Jim Crow Swims at The Valley Club

Un-freaking-believable! In 2009! In an urban area! In the northeast! Disgusting!

Suburban Philadelphia’s Valley Club kicked out 65 minority day camp kids because the club’s members were disgruntled. Then they canceled their contract with Creative Steps Day Camp and refunded the $1,950 paid to use the club’s pool. Excuse me? If the club signed the contract, wouldn’t they have informed the members? That way the club’s idiots could stay home that day instead of parading their ignorance at the expense of young, impressionable kids. Creative Steps’ kids are aged 5 to 12 or 13.

Instead, the members present June 29th when the day camp kids showed up, turned up their noses, making remarks those young kids couldn’t help but overhear. Incredulously, all but a few white kids got out of the pool! Even the day camp’s director heard snide remarks from Valley Club members to the effect of ensuring the group did not return.

Just in case you’re not taken aback by the story so far, the club’s explanation is beyond belief. The Valley Club issued a statement in which president John Duesler said (emphasis mine):

There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club.

Duesler added he “underestimated the impact the children would have” and that the kids “fundamentally changed the atmosphere” at the pool.” How amazingly idiotic! Turns out Duesler’s a doctor, too: must be a DS (doctor of stupidity).

On Saturday, the club’s gates were padlocked and a few protestors stood outside. Club member Jim Flynn came up and told reporters he was at the pool on the 29th. He said he voiced his concerns because “the pool was too crowded, not because the children were black.” This is where I throw the “bullshit” flag. According to Creative Steps’ director Alethea Wright, who was also there that day: the Valley Club covers 10 acres, has a nice-sized pool and a kiddie pool, the club knew her group size was 65, and none of her kids misbehaved. “We were not welcome, once the members saw who we were,” she said. The over capacity defense doesn’t pass the common sense test.

Ordinarily, this is where I’d call upon readers to register their feelings, but the Valley Club’s website is down, their voicemail off. If you live nearby, those inspired to action have probably already joined the protests. I’m not normally prone to advocating violence, or even threats of violence, but if you see Duesler on the street and you decide to kick him in the ass, I’d pretend I didn’t see it. Duesler. Hmmm. How about Diss-him instead? Since the usual methods for voicing concern or discontent aren’t available to most of us, I invite you to take action in another, small way. Do something nice for someone of another race that they might not expect. It could be as simple as holding the door for someone.

Haste Costs 5 Young Lives

Detroit Free Press by Regina H. Boone

Yesterday 5 metro Detroit kids lost their lives in a gamble they could beat the train through the crossing. The Amtrak train was going about 70 mph. It took about a mile for it to stop, leaving a trail of debris all the way back to the crossing. No word on whether the kids had their seatbelts on, but that probably didn’t much matter in this case. It’s also not clear if they were on their way to the beach or to one of their homes. However, the 19 year old driver had numerous traffic violations, including speeding and running a stop sign. And a judge had just suspended his license for a month for failing show his license.

The youngest in the Ford Fusion was a 14 year old girl; the boys were 18, 19, 20, and 21. Their deaths are certainly a tragedy for their families and friends. It’s also terrible for the locomotive’s crew. After throwing the train into emergency braking, there’s nothing they can do but ride it out, certain of what the outcome will be. It’s simple physics: a 530-ton train, with steel wheels on steel rails, going 70 mph takes a long time to stop. And a 2-ton car is no match for the train.

Some of the comments blame the parents, questioning why a 14 year old girl was in a car with 4 older boys, of which the 18 year old was her boyfriend. The girl’s mother had told her she had to come home rather than go to the beach, but didn’t expect the girl to comply. While I wondered the same, none of us who don’t know the actual details and circumstances should pre-judge. In any case, I’m sure that doesn’t matter in the least as far as the mother’s grief is concerned.

Another commenter noted the kids all probably learned how to drive from their parents. The post remarked on people driving 80 mph on metro Interstates, weaving in and out of traffic, citing the “me first” syndrome. People tend to become anonymous and invulnerable in their cars. Maybe that’s why the driver went around another car stopped for the gates and lights and tried to make it through the crossing. That poor decision to try and save a minute or two resulted in 5 young lives being cut far too short.

Unfortunately, grade crossing incidents happen way more than they should. All railroads are involved with Operation Lifesaver which works to educate the public on rail safety. The address both grade crossing accidents and the dangers of walking on tracks or in rail yards. Incidentally, tracks and yards are private property, so trespassers could also be ticketed or arrested. Traffic safety folks are also working to protect people from themselves. At Denton Road in Wayne County, a test set of barricades rise up when a train approaches to prevent drivers from crossing the tracks. Sadly, this test site is on the same rail line about 5 miles west of yesterdays crash site.

Update: The Free Press has the surveillance camera footage.

Poll: Cut State Legislature First

In an Epic-MRA poll released yesterday, most news sources report voters prefer to cut the state legislature before schools, police, and fire. I went to Epic-MRA’s site, but their only reference to the poll is a PDF version of the Detroit News story on the poll. Fortunately, WXYZ has posted the entire poll results.

Frequent readers will know this plays right into my perspective. I’ve been disenchanted with Michigan’s legislature since the state government shutdown fiasco of 2007. Recently, I’ve called for state legislators to share the pain. Had they cut their staffs and pay by 10%, Michigan could have avoided laying off 100 State Troopers, one of the areas the poll says voters want least affected. Voters’ priorities: local schools, police and fire, and State Police.

As I first heard the story on Lansing’s National Public Radio (NPR) station, WKAR, Epic-MRA’s Bernie Porn blamed term limits:

“The legislators do not look at the long-term problems and long-term plans and solutions,” he says. “They’re more attuned to the six years they have to serve.”

That’s different from our so-called representatives in Washtington, how? They don’t think beyond the current term in office either, and they’re not subject to term limits. I’ll admit term limits presents some difficulty in that no legislators are truly “experienced” with the system, but I think the anti-sheeple benefit far outweighs the cost. By that, I mean state legislators can only serve so long. People who tend to vote incumbent have no choice but to pick someone new from time to time.

Porn also annoyed me by saying the Legislature eats up less than 1% of the state’s total budget, and “cutting funding would hardly be worth it.” Tell that to the 100 State Troopers that got laid off! They’re way less than 1% of the budget, but they’re out looking for jobs now. Meanwhile, Michigan’s legislature, the second highest paid in the country, is on it’s two week summer recess.

Wizard Kitten observes “citizens want their government services”. There is a certain amount of government services I expect and I don’t want to pay fees for those services. Realizing that, if the services cost more than current revenues, I have to accept additional taxes. If I don’t want more taxes, then I have to accept reduced services. That’s not a complicated mathematical equation. The poll results on WXYZ’s site show where people’s priorities are.

Detroit Pay-to-Play Scandal Expands

As Southfield City Councilman William D. Lattimore is indicted for bribery, it’s apparent the pay-to-play scandal goes beyond Detroit boundaries and former Detroit councilwoman Monica Conyers. This is the same pawn shop owner praised by Monica Conyers in a 2007 Detroit Council meeting.

So, before his indictment, Lattimore was part of the “he said, she said.” While the Southfield location may not be the same, there’s no disputing former Detroit City Council memberMonica Conyers has ties to Ziedman’s. Apparently the connecting link in all of this is one Bobby Ferguson.

And no one believed Detroit was open to regionalism!

Honest Scrap Award

As a relative newcomer to the blogosphere, I’m happy Cynical Synapse received the Honest Scrap Award. In researching this award, it’s actually a “semi-award”, meaning no committees are involved in the nominations and awarding process. But it’s still important because one of my respected blog-mates—theblogprof—picked Cynical Synapse as one of 7 of his nominees. He’s got dozens of blogs he’s following, so Cynical Synapse must be on target, and I’m pleased by that.

Just what is the Honest Scrap award? It’s an independent “semi-award” that fellow bloggers bestow on one another. From Rena Jones:

Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will.

There are two qualifications to the award:
1. You must list 10 honest things about yourself, and they must be interesting (let’s hope I meet that).
2. Designate 7 other bloggers as recipients of this award.

As for the honest things about me, I:

1. Am saddened by the direction our government has taken over the last 20-40 years (less representational, more special interest oriented)
2. Believe in the equality of man but realize not all men have the equal access needed to maximize their talents
3. Like a common sense approach, which is why I have low tolerance for airport security measures and other “feel good” actitivities
4. Have a low tolerance for sheeple who relect inept politicains even though they know they don’t represent them
5. Am opposed to the Peter Principle, which is one of the reasons MDOT is on my short list of evil government agencies
6. Think greed and corporate largesse brought about the current economic maelstrom
7. Admit to some degree of parochialism, since I was opposed to the Wall Street bailout (which I maintain has done nothing for Main Street) while I was incredulous no one supported help for domestic automakers
8. Tend to think of myself as a Republican, but don’t hesitate to vote for, or support, the candidate I believe best meets the needs of the country
9. Am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, and I’m proud I voted for Ross Perot in 1992
10. Thank God I voted for Bush in 2000 even though I was not supportive of his later policies; Gore just couldn’t have handled 9/11

The tougher challenge is nominating 7 bloggers worthy of this award. Here are my choices, in no particular order:

• Common Peoples Source for News
• Disagreement Without Being Disagreeable
• The Gas Game
• American Thinker
• Blogging for Michigan
• Michigan Messenger
• Briefing Room

I’m not the most liberal, nor am I the most conservative. Right is right and it transcends labels and viewpoints. Our government—especially our elected representatives—have lost focus of this fundamental point of view, I think.

So, as a young blogger, I’m honored to be nominated for this award over some that have been out there far longer than me.

Truth or Consequences: 2010 Defense Budget

On June 25th, the US House of Represenatatives overwhelmingly passed HR 2647, their version of the 2010 Defense Authorization. All of Michigan’s delegation, 8 Democrats and 7 Republicans, voted in favor. Only 22 (20 Democrats, 2 Republicans) opposed the bill. President Obama is threatening a veto if the bill also passes the Senate, however.

According to The Heritage, Obama is selling America’s defense short and this claim seems to be picking up traction. But others seem to claim Obama’s budget is increasing defense spending. So it’s a little like using statistics to prove whatever you want.

What seems to be most at issue is the F-22 Raptor. The Heritage blames cutting the Raptor and 4 other “key” defense concerns as Obama’s evisceration of America’s security. But Obama is poised to veto the House bill precisely because the House added F-22s. The Air Force agrees it doesn’t need the extra fighers.. Seems the House and Senate both want more F-22s than Secretary Gates. Development of a second F-35 engine is another sticking point.

On the surface of it, Obama’s budget takes care of national defense with a 4% increase. But, everyone seems to have a different number. Some argue this 4% increase is actually a net

I’m in the military, so I’ve got a vested interest. I’ve long thought the ballistic missile defense program was a folly. Current operations certainly seem to favor the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in lieu of the F-22 air superiority platform. Obama’s defense budget also enhances funding for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), a key weapons platform in today’s warfight.

We’ll have to wait until after the summer recess to see how this all plays out. The Senate version, S. 1033, is currently sitting in the Armed Services Committee. It will likely get it’s own set of plus-ups, probably different than the House bill. Then the House and Senate will have to come up with a concensus version, undoubtedly costing more than either House or Senate version.

In the meantime, it seems somebody beside us ordinary folk have realized all the crazy government spending lately is unsustainable. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said “we can’t pay for it all,” referring to health care reform, stabilizing and improving the economy, and the myriad of other presidential initiatives. Maybe our representatives need to know that, too, so they don’t keeping adding pork on top of budget requests.

Poignant Reminder: Freedom isn’t Free

As the US gets ready to enjoy the 4th of July weekend, here’s a reminder our independence and continuing freedom come with a price. The military announced yesterday a US Soldier was captured by insurgents. Our heart-felt thoughts and prayers shoud immediately reach out to his family and loved ones in hopes of a safe return.

While details remain sketchy, the Taliban hardline Haqqani faction claims it’s captured the Soldier and 3 Afghanis. Reportedly, the Soldier was “taken to a safe place.” There have been no official claims or demands from insurgents, however.

According to military spokesperson Capt. Elizabeth Mathias, “We have all available resources out there looking for him and hopefully providing for his safe return.” She declined to provide other information about the Soldier, a private first class, for his safety. Apparently, the theory goes, the less that’s publicly available on insurgent-held captives, the less likely it is for them to make outrageous demands.

The Soldier’s family has been notified. In all likelihood, this will be the most nerve-wracking holiday weekend of their lives. They must be wondering why their son left the security of his compound on Tuesday. And, they must be deeply concerned for his life. We should remember that when we fire up the grill or head for the beach or boat this weekend.

Hypocritical Media: Reporter’s Capture Kept Secret; Demand Details on Soldier

From the Weekly Standard

Media Double Standard on Captured US Soldier Predictable

Remember how the media conspired to hide the capture of New York Times reported [sic] David Rohde by the Taliban? We were told the media did the right thing to deliberately not report on his capture in order to ensure the reporter’s safety and not allow the Taliban to use the media to manipulate the narrative.

Today, it has been reported that an American soldier has gone missing in eastern Afghanistan. Unsurprisingly, just about every media outlet has run a major story on the capture, and if they haven’t, they will do so shortly. You can bet that when the soldier’s name is revealed, we’ll be bombarded with interviews of his family and any images or videos released by the Taliban.

The obvious question is why is it prudent to hide Rohde’s kidnapping yet splash the headlines with the capture of a U.S. soldier? The answer is that the media views itself as being above the fray in America’s wars. In their eyes, they’re a neutral party, not part of the story, so they can remove themselves from the story when they wish. And the funny thing is they re-insert themselves back in the story when it makes them look good, like this feel-good piece on David Rohde’s triumphant return to the New York Times newsroom.

—Bill Roggio

I’m certainly glad David Rohde got home safe and unharmed and I truly feel for the 8 months of anguish his family, and he, went through. But, he’s treated—and brandished—as a celebrity the very day after a US Soldier went missing in Afghanistan. That makes me sick.

Gratuitous Mayhem

The gratuitous drive-by shooting of 7 youths at a bus stop yesterday just after summer school let out is simply inexcusable. It’s not clear if an on-going dispute or gang-related issue attributable to nearby Cody High School or the surrounding neighborhood is what drove this obviously planned assault. But we do know the shooters were looking for someone by name.

Of the injured, 5 attended nearby Cody Ninth Grade Academy. Two are in serious condition.

Today, 18-year-old Jamall Turner surrendered to police as one of the men suspected of involvement. And we wonder why Detroit’s kids are left behind?

Michigan’s Troopergate

In a sad game of political chicken, Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order to cut 100 Michigan State Police troopers. Although the State Senate had the opportunity to oppose Granholm’s plans to close a $1.3 billion budget hole, Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) and his ilk sat silent for a month. In mid-June, they were “outraged.” I’m sorry. Where was the outrage when there was a chance of doing anything about this? The troopers’ union was also drawn into the game of chicken, asked to give up furlough days (without pay) to save the 100 jobs. While I, personally, would have voted yes, the union’s perspective:

“Whether 100 troopers are laid off or 1,569 of our members take furlough time, the result is still the same; it’s troopers off the street,” said Mike Moorman, president of the Michigan State Police Troopers Association.

At the end of their shifts today, 100 troopers are turning in badges, identification cards, and weapons as politicians play “Make the Public Pay.” This is the equivalent of Granholm playing the race card and the legislature being too self-important to do the right thing. I proposed Michigan’s legislature accept 10% cuts and eliminate $12,000 annual per diems to offset the State Police layoffs. Granholm put the troopers on the block as a political bargaining chip and the legislature let them run down the gutters like nothing better than chum.

So, penny-wise and dollar foolish, Michigan spent about $8 million for the 2008 State Police academy, which graduated in December. Six months later, we’re laying them all off to save an estimated $1.7 million in salaries and another $3 million in “at post costs”. Personally, I question the “at post” costs since salaries and benefits are usually way more expensive than lockers, a desk, a car, bullets, and fuel. But, accepting the Granholm administration’s figures, it’ll take 2 years to break even in savings on the cost of the Trooper School. In the meantime, Michigan’s citizens suffer the loss of a 10% reduction in protection and those trained police officers are likely to move out of state.

All of this is beyond the fiasco of MSP’s controversial new headquarters. And Michigan’s politicians wonder why the state’s at the bottom of the pile in so many issues? How about this as a prime example of myopic self-centeredness?