Herald Palladium WATCH
One woman propaganda machine: Wendy-Dant Chesser, Herald Palladium board, Cornerstone Alliance President, Harbor Shores Trustee, Alliance for World-Class Communities officer, self-appointed BH commissioner. (H-P sold in 2000 to Paxton Media Group, Paducah, Ky. Whirlpool VP Jeff Noel from Ky.)
Ex-officer charged in forgeries (shortened article)
Cotter: Brooks charged in faking signature, falsifying vehicle forms
By Wm. Ast, H-P, 2/25/09
ST. JOSEPH - A former Benton Harbor police officer is facing two forgery charges, Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter said.
Cotter in a press release said Carlton Brooks, 31, is charged with forging another officer's signature on a departmental form last year. That form falsely said a 1998 Ford Explorer was an abandoned vehicle, and had been sold at public auction, but no such sale had taken place, he said. [HOW COME CHIEF MINGO IS NOT BEING CHARGED? HE IS THE ONE WHO ORGANIZED THE EBAY CAR SALES WHICH THIS STORY ACTUALLY REVOLVES AROUND. (NOT THAT THE HP WOULD MENTION IT.)]
The second forgery charge alleges that Brooks in 2007 falsified another form which stated an altered or reassembled 1997 wrecker was an abandoned vehicle, Cotter said. That was done to get a new and misleading clear title to the vehicle to replace the existing title, the prosecutor said. [HOW CAN THE OFFICER DO THIS WITHOUT THE CHIEF KNOWING? CRIME IS HAPPENING UNDER MINGO'S NOSE, AND HE DOESN'T SEE IT? (WE DOUBT IT - HE'S ONE OF THE CRIME BOSSES!)]
Forgery is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, Cotter said. [HOW MUCH TIME FOR BEING AN ACCESSORY? WHO'S THE CRIMINAL AND WHO'S THE ACCESSORY? THIS QUESTION APPLIES TO PROSECUTOR ARTHUR COTTER AS WELL: HE HAS A LONG AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BHPD, MINGO, AND WHIRLPOOL. CORPORATE/COURT/LAW ENFORCEMENT/MEDIA CRIME IS THE NORM IN BERRIEN, USUALLY TO THE DETRIMENT OF BENTON HARBOR RESIDENTS. BH IS POSSIBLY THE HARDEST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY TO SURVIVE IN BECAUSE OF IT (AND WHIRLPOOL OUTSOURCING)].
Brooks was a patrolman with the department from 2006 to 2008, according to the Benton Harbor Police Department. [BHPD CRIME INDOCTRINATION HAPPENS FAST.]
This is the second prominent case involving a Benton Harbor officer recently. In the other case, the prosecutor's office has asked that convictions be dismissed for 22 people after federal authorities in December charged former detective Andrew Collins with drug trafficking. [NO, THIS IS THE *THIRD* BHPD CASE UNDER MINGO'S LEADERSHIP: GUN AND POLICE RADIO THEFT.]
Cotter said the investigation concerning Brooks led to charges being brought against four other people. [CONNECTED WITH THE BHPD CAR SALES.] He said they are *************, *************, *************, and **************. [MOST LIKELY ALL PART OF MINGO'S GANG. CARS TOWED FROM BH PROPERTY WERE STOLEN BY BHPD. IF MINGO (VIA WHIRLPOOL) HADN'T DIRECTED THESE 4 PEOPLE, CHANCES ARE GOOD THEY WOULD BE FREE TODAY.]
...Cotter said the investigations are still ongoing and more charges are possible. He said anyone with information about the cases should contact Sgt. Rick Biggart at the Berrien County Sheriff's Department at 983-7141.
[BCSD: SHERIFF BAILEY'S SECTION OF THE BERRIEN CRIME SYNDICATE. ANYONE WANT TO CALL THESE PROTECTORS OF CITIZENS & PUBLIC LIFE?]
The prosecutor's office released the information about the charges late Tuesday afternoon. Cotter could not be reached later for comment. [WHAT A SURPRISE, COTTER NOT WANTING TO TALK.]
[WHIRLPOOL INSTRUCTS CHIEF MINGO AND ALL BERRIEN CTY. LAW ENFORCEMENT.]
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Media. Show all posts
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Web Info on Jason McGee, another of thousands(?) of Berrien County "casualties"
What is community news?
http://www.bentonharborcity.org/
Submitted Wed, 9/26/2007
It seems that if you are not a celebrity or a citizen with an abundant bank account, then you are not "community news." Jason McGee was a citizen and resident of Benton Harbor. It was only as good as the story could last when the HP reported Jason McGee's whereabouts concerning the murder with falsehoods and painted an ugly picture to the citizens of Benton Harbor. Then they had to recant the story because it was proven that Jason was not part of a gang, never had violence been apart of his life. But when I asked if this story could resurface in the Herald Palladium, reporter Dalgleish told me that its "not community news." What is community news? Jason is a black man unjustly done wrong in his teenage life and he is not considered "community news."
It is the responsiblity of the journalist to keep the citizens of Benton Harbor aware of what is going in our justice system concerning our town be it black, white, or any other race. The purpose of the newspaper is to inform us about the community and what goes on in it. We rarely get good news of what upstanding black people are doing in the community that supports positivity! [nor the truth about injustice being metted out daily by cops and in the courthouse: the HP is complicit]
Bringing Awareness
Submitted Mon, 9/24/2007
I'm excited to see there is a forum for information and awareness for all of us to explore.
I'm just reminding people to keep their minds locked on the name Jason McGee. Jason Mcgee is from Benton Harbor. He was sent to prison at the age of 17, fresh out of high school, and on his way to college the next year. He had no prior juvenile record and his dreams were halted. Please be aware that talking to someone about snitching is not a bad thing - it's a genuine concern for the community to get involved. If you are unfamiliar with this story the Herald Palladium ran a "version" of it in the summer of 1992.
Jason McGee did not tell on a friend and was sentenced to 14-25 years in Prison for second degree murder. Murder of a kid who tried to rob him and friend. His friend did the crime but did not do the time. His friend confessed to the murder 5 years after Jason was in prison and the family thought the saga was over and he did not get exonerated from prison. To date Jason McGee is in prison but goes before the Parole board today, September 24, 2007. Lets pray and talk to your children about the word snitching. It can save their life. Tell regardless if you think its wrong or right. It can be your child next time.
Andrew Collins, Distric Court, and Mr. McGee: http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:MJjQbhHpFEYJ:www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/08a0219p-06.pdf+jameel+mcgee&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a
http://www.bentonharborcity.org/
Submitted Wed, 9/26/2007
It seems that if you are not a celebrity or a citizen with an abundant bank account, then you are not "community news." Jason McGee was a citizen and resident of Benton Harbor. It was only as good as the story could last when the HP reported Jason McGee's whereabouts concerning the murder with falsehoods and painted an ugly picture to the citizens of Benton Harbor. Then they had to recant the story because it was proven that Jason was not part of a gang, never had violence been apart of his life. But when I asked if this story could resurface in the Herald Palladium, reporter Dalgleish told me that its "not community news." What is community news? Jason is a black man unjustly done wrong in his teenage life and he is not considered "community news."
It is the responsiblity of the journalist to keep the citizens of Benton Harbor aware of what is going in our justice system concerning our town be it black, white, or any other race. The purpose of the newspaper is to inform us about the community and what goes on in it. We rarely get good news of what upstanding black people are doing in the community that supports positivity! [nor the truth about injustice being metted out daily by cops and in the courthouse: the HP is complicit]
Bringing Awareness
Submitted Mon, 9/24/2007
I'm excited to see there is a forum for information and awareness for all of us to explore.
I'm just reminding people to keep their minds locked on the name Jason McGee. Jason Mcgee is from Benton Harbor. He was sent to prison at the age of 17, fresh out of high school, and on his way to college the next year. He had no prior juvenile record and his dreams were halted. Please be aware that talking to someone about snitching is not a bad thing - it's a genuine concern for the community to get involved. If you are unfamiliar with this story the Herald Palladium ran a "version" of it in the summer of 1992.
Jason McGee did not tell on a friend and was sentenced to 14-25 years in Prison for second degree murder. Murder of a kid who tried to rob him and friend. His friend did the crime but did not do the time. His friend confessed to the murder 5 years after Jason was in prison and the family thought the saga was over and he did not get exonerated from prison. To date Jason McGee is in prison but goes before the Parole board today, September 24, 2007. Lets pray and talk to your children about the word snitching. It can save their life. Tell regardless if you think its wrong or right. It can be your child next time.
Andrew Collins, Distric Court, and Mr. McGee: http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:MJjQbhHpFEYJ:www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/08a0219p-06.pdf+jameel+mcgee&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The question now is how many, who, and at what levels were his accomplices?
Reports all over the web say: "U.S. attorney's office in Grand Rapids claims Benton Harbor 26-year-old Officer Andrew Collins used his position to steal seized drugs. The indictment also says he reported fictitious drug sales to improperly gain search warrants and embezzle police funds." Of course there's the mention of consistent drug-planting to arrest, convict & imprison innocent Benton Harborites. The question now is how many, who, and at what levels were his accomplices?
Here are comments from media websites such as WNDU.com:
--I always thought this type of stuff was in Hollywood. Wow. I'm thrown back by this one. Reminds me of the movie, Training Day.
Posted on Jan 11, 2009
--Below, James described his impression of Collins as a "slick, lying, arrogant jerk." That's very interesting to me because I knew Collins for years, long before he became a police officer, and I had exactly the same impression. ...It's too bad, but he's just going to have to do his time. And many of us who have known him for years could see this coming.
Posted on Dec 26, 2008
--Sometimes organized crime gets one of their own on the force. If that's the case, the news won't talk about it, as a favor, you know, to the force, who have a kind of "understanding" with underworld elements as well as local beat reporters.
Posted on Dec 26, 2008
--I was on the jury of a drug case where Officer Collins was the key testifier to the fact that the accused hid crack in the seat of his police cruiser while being detained. Office Collins came off as a slick, lying, arrogant jerk. I was an alternate juror, but had I been retained for the verdict, would have voted for innocence based on Officer Collin's testimony (I believed he set up the accused).
Here are comments from media websites such as WNDU.com:
--I always thought this type of stuff was in Hollywood. Wow. I'm thrown back by this one. Reminds me of the movie, Training Day.
Posted on Jan 11, 2009
--Below, James described his impression of Collins as a "slick, lying, arrogant jerk." That's very interesting to me because I knew Collins for years, long before he became a police officer, and I had exactly the same impression. ...It's too bad, but he's just going to have to do his time. And many of us who have known him for years could see this coming.
Posted on Dec 26, 2008
--Sometimes organized crime gets one of their own on the force. If that's the case, the news won't talk about it, as a favor, you know, to the force, who have a kind of "understanding" with underworld elements as well as local beat reporters.
Posted on Dec 26, 2008
--I was on the jury of a drug case where Officer Collins was the key testifier to the fact that the accused hid crack in the seat of his police cruiser while being detained. Office Collins came off as a slick, lying, arrogant jerk. I was an alternate juror, but had I been retained for the verdict, would have voted for innocence based on Officer Collin's testimony (I believed he set up the accused).
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Rev. Pinkney Transferred to Jackson Prison
On Thursday, 11/20/07, Rev. Pinkney was moved from Ojibway Correctional Facility (CF) across the Michigan Upper Peninsula to Kinross CF. The following Tuesday, 11/25/08, he was moved again to Cooper Street CF in Jackson.
Rev. Pinkney has received much attention in recent weeks--at the frustration of prison officials--due to: media attention on his Green Party candidacy (BTW he received 3500 votes!), the recent press ban by prison authorities against interviews, the ACLU motion filing with the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the on-going clemency letter drive and online petition.
We're hopeful that this latest move to a facility closer to Benton Harbor means that he is on track for a decision by the courts. In the meantime, please continue to send letters for clemency to Gov. Granholm. According to Attorney Buck Davis, Rev. Pinkney's clemency petition has been transferred from the corrections dept committee to the Governor's office. She can decide whether or not to hold public hearings for clemency. Please push the Gov. Granholm to hold a hearing for Rev. Pinkney!
Please send your letters of clemency to:
Honorable Jennifer Granholm
Michigan Department of Corrections
Office of the Parole Board
Pardons and Commutations Coordinator
P.O. Box 30003
Lansing, Michigan, 48909
Include your name and address.
Read more about the ACLU Michigan motion and brief. Listen to Atty Davis, Mrs Pinkney, and BANCO member Belinda Brown speak about Rev. Pinkney and Benton Harbor on KPFK Pacifica Radio in SoCal.
(For the KPFK interview, go to show "Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod," Tuesday, 11/25/08. After the introduction, Davis begins at 5:30 min, Mrs. Pinkney at 22:00 min, and Brown at 38:30 min)
Rev. Pinkney has received much attention in recent weeks--at the frustration of prison officials--due to: media attention on his Green Party candidacy (BTW he received 3500 votes!), the recent press ban by prison authorities against interviews, the ACLU motion filing with the Michigan Court of Appeals, and the on-going clemency letter drive and online petition.
We're hopeful that this latest move to a facility closer to Benton Harbor means that he is on track for a decision by the courts. In the meantime, please continue to send letters for clemency to Gov. Granholm. According to Attorney Buck Davis, Rev. Pinkney's clemency petition has been transferred from the corrections dept committee to the Governor's office. She can decide whether or not to hold public hearings for clemency. Please push the Gov. Granholm to hold a hearing for Rev. Pinkney!
Please send your letters of clemency to:
Honorable Jennifer Granholm
Michigan Department of Corrections
Office of the Parole Board
Pardons and Commutations Coordinator
P.O. Box 30003
Lansing, Michigan, 48909
Include your name and address.
Read more about the ACLU Michigan motion and brief. Listen to Atty Davis, Mrs Pinkney, and BANCO member Belinda Brown speak about Rev. Pinkney and Benton Harbor on KPFK Pacifica Radio in SoCal.
(For the KPFK interview, go to show "Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod," Tuesday, 11/25/08. After the introduction, Davis begins at 5:30 min, Mrs. Pinkney at 22:00 min, and Brown at 38:30 min)
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Morning After Election Satire
November 5, 2008
Change, Change, Change?
Morning in Obamerica
By ISHMAEL REED counterpunch.org
[excerpts]"What does this promise land look like? This Obamerica? Shortly after Obama is sworn in, the police, instead of subjecting blacks and Hispanics to capricious traffic stops, will only stop them to offer free tickets to the policeman’s ball. Throughout the country, they will address blacks and Hispanics as sir and ma'm. The overcrowding prison problem will end, because all of the blacks and Hispanics who’ve been sent there as a result of prosecutorial and police misconduct,-probably half- will be set free. And all of those police who have murdered unarmed blacks only to be acquitted by all-white juries will be retried. Blacks will have the freedom to shop in department stores without being watched."
"Rush Limbaugh will inaugurate a series called “Great African American Inventors.” Spike Lee will be invited to run Columbia Pictures... The Newspaper Society of America will apologize for the lynchings and civil disturbances caused by an inflammatory media over the last one hundred or so years. A choked up Rupert Murdoch will read the statement on behalf of his colleagues."
"All of the blacks and Hispanics who have been driven out of New York, Oakland,and San Francisco, [& Benton Harbor] as a result of the policies of ethnic cleansing, ...will be invited to return. The banks that aimed toxic mortgage loans to blacks and Hispanics, who would have qualified for conventional loans had they been white, will halt the foreclosure process and renegotiate these loans."
Change, Change, Change?
Morning in Obamerica
By ISHMAEL REED counterpunch.org
[excerpts]"What does this promise land look like? This Obamerica? Shortly after Obama is sworn in, the police, instead of subjecting blacks and Hispanics to capricious traffic stops, will only stop them to offer free tickets to the policeman’s ball. Throughout the country, they will address blacks and Hispanics as sir and ma'm. The overcrowding prison problem will end, because all of the blacks and Hispanics who’ve been sent there as a result of prosecutorial and police misconduct,-probably half- will be set free. And all of those police who have murdered unarmed blacks only to be acquitted by all-white juries will be retried. Blacks will have the freedom to shop in department stores without being watched."
"Rush Limbaugh will inaugurate a series called “Great African American Inventors.” Spike Lee will be invited to run Columbia Pictures... The Newspaper Society of America will apologize for the lynchings and civil disturbances caused by an inflammatory media over the last one hundred or so years. A choked up Rupert Murdoch will read the statement on behalf of his colleagues."
"All of the blacks and Hispanics who have been driven out of New York, Oakland,and San Francisco, [& Benton Harbor] as a result of the policies of ethnic cleansing, ...will be invited to return. The banks that aimed toxic mortgage loans to blacks and Hispanics, who would have qualified for conventional loans had they been white, will halt the foreclosure process and renegotiate these loans."
Friday, October 24, 2008
Mainstream Media Pick Up Pinkney Story
By JAMES PRICHARD, Associated Press (AP);
Michigan Minister Runs for Congress From Prison
See this story in:
AOL News
Detroit Free Press
CBS News
Chicago Tribune
Fox News
USA Today
Yahoo! News
Washington Times
Even the Corrections Connection Network News is watching!
Michigan Minister Runs for Congress From Prison
(excerpt)...Pinkney says he’s being harassed for his outspoken opposition to an upscale, 530-acre residential and commercial development in southwestern Michigan. Pinkney is upset that Benton Harbor city leaders are allowing the developers to use 22 acres of a city park that borders Lake Michigan for three holes of a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course that is the heart of the project.
Pinkney decided to run for Congress to bring attention to his situation and “stand up for what is right.”
“The only way that we can get the word out and bring these people to justice is if I ran for office,” Pinkney says.
See this story in:
AOL News
Detroit Free Press
CBS News
Chicago Tribune
Fox News
USA Today
Yahoo! News
Washington Times
Even the Corrections Connection Network News is watching!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Interview With Rev. Edward Pinkney Who is in Prison
Justice Rally, Benton Harbor
Interview: http://www.peoplestribune.org/PT.2008.10/PT.2008.10.12.html
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Pinkney on video & prison visit report
Hear Rev. Pinkney speak in two videos (1-2 min. each) at this link:
http://terryhowcott.com/closeup.asp?cid=9&pid=1018&offset=50 (scroll down about halfway)
* A report from Pastor Wylie-Kellermann who visited Rev. Pinkney recently -
Friends:
I was camping with friends north of Alpena when I learned that Rev. Pinkney had been moved to Kincheloe in the UP, so made quick arrangements to visit him as a pastor last Saturday.
Edward's been up there now two weeks already. I was able to spend a couple hours with him. He seems in remarkably good spirits and utterly hopeful given what he's been through. He sent greetings and expressed gratitude for everything that people are doing on hs behalf and on behalf of the continuing struggle in Berrien County. Needless to say, he's eager to see the appeal move forward.
I was able to report on the meeting here in Detroit and some of the press that had been generated. Acknowledging the pall of fear that hangs over Benton Harbor, he urged organizing and media work in a larger circle around the state. We also talked some about strategies for getting the word out in the wider religious community.
He has a low security classification which would ordinarily make him eligible for movement to a camp (or even downstate I would think), but he had seen paperwork with sentencing designations from the judge which urged no special programs or privileges. He estimated that about thirty percent of the Hiawatha prison is African American, but he was the only black person in the visiting area when I was there - some indication of the geographical patterns at work. He has been able to talk regularly with his wife Dorothy.
I was really grateful for the time with him and all the providences involved.
I pass along his love and thanks and prayers.
Bill
Bill Wylie-Kellermann, Pastor, St. Peter's Episcopal Church - Detroit, 313-841-7554, 313-433-1967
http://stpeterscorktown.edomi.org/
http://www.thewitness.org/author.php?id=40
http://www.scupe.com
* *
Lawlessness - Hallmark of Whirlpool and Berrien County
Rev. Pinkney, political prisoner and whistleblower, worked 24/7 raising awareness about Whirlpool's takeover of Benton Harbor. The corporation needed to silence him, and their gratuitous cruelty is obvious in the report above (plus the fact that they felt the need to imprison him AND send him to the UP where friends and family would have the most difficult time visiting and his voice would be as distant as possible.) One man stirred up a lot of trouble for a multi-national corporation, and they felt the pressure, so he was banished under illegal and unconstitutional circumstances. This lawlessness is what Berrien County and Whirlpool will go down in history for. For the latest news on the takeover go to http://www.protectjkp.com/
and http://www.savejeanklockpark.org/NewsReports.html
* *
Please send letters or postcards supporting Rev. Pinkney's application to the Parole Board.
Text can be as simple as: "I support Rev. Pinkney's application for pardon."
Michigan Department of Corrections
Office of the Parole Board
Pardons and Commutations Coordinator
Post Office Box 30003
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Gov. Granholm, PO Box 30013, Lansing, MI 48909 517-373-3400
Checks to BANCO for Pinkney's legal fees (tax-deductible):
BANCO
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
BOYCOTT WHIRLPOOL & SUBSIDIARIES (Amana, Estate, Gladiator Garage Works, Insperience, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Magic Chef, Maytag, Roper, Acros, Inglis, Bauknecht, Brastemp, Admiral, IKEA appliances, some Kenmore)
Hiawatha Correctional Facility
Rev. Edward Pinkney #294671
4533 Industrial Park Dr.
Kincheloe, MI 49786-0001
http://terryhowcott.com/closeup.asp?cid=9&pid=1018&offset=50 (scroll down about halfway)
* A report from Pastor Wylie-Kellermann who visited Rev. Pinkney recently -
Friends:
I was camping with friends north of Alpena when I learned that Rev. Pinkney had been moved to Kincheloe in the UP, so made quick arrangements to visit him as a pastor last Saturday.
Edward's been up there now two weeks already. I was able to spend a couple hours with him. He seems in remarkably good spirits and utterly hopeful given what he's been through. He sent greetings and expressed gratitude for everything that people are doing on hs behalf and on behalf of the continuing struggle in Berrien County. Needless to say, he's eager to see the appeal move forward.
I was able to report on the meeting here in Detroit and some of the press that had been generated. Acknowledging the pall of fear that hangs over Benton Harbor, he urged organizing and media work in a larger circle around the state. We also talked some about strategies for getting the word out in the wider religious community.
He has a low security classification which would ordinarily make him eligible for movement to a camp (or even downstate I would think), but he had seen paperwork with sentencing designations from the judge which urged no special programs or privileges. He estimated that about thirty percent of the Hiawatha prison is African American, but he was the only black person in the visiting area when I was there - some indication of the geographical patterns at work. He has been able to talk regularly with his wife Dorothy.
I was really grateful for the time with him and all the providences involved.
I pass along his love and thanks and prayers.
Bill
Bill Wylie-Kellermann, Pastor, St. Peter's Episcopal Church - Detroit, 313-841-7554, 313-433-1967
http://stpeterscorktown.edomi.org/
http://www.thewitness.org/author.php?id=40
http://www.scupe.com
* *
Lawlessness - Hallmark of Whirlpool and Berrien County
Rev. Pinkney, political prisoner and whistleblower, worked 24/7 raising awareness about Whirlpool's takeover of Benton Harbor. The corporation needed to silence him, and their gratuitous cruelty is obvious in the report above (plus the fact that they felt the need to imprison him AND send him to the UP where friends and family would have the most difficult time visiting and his voice would be as distant as possible.) One man stirred up a lot of trouble for a multi-national corporation, and they felt the pressure, so he was banished under illegal and unconstitutional circumstances. This lawlessness is what Berrien County and Whirlpool will go down in history for. For the latest news on the takeover go to http://www.protectjkp.com/
and http://www.savejeanklockpark.org/NewsReports.html
* *
Please send letters or postcards supporting Rev. Pinkney's application to the Parole Board.
Text can be as simple as: "I support Rev. Pinkney's application for pardon."
Michigan Department of Corrections
Office of the Parole Board
Pardons and Commutations Coordinator
Post Office Box 30003
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Gov. Granholm, PO Box 30013, Lansing, MI 48909 517-373-3400
Checks to BANCO for Pinkney's legal fees (tax-deductible):
BANCO
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
BOYCOTT WHIRLPOOL & SUBSIDIARIES (Amana, Estate, Gladiator Garage Works, Insperience, Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Magic Chef, Maytag, Roper, Acros, Inglis, Bauknecht, Brastemp, Admiral, IKEA appliances, some Kenmore)
Hiawatha Correctional Facility
Rev. Edward Pinkney #294671
4533 Industrial Park Dr.
Kincheloe, MI 49786-0001
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Religious Freedom For All Americans Is Threatened In Pinkney Persecution
By Sandy Perry
Incredibly, on June 26, Rev. Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was sentenced to 3-10 years in state prison. His crime? Preaching the Word of God in a newspaper article in November, 2007. Judge Dennis Wiley of Berrien County ruled that Pinkney’s use of a quotation from Deuteronomy 28 was a threat and therefore a violation of his probation.
Benton Harbor was once a thriving industrial city that is now suffering from the economic desolation common to many Rust Belt communities. Rev. Pinkney is a longtime community leader who was convicted in 2007 of “voter fraud” in a hotly contested trial that many viewed as racially motivated and fraught with constitutional irregularities.
In his controversial newspaper article, Rev. Pinkney sharply criticized trial judge Alfred Butzbaugh and stated that his actions were contrary to God’s commandments. He then quoted from Deuteronomy 28 on blessings and curses, including verses 15-16, 18, 22, and 45 to warn of the consequences for disobedience to God. (The article appeared in the November issue of the Peoples Tribune http://www.peoplestribune.org/PT.2007.11/PT.2007.11.18.html).
A threat by definition is “an expression of intent to inflict evil, injury, or damage.” It is clear that Rev. Pinkney’s article contained no such expression. While the words from Deuteronomy are unquestionably harsh, the author of the quotation is not the mild-mannered Rev. Pinkney, but the Almighty Himself. At no time did Rev. Pinkney state, suggest, or imply that he, Rev. Pinkney, would commit any of these actions. The very idea that a human being can cause another to be cursed by God or to be smitten with consumption, fever, and inflammation is patently ridiculous.
A review of Biblical history indicates that Rev. Pinkney’s words were not only unthreatening, but scripturally appropriate. It is precisely the role of the preacher, prophet, and teacher to warn the people and their leaders of divine consequences for sinful actions. Jesus did so repeatedly. So did Paul. In fact, prophetic warnings of impending disaster are designed not to foment bloodshed, but rather to diminish and avert it by prompting repentance.
Deuteronomy 28 is simply a strongly worded, Old Testament-style statement of the Biblical truth that we reap what we sow. The government can try to punish and persecute the bearers of this message, but it cannot reverse or repeal a law of God.
The sentencing of Rev. Pinkney is ominous also because it follows the well-publicized attack on Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Rev. Wright preached virtually the same Deuteronomy 28 message to American government officials after the terrorist attacks on 9/11: you reap what you sow. For this he was isolated, pilloried, and denounced by the media and Democratic and Republican politicians alike.
Preaching Biblical truth to government power has now become a crime in America. It will continue to be so for as long as we allow Rev. Pinkney to remain in prison. The last time this happened was during the years before the Civil War, when abolitionist preachers and publishers were suppressed and even murdered. It is no accident that it is once again primarily the African-American church that is being targeted first. Let us pray that the current crisis has the same result now as then: an upsurge of the American people in defense of human freedom.Sandy Perry is Outreach Minister at CHAM Deliverance Ministry
San Jose, California.
http://www.peoplestribune.org/PT.2008.08/PT.2008.08.04.html
Sunday, July 20, 2008
A Leader in a Struggling City Bled by U.S. Trade Schemes is Cast into State Prison
Thou Shalt Not Write About Judges
By Mark Anderson (originally from Berrien County)
http://www.americanfreepress.net/
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -- In what many see as a shocking miscarriage of justice and denial of free speech, a black minister from southwest Michigan was sentenced on June 26 to up to 10 years in state prison for writing an opinion article in a Chicago newspaper about a judge.
The Rev. Edward Pinkney's sentence was handed down by Berrien County Trial Court Judge Dennis Wiley, a former prosecutor who took the case after Chief Judge Alfred Butzbaugh recused himself because Pinkney's article was partly about him. Judge Butzbaugh felt that the article, steeped in biblical references about God smiting this judge for his official actions but devoid of any personal threats, still somehow threatened him and his family, but he passed the matter on to Wiley.
"Wiley found that Pinkney had threatened ... Judge Butzbaugh and used demeaning language, violations of a probation sentence Butzbaugh imposed in May 2007 for election fraud charges," reported The Herald Palladium, a stenographic daily newspaper notorious for its unflinching belief in the official version of events. All relevant judicial edicts, the operations of the sheriff's department and other official policies and procedures have been taken at face value by the Palladium and other conventional media. No meaningful questions have been asked by the area's docile print and broadcast reporters.
So, because Judge Wiley "found" the article threatening without any apparent independent review of the entire article by an impartial party, he sent Pinkney, now 59, up the river to the state pen in Jackson for "violating" a probation sentence that sought to squelch Pinkney's free speech rights by imposing a gag order, according to noted civil rights attorney Hugh "Buck" Davis, who donated his services to Pinkney.
Davis told AFP during this reporter's July 8 "When Worlds Collide" radio show on the Republic Broadcasting Network, that this case is much more significant than many people realize.
"As far as I know he's the first preacher in America to get put into prison for quoting the Bible," Davis said.
The local media did not reprint Pinkney's "threatening" article in its entirety, nor any reasonably substantial excerpts, so there has not been a way for local citizens to objectively decide whether Butzbaugh was genuinely threatened; and even if the article could be construed as threatening, the question remains: Should judges be allowed to impose sweeping gag orders to prevent free speech, and cast people into prison when they speak out anyway? It's not as if Pinkney was a killer, rapist or other dangerous offender.
Judge Butzbaugh first imposed probation after a March 2007 jury trial in which Pinkney was deemed guilty of election fraud. Pinkney had launched a successful recall election in February 2005, removing Benton Harbor City Commission Glen Yarbrough from office by 54 votes after the commissioner had supported the Harbor Shores condos-golf development that some locals saw as an elite 500-acre land-grab that would annex some of the property that now makes up Jean Klock Park along Lake Michigan (a proposal for Harbor Shores to lease 22 acres of the park from the city was later floated). The father of Jean Klock named it after her when she died during childhood; the park was a gift to the city several decades ago. But since a few holes of a Jack Nicklaus "Signature" Golf Course that is part of Harbor Shores encroached upon this land in the city's only beachside park, Pinkey took issue with this and started a recall that succeeded. This, perhaps, was his real "crime." He was too effective.
"You've got free speech in this country until you start making a difference," Davis commented to AFP. "At first, he was just an 'eccentric' ... but later they saw him as a threat."
Yarbrough went to the county clerk and complained about being recalled. He was directed to the prosecutor's office. That office sued Benton Harbor's city clerk over the recall, and eventually another judge invalidated that election and set the stage for another one. And since, according to Davis, local authorities had been questioning and intimidating city residents in their effort to get some "dirt" on Pinkney to counter his rising effectiveness as a community leader and judicial system critic, the voter turnout at a second recall election was suppressed and Yarbrough was reinstated to his City Commission seat.
You would think his reinstatement would suffice, but the "machine" was not done with Pinkney. The testimony of a local prostitute in the March 2007 trial was considered good enough to "prove" that Pinkney had mishandled three absentee ballots during the first recall election. Although he was accused of skirting Michigan's questionable "gotcha" law --in which merely possessing absentee ballots that do not belong to a relative or resident of the same household is actually a felony -- Pinkney conceded that he gave three voters stamps and address labels with which to mail their ballots, but insisted he did not mishandle or deliver them to the local clerk himself.
The defense pointed out that if Pinkney planned on improperly handling or delivering other people's ballots, then why give those voters postage so they could mail in their own completed ballots?
Pinkney also was accused of buying votes when he paid some activists $5 each to hand out fliers before the first recall election. However, authorities claimed he paid people the same sum to sway them into voting in favor of recalling Yarbrough. However, Mancel Williams, a local resident, whom Yarbrough reportedly located himself, changed his story after first alleging that the vote-buying was true. However, Williams later alleged that Yarbrough paid him $10 to get him to say that Pinkney paid him $5 to directly influence votes. This is indeed odd in an age when local, state and federal officials routinely dole out funds from the public treasury, or give zoning breaks, regulatory favors and other perks to varied interests in exchange for votes and campaign contributions.
Pinkney was a well-known figure long before his election fraud trial. He was one of the most outspoken activists in Benton Harbor who worked to bring sanity back to town and seek justice in the wake of limited riots that erupted there in the summer of 2003. He often picketed the courthouse and took issue with the judicial system in general. He protested the police-state tactics imposed to stop the rioting. Virtual military-level forces were sent into this former industrial town along Lake Michigan [see AFP, # 1 & 2, January 2004, Inside the Rise & Fall of an American Town,], even though Pinkney insists the rioting was more limited than the conventional TV reporters, print journalists and their allies in law enforcement claimed it was.
This AFP reporter, having often reported on the various ways in which the North American Free Trade Agreement has seriously injured towns like Benton Harbor, grew up in the area. Benton Harbor was once a booming town, teeming with industry that supported a thrifty middle class -- the crucial ingredient for genuine economic prosperity. The current perpetual Congressman, wealthy Republican Fred Upton, a Whirlpool Corp. heir, has always supported NAFTA and other trade pacts that largely have brought disaster upon the working class in southwest and southeast Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and other areas across the nation that once thrived with the vital production jobs whose absence explains most of the serious economic downturn that has most people "on the ropes." The Congressman rarely if ever discusses the trade issues that are his Achilles heel, and local media give him a free pass on this and other crucial issues, portraying him as the "golden boy" of the area who can do no wrong.
Indeed, supplier Modern Plastics, among the few remaining local industries, was just closed by owners who directly blamed trade policy with China as the major culprit. "We could not pass on price increases to customers because they're struggling, too," said Robert Orlaske, executive vice president. "One big customer just pulled out and took its business to Mexico, China and Ohio. We're competing against China for every job. We can't compete with them, unfortunately."
Against this back drop of a once-thriving city that has been sharply declining for too long, save for some promising downtown businesses that are working hard to survive and prosper, AFP interviewed Pinkney in the fall of 2007. While concerned about Benton Harbor's status and future, he seemed sincere and credible as he explained the situation. He was under house arrest -- a prisoner in his own Union Street home -- at the time, due to his sentence from the 2007 trial. Amazingly, he was first tried in March 2006 but there was a hung jury. Yet officialdom kept him on a long leash until they could try him again a year later.
By December 2007 he was locked in the county jail for an anticipated one-year sentence as part of his original punishment. His wife, Dorothy, later told AFP that he perhaps would have been released for good by August 2008. However, the judicial system stepped in and tossed him in the dungeon, so to speak, making sure freedom would not come. His prison sentence in Jackson was reported as "3-10 years."
Dorothy is shaken that her husband has been taken away after believing that his former house arrest and his anticipated one year in the county jail were easily enough punishment for a flimsy election fraud conviction. "It was not about law at all," she told AFP. "My husband was a 'threat' and had too much influence on the public, so they had to confine him."
In her view: "They don't want him free."
Could any one of us end up in Pinkney's shoes someday if we decide to stop watching sports, drinking suds and fix our society instead? Time will tell.
Write to Rev. Pinkney at: JACKSON STATE PRISON RECEPTION CENTER
Rev. Edward Pinkney # 294671-22-4, 3855 Cooper Street, Jackson, Michigan 49201
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ricky Hill must think BH citizens care not for Jean Klock Park
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Media Release: New Report Blasts Upton's Latest Promotion of Risky Atomic Power
Tue, 1 Jul 2008
From: Kevin Kamps
*NEWS FROM BEYOND NUCLEAR*
For Immediate Release Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Contact: Kevin Kamps 301.270.2209 (o)
or 240. 462. 3216 (cell)
Watchdog Group Blasts Congressman'sLatest Promotion of Risky Atomic Power
New Beyond Nuclear Report Examines Longstanding
Pro-Nuclear Record of Rep. Upton
Takoma Park, MD A fresh examination of the congressional record of
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI 6th District) reveals a consistent championing of
the nuclear industry's financial wish list regardless of safety and
security issues that could threaten the wellbeing of Michiganders.
Beyond Nuclear released its new report today in response to Congressman
Upton's latest promotion of nuclear power at a press conference held at
Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman, MI. On June 30, Upton unveiled the
Clean and Safe Energy (CASEnergy) Coalition's national initiative to
construct at least 30 new atomic reactors across the nation. CASEnergy
is a nuclear front group, created and funded by the industry's
Washington, D.C. lobby and public relations arm, the Nuclear Energy
Institute.
The report - /Fred Upton, One of the Nuclear Power Industry's Best
Friends in Congress /found that Upton has marched in lockstep with the
Bush administrationb's nuclear power expansion plans, championing such
nuclear power industry priorities as the Yucca Mountain dumpsite for
high-level radioactive wastes; massive subsidies and tax breaks for the
construction of new atomic reactors; and a revival of reprocessing that
would risk nuclear weapons proliferation overseas. In addition, Upton
has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions
from electric utilities, the energy/natural resources sector, and the
nuclear power industry. The full report, a summary, and supporting
documentation can be viewed at
http://www.beyondnuclear.org/Subsidies.html under the Breaking News
section.
Kevin Kamps, author of the report, a Kalamazoo native, a board member of
Donbt Waste Michigan, and member of the Great Lakes United
Nuclear-Free/
Green Energy Task Force said of his findings:
"It's high time for Congressman Upton to work on behalf of the health,
safety, and pocketbooks of southwest Michigan's residents and taxpayers,
rather than the nuclear power industry's bottomless greed.
The atomic power subsidies that Upton supports will transfer the huge
financial risks from the nuclear power industry onto the backs of
hard-working American taxpayers. These billion dollar giveaways go to an
industry that has already enjoyed lavish subsidies at the expense of
U.S. taxpayers and ratepayers for the past 50 years. The tally to date
is at least $500 billion in research and development support, liability
coverage in the event of catastrophic radiation releases, high-level
radioactive waste management costs, and much more.
Given the hefty corporate campaign contributions Upton receives from
the nuclear power industry, itbs natural to question whether his
loyalties lie with Michigan residents or with those lining his campaign
pockets.
Upton has failed to protect public safety and security against failures
at Palisades and Cook nuclear power plants. Now he wants to give away
billions of taxpayer dollars to help the nuclear industry build more
radioactive bull's-eyes, reactors that are vulnerable to accidents and
attacks.
It's ironic that Upton called for over 30 new atomic reactors on the
very day that the Barnwell, South Carolina waste dumpsite closed its
doors to Michigan's radioactive refuse. Now those wastes will begin
piling up at Cook and Palisades nuclear plants on the Lake Michigan
shoreline, with nowhere to go.
We urge Congressman Upton to stop promoting the dead end that is nuclear
power, and instead secure federal funding for genuinely safe, secure,
reliable, and clean renewable sources of electricity, such as solar and
wind power. Michigan has an abundance of such renewable energy
resources, which, along with energy efficiency measures, would create
many thousands of well-paid jobs in the state, while protecting public
health, the environment, and the climate.
Despite Upton's pro-nuclear stance, his constituents appear to feel
differently. In the June 30th edition of "Fred's Survey of the Week",
posted on Congressman Upton's Web site, 59% of respondents stated that
renewable energy sources should contribute more than 25% of electricity
in a broader U.S. energy strategy.
Kevin Kamps
Radioactive Waste Watchdog
Beyond Nuclear
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 400
Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
Office phone: (301) 270-2209
Cell phone: (240) 462-3216
Fax: (301) 270-4000
kevin@beyondnuclear.org
www.beyondnuclear.org
From: Kevin Kamps
*NEWS FROM BEYOND NUCLEAR*
For Immediate Release Date: Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Contact: Kevin Kamps 301.270.2209 (o)
or 240. 462. 3216 (cell)
Watchdog Group Blasts Congressman'sLatest Promotion of Risky Atomic Power
New Beyond Nuclear Report Examines Longstanding
Pro-Nuclear Record of Rep. Upton
Takoma Park, MD A fresh examination of the congressional record of
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI 6th District) reveals a consistent championing of
the nuclear industry's financial wish list regardless of safety and
security issues that could threaten the wellbeing of Michiganders.
Beyond Nuclear released its new report today in response to Congressman
Upton's latest promotion of nuclear power at a press conference held at
Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman, MI. On June 30, Upton unveiled the
Clean and Safe Energy (CASEnergy) Coalition's national initiative to
construct at least 30 new atomic reactors across the nation. CASEnergy
is a nuclear front group, created and funded by the industry's
Washington, D.C. lobby and public relations arm, the Nuclear Energy
Institute.
The report - /Fred Upton, One of the Nuclear Power Industry's Best
Friends in Congress /found that Upton has marched in lockstep with the
Bush administrationb's nuclear power expansion plans, championing such
nuclear power industry priorities as the Yucca Mountain dumpsite for
high-level radioactive wastes; massive subsidies and tax breaks for the
construction of new atomic reactors; and a revival of reprocessing that
would risk nuclear weapons proliferation overseas. In addition, Upton
has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions
from electric utilities, the energy/natural resources sector, and the
nuclear power industry. The full report, a summary, and supporting
documentation can be viewed at
http://www.beyondnuclear.org/Subsidies.html
section.
Kevin Kamps, author of the report, a Kalamazoo native, a board member of
Donbt Waste Michigan, and member of the Great Lakes United
Nuclear-Free/
Green Energy Task Force said of his findings:
"It's high time for Congressman Upton to work on behalf of the health,
safety, and pocketbooks of southwest Michigan's residents and taxpayers,
rather than the nuclear power industry's bottomless greed.
The atomic power subsidies that Upton supports will transfer the huge
financial risks from the nuclear power industry onto the backs of
hard-working American taxpayers. These billion dollar giveaways go to an
industry that has already enjoyed lavish subsidies at the expense of
U.S. taxpayers and ratepayers for the past 50 years. The tally to date
is at least $500 billion in research and development support, liability
coverage in the event of catastrophic radiation releases, high-level
radioactive waste management costs, and much more.
Given the hefty corporate campaign contributions Upton receives from
the nuclear power industry, itbs natural to question whether his
loyalties lie with Michigan residents or with those lining his campaign
pockets.
Upton has failed to protect public safety and security against failures
at Palisades and Cook nuclear power plants. Now he wants to give away
billions of taxpayer dollars to help the nuclear industry build more
radioactive bull's-eyes, reactors that are vulnerable to accidents and
attacks.
It's ironic that Upton called for over 30 new atomic reactors on the
very day that the Barnwell, South Carolina waste dumpsite closed its
doors to Michigan's radioactive refuse. Now those wastes will begin
piling up at Cook and Palisades nuclear plants on the Lake Michigan
shoreline, with nowhere to go.
We urge Congressman Upton to stop promoting the dead end that is nuclear
power, and instead secure federal funding for genuinely safe, secure,
reliable, and clean renewable sources of electricity, such as solar and
wind power. Michigan has an abundance of such renewable energy
resources, which, along with energy efficiency measures, would create
many thousands of well-paid jobs in the state, while protecting public
health, the environment, and the climate.
Despite Upton's pro-nuclear stance, his constituents appear to feel
differently. In the June 30th edition of "Fred's Survey of the Week",
posted on Congressman Upton's Web site, 59% of respondents stated that
renewable energy sources should contribute more than 25% of electricity
in a broader U.S. energy strategy.
Kevin Kamps
Radioactive Waste Watchdog
Beyond Nuclear
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 400
Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
Office phone: (301) 270-2209
Cell phone: (240) 462-3216
Fax: (301) 270-4000
kevin@beyondnuclear.org
www.beyondnuclear.org
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Berrien County: Justice v. The Bible
http://wmnc.biz/Archives.htm
(click on July - photos of judges accompany this article by Pat Foster)
On June 26 there was a Hearing in Berrien County for the Rev. Pinkney's violation of Article 15 of his probation before Judge Wiley. This Article dealt with using any form of media to "threaten" the judiciary. His alleged violation was a quote he made from Deuteronomy. A minister from the United Methodist Church in Detroit who taught theology and scripture was questioned on the stand regarding this passage. He stated that the meaning of the passage was "that God would bring down either blessings or curses upon a person based upon their actions."
Since this verse was aimed at Judge Butzbaugh, who had recused himself from hearing any further actions in the case, and Judge Wiley could think of nothing wrong with Judge Butzbaugh, he sentenced the Rev. Pinkney to prison for 3 to 10 years after admonishing him for stealing an election. Was he right?
Facts: The Rev. Pinkney started a petition to recall a council member who was voting to allow the privatization of a public park. The election resulted in his recall by 54 votes. Judge Maloney heard a case brought by the prosecutor, not the official as required by law. He looked at only seven votes, and could not invalidate one of them, yet overturned the will of the people, and reinstated this official so he could vote for the privatization of a public park. It turns out that Judge Butzbaugh owns the real estate company that is developing this park, and heard a case against the Reverend brought again by the same prosecutor stating that he allegedly paid people to vote for the recall. Out of the four people who testified against the Reverend, two have retracted saying they were pressured by the prosecutor, and the Reverend was given a lie detector test which he passed with flying colors.
By the way, do you, Judge Wiley, have a financial interest in the development of this public park? Do you have a financial interest in Ship Street Realty, which stands to make large profits from this development?
(click on July - photos of judges accompany this article by Pat Foster)
On June 26 there was a Hearing in Berrien County for the Rev. Pinkney's violation of Article 15 of his probation before Judge Wiley. This Article dealt with using any form of media to "threaten" the judiciary. His alleged violation was a quote he made from Deuteronomy. A minister from the United Methodist Church in Detroit who taught theology and scripture was questioned on the stand regarding this passage. He stated that the meaning of the passage was "that God would bring down either blessings or curses upon a person based upon their actions."
Since this verse was aimed at Judge Butzbaugh, who had recused himself from hearing any further actions in the case, and Judge Wiley could think of nothing wrong with Judge Butzbaugh, he sentenced the Rev. Pinkney to prison for 3 to 10 years after admonishing him for stealing an election. Was he right?
Facts: The Rev. Pinkney started a petition to recall a council member who was voting to allow the privatization of a public park. The election resulted in his recall by 54 votes. Judge Maloney heard a case brought by the prosecutor, not the official as required by law. He looked at only seven votes, and could not invalidate one of them, yet overturned the will of the people, and reinstated this official so he could vote for the privatization of a public park. It turns out that Judge Butzbaugh owns the real estate company that is developing this park, and heard a case against the Reverend brought again by the same prosecutor stating that he allegedly paid people to vote for the recall. Out of the four people who testified against the Reverend, two have retracted saying they were pressured by the prosecutor, and the Reverend was given a lie detector test which he passed with flying colors.
By the way, do you, Judge Wiley, have a financial interest in the development of this public park? Do you have a financial interest in Ship Street Realty, which stands to make large profits from this development?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Newspaper article with commentary
Larger Than Local (re: Harbor Shores)
Herald Palladium, May 23, by Kevin Allen
excerpts & commentary:
"There are issues that are sort of universal in nature, about the battle over where we draw the line of what is appropriate economic development," said Hugh McDiarmid, spokesman for the Mich. Environmental Council. McDiarmid said the Nat'l. Park Service would set a dangerous precedent if it allows Harbor Shores to lease 22 acres of the 73-acre park, which was given to Benton Harbor as a gift in 1917.
"From our standpoint, the visibility [publicity] is important, that it be seen as something larger than just a local issue," McDiarmid said. "Some of the principles involved transcend the immediate issues that are of concern to people in Benton Harbor and Berrien County." [Berrien County "players" & developers would disagree with McDiarmid, much preferring to operate in isolation, doing things the "Berrien Way" as they have for decades. Secret meetings without documentation, etc.]
Carol Drake, vice president of Friends of Jean Klock Park: "This is a huge controversy and is precedent-setting, and I'm not surprised at all that people from all over are watching this," she said. "It is more than just a local story."
Drake said the organization's Web site receives a sharp increase in traffic after a newspaper article appears in another market. "We get e-mails from people all over who say how important it is to not let this park be used for these purposes," she said. "A lot of people are paying attention to this."
Cindy Arch, who works in Novi as exec. director of Defense of Place: "Vulnerable places are going to be the first ones to go down." [to corporate land destruction]
Jeff Noel, a Harbor Shores trustee and Whirlpool's vice president for communications and public affairs, said the media attention suggests that Harbor Shores developers are creating a good product. [PRODUCT? humanitarian and ecological disaster as "product?" Read: Whirlpool propaganda. It sounds like Jeff "the Gangsta" - Whirlpool's nickname for him - may not have read the various media reports referred to here if he thinks thinks they're "good."]
"It also sends a message that the not-for-profit organizations developing Harbor Shores are on to something," he said. [What they are "on to" is how to provide cover for the mother ship Whirlpool, in it's mega-greed theft & destruction of land which is deeded to Benton Harbor for eternity. Those non-profits like Cornerstone are sucking all kinds of funds right out from under Benton Harbor. Whirlpool's ethical founders, Louis, Frederick, and Emory Upton are turning in their graves.]
Jeff Noel said the Twin Cities' struggles with the economy and race relations reverberate around the nation. [There's no question about that. People, especially people of color, are on the edge of their seats to see how the next grand land theft and population displacement will go down.]
"I'm a big believer that when an issue is as complicated as this one, that if the reporters take the time to write about it, it helps people make informed decisions," Noel said. [Sure, Jeff.
This issue is as complicated as any Hollywood heist movie. Just one big robbery. And, like in the movies, the bad guys could care less about the human and environmental ramifications. You told Uof M Business School that to prevent anyone from getting in your way, you give them some washing machines. We know you'll stop at nothing, Jeff "the gangsta".]
Herald Palladium, May 23, by Kevin Allen
excerpts & commentary:
"There are issues that are sort of universal in nature, about the battle over where we draw the line of what is appropriate economic development," said Hugh McDiarmid, spokesman for the Mich. Environmental Council. McDiarmid said the Nat'l. Park Service would set a dangerous precedent if it allows Harbor Shores to lease 22 acres of the 73-acre park, which was given to Benton Harbor as a gift in 1917.
"From our standpoint, the visibility [publicity] is important, that it be seen as something larger than just a local issue," McDiarmid said. "Some of the principles involved transcend the immediate issues that are of concern to people in Benton Harbor and Berrien County." [Berrien County "players" & developers would disagree with McDiarmid, much preferring to operate in isolation, doing things the "Berrien Way" as they have for decades. Secret meetings without documentation, etc.]
Carol Drake, vice president of Friends of Jean Klock Park: "This is a huge controversy and is precedent-setting, and I'm not surprised at all that people from all over are watching this," she said. "It is more than just a local story."
Drake said the organization's Web site receives a sharp increase in traffic after a newspaper article appears in another market. "We get e-mails from people all over who say how important it is to not let this park be used for these purposes," she said. "A lot of people are paying attention to this."
Cindy Arch, who works in Novi as exec. director of Defense of Place: "Vulnerable places are going to be the first ones to go down." [to corporate land destruction]
Jeff Noel, a Harbor Shores trustee and Whirlpool's vice president for communications and public affairs, said the media attention suggests that Harbor Shores developers are creating a good product. [PRODUCT? humanitarian and ecological disaster as "product?" Read: Whirlpool propaganda. It sounds like Jeff "the Gangsta" - Whirlpool's nickname for him - may not have read the various media reports referred to here if he thinks thinks they're "good."]
"It also sends a message that the not-for-profit organizations developing Harbor Shores are on to something," he said. [What they are "on to" is how to provide cover for the mother ship Whirlpool, in it's mega-greed theft & destruction of land which is deeded to Benton Harbor for eternity. Those non-profits like Cornerstone are sucking all kinds of funds right out from under Benton Harbor. Whirlpool's ethical founders, Louis, Frederick, and Emory Upton are turning in their graves.]
Jeff Noel said the Twin Cities' struggles with the economy and race relations reverberate around the nation. [There's no question about that. People, especially people of color, are on the edge of their seats to see how the next grand land theft and population displacement will go down.]
"I'm a big believer that when an issue is as complicated as this one, that if the reporters take the time to write about it, it helps people make informed decisions," Noel said. [Sure, Jeff.
This issue is as complicated as any Hollywood heist movie. Just one big robbery. And, like in the movies, the bad guys could care less about the human and environmental ramifications. You told Uof M Business School that to prevent anyone from getting in your way, you give them some washing machines. We know you'll stop at nothing, Jeff "the gangsta".]
Monday, June 02, 2008
4 minute video on police harassment, media, Rev. Pinkney, etc.
http://wmnc.biz/PhilBassett.htm (scroll down to video)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
More media picks up the Harbor Shores disaster story
“Perhaps some of you do not own a foot of ground. Remember then, that this is your park, it belongs to you,” said John Klock, a local newspaper publisher, when he gave the land to the city of Benton Harbor in 1917 in honor of his daughter.
Chicago Reader
May 22, 08
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/theseparts08/bentonharbor/
Chicago Reader
May 22, 08
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/theseparts08/bentonharbor/
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Must Read if you care about democracy
Since we're on the topic of media, a seminal book on the topic is The New Media Monopoly
by Ben Bagdikian. The following description from benbagdikian.net applies to all areas in the US including Berrien County:
The New Media Monopoly describes the cartel of five giant media conglomerates who now control the media on which a majority of Americans say they most rely. These five are not just large — though they are all among the 325 largest corporations in the world — they are unique among all huge corporations: they are a major factor in changing the politics of the United States and they condition the social values of children and adults alike.
These five huge corporations — Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS) — own most of the newspapers, magazines, books, radio and TV stations, and movie studios of the United States.
These Big Five (with General Electric's NBC a close sixth) do not manufacture automobiles, or clothing, or nuts and bolts. They manufacture politics and social values. The media conglomerates have been a major force in creating conservative and far right politics in the country. They have almost single-handedly as a group, in their radio and television dominance, produced a coarse and vulgar culture that celebrates the most demeaning characteristics in the human psyche — greed, deceit, and cheating as a legitimate way to win (as in the various "reality" shows).
It is not just national economics that is at stake — though their power has led to the government's somnolence of anti-trust action. Nor is it just the neglect of broadcast media giantism by the government agencies that by law are still required to operate "in the public interest." The public interest is to have the country's largest broadcasting system in the world provide diversity in news, opinion, and commentary that serves all Americans, right, left, and independent, as well as access to their local stations as well as true choices in national programs.
What is at stake is American democracy itself. A country without all the significant news, points of view, and information its citizens need to be informed voters is risking the loss of democratic rights. Voters without genuine choices and without the information they need to choose what meets their own needs and wishes has produced something alarming: on Election Day our voters are forced to vote for what is the narrowest political choices among all industrial democracies of the world.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sean Bell Verdict Complicates Things for Obama
Special Edition - April 25, 2008 - blackcommentator.com
By Roberto Lovato
The acquittal, Friday, April 25th 2008, of the 3 police officers accused of killing Sean Bell in November of 2006 will complicate Barack Obama’s efforts to win the presidency in November 2008. His candidacy already mired in the racial machinations of his opponents, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Obama will find himself having to maneuver between the need to speak out on the most egregious, high profile example of institutional racism and police brutality since the Rodney King Incident and the need to deflect Clinton and McCain’s racialized attacks aimed at fomenting white fear of blacks and other non-whites.
While it has helped him win white votes, Obama’s approach to dealing with such racism by pointing to the black and white pictures of the civil rights past will not help him with his base in the black community and other communities. With the 16th anniversary of the Rodney King incident looming on the horizon this August 29th, none of us will be in any mood to hear calls to “hope” or “change” without similar calls to “justice”.
Unfortunately for Obama’s presidential bid, calls to justice from African American and other groups often trigger fear among some (not all) white voters. The platechtonic political shifts brought on by the Republican party’s Southern Strategy were premised on precisely these racial and political calculations. With the help of political strategist Kevin Phillips, Richard Nixon pointed to black anger as a way to persuade to white southern voters that the Republican Party could best represent their interests.
At a time when blatant racial codes have given way to the subtler racism of a post-Southern Strategy era, Obama finds his historic presidential bid bogged down by the new racial codes being engineered by the Clinton and McCain campaigns-and the mainstream media. Responses to the Sean Bell verdict will surely provide new codes, more political and racial fodder to those who won’t let the Jeremiah Wright scandal rest; those who seem to make racialized remarks involving Obama right before big primary votes; those who appeal to white fear among voters by linking Obama to fabricated images of black anger.
Obama’s attempts to speak about real black anger during his Philadelphia speech appear to have been not well received if the media’s ongoing obsession with Jeremiah Wright is any indicator. Failure to use his rhetorical gifts to speak forcefully to and about real black and non-black anger about the Sean Bell verdict may re-animate doubts about commitment to that part of his base that is not white middle and working class.
Beyond Obama, all of us need to raise our voices and point at the abyss of our country’s institutional racism as was painfully and transparently reflected in the Sean Bell verdict. We might want to start by pushing Obama, Clinton and McCain-and the mainstream media- to speak honestly and continually about what the 50 bullets in Sean Bell say about justice in the 50 states of our tattered and bloodied union.
BlackCommentator.com Guest Commentator Roberto Lovato is a contributing Associate Editor with New America Media. He is also a frequent contributor to The Nation and his work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Salon, Der Spiegel, Utne Magazine, La Opinion, and other national and international media outlets. Prior to becoming a writer, Roberto was the Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), then the country’s largest immigrant rights organization. Click here to contact him or via his Of América blog.
By Roberto Lovato
The acquittal, Friday, April 25th 2008, of the 3 police officers accused of killing Sean Bell in November of 2006 will complicate Barack Obama’s efforts to win the presidency in November 2008. His candidacy already mired in the racial machinations of his opponents, Hillary Clinton and John McCain, Obama will find himself having to maneuver between the need to speak out on the most egregious, high profile example of institutional racism and police brutality since the Rodney King Incident and the need to deflect Clinton and McCain’s racialized attacks aimed at fomenting white fear of blacks and other non-whites.
While it has helped him win white votes, Obama’s approach to dealing with such racism by pointing to the black and white pictures of the civil rights past will not help him with his base in the black community and other communities. With the 16th anniversary of the Rodney King incident looming on the horizon this August 29th, none of us will be in any mood to hear calls to “hope” or “change” without similar calls to “justice”.
Unfortunately for Obama’s presidential bid, calls to justice from African American and other groups often trigger fear among some (not all) white voters. The platechtonic political shifts brought on by the Republican party’s Southern Strategy were premised on precisely these racial and political calculations. With the help of political strategist Kevin Phillips, Richard Nixon pointed to black anger as a way to persuade to white southern voters that the Republican Party could best represent their interests.
At a time when blatant racial codes have given way to the subtler racism of a post-Southern Strategy era, Obama finds his historic presidential bid bogged down by the new racial codes being engineered by the Clinton and McCain campaigns-and the mainstream media. Responses to the Sean Bell verdict will surely provide new codes, more political and racial fodder to those who won’t let the Jeremiah Wright scandal rest; those who seem to make racialized remarks involving Obama right before big primary votes; those who appeal to white fear among voters by linking Obama to fabricated images of black anger.
Obama’s attempts to speak about real black anger during his Philadelphia speech appear to have been not well received if the media’s ongoing obsession with Jeremiah Wright is any indicator. Failure to use his rhetorical gifts to speak forcefully to and about real black and non-black anger about the Sean Bell verdict may re-animate doubts about commitment to that part of his base that is not white middle and working class.
Beyond Obama, all of us need to raise our voices and point at the abyss of our country’s institutional racism as was painfully and transparently reflected in the Sean Bell verdict. We might want to start by pushing Obama, Clinton and McCain-and the mainstream media- to speak honestly and continually about what the 50 bullets in Sean Bell say about justice in the 50 states of our tattered and bloodied union.
BlackCommentator.com Guest Commentator Roberto Lovato is a contributing Associate Editor with New America Media. He is also a frequent contributor to The Nation and his work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Salon, Der Spiegel, Utne Magazine, La Opinion, and other national and international media outlets. Prior to becoming a writer, Roberto was the Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), then the country’s largest immigrant rights organization. Click here to contact him or via his Of América blog.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Stories From Another Planet (we wish)
Police hold an entire city in a State of Siege - scare one, scare all (enough to leave) and Whirlpool gets their golf course/environmental disaster!
A Benton Township man and his 70 year old mother face up to two years in jail for FALSELY being charged with resisting and obstructing police during a fire at their home.
A Berrien County jury took less than 90 minutes to find them guilty. Floyd Wade Jr., a next door neighbor told the jury that L.D. Fuse was only standing in the yard when police used a taser weapon to disable him. "I did not see him do anything wrong," Wade said. "He was just standing when the officer shot him." Wade testified that he was standing 6 to 7 feet from Fuse when police tasered him. Wade said Laura Fuse screamed, "You shot my baby." When her son was disabled, she became hysterical.
Timothy Kopaceski testified that he lives two blocks from the Fuse home. He, his wife Stephanie, and their two children heard the commotion and walked over. Kopaceski said he saw Fuse on the ground after being stunned by police, trying to get up. He said police administered a second jolt and an officer picked up Laura Fuse, manhandling her as he moved her to a police car. Stephanie Kopaceski testified she also saw Fuse on the ground and patrolman Scott Igert should "pay the price" for the way he treated a 70 year old woman. The jury found the Fuse family guilty - They were motivated by something other than the truth... but we're aware of problems with the Berrien jury system...
***************
Police brutality and profiling are severe only to the extent that county powers permit. Whirlpool Corp., the Berrien County administration, court system, and media (mainly the Herald Palladium) have colluded to create the various over-the-top abusive law enforcement agencies which have been in operation for decades here.
Benton Harbor police officer Andrew Collins is on trial for aggravated assault and disturbing the peace at Vickie's Sandbar, St. Joseph, MI. Collins is charged with assaulting Richard Imler, a bar bouncer who suffered a fractured skull when he was kicked, punched, and knocked to the ground. Collins is also being investigated for failure to follow protocol and failure to turn in drugs which were found in his possession. He has a long history of planting drugs on people, in cars, etc.
Benton Harbor police Chief Al Mingo should be held accountable for Officer Collin's actions. Collins once filed a false police report, was caught, and given 30 days off work without pay. He threatened to go public with the illegal activities of the BH police dept. and county court system. Mingo immediately took back the 30 days and gave Collins only five days. Where is the U.S. Dept. of Justice?
Benton Harbor: 94% black with police dept. 87% white. Black genocide from the cradle to the grave. Black life is at risk. The blue print for how the systematic killing of African-Americans is being carried out in BH is not invisible.
Addendum - A ray of justice: Collins resigned from the BH Police Dept. on Wed. (3/5/08), found guilty of assault and battery in Berrien County trial court on Friday. Collins also is the subject of an "internal investigation" in the dept. The state police and FBI should be called in to investigate not only Collins but Chief Mingo and the entire dept.
*************
Berrien County Jail is known for violating inmates constitutional rights
INCREDIBLE, UNBELIEVABLE CONDITIONS:
personal humiliation and intimidation
no tissue
no soap
no writing paper
50 degree cells
infected with disease
inedible food (25 cents spent per serving)
$10 per week 13" TV rental but turned on/off at will by deputy with no money back
$12 to get booked into jail (you pay them to arrest you)
fifteen second doctor visit is $25
overcrowded
allowed change of clothes once a week - inmates sleep in daytime clothing
all mail inspected including attorney correspondence
an inmate gets one small soiled towel and one soiled sheet
$43/day to stay there
phone calls all recorded and cost triple the normal amounts
The county and phone company have formed a monopoly so the inmates can be charged extra money and a super high rate. Rev. Pinkney has lost sixteen pounds so far.
Prisoner Rights:
http://www.schr.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoners'_rights
http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/criminal_help/prisoners.html
We wait for newspapers, TV, and radio to do the right thing.
Not to mention Gov. "if you vote for me, Whirlpool, I'll get you that golf course" Granholm.
checks to BANCO for heroic whistleblower Pinkney's legal fees:
BANCO
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
FREE PINKNEY
A Benton Township man and his 70 year old mother face up to two years in jail for FALSELY being charged with resisting and obstructing police during a fire at their home.
A Berrien County jury took less than 90 minutes to find them guilty. Floyd Wade Jr., a next door neighbor told the jury that L.D. Fuse was only standing in the yard when police used a taser weapon to disable him. "I did not see him do anything wrong," Wade said. "He was just standing when the officer shot him." Wade testified that he was standing 6 to 7 feet from Fuse when police tasered him. Wade said Laura Fuse screamed, "You shot my baby." When her son was disabled, she became hysterical.
Timothy Kopaceski testified that he lives two blocks from the Fuse home. He, his wife Stephanie, and their two children heard the commotion and walked over. Kopaceski said he saw Fuse on the ground after being stunned by police, trying to get up. He said police administered a second jolt and an officer picked up Laura Fuse, manhandling her as he moved her to a police car. Stephanie Kopaceski testified she also saw Fuse on the ground and patrolman Scott Igert should "pay the price" for the way he treated a 70 year old woman. The jury found the Fuse family guilty - They were motivated by something other than the truth... but we're aware of problems with the Berrien jury system...
***************
Police brutality and profiling are severe only to the extent that county powers permit. Whirlpool Corp., the Berrien County administration, court system, and media (mainly the Herald Palladium) have colluded to create the various over-the-top abusive law enforcement agencies which have been in operation for decades here.
Benton Harbor police officer Andrew Collins is on trial for aggravated assault and disturbing the peace at Vickie's Sandbar, St. Joseph, MI. Collins is charged with assaulting Richard Imler, a bar bouncer who suffered a fractured skull when he was kicked, punched, and knocked to the ground. Collins is also being investigated for failure to follow protocol and failure to turn in drugs which were found in his possession. He has a long history of planting drugs on people, in cars, etc.
Benton Harbor police Chief Al Mingo should be held accountable for Officer Collin's actions. Collins once filed a false police report, was caught, and given 30 days off work without pay. He threatened to go public with the illegal activities of the BH police dept. and county court system. Mingo immediately took back the 30 days and gave Collins only five days. Where is the U.S. Dept. of Justice?
Benton Harbor: 94% black with police dept. 87% white. Black genocide from the cradle to the grave. Black life is at risk. The blue print for how the systematic killing of African-Americans is being carried out in BH is not invisible.
Addendum - A ray of justice: Collins resigned from the BH Police Dept. on Wed. (3/5/08), found guilty of assault and battery in Berrien County trial court on Friday. Collins also is the subject of an "internal investigation" in the dept. The state police and FBI should be called in to investigate not only Collins but Chief Mingo and the entire dept.
*************
Berrien County Jail is known for violating inmates constitutional rights
INCREDIBLE, UNBELIEVABLE CONDITIONS:
personal humiliation and intimidation
no tissue
no soap
no writing paper
50 degree cells
infected with disease
inedible food (25 cents spent per serving)
$10 per week 13" TV rental but turned on/off at will by deputy with no money back
$12 to get booked into jail (you pay them to arrest you)
fifteen second doctor visit is $25
overcrowded
allowed change of clothes once a week - inmates sleep in daytime clothing
all mail inspected including attorney correspondence
an inmate gets one small soiled towel and one soiled sheet
$43/day to stay there
phone calls all recorded and cost triple the normal amounts
The county and phone company have formed a monopoly so the inmates can be charged extra money and a super high rate. Rev. Pinkney has lost sixteen pounds so far.
Prisoner Rights:
http://www.schr.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoners'_rights
http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/criminal_help/prisoners.html
We wait for newspapers, TV, and radio to do the right thing.
Not to mention Gov. "if you vote for me, Whirlpool, I'll get you that golf course" Granholm.
checks to BANCO for heroic whistleblower Pinkney's legal fees:
BANCO
1940 Union St.
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
FREE PINKNEY
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Michigan Public Radio
Reports are coming in from various Michigan locales that Public Radio aired a fair and even-handed broadcast on Benton Harbor, the Judge, Rev. Pinkney, etc. during the past couple of days. We've heard that it lasted from 2 to 3 minutes. Mainstream media attention outside of southwestern Michigan is what has been sorely lacking, and we hope this is only the beginning. The following are some of the countless websites where this topic is mentioned.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wakeupcallshow
http://playfulspirit.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/rev-edward-pinkney-fighing-racism-in-michigan/
http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2007/12/rev-edward-pinkney-arrested-at-his-home.html
http://www.phillyimc.org/or/2007/12/43835.shtml
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/14/18466911.php
http://reddit.com/info/1l8vu/comments
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26256
http://en.redtram.com/go/69245404/
http://northstarcenter.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/injustice-in-benton-harbor-reverend-pinkney-speaks/
http://s.technorati.com/bhbanco.blogspot.com
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?Itemid=34&id=178&option=com_content&task=view
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/link.php?id=47944
http://www.blogtalkradio.com
http://playfulspirit.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/rev-edward-pinkney-fighing-racism-in-michigan/
http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2007/12/rev-edward-pinkney-arrested-at-his-home.html
http://www.phillyimc.org/or/2007/12/43835.shtml
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/14/18466911.php
http://reddit.com/info/1l8vu/comments
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26256
http://en.redtram.com/go/69245404/
http://northstarcenter.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/injustice-in-benton-harbor-reverend-pinkney-speaks/
http://s.technorati.com/bhbanco.blogspot.com
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?Itemid=34&id=178&option=com_content&task=view
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/link.php?id=47944
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