Georgia Tech Employee Arrested On Felony Charges Of Forgery And Identity Theft

Atlanta, GA

An investigation by Georgia Tech's office of internal auditing and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has led to the arrest of a Jonesboro woman on charges that she stole the identity of an Illinois resident and used that information to steal over $10,000 from the school.

Merideth Durrah, 38, who worked as a program coordinator in the College of Sciences, faces felony charges related to the incident in which GBI officials says Durrah forged a letter from a professor at Georgia Tech offering the woman a job, then stole at east two payroll checks in the amount of $5,100 each from the school issued in the woman's name.

The investigation began after the Illinois woman was denied employment in her home state following a background check with showed she had not paid taxes on the funds from Georgia Tech.

"This woman had access to privileged information with respect to the person in Illinois," said John Bankhead, GBI spokesman. "How she got access to that information is still under investigation."

Durrah has been terminated from her position at the school and faces felony charges of forgery and theft by taking. Officials say other charges may be filed.

PGA At East Lake Golf Club

Atlanta, GA

The Professional Golfers Association comes to the East Lake Golf Club for the FedEx Cup Championship playoffs. The tournament begins on Thursday, September 24 and runs through Sunday, September 27.

The East Lake Golf Club opened in 1904. The course is credited with producing golfing great Bobby Jones as well as 21 national champions. The course and the clubhouse have undergone major renovations as recently as 2008. The course has also suffered extensive damage from the recent drought and, most likely, additional damage from the floods that hit the area over the past weekend.

Let's just hope Tiger Woods doesn't get car-jacked messing around out in east Atlanta.

Two Dekalb School Officials Suspended For Test Fraud

Atlanta, GA
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission suspended two Dekalb County School officials on Thursday.

Former Atherton Elementary School principal James Berry was banned from working in Georgia's public schools for two years and former Atherton assistant principal Doretha Alexander was banned for one year for their roles in correcting student's answers on CRCT test forms in order to retain federal funding.

The Commission also approved formal investigations of at least eight other Georgia educators in connection with the statewide scandal. The scheme was uncovered when State officials noticed a high number of eraser marks on tests from Atherton and four other Georgia schools. The Governor's Office of Student Achievements preliminary audit results revealed that someone deliberately changed students' answers on the 5th grade CRCT math re-test.

The state said the scores improved significantly by the changes. At Atherton, the state found on average, answers were altered 21 times per student, the majority of the changes making them correct.

“The evidence presented was both compelling and troubling to me as superintendent of the DeKalb County School System. I assure you I am moving with great speed to address this matter internally.”, said DeKalb County school superintendent, Dr. Crawford Lewis.

Berry and Alexander were also arrested in connection with the incident and face criminal charges including altering public documents.

Negroes Fear White Mayor

Atlanta, GA

Black mayoral candidate and Atlanta City Council President, Lisa Borders has returned a $500 campaign contribution after she challenged a memo he sent out as being racist. Negro political operative and former Borders supporter Aaron Turpeau recently circulated a memo calling for Atlanta's negro community to support Borders over white candidate Mary Norwood.

When news of the memo became public, Borders issued statements calling the memo "racist". Several other candidates spoke out against the "black mayor first" memo which was written by two negro professors from Clark Atlanta University, William Boone and Keith Jennings.

Turpeau was surprised and disappointed by the reaction to the memo and the return of his check stating, “The reaction by the two leading black candidates was very disappointing. Candidate Kasim Reed, who the memo pointed out was far behind in the polls, led the charge by crying out charges of black racism and was quickly followed by candidate Lisa Borders calling the memo racist, instead of an opportunity for racial discussion,”

“Both outcries are seen by many in the black community as pandering for white votes and support.” Turpeau said.

The "black mayor first" memo is presented below.

Introduction

The debate over the best strategic option for black leadership and the African American community as we approach the Mayoral election in Atlanta has become critical based on the fact that for the last 25 years Atlanta has represented the breakthrough for black political empowerment in the South.

It is debatable to what extent the objective socio-economic and political position of the African American community has improved. At the same time, most would agree that the Jackson breakthrough represented an unprecedented opportunity for black political representation nationwide.

A passionate argument has been made for us to develop a unity of purpose and position, and for that to be defined immediately, given the short amount of time remaining between now and November 2009 election day (two and ½ months from now).

There are unstated assumptions that need to be examined. Perhaps the most critical factor is the lack of an agenda against which to evaluate candidates. An agenda, beyond just electing a Black Mayor, would allow us to move from the margins of the debate to controlling the expectations associated with gaining our support.

Three basic assertions have been made. They are as follows:

1. There is a chance for the first time in 25 years that African Americans could lose the Mayoral seat in Atlanta, Georgia, especially if there is a run-off;

2. Time is of the essence because in order to defeat a Norwood (white) mayoral candidacy we have to get out now and work in a manner to defeat her without a runoff, and the key is a significant Black turnout in the general election;

3. The reasons support should be given to Lisa Borders is: 1) she is the best black candidate in the race who has a chance to win the election because she can attract downtown white support; and 2) based on polling data drawn from a host of sources between May 2009 and July 2009, the numbers suggest Borders is growing stronger as we move closer to the election, while the most recent polling data suggests that the other black candidates are falling further behind over the same period.

There are also at least three unstated assumptions that should be further explored:

Unstated Assumption

1. With the “Black Mayor first” approach there is an unstated assumption that having a black mayor in Atlanta is equal to having a black social, economic and political agenda or at least someone in office who would be sensitive to that agenda if not a full promoter of that agenda;

2. By coming out for Borders now would eliminate Reed, Spikes and Thomas as viable candidates. Some would argue that if the polling data is correct then those candidates who are only polling at 8%, 2% and 1% respectfully, are already effectively out of the race; and

3. It is unlikely that there will be a unified preference among existing black leadership and in the African American community for one candidate prior to the general election.

The Missing Factors in the Current Approach

There are at least seven real world common knowledge factors that must be taken into consideration as we debate how best to manifest our support in the run-up to the November elections. They are as follows:

1. The impact of current alienation among Black Atlantans from the political establishment;

2. The imperiled state of the Jackson Machine, (in part because of the displacement of close to 100,000 black residents over the past few years) and the effect operation of the NPU system by whites;

3. Shirley Franklin’s perceived poor performance;

4. The changing demographics in the city, the potential role of new city voters and the diminished role of religious and labor leaders in mobilizing the black vote;

5. The importance of the City Council races (which to date seems to have been ignored);

6. The persistent poverty in the city, the educational crisis in the schools; the human security/public safety concerns; the type of economic development policies being pursued; and the city’s awful financial management issues;

7. A Black Agenda that any candidate should be evaluated against.

What’s At Stake?

Determining what’s at stake depends on perspective:

1. The view that the times are too serious to stand on the sidelines is absolutely correct from the perspective of a black mayor at all cost. In fact, if a white candidate were to win the 2009 mayoral race, it would be just as significant in political terms as Maynard Jackson’s victory in 1973.

2. Therefore, the question becomes, if that were the case, how would African American interests be addressed; thus, the need for a comprehensive agenda. At the same time, just having a black mayor doesn’t guarantee that African American issues and concerns would be effectively addressed either (as the current administration’s relationship to the African American community clearly demonstrates). In other words, are we simply providing votes without any expectations of the candidate that would enjoy our support?;

3. While some may think that Franklin represents the last link to the Jackson Machine, it is not widely known that both Borders and Reed are directly connected to Franklin; or that Spikes and Thomas are Republicans, as is Norwood. Additionally, it should not be overlooked that whoever is Mayor of Atlanta will be in position to play an important role in the upcoming 2010 Georgia Governor’s race;

4. The changing demographics which show a more rapid growth in the city’s white population (faster and a higher percentage than anywhere else in the country) requires that we critically evaluate all candidates;

5. To ignore the alienation that exists among black voters towards the Franklin Administration’s performance is naive at best and dishonest at worse; and finally,

6. We need an overall governance strategy and a definition of who really governs in Atlanta. In other words, in 2009 we have arrived at a place in time where we can no longer afford to just look at race in the Mayor’s race or individual council races.

At the end of the day, “when the morning comes,” a black agenda would better enable us to have our interests respected by and our influence realized in any administration.

Georgians Demand More Information On Crime Statistics

Atlanta, GA
Amid rising crime rates, the decreased ability of law enforcement agencies to protect citizens and public admissions by local politicians that the state is unsafe, many Georgia residents and civic organizations are demanding better access to information on crime statistics.

Quote:

Some Seek More Crime Reports

Statistics wanted: Those trying to get information to try to determine trends in neighborhoods can run into obstacles.

By Megan Matteucci, Tim Eberly

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Fred Pangle uses a neighborhood map, Post-it notes and word-of-mouth to track crime statistics in his Rex subdivision.

The handyman said he maps crime for his Amberwood Neighborhood Association because he can’t get enough information from the Clayton County Police Department.

“They say they can’t tell us anything unless you’re the victim,” Pangle said. “Maybe if we had crime statistics, people might come to the realization of how unsafe it is and know what’s really going on.”

Under the Georgia Open Records Act, almost all initial crime incident reports are open to public review. Across the metro area, people get individual reports every day —- mostly for use in traffic cases or incidents in which they were victims.

But amid rising interest in crime rates, residents, civic groups or even reporters trying to determine broader trends in neighborhoods can find that getting information is more complicated.

Several county departments, including Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett, generally limit access to reports on a specific incident or for a specific address. There is no ready access to incident logs.

“Open records law does not require an agency to allow open inspection of bulk or all reports,” said Cpl. Illana Spellman of Gwinnett County police. “Open records law requires that if a specific report is requested and is open to public disclosure, that the information be released.”

That’s wrong, said Hollie Manheimer, executive director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. Initial incident and arrest reports, she said, “are the classic public record. All of them are open, immediately and always, for public inspection.”

More at AJC.COM.

Atlanta Welcomes British Historian David Irving

Atlanta, GA

British historian and author David Irving will be speaking in Atlanta on Friday, August 8th 2008. The visit is part of a book tour of the United States on which Mr. Irving embarked in May and which will end on September 5th. The tour has brought him to various cities across the nation.

Mr. Irving is the author of numerous historical works including The Destruction of Dresden (1963), Hitler's War (1977), Uprising! (1981), Churchill's War (1987), and Goebbels — Mastermind of the Third Reich (1996). Aside from being a renowned author and historian, within recent years Mr. Irving, age 70, also became a political prisoner after being arrested in Austria in November of 2005 for the fictitious thought crime of "holocaust denial". These charges sprang from a speech Mr. Irving had given in Austria nineteen years earlier, in 1989. He was sentenced to 3 years in an Austrian prison and was later released and expelled from the zionist controlled country.

Local jews in the Atlanta area, including Emory University's holocaust indoctrination expert Deborah Lipstadt, have demanded that citizens ignore Mr. Irving's visit. "He's always been denying the holocaust and he's never stopped denying the holocaust," Lipstadt said. "He's really a man who's been declared not just by the British courts but the Austrian courts to be an unrepentant holocaust denier, a racist, and an anti-semite."

For security purposes, the exact location of Mr. Irving's Atlanta speech and book signing has not yet been released to the public. Those interested in attending this event can call 305-923-6779 or visit the Focal Point Publications website for location and ticket information.

Following his stop in Atlanta Mr. Irving will be visiting cities in South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Colorado, Wisconsin and Illinois before returning to England in September where he will launch the English edition of his prison memoirs, Banged Up.

Black Culture Or Indecent Exposure... Cries Of "Racism" Regarding Proposed Law Banning Sagging Pants

Atlanta, GA

Metro area negroes crowded into a recent Atlanta City Council meeting to voice belligerent opinions and contempt for a proposed amendment that would make "sagging pants" a crime.

Some asserted that the amendment is "racist" apparently based on the fact that sagging pants are a part of "black culture", because White people don't wear their pants that way. LOL.

Quote:

Some call it a fashion trend and a cultural expression, others say it's simply indecent exposure.

The Atlanta City Council heard more public comments Wednesday night over a controversial amendment to ban baggy pants in Atlanta.

For Chris Franklin, it’s a cultural image, a strong statement, an undeniable part of his identity.

“Cause I’ve been doing it for so long, like for so long. I ain't going to stop sagging my pants cause they made a law. I'm still going to sag my pants, you know,” said Franklin. “It's just natural. The black culture do it - everybody you see. Most everybody from the black culture you're going to see them sag their pants.”

But it's a reflection of hip-hop and what Franklin and his friends call "the black culture," which could make them criminals under a proposed amendment of Atlanta's indecency laws.

One city council member says what's on display is not a matter of culture or self-expression, but one of indecent exposure and destructive self image.

“It is ridiculous, so disrespectful, so unnecessary because many of these same people don't have enough money to go to college. You know we say 'heads up, pants up, grades up,'” said Atlanta City Councilman for District 10 C.T. Martin, who sponsored the amendment. “Why are you doing that, when the majority of people in the world are not walking around with their underwear showing?”

Councilman Martin says the proposed penalty for not covering up was recently downgraded from paying a fine to doing community service. But the ACLU calls it a discriminatory "dress code," one that critics and Chris say targets the black youth culture.

“It might be a racist thing because I don't see no white people sagging their pants, because they have their pants up, right here, to above their stomach. They might have it way up here you know,” said Franklin, motioning to his stomach. “But black culture they ain't going to have their pants way up here that ain't something you can make a black person do, pull up their pants. They ain't going to listen to ya'll. They're not going to listen.”

And it's an image, a statement, and an identity, Franklin says he's going to keep wearing.

The City Council's Public Safety committee has not determined how much community service violators would have to serve. Councilman Martin expects the City Council to vote on the proposal at the end of February.

Original story here.

Semitic Invasion: Atlanta Among Fastest Growing Jewish Communities

There's a popular theory that jews are a small percentage of the population in areas outside the cities of New York and Miami. Many claim that they comprise only 2% of the entire population. Any reasonable person who is familiar with the American media system, the motion picture and television industries, and print media would conclude that this figure is either grossly under estimated or that every jew in America is in one of those industries. Obviously this is not the case. There are far many more than people are willing to believe.

The following article, in their own words, indicates that Atlanta is the fastest growing jewish community, with the jewish population rising by nearly 5,000 jews per year. It has some very interesting statistics on jewish populations in several cities.

Jews were in Las Vegas when it emerged as the gambling capital of the country, and Jews have been coming to Las Vegas ever since.

Many of Las Vegas' most important developers have been Jewish, as is the current mayor. However, despite previous "guesses" by various community leaders, there are not 100,000 Jews in Las Vegas. The Jewish community numbers 89,000 persons today, living in 42,000 Jewish households -- but of those 89,000 persons, only 67,500 are actually Jewish.

This makes Las Vegas the 23rd largest Jewish community in the country, a new survey that I recently released has found.

Nor is Las Vegas the fastest-growing Jewish community in the United States. From 1995 to 2005, the number of Jews in Las Vegas increased by 21 percent (from 55,600 to 67,500), or about 1,200 per year. At least six other large Jewish communities have been growing considerably faster: Atlanta (4,800 per year); West Palm Beach, Fla. (4,700); San Francisco (4,500); Washington (3,100); South Palm Beach, Fla. (2,400); and Phoenix (2,000).

Article continued here.