Resurgence of Cooperatives in the U.S.

Here is the second installment in this series, the first of which was inspired by the New Year in January and this by the New Year in March --yes, that’s right, for millions of people  in this country and around the world, including this writer, the New Year is the Vernal Equinox on March 20-21st. So, Happy New Year & Spring! 

Zombie Bills for Georgia Stopped

ATLANTA, GA (SC) - The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter's legislative team of Contract Lobbyist Neill Herring and Volunteer Legislative Chapter Chair Mark Woodall worked tirelessly to keep the bad bills at bay, and this year was one of their most successful. Here are just a few of the highlights.

Sequester Moved Thunderbirds to the Koreas

After performances the past weekend, the Pentagon will suspend public appearances of its aerial acrobatic flying teams, like the Air Force's Thunderbirds and the Navy's Blue Angels until at least after September 30th, the last day of the fiscal year subject to sequester cuts. In order to continue this American tradition, the US asked to those who can afford, to travel the sea near to North Korea where two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers are flying over ally South Korea.

Nutrition Month Celebrated by Monsanto

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off an exciting National Nutrition Month by marking the start of National School Breakfast Week (March 4-8), a time that highlights the importance of promoting healthy choices for our nation's children throughout the school day. By the end of the month in Harrisburg, Augusta, The Veggie Truck lunched a local weekly farmer market every Tuesday, on 3/26/2013, the Harrisburg Community Garden prepared the raised beds for another season, and President Barack Obama signed into law the "Monsanto Protection Act."

Bipartisan 'Whine Crusade' by Congressmen

In an interview during a recess swing through the 12th Congressional District, John Barrow the chairman of the House Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats said the No. 1 complaint he hears from constituents is about Washington’s gridlocked partisan atmosphere. Barrow and Paul Broun interviews with The Augusta Chronicle looks more as a "bipartisan whining crusade" than coming from leaders of the nation looking for solutions to the many problems facing the country.

Don’t Dismantle the Postal Service

AUGUSTA, GA - The United States Postal Service provides affordable, universal service to millions of American households and businesses six days a week. Unfortunately, the Postmaster General and some members of Congress seem intent on ending Saturday mail delivery and dismantling this vital universal network.

War on Pineapple in Colombia

Victims of the bipartisan sequestration would love to have some pineapples to eat, but instead Americans tax money is aiding aerial fumigation, which supposedly targets illicit crops, destroying livelihoods of many in Colombia, in the name of war on drug. At home and abroad, American's leadership is seems to campaign for a global war on people with taxpayer money.

Legalizing Aliens While in Jail

Chuck Schumer is the leading Senate Democrat working on immigration reform -- he gets to decide whether millions of undocumented immigrants will be imprisoned or legalized. Yet he’s also taken over $100,000 in campaign contributions from the private prison industry. Is it any surprise that he’s pushing for billions more dollars spent on increased enforcement and detention of immigrants?

Healthy Food, Uninsured Farmworkers

SAN FRANCISCO–Around 75 percent of farmworkers hired in the United States lack health insurance, the highest proportion of any major occupational category. More than 90 percent of them are foreign born (most from Mexico), young, married and Spanish-speaking. They toil in the fields so they can send money back home to support their families.

Georgia's New Laws for 2013

With just days before the scheduled end of the Georgia General Assembly session on March 28 these are some of the major legislation approved by the House of Representatives and sent to the Senate for its consideration: HOPE Grant Assistance; Ending Fee Diversion; Gun Carry Expansion; Converting a traditional public school to a charter school; Georgia a right-to-work state.

Augusta Commissioners Praised by Olens

AUGUSTA, GA - The city's government could be worst, therefore Augusta residents should be thankful for the kind of commissioners and the Mayor leading the business of governing, according to the Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens. Just two weeks ago three commissioners were censured by the Commission for doing business with the city. None of them resigned.

Augusta Residents Ready to Jump on the Bus

RCBOE Throws Students Under the Bus

Last Richmond County Board of Education (RCBOE) meeting -3/12/2013- more closely resembled that of a multinational corporation than that of a local school board. Venus Cain, President of the BOE and most of the Board demonstrated they see no reason to provide transportation to Richmond County students attending the Tubman Education Center’s Alternative School. 

Francisco 1 for Asis or Francisco Franco?

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was a high-ranking official in the Society of Jesus of Argentina when a military junta was installed in the South American country in 1976.  The chosen name for the new pope Francisco 1 could be interpreted as for Francisco de Asis or Francisco Franco. What could be worst for the thousands of priest executed for their devotion to the poor in Latin America is the chilly open wounds (heridas abiertas) still fresh: From cardinal Ratzinger, the Inquisitor, to cardinal Bergoglio, the traitor.

Own a Gun in Georgia, Not a Diploma

ATLANTA, GA - HB 125, the bill that was supposed to offer a fix to HB 87, but instead inserted damaging and cumbersome provisions making immigrants' lives in the state much more difficult, has passed the Georgia House. It takes away Driver’s Licenses from federal DACA beneficiaries who already have driver’s license under current state law, and people in need will be left out of governmental help if they do not show "verifible papers." Meanwhile, the Republican's Georgia legislature is almost ready to let people over 18 years old carry gun in schools, churches, parks, bars, and provide license to people with mental health and drug issues. 

Augusta Lawyer Jailed, Commissioners Laughing

Alexia Dawn Davis, 31, surrendered herself at the Columbia County Detention Center Tuesday morning on a felony charge of theft of lost or mislaid property, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's report. Davis was booked into the jail Tuesday morning and was released after posting a $2,500 bond. Davis, an attorney with the Office of the Public Defender in Augusta, is accused of not returning a diamond ring she found in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel restaurant on Feb. 7". On the other side, three Richmond County Commissioners were only censured for violating ethics codes.

GRU Augusta Marketing Debacle

The community has been asking, "Where's the A?" But today they're asking, "Where's the ASU?" They're referring to pictures that were published in a GRU admissions view book. The pictures were of some Augusta State University sports teams, but their jerseys were doctored so that "Augusta State" was wiped off. Georgia Regents University (GRU); the saga of the A continues.

'Big Brother' Watching Augusta's Ethics

After the DeKalb County school district was placed on probation by an accrediting agency, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal last week signed an order suspending six of the district’s nine members and appointed a panel to find replacements. The district and the former school board chairman filed suit challenging the constitutionality of the law that allows the governor to remove local school board members. The Governor could interfere in Augusta. Three commissioners were censured.

Georgians Under Attack

SB 31 allows Georgia Power to charge its customers except big business and industry, $1.6 billion in financing charges and an additional $400 million beginning in 2011, continuing until 2017 or beyond. Georgia Regents University (GRU) was imposed with little input from the taxpayers, and another bailout with taxpayers money was given to Augusta Riverfront, LLC for the construction of the TEE Center or Augusta Convention as the management decided to called it. 

The Dark Side of Sequestration

What exactly is the sequester, where did it come from and how does it impact federal spending? Sequestration will eliminate $85 billion in new spending in 2013 and reduce total spending from $3.6 trillion to $3.5 trillion, a reduction of 2.4%.

Augusta Read a Ton

"The Augusta Literary Festival (ALF) was designed with the community in mind. It doesn't matter if you are involved with the community of the Arts, community of book lovers, community of aspiring writers, or the community at large; this is your event.

Augusta Gave Birth to "TEE"

AUGUSTA, GA - Lots of back slapping and congratulations could be seen and heard while onlookers viewed the long awaited much maligned edifice of the Trade, Exhibit, and Event (TEE) Center.