Photos From KNY Neighborhood Watch May 2010 Neighborhood Walk

Hey!  What do you folks think about all of this?

"Inquiring minds"... as the saying goes... "really want to know!"

"Rare video JFK 1960 Speech at the Houston Ministers"... Revising History... Orwell's "1984"... FFRF Action Alert... Facebook Petition... Other Videos, Information and Links on Topic

["Rare video JFK 1960 Speech at the Houston Ministers"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Jr03ADQmk ]

What do you think Abraham Lincoln or JFK would think about this?  What do "you" think about this? 
[I consider myself a Christian, in the "best sense" of the word, and I find this [Distorting facts (George Orwell's "1984" anyone?)] atrotious!

["YouTube - a Christian land governed by Christian principles"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdhGK9aYjDY&feature=player_embedded#! ]

["What John F. Kennedy Would Say To George Bush"; You Tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkryNyxlubY&feature=related ]

["Bill Maher-Revisionist History"; You Tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF_cqnAbrgE&feature=related]

["1984 George Orwell Movie Trailer (1984)"; You Tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4rBDUJTnNU ]

Pertinent Links:

"TalkeRR - Texas Text Books"; Road Runner; http://www.rr.com/news/talkerrtexastextbooks

"Freethought of the Day JfKennedy Quote"; http://ffrf.org/day/view/05/29/#john-f.-kennedy

"Action Alerts - News"; "Freedom From Religion Foundation" [Or, as reworded by me: "Freedom from historical distortion and religious tyranny..."]; http://ffrf.org/news/action/dunbar-america-is-a-christian-land-governed-by-christian-principles/

-----------------------------------------------------------
Snippet from the "Cuéntame Texas Textbooks - Petition Facebook"; http://www.facebook.com/cuentame?v=app_10339498918 ]:

"Keep Personal Partisan Agendas Out of Our Schools...  Tell textbook companies - 'I urge you not to produce textbooks based on the Texas Board of Education's curriculum standards until Texas politicians stop dragging children into the culture wars. Educational standards should be based on sound scholarship and expertise, not personal partisan political agendas....'" ["Cuéntame Texas Textbooks - Petition Facebook"; http://www.facebook.com/cuentame?v=app_10339498918  ]

"Cuomo Selects Rochester Mayor For Lieutenant Governor..." You Tube Video

["Cuomo Selects Rochester Mayor For Lieutenant Governor - NY1.com.mp4"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-CZygvWTm0 ]

"The War Is Making You Poor Act" Rep Alan Grayson... You Tube Video and Sources... "Womens Health Matters"... Link

["YouTube - 'Rep Alan Grayson Introduces the War Is Making You Poor Act'"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0_TtYQEDTo ]

"Rep. Alan Grayson The War Is Making You Poor Act"; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/the-war-is-making-you-poo_b_585343.html

"'h.r.5353 War Is Making You Poor Act' - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress"; http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h5353/show ]

"The War Is Making You Poor Act"; http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-news-section/81-81/2020-the-war-is-making-you-poor-act ]

"Tell Your Member of Congress Support The War Is Making You Poor Act":  http://salsa.mydccc.org/o/30019/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=35

------------------------------------------------------------

On Another "Front":

"Women's Health Matters Home Page"; http://womenshealthmattersny.org/

Post and Research Study Deleted... You Tube Video

"Trauma and Recovery: Send me a song by Celtic Woman";  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIXrDPou92o]

This video was previously associated with a research study I was going to undertake, but I got no responses - and I am moving the project idea from my "to do" list. It is a nice video (from You Tube) - anyhoot!

Safety Net Issue - Open Forum - When is Enough Enough... Opinion Piece

Opinion Piece:

I find the fact that the Ulster County (U.C.) Legislature voted down a change (a desired monetary burden shift from K-NY to the County of Ulster) in the way the Safty Net is funded - when it comes to the City of Kingston - is shocking (at best) and disgraceful (at worst). 

The inequity in the way the Safety Net (in regard to K-NY / UC-NY) is currently funded - is glaring - and how anyone [particularly our political representatives (A lot of U.C. Legislatures may be losing their positions soon, due to structural changes - so (listen up) - a position on the UC Legislature is bound to become much more competitive...!)] could "not" see "that" is beyond me.

So, now that the City of Kingston is reputedly going to sue (I'm not sure this is definite yet.) the County of Ulster --- regarding the funding of the Safety Net --- I say hurrah (!) - because it seems to me as if K-NY taxpayers have been getting fed the sludge (in many ways; this being just one...) at the bottom of  the sewage pipes (blocked, apparently, all over town, to boot!) for way too long.

1.  An inequity (again, these are my opinions...) in the way the Safety net is funded.

2.  A U.C. Department of Social Services that apparently doesn't even know the correct address of the people that it is providing services for...  [Another illegitimate price-tag thus far pushed off on K-NY taxpayers...]

3.  Property tax assessments (courtesty of GAR Associates) out of whack all over the place (as demonstrated by the number of Kingston taxpayers that sucessfully contested their property tax assessments last year, and won...)].

4.  Over 40% of K-NY properties (not-for-profits, religious and non) reputedly off (or partially off) the tax roles; and...

5.  Some questionable budgetary issues ["Sunshine" anyone?] in regard to some [my opinons; my opinions; my opinions...] of  the above [I'm specifically addressing #4]

How did the Safety Net issue get voted on so quickly - when most issues [from stop signs and street lights to bagging leaves and cats...] seem to take forever?  I thought the public was going to have a chance to submit [This (at the U.C. level...) certainly deserved an open forum!] some collective [Did I miss something?] imput (?!?)

Why wouldn't U.C. Executive Michael Hein (as reputedly suggested by the assistant K-NY Corporation Council) allow an open meeting - with the U.C. Department of Social Services Commissioner - in attendance?  Is this true?  [I would like to hear Executive Hein's response to that...]

Alderman Hayes Clement has reputedly suggested that the City of Kingston host an open forum on this issue [Kudos!] - and I, for one [I know I'm not alone on this...] would like to see this become a reality.

Surely the taxpayers in the City of Kingston have some rights? 

Or are they [K-NY taxpayers] just here [Things are seemingly very backwards of late...] to clean the parks - sweep the streets - and otherwise take over functions that are the City and / or County's [At least this is how it worked where I came from...] responsibility?

We aren't supposed to "hurt the feelings of" people that are receiving services...

Cool.

Not MY intent.

And probably NOT ["Red herring" anyone?] the intent of most concerned parties.

The thing is...

You cannot continue to chip away at a rock without that rock becoming a pile of pebbles and eventually --- DUST.

2 + 2 does not equal five.

And sooner or later the taxpayers [My "best guess..."] are going to say [ whether through the voting process; through relocation or some other means (?)] "NO MORE".

Sources:

"Kingston alderman wants public forum on welfare funding"; Paul Kirby; "Daily Freeman"; 5/23/2010; http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/05/23/news/doc4bf8bb61c69b4035826766.txt

"kingston progressive 'ULSTER COUNTY SAFETY NET'":  http://kingstonprogressive.blogspot.com/2010/05/ulster-county-safety-net.html

"'Thinking twice Public Welfare Charges' Kingston Citizens":  http://kingstoncitizens.org/2010/05/22/thinking-twice-public-welfare-charges/

Previous posts (this blog) and community meetings.  For Example:  http://flingingtowardsthesun.blogspot.com/2009/12/mary-ann-parker-county-containment.html