In a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, former President Bill Clinton mentioned that former Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond had a successful jobs program when he was in office. Clinton's comments were made during a break in his Global Initiative Conference in Chicago, Ill.
Clinton said that Thurmond's program was effective because he gave employers proper incentive to hire and train employees. Saying that Thurmond gave employers government funds to hire and train workers allowed businesses to give the unemployed jobs and skills. Employers trained workers to do what they needed done. Excuses could not be made that a person did not possess necessary skills which is often an excuse used to not hire the unemployed.
Clinton said Thurmond's plan was crucial and should be emulated today to boost employment. Presently, there are 13.9 million unemployed in the United States. Perhaps Thurmond should be summoned to Washington, D.C. by the Obama administration to aid with a national jobs program.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Immigration forum scheduled for June 30
Cobb Immigrant Alliance (CIA) will be hosting a Town Hall/Public Forum on Thursday, June 30, from 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at Crosspoint Church, 4061 King Springs Rd. in Smyrna, Ga.
The purpose of the meeting is to separate myths from facts, discuss immigration issues in general and the new Georgia immigration law (HB87) in particular, and to bring diverse elements of the community together to solve real problems (jobs, healthcare, education, public safety).
“We are one people, and together we can survive and advance in spite of the vested interests attempting to divide us," said Rich Pellegrino, director of CIA.
"The new immigration bill, HB87, signed into law by Governor Deal, is another unfunded mandate and diversionary tactic based on myths, targeting and scapegoating our new immigrant neighbors while costing the state's taxpayers millions," he said.
The Cobb Immigrant Alliance is a voluntary, grass roots organization composed of individual members of non-profit, business, religious, educational, human and civil rights entities. The group highlights significant contributions of immigrants in the community.
For more information concerning this event, contact Rich Pellegrino at 404-573-1199 or pilgrim1@mindspring.com. (www.laboroflovecampaign.org)
The purpose of the meeting is to separate myths from facts, discuss immigration issues in general and the new Georgia immigration law (HB87) in particular, and to bring diverse elements of the community together to solve real problems (jobs, healthcare, education, public safety).
“We are one people, and together we can survive and advance in spite of the vested interests attempting to divide us," said Rich Pellegrino, director of CIA.
"The new immigration bill, HB87, signed into law by Governor Deal, is another unfunded mandate and diversionary tactic based on myths, targeting and scapegoating our new immigrant neighbors while costing the state's taxpayers millions," he said.
The Cobb Immigrant Alliance is a voluntary, grass roots organization composed of individual members of non-profit, business, religious, educational, human and civil rights entities. The group highlights significant contributions of immigrants in the community.
For more information concerning this event, contact Rich Pellegrino at 404-573-1199 or pilgrim1@mindspring.com. (www.laboroflovecampaign.org)
Friday, June 24, 2011
More negative economic news reported by S&P
According to the Standards and Poor's (S&P) website, "Over the past 30 years, more than 1,800 financial and non-financial companies have defaulted on their debt. Moreover, many of these firms have defaulted multiple times."
Dr. Erkan Ertuck also has stated that a revival in the U.S. housing market is years away. To improve your own financial- market intelligence, check out the video at http://video.standardandpoors.com/?video=1OL9PqN4W6HyjpNqq8S6TjDD9E#.
Dr. Erkan Ertuck also has stated that a revival in the U.S. housing market is years away. To improve your own financial- market intelligence, check out the video at http://video.standardandpoors.com/?video=1OL9PqN4W6HyjpNqq8S6TjDD9E#.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!: A Muslim's prayer for our country
On June 11th, all Ahmadiyya Muslim Community auxiliaries joined hands to raise funds to help ease the pain of the locals by giving free car washes to donors at a community member’s gas station in Conyers, GA. The residents of Conyers and the surrounding areas welcomed and applauded this effort by making donations throughout the day.
“United We Stand” was the theme picked for the banner and the pins sold at the event to express the unity we felt as a nation. The participation by Margaret L. Muhammad, a Conyers resident who is not a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, gave strength to this idea. Unity for the sake of the country, regardless of faith, race and color is what makes the local community grow stronger and America a great place to be.
God willing, we intend to keep on working towards playing a part in making this country stronger. We might have limited resources as a chapter but our vision is clear, our motives are great and our will is strong; and all of us have the same prayer, “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
The Women’s Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, known as Lajna Imaillah, was already working on a fundraising event to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. However, after the tornado, we had to devote the event to our own before we could think of others outside the country.
As the date to celebrate the 4th of July is coming closer, we the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community feel nothing but gratitude for this great country. Many of us came here to accomplish the American dream and have been able to do so since we were offered the same opportunities as were available to the natives.
Many were granted political asylum for the persecution our community faces for its religious views in Pakistan. And now, being naturalized citizens, they are trying to do whatever they can to contribute to the building of this nation like anybody else from the indigenous population would.
Why? Because Islam has taught us that the freedom of religion we enjoy here demands our complete loyalty to this country. And because God Almighty tells us in the Quran: “Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?” (55:61)
It is, therefore, our religious duty to remain loyal to the country we live in, and try to return the ‘goodness’ we have received here. In recent times, many parts of the United States have been devastated by various natural disasters and our Georgia is no different. In April, tornadoes caused much destruction and property damage here. Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community responded with compassion, individually and collectively.
Being members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we believe there is no conflict between being a Muslim and being loyal to our country since we are directed to be obedient to the rule of law regardless of the faith of the ruler. The Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) made it very clear when he said, “Whoso obeys the ruler obeys me, and whoso disobeys the ruler disobeys me.” (Muslim)
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Metro Atlanta street life shows contrasts via pictures
Here are some images of street life in metro ATL in June 2011.
Police with canines in truck question people near Sidney Marcus Blvd. in Atlanta.
Driver picks up pieces of undercarriage on Sandy Plains Rd. in Marietta.
Sky-blue Lamborghini with Prestige plates travels down Piedmont Rd. in Marietta.
Fire truck and four police cars line avenue after injury accident off Whitehall Ct. in Marietta.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"The Secret" Ray found guilty of causing three deaths
James A. Ray, an inspirational speaker featured in the 2006 DVD "The Secret" which swept the country by instilling the power of wishes coming true, has been convicted of negligent homicide.
It was reported earlier that instead of Ray trying to help or show compassion to victims at his Arizona "sweat lodge" seminar in 2009 when the deaths occurred, he sped away from the scene in a golf cart.
In 2007, Ray was the guest speaker at Unity North Atlanta Church on Sandy Plains Rd. in Marietta, Ga. where attendees who paid $25 participated in the event by listening and then were invited to other events across the country. After watching "The Secret" DVD and learning of Ray's scheduled appearance from the church billboard, I decided to attend his seminar while I was unemployed and desirous of spiritual motivation.
As an attendee, I noticed that Ray appeared very positive and worked the crowd, continuously taking breaks to pose, smile, and drink what he described as a chlorophyll-enriched, green magma looking drink. One memorable story concerning enthusiasm leading to success was told by Ray, about an airport shoeshine man he generously tipped because of his attitude.
Fortunately, I was not impressed enough by Ray to venture to any other performances. The three people died while attending one of Ray's events for which he has been held liable for unsafe conditions.
Ray's sentencing is pending.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
It was reported earlier that instead of Ray trying to help or show compassion to victims at his Arizona "sweat lodge" seminar in 2009 when the deaths occurred, he sped away from the scene in a golf cart.
In 2007, Ray was the guest speaker at Unity North Atlanta Church on Sandy Plains Rd. in Marietta, Ga. where attendees who paid $25 participated in the event by listening and then were invited to other events across the country. After watching "The Secret" DVD and learning of Ray's scheduled appearance from the church billboard, I decided to attend his seminar while I was unemployed and desirous of spiritual motivation.
As an attendee, I noticed that Ray appeared very positive and worked the crowd, continuously taking breaks to pose, smile, and drink what he described as a chlorophyll-enriched, green magma looking drink. One memorable story concerning enthusiasm leading to success was told by Ray, about an airport shoeshine man he generously tipped because of his attitude.
Fortunately, I was not impressed enough by Ray to venture to any other performances. The three people died while attending one of Ray's events for which he has been held liable for unsafe conditions.
Ray's sentencing is pending.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Breaking News...Fed buys $600b in treasury bonds
A report that the Federal Reserve Bank was going to buy billions in bonds this month was reported in 2010 by the CIA. It appears that purchase has taken place. (Click on the Economy section at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html.)
What does this all mean?
On June 21, 2011, I spoke with Jean Tate, APR with the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta concerning the Fed's recent actions.
"The buying of the treasury bonds was an action done by the Federal Open Market Committee which is a group that is made up of the members of the board of governors and each of the 12 federal reserve bank presidents," Tate said.
"The treasury bond purchases have been going on for some time. That's an action called 'quantitative easing' that the Federal Reserve announced many many months ago. It has been a long process and is not something that just began in June."
(Check out the quantitative easing videos to the right.)
According to Investopedia, "Often, central banks use quantitative easing when interest rates are already zero bound, or at near 0% levels. This type of monetary policy increases the money supply and typically raises the risk of inflation." With the action, money is printed and the Federal Reserve takes on toxic bank assets hoping banks will lend money to businesses and individual borrowers.
This could lead to hyperinflation and lessening of pressure on banks. If used improperly, this tactic could make the dollar worthless. For more info. on quantitative easing, go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-quantitative-easing-2010-8.
What is your response? Does this herald a depression?
Response from Ivory Johnson, * CFP ®, ChFC
Director of Financial Planning,
Scarborough Capital Management, Inc.
"The definition of inflation is a depreciating dollar, such that you need more of the same devalued currency to buy the same loaf of bread. The additional money supply was not dispersed throughout the economy and was instead invested in the stock market by the receiving banks who sold their treasury bonds to the Federal Reserve. That’s the reason the markets increased after quantitative easing. For what it’s worth, if we calculated CPI today the same way it was measured 30 years ago, it would already be close to 10%.
"Hyper inflation would instead be caused by a weak dollar due to our unsustainable budget deficit and insatiable appetite to buy things we can’t afford, namely entitlement programs and a military that spends five times as much money as China. The threat of the debt ceiling not being raised by August 4th which may constitute a technical default by the U.S. certainly doesn’t help matters.
"Were a sovereign debt crisis to spread throughout Europe, given Greece’s chances at default, and eventually find itself on our shores, paper money not backed by anything of value would be worth much less, the fixed income markets could spark a liquidity problem and the economy would suffer. The severity cannot be certain, but it would most likely be unpleasant.
"The global economy is dependent on debt from wealthy nations who print money through a variety of fiscal gimmicks and borrow resources from what they term emerging market nations, a policy that cannot continue unabated. My guess is there will be ensuing hardships, private enterprise will create innovations and then our feckless leaders in Washington will find a way to screw it up all over again."
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Picture of Fed. Reserve: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Atlanta's halls of history and controversy
Atlanta architecture is best known for the Margaret Mitchell House, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, skyscrapers, and mega mansions that dot the metro landscape.
Tourists perhaps forget to take a tour inside the city's elegant government building downtown, just around the corner from the State Capitol's Gold Dome.
History is alive and well inside Atlanta's City Hall. Located at 55 Trinity Avenue, visitors can marvel at the green marble expanse of the Hall with its brass doors, coffered ceilings, and chandeliers.
And despite debates over pensions, the city is still hiring. Orientation takes place in the old council chambers where beautiful tapestries hang.
There are also beautiful oil portraits of southern ladies and gentlemen who have led Atlanta since 1848. Atlanta's first mayors, who served one year terms, were members of the Free and Rowdy Party, a band of distillery, bar, and brothel owners. They were followed by leaders of the Moral Party, which called for temperance and chastity, followed by Democrats and Radical Republicans.
John H. James (D) was a banker who won almost 100% of the vote in 1871. Atlanta has had only two out of 60 Republican mayors.
Shirley Franklin (D) was the first female mayor (2002-2010). She served two terms but was plagued with controversy surrounding her son-in-law, Tremayne Graham, a member of Atlanta's Black Mafia. Graham was given a life prison sentence "for his leadership role in a massive cocaine ring...and revenge slaying he allegedly arranged in Atlanta," according to Creative Loafing.
City Hall also houses the City Council Chambers. In the hallway are pictures of the council. On a side wall is a bulletin board where announcements of upcoming meetings are posted. All of the meetings are televised.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Presidential Coalition calling "conservatives" for donations
A STOP OBAMA group in Washington, D.C. is making telephone calls and asking for donations. Supposedly surveying voters, the caller asks the question, "Which conservative leader, past or present, most shares your vision for America and can make our country great again?"
Making a call out this morning, members of the Presidential Coalition described President Obama as a "dangerous, desperate, socialist, rigid, liberal ideologue."
"Millions of Americans are out of work, our U.S. economy is in shambles, and we have a pro-Muslim foreign policy. Forget about Obama being the worst President since Carter, he is the worst President of all time," the surveyor said.
"It's time to go on the offensive now with a block media onslaught." The caller said they are looking for co-sponsors to finance an ad to be placed in the USA Today newspaper.
Co-sponsors would also receive a signed copy of the book Revolt, authored by political consultant Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. Suggested donations ranging from $20 to $200 are said to be an "urgently needed media gift" needed within the next three weeks.
The surveyor secures telephone numbers of "conservatives" through referrals. To learn more about the agenda behind the Presidential Coalition, go to: http://www.presidentialcoalition.com/.
Since I am not a conservative, I do not know who gave the caller my phone number. Please comment about the conservative movement.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
Making a call out this morning, members of the Presidential Coalition described President Obama as a "dangerous, desperate, socialist, rigid, liberal ideologue."
"Millions of Americans are out of work, our U.S. economy is in shambles, and we have a pro-Muslim foreign policy. Forget about Obama being the worst President since Carter, he is the worst President of all time," the surveyor said.
"It's time to go on the offensive now with a block media onslaught." The caller said they are looking for co-sponsors to finance an ad to be placed in the USA Today newspaper.
Co-sponsors would also receive a signed copy of the book Revolt, authored by political consultant Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. Suggested donations ranging from $20 to $200 are said to be an "urgently needed media gift" needed within the next three weeks.
The surveyor secures telephone numbers of "conservatives" through referrals. To learn more about the agenda behind the Presidential Coalition, go to: http://www.presidentialcoalition.com/.
Since I am not a conservative, I do not know who gave the caller my phone number. Please comment about the conservative movement.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
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