BlogWood: Norwood's Fair and Balanced Nattering

Why does the Tampa Tribune hate American workers?

And why don't major newspapers have a Labor section to balance their Business sections? Just wondering.

From the fawning tone of this article, it sounds like the Tribune is strongly in favor of moving high paying white collar jobs overseas. To be fair, this trend seems to have created at least 2 jobs in this area, so perhaps I’m being a little harsh?

...... a Siberian company has opened a Tampa office in the hope that the Russian region can find a niche in the multibillion-dollar market for outsourced computer programming and other information technology work.

Enterra Inc. opened its first U.S. office in Tampa this fall, with an eye on landing contracts with American companies for outsourced information technology work. Enterra says it employs 90 IT professionals at its offices in Siberia.
......

Today, Enterra is hoping to capitalize on the offshore outsourcing revolution sweeping across American industry.

Last year Forrester Research estimated that as many as 3.3 million U.S. jobs would move offshore by 2018. Of those, nearly 1.7 million will be office jobs and 472,000 will be computer-related jobs, Forrester reported.

Many of Enterra's projects for clients involve Web-based applications. For example, Enterra has been talking with a Denver-area company called Starkey International Institute for Household Management. Starkey trains butlers and ``household managers,'' to run estates for a wealthy clientele.

Enterra's computer program will aid household managers to record how homeowners want their food prepared or shirts laundered, Swengler said.
......

Like other offshore outsourcing firms, Enterra is offering cheaper labor than American programmers might provide. For example, its programmer fees run between $20 and $35 an hour, including all benefits. In comparison, an American programmer might charge $35 to $60 an hour, Swengler said. Still, he acknowledged Enterra's rate is significantly higher than many Indian programmers earn for simple computer coding projects.

Yeah, but when you consider the implications of an improperly starched shirt, you quickly come to realize that these Russians are more than worth the extra cost.Here’s Bob Herbert with a little reality check:

I.B.M. has sent a holiday chill through its American employees with its plans to ship thousands of high-paying white-collar jobs overseas to lower-paid foreign workers.

"People are upset and angry," said Arnie Marchetti, a 37-year-old computer technician at I.B.M.'s Southbury, Conn., office whose wife gave birth to their first child in August.

The company has not made any announcements, and the employees do not know who will be affected, or when. The uncertainty about whose jobs may be sent to India or China, the two main countries in the current plans, has raised workers' anxiety in some cases to an excruciating level.

"I understand that this is a lightning rod issue in the industry," an I.B.M. spokesman told me this week. "It's a lightning rod issue to people in our company, I suppose. But I don't think anybody expects us to issue blanket statements to the work force about projections."

Referring to employees who may be affected by the plans, he said, "We deal with them as they need to know."

"Offshoring" and "outsourcing" are two of the favored euphemisms for shipping work overseas. I.B.M. prefers the term "global sourcing." Whatever you call it, the expansion of this practice from manufacturing to the higher-paying technical and white-collar levels is the latest big threat to employment in the U.S.

Years ago, when concern was being expressed about the shipment of factory jobs to places with slave wages, hideous working conditions and even prison labor, proponents said there was nothing to worry about. Exporting labor-intensive jobs would make U.S. companies more competitive, leading to increased growth and employment, and higher living standards. They advised U.S. workers to adjust, to become better educated and skillful enough to thrive in a new world of employment, where technology and the ability to process information were crucial components.

Well, the workers whose jobs are now threatened at I.B.M. and similar companies across the U.S. are well educated and absolute whizzes at processing information. But they are nevertheless in danger of following the well-trodden path of their factory brethren to lower-wage work, or the unemployment line.
......

"Our competitors are doing it and we have to do it," said Tom Lynch, I.B.M.'s director for global employee relations.

The outsourcing of good jobs has been under way for years, and there is no dispute that the practice is speeding up. "Anything that is not nailed to the floor is being considered for outsourcing," said Thea Lee, the chief international economist for the A.F.L.-C.I.O.

But W and the mainstream press say the economy is in the midst of a strong recovery. Surely, there will be plenty of good jobs for those who want them, right? Uh, no:

It was a merry Christmas for Sharper Image and Neiman Marcus, which reported big sales increases over last year's holiday season. It was considerably less cheery at Wal-Mart and other low-priced chains. We don't know the final sales figures yet, but it's clear that high-end stores did very well, while stores catering to middle- and low-income families achieved only modest gains.

Based on these reports, you may be tempted to speculate that the economic recovery is an exclusive party, and most people weren't invited. You'd be right.

Commerce Department figures reveal a startling disconnect between overall economic growth, which has been impressive since last spring, and the incomes of a great majority of Americans. In the third quarter of 2003, as everyone knows, real G.D.P. rose at an annual rate of 8.2 percent. But wage and salary income, adjusted for inflation, rose at an annual rate of only 0.8 percent. More recent data don't change the picture: in the six months that ended in November, income from wages rose only 0.65 percent after inflation.

Why aren't workers sharing in the so-called boom? Start with jobs.

Payroll employment began rising in August, but the pace of job growth remains modest, averaging less than 90,000 per month. That's well short of the 225,000 jobs added per month during the Clinton years; it's even below the roughly 150,000 jobs needed to keep up with a growing working-age population.

But if the number of jobs isn't rising much, aren't workers at least earning more? You may have thought so. After all, companies have been able to increase output without hiring more workers, thanks to the rapidly rising output per worker. (Yes, that's a tautology.) Historically, higher productivity has translated into rising wages. But not this time: thanks to a weak labor market, employers have felt no pressure to share productivity gains. Calculations by the Economic Policy Institute show real wages for most workers flat or falling even as the economy expands.

An aside: how weak is the labor market? The measured unemployment rate of 5.9 percent isn't that high by historical standards, but there's something funny about that number. An unusually large number of people have given up looking for work, so they are no longer counted as unemployed, and many of those who say they have jobs seem to be only marginally employed. Such measures as the length of time it takes laid-off workers to get new jobs continue to indicate the worst job market in 20 years.

So if jobs are scarce and wages are flat, who's benefiting from the economy's expansion? The direct gains are going largely to corporate profits, which rose at an annual rate of more than 40 percent in the third quarter. Indirectly, that means that gains are going to stockholders, who are the ultimate owners of corporate profits. (That is, if the gains don't go to self-dealing executives, but let's save that topic for another day.)
......

The bottom line, then, is that for most Americans, current economic growth is a form of reality TV, something interesting that is, however, happening to other people. This may change if serious job creation ever kicks in, but it hasn't so far.

Herbert again, from a different column:

A couple of million factory positions have disappeared in the short time since we raised our glasses to toast the incoming century. And now the white-collar jobs are following the blue-collar jobs overseas.

Americans are working harder and have become ever more productive — astonishingly productive — but are not sharing in the benefits of their increased effort. If you think in terms of wages, benefits and the creation of good jobs, the employment landscape is grim.

The economy is going great guns, we're told, but nearly nine million Americans are officially unemployed, and the real tally of the jobless is much higher. Even as the Bush administration and the media celebrate the blossoming of statistics that supposedly show how well we're doing, the lines at food banks and soup kitchens are lengthening. They're swollen in many cases by the children of men and women who are working but not making enough to house and feed their families.
......

An executive at Microsoft, the ultimate American success story, told his department heads last year to "Think India," and to "pick something to move offshore today."
......

"If you take this to its logical extreme, the implications for the entire middle-class wage structure in the United States are terrifying," said Thea Lee, an economist with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. "Now is the time to start thinking about policy solutions."

But that's exactly what we're not thinking about. Government policy at the moment is focused primarily on what's best for the corporations. From that perspective, job destruction and wage compression are good things — as long as they don't get too much high-profile attention.
......

Globalization may be a fact of life. But that does not mean that its destructive impact on American families can't be mitigated. The best thing workers can do, including white-collar and professional workers, is to organize. At the same time, the exportation of jobs and the effect that is having on the standard of living here should be relentlessly monitored by the government, the civic sector and the media. The public has a right to know what's really going on.

Trade agreements and tax policies should be examined and updated to encourage the creation of employment that enhances the quality of life here at home. Corporate leaders may not feel an obligation to contribute to the long-term well-being of local communities or the nation as a whole, but that shouldn't be the case with the rest of us.

AFL-CIO

Communications Workers of America

Industrial Workers of the World

Get Up with MorningWood!

Today on MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

It’s The Best of MorningWood!

This is the last show of the year, so I’m gonna play a bunch of crap you’ve probably already heard like 2 or 3 times and call it a “best of” edition I’ve carefully combed through the 2003 playlists and have spent hour upon hour compiling a highlight show like you’ve never heard before. Really.

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

Thanks for your help. Keep the calls coming!

Lots of people have already called or emailed PD Randy Wynne (see below). Thanks for your support. It is making a big difference, but there are lots of qualified candidates. Please keep your calls and emails coming. Let Randy know that it’s time for Wood in the afternoon!

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

FREE Stuff!

How to record your favorite radio show on your computer (from an article I wrote for my Norwood's Computer Newsletter)

DIYmedia.net is having server trouble. Here’s an mp3 I found on their site some time back. It’s the “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” cutup by D.O.C. Good stuff. Look for diymedia.net to have their downloads available again early in January.

Website of the week

fairelections.us
Someone is finally fighting Diebold!

WMNF Community Radio

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

Volunteers, like myself, are the lifeblood of this station. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in volunteering at WMNF, call Gene Moore at 813-238-8001.

How to record your favorite radio show (or anything else!) on your computer.

I’ve been promising this article for a long time. Viruses and spyware and such got in the way, but it is finally here! This week, we’re gonna learn how to record just about anything on a computer. As a handy example, we’ll use one of my favorite radio shows: MorningWood (http://wmnf.org/programming/daily.shtml?ShowId=237) on WMNF 88.5 in Tampa, 4-6AM every Tuesday. Don’t worry. You wont have to wake up to record this show. Like a VCR (only easier!) these things can be scheduled to happen all by themselves.

First, some people ask me why they should use a computer for making recordings. Sure, you can record most things just fine on your stereo, but you’ll find that computers offer many benefits. You’ll have the flexibility of sharing your music around via email, burning onto a cd, or just leaving it inside your computer for later playback. Archiving a music collection is a piece of cake with a computer. You can easily put old tapes and LPs onto CD or MP3, and, of course, you can record MorningWood for posterity.

Using a computer to record, or digitize, your music will save you space, too. Even if you move your recordings onto CD, the space saved over tapes is considerable. Finally, your music will organize itself. No more alphabetizing! Using standard MP3 player software, it’s easy to find any song. Search by artist or title or album or length or keywords. Instantly pull up what you want, and even take notes on your favorite tracks!

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Norwood’s Computer (http://www.norwoodscomputer.com) is your local one-stop onsite computer shop! Repairs, upgrades, networking, troubleshooting, and more, all at your home or office and at your convenience. Call 813-226-2550 now or email norwood@norwoodscomputer.com and we’ll talk!
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So, let’s get started. We’ll need some software. Well, maybe: You may already have what you need. Look around under Start...Programs. Look for a group with the word sound or multimedia in the title. Newer versions of Real player include the ability to record, and so do lots of other programs. Play around with what you find, and determine if any programs let you record. Usually, you’ll be faced with a simple interface that looks like the recording buttons on a tape deck.

If you do need to install new software, think a little about what you might be using it for. Might you be archiving old LPs and tapes? If so, you may want software to help with this. Lots of computer recording programs will let you record an entire album or cassette and then take the work out of cutting it into individual tracks. One program that has these features is Polderbits Sound Recorder (http://www.polderbits.com). It has a simple timer, it will break a full album into tracks for you, and it also has an editing program so that you have the option to manually cut up your music into tracks and remove empty spaces. Also, it’s designed for home users, and it’s really easy to learn how to operate.

Another good program is Cybercorder (http://skyhawktech.com). This one has a VCR like timing interface so that you can schedule multiple recordings at multiple times. If you’re gonna be recording lots of live radio and you know what times you’re gonna record, this is the program for you. Both of these software packages offer free evaluation versions, and each one costs about $25.

Now that you have recording software, what’re you gonna digitize? To record MorningWood, you’ll need to patch a stereo tuner signal into your computer. Look at the back of your computer near where the speakers plug in and find the “Line In” plug. This will be a simple round hole that takes a mini-phono plug, just like the plug on your computer speakers. Use a stereo patch cable to connect your stereo’s headphone jack or line-out to your computer. This connection will let you record virtually anything that can be played through your stereo. For a more detailed explanation, including diagrams, go here: http://www.polderbits.com/HowToConnect.htm

A stereo patch cable is by far the most common connection, but there are other ways to get the signal into your computer. These include a microphone, a MIDI connection, or a digital audio input. You can also record, or “rip” directly from an original CD in your collection. Specialized software is available for ripping.

Scheduling your recording will differ, depending on the software you’re using. The software I mention has scheduling functions built in. Take a moment or two to learn the simple interface, set it to record for 2 hours, starting at 4AM on a Tuesday. Turn on your stereo, and tune to WMNF, and wait for the magic to happen. Or, if you prefer, just turn on your Stereo and press the “Record” button in the software. (Make sure you set the software to record from the “Line In” or “Aux” source!)

Yeah! You’ve made your first recording! Now what? Well, most programs will take a lot of the work out of saving your digitized music files. Pick a location to save your music, and decide whether to save in MP3 or wav format. MP3 uses much less space, but wav is a higher quality. FM radio broadcasts sound just fine on MP3. You might want to use wav for higher quality digital recordings, but many people will not notice a difference.

Either format can be easily copied and played back and shared on multiple devices, but MP3 is the most popular format for sharing via email or file sharing services, due to the relatively small file size. Both formats can be burned to CD for play on a traditional home or car stereo. Your CD burning software will automatically convert MP3 files to wav files as it burns the music to CD.

So, we have a copy of the latest MorningWood show. How’re we gonna listen to it? Many basic computer speaker systems are not really up to the task of playing music. Small and tinny sounding, these things were designed for playing simple computer generated noise, not hours of music. Treat yourself to a new set of higher quality computer speakers, maybe even with a sub-woofer, for $50 or so.

Another option is to patch into your home stereo for playback. You’ll need a connection very similar to the hook-up we did to get the signal into the computer. Just take a patch cable and go from the “Speaker Out” plug on the computer to a “Line In” plug on the back of your stereo. That’s it. You’re ready to play back your digitized recordings through your home stereo system.

Now, sit back and relax and enjoy the fine sounds of MorningWood whenever it’s convenient for you!

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Don’t help the terrorists. Keep your Zodiac secrets secret!

FBI Links Almanacs With Terror Planning

The FBI (search) is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs (search), cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning. ......

It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.
......

The FBI said information typically found in almanacs that could be useful for terrorists includes profiles of cities and states and information about waterways, bridges, dams, reservoirs, tunnels, buildings and landmarks. It said this information is often accompanied by photographs and maps.

Be very afraid. And if you see any swarthy types looking at a map or a picture, call the police immediately.

Tis the season: HARTline to raise fares, cut routes.

Continuing a holiday tradition, HARTline plans to raise $150,000 on the backs of Hillsborough County’s poorest citizens while cutting routes they depend on to work and shop. Why does this refrain seem so familiar?

The poor could always walk, but there are few navigable sidewalks around here, traditionally one of most dangerous places in the country for pedestrians and bicyclists. This area was designed for cars. When applying for a menial level job in Tampa, one of the first questions asked is whether or not the applicant is the owner of a reliable automobile. A car has become an essential requirement for every entry-level job. Employers know that HARTline will not get their employees to work on time, especially on weekends and holidays.

Even HARTline Director Sharon Dent drives. Perhaps with her measly 6 figure salary, it would be a hardship for her to afford the higher fares, thus she relies on a large automobile to haul herself around instead?

A SPTimes editorial from 2001 is very telling: the same problems HARTline has today have been cropping up year after year:

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, the county bus system, has more than a budget problem. It has an image problem, a political problem and a leadership problem - none of which will go away until the community comes to grips with whether HARTline should remain a countywide service. If HARTline's director, Sharon Dent, can't cut through the molasses in the coming year, the county should find new leadership.

For someone with such poor budgeting, planning and communication skills, Dent sure has had job security. HARTline is perennially short of cash. Routes open and close at the drop of a hat. Its negative image is why some politicians refuse to provide more operating funds. Dent's major accomplishment has been shifting the blame and placating her board - good for her but not the sort of tactics that serve the interests of bus passengers.

It doesn't take a visionary to see what's wrong. HARTline needs a stable funding base if it ever hopes to plan strategically, reshape its image or lobby effectively for expanding mass transit. Urban rail in Tampa and inter-city service should not even be considered with HARTline's current configuration. The ideal solution would be for the city and county to support new taxing authority for HARTline. The amount needed is small; even $5-million annually would provide the seed to end the budget crisis that somehow arises year to year.

Hmmm... a stable funding base? How ‘bout $20 million from the Hillsborough County? A couple of weeks ago, Dent was offered this money, a big chunk of a proposed 1/2 cent sales tax hike, but couldn’t seem to get organized enough to give details of how she might spend the funds.

A proposal to raise the sales tax and fees on new construction to pay for roadwork and new bus routes hit a dead end before the Hillsborough Commission Wednesday. ......

Without ensuring that impact fees on new development are raised sharply and charged uniformly in the county, the proposal would raise too little money to do much good, (Commissioner Pat) Frank argued.

"I think we're trying to do too many things with too little money," Frank said.

Frank said she also failed to get enough detail from the county's transit service on how it would use its $20-million-a-year share from the proposed half-penny sales tax hike.
......

Frank withheld her support until she got assurance from HARTline about how it would spend the money, advocating concentrating service in densely populated areas. But she failed to get the assurance she was seeking during a hastily called HARTline meeting Tuesday.

HARTline executive director Sharon Dent attempted to appease Frank Wednesday by offering greater detail that she pledged to take back to the board.

"A few minutes ago, we now get specifics," Frank said Wednesday, dismissing Dent's overture.
......

Democratic Commissioner Kathy Castor withdrew her earlier support of last week, saying she too was dissatisfied with the lack of detail from HARTline.

The debate ended and the transportation plan died with it.

I wonder why Pat Frank was worried about how HARTline would spend this money. Perhaps it’s HARTline and Sharon Dent’s history of serving poor urban customers by using their full price fares to subsidize service for tourists and downtown office workers?

I’m trying not to go off on a rant against the $56 million Disneyesque Electric Streetcar system built for the sole benefit of cruise ship passengers, and Marriott guests, so I’ll ignore that for now in favor of the fake Trolley.

This dressed up rubber-wheeled bus cruises the streets of downtown offering free rides to office workers and visitors. Even at this price, the busses are empty as often as not. Now, as Dent proposes to cut real routes and raise fares for the working poor, there is talk of expanding this faux Trolley service into the pricey Hyde Park Village shopping area so that more wealthy white people can ride the bus on a whim:

Village officials are working with the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, also know as HARTline, to extend the yellow, rubber-wheeled trolley known as the Uptown Downtown Connector to the shopping center at Swann and Dakota avenues. ......

Village general manager Pat Westerhouse said extending the trolley line will help bring University of Tampa students and downtown workers to Hyde Park for lunch and shopping. Instead of driving and parking in a garage, they can hop on the trolley.
......

HARTline, which started the connector four years ago, hopes the Hyde Park line draws the after-work and weekend crowds. The route would start at the Southern Transportation Plaza near the Marriott and Tampa Convention Center, make a stop at the Hyatt Regency downtown and end on Swann at Howard Avenue.
......

For years HARTline has been looking at ways to increase the trolley's ridership, which averages about 300 people a day, or about 5,500 a month. Often, it rolls by with just a handful of people. Sometimes, only the driver.

HARTline officials say the service is necessary for tourists.

HARTline is quick to demand more and more from their best customers, our own hard working neighbors who can least afford to pay, yet HARTline is always willing to subsidize transportation costs for people who are prepared and very able to spend their own money.

Be very afraid

Stay scared. You're easier to control that way.

French justice and law enforcement officials on Thursday said they found little evidence that terrorists were planning to use U.S.-bound aircraft to launch attacks against American targets over Christmas, despite warnings from the U.S. government that prompted the cancellation of six flights.

Civitas' Christmas con?

Civitas is hoping that no one is paying attention, being that this is the busiest time of the year for many folks. If Ed Turanchik has his way, we will all groggily wake up in February with fuzzy recollections of tipsy holiday land swapping all but forgotten.

The Tampa Housing Authority is postponing a decision on whether or not to aid and abet Civitas in its bid to sweep the poor under the rug, but I’d be very surprised if their January decision does not fill Ed Turanchik with joy.

Meanwhile, down to the projects, Civitas officials have actually decided to meet with residents who will be kicked out of their homes and dispersed to less visible locations further from downtown. Now that Ed has pitched his Plan to Take Over the World to the rich white people who will be stealing from teh poor investors and local leaders, he must have figured it would make for some good PR if he spent an hour or two explaining to actual folks how it’s not really gonna hurt when Civitas destroys their community and turns them into refugees.

Ed spent so much time meeting with residents that he just couldn’t possibly finish up his list of properties which he proposes to sell to the Housing Authority for a guaranteed profit of a measly 15 percent. But the Authority should trust Ed, ‘cause he will show them what they are buying. Probably. If he has time. But if not, no worries, ‘cause Ed is like real trustworthy and all, you know...

SP Times

Developer Ed Turanchik has until Jan. 9 to close a deal to redevelop the Central Park Village housing project into an upscale urban neighborhood.

On Tuesday, the Tampa Housing Authority gave Turanchik 18 days to finish negotiations on a joint public-private plan to redevelop the area using a $20-million federal Hope VI grant.
......

Turanchik missed a Monday deadline to give the authority information it needed. He submitted the data Tuesday morning, giving staff little time to review it before a 9 a.m. board meeting.

Turanchik apologized to the board Tuesday. "We missed the deadline because we were meeting with residents," he said.

Turanchik wants to partner with the housing authority to build an upscale, mixed-income neighborhood on 157 acres between downtown and Ybor City. Two low-income housing projects now sit on most of the land in the Central Park area.

To do that, Turanchik wants to build market-rate townhomes, which sell for as much as $650,000, on the site of the current housing projects. In exchange for public land, Turanchik will give the housing authority five sites downtown, 50 lots for a home ownership program, and cash.

The authority would get $1,000 for every condo or townhouse sold, and $500 for every private rental unit leased in the project, which could include 3,500 market-rate residences.

In additional, the housing authority would eventually buy as many as 150 lots in east Tampa, West Tampa and Tampa Heights, where Turanchik would build light-gauge steel homes. The authority would buy the lots at cost, plus 15 percent.

With less than a month before HUD's deadline, Turanchik has not told the authority where those 150 lots are located.
......

Also last week, state Sen. Victor Crist raised concerns that Turanchik's Central Park development could mean more low-income families will move into the neighborhood that Crist represents near the University of South Florida.

Turanchik said that won't happen, because he will have housing available on site.

Crist, a Republican from Tampa, said the private-public partnership could be "special."

"It also has the potential to be something devastating to the families who live there," he said.

The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Housing Authority decided Tuesday it still isn't ready to vote on a partnership with private developers who want to swap land and jointly seek a $20 million federal grant.

The board set a Jan. 9 deadline to settle negotiations with Civitas, the redevelopment company led by former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik.

``We're void of the hard details we need for everyone to be comfortable,'' board member Sophia Sorolis said.

......

Civitas held its first meeting for residents at Central Park on Monday, after working in secret for two years to acquire the property.

Board member Gerald White said he was disappointed.

``If you want to be a team player with the Tampa Housing Authority, you need to come clean with all the information that has been requested,'' he told Turanchik.

Three of the board's seven members abstained from voting because of possible conflicts of interest. The remaining four - with member Toni Riordan participating via speakerphone - voted to continue preparing two federal Hope VI grant applications.
......

Meanwhile, city officials are mulling a draft proposal Civitas presented Friday. In it, the company asks for tax breaks, tax credits, tax exemptions and help getting state tax money. Civitas also wants the city to give the company land within its target area in exchange for scattered sites elsewhere.
......

Last summer, the city reserved about 100 city-owned properties across central Tampa for the redevelopment effort. The Civitas draft calls for the city to use eminent domain powers to take over additional land the company has not been able to buy.

That brings bad memories of urban renewal, social activist Mary Alice Dorsett told the housing board.

``In the '60s ... I was told Ybor was valuable property and [the city was] going to take it,'' Dorsett said. ``This [proposal] sounds good. But when the deal goes down, we're pushed back.''

Today on MorningWood

Today on MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

Today’s MorningWood highlights:

The Pledge continues, and is now considered “labor friendly”!

I, Norwood, do hereby pledge to play absolutely no holiday songs on MorningWood during this holiday season. These days. we are inundated with Muzak-ical versions of traditional holiday classics literally everywhere we go. Restaurants blare this noise into our ears during meals, malls crank up the volume to encourage sales, TV commercials try to get cute or all sentimental with their own pro-capitalist carol-based holiday pap. Even WMNF programmers are not immune: whole sets, and sometimes entire shows are dedicated to holiday themed tunes. (That’s fine. In fact, these special sets and shows would be sorely missed if they all stopped happening, but for me, it’s just too much.)

Yeah, I have, in my collection, a good number of quirky, different, edgy, and downright hysterical songs that are appropriate only during this season, and the vast majority have never been heard on WMNF or any other radio station. You’re not gonna hear them on my show either. And I’m not sorry. Just tired of being a captive consumer trapped in a season in which mass consumption has become the highest form of spirituality most people can comprehend. And because the entire season is so tightly intertwined with over-consumption, I refuse to do my part and play the expected holiday music. Consider this a little vacation from what, for many people, is perhaps the most stressful time of the year. Relax. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” will be right back after this short 2 hour MorningWood break.

From tbo.com:

Labor unions in the Czech Republic demanded Monday that stores stop playing Christmas carols incessantly or pay compensation for causing emotional trauma to sales clerks.

Some stores here play the same songs all day - and play them loudly. Employees say shifts have become unbearable.

"To listen to it for eight hours a day is not healthy, that's for sure," said Alexandr Leiner, a union leader. "And for the customers, it's almost unbearable as well."

So, no holiday music this week. See below for what I plan to play instead, and tune in next week for my Best of MorningWood year-end radio extravaganza!

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

Thanks for your help. Keep the calls coming!

Lots of people have already called or emailed PD Randy Wynne. Thanks for your support. It is making a difference.

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

WMNF

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

Volunteers, like myself, are the lifeblood of this station. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in volunteering at WMNF, call Gene Moore at 813-238-8001.

Saddam capture: made for TV, "based" on reality.

Remember Jessica Lynch? Breathless reports of a daring rescue, led by brave American troops, and documented by video clips supplied by the Pentagon? Later, it turned out that much of the story of Jessica’s capture was pure propagandistic fantasy. Well, here we go again:

Saddam Hussein was captured by US troops only after he had been taken prisoner by Kurdish forces, drugged and abandoned ready for American soldiers to recover him, a British Sunday newspaper said.

Saddam came into the hands of the Kurdish Patriotic Front after being betrayed to the group by a member of the al-Jabour tribe, whose daughter had been raped by Saddam's son Uday, leading to a blood feud, reported the Sunday Express, which quoted an unnamed senior British military intelligence officer.

The newspaper said the full story of events leading up to the ousted Iraqi president's capture on December 13 near his hometown of Tikrit in northern Iraq, "exposes the version peddled by American spin doctors as incomplete".

A former Iraqi intelligence officer, whom the Express did not name, told the paper that Saddam was held prisoner by a leader of the Kurdish Patriotic Front, which fought alongside US forces during the Iraq war, until he negotiated a deal.

The deal apparently involved the group gaining political advantage in the region.

An unnamed Western intelligence source in the Middle East told the Express: "Saddam was not captured as a result of any American or British intelligence. We knew that someone would eventually take their revenge, it was just a matter of time."

Here’s more, this time from Scotland’s Sunday Herald:

It was 3.15pm Washington time when Donald Rumsfeld called George W Bush at Camp David. “Mr President, first reports are not always accurate,” he began. “But we think we may have him.”

First reports – indeed the very first report of Saddam’s capture – were also coming out elsewhere. Jalal Talabani chose to leak the news and details of Rasul Ali’s role in the deployment to the Iranian media and to be interviewed by them.

By early Sunday – way before Saddam’s capture was being reported by the mainstream Western press – the Kurdish media ran the following news wire:

“Saddam Hussein, the former President of the Iraqi regime, was captured by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. A special intelligence unit led by Qusrat Rasul Ali, a high-ranking member of the PUK, found Saddam Hussein in the city of Tikrit, his birthplace. Qusrat’s team was accompanied by a group of US soldiers. Further details of the capture will emerge during the day; but the global Kurdish party is about to begin!”

By the time Western press agencies were running the same story, the emphasis had changed, and the ousted Iraqi president had been “captured in a raid by US forces backed by Kurdish fighters.”

Rasul Ali himself, meanwhile, had already been on air at the Iranian satellite station al-Alam insisting that his “PUK fighters sealed the area off before the arrival of the US forces”.

By late Sunday as the story went global, the Kurdish role was reduced to a supportive one in what was described by the Pentagon and US military officials as a “joint operation”. The Americans now somewhat reluctantly were admitting that PUK fighters were on the ground alongside them , while PUK sources were making more considered statements and playing down their precise role.

So just who did get to Saddam first, the Kurds or the Americans? And if indeed it was a joint operation would it have been possible at all without the intelligence and on-the-ground participation of Rasul Ali and his special forces?

If the PUK themselves pulled off Saddam’s capture, there would be much to gain from taking the $25m bounty and any political guarantees the Americans might reward them with to keep schtum. What’s more, Jalal Talabani’s links to Tehran have always worried Washington, and having his party grab the grand prize from beneath their noses would be awkward to say the least.

“It’s mutually worth it to us and the Americans. We need assurances for the future and they need the kudos of getting Saddam,” admitted a Kurdish source on condition of anonymity. It would be all to easy to dismiss the questions surrounding the PUK role as conspiracy theory. After all, almost every major event that affects the Arab world prompts tales that are quickly woven into intricate shapes and patterns, to demonstrate innocence, seek credit or apportion blame. Saddam’s capture is no exception.

Of the numerous and more exotic theories surrounding events leading to Saddam’s arrest, one originates on a website many believe edited by former Israeli intelligence agents, but which often turns up inside information about the Middle East that proves to be accurate.

According to Debka.com, there is a possibility that Saddam was held for up to three weeks in al-Dwar by a Kurdish splinter group while they negotiated a handover to the Americans in return for the $25m reward. This, the writers say would explain his dishevelled and disorientated appearance.
......

In the end serious questions remain about the Kurdish role and whether at last Sunday’s Baghdad press conference, Paul Bremer was telling the whole truth . Or is it a case of “ladies and gentlemen we got him,” – with a little more help from our Kurdish friends than might be politically expedient to admit?

Tort reform scam

Jeb Bush and the Florida legislature pushed Medical tort reform on Florida this summer. It’s heating up as a national issue, as W attempts to scare and bribe doctors into signing up, all in the name of “fixing” malpractice rates.

Wampum has an excellent post up on the dishonest tactics employed by backers of “med mal reform”:

The media and the tort reform lobby constantly tells us that juries give out large awards in cases that are so absurd that they do not even pass the laugh test. People like Mort Zuckerman, Stuart Taylor and Evan Thomas report them as true.

Zuckerman would not award anything to the plaintiff in the cases he (falsely) reports. Taylor and Thomas would never award $70 million in a case in which the doctors made no error. Their friends would not make those awards.

Zuckerman, Thomas and Taylor, however, are prepared to believe that juries would make absurd awards because they are just so sure that they and their friends are so much smarter than people on juries. They are elitists.

People who think juries are stupid either have no experience with juries or think mighty highly of themselves. If juries make such absurd decisions, why are the reported cases so often fabrications? Why can not Zuckerman or Thomas or Taylor show us some examples of ridiculous awards that are actually true?

There is a huge, well funded interest group trying to pass tort reform. There are any number of journalists sympathetic to tort reform. If there are lots of crazy jury awards that stand up on appeal, why do we usually hear only the bogus ones?

Tort reformers and the media just make stuff up. They want you to believe that juries are irrational. They want you to believe that evidence, fairness and justice are irrelevant in the “litigation lottery.” They want to scare you.

They then use the fear their lies have generated to argue that we need tort reform legislation. It really is one big scam.

Keeping the niggers down

Jeb Bush has been fighting civil rights groups who are attempting to overturn an archaic racist law that bans felons in Florida who have paid their debt to society from voting.

A federal appeals court Friday ordered a trial in a lawsuit that claims Florida's law barring felons from voting is unconstitutional because it discriminates against blacks.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, reversing a lower court ruling dismissing the case, decided there are enough relevant facts for the case to go to trial.

"Our clients are going to get a full hearing on the evidence in court," said attorney Jessie Allen, who represented the plaintiffs. "We're just thrilled."

Civil right groups argue that the law violates equal protection and voting rights claims.

Roughly 600,000 Floridians are banned from voting because of felony convictions, according to the Florida Equal Rights Voting Project. A disproportionate number of them more than a third are black, according to American Civil Liberties Union estimates.
......

Plaintiff's attorneys argued in the appeal that the law was enacted in the 19th century to discriminate against blacks, and the 1968 constitution adopted the old law and its intent to discriminate.

The defendants including Bush and former Secretary of State Katherine Harris argued that any discriminatory intent was eliminated when the law was re-enacted.

The Miami Herald has more:

A federal appellate court ruled Friday that Florida's 135-year-old ban on ex-felons' voting rights could be racially discriminatory, and ordered a Miami trial for hundreds of thousands of former convicts seeking to restore those rights.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the state must prove the 1968 Legislature did not discriminate against blacks when it slightly amended a post-Civil War law barring ex-felons from voting.

''This is a fantastic win for a huge number of people,'' said attorney Jessie Allen, of the New York-based Brennan Center for Justice, which brought the class-action lawsuit on behalf of roughly 613,000 former felons. ``It's a great day for democracy in Florida.''
......

The decision marked a stunning turning point in the class-action case, which was filed weeks before Florida's divisive 2000 presidential election ended with George W. Bush winning the state -- and the White House -- by only 537 votes over Al Gore.

''The mass disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of Florida citizens is the overriding civil-rights crisis in our state, and we look to the courts to end this shameful injustice,'' said Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida ACLU, which has lobbied for the ex-felons' voting rights.
......

Florida requires ex-felons to apply to the state Clemency Board to have their voting privileges restored. The board, however, faces a tremendous backlog.

Four other states also ban ex-convicts from going to the polls -- Iowa, Virginia, Mississippi and Kentucky. In the past year, Alabama, Nevada and Wyoming have lifted their bans, allowing some ex-felons to vote again.
......

Much could be riding on the outcome of the new trial, according to independent political observers. Their assumption: If the ex-felons could vote again, they might cast ballots primarily for Democratic candidates.

Regardless of the intent of the legislature back in ‘68, the application of this law results in disproportionate disenfranchisement of black males simply because they are the most likely demographic group to find themselves incarcerated. In fact, the U.S. Justice Department’s own figures show that 1/3 of all black males will do prison time sometime in their life:

Black men born in the United States in 2001 will have a one in three chance of going to prison during their lifetime if current trends continue, according to a report by the US justice department.

More than 5.6 million Americans are either in prison or have served time there - and that number will continue to rise, the report shows.

By the end of 2001 one in every 37 Americans had some experience of prison, compared with one in 53 in 1974. Continuing at that rate, the proportion will increase to one in every 15 of those born in 2001.

In 2001 a sixth of African-American men were current or former prisoners, compared with one in 13 Latinos and one in 38 whites. The incarceration of women remains lower than of men but has increased at twice the rate since 1980 and shows similar racial disparities.

"Prison had become the social policy of choice for low income people of colour," says Marc Mauer, assistant director of the Sentencing Project, a group which promotes reduced reliance on imprisonment. "Nobody's stated it that way but we have inner-city areas starved of investment but no shortage of funds to build and fill prisons."

Earlier this year, the prison population in our gloriously free country reached 2 million people:

For the first time in history the population of US federal, state and local prisons has surpassed two million people, consolidating the US lead over China, Russia and even Belarus in both absolute numbers of inmates and the rate of incarceration, according to new figures made public Sunday. ......

According to the report, the 50 US states along with the District of Columbia and the federal government held behind bars as many as 1 355 748 people as of June 30, 2002, while 665 475 individuals were under lock and key in municipal and local jails.

The rate of incarceration was 702 inmates per each 100 000 US residents, up from 690 at midyear 2001. This means that one in every 142 people living in the United States was in jail in the middle of last year.

The figures show the United States remains the absolute world leader in both the overall number of inmates and their ratio to the population at large.

The world's most populous country, China, whose human rights record is being constantly assailed in part for throwing people in jail for political reasons, has over 1.4 million inmates, according to the British Home Office, which monitors these statistics.

The prison population of Russia is about 920 000, these figures indicate.

As for the incarceration rate, the United States is being followed by the Cayman Islands (664), Russia (638), Belarus (554) and Kazakhstan (522).

And who are we locking up? Non-violent drug offenders:

A well-publicized study released in 1992 revealed that a full one-quarter of African American males between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four were in prison. These figures are no longer accurate — by 1998 the figure had increased to 32 percent and has continued to rise. One in three black men aged 20-29 is imprisoned, on probation, or on parole. Black men are seven times more likely than white men to be in prison. Five times as many black men are presently in prison as are in four-year colleges and universities.

Is the imprisonment of this segment of society necessary to ensure the safety of Americans? The majority of African Americans in prison are being held for non-violent offenses, often drug possession or distribution. Curiously enough, numerous studies have shown that Caucasian Americans consume far more illicit drugs than African Americans, including so-called “hard drugs.” An outdated, but relevant, study by the US Public Health Service’s Substance Abuse Group, in 1992 found that 76 percent of illicit drug users in the US were white, 14 percent were black, and 8 percent were Latino.

In 1980, about half of the people entering state prison were violent offenders; in 1995 less than a third had been convicted of a violent crime. The enormous increase in America’s inmate population can be explained in large part by the sentences given to non-violent offenders. Crimes that in other countries would usually lead to community service, fines, or drug treatment — or would not be considered crimes at all — in the United States now lead to a prison term, by far the most expensive form of punishment.
......

A perception remains in America that there are not enough prisons, despite the fact that the United Sates incarcerates more people than any other country in the world (half million more than Communist China). This belief exists largely because the frequent number of violent repeat offenders who are released after only serving a fraction of their sentence due to lack of prison space. The obvious solution to this problem lies in decreasing the number of non-violent offenders that are incarcerated, something that could be accomplished by decriminalizing illegal drugs, marijuana in particular. This action would provide space for violent criminals of all races to serve their full sentences, while allowing non-violent offenders to receive treatment, counseling, or job training.

Here’s the deal: if you’re white and middle class, you buy your drugs from a “friend” who lives in your neighborhood. You consume your drugs behind the walls of your private residence, and have little or no fear of the police barging in and busting you.

If you’re poor and black, you buy your drugs from a street corner dealer, in plain sight of the rest of the world. You consume your drugs in other public or semi-public places, thus increasing your chances of a run-in with the law. And as soon as you get your first conviction, you’ll never again be able to be a participating member of our democratic society.

Drug laws are racist by nature, and are enforced disproportionately against minorities. There is no reason to lock someone up when they have hurt no one. They have not stolen anything. They have not assaulted anyone. They may or may not be harming themselves, but alcohol is far more dangerous to one’s personal health than marijuana, and it is perfectly legal. So why do we continue to lock up minorities for breaking laws that make no sense?

We're rednecks, rednecks
And we don't know our ass from a hole in the ground
We're rednecks, we're rednecks
We're keeping the niggers down

More info at The Sentencing Project:

Nationally, more than four million Americans are denied the right to vote as a result of laws that prohibit voting by felons or ex-felons. In 48 states (with the exception of Maine and Vermont) and the District of Columbia prisoners cannot vote, in 33 states felons on probation or parole are disenfranchised, and in 12 states a felony conviction can result in a lifetime ban long after the completion of a sentence. This fundamental obstacle to participation in democratic life is exacerbated by racial disparities in the criminal justice system, resulting in an estimated 13% of black men unable to vote.

Today on Saturday Asylum

I’m filling in today on Saturday Asylum, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org. 2 to 4 pm today!

Shameless Self-Promotion:

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

Today’s Saturday Asylum highlights:

It’s the CrazedWood edition of Saturday Asylum! Today’s show will feature new releases from Bread and Butter, Basement Jaxx, and The Bangles. I’ll also play songs from bands whose names don’t begin with the letter “B”. Artists like Frank Black, The Beastie Boys, and Banabila. We’ll also hear from Bertrand Bergalot, William S. Burroughs, and Brendan Benson.

Today’s show is not overtly political, but many of the songs I play will have political or social justice type themes. Listen up, and you just might notice a few of them.

FREE mp3s!

From protest records. Lots of relevant modern music. “Let’s Start a War” by Soylent Gringo will be played this afternoon.

Playlists

Planned playlist

Live Playlist

WMNF

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

Volunteers, like myself, are the lifeblood of this station. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in volunteering at WMNF, call Gene Moore at 813-238-8001.

Civitas comes calling

Ed Turcnachik promised he wouldn’t need any public funds to complete his Plan to Take Over the World. He lied.

Tax breaks, government grants and waived fees were tacked on Friday to the growing wish list of a company trying to replace public housing with upscale development.

Civitas representatives have said for weeks that they would not seek city tax money for their plan to bring new homes and businesses to 157 acres between downtown and Ybor City.

But a draft proposal sent Friday to the city called for tax breaks, tax credits and tax exemptions, as well as for city help in getting state tax money. That's in addition to city financing for roadwork, water lines and other infrastructure improvements, which the company previously requested.

They also want the city to build them a lake. Yes. A lake.

If developer Ed Turanchik gets his way, the city's low-income housing funds will first go to his project in Central Park before other Tampa neighborhoods see the money. ......

(Thursday) was the first time Turanchik had mentioned using city housing funds and getting tax breaks to develop an upscale, 157-acre neighborhood downtown.

Turanchik called the draft "points for discussion," but he wants the City Council to vote on a deal by Jan. 15.
......

A development group led by Turanchik needs approval from the city and Tampa Housing Authority to build its project in Tampa's Central Park neighborhood. They want to demolish low-income housing projects in the area and replace them with an urban, upscale neighborhood where people rich and poor might coexist.
......

Turanchik asked for more than he's sought previously:

He wants the city to obtain taxpayer funds from a state agency, the Florida Community Trust, to pay for public parks in his project.

He wants the city to help him get enterprise-zone grants to build a manufacturing factory in east Tampa.

He wants the city to waive all impact and permit fees.

He wants an exemption from paying certain local sales taxes.

He wants the city to apply for tax funds to help build a lake in his project, which would hold stormwater.

Turanchik's proposal says the city would help his company "to the extent applicable." What that means still needs to be worked out, he said.

He said he simply wants to avail himself of assistance the government typically gives developers.

He said the city would normally seek state tax funds to buy new parks. The parks he wants, which would likely be used by Central Park residents, would also be open to anyone.

Under Turanchik's proposal, the city would pay a private homeowners association to maintain the park to current city standards.

Turanchik called his request to waive impact fees "very standard" in economic development deals.

"I don't see a lot of surprises in here," he said.

The draft agreement also makes it clear how Turanchik would like the city to use its low-income housing dollars to finance his project.

Turanchik wants the money to help build the kind of upscale housing projects in Central Park that government can't normally afford.
......

Turanchik wants to partner with the Tampa Housing Authority to build "magnificent" housing complexes unlike anything else in the city.
......

Turanchik said the city should naturally use its low-income dollars for projects such as this. That's what the money was intended for, he said.

Notice the part about the park? It’s kinda hard to miss, since I put it in bold type. This will not be a public park. Civitas, the owner of the park, will have the right to kick anyone out for any reason. Just like some malls kick people out for wearing the wrong clothing. So, these rich white men want the city to pay to build and maintain their new park and lake and then Civitas will pay for the goon squads to patrol the area looking for backward baseball cap and anti-war t-shirt wearing “trespassers”.

Turanchik wants upscale housing? We need basic housing right now for the hundreds of families that are on the street or living in over-priced “budget” motels. $150 per week, no cooking facilities, no security, often no heat, strict rules regarding visitors, CASH ONLY IN ADVANCE.

These are hard working people who are caught in a heartless economy. To get out of their cars and hotel rooms and into a real apartment requires lump sums of cash that are impossible to come up with while keeping up with current expenses. Landlords demand “deposits” equal to 3 months rent. I was a renter for many years, and I’d say I only managed to get deposits back from about 1 out of 5 landlords. They always find a way to keep your money, legally or not, and since the landlord invariably has vastly more resources at his disposal than a tenant, there is simply no recourse.

Anyway, even a dirt-cheap apartment costs $1,500.00 or so to move into. Electricity and water both require cash deposits, unless you have very good credit. Add cleaning supplies, curtains, light bulbs, space heaters, and all the other little miscellany of living, and we’re up to about $2000.00. Cash. Try to raise that while working in a labor pool and spending over fifty percent of your income on simple shelter and frittering away the rest on overpriced and unhealthy pre-packaged food products that you’ve heated in the microwave at the 7-11.

I could go on for days about the predators that descend on poor neighborhoods to legally steal from residents who are trapped with little or no transportation options and no credit. The over-priced grocery stores with expired meats, the pawn shops and payday loan services which make loans with interest rates in the mid hundreds, and the furniture rental places where you can rent-to-buy a $300 TV for only $20 per month. For 60 months.

My point is that life is hard and expensive when you’re poor. Basic necessities cost more. It is very easy for a family with 2 full-time wage earners to find themselves on the street. We need cheap, basic housing right now. Low income housing dollars should be used to help people with low incomes. They should not be used to enrich for-profit companies founded by people who swear that the best way to help the poor is to move them out of sight.

Cassel on courts

Follow the link:

Thursday, December 18, brought some good news for those among us who thought the judicial branch of government was asleep. An independent judiciary is alive and well in two federal circuits--the Second Circuit (New York) and the Ninth Circuit (California). Both appeals courts rejected the Bush administration's claims that President Bush has unlimited power to trample the civil rights of Americans and prisoners in its control under the guise of fighting a global war on "terror."

Courts decide that they are a branch of government after all

Finally:

The broad presidential powers invoked by the Bush administration after Sept. 11, 2001, to detain suspected terrorists outside the civilian court system is now being challenged by the federal courts, the very branch of the government the White House hoped to circumvent.

The two separate appellate court rulings on Thursday swept away crucial parts of the administration's legal strategy to handle terrorist suspects outside the criminal justice system and incarcerate them indefinitely without access to lawyers or to the evidence against them.
......

The issue of whether the administration has gone too far will not be decided definitively until the cases reach the Supreme Court. The court has agreed to decide whether detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are entitled to access to civilian courts to challenge their open-ended detention.

Nevertheless, in one sense the administration has already lost an important point by the courts' willingness to ignore assertions that the issues are exclusively within the discretion of the executive branch.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said the two decisions were a serious setback for the administration's legal approach.

"The Padilla decision emphasized the Bush administration's unilateralism versus Congress," Mr. Roth said, referring to an appellate court ruling on Thursday in the case of a United States citizen, Jose Padilla, arrested on American soil on suspicion of terrorism.

"The Ninth Circuit decision said that you can't create a legal black hole in territory controlled by the United States," Mr. Roth added, referring to a second ruling on Thursday related to noncitizens captured in the Afghan war and detained at a naval base in Guantánamo Bay.

"Both attacked the Bush administration's view that a war metaphor can justify restrictions on basic criminal justice rights away from a traditional battlefield," Mr. Roth said.
......

But on Thursday, administration officials gave no sign that they would retreat from their approach. "Actually these rulings are an aberration," said a senior Justice Department official. "The administration has been upheld time and time again."
......

In criminal courts, defendants are entitled to lawyers, have a right to a speedy trial and must be advised of the evidence and witnesses against them — concessions that the Bush administration did not want to grant to combatants in a war with adversaries who recognized none of the traditional rules of combat.

In New York on Thursday, a federal appeals court opinion in the case of Mr. Padilla struck at the heart of that aggressive strategy. The panel's 2-to-1 opinion said that the president lacked the authority to exercise such broad coercive powers against American citizens without the consent of Congress.

Specifically, the judges attacked the government's designation of Mr. Padilla as an enemy combatant, a category of detainee that was created shortly after Sept. 11 to hold suspected terrorists without the rights that criminal suspects are routinely granted in the civilian court system.
......

In the case in San Francisco, a 2-to-1 panel said on Thursday that the detention of 660 noncitizens at Guantánamo Bay without the protection of the American legal system was unconstitutional and a violation of international law.

Despite Bushcroft’s best efforts, we do still have a constitution in this country. Unfortunately, senior Justice Department officials consider themselves immune from constitutional restraints, and until now there has been little to stop them from trampling on people’s rights. This is a good step in the right direction.

Tampa's Welfare Daddies

Corporate welfare roles in Tampa continue to rise unabated as Tampa’s elite join forces to attempt a massive transfer of public wealth into private hands.

BlogWood has learned that lazy, shiftless corporate entities are living large off the public dole, and asking for more! While honest taxpayers struggle to make ends meet, their government is taking their hard-earned money and throwing it at football fat cats, hot hotels, and loony land deals.

Years ago, Tampa leaders borrowed against our collective soul and built a fancy new football stadium for a bunch of rich white men. Complete control of said stadium, including all revenue streams, has been ceded to these Welfare Daddies in exchange for vague promises to try real hard not to ask for another stadium for at least 2 or 3 more years. The Buccaneers are worth $671 million dollars.

More recently, Tampa cut a deal with some other rich white men that pays them $32 million to operate a profitable hotel. But let’s not begrudge these guys a little much-needed help. Why, one small part of the Marriott clan, John and Richard Marriott, are way down in the 100's on Forbe’s list, with a measly net worth of just $6.2 billion.

Now, Civitas, a company owned by the creme de la blanc of Tampa’s elite Welfare Daddies, is in need of our help. See, Ed Turanchik’s Plan to Take Over the World can not possibly proceed without a little public assistance. Investors might not be guaranteed to make a profit if they have to pay for everything themselves, and if they can’t make a guaranteed profit, then how do you expect them to steal from help the poor?

Make no mistake: Civitas is in business to help the poor. In fact, their primary goal seems to be to help the poor population near downtown Tampa to get the fuck out so that our homegrown Welfare Daddies can start making some money.

Their first pitch was in a meeting with City officials yesterday. Today, Ed Turacnchik will be making a presentation to the City Council.

Civitas' latest proposal calls for the city to swap land it owns within the company's 157-acre target area northeast of downtown for scattered sites the company owns in those other neighborhoods, said Mark Huey, Tampa's economic development director.

Civitas' latest proposal calls for the city to swap land it owns within the company's 157-acre target area northeast of downtown for scattered sites the company owns in those other neighborhoods, said Mark Huey, Tampa's economic development director.

Wednesday was the first meeting between Civitas and city officials since the company unveiled plans Dec. 4 to bring homes and businesses to Tampa's Central Park area.

Civitas also proposes buying some city land, and it wants city help to pay for road work, waterlines and other infrastructure improvements.

``This was the top layer of the onion,'' Huey said. ``We have a lot more meetings to have.''

Translation: “We’ll give up these sub-prime properties that are scattered all over the place in exchange for city properties that are concentrated in the area where we are working to acquire land. We absolutely need these city properties, so an ordinary seller could command top dollar, but we will pay or trade the city next to nothing for them and we will also be asking for many more handouts along the way.”

Stay tuned!

(Updated to add the rest of the Tribune quote I thought I had added in the first place. Doh.)

911 Bombshell The Wicked Witch is Still Caught!

CBS News had a very interesting interview last night with Thomas Kean, the Republican chairman of the 911 Commission:

"This is a very, very important part of history and we've got to tell it right," said Thomas Kean.

"As you read the report, you're going to have a pretty clear idea what wasn't done and what should have been done," he said. "This was not something that had to happen."

Appointed by the Bush administration, Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, is now pointing fingers inside the administration and laying blame.

"There are people that, if I was doing the job, would certainly not be in the position they were in at that time because they failed. They simply failed," Kean said.

To find out who failed and why, the commission has navigated a political landmine, threatening a subpoena to gain access to the president's top-secret daily briefs. Those documents may shed light on one of the most controversial assertions of the Bush administration – that there was never any thought given to the idea that terrorists might fly an airplane into a building.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted that they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile," said national security adviser Condoleeza Rice on May 16, 2002.

"How is it possible we have a national security advisor coming out and saying we had no idea they could use planes as weapons when we had FBI records from 1991 stating that this is a possibility," said Kristen Breitweiser, one of four New Jersey widows who lobbied Congress and the president to appoint the commission.

(thanks to Daily Kos for the heads up!)

This sounds big, but the dominant headlines in the NYT this morning are all about the wicked witch. If we look carefully, we can find out that 199 soldiers have been killed by hostile fire since W declared “Mission Accomplished” back on May 1.

That’s the NYT spin. In reality, there have been 321 military fatalities during that period. The pentagon like to spin many deaths as accidents, thus lowering the “combat” death count. In reality, not very many of these soldiers would have died if they were not in Iraq right now.

W is responsible for every one of those deaths, and it now looks like his administration knew a lot more about the impending 911 attack than they are letting on.

911 led to the Patriot Act, the Afghan invasion, and the invasion of Iraq. The fear and confusion of most Americans immediately after 911 made an unelected and weak President extremely popular, as people naturally rallied around the only leader we had. Regardless of what W did or did not know before 911, he has cynically used the tragic events of that day to rape the constitution, enrich his friends, and enact revenge on the mean bully who tried to hurt his daddy, but who had absolutely nothing to do with 911.

Which is why we all feel so much safer now.

Good news for Plan B

NYT:

In a 23-to-4 vote, two expert advisory committees to the Food and Drug Administration recommended Tuesday that a so-called morning-after pill to prevent unintended pregnancies be sold over the counter.

The F.D.A. usually follows its committees' advice, although the final decision rests with its commissioner, Dr. Mark B. McClellan. But the overwhelming vote by the agency's outside advisers led proponents as well as opponents to expect that Dr. McClellan would go along with the committees, making his decision within weeks to months.

The drug is an emergency contraceptive known as Plan B, to be taken when regular contraception either fails or is skipped. Consisting of two high-dose birth control pills, Plan B is meant to be used within 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse and may prevent up to 89 percent of unplanned pregnancies.

If approved, widespread availability of Plan B could have an impact second only to the advent of the birth control pill, advocates say. The proponents, including groups like Planned Parenthood, argued to the panel that Plan B was safe and could prevent as many as half of the three million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year.

Despite the best efforts of right winger types to paint Plan B as an abortion pill, an FDA committee is recommending that it be sold over the counter. Right now, Plan B is available via prescription, but is not stocked in many pharmacies due to lobbying efforts by anti-abortion groups. Plan B is a contraceptive. It is not the abortion pill:

There is considerable public confusion about the difference between emergency contraception and medical abortion because of misinformation disseminated by anti-choice groups. Emergency contraception helps prevent pregnancy; medical abortion terminates pregnancy.

Let your pharmacy know that you will expect them to stock this safe and proven product for over the counter sales as soon as it becomes legal to do so.

Emergency contraception has been available for more than 25 years and could prevent 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions each year in the U.S. It is a safe and effective method of contraception, and women who have used it report high levels of satisfaction.

Despite its enormous potential, anti-choice groups oppose the use of emergency contraception. In order to hinder women's access to this important method of contraception, they falsely claim that emergency contraception is an abortifacient, and they disseminate other misinformation about its safety and efficacy.

Fortunately, public awareness and availability of emergency contraception has increased, and hopefully more women will benefit from this important backup birth control method in the future.

Emergency Contraception Is Not Just a "Morning-After Pill"

Emergency contraception, also called postcoital contraception, can prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. Emergency contraception is provided in two ways: using hormonal contraceptive pills or inserting a copper-releasing IUD (intrauterine device).

* Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) contain hormones that reduce the risk of pregnancy when started within 120 hours (five days) of unprotected intercourse. The treatment is more effective the sooner it begins (Ellertson, et al., 2003; "FDA Approves…", 1999; Rodrigues, et al., 2001; Van Look & Stewart, 1998). (Because ECPs have a five-day window of effectiveness, the popular term "morning-after pill" is misleading.)

* An IUD can be inserted to prevent pregnancy up to five days after unprotected intercourse (Van Look & Stewart, 1998).

Widespread Use and Availability of Emergency Contraception Could Prevent More than Half of All Unintended Pregnancies and Abortions in the U.S.

Forty-two million, or seven in 10 women of reproductive age, are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant. Nearly half of America's 6.3 million annual pregnancies are accidental. Unintended pregnancies result in 1.4 million abortions annually, as well as 1.2 million births that women either did not want to have until later or did not want at all (AGI, 2000). Eighty percent of teen pregnancies are unintended, and each year, one in 10 young women aged 15-19 become pregnant; more than half become mothers (AGI, 1999).

Widespread use of emergency contraception could prevent an estimated 1.7 million unintended pregnancies and 800,000 abortions each year (Glasier & Baird, 1998; Van Look & Stewart, 1998).

Today on MorningWood

Today on MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!

Shameless Self-Promotion:

Help me get an afternoon show!

DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.

Today’s MorningWood highlights:

I, Norwood, do hereby pledge to play absolutely no holiday songs on MorningWood during this holiday season. These days. we are inundated with Muzak-ical versions of traditional holiday classics literally everywhere we go. Restaurants blare this noise into our ears during meals, malls crank up the volume to encourage sales, TV commercials try to get cute or all sentimental with their own pro-capitalist carol-based holiday pap. Even WMNF programmers are not immune: whole sets, and sometimes entire shows are dedicated to holiday themed tunes. (That’s fine. In fact, these special sets and shows would be sorely missed if they all stopped happening, but for me, it’s just too much.)

Yeah, I have, in my collection, a good number of quirky, different, edgy, and downright hysterical songs that are appropriate only during this season, and the vast majority have never been heard on WMNF or any other radio station. You’re not gonna hear them on my show either. And I’m not sorry. Just tired of being a captive consumer trapped in a season in which mass consumption has become the highest form of spirituality most people can comprehend. And because the entire season is so tightly intertwined with over-consumption, I refuse to do my part and play the expected holiday music. Consider this a little vacation from what, for many people, is perhaps the most stressful time of the year. Relax. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” will be right back after this short 2 hour MorningWood break.

Iraq Casualty Count:

Saddam deserves whatever he gets, but the war is not over. Oh, and has anyone seen what’s-his-name? You know, the guy that really did attack our country and kill thousands of innocent Americans? The name’s on the tip of my tongue... I’ll get it in a minute...

Playlists

Hour 1 planned playlist

Hour 2 planned playlist

Live playlist

WMNF

WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.

Volunteers, like myself, are the lifeblood of this station. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in volunteering at WMNF, call Gene Moore at 813-238-8001.

Dean doesn't waver

Howard Dean says it better than I did (see below):

"Let me be clear: My position on the war has not changed,'' Dean said in an address to the Pacific Council in Los Angeles.

"The difficulties and tragedies we have faced in Iraq show that the administration launched the war in the wrong way, at the wrong time, with inadequate planning, insufficient help, and at unbelievable cost,'' the former Vermont governor said. "An administration prepared to work with others in true partnership might have been able, if it found no alternative to Saddam's ouster, to then rebuild Iraq with far less cost and risk.''

Edwards and Clark also downplay the significance of Saddam's capture:

Edwards, who supported the Bush-backed congressional war resolution, zeroed in on what he said is a greater threat than any posed by Saddam: the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

"It was great news for the Iraqi people, the world, and the United States that Saddam Hussein was captured. But that alone is no substitute for a comprehensive strategy to deal with the world's most dangerous weapons, no matter how welcome the news,'' Edwards said in a text of his address in Iowa, site of the Jan. 19 caucuses.

Clark, speaking from The Hague where he testified in the U.N. war crimes trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, said Saddam's capture ``doesn't change the challenge we face there. The war is not over.''

He called on Bush to work more closely with U.S. allies, particularly NATO, to fight terrorism. ``Iraq is still in danger of becoming a failed state,'' Clark said in a text of his address. ``A failed state would be a stunning success for al-Qaida.''

Saddam is caught... now what?

First, the end does not justify the means. Second, this is not the end.

Nobody likes Saddam. But we are paying an awfully steep price to get him. And not a WMD in sight. You remember the WMDs, right? Those horrible, powerful, easy to deploy weapons that Saddam was getting ready to use against America? You know, the whole reason we invaded Iraq in the first place?

And what about our old pal Osama? The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda is gaining power, according to recent reports. Despite W’s inferences to the contrary, no evidence has been produced to link Osama and Saddam, so the war on terror has been forgotten about in favor of invading an oil-rich sovereign nation.

So, no, the capture of Saddam does not justify the invasion of Iraq. Iraq was never an imminent threat to this country, and diplomatic measures to verify this fact had by no means been exhausted when W pulled the trigger.

Saddam was captured alone and disoriented at the bottom of a hole. He was not directing attacks against U.S. forces. He was not leading the resistance. That means that the resistance is likely to continue for as long as the U.S. occupies Iraq. This means that W’s Great Baghdad Adventure has not yet reached its concluding chapters.

Unless, of course, we wise up and bring in the UN.

We finally got the bastard. Good. Now let’s go home.

Stick this in Salvation Army's kettles

The Salvation Army is well known for its closed-minded Christian based intolerance. They have refused to help homeless gay and lesbian couples based solely on the couples’ sexual orientation. A recent lawsuit also alleges discrimination against women.

This season, give if you must (though I personally will never stick any real money in one of those kettles), and put one of these in the kettle, with or without a monetary donation. It may not change the Salvation Army’s narrow mind, but it might just make you feel a little better, and if enough people do this, it might even get some attention.

Ed Turanchik's plan to take over the world

Secret deals, conflicts of interest, federal dollars, winks and nods. Many “public-private” scams have been pulled off in Tampa using these tools, and it looks like a big one is about to be shoved down our collective orifi.

Ed Turanchik’s plan to take over the world is striking for its secrecy. Ed says secrecy was important. See, these selfless rich white men needed property, and if the economically challenged natives got word that they were looking, then said natives may have been able to command a fair market price for their land instead of the handful of shiny baubles that most probably received.

Ok, fair enough. I can see where a little secrecy may have been rather necessary for the good of everyone involved (and by everyone, I mean Civitas). Of course, the cat’s outa the bag now regarding this deal, so why not share some of the details?

Maybe Ed is taking a cue from BushCo. W’s handlers have taught us all that it is next to impossible to debate unknown details. “It’s too confusing.” “So many details.” “Trust us!” “HURRY! Must act NOW!”

Ed has been working on these plans for years. Former Mayor Dick Greco was aware of the Civitas plan when he was in office. There is no reason to spring it on an unsuspecting public at the last possible minute during the hectic holiday season. Well, there’s one reason. It leaves no time for the few people who are actually paying attention (in between holiday parties) to figure out what is really going on.

Despite the secrecy, and Ed’s challenge to the media to find the properties that Civitas has been acquiring, the SP Times has found 130 properties that exude a distinct Civitas odor. These parcels may or may not be involved in Ed’s dream plan, but if they are, they weren’t all that difficult to dig up. Some properties apparently sold for “huge sums.”

The land-buying patterns of the trustees closely mirror Turanchik's plans.

The trustees have bought land next to the Central Park housing project for huge sums, and others for a pittance. All of the 130 properties linked to the trustees and identified by the Times are located in the area Turanchik has said he's targeting.

His group may have options to buy other properties, and deals may be pending. He also has the right to buy scores of city-owned property, which have been set aside by the mayor for him.
......

Turanchik has been adamant about secrecy, creating at least 15 companies and trust agreements to shield his activities. He has said he may not even share his list of properties with the housing authority, even though he proposes a land swap with the agency.

Mindful of Florida's public record laws, Turanchik has said he might let officials look at the list - but not take a copy with them. If officials wanted to see the properties, Turanchik said, he would drive to the sites with them.

In an editorial board meeting at the Times last week, Turanchik challenged reporters to track down the properties.

You won't find them, he said.

Which properties sold for more than market value? Why did these properties command a premium? Were some sellers already in the know? Were property owners with paler skin tones and/or the right last names favored with premium offers? We don’t know. Ed says it’s a secret.

What’s up with the city properties that are “on hold” for these guys? Do they already have deals cut? Are the prices fair to the taxpayer? Or is this another hidden taxpayer funded subsidy for Ed and the boys?

Are you tired of reading questions yet? So am I. Let’s get back to the meat.

A big part of the Civitas plan is to partner with the Tampa Housing Authority to apply for a Hope VI grant from the feds. (More public money, despite Ed’s claim that no public funds would be sought) At least 3 Tampa Housing Authority board members have troubling conflicts, including board chairman Robert Shimberg, whose Uncle “Hinks” sits on the Civitas executive board.

Private developers want the Tampa Housing Authority to vote for a partnership with them today, but three of the agency's seven board members face questions about apparent conflicts of interest.

Sybil Kay Andrews Wells, whose situation was publicized first, is not the only member with personal ties to another board that could benefit from a ``yes'' vote. Hazel Harvey and board Chairman Robert Shimberg have connections, too.

Gerald White said Thursday he was ``shocked'' to learn three of his board colleagues could have conflicts.

``That's unprecedented for government,'' White said. ``It's up to the members ... to declare a conflict so they conduct themselves appropriately on public business.''

The connections should be discussed immediately at today's board meeting, White said. But he added: ``I believe we can deal with the issues of conflict and set it aside. ... All of these people are credible people. I'm sure they'll do the right thing.''

Hmmm... board member Gerald White is “shocked” BUT he thinks that ``All of these people are credible people. I'm sure they'll do the right thing.'' Did none of these people even hear a glimmer of this plan before last week, and think of doing the right thing then? The Chairman of the Tampa Housing Authority board has an uncle “Hinks” (I’m not making that up) who sits on the board of Civitas, and little Robert never had a clue as to what his uncle was up to? Bullshit. These people have been hearing about this deal for months, yet they expect the public to buy the story that the Tampa Housing Authority is just as surprised as everyone else.

Late update: I had planned to finish and post this monstrous piece by Friday morning. Then Friday happened. It’s now late Friday night / Saturday morning, and tbo.com has an update on the conflicts of interest:

Three of the Tampa Housing Authority's seven board members said Friday they would abstain from voting on a partnership with private developers because they have ties to others who could benefit from the deal.

Board Chairman Robert Shimberg and member Hazel Harvey said they had nothing to gain personally by approving the proposal but would recuse themselves anyway so the public doesn't get the wrong idea.

Sybil Kay Andrews Wells, who serves on the board of another organization trying to sell property to the developers, said she had planned all along to abstain.

None addressed the relationships publicly until Friday, just before they were expected to vote on the partnership. After they did, their four board colleagues decided to postpone the vote until more details emerge from continuing talks with the developers.

With three abstentions, the board will need only three yes votes instead of four to approve the partnership.

``I know we need at least a 48-hour cooling-off period,'' said board member Gerald White. ``I can't read and analyze all these documents sitting up here this morning.''

The documents involve Civitas, the redevelopment firm led by former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik. Civitas needs the housing agency's help to turn 157 acres between downtown and Ybor City into a ``gateway'' neighborhood.

Turanchik has said the plan won't work without some control of the housing agency's 28-acre Central Park Village complex. After the agency wasn't receptive to selling the complex, Civitas proposed Monday that both sides swap some land and together seek a $20 million federal grant to demolish and replace it.

Wells is on the board of the Lily White Security Benefit Association, which co-owns Tampa Park Apartments, a nearby complex Civitas has a contract to buy. Turanchik has said Civitas needs both properties for its plan to work.

Harvey's brother-in-law, Perry Harvey Jr., is president of the International Longshoremen's Association, the other co-owner of Tampa Park Apartments.

Shimberg's uncle, Mandell ``Hinks'' Shimberg, and cousin, Scott Shimberg, are board members of Civitas.

Rick Gilmore, the housing authority attorney, said Shimberg's and Harvey's relatives are not close enough kin to cause a conflict under state law. Wells' father is the head of Lily White, but because it's a nonprofit organization, Gilmore said, it shouldn't result in personal gain and therefore isn't a conflict.

Bullshit. An Uncle may not be close enough to count under State law, but I seriously doubt that little Robert would cross Uncle “Hinks”. Also, Well’s father will absolutely benefit personally if his non-profit benefits. Wells non-profit will be able to increase his salary, as well as the salary of his son. Wells, as head of his non-profit will benefit from the non-profit’s extra economic clout. The notion that he will not profit personally from this deal is laughable.

HOPE VI money was last used ‘round these parts for the razing and rebuilding of the College Hill and Ponce De Leon projects in East Tampa. The plan was to raze the ghetto and rebuild with mixed income housing. Residents were moved out and told they could move back to their neighborhood after demolition and construction. Sound familiar?

It sounds like a blueprint for the current Civitas plan. Only the Civitas plan is much bigger. 75% of former Ponce De Leon and College Hill residents have not been able to come back to their old neighborhood. They have been displaced. Ed and Civitas plan to displace 2,500 people. Using College Hill and Ponce De Leon as our guide, that translates to permanent removal of 1,875 people from the neighborhoods where many of them were born and raised.

Let’s Summarize:

Shhhhhhh!

HURRY!

Ed and his Civitas partners loudly proclaim “no public funds”.

Civitas proposes a “partnership” with Housing Authority that will give Civitas control or ownership of large public assets as well as millions in federal funds.

The Tampa Housing Authority has at least 3 board members who have conflicts of interest.

Conflicted members abstain. Oh, and I’m sure they wont be leaning on the other board members to vote in their favor, ‘cause they, like, you know, wont benefit personally, or at least not as much as some of their close relatives.

Lots of “Gee whizzing” and befuddled head-scratching wonderment at the marvels of modern development follow as the rest of the 7 member board goes along with whatever the insiders tell them to do? (Ed. note: while this event has not actually happened yet, no one is going to be surprised when it does.)

Oh yeah... more public money: tax breaks, city sponsored streetscapes and lotsa other publicly financed goodies are all in the plan.

Let’s find out more... let’s see... Google “Civitas Tampa”. Hmmm... no Civitas web site? Even small companies have web pages these days because this whole Internet thing is the wave of the future, you know? Why, the web is the perfect way to disseminate info... unless you want as little info as possible reaching actual people. In fact, the actual written plan can be found nowhere. To my knowledge, it has not been printed in a newspaper and is not available online. Someone send me a link and tell me I’m wrong! (No, really: I’d like to read that damn plan.)

Something stinks.

So far, I’ve seen lots of pomp and circumstance, many vague promises, and absolutely no concrete details. What are the real goals of this project? No one except the insiders can say, but I’m willing to make a few wild guesses:

(1) Take federal dollars meant for the poor.
(2) Move the poor away from downtown (DISplace residents).
(3) Make money for people who already have gads of it.

Looks like a boondoggle in the making, designed to steal public funds from people who really need help and funnel the money to an elite group of Tampa insiders and their lackeys. In other words, business as usual.

Tribune: "Uh, maybe Civitas is asking for public $ after all?"

The Tribune, having fawned all over the Ed Turanchik plan to take over the world, have finally gotten around to reading some of the fine print involved in this proposal:

* Civitas wants to team with the Tampa Housing Authority to land a $20 million federal grant to help replace the Central Park Village public housing complex with mixed-income housing.

* Civitas proposes using some of the estimated $14 million in property taxes to be generated in its target area for affordable housing as well as infrastructure improvements, including parking garages and drainage systems.

* Civitas wants to reconfigure city streets, including Nick Nuccio Parkway, to create tree- shaded boulevards.

* Civitas seeks about 100 city-owned properties and ``may require'' help in condemning other land for acquisition.

Turanchik has said he won't ask for other city tax money, but Tampa officials continue to comb through the proposal looking for the bottom-line cost to taxpayers.

``I cannot expect that a development of this gigantic size will not ask for some kind of financial commitment from the city,'' City Councilwoman Rose Ferlita said.

Expect a lot more to be added to the public contribution bottom line before all is said and done. Nothing this big ever even gets considered around here unless the principals are not only protected against loss but guaranteed a fat Haliburton-like profit.

Sheriff corrects Deputy's lies

Despite the Tribune’s sloppy reporting on this issue, BlogWood readers have been well informed on the misleading testimony by a Sheriffs Deputy that led to commissioner Jan Platt’s decision to re-think the long overdue relaxation of our county blue laws.

Again: Jan Platt heard testimony from a uniformed officer that she assumed to be factual. The officer appears to have intentionally blurred the fact that he was representing MADD and not the Sheriffs Office. He testified in uniform and presented numbers that he said showed an increase in DUI activity. He lied.

Ms. Platt heard these lies and acted on what she thought were the facts when she agreed to consider rescinding the County’s recent decision to roll back Sunday liquor sales to 11AM. Now, the Sheriff himself has testified before the commission. He has clarified the testimony of his Deputy by presenting actual statistics that are not so scary as the made up ones.

Now Ms. Platt has changed her mind. Faced with real facts, it is obvious that we don’t need to go back to 1PM Sunday sales. The Tribune, which either dropped the ball on this story in the first place, or intentionally misled it’s readers, is spinning Platt’s decision as a flip-flop. The headline reads “Platt Folds...” and the piece starts off like this: “ Appearing on unusually shaky political legs, Commissioner Jan Platt flip- flopped on Hillsborough County's blue laws again Tuesday.”

Hmmm... I’m not sure I would call a change of heart based on misleading testimony a flip-flop. I’d say that the Tribune is attempting to distract us from the fact that they got this story wrong from the beginning.

Anyway, here’s a more neutral story from the SP Times:

Residents in unincorporated Hillsborough County will still be able to buy a drink before noon on Sundays now that the sheriff has put one commissioner's mind at ease about it.

Hillsborough commissioners had voted 4-3 to relax its so-called blue law in August, following the lead of the cities of St. Petersburg and Tampa. The change pushed back the time at which bars and stores could sell alcohol on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 11 a.m.

But commissioner Jan Platt got cold feet about the change last month when Sgt. Steven Wallace of the Sheriff's Office appeared before the board. Wallace presented commissioners with statistics showing a 21 percent increase in alcohol-related deaths in the county from 2000-2002, asking commissioners why they would want to do something that could make it worse.

Faced with those statistics, Platt flopped, tipping the majority of the board against the blue-law rollback.

However, as Wallace mentioned last month, he wasn't representing his boss, Sheriff Cal Henderson, but rather groups that fight drunken driving and alcohol abuse. Henderson spoke to the board Tuesday and said he had no problem with earlier alcohol sales.

Henderson showed that driving under the influence arrests are actually down this year compared to last. He later acknowledged that those numbers might not reflect how many people are driving drunk. But he said the problem with drunken driving is worse at night and in the early morning hours.

In fact, his deputies have made only two DUI arrests from the hours 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. since the law was changed Aug. 3, the same number for the same period last year. In the past 101/2 months, there have been eight DUI arrests during those hours.

"I just think thos