Re-think Hasty Cast Off of Avella's Scratch Off Proposal
It is understood that St. Senator Avella's proposed
scratch off lottery that would fuel community grant funds is a means to support
grassroot and nonprofit program objectives where Member Items had done so. It
is clear Avella's proposal is in response to Governors Patterson and Cuomo's cessation of State Member Items.
The Member Items gave the nonprofit community a place to request funding on an
annual basis, though of a smaller amount
than the multi-year contracts, typical of state agency awards. Multi-year
contracts closeout losers of the RFP process from agency funding for three to
five years or even longer. Further, the award winners have years to develop
relationships with agency employees. The sweetheart deals feared from Member
Items exists with public agencies.
The Member Items gave unincorporated grassroot groups a chance to get funding
for such activities as community gardens, intergenerational programs, special
community events, and other small scale civic projects. These awards were
contingent on the grassroot groups having a fiscal conduit, usually a
community-based nonprofit. Public agencies tend to enter into contracts with
either higher education institutions, groups with 501-c-3 determinations, or
established businesses. Grassroot groups are ineligible for public agency
awards. For these reasons and more, the state legislature had to bring home the
groceries to their districts.
The State Senator's proposal will need to go through the usual vetting that
occurs in NYS Senate and Assembly committees as well as public hearings. The
legislature is in recess now and is due to resume December 2012/January 2013.
Questions that need answering are why did so many years go by where Member Items
were awarded to political associates and family members without correction? Was
it necessary to discontinue Member Items altogether if that was the issue?
I concur that "Flexible funding for a broad range of nonprofits is a good
idea." However, transactions done by agency administrators AND politicians
require close monitoring. Agency administrators may have biases for or against
eligible fund-seeking entities. All humans have flaws.
Labels: news slanting, nonprofits, NYS Senate, politics
Hillary's Jagged Aura
Hillary Rodham Clinton aint no Bill Clinton. He's all charm, compassion and intellect; Hillary, on the other hand, has a severe edge to her intellect. Isn't that so typical in marriages--the good cop and bad cop? The question is do you want a bad cop to run America? Will she know the right words to calm our fears or cheer us on at stellar moments?
Hasn't anyone told her about it? Doesn't she watch herself on video? There's this dragon beside her that won't go to sleep. The mudslinging doesn't help because she seems to really enjoy putting in the screws and insinuating things. Baracks progressive victories since Super Tuesday must bring much angst to the Democratic candidate that was supposed to be the shoe in.
Maybe some image consultant did come in for a day and that's where she decided tears would make her appear caring, vulnerable or womanly. It didn't.
Does she confer with Bill? Can't he tame his dragonlady? She has those great pant suits, that fresh hairstyle and wonderful accessories. She just has to work on her inside.
Barrack seems to have a wife with a dragon not too far away from her as well. Yes, Michellle can go there like Hillary. His saving grace is he's the candidate and Michelle is the doting wife who can be relegated to the silent, smiling wife at his side when need be.
Dragons aside, Hillary and Barack have America awake and hopeful. Thanks Hillary.
Labels: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, digital images, Hillay Clinton, Michelle Obama, politics, Super Tuesday
Cuba on the Map
I grew up never seeing Cuba on TV weather maps. I saw it in atlases and on globes--never on broadcast TV. 2007 has ushered in a new era.
When network TV does the weather now the island of Cuba is visible. Can you imagine what is to be blanked out of people's consciousness for four decades and then poof!, you exist?
Can it be that Fidel Castro is near death? Does Cuba have a successor? When Castro finally makes the transition what will become of the biggest Caribbean Island? Will the populace run head long into consumerism? Will the ex-patriots living in Florida and elsewhere acknowledge patience has its virtues? This reminds of how patiently the Greek and Romans waited to infiltrate and then, take over Kemet (aka Egypt). They waited thousands of years for the "lotus and papyrus."
After contacting professors of Latin American Studies in and out of NYC, it amazed me how no one had an answer to the return of Cuba on network weather. The closest remark addressing it was that the Weather Channel used maps that included Cuba.
Computer graphics are something else: airbrush out and airbrush in.
Labels: Cuba, maps, media, politics, weather
Al Sharpton and Imus in a Two-Hour Embrace
This morning, a friend in Florida called me to talk about Don Imus' statement about a women's basketball team. Do you know I thought he was referring to the NBA when he said "nappy-headed 'ho's." Sunday morning, I chuckled as I drove to fellowship because I agreed that these male basketball players were prostituting themselves. I mentally added, "and those straight-haired whores, too." How do these men live themselves when they make millions and very few donate to worthy and well-ran causes. This shows how base I can get and...I was having a Saturday Night Live "Never Mind" moment.
Waving the story off as desperate bad buzz, I placed Don Imus in the has-been category. Knowing that he was referring to the WNBA, it was truly a low blow to journalism, broadcasting and professionalism. Don Imus is the prostitute. Hopefully, he is fully aware of it. Shock radio or cable is pandering to base minds. It's on the level of scrawling SEX in big, bold letters to sell anything--diapers, beer, jewelry and gum. My Florida friend says the man is/was a cocaine user and has spent time in some black community to learn of the phrase, "nappy-headeded." So what? Well, he was obviously trying to draw blood from African Americans. He wasn't relating the Euro Americans by using that slang. Does the after effects of cocaine keep you off-kilter?
Then, Al Sharpton fuels the flame of this attention-seeking has-been by providing a two hour platform. Imus dances around accepting responsibility for the consequences, which aren't much. Two hours? Is he a politician? Is he talking about global warming? What about child soldiers or blood diamonds? Two hours for "nappy-headed 'ho's. Rev. Al Sharpton would serve himself and viewers better by pouring libation that morning and going behind-the-scenes to personally lead Imus to the pasture. So what does Rev. Sharpton get for the rhetoric? I will not conjecture.
I think media executives used Don Imus to push the envelope and see how will the audience--of all nationalities and races--respond to blatant poor taste and mean-spiritedness. Would we eat it up and ask for more?
Labels: buzz, media, politics, race, women's sports
