Thinking Right

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 08:19 AM | Link to this

Too many fat cat crooks hide out in gated communities, lets bull doze them all and make the land into a public park for all to enjoy, expecially those of us who choose to bicycle rather than drive. The Peoples Park Group appreciates your donation of your house and land to this noble effort, and a special gold star will be put on your family folder to indicate your cooperation.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 08:20 AM | Link to this

Since Federal Programs offer tax deductions for homes in these gated communities, it is only fitting and proper that the homes and land become public property, at no further cost to the pubic.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 08:24 AM | Link to this

Since so many drug lords live in gated communities, in the interest of public safety, all such communities and now considered crime scenes. All people found within 100 feet of a gated community will be arrested as “material witnesses” and incarcerated in the Fulton County Jail until futher notice, or they die of old age, which ever comes first.

By Mid-South Philosopher

February 15, 2007 08:32 AM | Link to this

Good morning, Jim,

The public housing issue is an area wherein you and I agree fully. Destruction of the cycle of dependency is mandatory to providing a successful solution to the problem. Indeed, the Hope VI philosophy should be extended to other federal and state programs as well.

Since I am pontificating, I listened to Georgie Bush’s performance at the news conference yesterday. Sadly, I came away from that experience with the the words of Henryy Wadsworth Longfellow echoing through my mind:

“Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad.”

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 08:40 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. I still have a difficulty finding a Federal problem in local housing. I know many have made much money supplying the housing on the public dollar, but I oppose corporate welfare, so that is insufficient to justify continuing the programs. Philosophically I align with those profiled @ http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110009670.

I thus disagree with Jim, a rare event; when my band of libertarians take over, we may ask Renee Glover to preside over shuttering the agency.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 08:40 AM | Link to this

Who is georgie mad at now? Surely not the peaceful Iranians, who have not made aggressive war in over 1500 years? Compare that with Israel, which launched a sneak air attack on Egypt, Jordon, and Syria in 1967, and then proceeded to invade and steal Arab land following that sneak attack. Bad Israel, Bad!

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 15, 2007 08:47 AM | Link to this

Hi Jim,

Nice op/ed on Norwood. I wasn’t a big fan and wouldn’t take a shot at him at this particular point, but I’d love to hear your explanation of why his joint legislation with Dingell isn’t another “big government” stifiling the free market.

To me, his efforts and subsequent slap down by the GOP are a perfect example of why Republicans can’t write legislation for people because they’re so busy writing legislation for business.

Anywho, today’s blog is a real yawner. I realize you’ve got a duty to cover local politics, but I’m sure there’s something more interesting going on.

Oh, and there’s also the war, the Libby trial, the other CIA fraud case and a host of other solid stuff for you to spin, so don’t forget about those.

By KP

February 15, 2007 08:56 AM | Link to this

Please, please, please, keep Henry county off the list of placement counties! Oh yeah, Jim, add Gwinnett to that list of counties to take AHA residents. My firm and James’ firm has been working on site plans and structural plans for quite a few of these razed sites. Prepare for an explosion of mixed-use developments.

By Brian Curtis

February 15, 2007 08:56 AM | Link to this

Boy, it’s a good thing the need for public housing has gone away and everyone can now afford $200,000 McMansions!

I was afraid poverty was going to continue, but now that we’re getting rid of affordable housing, that should take care of the problem.

By Redneck Convert

February 15, 2007 09:07 AM | Link to this

All this new stuff on the projects has done is bring Those People up my way. While before we could put them in the projects and be away from them. I stepped out of my trailer this a.m. and what do I see but a guy black as the ace of spades stepping out of his. I locked the door before I got in the beer truck and warned the missus that one of Those People was around. We all know that what they want is our women.

I always hated having my tax money go to paying for housing Those People in the projects. Now I hate even more worser having my tax money go to moving them up my way.

I say get rid of paying for housing Those People. Let them go back to their shacks. Its bad enough when we have the Do-Gooders building houses for them for free. Now we have the guvmint paying them to move to where good White people live.

I’m a Libraritarian like jbmlaw. I say get the guvmint out of paying for housing Those People. My stand is based on principals, not race. Let Those People live any place they want, long as its not in my area.

By stephendecatur

February 15, 2007 09:16 AM | Link to this

OK, this sounds great, so when is the City of Decatur Housing Authority going to wake up, smell the coffee and do the same thing in Decatur!!!! The people living in Swanton Heights and Allen Wilson Terrace deserve better than the ghetto existence that DHA forces on them. They say that they are being “compassionate” and ensuring “diversity,” when all they are really doing is conveniently warehousing the poor so that we all know where they are and can avoid them. All you have to know in Decatur to know someone’s income level is their address.

Everyone is safe so long as we keep the poor all in one neat little place next to the police dept. Racism at its best!

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 09:19 AM | Link to this

Come the revolution, ah plan to staff my plantation with white semi-slaves who hold MBA’s. I will hire African Americans at good salaries to make sure those lazy mba’s are working their required 14 hour day, seven days per week. Since ah don’t want to be burdened with the family members of my semi-slaves, I will not provide housing for any of them. They can live off the local highway leading to my plantaion. Food will be provided after four hours of hard work per day, to be consumed on site. Now the question is ‘what to do about all the non productive lawyers who are now unemployed?’ Am’m leaning toward doing nothing to or for them, as they will most likely die out in a few years, with nothing to steal from others. Since I am a law abiding citizen, I will value the meals provided to my semi-slaves at exactly what they would have earned at minimum wage for 14 hours work per day. If they want to feed their families located on the public right away off my plantation, ah suggest they learn to regurgitate their food! ha ha ha

By Ms. Writer

February 15, 2007 09:38 AM | Link to this

I hate to say it but please do not warehouse to Douglas County either! People use their Section 8 vouchers to move into nice neighborhoods which is absurd. If someone can not afford a house, they should not be living in one. My friends neighborhood has homes between $180,000-$250,000 that Section 8 receipients have moved into. They have sheets on their windows and toys and trash in the yard. You can also see the difference in Clayton County since Glover has torn down the inner city projects. Have subsidized housing that people (not the disabled and elderly) have to pay for. Able bodied adults need to be responsible for the children that they breed and the housing for those children.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 09:51 AM | Link to this

Plow boy MBA degree now being offered UGA cow college in athens. Pull that plow, boy!

By Alecia

February 15, 2007 09:53 AM | Link to this

The projects are coming to a middle-uppermiddle class neighborhood near you (perhaps your neighborhhod) The government will give these people section 8 vouchers which in Gwinnett (excuse me if the # has gone up) is good for up to $1600.00 a month in rent. Last time I had to find a tenant in Gwinnett was in 2004. Some landlords like this, because it is guaranteed money. I personally don’t want to deal with this category of people. There has to be a reason why they can not make it on their own (mental problems,drugs, or lazziness) Most of my rental properties are out of state. I know people that have tried to rent their properties out to section 8, and refuse to ever do it again. Anyway these people from the projects are able to move into any rental property that will accept the vouchers. This program reduces us all to one level. So much for the American dream of working your way up to a nice house. It is not fair for a person to work hard to afford a nice house in a nice neighborhood with good schools, pay a mortgage on a $250k house, and wake up one morning in the middle of the projects and find out that more than half of the students are receiving free/reduced lunch. I don’t need to bring out tons of statistics to prove to everyone that this group affects the schools (disruptive in class or other problems) The real treat is knowing that the house you paid 250k is now surrounded by section 8 homes and taxes are coming out of the paycheck you work so hard to earn to fund all of this. I like the old system of large apartment buildings in one part of town. If the people from the projects want the nice house in the burbs they need to go to college and get a job. I would be happy if they would just get of their behinds and got a job! It’s bad enough I am already paying for their free ride.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 09:59 AM | Link to this

Alecia - This program sounds more like a bail out for landlords than a benefit for the poor. Strange, just as real estate prices are collapsing this bailout program for fat cats appears. What will the RE PUKES think of next to help the little guy, maybe a 50,000 dollar transportation subsidy for the poor that can only be used to buy cadalac escalades?

By Curious Observer

February 15, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

I’ve always said that the Republican Party is populated largely by closet racists.

Now look at the comments on this blog.

I rest my case.

By Hoya Destroya

February 15, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this

The irony of the argument expressed by Alecia and others is that it is self-defeating. The argument, boiled down, is that the market should control and “those people” (an always dangerous overgeneralization) should only live where they can afford to live.

What this simplistic argument ignores, however, is that the other “those people” (landlords & developers) are more than happy to take advantage of the tax breaks and incentives offered for granting a percentage of available housing to government-subsidized tenants/residents. Their decision (market-based) to maximize their earning potential is what is driving these mixed developments. Therefore, if you really want to avoid the problem, Alecia, you should earn more money, build yourself a nice, gated house or move to a farm where “those people” can’t bother you.

Public housing was, of course, started post World War II for mainly white middle class families. It amazes me how many of us whose parents or grandparents benefited directly from direct government activist funding (anyone else’s dad or granddad work for the TVA or another New Deal program?), yet complain about such programs today.

The East Lake model is a successful one and should be copied. I have no problem living next to a government-subsidized tenant; I prefer to simply consider him a neighbor. If I have a problem with his occasional dog off the leash or trash on the lawn, I do what I do with my UNSUBSIDIZED neighbor, I TALK to him.

By Bull Doze Gated Communities

February 15, 2007 10:19 AM | Link to this

We should abolish the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as it does neither function properly. HUD is just a program for stealing public money while claiming to help the poor.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this

@ curious peeping tom

your pathetic patronising bollocks yesterday was highly amusing and as ever wholly irrelevant/disinegenous etc. you UTTERLY ignore the endemic mexican type refusal to purchase/keep current car insurance. I saw a story on the hideously pandering wsb tv the other weekend. a young white metro atlanta chap was severely injured in a car crash that was the fault of an illegal alien mexican type. the illegal had bought car insurance to get his number plate and then cancelled it. the white american chap lost a leg, because his insurance only covered part of his medical bills and certainly not loss of earnings etc. and he cannot sue the mexican type {or his NON-EXISTENT insurance company} who is in jail charged with various felonies. so the illegal gets SOME jail time but pays nothing in compensation for COMPLETELY ruining a life and a family. if this greasy illegal scumbag wasn’t actually here none of this would have happened and this decent young american with a family would still be able bodied, able to work and provide for his young family. the tv story said that a GOP GA lawmaker was looking at ways to stop this kind of outrage.

your pathetic legal nicety post yesterday has fook all relevance in the real world where these illegal leeches pull this kind of crap on the roads day after day after day. YOUR disgusting liberal pandering DISHONESTY IS FREAKING HILARIOUS bubbaturd!!

illegals invariably utterly ignore officialdom here, usually very little if anything is done to them when they deliberately and systematically break such traffic laws unless somehting very serious, like a fatality occurs. but in another sickening development now the usa has to allow hundreds of illegal mexican pooftahs to stay because of a pathetic laughable case up in NYC!!

@getyourlegoveratraintrack

there is a huge difference between racism and bigotry. osama obama for 20 years goes to a bigoted black church and you cant even admit that!!

HILARIOUSLY YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS TOO PIG IGNORANT TO EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE between bigotry and racism. congenital morons like you also probably obtusely confuse/blur agnosticism and atheism.

most illegal mexican types evince some kind of bigotry in their daily ILLEGAL lives in the US… the racist radio station ‘la raza’ eptimomises this perfectly … imagine if whites had a popular successful commercial radio station/network named ‘the race’ … liberal scum like you would be screeching endlessly about it …

again I hilariously note you completely ignore ALL the factual points I made about illegals … dishonest leftist feckwipes like you are a joke … a very sick joke … you simply cant debate honestly!!

try looking at a proper defintion, like the Oxford Dictionary definitions bollockbrain - lazily quoting some third world liberal s** from leftist politically correct garbage like encarta is absolutely pathetic.

By Ms. Writer

February 15, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this

Ok Hoya Destroya you keep your idealistic “Honey lets just go have a talk with them” attitude…are you serious? Your house would be broken into the next day.

By SharonH

February 15, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this

Alecia is right. I heard that the SugarLoaf madams were there on section 8.

By Jim Wooten

February 15, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this

To Jim’s etc. at 8:47 a.m.: It is somewhat confusing, I know, but unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the entire editorial board and not necessarily the individual writer. When Norwood-Dingell passed initially, I personally opposed it. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that new regulations prompted by the legislation would increase premiums to employers by 4.8 percent at a time when employers’ tabs for medical care were increasing by 8 to 15 percent. In writing for the board, I expressed the opinion of the majority.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

I’ve always said that the Republican Party is populated largely by closet racists

this sick turdbrained leftist nutter curious peeping tom is just hurling more empty witless abuse at conservatives who consistently outwit it on here.

poor wittle diddums peeping tom …

FUNNY HOW THE twisted LEFTIST AFTERBIRTH ON HERE never whine about leftist hate and bile that several leftist pukes have already puked up again this morning … such snivelling LIBERAL hypocrisy is wonderfully entertaining though!!

By Curious Observer

February 15, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

TFTT @10:28m

Your semi-literate screed bears a marked resemblance to something Redneck Convert would contribute. Have you taken your medication today, and are you in fact Redneck Convert?

By stephendecatur

February 15, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

Well, at least here in Decatur we warehouse our poor so that we can keep our eye on them.

DHA needs to disband! It is a travesty what we do the poor here.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this

@ PEEPING TOM

HA HA HA HA HA … like I said your puerile empty legalistic bollocks was utterly pathetic and you can’t even defend it!! you sad little leftist sewer rat!!

By Lily Toad

February 15, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this

Alecia, you know your post is just like Redneck’s except for better grammar, don’t you?

By Todd

February 15, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

Reminds me of Field of Dreams—only in this case: “If you build it, they will come.”

If there is no subsidized public housing, they will find it elsewhere. Trust me. Why do you think thugs and other social welfare recipients flock to the city? Because that is where the benefits and services are readily available. Do they have it in the country? Of course. But it is not as congested.

I live in Savannah and what does the city decide to do downtown—the mecca of tourism in Savannah? Build projects; all so they can go home with wonderful stories of bums and crime in Savannah.

It is like forcing any college student getting student loans or grants to go to certain public schools. We don’t do that; so let’s not do that with public housing. Give grants or vouchers as they can call them and let these people DISPERSE away from one another so they do not congest they city with crime and trash it.

By Lily Toad

February 15, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this

Hoya,

How do you know which of your neighbors are subsidized and which aren’t?

By Uh oh, no scatalogicial humor today folks

February 15, 2007 11:12 AM | Link to this

maybe over on lukovich’s blog, but not on BIG Jim’s.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this

time for the douche,

You’re really trying to diffentiate the terms “racist” and “bigot”? I give you evidence from Encarta and you dismiss it as leftist propaganda?? Are you freaking serious?? LMFAO!!!

Your’re really something to behold! My god!

And who gives a damn that there’s a radio station called La Raza. Sabes que la escucho de vez en cuando? Y escucho la otra VIVA 105.7 a veces tambien! It’s a station for the Hispanic community that addresses issues and entertainment pertinent to Hispanic culture! Does it really subject you to second-class citizenship? Does it really insult you? If so, you need to get a freaking life! If you want to create a station for “white” culture then go ahead, but I would really be intrigued to see what exactly your interpretation of “white” culture would be. Is there even such a thing? I mean there’s Italian culture, English culture, Irish culture, but “white” culture?

Your factual points are hardly factual at all and really resemble utter crap…or “rubbish” as you say.

But I’ll give you a chance to shine in front of your liberal betters…please enlighten us on the difference between “racism” and “bigotry”?

By Minor Correction

February 15, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

Sadly, I came away from that experience with the the words of Henryy Wadsworth Longfellow echoing through my mind

That was actually Euripides.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this

The greatest living politician on the planet is finally being honoured with a statue in the Members Lobby at the Palace of Westminster. This gutsy visionary lady led the way for much of the rest of the world with her astute economic and social reforms and political nous. Her gritty, pragmatic leadership, for more than a glorious decade will likely never ever be equalled.

The ‘Churchill’ of my generation. The free world owes Baroness Thatcher a huge debt of gratitude that even surpasses that owed to Sir Ronald Reagan (PBUH).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?inarticleid=436287&inpageid=1770&inasource=

By jm

February 15, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this

Todd@11:07 - reminds me of the old stories about politicians in rural areas bragging that they did not have a problem with homeless people. Of course, what they were not mentioning was that the local police chiefs were quietly taking them out of the area and dumping them inside the city limits, “not our problem now”.

By jeff

February 15, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this

hey Truth………What kinda drugs you on ?

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

The free world owes Baroness Thatcher a huge debt of gratitude that even surpasses that owed to Sir Ronald Reagan (PBUH).

Yeah, it’s great that she violent suppressed those coal miners. And let’s not forget her even worthier feat of pulling England from European competition after some of England’s finest citizens massacred dozens of Italians at Heysel.

By Van

February 15, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

This resent move to remove the “projects” and disperse the residence reminds me of all the eminent domain cases of recent years.

Is the City of Atlanta trying to remove the “projects” and replace them with tax enriching planned communities like Atlanta Station?

Where is the lefties compassion?

By Kay

February 15, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

Gwinnett County has enough of the welfare and illegals. We dont need anymore. Crime has trippled since Gwinett County formed their bus line and connected with Marta. Crime is all that accomplished. We dont need more of it.

And I will tell you something else. These people that are getting the vouchers need to be working someplace to pay for them. Put them to work on the side of the road, cleaning up trash, doing lawn work. Make them work, no more free rides. This also goes for welfare. Make them work.

By Dennis

February 15, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this

Jim Wooten wrote; “Three-quarters of a century ago, when poor people lived in shantytown neighborhoods and lacked the job and education opportunities to get themselves out, project housing was a life-saver.”

And now, he want’s’em out.

If times are all that much better, then these people would be out of the projects. But you “business people” [elite] decided to send America’s industry to other countries and further line your own financial pockets instead of being patriotic and providing jobs for these Americans here at home.

In short, Mr. Jim, you’ve only created a further need for public housing.

“Over time, though, public housing became a generational affliction — children born there stayed to become mothers and grandmothers — a place that anchored [females]for the men to drop in and out of their lives.”

This is a typical neocon, redneck, male chauvinist statement if I’ve ever heard one.

“Some of the tenant leaders, meanwhile, became political powerhouses for their ability to deliver the vote. Bad scene.”

“Bad scene”, “bad scene”? I donno about that; I think Rep John Lewis has been a damned good vote.

“The federal program offers vouchers to tenants to rent the housing they want elsewhere, in Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb. Or they may be readmitted, paying reduced taxpayer-subsidized rent…”

Now, wait a minute; “…paying reduced taxpayer-subsidized rent.”

As I’ve read today’s comments, some how this has slipped past the usual howling neocons - “spending somebody else’s money.” Sounds LIBERAL to me.

“HOPE VI is one of the federal poverty programs that works. It breaks up the generational cycle of the massed poor, while giving them options and rewarding those who stay for choosing to live responsible lives.”

Let’s have a HOPE VII and bring their jobs back to America.

“When my band of right-wingers take over, Renee Glover is a top candidate to the the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Mr, Jim, your band of right-wingers are what’s wrong with this country.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Holy Cow I Agree With Jim

February 15, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this

I have to admit I agree with Jim, but more so with Alecia. For 3 years we had the pleasure of living across the street from a Section 8 home in our neighborhood. Keep in mind we bought our house 7 years ago while the neighborood was still under construction. For the 1st 2 years everyone owned their own home and the neighborhood was great. Then came the renters 20% of which were section 8. We hardly ever saw the same people twice in that house. You would see the same cars, but not the same people - strange. We finally decided to sell our house while we could and move. Luckily over the last few years I’ve had several promotions and pay increases so we were able to afford to buy a home in a neighborhood closer to town where the prices are so high, it wouldn’t benefit anyone to rent their home let alone rent to section 8. The sad thing is we really liked our old neighborhood, and could afford to save a ton of money every year which will now go to the mortgage. We checked with some of our old neighbors that are trying to sell their homes now, and they keep getting the same story. Tje buyers love house, they love how well kept the property is, but they just don’t like the way the neighborhood looks. Go figure!

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this

Specials for our perpetually-bored friend JaCP @ 8:47, (1) Quote of the Day from a WSJ editorial:

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha expect men and women to keep dying for something they say is a mistake but also don’t have the political courage to help end… … “History is likely to remember the roll as well. A newly confirmed commander is about to lead 20,000 American soldiers on a dangerous and difficult mission to secure Baghdad, risking their lives for their country. And the message their elected Representatives will send them off to battle with is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.”

(2) Armitage said (to Woodward that), “Joe Wilson told Everyone About Plame.” http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/hear-armitage-tell-woodward-about-valerie-plame

Dear Getoveryourself @ 11:16, I’ll field that one. Racism is the act of using skin color to attribute characteristics other than skin color. Bigotry is attribution of negative characteristics to a collective without rational basis. The distinction between the two is that racism can be positive – Black folks play basketball better than white folks – or negative, and either true or false. Bigotry is always negative, and generally false, and may be unrelated entirely to skin color, e.g., You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

Dear TFTT @11:32, I’ll second that motion. But for the Iron Lady, the Communists would yet flourish; she, along with Ronaldus Maximus and JPII, deserves all credit for the vision and will to defeat the greatest evil mankind ever faced. Specials for our friend TFTT: (a) Under-reported: the Salt Lake mass murderer was another Muslim. http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/yes-the-salt-laker-shooter-was-a-bosnian-muslim

(b) Chairman Ann comically parses Osama Obama’s candidacy declaration: http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/welcome.cgi

By Kim

February 15, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this

Just as a reminder/bit of information: Many people who currently live in public housing are there because they simply can not afford to live anywhere else. Many DO NOT plan to live there for generations, and it does serve its purpose as a transitional place for many people. PLEASE remember this. Yes, there are criminals, drug dealers and minorities in public housing, but there are also single-mothers, college students and widows/widowers.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this

tw@atface

answer my FACTUAL specific yesterday and today points about illegals and osama obama’s bigoted church … then I’ll happily explain to you the difference between bigotry and racism. encarta is just more leftist liberal drivel, perpetrated by leftist academics … the fact that there is a “black encarta” says it all, when there’s a white encarta and a brown encarta and a yellow encarta, then I’ll have some regard for encarta …

again I hilariously note your abject dishonesty

and I was ACTUALLY dealing with the real definitions/usage of these terms/words …

my point, (and your dishonest points) about the racist mexican type radio station is that it’s name perfectly exemplifies their arrogant/bigoted/racist refusal to integrate, to learn the language, their (general) stand against the rest of america which overall does NOT have such a similar entrenched antipathy to the melting pot. speaking a foreign language privately at home is one thing. they want the benefits of living here but many make little effort to engage with the rest of us. they care little about the us … they just want the economic benefits of being here, as well as the welfare leeching etc … otherwise they would ALL have car insurance, not abuse housing and social services/welfare, learn to speak english and all the rest of it …

gutless leftists like you ALWAYS slither away from addressing awkward points. well over 30% of all prisoners in the US are illegal mexican types .. the list of their criminal outrages is endless!!

By Disgusted

February 15, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this

Our little subdivision has been invaded by Section 8 renters, and O the difference!

On both sides of my house are the renters. Now, cars come and go all night. At times, cars are parked in front of my mailbox, blocking USPS access. The lawns are no longer mowed, and various forms of trash litter them.

When I bought my house, then under construction, in 1980, every homeowner took great pride in maintaining his property. Neighbors were considerate of neighbors. The subdivision was already integrated, with several black homeowners also punctiliously maintaining their property and making little improvements.

I am about to retire and move in about a year. What kind of attraction will the house have to would-be buyers, given the obvious state of neglect of the rented houses in the neighborhood? And my taxes are going to this?

By Peri

February 15, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this

Studies prove that moving people from public housing into houses doesn’t really change or improve their lifestyle. This concerns me greatly. Where are these people going to move to?

I am a homeowner and don’t want to see my neighborhood and schools damaged by what this effort really is — GENTRIFICATION. Let’s just call it what it is.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this

Yeah, it’s great that she violent suppressed those coal miners. And let’s not forget her even worthier feat of pulling England from European competition after some of England’s finest citizens massacred dozens of Italians at Heysel

tw@atface

the miners perpetrated a wholly illegal strike, including illegal mass violent picketing and vicious intimidation of others miners who wished to work. thus the regional split in the marxist (no joke here) run NUM into the UDM (in Notts especially). The UK police became the meat in the sandwich, upholding the peace and stopping thuggish miners from killing (that mini cab driver in S Wales among others) and beating in large ganga anyone who disgreed with them. flying pickets were illegal and they deliberately confronted the plod. anyone who opposed the strike had their houses attacked, their families attacked etc … typical mafia like behaviour from leftist unions.

as for Heysel … YOUR PIG IGNORANCE runs rampant YET again. some oily thuggish Italian attacked the Liverpool fans, firing a starting pistol at them, the anfield fans naturally responded angrily and the poorly built stadium had a wall collapse. the local EUrotrash cops stupidly allowed the sale of tickets anywhere in the ground, which went against strict policies of segregating opposing fans. NO MASSACRE (typical leftist lie) of Juve fans .. just a preventable sad tragedy. I was actually in Portugal down on the Algarve watching the game on live TV.

if that’s the best you can throw at Baroness Thatcher you’re one sad fecker!!

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

I addressed your nonfactual point about Obama’s church yesterday! What’s wrong with advocating black self-empowerment? Isn’t that what conservatives preach about anyway…taking responsiblity for your actions and empowering yourself? Does it threaten you?

I also endlessly addressed your comments about illegal immigrants. I hardly believe that 30 percent of the prison population are illegal immigrants. And I really doubt that all illegals are criminals (apart from violating immigration law). The problem of illegal immigration doesn’t stem from the people themselves as you so wrongly believe, but rather that it can be a burden on state and local government services. Especially if the population is a migrant population. The guest worker program proposed by Bush is a step in the right direction in terms of allowing people to seek work here in the US and pay taxes.

So what that there are Spanish radio stations? Do you listen to them? Do you know what they are saying? I do and I’ve never heard them say anything subversive or undermining. In fact, there are a lot of advertisements for English language courses on the air. You have so many damn stations to choose from and yet you harp on the few Spanish stations. Incredible.

The English language isn’t going anywhere so you can rest easily. I know you’re scared and everything, but it will be okay.

I don’t know about being a gutless leftist, but I definitely don’t avoid your “points”. It’s just that your useless and baseless drivel defies all rational thought and therefore is hard to address with any resemblence of intelligent debate.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

jbm

Maggie used to effortlessly eviscerate the lefties, they simply had no answer to her, other than empty, obssesive Bush/Reagan bilious hate. Typical of the leftist media to downplay a murderous mohammedan’s killing spree. only angry white men get a visceral media hammering when they (thankfully only very rarely)go berserk.

jeff

obviously not the same drugs your teachers insisted in force feeding your moronic dumbarse before you left school ‘unlettered’ last year. social promotion’s a real beitch — eh??

By reality check

February 15, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this

While I appreciate some of the comments, most of them are just outright mean and uncalled for. Not all public housing families are “bad” families. My mother and many others used public housing for the purpose it was intended - to be a stepping stone. But, you don’t hear about those former residents because the media is always so intent on portraying black people living in government assisted housing in a negative light. I am not discounted the fact that there are bad seeds in public housing, but the good ones exist also. As for Section 8, a lot of the families end up homeless because AHA allowed them to live as they wished until some big named developer - John Weiland, Tom Cousins, Noel Khalil, etc. - comes along with money. Then, Renee Lewis Glover sees dollar signs and the opportunity to take kickbacks. With no preparation, after she has contributed to the problem by not enforcing the rules, she pushes the family into the “real” world. If she was the great black hope, she would have started the process of changing mindsets when she became CEO, instead of when money was waved in her face. THOSE PEOPLE, as you want to call them, are humans just as we are. They feel just as we do. They want more just as we do. Everyone that is not assisted by government subsidy’s are no angels. Look at the recent increase in meth production. Who’s doing that? But are we calling them those people and be so degrading that it’s disgusting not funny? Let’s be real. The solution concentrated poverty is to deconcentrate, not gentrification. Most of these families’ lives are centered within so many miles of that community - daycare providers, support systems, high schools, grocery stores, etc. The ones that do wrong should be penalized, but Renee Lewis Glover needs to take a deeper look at that population instead of deeming all public housing families detrimental to the public. After all, if the rich white folk didn’t have the poor public housing families to “donate” to or give to charities that support these families, where would the get all of the tax write offs. Let’s be real about this. Stop being so negative. Until you have walked in their shoes, or even stood near them, don’t be so judgemental.

By Jim's a Cherry Picker

February 15, 2007 12:28 PM | Link to this

Hi Again Jim,

This would’ve been a really good topic for today…a couple of Republicans holding a media event to support rasing taxes for socialist infrastructure:

Gridlock solution: Allow counties to band together

By ARIEL HART The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 02/15/07

Politicians and businessmen gathered Wednesday at the state Capitol to announce a bill that they hope will stop metro Atlanta’s traffic from choking the city to death.

House Bill 434 would let adjacent counties band together as a region to propose a special sales tax to their voters to pay for a specific list of transportation projects. The taxes could be either a sales tax up to 1 cent, or a gas tax up to 10 percent.

Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) and a bipartisan group of House members introduced the bill. Metro Atlanta would get special treatment, with the 13 metro counties covered by the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority required to sit down with each other and try to draw up a project list to present to voters. Any county commission could back out with a two-thirds majority vote, though the withdrawal could be overruled if enough voters signed petitions to participate.

Rep. Bob Smith (R-Watkinsville) stood with Martin and the others to support the bill. As an Athens-area resident who works in Atlanta for the legislative session, he said the issue was at critical mass.

“If we don’t do something” about metro Atlanta traffic, he said, “this town is going to dry up. Take it to the bank. In 12, 15 years you will see problems you never dreamed of.”

Statistics may back Smith up. On top of already phenomenal growth, metro Atlanta expects another 2 million residents over the next 25 years. But even as project construction costs are rising, transportation funding is shrinking, with the state facing a $7.7 billion transportation shortage over just the next 6 years.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, facing its own shortage, has told states not to look to Washington for a bailout.

The lawmakers at the Capitol were followed by a parade of business leaders from across the metro area who said traffic was the No. 1 issue businesses faced when deciding whether to relocate to Atlanta. The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has been the primary backer of the measure.

The bill mentions the prospect of everything from roads and buses to trains and tunnels. Even as the supporters spoke, the Capitol was inundated with crowds supporting the “Brain Train,” a proposed commuter rail line from Athens to Atlanta that would link Atlanta’s universities and the University of Georgia, and might eventually connect to other rail lines.

For now, backers of a regional tax are reluctant to discuss specific projects, as they try to get the mechanism in place and not allow the heated rail vs. roads debate to derail the prospect of anything at all.

The bill’s prospects were unclear. The sponsors included prominent Republicans; Martin is vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

The House leadership was noncommittal. Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta) said, “We’re looking at all transportation solutions right now.”

Speaker Glenn Richardson (R - Hiram) said he is keeping an open mind.

Other provisions of the bill may face scrutiny. A citizens’ oversight committee would keep an eye on the projects to make sure voters get what they asked for, but if a project faced unforeseen difficulties and had to be deleted, the committee and the participating counties might be able to replace it with a completely new project without a referendum. Also, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has noted that her city and some counties already have other special tax referendums coming up for renewal.

The sponsors acknowledged that the bill might well change, but they said it was long past time to take the first step.

“This is just the beginning,” Martin said.

By Camille

February 15, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

To the person that commented that crime tripled in Gwinnett county since the bus line was introduced, I’d have to say that is incorrect. Crime was already on the increase even before the bus lines came. I moved to Georgia (Gwinnett county) in October 1999, and have noticed the steady increase in crime since then. The subdivision that I am living in now is a very nice place to live, but there are rental properties not too far from the subdivision where we’ve been having problems in our subdivision from these kids. And, I don’t live anywhere near a bus line. Gwinnett county is definitely changing, that’s for sure, but is definitely not because of the bus lines.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw,

Although I salute your satire of Dennis’s signature line…racism can be positive at times??? Are you serious??? At times we may think we’re being salutory when we make stereotypical comments, but they really end up causing aggrovation and at most times anger.

time for the douche,

I’m not excusing the strikers that employed, but Thathcer was way too harsh on the miners, especially at Orgreave. Also, the economies of many towns were left in shambles afterwards.

As far as the Heysel, I was actually goading you with that comment. The point you made about Heysel was probably the firts factual point that you’ve made in quite a while. Congrats, tory douchebag!

You were in the Algarve during Heysel? That’s hilarious since so many British expats and British-owned buisnesses refuse to learn Portuguese and do everything in English. Wait a second…

By deidreNC

February 15, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this

why dont the landlords of the rented hourse make it part of the lease that the yard etc has to be kept up..or they have to move…arent there laws about olds cars and propery maintenence? also-when there issomuch traffic in and out at all hours-call the cops and tell them you think drugs are being sold there…:)

ive never read a blog page with so many judgemental andracist people..altho i have to say im not sure whether its blacks ormexicans yall are so against-there are also white people who get the rent subsudies-lots of white single moms whos husbands left them with no other choice…get a little empathy going on here…

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

I forgot…you refer to Italians also as oily? Hmmm…just like Mexicans. I get it…anyone with an olive complexion and dark hair is oily. Now is that bigotry or racism?

By getoveryouself

February 15, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

time for the douce,

Correction @ 12:34: I’m not excusing the strikers that employed violence…

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

tw@tface

so where’s your comments on the growing problem with mexican type’s having no car insurance etc? well over 30% of ALL prisoners, including local jails are mexican type illegals. 90% of outstanding murder warrants in LA County are for illegal mexican types!! LA COunty is one of the biggest (illega) populated counties in the US. Lets hope you and many other lefties become a victim of an uninsured mexican type on the road … maybe then you’ll see how bad the problem is!!

perhaps if you actually watched/read objective hard news coverage instead of liberal sh!te you might learn some facts!!

Again … you pathetically avoid the point … the race is a divisive, bigoted name for a radio station. simply lying/emptily asserting I have no points is hardly a debate dickweed!!

it is NOT just black emplowerment, it is a blatant, anti-white attitude in that church. the point is that the party of hate media completely ignores this. and lefties like you excuse it or just ignore it.

again you twist/distort … I never said all illegals were criminals.

go ask the folks in TX and elsewhere how illegals are destroying/swamping the schools and the educations of countless american kids. ask border state folks why mexican ambulances are daily dropping off very ill mexicans at US border town hospitals for enormously expensive treatment… abusing the US hospital treatment laws that wont turn anyone away!! the examples of the abuses and leeching of 15 million illegals are endless. there are over 250,000 illegal child molestors here, many are getting away abuse and running back to mexico.

By Cletus Snow

February 15, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

Public housing has proven to be a disaster since day one,wheather sect 8 or otherwise it has produced multi generations of deadbeats.The neighborhood I live in has a sect 8 house, nice people, but the 15 YO just produced the 4th generation living in that house, all on public assistance,none of them has been employed during the 4 yrs they’ve lived there. Where and how does it end,heres 4 generations that have never been employed,and have no desire to be employed. We also have several Mexican families in the area,most likly illegals but they seem to work hard and have the desire to succeed,and seem happy to fully support themselves and thier families. I’ve found the Mexican children to be happy, well behaved and the most polite children I’ve ever met anyplace. I’ve come to believe that some of our own abuse the systems far more than the illegals.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this

tw@tface

I completely smashed you factually again … and like a good red you PREDICKTABLY bit on the red herring about Italians!! Again ignoring the effortoless exposure of your lies/doltish bollocks.

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 12:51 PM | Link to this

Dear getoveryourself @ 12:34, I realize Andy Young was crushed 15 years ago when he affirmed something like “everyone is racist,” so at risk of running that same gambit, I confirm that racism is frequently positive. In addition to my “basketball players” line, Asians are smarter than anyone else. Black folks can sing better than anyone else. White people swim better than anyone else. None of those lines alienate anyone, indeed, none has a negative aspect to it, and while they are all “opinions” I would suggest they are widely-held opinions. Stereotyping is not inherently evil.

On the other hand, bigotry, as I defined it, is poisonous, and not necessarily race-related. I am grateful you appreciate my jab at Dennis – he is a pretty bright guy (gosh I hope he isn’t black – that’s almost like calling him “articulate”) and I like to swap lines with him.

By KP

February 15, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

Tax dollars at waste in Iraq

“Of the $10 billion in overpriced contracts or undocumented costs, more than $2.7 billion were charged by Halliburton Co., the oil-field services firm once headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.”

“According to the Pentagon auditors, more than one in six dollars they have audited in Iraq is suspect,” Waxman said. “It’s no wonder taxpayers across the country are fed up and demanding real oversight.”

By Cletus Snow

February 15, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this

Yes BULLDOZE it quickly and get rid of sect 8, as long as we support multi generational dead beats poverty will continue to strangle our communities.

By Barbara

February 15, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

TFTT,

STOP WITH THE NAME CALLING!!!

You have lost the arguments simply by adding your filthy ad libs. You need Jesus, and serious prayer. I’ve attended many predominately black churches and have found none of them racist or bigoted as you call them. Teaching self responsibility and a strong faith is far from bigoted to whites.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

You smashed shiite. You didn’t smash a damn thing. As far as the “oily Italian” thing, I didn’t bite but just asked a simple question. Too bad you’re too cowardly to answer it.

I hardly doubt that 90% of those with outstanding murder warrants in LA County are illegal immigrants. Show me data to back it up. And it better not be from the damn Freeper site!

You obviously to dim to understand the significance of the term “La Raza”. Literally it means race, but do you know the true meaning behind the term. Do you know that Mexicans proudly assert their unique culture by recognizing their mestizo lineage of both indigenous and Spanish culture…thus resulting in La Raza. It’s more of an affirmation of ethnicity than our Anglo perception of race. Not to mention that hispanics are of many different “races” from white to black to even Asian.

But go on bleating about the La Raza station and how it keeps you down. If I were you I wouldn’t stand for that type of aggression and would have to take some action.

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 01:03 PM | Link to this

Correction, my note @ 12:51 should have used “gauntlet” instead of “gambit.” Apologies for sloppy work.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 01:07 PM | Link to this

One more thing time for the douce:

Why in the hell would Obama go to a church that preaches an anti-white doctrine when he is half-white himself? What exactly is anti-white about his church? Really…we are all DYING to know!!

By Cletus Snow

February 15, 2007 01:09 PM | Link to this

Alecia, I can find very little to argue with,Your assessment is coming true as we speak in my own neighborhood as well as many others.I wish I had an answer.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 01:12 PM | Link to this

Jbmlaw,

I understand that the intent behind those comments may not be inherent evil, but at the same time stereotypes definitely do more harm in the long run and does nothing to to promote intelligent and civil discourse in our society. Instead, stereotyping undermines those efforts.

By Darth Vader

February 15, 2007 01:19 PM | Link to this

time for the truth lives inside of an emotional capsule. You cannot explain or intelligently discuss anything with this cretin.

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 01:21 PM | Link to this

Dear getoveryourself @ 1:12, I fear we may have to disagree on this point. I deem stereotyping per se “harmless,” just an intellectual shortcut. You stereotype stereotyping as inherently harmful, whereas I judge each stereotype on its own merits. That line I just wrote almost sounds like some of the nonsense our old friend PoFo writes.

By Devastator

February 15, 2007 01:22 PM | Link to this

Barack Obama will make a fine President. Even if his church teaches some things that may be questionable, he still possesses the intelligence to know what not to listen to.

By Jim

February 15, 2007 01:25 PM | Link to this

What….. I am astonished that Mr. Wooten has anything positive to say about those L-I-B-E-R-A-L-S.

What is the world coming to?

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 01:27 PM | Link to this

tw@atface

HA HA HA HA

you were hopelessly WRONG about Hysel and the miners. your pathetic responses show that.

you are disgustingly excusing mexiCan type bigotry. SPANISH types perpetrated the same kind of genocide that white americans did here against the red indians, yet the mexican scumbags in various racist ‘reconquista’ groups talk about reconquering much of the US.

FACT … OVER 10% of the whole damn nation of mexico is already living here - the vast majority of them being sponging illegals!!

the facts about illegal criminals I have seen numerous times debated on cable news shows. by folks from non-partisan immigrant institutes. and by ex officials from the DoJustice. 250,000 child molestors was approximately the figure extrapolated by non-partisan academics from the number of illegals here, given the ‘normative’ numbers of molestors in the population. anecdotal evidence about mexican type chld molestors is growing daily … backing this ‘data’ up. as do the official figures on murderous heavily tatooed mexican type gangbangers all over the US.

do your own research … here’s just one impeccably researched congressional submission.

http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/mac_donald04-13-05.htm

By ICEMAN

February 15, 2007 01:35 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw,

Sorry but you are incorrect. The harm stereotypes can is create a false perspective about someone based on a particular charateristic that is not accurate for that individual person. For example, If a stereotype says Mexican males are lazy, then when a person who believes the stereotype sees a mexican male they begin to conjure up their own opinion based on what they heard about that group instead of the person. This is particularly dangerous in situations such as hiring or job placement. Think about it.

By deegee

February 15, 2007 01:36 PM | Link to this

The US is one of the richest counties in the world. That’s what draws the truly impoverished people from around the world to our shores. We are not poor in the monetary sense. We have too much money to throw around. We lack accountability. People receiving public assistance should be accountable for keeping their home up to community standards. They should be accountable for staying in school and getting an education. They should be accountable for educating their children. We will never end the cycle until we hold people accountable. End the benefits for those that don’t comply and more people will comply.

By Redneck Convert

February 15, 2007 01:52 PM | Link to this

Well, I sure am releived to see that TFTT is out of jail and back to slamming the libruls. He needs his medasan, thats for sure. And he shouldn’t get his hands on any weapons any time soon. But he’s out and about now and that’s what counts. He still has some loose screws but leastwise he thinks just like us rednecks, only with bigger words.

By Holy Cow I Agree With Jim

February 15, 2007 01:53 PM | Link to this

I got cut off. You should only be allowed to rent or live in an area that is conducive to your ability to POSITIVELY impact your surroundings. Section 8 just frankly should not be allowed in upscale neighborhoods. And if they are, they should be screened to ensure that they will have the funds needed to maintain the property up to community standards, as well the ability to conform to the neighborhood as a whole. Then again, if they did have all that, they wouldn’t be on section 8 assstance to begin with. Nuff said?

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 01:59 PM | Link to this

time for the douce,

I told you that I was goading you about Heysel, but you ignore the point. And you didn’t factually crush me about the coal miners. Although there were violent strikers, the actions of the police were very brutal to the point that the victims at Orgreave received a settlement. But I’ll let you live in your little tory fantasy land!

Speaking of fantasy land…here’s a reference to your disingenuous “95%” facts about illegals. I noticed that you needed to quote a right-wing think tank for your facts. Well, this urban legends link addresses the rather misleading testimony that you naively flaunt.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 02:06 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

Again, as you have so clumsily dodged the question…what is it exactly about Obama’s church that is racist/bigoted? Is Obama a racist/bigot?

Now I want you to take your time and think carefully about this, but please also consider that Wooten shuts down his blog at 6pm.

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 02:08 PM | Link to this

Dear Iceman @ 1:35, your post does not reflect acquaintance with the earlier portions of my discussion with getoveryourself. As you cite only a “negative” stereotype, you are outside the point discussed. Urge you to consider G’s question @ 11:16, my response @ 11:57, and G’s follow-up @ 1:12. The question (where G and I disagree) is whether a “positive” stereotype is inherently harmful. How do you stand on a positive stereotype, e.g, my original argument, “Black guys are the best basketball players”? It is, on its face – isn’t that a clever pun? - a racist stereotype, which may or may not be true, but one which I deem harmless.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 02:10 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

You have also dodged ANOTHER question…

Should Brit expats in the Algarve learn Portuguese or is it okay for them to carry-on not learning the language and conducting their businesses in English? You can apply this to the Brits that have moved to Spain and have simply refused to learn the local language. We’re DYING to hear from you!!

By jbmlaw

February 15, 2007 02:15 PM | Link to this

Dear Iceman @ 1:13, in my last post I omitted two other entries in the discussion, getoveryourself @ 12:31, jbmlaw @ 12:54.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 02:18 PM | Link to this

…and the Tory tosser remains silent everybody!! Humility can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes, tory douchebag.

By BU

February 15, 2007 02:21 PM | Link to this

Its funny how a man or a woman that has never stepped one day into a black neighboorhood can all of a sudden be a scholar on the plight of black people in America. I can respect the man that has taken an active effort to help, motivate or educate their fellow American citizen. But we are a nation full of hypocrites, you fly the American flag and embrace everything it stands for but yet all you will do is complain and spit on people who dont associate with and you feel are substandard to you. Instead of informing your neighbor of the proper way a home should be maintained, you peep out your window and hide, because your perception of these people it what you see on the evening news. WAKE UP AMERICA WE ALL NEED A HELPING HAND IN LIFE, GET YOUR HEAD OUT YOUR POSTERIOR AND EXTENDONE.

By wes

February 15, 2007 02:26 PM | Link to this

I have a MUCH better idea. Let’s builldoze you home!!!

By BoredwithBraves

February 15, 2007 03:13 PM | Link to this

Stephen Decatur:

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the most prime land within our city limits available to generate some money for the tax coffers? Much of the land in citylimits is taken up with: government offices (County gets a free ride here), churches ( again no tax contribution), and PUBLIC HOUSING, which contributes nothing and takes EVERYTHING. Maybe then we homeowners…small and large…can get a tax break and stop supporting the generational subsidies for everything from school supplies to food stamps, Free MARTA passes and on and on. Decatur LOVES to give everything away to the endless takers (most, not all) in Swanton Heights and others. Our neighbor Atlanta sure has been quick to realize that those that pay the freight cannot endlessly pay for every indigent person, their children, their grandchildren etc. and has razed those slums for tax income producing business and residences. And don’t ask “WHere are they supposed to live if they don’t have affordable housing?” Hmmm…wonder if the folks in Buckhead would feel amenable to us poor Decaturites grousing how unfair it is that we can’t affford to live in their neighborhood. It is fiscal reality. Perhaps I might be more amenable if ANY of the folks in housing showed any interest in bettering their community by donating some of their free time ( which is a LOT) to cleaning their own neighborhood streets, appreciate their free ride by taking care of what they have, and not snarling their lips at me just because I am white. Do they show up for MLK Day clean ups? No. Do they join the community trash pickup days? NO! They don’t do squat but sit and TAKE! What gall. I have participated countless hours every FEBRUARY to MLK Day projects and NEVER have seen ANY housing residents lift a HAND to help, make coffee, participate in any way or shape.

By Southern Democrat

February 15, 2007 03:22 PM | Link to this

Let me get this straight… vouchers are okay for schools, but not for housing? We’d prefer homelessness?

I don’t know what the answer is regarding public housing and/or low cost/affordable housing, but I do know that in every major city and suburb it is virtually impossible for working class people to afford to own a home large enough to fit a family of 4. It is a problem that needs to be addressed.

I am all for subsidized public housing and want to see it succeed. My grandfather came from less than nothing, my dad came from nothing, and, because of his and my mother’s hard work and sacrifice, I was born into a situation with virtually unlimited opportunity. There is no way I can honestly say that if my parents had been destitute what I would have become. I think that the least we can do for the least of our people is figure out how to get a decent roof over their heads.

By melo

February 15, 2007 03:23 PM | Link to this

time for the truth, Do you suffer from the Gulf War Syndrome?If so, see your doctor at the nearest VA hospital. If not, put that PCP pipe down.

Your language is straight outa the Timothy MCveigh library.

By harold

February 15, 2007 03:24 PM | Link to this

dont you mean “IN 1995 11” were razed for the olympics

saying “since 1995” implies something has happened with this in the last decade

anyway, all public houzing should be abolished. it’s way too comfortable having a dump to stay in. youll never got no ambition if you might not end up homeless and starving. minimum wage jobs should all go to mexicans too. taht way the public housing crowd either learns to really work, like with their brains, or starve. minimal employemnt at mcdonahlds or whatever is far too convenient and easy. nothign matters because theres always another crap job available.

By Pompano

February 15, 2007 03:27 PM | Link to this

While I generally agree with Jim, it’s quite obvious that he has never lived in a neighborhood with a Section 8 house.

All this program has done is place the public-housing animals closer to their intended victims. It is single-handedly destroying older surban areas at the expense of people that actually pay for their homes.

By Successful Brother

February 15, 2007 03:33 PM | Link to this

IF YOU DON’T WANT A SECTION 8 RESIDENT MOVING INTO YOUR SUBDIVISION, THAN BUY A HOME THAT COST 300k OR HIGHER. IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT THAN YOU’RE NO BETTER THAN YOUR NEW SECTION 8 NEIGHBORS.

By Dennis

February 15, 2007 03:45 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw@11:57 kindly…posted the following from the neocon Wall Street Journal’s poor journalistic attempt to twist the positions of Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha.

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha expect men and women to keep dying for something they say is a mistake but also don’t have the political courage to help end… … “History is likely to remember the roll as well. A newly confirmed commander is about to lead 20,000 American soldiers on a dangerous and difficult mission to secure Baghdad, risking their lives for their country. And the message their elected Representatives will send them off to battle with is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.”

“…risking their lives for their country”,

At least that’s what the soldiers have been told. Never mind that they were sent and sacrificed for a pack of lies, which even low average intelligence Americans now understand. (The lowest intelligences do not understand it even yet).

The WSJ goes on; “the message their elected Representatives will send them off to battle with is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.”

I recently saw the movie, “Why We Go To War” for the second time. In the movie is a scene where Richard Perle says in effect, “People think that if we can just get out of this, we can go back to things the way they were. We’re not going back.”

So, which is better for American soldiers and America, an “inevitable defeat” or the continued “inevitable” war where more American soldiers are “inevitably” sacrificed?

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Corey

February 15, 2007 03:57 PM | Link to this

I know a man who got a degree in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Tech, served his country while commanding a nuclear powered submarine, and after leaving the military lived in public housing. He was elected governor of Georgia and president of the United States. Can anyone say, Jimmy Carter. Stop painting all people who live in public housing with the same broad brush.

By Dusty

February 15, 2007 03:59 PM | Link to this

Well,

it is hard to speak against fellow human beings who may not have the capacity or luck to be well-off and self supporting. But it is another thing to support illegal activities or neighborhood demolishers.

I worked with someone whose husband bought two rental houses which he put in good repair himself. The section 8 renters not only wrecked the places, they were on the phone frequently telling him to “fix” things. Such things as having the thermastat torn off the wall by children after it had been replaced several times. In desperation, he finally sold the hones. This is one exmaple which I can say is true.

I would suggest that renters have clear rental agreements about repairs, sanitation, etc. Also, to check with county regulations about parked cars, sanitation and the number of people living in a home. A check with the local police about your neighborhood might also help.

By Pompano

February 15, 2007 04:01 PM | Link to this

Successful (yet apparently uneducated) Brother - I did have to move. And I do consider anyone that purchases or pays their own rent to be far better than you and the rest of your Section 8 welfare scum brethren.

By Pompano

February 15, 2007 04:08 PM | Link to this

Sorry Corey but if your example is true (which I actually doubt)it only serves to point out how wasteful and abused these entitletment programs become. Jimmy Carter came from a family of means - at the time he got out of the service, his family owned thousands of acres in S Ga.

Great example - a S. Ga land baron living in Public Housing.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 04:15 PM | Link to this

tw@atface

some of us have lives to lead that mean we cant be on here all day everyday… got it wankpig??

you were hopelessly wrong about the miners and hysel … the incident at Orgreave was minor and of little consequence in the wider picture of an illegal strike that went for well over a year, and ended gloriously in abject defeat for the commie led miner thugs. the thuggish miners are like all leftist crybabies … they can hand it out but when its handed back they squeal like verminous stuck pigs. the police were constantly attacked with brutish force, deliberately goaded for the tv cameras, just like the cowardly palestinian scum do with their thuggish brainwashed kids who go out and attack the IDF, so the israelis look bad on arab tv when they respond to potentially fatal violence from “children”.

what leftist union loving scum like you glibly ignore is that this was the SECOND time the far left union garbage arrogantly and deliberately took on a duly elected govt in the UK. The traitorous homosexual eurofanatic Heath lost the first time. Maggie ensured “we” won the seond time.

you weren’t “goading” me about the EU cup final - you were simply showing the usual pigswill ignorance of so smug many yanks who absurdly pretend to know about footy … and like Manuel of Fawlty Towers … you know nothing!!

on mexican/illegal type gangbanging … who does one believe a credible academic researcher like McDonald or a scummy liberal moron like you … ?? the clear point of that article is to systematically establish that liberals and illegals have created a cesspool in many major US cities by pandering to illegals.

I note note one wod of condemnation form you for sanctuary cities, the incredibly high criminality of mexican types etc. typical cowardly liberal hypocrite!!

doubtless all the yanks slithering down to costa rica and other exotic places are just swamping local spanish langauge schools. you’ve been smoking too much of that acapulco gold bubbaturd!! tell us about miami … and ALL THE OTHER mexican type dominated areas of the US where its getting harder to even spot the english speaker!!

yet again you avoid my questions/comments about mexican/illegal types swamping school systems, welfare systems, health care systems and jails. you seem to have NO compunction about siding with illegal crimninals, and sneering at those hwo actually stand up for the rights of actual US citizens.

dishonest leftist feckpigs like yourself should be forcibly deported to cuba or mexico, the most corrupt of corrupt s** and left to fester there.

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 04:19 PM | Link to this

tw@tface

should ordinary NORMAL folks who have to move to san fransicko for say a job transfer be forced to learn liberal queerspeak and become cowardly cut and run anti-american enemies within?

By Ok, get real

February 15, 2007 04:31 PM | Link to this

I personally live in a very small town (Covington) and know the owner of 95% of slum/project/section 8 housing. Let me tell you, he is a billionaire twice over, owns numerous waterfront properties for personal use & doesn’t put one dime into his rental properties. All the while he reaps the tax benifits, charges the poor exhorborant late fees, and does NOT maintain his rental properties while he has a groundsman at his lake house (he rarely uses) every week. Until we force these types to maintain these places, nothing will change. Just because your poor doesn’t mean your dirty. I grew up very poor & lived in a rental home until I was 15. Now I’m fortunate to live in an upscale area but I don’t frown on those who are not as fortunate as I am. Make the slum lords live where they rent!!

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 04:40 PM | Link to this

time for the douche,

If you look at my 12:20 post, you will see that I explicitly laid out the negatives of illegal immigration, but just like any other wingnut you choose to remain ignorant. Brutality is brutality any way you cut it…but again, it’s intriguing to see that wingnuts transcend nationalities.

I was goading you about Heysel and I never claimed to know a lot about “footy” as you call it. But evidently, the fact that you keep bringing up proves to me that I have successfully goaded you to the point of frustration and I will be laughing for some time about it!

Too bad that you didn’t read the article that I posted. You would see that the little Eva Braun tw@t that you so smugly reference is full of shiite in her 95% number. Where in the hell did she get that from?

And you’re right…cities are such cesspools that property values are increasing at an exponentially faster rate than in the tiresome and loathsome suburbs. But it’s nice to see a poor old Brit immigrant like you chase the old Yankee American dream in suburbia AKA Anyplace America.

You tried to artfully dodge my question about the efforts of British expats to learn Portuguese in the Algarve, but tripped and miserably failed. I’m sure that whenever an “oily” Portuguese person sees a pasty, out of shape drunkard he can guarantee that the milky slouch can only slur a few words of cockney and not in the local native language. How’s that for a stereotype?

Now run along. Liverpool is playing Barca next week in the Champions League. Maybe you can round up some fellow hooligans and run some Catalans into a wall…especially if they do the unthinkable and speak in Spanish to you!!

By time for the truth

February 15, 2007 05:09 PM | Link to this

tw@atface

YOU PATHETIC cowardly LIAR!! you did NOT even begin to “highlight” the problerms of illegals. that’s a barefaced lie!! and the facts of mecians type illegal swamping all over the US is undeniable

now your complete ignorance on the miners strike and hysel has been exposed you attempt to gutlessly slither away from it. its just good sport ot keep pointing out that your pig ignorance is typical of ALL liberals who lose an argument!!

you attempt to bloviate on matters you know fook all about and get humiliated instantly!! typical turdbrained liberal.

Macdonald is a very credible researcher, its absolutely pathetic to attempt to undermine the FACTS presented because one figure may be slightly elevated. as ever liberal scum like you refuse to ever see the consequences of your actions. the FBI have a mexican type gang unit as do Gwuinnett and christ knows how many other police forces in the US.

tell you what wankpig … move to the actual mexican type areas of of LA, Miami, San Diego, and all the other wonderful saanctuary cities and see how wonderful and crime free life is. your dishonesty is freaking hilarious.

I see you completely ignored my point about smug loud mouthy sekf absorbed yankkkees who equally refuse to learn the local language … replete with their fooking hideous golfing trousers… and their obese super loud bad manners.

I am NOT a LFC fan … and there wont be any trouble with the Barca fans.

BTW dickbrain Catalans usually proudly speak Catalan. NOT SPanish. I lived in the Barca area for a few months back in the early 1990’s.

I hope you get seriously mugged and get the crap kicked out of you by a few mexican type illegals … maybe then you’ll start to take the major problems they cause much more seriously!! …huge smirk

And osama obama’s church has decided black separatist attitudes … do your own damn research!!

By Ethics Check

February 15, 2007 05:25 PM | Link to this

Nine months before agreeing to let ConocoPhillips delay a half-billion-dollar pollution cleanup, the government’s top environmental prosecutor bought a $1 million vacation home with the company’s top lobbyist.

Also in on the Kiawah Island, S.C., house deal was former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles, the highest-ranking Bush administration official targeted for criminal prosecution in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe.

Just before resigning last month, Assistant Attorney General Sue Ellen Wooldridge signed two proposed consent decrees with ConocoPhillips: one giving the company as much as two to three more years to install $525 million in pollution controls at nine refineries and the other dealing with a Superfund toxic waste cleanup.

Last April, Wooldridge, ConocoPhillips Vice President Donald R. Duncan and Griles had gone together on a $980,000 home in a gated community at Kiawah Island. Records from the Charleston County Auditor’s office obtained by The Associated Press list Duncan as a 50 percent owner of the home and Wooldridge and Griles as 25 percent owners.

The deed is filed under Duncan’s name, but the mailing address for the South Carolina property - tucked among pines, palmettos, a pool, golf course and racket club several hundred yards from the beach - is Griles’ home in Virginia. He and Wooldridge jointly own a condo there.

By Alecia

February 15, 2007 05:25 PM | Link to this

I have to agree with Pompano. Successful Brother, a person that pays taxes and pays their own way in life contributes far more than someone that just sits around all day in their free house waiting for a monthly check. Perhaps you are so successful, that you don’t notice how much you pay in taxes (if at all). Bulldoze Gated Communities, The section 8 voucher program is not a bail out for landlords. I currently own 15 rental properties dispersed through out the southeast, and refuse to rent to section 8 tenants. All of my houses are rented to quality tenants. The reason for my success, careful tenant selection. A lot of my friends in the business also refuse to honor the vouchers. Most landlords that have gone this route will tell you that it is a pain in the a**. Their main complaint is always about the tenants. This program is just a handout for the lazy. Our unemployment rate is below 5% and we have numerous programs at our universities as well as other opportunities for improving job skills. Perhaps a few of the section 8 tenants are o.k. However, that is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Most of the people if not all of the section 8 people that call whenever one of my properties become available, sound like they are stoned or have mental problems. We can not bring illegals into this argument, because they do not qualify for the voucher program. Legal residency is required. Hoya Destroya, I am happy that my neighborhood does not have a section 8 problem, and feel for those that have to deal with it. We have a covenant against rentals. It must be tough going to work in the morning and passing by the house you have to spend the first 35% of your work day paying for. Oh well, I have to go earn some more money. According to some of you I need to work harder to provide more welfare.

By getoveryourself

February 15, 2007 05:26 PM | Link to this

torysnatch,

Again, LOOK AT MY POST AT 12:20. Your unhinged bullshiite is becoming nauseating. You still haven’t read the article that I posted so there’s no point debating it. The link that you posted is a typical right-wing propagandist think tank. And just like a gullible, fretful wingnut you take the bait and bite everytime. OOOhhhh the world is coming to an end…the Mexicans are coming!!!

Who gives a damn about Heysel and the strike? You constantly bring it up, which means that I have successfully wound you up!!

Jo parlo catala tambe! Obviously you forget that Barcelona is a bilingual city where the locals can speak both Catalan and Castillian, no matter whether one or the other is their first language. Again, the fact that you bit at the last comment shows the control that I have exercised over you for the entire day!

Also, I like San Diego and Miami. You can have LA. By the way, Miami is a sanctuary for Cuban refugees who usually vote GOP…but then again I’m sure a spc is a spc to an open minded bigot like you.

Now walk on with hope in your heart little torysnatch…I’m out!

By Mid-South Philosopher

February 15, 2007 05:33 PM | Link to this

To Minor Correction at 11:18

Sorry, I have been away all day.

The fact of the matter is that what I quoted was Longfellow’s version of what was said by a number of philosophers and pundits beginning with Lycurgus (700-630 B.C.), who put it this way:

“When falls on man the anger of the gods, first from his mind they banish understanding.”

By Markus

February 15, 2007 05:40 PM | Link to this

Corey-

“Can anyone say, Jimmy Carter. Stop painting all people who live in public housing with the same broad brush.”

Is that the norm in public housing, or is that an exception? Exceptions to something are like liberals, high taxes, and anti-success: always present.

Jim is right. Public housing was another great liberal idea for the time at hand that spiraled out of control with generation after generation of tenants. Black, white, Mexican, whatever. One of the many problems with the disease of liberalism is that it doesn’t know when enough is enough.

The bottom line is that “affordable housing” does not help one better oneself. Then again, that’s the goal of liberals: to have everyone depend on the public teet of the federal government in way or another from cradle to grave. That way, everyone would truly be “equal.” Awe. How caring of you liberals. Idiots.

PS: that was a hilarious p!ssyfit from our resident multiple ID liberal neoStalinist freakshow this morning. “Bulldoze gated communities.” Heheheh. Sick, twisted, deranged, jealous neocommunist liberals.

By catlady

February 15, 2007 05:55 PM | Link to this

Work is a cure for poverty. You may have to work more than 40 hours a week, share housing or cars, postpone childbearing and other lifestyle decisions until you can afford to do differently. Yes, the minimum wage is too low, but it is the PURSUIT of happiness that we are guaranteed, not the attainment. Can’t afford something? Do with out it or give up something else less important. It is ALL important? Guess you will have to work an extra job or prioritize.

I have a friend whose 25 year old son (dropped out of college, has 2 children with girlfriend thanks to Medicaid) says he DESERVES a $32,000 car because he works hard. I say, he deserves it after he has worked and saved for another 20-30 years, if he can avoid any more really stupid choices. He has only worked for 3 years so far in his life—don’t know that he DESERVES much of anything except to support himself and his family by continuing to put in long hours.

By Ssmith

February 15, 2007 06:24 PM | Link to this

The problem with Section 8 is the housing authorities, tenants and landlords.

Some housing authorities do a poor job of explaining the responsibilites of the landlords, which are the same as a private landlord. Unfortunately, some landlords are of the opinion that the housing authority is the property manager. No it is not. It’s the owner’s property. Why would you think the housing authority is going to pay you and manage the property?

If the landlord would screen their potential tenants and enforce the lease and evict the tenant if they don’t adhere to the lease, the housing authority would gladly revoke the voucher.

Yes, I used to work in public/subsidized housing. At our agency if a public housing tenant was late with rent twice in a a 12 month period, we evicted that tenant. We evicted families over two dollars.

A good strong lease and strong enforcement makes life easier.

I had a large landlord ask me once why couldn’t I tell his tenants to take better care of his property?

I looked him in the eye and said Mr. Jones, I get paid every two weeks. I get paid the same amount if they treat your houses like the Taj Mahal or burn them to the ground. You have a lease between yourself and your tenants, enforce it and call me when you evict.

By deb

February 15, 2007 09:01 PM | Link to this

I thought you could only get welfare benefits for four or five years, because of PRAWORA. I don’t understand how people can be using welfare to support themselves for as long as some posters have said they do. Does that law not apply to everyone, or has it been modified? And yes, it is ridiculous for someone to receive for free from the government what others have worked their whole lives to earn. If there are no incentives to spend decades of grueling work to achieve a nice, middle class existence, then why would anyone go to the trouble? We can simply demand that the government present us with a beautiful suburban home, for no better reason than that we grace everyone with our presence. Of course, if everyone starts doing that, who will be the poor suckers who finance this for everyone? Food for thought…

By Buy Danish (the First)

February 17, 2007 10:54 AM | Link to this

Section 8 housing is ruining my neighborhood too.

There is plenty of available housing for less than $1600 a month outside of Atlanta, and that is an outrageously large subsidy for people to have kids they can’t afford.

There are section 8 families living in the most upscale section of my subdivision, often with multiple families living in one house, and the homes are worth well over $300,000 dollars. Sheets in windows, unkempt yards and even gangs are just some of the trash they bring with them.

I agree that public housing is not the answer, but doling out luxury housing to deadbeats is not the answer either and ruins the investments that hardworking people have made in their homes.

It’s not bad enough that taxpayers subsidize this luxury housing, but when it ruins our own investments that is a disgrace and a scandal that needs to be addressed on a local and national level.