do the regulating, then I say, give Treasury the power.

President Barack Obama in his ten weeks in office has done more than give parties at the White House and run around the country giving campaign style speeches. I don’t think he has lousy work habits as some of the pundits had the gall to pronounce about our President. President Obama has the world in his hands and is using his hand to wisely fix a broken system. The Nation is facing the greatest financial meltdown since the great depression. He and his team are tackling the problems head on. Time will tell whether their remedies will be curative.

President Obama named the Economy, Health Care, Education, and Energy as his top priorities for the Nations. While managing two Wars. And a growing problem on the Southern Border of the United States with Mexico all are on the President’s plate.

President Obama plan to reduce our National Debt by 1/2 of what it was under George W. Bush by the end of his first four years. The President has plans if nothing else. President Obama has a great team in his administration to assist him in making his Presidency a shinning example of American Leadership around the world.

The AIG bonuses, based on the pros and cons of this matter,I would prefer to err on the side of caution and give the bonuses to the AIG executives to retain their “Talent” to protect the Nations investment of the hundreds of billions the tax payers are on the hook for paying back.

The reality is the same Executives many of whom played a part in the collapse of the financial institution will now receive two or three million each in bonuses to keep them on board.

Like the Old Blues Song says: “Its Cheaper to Keep Her”. Its probably cheaper to fulfill the contractual obligations and keep the talent needed to navigate the complicated financial and regulatory systems. If bonuses will secure our investment grant it to them and let them get to work for the American people. We want our principle back plus interest.