CASH IN THE APPLE FOR
11-16-17
By Cash Michaels
FELLAS...DON'T DO THAT!– I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that ever since women and
actresses started pointing fingers at Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein,
accusing him of all sorts of sundry sexual assaults many years ago when they
were just beginning in the entertainment business, the proverbial damn has
broken wide open, and all of a sudden, almost every male celebrity out there
has been accused of sexual assault of some sort.
From
Mr. Sulu from “Star Trek” (actor George Takei) to former President George H.
Bush (yes, the wheelchair-bound George Bush), to even the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Oscar winning actor Kevin Spacey, star of Netflix’ “House of Cards” has
literally been cut out of his next movie, “All the Money in the World,” which
is due out on Dec. 22nd. All of Spacey’s scenes in the movie are
being reshot with actor Christopher Plummer. This has never happened before.
And
all because Spacey admits to trying to seduce a young 14-year-old male actor
over 30 years ago.
No
one is making light of this. The issue of sexual assault by celebrities and
powerful men in both Hollywood, Washington, DC, and yes, even way down in
Alabama, where the Republican candidate for the US Senate, a former state
Supreme Court Justice named Roy Moore, allegedly molested or attempted to
molest teenage girls while he was a 30-year-old assistant district attorney.
Oh,
and did I mention that comedian Bill Cosby is scheduled to be retried April 2,
2018 for allegations that he drugged a woman not his wife, many years ago, and
had sexual relations with her without her consent? He was originally scheduled
to be retried this month after a hung jury in his first trial last June.
Boy,
is he lucky the darn thing has been postponed for a couple of months. Lord
knows finding a “fair” jury in this muck, even in Pennsylvania, would be near
impossible.
The
fact of the matter is this crime has been going on in our country since the
beginning of the nation. Powerful men, imposing themselves sexually on young,
defenseless females, either at work or at school. Yeah some females dress
provocatively, but that is NEVER a reason to sexually assault them them.
We
all learned from the infamous Mike Tyson rape case. The heavyweight boxing
champ went to the room of a beauty contestant after hours, apparently by
invitation. But after things got hot and heavy, she said “no,” but Mike
apparently wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he raped her.
Mike
was sent to prison for his crime, and that’s when we all learned that no matter
when, NO means NO!. Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant learned the same lesson
years later, except that thanks to some skilled attorneys, he only paid some
money, and lost some commercial endorsements.
Its
as simple as this – men have to learn how to respect women in this society. A
consensual relationship is one thing. As long as folks are OK with each other,
there are no issues.
But
the #metoo women of today are sending a message loud and clear – KEEP YOUR
HANDS TO YOURSELF, AND RESPECT ME, OR ELSE!
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REP. MOORE LIKENS 2017 NC GOP
TO 1898 WHITE
SUPREMACISTS
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Nov.
10, 1898 – The day heavily-armed white supremacists in Wilmington attacked the
African-American community at the behest of leaders of the North Carolina Democratic
Party, killing many, forcing others to flee their homes and businesses, and
overthrowing the local city government at gunpoint – the only coup de ta in
American history.
The
attack ushered in the racist Jim Crow era, not only across the state, but
across the South, for almost a century afterwards.
Last
weekend, 119 years after that fateful, but historic date in North Carolina
history, the people of Wilmington, black and white, came together again for
their annual 1898 Massacre Observance Program sponsored by the New Hanover
Chapter of the National Black Leadership Caucus, this time at Mt. Olive A.M.E.
Church.
Among
the many speakers was Wilmington native state Rep. Rodney Moore (D –
Mecklenburg), and after giving a historical accounting of how the white
supremacists over a century ago used violence and discriminatory laws to
cripple the black community, Moore then likened that to what many of his
Republican colleagues in the NC General Assembly have been doing in recent
years with voter suppression, unconstitutional redistricting, and other
political tools to hold the African-American community back.
“Even
today, brothers and sisters, the spirit of Jim Crow lives in modern day North
Carolina,” Rep. Moore said midway through his prepared remarks.
“The
white supremacists of the Democratic Party of 1898, have morphed into the North
Carolina Grand Old Party of today,” Moore continued. “Today, they use voter
suppression schemes like voter ID, cutting early voting days, and trying to
make it harder for people of color, the elderly, and our youth to cast their
ballots, and exercise their most fundamental right, as citizens of this state
and nation – the right to vote.”
Responding
to expressions of agreement from the audience, Rep. Moore continued, “They have
made a mockery of the electoral gains that African-Americans have made by using
a redistricting scheme that has packed and stacked black legislators into
majority-minority districts, insuring a permanent minority.”
“They
have continued to cut funding for education, refuse to expand Medicaid to cover
over 500,000 citizens of the state, who badly need access to affordable
[health] care, and lifesaving services,” the Mecklenburg state representative
continued.
“They
continue to propose regressive tax policies that have the effect of what I
call, “Robin Hood in reverse.” They take from the poor and the most vulnerable,
and to give tax breaks to the rich and well-to-do in our state.”
“We
are living in a modern-day America, where there continues to be unequal justice
in our courts. Police brutality against people of color is still being
perpetrated in our communities. We give our political loyalty – 96 percent of
the time - to one party, while not
having a presence in the other to challenge for real change and recognition of
the critical issues that face African-Americans, from either side.”
“We
need to learn the political game so we can start winning. We are not players
because we do not understand the rules. This is unacceptable in 2017. It’s time
to wake up. Time is truly running out!”
Then
Rep. Moore switched gears, and asked what are African-Americans doing to
support each other in Wilmington, and elsewhere?
“Are
you supporting opportunities for black businesses to flourish in our cities?”
he asked rhetorically. “Are we actually participating in the public policy
debates in our cities that shape and structure our lives on a day-to-day basis?”
Stressing
the importance of local elections, like city council and school board
elections, Rep. Moore urged the African-American community to get more
involved, and make more of a difference in their present and future.
“We
have to be inspired to go out [and vote] every election cycle,” Rep. Moore
said. “It’s time to wake up. It’s time to wake up.”
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ADAMS, BUTTERFIELD
OPPOSE
GOP TAX REFORM PLAN
By Cash Michaels
As
the US Senate begins debate, and the full House votes this week on the new GOP
tax reform package Pres. Trump and Congressional leaders have been pushing,
with mixed results thus far, both of North Carolina’s African-American Congress
members have made it clear to count them in the opposition.
U.S.
Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and Congressman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1), in
scathing statements, don’t see Republican tax plan as helping the taxpayers who
need the relief the most – the middle-class - and fear that, once again, the
rich will be the primary beneficiaries if the plan is passed.
“The Ryan-McConnell tax plan isn’t tax reform, it’s a tax cut
for the wealthy that leaves working families behind,” said Congresswoman Adams. “This bill, cobbled together by Republican leadership under
the cloak of darkness, repeals key deductions that families depend on such as
medical expense, student loan interest, state taxes, and personal exemptions, to
pay for a 15% tax cut for corporations. To make matters worse, this plan
borrows from our future by adding $1.5 trillion to the deficit in the next
decade, saddling future generations with more debt. This plan is bad for the
middle class; I urge my colleagues in the House to stand with American families
and vote against this disastrous plan.”
In
a letter last week to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Kevin Brady, Rep. Adams outlined her district’s tax priorities, citing
making education affordable, “…safeguard retirement investments, promote entrepreneurship, and
protect cultural institutions.
All
of the above are critical, Rep. Adams says, to “…create a pathway for the
middle class.”
“This plan is a one-sided measure that provides
cuts for corporations on the backs of the middle-class,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Millions of
hardworking families and local businesses need real tax relief but the GOP plan
falls short. We cannot afford the partisan antics that have
plagued this conversation any longer.”
Both the House and Senate have differing plans they hope to have
passed before Thanksgiving next week, so that Pres. Trump can sign a compromise
measure into law before Christmas, a timetable most observers consider
extremely hopeful at best.
Republicans
tout their tax plan helping middle-class families with expanding the child care
tax credit, lower income and corporate tax rates.
But
Democrats aren’t so sure other details of the proposed tax plan wouldn’t do
more harm than good.
Congressman
Butterfield took to the House floor, last week, to voice his dissention to the
so-called “Tax cuts and Jobs Act.”
In
a statement, the First District congressman said, “While the GOP gives multi-trillion dollar tax giveaways to
the wealthiest and corporate America, Republicans are destroying key tax
benefits for middle class families.
· Rep. Butterfield blasted the fact that if
passed, the GOP tax plan would dismantle state and local tax deductions, thus
“…imposing an unfair double tax
on middle class families, driving down home values, and endangering local
governments’ ability to fund law enforcement, schools and health
services.”
The GOP tax plan would also eliminate student
loan interest deductions and
· lifelong learning credits – “…destroying a key
deduction for young graduates and workers getting the job training they need to
succeed in the 21st century economy, while preserving special giveaways for the
wealthiest.”
And if all of the above wasn’t concerning
enough, Rep. Butterfield says, the GOP
· tax plan would also eliminate medical expense
deductions – “…destroying a key deduction claimed by nearly 9 million American
households, which helps families with children with disabilities, long-term
care needs, a need for expensive fertility treatments, and many others,” and
impose new limits on mortgage interest deductions – “…assaulting the dream of
middle class homeownership in communities across America.”
Both representatives Butterfield and Adams
also railed against the fact that
Republican leadership has
scheduled no public hearings, keep much of the details of the tax reform plan
out of public view until the last minute, and kept Democrats at arms-length so
that there cam be no collaboration in constructing the bill.
Rep.
Adams demanded better.
“This
is absolute no way for Congress to legislate,” she told Speaker Ryan in her
Nov. 9th letter. “I urge you to return to regular order and conduct
Congressional business in a manner befitting American dignity and encourage
good legislation.”
-30-
STATE NEWS BRIEFS FOR
11-16-17
NCDEQ
WANTS INFO ON ALLEGED CHEMOURS GEN X SPILL OCT. 6TH
[WILMINGTON]
The Fayetteville-based chemical company already under investigation for
allegedly released the toxic chemical Gen x into the Cape Fear River, the New Hanover
County drinking water supply, now has to answer for an apparent spill last
month of dimer acid fluoride, which, once it touches water, is transformed into
the equivalent of Gen X. Chemours, the DuPont subsidiary under fire, has ten
days, by order of the NC Dept. of Environmental Quality, to explain how much of
the chemical was spilled into the Cape Fear, and for how long, or else face
stiff fines. Regulators determined the spill after levels of Gen X in their
testing spiked.
FELONY CHARGES
AGAINST CONFEDERATE STATUE PROTESTERS WILL REMAIN
[DURHAM]
Despite earlier reports from a defense attorney that all felony charges against
the seven protesters who toppled a statue of a Confederate soldier on August 14th,
the Durham District Attorney countered that claim, stating that those felony
charges are staying in place. DA Roger Echols said that three of the 12 people
charged had charges dropped against them last week, but seven of the remaining
defendants will face more court proceedings on Dec. 5th.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN
ROCKY MOUNT POLICE CHIEF TO RETIRE
[ROCKY
MOUNT] James Moore, once a deputy police chief in Wilmington, has announced
that he is retiring effective jan.1, 2018 as the police chief of Rocky Mount.
He has served as chief in Rocky Mount since 2012. During his tenure, Chief
Moore oversaw a five-year decline in overall crime in the city, the longest
continuous drop on record.
-30-
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