Monthly Archives: January 2012

Stop Garrets’ eviction: Block the dumpster. Now.

  January 31, 2012 - 6:21 am | ,
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If you’re reading this at any time on Tuesday, William and Bertha Garret need your help to block delivery of the dumpster meant to cart away everything in their house.

Starting at 6 a.m., the action needs people to stand guard and block the Garrets’ eviction throughout the day. Get to 17795 Pierson Street in northwest Detroit whenever you can.

People held off the dumpster on Monday until the truck carrying it drove away. Today, Bank of  New York Mellon, the company that’s evicting the Garrets from their home of 22 years, will be prepared.

Every single person counts. The Garrets need you today. They need you to stand vigil and they need you at a 5 p.m. rally at their house with People Before Banks, Moratorium Now, and Occupy Detroit.

They need you to take the steps laid out on the People Before Banks coalition’s home page, focused on the plight of Bertha and William Garret.

The Bank of New York Mellon foreclosed on the couple after their daughter was laid off and William suffered a stroke, according to the coalition.

Now legally blind and disabled, William needs to stay in the single-story house.

This is not a simple story. Bank of New York Mellon, which got $3 billion in taxpayer bailout money, bought the house at a sheriff’s sale for $12,000.

Bank of New York Mellon negotiated with the Garrets, but not in good faith.

The bank told the Garrets it would sell them their … [read more] Continue reading →

Defend Our Freedom – Why SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, and other bills are a bad idea

  January 23, 2012 - 11:31 am | ,
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"We have the best government that money can buy" - Mark Twain

Opinions by Stephen Boyle…

I can’t tell you how much I respect TED talks for the level of intelligent discourse they provide. They are usually very well thought through and researched. This video is exceptional in its level of giving you insight to DMCA, ACTA, SOPA, PIPA and other copyright oriented legislation in the US and abroad.

Freedom of information versus protection of content has become a huge conflict. It is an open war between the people and corporate entities. Has society advanced so far as to govern the people within it that government can assume the people have no ethical or morale responsibility?

Governance over freedom is being financed and the laws are becoming stricter all the time. These are the days when the people are rising up in protest. We are not intentional thieves. The cost of doing business has escalated far too high.

Technology has enabled wide-spread distribution of content with minimal knowledge or acknowledgement of who produced it. If we knew the people, not the corporations producing – the PEOPLE, we might find the public honoring the work of content producers more fairly.

Corporations place workers within their “body” and say we enable this content for your consumption – pay us. When we do we hope the producers in the corporation are paid for producing what we are consuming. The layers of … [read more] Continue reading →

Four Draft District Maps For Detroit

  January 22, 2012 - 9:33 pm |
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These maps segment the City of Detroit into seven districts. Monday and Tuesday the maps will be revealed to the City Council and the public.

Want to See and Sound Off? 

Public comment period during City Council meetings Monday & Tuesday, or a public hearing Tuesday 7pm at Liberty Temple Baptist Church, 17188 Greenfield, Detroit (at McNichols). An additional public hearing is being scheduled for next week and more may follow.

Preliminary Look

None of the maps has a downtown district, which if created enable a power-play of corporate strength versus the people. Each redistricting map does have a southwest district, which is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and could lead to the first Hispanic Mayor in time. As a copy of these maps becomes available this post will be updated to provide the information.

The draft maps were developed by the city Planning Commission, lead by Council President Charles Pugh.

Source:  Detroiters will be able to weigh in on 4 maps to redraw city council districts
(via Rochelle Riley | Detroit Free Press | freep.com)

TODAY Thou Shalt Not Kill Motorcade and Rally

  January 22, 2012 - 8:40 am |
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Pastor Ovella Andreas of United Communities for America invites everyone to attend a metro Detroit area day of peace and healing, and take a stand against violence in our community. This initiative to be held the 22nd day of each month is currently officially adopted in Detroit, Romulus, and Inkster Michigan.

First City Wide Thou Shall Not Kill Motorcade

January 22, 2012
Fellowship Chapel
7707 West Outer Drive
Detroit, MI  48235
4:00 Motorcade departing from Woodward & Adams (Grand Circus Park / Central United Methodist)
5:30 Rally at Fellowship Chapel

WE HAVE A PLAN… TOGETHER WE CAN …UNITED WE STAND
Contact: theucoa@yahoo.com | The UCOA website | Facebook page
Tune in to 1440 am weekdays @ noon for “Detroit prayer on the air”

GOD SAID
“THOU SHALL NOT KILL”
Would you like to plan a rally in your community?

We are in the process of distributing 50,000 Thou Shall Not Kill posters in the community. Let us unite and begin to make our city safe! We need everyone!

EVERY 22nd DAY IS THE CITY WIDE DAY OF PEACE AND HEALING
“MAKE PEACE”
Please SAVE THE DATES!