The Black Informant

I’m done!!

I think that this is a good time for me to take a sabbatical from writing to this site for a while. With our business continuing to grow along with general end-of-year stuff to deal with, there is just not enough time in the day. Until the next time, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!”

Peace!

Duane

Another benefit of universal health care

From Ireland -

Mentally ill children wait 18 months for assessment

(irishexaminer.com) UP to 150 mentally ill children have had their treatment stopped and will have to wait 18 months to be reassessed because there was no replacement when their doctor left the service.

The children, from Carlow and Kilkenny, have been left to their own devices since their community psychologist took leave of his post in April. The children will also have another delay before their treatment programmes can continue.

Donna Hayden’s son, Dylan, nine, is one of the Kilkenny children involved. He has had his six years of treatment suspended since April and his mother said her son is suffering. “When the doctor left in April (the Health Service Executive) rang everybody, but since then there has been nobody there to monitor the children’s treatment. We have just been left to cope on our own with no support.” (more…)

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Related

The stupidity of wanting the same government that brought us FEMA to handle YOUR healthcare

Trading kids for treatment

(roanoke.com) “We cannot fathom the agony parents suffer when deciding to relinquish custody of a child with severe mental illness because it’s the only way to afford treatment. Virginia requires families to place their children in foster care to access mental health funds.

This last-resort practice has been allowed under Virginia’s Comprehensive Services Act for At-Risk Youth and Families, a law that governs the placement and funding for many children in need of placement.

A better approach is sorely needed, one that is far less fracturing for families.

Federal law mandates that children in foster care who have mental health issues be provided treatment services by the state. In Virginia, as in other states, parents of severely mentally ill children have been given the option of relinquishing custody when all other resources have been exhausted and when they can’t afford to pay out of pocket for residential programs and other services.

Virginia’s State Executive Council for the Comprehensive Services Act estimated that in 2004 about 2,000 children in foster care were admitted voluntarily by parents or guardians just to obtain mental health care.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell, in an advisory opinion Wednesday, called the practice “wrenching and potentially tragic” and said it may violate the U.S. Constitution. He went further to say that localities that require parents to hand their children to the government to access mental health funds may be too narrowly interpreting state law. (more…)

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I have heard of this in the past. I want to do more reading on this issue.

This makes me angry!!

Tuskegee airmen record questioned

(chron.com) MONTGOMERY, ALA. — It has been part of the lore of America’s first black fighter pilots since the end of World War II: The famed Tuskegee Airmen never lost a bomber to enemy fire.

Now, more than 60 years later, a leader of the group says he has uncovered records proving the claim is not accurate.

Air Force records show that at least a few bombers escorted by the red-tailed fighters of the Tuskegee Airmen were shot down by enemy planes, William F. Holton, historian of Tuskegee Airmen Inc., said in an interview Monday. And the group’s losses may have been much greater, he said.

Holton said his research shows that though the group’s record was stellar, it wasn’t perfect, as long thought.

Some surviving members of the group are offended by the findings of Holton and Daniel Haulman of the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, who came to the same conclusion. (more…)

This AIN’T Black history to be proud of

(nydailynews.com) “These days, Joanne Chesimard is known as Assata Shakur, but she’s had dozens of other aliases in a life on the run.

She now lives in Cuba, a guest of dictator Fidel Castro, and carries a $1 million price tag for her capture and return to prison in the U.S.

She’s a convicted cop killer who left behind a lifetime of pain for the family of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.

But in at least one corner of City College, Chesimard is a hero, honored and remembered.

Her latest alias enshrines theGuillermo Morales/Assata Shakur Community Center at the City University of New York’s flagship campus.

It’s a punch to the gut that has furious police groups demanding the publicly funded institution strip away the Black Liberation Army militant’s name.

“We use tax dollars to support an institution that indemnifies a cold-blooded terrorist?” asked Dave Jones, president of the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association.” (more…)

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Some of the students of this school were later asked by the paper if they knew that Chesimard was a convicted cop killer. According to the reporter many said “no”.

While I believe such actions are not representative of mainstream Black America, I often notice that such actions are often “played down” in our demographic while similar scenarios that feature guilty Whites have sparked nationwide outrage. Honoring such an individual is just wrong, especially since she was already convicted of the crime. If she claims to be innocent, then what is the hold up from coming back?

The hold up is two-fold: #1 - She is guilty and doesn’t have the courage to face the rap, and #2 - By staying in Cuba all of these years, like other criminals in exile her image has developed into legend status amongst college students who typically look up to folks that fought against “the system”.

Is the Black unemployment gap due to racism?

To many the answer is automatically “yes” because the number simply shows that whites are doing better than us. And of course anytime whites are doing better than us in ANYTHING, it is due to racism, right?

Here are some points that I brought up in an earlier post. Points you will not hear in the depressing press releases that focus on this particular issue: More »

“Nuevo” Orleans becomes a reality

(nytimes.com) NEW ORLEANS — First came the storm. Then came the workers. Now comes the baby boom.

In the latest twist to the demographic transformation of New Orleans since it was swamped by Hurricane Katrina last year, hundreds of babies are being born to Latino immigrant workers, both legal and illegal, who flocked to the city to toil on its reconstruction.

The throng of babies gurgling in the handful of operational maternity wards here has come as a big surprise — and a financial strain — to this historically black and white city, which before the hurricane had only a small Latino community and virtually no experience of illegal immigration. (more…)

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I predict that the next 5-10 years New Orleans will see its first Hispanic mayor.

The stupidity of wanting the same government that brought us FEMA to handle YOUR healthcare

Here are some quick links to the proven mess created by universal health care.

Socialized Medicine: The Canadian Experience

Socialized Medicine Leaves a Bad Taste in Patients’ Mouths 

“Although Canada is the fifth highest among OECD countries in terms of total spending on health (as a percentage of GDP), it is generally among the bottom third of OECD countries in availability of technology. (…) The local comparison is equally unfavourable. CT scanners, nuclear medicine facilities, MRIs, lithotriptors, positron emission tomography (PET), specialized intensive-care facilities, and cardiac catheter labs are all less likely to be found at a community hospital in British Columbia than at a similar hospital in Washington or Oregon. Angioplasty and transplant facilities are mainly restricted to the University teaching hospitals in British Columbia, while they are more widely dispersed in the two American states.” (more…)

Should the Government Provide Free Universal Health Care for All Americans? (balancedpolitics.org)

French healthcare is ‘badly run’

Disabled children ’short-changed’

FEMA continues to waste YOUR tax dollars

The problem here is not that the government is not doing enough, it just doesn’t know how to handle your money. If the people of N.O. and the surrounding area see no problem in re-electing a crook, we can expect more of the same for years to come.

Another idea for a documentary for Spike Lee.

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(usatoday.com) The government continues to waste tens of millions of dollars in its Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, including giving rent checks to evacuees already living in free housing and student aid to ineligible foreigners, U.S. investigators said Wednesday.

The Government Accountability Office also found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been able to recoup only $7 million of the more than $1 billion in improper payments identified by investigators months ago.

“The taxpayers are the new victims here,” the GAO’s Greg Kutz told the Senate homeland security committee during the fourth and final hearing into government waste, fraud and abuse related to Katrina. (more…)

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Is this the same government you want handling YOUR health care? Post forthcoming.

Another one of our babies is missing (12/10/06)

MANIJAH LEVOYIA ARTIS
Case Type: Endangered Runaway
DOB: Aug 9, 1992
Sex: Female
Missing Date: Nov 19, 2006
Race: Black
Age Now: 14
Height: 5′2″ (157 cm)
Missing City: PHILADELPHIA
Weight: 170 lbs (77 kg)
Missing State : PA
Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1058573
Circumstances: Manijah was last seen at home on November 19, 2006. She has pierced ears and scars on her left arm. When Manijah was last seen, she had braces on her teeth. Her nicknames are NiNi and Nijah.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Philadelphia Police Department (Pennsylvania) 1-215-685-3257

Whhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaat????

Politics is the last thing I want to think about on a Sunday, but this story was just too much!

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(nytimes.com) NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 9 — Brushing past months of unflattering headlines about a federal corruption investigation, Representative William J. Jefferson was elected to a ninth term on Saturday, with a decisive runoff victory that again emphasized this city’s sharp racial divisions.

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Mr. Jefferson, a Democrat, was heavily favored in black precincts, and Saturday’s result suggested that his loyal constituents ignored the accusations of an F.B.I. investigation and rallied around him, as they had in the past and as the congressman had pleaded with them to do. He has not been charged with anything, and vigorously maintains his innocence. (more…)

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More about Jefferson here.

What I bolded above is EXACTLY why I had very little to say about Cynthia McKinney all of these years: Both represent the constituents that put them there. In other words, if you’re gonna get mad at them, look at the local communities that elect them in the first place.

Another point for willing ignorance.

Homelessness: What would I do?

The following is a bullet-point list of possible solutions to the never ending homeless problem here in the U.S. As I said the other day, some of this you may agree with, some of it you may not. I’m just posting this to hopefully inspire others to think of solutions instead of wasting time hammering “THE SYSTEM” for not doing enough when mainstream media spotlights the situation.

• If we can make it an offense in certain areas for feeding wild animals lest we break up the natural ecosystem, I say we extend this same law to include the homeless. By this I mean the creation of a “No Pocket Change” benevolence law. Those within the homeless demographic who are unwilling to work for a living now have a reason to work. While there are those that will raise the issue that low-skill jobs don’t pay enough, my contention here is that positive income is POSITIVE INCOME. In other words, like everyone else in society, you have to start from somewhere. Pocket change benevolence robs the homeless of seeing the benefit of working for a living (don’t worry, I am keeping the mentally-challenged in mind in this post. I’ll address that a little later).
• Let the people decide to where their tax dollars should go to address homelessness in their city. If I am not mistaken, in most cases non-profits get to compete for government programs which provides them the financial assistance they require for their organization. The problem here is that as taxpayers, we are pretty much left out of this process. Open up any newspaper and you will see how this process is prone to under the table dealings that corrupt the process for legitimate organizations. I say, include a list of organizations that have a long and successful history on the ballot every election cycle where citizens can choose which organizations will get tax dollars. I would also include a brief description of each organization in the election guide booklet this is mailed to citizens. In addition, I would require that these local organizations would submit their financial records and other pertinent information to something like Charity Navigator where the general public could keep track of the effectiveness of these organizations.
• (Tighten the net) Create a centralized database that keep track of all the homeless in the city. Currently if a homeless person has been arrested, like anyone else they are fingerprinted and photographed for police records. I say, homeless shelters should be given this same ability to track these individuals. Let’s say that homeless person has been through a recovery program on the other side of town via a non-profit organization. Other programs will be able to chart a well-informed course for recovery for this individual. If a homeless person has a history of quiting jobs, these non-profits would be able to adopt a more aggressive plan of action for this individual instead of allowing him/her to bounce all over the system with no action plan.
• Send the homeless back to their place of origin. Over the years I have heard of cities that have purchased one-way bus tickets for homeless individuals to anywhere they wish in the US. While this may temporarily clear up the homeless situation in a particular town or city, all it does is spread the problem elsewhere. I say when possible (after all, you are counting on their word for the most part here), they should go back to their city or town of origin. Why should cities like Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, etc. deal with the societal problems of another city (here is an example of it in action)? By sending these people back to their place of origin, you at least increase the chances of family involvement. Weather or not that be a good thing in some cases is something to be dealt with by that town/city’s own homeless plan.
• For the truly mentally-challenged: I would use the same solution that I discussed in my second point. The major difference here is that tax-payers would have to have the understanding that this will be a very long investment of their dollars. You are dealing with a segment of our society who oftentimes does not have the mental ability to make important life decisions on their own. With no family support, these individuals will require much longer treatment that oftentimes can be very costly. My hope here is that by sending folks back to their place of origin, the cost would become more fesable to The alternative to this solution would be prison where they would not get the care that they need.

The points above only reflect a snapshot of my thoughts on this issue. From time to time in the future, I may elaborate on some of these points while thinking about other possibilities.

Like some of you, I have grown tired of the characterizations of all homeless people by certain individuals in our society as a bunch of folks who do not posses the ability or sense to take advantage of the help around them. People like Chris Gardner are just one of MANY examples of folks of all races who, despite the challenges were able to pull themselves out of homelessness thanks in part to generosity of others. What has been missing in many of the various discussions on homelessness is the fact that there is a significant number people living on the street by their own choosing who are not “mentally challenged”. For these people, we cannot allow them to live off the generosity of hard working taxpayers. To do so would only continue to exasperate the situation.

Other “What would I do?” postings:

Are they taking over or did we give them the keys?

Why the private sector should take the lead in rebuilding New Orleans

Other related information:

Video: Homeless Handout

Homeless students prove hard to find, hard to help

Nevada: Feeding homeless outlawed

Homeless, Felons help fill poultry jobs

Causes of Homelessness: Mental Illness

National Alliance to End Homelessness

Another example of a good dad

(toledoblade.com) Albert Earl knows the one thing his 9-year-old son needs more than an Xbox, PlayStation, or the latest pair of basketball shoes is his attention.

Jordan Earl, who is autistic, often spends time with his father, a prevention specialist at the Urban Minority Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Lucas County, doing homework and on the Internet. Mr. Earl said it is the best thing he does all day.

The abuse outreach program and the Governor’s Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will sponsor an African-American Fatherhood Symposium at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Friendship Baptist Church, 5301 Nebraska Ave.

The symposium, which will include a free lunch, is designed to address the high absentee father rate in African-American homes.

“I think the issue is extremely important,” Mr. Earl said. “My son has autism, but I still take him to throw the football and play basketball and to have a normal life. My role is important because he needs that balance and a positive male role model in his life.” (more…)
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A real good friend of mine has a child with autism. He and his wife love their son very much, but it can be so stressful. I am amazed that their marriage has made it this far as autism can be VERY stressful on a marriage

The power of true capitalism

(thisislondon.co.uk) McDonald’s is closing its outlet in a town known for quality food and healthy, local produce.

The fast food chain in Tavistock, Devon, simply wasn’t being used enough by locals.

So after seven years struggling to make ends meet in a town that has won many accolades for the quality of its food, McDonald’s will finally shut up shop on Saturday.

John Taylor, chairman of Tavistock EatWise campaign, said: “Because of the quality of our local food McDonald’s has not been able to compete.” (more…)

Note: As far as we know, there were no protests, community leaders were not needed to rally up the folks–people simply stopped going BECAUSE THEY HAD BETTER CHOICES!!!

The problem in many inner cities across America are twofold: 1 - The choices are not there , and 2 - neither is the demand in most cases. Cost of product/service can also be a deterrent for better choices in these areas, but one must take into consideration the spending habits in these areas. While you do have scenarios where a person has to choose between heat or food, there are plenty of other cases out there where folks just do not spend their money wisely.

As far as liquor and porn stores go, based on this article they exist because a significant number of people in that community want it. This is why boycotts against businesses have such low participation. It is the THREAT of a boycott that scares businesses.

Let’s hear it for these brothas!

(savannahnow.com) Today, more than ever, we need a renaissance of love of learning and aspiration to greater things.

RECENTLY ON this page, we have supported more hands-on leadership in the African-American community to address some of the academic and social problems facing young black males.

It is important, then, to publicly applaud the activities of people who are making a difference.

That’s why George Bowen, a former district administrator for the Savannah-Chatham County school district, should be credited for his work with the African-American Male Initiative and other efforts within the black community.

So should Malik Watkins, an assistant professor at Savannah State University who helped organize this week’s second annual program to help young men stay focused on positive activities.

So should Robert Lewis, a middle school principal who is doing innovative things that make a difference. (more…)

“N***ers” defined

I found this article by way of a rebuttal to it on EURweb. I am in a bit of a hurry this morning, so I have not had the time to read all of it or to formulate any opinion on it. Any comments I may have I will post in the comments section later. More »

Just how serious are we about eliminating racism?

The following story is one of two heated controversies that has been THE topic on L.A. talk radio for the past few weeks. I actually mentioned this first story recently in one of my postings, but I did not go into too much detail about it. After hearing the latest developments on this issue, I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I’ll give you an excerpt of just some of the articles printed in Long Beach’s Press-Telegram as they have been the ONLY paper in Los Angeles following this story in such detail. More »

The epidemic of the 21st century –not AIDS

(biz.yahoo.com) The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has published new data indicating the enormity of the diabetes epidemic. Data published today in the Federation’s Diabetes Atlas show that the disease now affects a staggering 246 million people worldwide, with 46% of all those affected in the 40-59 age group. Previous figures underestimated the scope of the problem, while even the most pessimistic predictions fell short of the current figure. The new data predict that the total number of people living with diabetes will skyrocket to 380 million within twenty years if nothing is done.

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Diabetes is deadly. It accounts for 3.8 million deaths per year, similar in magnitude to HIV/AIDS. Once thought of as a disease of the elderly, diabetes has shifted down a generation to affect people of working age, particularly in developing countries. This has economic consequences. As IDF Vice-President Jean-Claude Mbanya puts it, “This epidemic is responsible for so much suffering and loss of life, yet so little is being done to tackle it. Where growing economies like India and China lead, many will soon follow. Doing nothing in the face of the epidemic will place significant stress on the economic development of many countries and will jeopardize the Millennium Development Goals.” (more…)

Related: “Diabetes Statistics for African Americans”

Blog: Black Entrepreneur’s Hall of Fame

“This site is brought to you by the National Black Business Trade Association (NBBTA). It is our tribute to the “entrepreneurial spirit” alive and well within the Black commUNITY. Post a comment on any one listed here. You may submit as many as you’d like. We want to hear what you think about these “ordinary people” who have done extraordinary things. It’s time to tell our own story in our own words. - Lee Green, Chairman”

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Blog: Your Feet Make You Unique

“A Comfortable Place For Women With Large Feet To Feel Better About Walking In Their Own Shoes. Stocked Full Of Interesting, Practical Tips And Information For Women Who Wear Larger Size Shoes.”

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