Local and state politics

WikiLeaks has released a document set called the Afghan War Diary (AWD), an extraordinary compendium of over 91,000 reports covering the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010.

The reports, while written by soldiers and intelligence officers mainly describing lethal military actions involving the United States military, also include intelligence information, reports of meetings with political figures, and related detail.

The document collection will shortly be available on a dedicated webpage.

From the NYT
"WikiLeaks.org, the online organization that posted tens of thousands of classified military field reports about the Afghan war on Sunday, says its goal in disclosing secret documents is to reveal “unethical behavior” by governments and corporations."

(Full story)

"Local and federal authorities raided homes and businesses Wednesday morning in Clarke and Madison counties that they suspect are connected to a single illegal commercial gambling operation, Athens-Clarke police said.



They seized 36 gambling machines, five vehicles, cash, several firearms and an undisclosed amount of drugs, police said.  No one was immediately arrested, police said, though the gambling operation involves "multiple suspects."" (Full story)

Who do these people think they are!? Next thing you know these monsters will start some type of state wide lotto.

"When Daniel Morris, an employee at the Oregon Department of Health, first saw the numbers, he was sure that something was wrong.

Looking at tobacco production figures for April 2009, he noticed that pipe tobacco production had more than doubled in a month. He called the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which collects the data, to ask about the apparent spike.

They assured him that there was no mistake.

Were record numbers of Americans ditching cigarettes in favor of old fashioned pipes? Not at all. The massive increase in pipe tobacco production corresponded with a huge drop in the roll-your-own industry, which in early 2009 was hit with 2,000% tax increase.

Read the rest here. 

Aww, they figured out a loophole. Good on them!

(From AthensWorld)
"If my supply of these bags is cut off, then I will be buying plastic garbage bags and putting those in the landfill instead. I recycle the bags that I don't use by taking them to the receptacles at Publix.

Or maybe I'll shop at the Kroger or Publix in Oconee County. Let's not forget that this is yet another regulation that may drive even more business out of Clarke County."

Read the rest here.

A bit from the ABH article "Doug Lowry and Kelly Girtz, two Athens-Clarke commissioners who co-chair a task force on recycling, recommended charging shoppers who choose to use plastic 10 cents per bag at a commission work session Tuesday. Three cents would go to the retailer and 7 cents to the county government." THEN "The goal is to get away from disposable bags and move toward reusable bags," Girtz said."

PHEW! For a moment there I tought it was a quick way to line the county coffers. Good thing the real "goal" is eliminating disposiable bags. I feel safer already.

(From the R&B)
"Brandon Shinholser has his eye on becoming the next mayor of Athens.

For nearly a year, Shinholser has built a grassroots movement to propel his fledgling campaign into a viable candidacy.

He is actively campaigning and has assembled a team of supporters to spread his message throughout Athens. He has even filed with the Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections.

And, he is 22 years old."

Read the rest here.

Andy Rusk gave this a shot in 2006 but we all know how that went. Keep in mind some 18 year old jive turkey became mayor in 2005. 

(From ugarepublicans.com)
We are living in an age of bailouts, government control of corporations and a tax structure that punishes those who are productive. We are seeing a pace of government expansion that rivals President Roosevelt’s New Deal. We the productive and hard working Americans will rise up in peaceful protest on April 15th.

On April 15th college students, working adults, stay at home moms, retired people, professors and activists will join together at 4:30 PM at the Arch downtown to show that you are not alone. We will not sit idly while our future is stolen from us.

When: 04.15.09
Where: The Arch
Time: 4:30–Arrive 5:00–Program Begins 

"The tax hike, approved by Congress and President Barack Obama earlier this year, varies among tobacco products; the price of a cigar rose by 40 cents, and chewing tobacco is now taxed 31 cents more per pound than a week ago, according to the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

But none of the tax hikes were as large that on loose smoking tobacco, which went from $1.10 to $24.78 per pound."

"My can of prince albert is now $43! ($18.00 for the product and $25 IN TAXES!!) and my cigarette tubes are $28!! (3$ for the product and $24 IN TAXES!)"

You can still order loose tobacco online. For now.

Read the rest and join the discussion in our forums.

From the ABH
"Downtown business owners, angered by an Athens-Clarke Commission decision to double parking fines and limit parking meter time, say the changes will hurt business and scare away shoppers.

Instead of following the ADDA's recommendation to raise expired meter fines from $3 to $6, commissioners hiked the fine to $10. And they set the penalty for feeding quarters into an already-expired meter at $15, rather than the ADDA's suggested $12."

Good on them! Something tells me our local business owners know a bit more than our local government. Will we see nite enforcement soon?

Read the rest and scream back in our forums.

From the AJC.
"A Henry County Superior Court jury found both Tanja Revette Hale of Rex and her brother-in-law, James Lewis of McDonough, guilty of one count each of “making a false writing” this week in what is believed to be the first such school enrollment case to go to a jury trial in Henry County.

The case is notable in that the penalty could set a precedent for others convicted of the same offense, especially as students flee neighboring Clayton County’s loss of school accreditation.

Hale is adamant she did nothing wrong."

Was she right? Do we need school vouchers? Scream back in our forums.

"When Barack Obama becomes the 44th U.S. President next week, millions of people will be watching. But inaugurations, by law, happen at noon ET on Jan. 20, and that means they’re often on weekdays, when most of the country is at work. So, what’s a civic-minded day-jobber to do? Watch the ceremony online, of course!"

You can view the list of sites here.