Weekend Zen

So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.

Led Zeppelin. 1975.

Immigrant Song.

Hold Up, AZ

Judge Susan R. Bolton's Wednesday ruling temporarily blocked the most controversial provisions of the Arizona immigration bill while she continues to hear arguments in the case brought against the state by the federal government.

As reported by azcentral.com (7/27/2010):

Key parts of SB 1070 that will not go into effect Thursday:

• The portion of the law that requires an officer make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested if there's reasonable suspicion they're in the country illegally.

• The portion that creates a crime of failure to apply for or carry "alien-registration papers."

• The portion that allows for a warrantless arrest of a person where there is probable cause to believe they have committed a public offense that makes them removable from the United States.

• The portion that makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to solicit, apply for or perform work. There are three parts to that part of the law. Two of them will go into effect, one of them will not.

(...)


The law, she found, would increase “the intrusion of police presence into the lives of legally present aliens (and even United States citizens), who will necessarily be swept up” by it.

The decision--although not final--is viewed as a defeat for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who is running for reelection. In her own words, "...this fight is far from over."

WikiLeaks

Florida's infamous Sunshine Law allows citizens access to any state, county, and municipal record as a way for the public to keep both elected and governmental officials honest; however, that courtesy extends both ways.

This law also turns the spotlight back on the general public by permitting anyone with time and inclination access to any public record. Two such examples include property and court records. A couple of quick taps into a search, one can be in their neighbor's house and their personal business and it's all legal.

As a result, I believe we are forced to live in compromised privacy. Nothing is sacred any longer.

So, I can't help but feel somewhat satisfied, perhaps even justified in a serves you right sort of way, that WikiLeaks turned the glare back on government with the recent online posting of the Afghan War Diary, 2004-2010.

The reports depict that "...lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related details." Yet, the listed details wax almost too revealing. (Read more here).

I imagine governmental and military stakeholders feel quite exposed, much like the rest of us when the private details of our lives pop up on some database.

But did WikiLeaks go too far?

The questions currently under discussion after the Big Reveal include the safety of our soldiers post-leak and also, the changing role of journalism as a more of a player in the mix than merely a stand-by recorder of events. In this case, those who released the information were painted wildcat independent after posting transparent the military documents that would have otherwise not been made aware to us mere mortals.

If we've learned anything from last week's smear du jour, all the wa wa wa talk about racism basically deflected away from the simple truth that Shirley Sherrod was harshly and unfairly fired after shoddy, quick-to-air, what's a fact check gotcha journalism almost erased her governmental career for good.

In this case, WikiLeaks' ethics and integrity became the story, rather than the truths of the war as documented by the AWD.

Regarding our need-to-know, is the fact our neighbor has a long history of unpaid parking tickets and the floors throughout his home are poured polished concrete essiential to our daily existence?

Shouldn't we be a bit more concerned about his son or daughter deployed in Afghanistan, if information such as the AWD continues to be posted by those who truly believe in getting the entire word out, not just bits and pieces of the story those in charge want us to know?

Do we really need to know everything just because our technology--and the law--permits us to eyeball personal and classified information?

Talk to Me.

We are Family

I once witnessed a young girl chew her shirt sleeve off.

She started at the wrist. Biting the ruffle tight between her teeth, with one quick downward jerk, the sheer fabric ripped to the elbow. The second tear was a bit more difficult as the the material had gone slack, the tautness gone but after a couple of good shakes of the head, what was left of the sleeve tore free from the shoulder to hang shredded from between the girl's teeth.

An hour previous, she had spoken proudly of buying the blouse with money earned by mowing lawns.

Her up moment came crashing down ... and fast. Foster kids run hot and cold like that, unwilling to give themselves permission to enjoy the simplest happiness.

How could she be happy without her parents? Without her brothers and her sisters? Sure, they all lived in the family car and barely had enough to eat and life wasn't easy, but at the very least, everyone was together. They were a family, now ripped apart, much like the shirt sleeve.

This kid was sort of unusual. Her parents fell on hard times, but she did have both. Some kids only have a mom. Or a dad. Others have moms and dads in prison or deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and live with Grandma (or Grandpa) who suddenly find themselves raising children once again.

Which brings me to the point.

A family can no longer be depicted by a traditional grouping of cartoon decals stuck on the rear window of a mini-van as was depicted in Florida Today's Sunday Debate, Kids best served with mom and dad, 7/25/2010.

In fact, although some kids are removed from horrific homes with parental rights severed, invariably those kids will still want to go home. This is the only family they have ever known. The emotional damaged incurred by these kid survivors find many lifers of the foster care system: wounded, angry, heartsick, abandoned, behaviorally-challenged, growing older and less likely to be adopted with each passing year.

And yet, the state of Florida would rather a child be fostered--often moved from foster family to foster family--until reaching the age of majority than allow a gay couple to adopt at the crucial time a window of a chance opens to address the pain, the loss, the neglect, and the always present sadness of these children that more often than not, no one wants.

This has never made any sense to me.

Well, that and the fact pets are treated better than most children.

Talk to Me.

Weekend Zen

Standin' on the corner with the low down blues
Great big hole in the bottom of my shoes
Honey let me be your Salty Dog.

Flatt And Scruggs. 1961.

Salty Dog Blues.

Shirley, Angelina and Brad

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently won a settlement from a British newspaper that falsely reported the couple had legally separated and negotiated custody of their children.

The parent company behind the paper News of the World--Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspaper--"...accepted that its published allegations were "false and intrusive."

Which leads me to beleaguered USDA employee Shirley Sherrod.

As Sherrod ponders whether to return back to the job from which she was unceremoniously dumped, perhaps taking a deep breath, picking up a pen and connecting the dots between the Jolie-Pitt story and her own particular situation is the best immediate plan.

Dot 1: FOX News Network, LLC is a member of the News Corps family, overseen by Chairman and Chief CEO Rupert Murdoch.

Dot 2: FOX News immediately jumped on the story, demanding the resignation of Ms. Sherrod, apparently without fact checking the video.

Following the fox trot, we now know the video of Sherrod addressing a NAACP audience was quite deceptively doctored.

Last dot to connect: How quickly can Shirley get in contact with Angelina and Brad's attorney?

***

A quick Oh, NOW I get it! moment.

Clear Channel and FOX News announced earlier this summer a renewed five year contract airing FOX News Radio as the primary news source for 100 plus Clear Channel stations. Which provides a far better explanation for the liberal shutout by Brevard County's local radio airwaves than the typical ads don't sell on liberal programming regurge.

The FL Legislature Slaps Down the Gov

Charlie Crist was a bit taken aback at the slap down delivered by the Florida Legislature in two hours tops.

(Heck, I wish we could pass a law restricting a legislative session to no more time than that. The less face time our elected officials spend together, the better for Florida).

The governor had hoped his proposal to ban offshore drilling through constitutional amendment would be better received.

I'm not quite sure what Charlie was thinking.

After his veto of Merit Pay--hurriedly packaged and moved lightning-speed through the legislature earlier this year by his former GOP brotherhood--I'd say the chance of those good old boys and girls coming around to view the request all newly Independent Charlie's way was slim to none.

My guess is CC has played politics for far too long not to know he'd get shut down. Meaning, the whole offshore billing ban proposal looked a bit....staged.

But it's all good. For Charlie, anyway.

As the curtain rises on Act Two of this week's Florida Political Theater, Crist can now--in all honesty--make statements like this:

(...)

"They are the do-nothing Legislature," said Crist, who called the special session in hopes of beating the Aug. 4 deadline to add a referendum to the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

"I can't believe that this Legislature has shirked their duty so badly," Crist said. "How arrogant can a Legislature be? I can't believe that they would have that much of a lack of respect for the people of Florida."

Read more feigned indignation over at the St. Pete Times here.

Tea Party-Line

I recently happened across the latest edition of Space Coast Politics and always interested in the local outcry, I picked up a copy for a quick read.

Unbeknownst to me, SCP is a Tea Party periodical, edited, written and published by the local TP heavyweights, those who would have us believe that "the future of America (has) hung by a thread on more than one occasion."

I noted a couple of SCP guest columns were penned by two hometown Talk Radio show hosts who opine via one of the local stations, the very same station that runs an ad nauseam disclaimer indicating the opinions voiced on-air do not reflect those of the station itself or the parent company of said station.

So imagine my surprise to discover News Talk WMMB 1240/1350 ran ad space on page 6 of SCP.

As I haven't yet heard the station air a more liberal-leaning broadcast, I'd say that ad reads like a reflection to me, of what, I'll leave for you to determine.

Meanwhile, here's a couple of lumps of sugar for the August edition of Space Coast Politics.

Unemployment rates are down in Florida (with the exception of Leon County) and Gallup is reporting the Democrats have jumped into a six point lead over the Republicans on a generic ballot.

Seems voters are all about voting out incumbents, as long as that incumbent isn't their own. And the kicker?

"Independents are primarily responsible for Democrats' improved positioning."

Please pass the ouch.

We Have Lift-Off?

Recent hotel check out small talk between myself and the Deep South concierge went a little something like this.

"Ms. Shatsky, where do you live in Florida?"

"Melbourne."

"Oh. Is that near the Panhandle?"

"No. The East Coast. Central Florida."

"Gotcha. Near Orlando."

"Well, yes. Brevard County, actually. Better known as the home of the soon-to-be-retired Space Shuttle."

"The Space Shuttle program is ending?"

D-oh!

But the demise of the Space Shuttle may be greatly exaggerated.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee "...passed a plan Thursday (July 16) to postpone retirement of the space shuttle...the three-year NASA spending plan passed by the committee adds a $1 billion shuttle mission to the international space station for next summer or fall and leaves contracts, equipment and personnel in place in case other flights are needed."

The proposed legislation must be approved by the Senate. Read the details over at The Washington Post.

Holiday Road

I'm off to Wally World.

See you next week.

Weekend Zen

I'm gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John
he said he had the misery but he got a lot of fun
Baby, yeah now baby
Woo baby, some fun tonight.

Long Tall Sally. The Beatles.

Happy 70th, Ringo...

Happy Friday: Amendment 7 Off the November Ballot

Per Progressive Pensacola, 7/8/2010:

Leon County Judge Jim Shelfer today ruled that this fall’s Amendment 7 is misleading and pulled it from the ballot.

Amendment 7 was drafted by state legislators in response to Amendments 5 and 6, called the “Fair Districts” amendments, which would promote a nonpartisan districting process. Legislators argued that their Amendment 7 would “clarify” the process and protect minority representation, while opponents argued Amendment 7 was a last-ditch effort by those in power to protect incumbents and the ability to gerrymander districts.

Opposing Amendment 7 was Fair Districts Florida, the Florida NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and others.

Read more over at FairDistricts.org.

End gerrymandered districts in Florida.

Vote YES on Amendment 5 and 6.

Take Florida back!

Happy Friday.

Bare Faced Intent?

France is set to declare the wearing of the burqa in public illegal, following a trend sweeping several European countries.

(...)

...President Nicolas Sarkozy this week endorsed the idea of a ban on the burqa. This is the conservative Islamic head-to-toe covering with mesh or a slit at the face that is worn by some Muslim women in public. (In the Persian Gulf states it's known as a niqab.)

Mr. Sarkozy called the burqa "subservience," not religious garb. "In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity."

Yet--as reported by The Christian Science Monitor--"...only 2 percent of Muslim women in France wear burqas."

Women caught breaking the line would face a $190 fine. Men forcing a woman to wear the full- face veil in pubic would face the equivalent of a $20,000 fine.

Is the proposed law itself veiled in its true intent?

Talk to Me.

I Want to be a Farm Worker

Unemployed and of the belief an undocumented worker has taken a job that is rightfully yours?

United Farm Workers wants you.

If your state (as is Florida) is considering an Arizonian nose dive into the immigration law fertilizer, why not get a jump ahead and take advantage of the undocumented farm worker exodus out of this country?

Are you that man or woman? Do you have who have what takes to be a farm worker, to bring crops from the fields to the masses, the very same people who would rather believe the veggies on their plates were harvested by the ho ho ho, Green Giant than a workforce comprised of illegal immigrants?

Read on.

Job may include using hand tools such as knives, hoes, shovels, etc. Duties may include tilling the soil, transplanting, weeding, thinning, picking, cutting, sorting & packing of harvested produce. May set up & operate irrigation equip. Work is performed outside in all weather conditions (Summertime 90+ degree weather) & is physically demanding requiring workers to bend, stoop, lift & carry up to 50 lbs on a regular basis.

So far, three takers have stepped up and accepted the Take Our Jobs challenge, willing and eager to replace those illegally responsible for keeping Americans healthy, fat and happy.

Sound like the job for you? Apply here.

(And I'll remove my tongue from its position of firmly planted within my cheek).

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Midterms

Over at The Miami Herald, columnist Carl Hiaasen sizes up gubernatorial wannabe aka The Soon Most Likely to be Deposed in the Jim Greer Incident, Attorney General Bill McCollum.

(...)

McCollum's biggest problem is McCollum. He is epically dull, and he just can't help it. Watching him speak has pretty much the same effect as 20 milligrams of Ambien.

(Speaking of Jim Greer. His attorney also plans to depose a few of Bill's colleagues: Gov. Charlie Crist and state Republican chief John Thrasher, Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and soon-to-be Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolis, R-Merritt Island. According to his attorney, Greer apparently "... was the victim of right-wing conservatives who turned against Crist, the man who picked Greer to head the state party, and decided to punish the governor by ruining Greer."

Alrighty then.

While the ultraconservatives tear each other apart, Hiaasen gives McCollum challenger, Rick Scott a once (or twice) over.

(...)

Only in the rancid political swamp of Florida would a guy like Scott have the gall to run for office, bankrolling his run for the governorship with the fortune he accumulated while his empire soaked U.S. taxpayers for hundreds of millions dollars.

His campaign mantra, slightly paraphrased: ``Hey, lighten up! I never got indicted!''

Naturally, a centerpiece of Scott's campaign is railing against healthcare reform. That's because he got filthy rich off the current system -- bloated, inefficient and highly lucrative to those who know how it manipulate it.

Suspecting fraud, and fielding scores of whistle-blower complaints, the feds began raiding Columbia/HCA hospitals in 1997. Under pressure, Scott resigned as CEO, walking away with $5.1 million in cash, a $950,000 annual consultancy contract and $300 million in stock and options.

Somewhere around 2003, Scott moved from Connecticut to Florida, coincidentally the national epicenter of Medicare fraud. A quick study, he says he's now ready to run our state after seven whole years as a resident.

This is shaping up to be one grand midterm election cycle. (But not in the way some might have imagined).

Take a guess at who'll be the first to resign, drop out of the race, feign the need to spend more time with the family, check into rehab or get caught in some huge fabrication.

Talk to Me.

Renters and Liability for HOA Fees

As if living through a foreclosure isn't nightmare enough, finding a place to rent afterward with the unavoidable hit to the credit report can prove difficult as well.

On the other hand, some good news for renters. Due to the current real estate market, many who have previously leased now find buying a home cheaper than leasing, creating a glut of rental properties for consideration by those with credit histories on the mend.

One note of caution to prospective renters considering leasing within communities governed by a homeowner's association.

On July 1, a new Florida law took effect which allows the HOA to enforce payment of condo or association fees by the renter should the landlord fail to pay. Not doing so can result in an eviction.

Real estate attorneys feel the law will help keep landlords financially honest. Many renters have found themselves victimized by unscrupulous landlords who continued to collect rent without informing renters that the leased property was in the process of foreclosure. This dishonesty extended past the tenant to the homeowners association, through landlord default of HOA fees.

As I've encountered several people over the past year who found themselves in the predicament of Surprise! This property is foreclosed upon, find another place in less than a week..., I can see how this law could serve as a sort of renter early alert that something is financially amiss with property.

Although renters do have rights under the law, unfortunately to exercise such, the responsibility falls upon the renter to take the landlord to court. And if the landlord no longer owns the property, the point in doing so is debatable.

Weekend Zen

The telephone is ringing
You got me on the run.

Under My Wheels.

Alice Cooper. 1971.

Greer-Gate Hits the Fan

As posted by FT's Jeff Schweer Wednesday, the Florida Democratic Party has launched a Wiki website making available public documents relating to the Jim Greer case. (Dems want public to sift through records, 6/30/10).

Jim Greer is the former Republican chair for the state of Florida, who alleged misused party funds. (That's the short version of events leading to his recent arrest for six counts of grand theft, money laundering and organized fraud).

The state Dems warned several of the key players--House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, AG and gubernatorial wannabee Bill McCollum, and Greer's replacement as RPOF chair state Senator John Thrasher--to come clean regarding roles played in the supposed cover-up of the Greer incident. Having no takers, the Florida Democratic Party has proved true to promise and posted online files and documents released as part of the criminal case against Jim Greer.

Peruse the files yourself here.

And there's more.

The following snippets will appear in the print edition of the St. Pete Times today. (GOP power brokers ousted Greer but weren't queried by investigators, July 1, 2010).

(...)

Jim Greer and Delmar Johnson called them "the four horsemen."

The sobriquet referred to a band of powerful Republican politicians who earlier this year played an integral role in the ouster of Greer and Johnson from the helm of the Republican Party of Florida: Attorney General Bill McCollum, future House leader Dean Cannon, future Senate leader Mike Haridopolos and current party chairman John Thrasher.

The names appear numerous times in a criminal investigation that led to the June indictment of Greer but the four GOP officials were never questioned, according to evidence released this week.

The omission prompted renewed questions Wednesday about the limited scope of the investigation and the role of McCollum, the state's top legal officer who is running for governor.

(...)

The initial evidence also shows investigators are not focusing on Greer's secret severance agreement signed by the top GOP leaders.

Greer's attorneys contend party leaders need to answer questions and that they initiated the investigation in order to keep from paying the $124,000 golden parachute.

(...)

McCollum, who helped drive the effort to remove Greer, initially resisted calls for an inquiry but months later referred new information to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to launch an inquiry.

His involvement is detailed at numerous points in the investigative reports released late Tuesday.

On a secretly recorded phone call between Greer and Johnson, who is cooperating with investigators to avoid jail time, Johnson said: "I think McCollum played a much bigger role behind the scenes than we realize."

The investigative reports and the recorded telephone call note the leaders' involvement in pulling the strings to get Greer to resign and the secret severance deal, which the party now contends is not valid. A civil lawsuit on the matter is still pending.

"Let me ask you this question," Greer said to Johnson in the recorded call. "Do you think they are using (the severance) as a blackmail mechanism for me not to pursue it and then they supposedly won't pursue other stuff?"

"I could see them saying … we'll just call it even," Johnson replied. "But that's just all speculation. I've never claimed to know how these folks think."

(Pour yourself a cup of coffee. AUDIO FILE HERE).

Cannon and Haridopolos did not return calls for comment. Thrasher claims to have known nothing until after the fact. A spokesperson speaking for McCollum indicates the Attorney General has not been interviewed.

Read the St Pete Times article in its entirety here.


As much discussed in this blog, something in the kitchen hasn't been clean in the Sunshine State for some time.

How dirty could it be?

Better call Merry Maids.

Talk to Me.