[quote][b]matt1141a[/b] - @dahreese: The slum lord in this case makes million from the HUD grants at this place."

I believe that's what I've already said....

"Tell me again why this cesspool is allowed to exist?"

"I'm sure eveyone involved is receiving financial support from the taxes paid by those of us who work...."

Have you ever looked at the county records to see just who own these "cess pools?"

Citation Court.

Firestone.

http://qpublic7.qpublic.net/ga_search.php?county=ga_clarke

I agree "those of us who work(ed)" are paying a lot of these rental bills, but taking away their "benefits" by itself will just create more disaster.

There is the question, of course, that if work is available will these folks on "welfare" work.

But there is also the problem of who is hiring and where is the work and can the worker get to the work.

Republicans and conservatives cry that it is not the place of government to create work.

But "industry", in the past 15-20 years, has only created work out of the country, not in it, and if we expect these uneducated people to work, then government is the only think left to create that work.

Republicans and conservatives can't have it both ways - to expect those on government handouts to work, but not when there's no work available in the area where the folks who get these handouts live.

This problem can be mostly solved, but it will take a generation or two to do it.

In the meantime, the slumlords are the ones making money from the government.

Think about it.

From the AJC(5/12/13)

http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/legislative/report-jekyll-island-exceeded-devel...

Public education is the backbone of this country.

This just in. All support for the protection of Jekyll Island will be appreciated.

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-forward/2013/05/09/jekyll-island-dispute/?c....

Leon, your points are well taken. I was just amazed to see the backside of the Center. Seems they could have put the utility units on the side somewhere out of sight.

I think you're right about the "unwillingness" of the Authority to be transparent.

I don't have all of my notes from the proposed history of a few years ago, but as I recall, all of this new development has been as much for political reasons as necessary reasons.

Some upgrades were definitely needed with the motels, etc., but somewhere behind the scenes are some big boys making a little pocket change at the expense of "Georgia's Jewel."

(Thankfully, it's not a new, unneeded football stadium).

" The company will offer three rate plans ranging from $35 to $70 a month."

These "competetive fees" aren't any big deal.

Their history has shown that the Jekyll Island Authority, and others behind theh scene, no doubt, are bound and determined to develope the island beyond what is necessary.

The most recent development of a convention center and its parking lot are as ugly as homemade sin.

The first thing that greets a visitor is the back of the convention center with a marvelous look at loading docks, and huge heating and air condition units.The parking lot with its nursery grown palm trees looks like something out of a Los Vegas casino - neither of which is "natural" to the island.

"Georgia's Jewel" is called that BECAUSE IT IS NOT DEVELOPED, but that just doesn't sink into the thick heads of the Members of the Authority.

Leave the island as undeveloped as possible - that's its attraction.

You folks can holler all you want about criminals being returned to the streets long before their sentence is completed.

But, until you're willing to dig down into your pockets and build more, or bigger jails, this is going to continue to happen.

Judges are overworked, parole officers are overworked, social workers are overworked, teachers are overworked, schools/classrooms/jails are overcrowded.

We can't expect quality service without paying for it.

Deny it all you want, government spending adds to the economy on all levels.

[quote][b]woofie11[/b] - Come on Beth Harris w/ the AP.... .It's not a 3 yr. old classic for Pete's sake. It's about a 139 yr. old classic. The derby is the classic. The colts running the derby are 3 yrs. old. The article needs to be re-worded because it causes confusion.
[/quote]

Blame it on spell check (

"After the Haymarket incident, the city was whipped into a frenzy and the hunt began against anarchists and their sympathizers, never mind the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. “Make the raids first and look up the law afterwards,” fumed Chicago prosecutor Julius Grinnell."

Sounds similiar to 9/11; "Pass the Patriot Acts and damn the results."

[quote][b]woofie11[/b] - It's not a 3 year old classic. its about a 139 year old classic. 3 year old colts run the race. Come on AP.........
[/quote]

Blame it on spell-check?

"Mr Lightborn - Being gay is genetic...Not at all a scientific fact..I thought you progressives were all about science? I guess only if science supports your political beliefs?"

What does political belief have to do with determining sexuality?

"Not at all a scientific fact.."

Would scientific fact satisfy your mind?

How 'bout clinical observation?

How 'bout being the father of five children, three of them straight and two of them homosexual?

Would that be "clinical" enough for you?

"Scientific fact" isn't going to satisfy your mind.

You'd doubt even then.

By-the-way, these trips are worthwhile and the kids and their families raise money for it and also pay a part of their own way.

Glad they are ok.

If you folks want to see something "ugly", take a trip on down to Jekyll Island and see the new convention center and "improvements" made by the Jekyll Island Authority and your Republican governors.

The first thing you see of the new convention center as you come onto the island is its backside with all of the heating/ac units, the loading docks, garbage docks etc.

Then there the new parking area - completely paved, and complete with "palm trees."

The entire thing is OUT OF PLACE, UNNATURAL, and UGLY.

But that's what the "big bucks" guys wanted.

[quote][b]MATT31[/b] - @dahreese: these "kids" were well aware that tsarnaev was involved in the bombing that killed many people and maimed even more. there is no excuse for their attempt to cover for their "friend", i don't care how old they are.
[/quote]

I didn't say they weren't aware of it.

I said they responded as "friends" would; just as "friends" would if an American had committed the same kind of act in a foreign country.

In fact, if this act had been committed by an American in Iran or some other currently "enemy country",, you and the rest of the right-wing faction on here would be cheering.

I wish I had kept it, but there was a picture of a group of Syrians holding up a banner of sympathy for the victims of Boston. The banner read, "We sympathize. It happens here everyday."

"Only this was murder and maiming did some of you miss that part?"

No.

No one missed the horror.

Nor are we missing your self-righteousness in your post.

"...but we can't trade freedom for security. I mean, where do we cross the line?"

You'd be shocked at how many Americans are willing to do that, including some who have commented on these forums."

If we haven't crossed the line, we're pretty close to it.

It's not an unfair question to ask as why the American people have not been in the streets protesting the huge scope of the so-called "Patriot Acts.'

It's because they're not paying attention to their own freedoms being slowly removed from them by their own government - my government.

"These new suspects mommas will come out and say what good boys (or girls) they are."

I'd hate to have you on a jury. Most likely your mind would be made up before the evidence was presented.

Yes, these guys tried to help out their friend and in the process have maybe ruined their chances for an American education.

Their behavior is not untypical, in fact is more typical, of young people and "friends" who care about "helping" their friends.

If this bombing event happened in a Muslim country and committed by a radical American, and his friends got caught trying to "help" him, I suspect you'd be among the first to say the friends had nothing to do with it and ought to be released.

Adults and adult family friends have been known to "help" in the same manner.

The state is involved because of good ole boy politics, including in the governor's office.

"They should make the case that school taxes aren’t, contrary to widespread belief, just user fees, but the price of indivisible public benefits accruing to all of us, whether or not we have children in school."

Public education is the backbone of this country (including economically).

No other institution pulls together so many diverse people from so many diverse cultures for such a noble purpose.

I have never known a time when public education was not criticized for one reason or another; by politicians, by a gullible public, by corporations trying to horn-in for themselves, a share of the taxpayers money.

Public education is expected to overcome any and all obstacles to learning; whether those obstacles be poverty, disfunctional home life, physical and mental handicaps, a student thrown into a class who doesn't speak english.

No two students are alike.

Inspite of economic similitary or diversity, no two homes or communities students come from are alike.

On a given day a student, a group of students, an entire class may not be interested in learning.

The word "competition" has been lately bantered around (especially as between charter/private and public schools are concerned) as though that will help create interest in learning and partially solve/create more interest in learning.

Let's suppose, for a moment, it is.

If advocates want such competition to work, are they willing to dig down into their pockets and pay for it?

We look at sports and we see trophies and we see medals and monetary awards are given for success. TV appearances. Corporations paying a lot of money for the endorsement of their products. Pages and photographs in newspapers alloted for sports only. Headlines for champions.

Are educational competition advocates willing to do the same things; trophies, medals, monetary awards, tv appearance, corporations paying for endorsements, headlines for winning students and schools?

I doubt it.

Public education, with all of its flaws, is the backbone of this country.

Lose it, and you've lost the country.

[quote][b]ghostwriter[/b] - And the cycle continues.............
[/quote]

And will continue until the taxpayer is willing to dig down into his/her pockets and build bigger, or more, jails.

Just like public schools, prison overcrowding is a part of the problem.

Some think charter schools are going to save the taxpayer money, but they won't.

Some people think privatizing jails will save the taxpayer money, but it won't.

Some people think privatizing the military has saved the taxpayer money, but it has only cost more.

The taxpayer will get what he/she wants and needs when he/she is willing to dig down into his/her pockets and pay for it.

A little more taxpayer money put into the economy helps stimulate the economy.

In the meantime, jails will continue to be a revolving door situation.

[quote][b]mpd0.59[/b] - If UGA wants people to recycle, they have to make it easy for them.
[/quote]

If you're smart enough to get into UGA, you ought to know better.

This is nothing but spoiled brat behavior.

"The fact is......this time it's not the Republicans "hollering about Obama's failures", it's a life-long Democrat."

I'm not a life-long Democrat, nor life-long Republican, but I'll add my name to some of the dissatisfaction.

I'll half-disagree on this one;"he spent too much time and effort trying to pass this morass of regulations called Obamacare, when he could have been doing things to help the economy." to the extent of a single-payer system.

But I would include in that that those who can pay some of their medical expenses should do so. If they want to pay what their cut is out of pocket that's their choice, or they can buy supplemental insurance on the private market.

But no one should be refused medical care for lack of finances.

I would also support a government public works program. It's obvious the "private economy" (that mythical "trickle down economy" is a joke and always was).

I don't have any problem taxing the hell out of American corporations who use cheap labor in foreign countries. Tax'em high enough and they'll bring back those jobs to Americans. (And it's a myth, too, that Americans wouldn't be able to afford products made in America).

1. if he really believes in gay marriage, why didn't he push for that when he had a majority in both houses of Congress?

Why should this be a presidential issue anyway?

A Congressional issue, yes; it involves fair treatment for all American citizens, not just straight citizens, and it involves Constitutional issues.

2. if he really believes in stiffer background checks, why didn't he push for that, when he had a majority in both houses?

He would have failed had he brought this issue up before the recent mass killings. The public wasn't ready for it, and may not be yet....

3. if he really wanted to help the economy, why did he spend so much of his first term trying to gain control of your healthcare?

Healthcare was an issue already in the hopper before his first term was up. And it's not just "your" healtcare of "my" healthcare; it's the healthcare of the nation.

Republicans and cconservatives can holler all they want about Obama's failures (and I've got a few gripes of my own), but the American people have not forgotton that Republicans made it a point from the first day of Obama's first term that they intended to see him fail and to be only a "one term" president.

And, the Republican party is paying dearly for that obstructionism now i.e., the Republicans who are paying attention are getting the message).

ponsoldt (above) makes some good points.