Planet Jackson Worldwide: your government at work

Showing posts with label your government at work. Show all posts

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Tennessee House Passes Michael Measure

The Tennessee House of Representatives narrowly passed a measure to honor Michael Jackson on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. The resolution, sponsored by Democratic Rep. G. A. Hardaway of Memphis, squeaked by Wednesday on a vote of 51-22 with 16 lawmakers present and abstaining. Measures need at least 50 votes to pass the 99-member chamber.

The measure has drawn considerable heat amongst the conservative constituency of the Southern state. This general disdain is echoed by the lawmakers who opposed the measure. Democratic Rep. Henry Fincher of Cookeville said he voted against it because Jackson was "credibly accused of child molestation." House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said he objected to money being spent to honor entertainer, however he tendered an "aye" vote. Nevertheless, the state Congress regularly considers such measures; two years ago a measure to honor Tennessee native Justin Timberlake failed to pass.

If you would like to read the full text of the bill, click here.

Here is how the vote split:

HJR0773 by Hardaway - FLOOR VOTE: MOTION TO ADOPT 2/3/2010 Passed Ayes...............................................51

Noes...............................................22

Present and not voting......................16

Representatives voting aye were: Armstrong, Bone, Borchert, Brown, Camper, Casada, Coleman, Cooper, DeBerry L, Eldridge, Favors, Ferguson, Fitzhugh, Gilmore, Hackworth, Hardaway, Harmon, Harrison, Johnson P, Jones S, Jones U, Kernell, Litz, Lynn, Maddox, Marsh, Matheny, McCord, McCormick, McDaniel, Miller, Montgomery, Moore, Mumpower, Naifeh, Odom, Pitts, Pruitt, Richardson, Sargent, Shaw, Shepard, Sontany, Swafford, Tidwell, Tindell, Towns, Turner J, Turner M, West, Yokley -- 51.

Representatives voting no were: Bell, Carr, Cobb J, Dunn, Faulkner, Fincher, Floyd, Ford, Haynes, Hensley, Johnson C, Lollar, Lundberg, Matlock, McDonald, McManus, Niceley, Roach, Rowland, Shipley, Stewart, Weaver -- 22.

Representatives present and not voting were: Barker, Bass, Brooks H, Campfield, Coley, Dennis, Evans, Fraley, Harwell, Maggart, Ramsey, Rich, Todd, Watson, White, Mr. Speaker Williams -- 16.

We ask that you take the time to call or e-mail at least five legislators from this list who voted yes and five who voted against the bill. Contact information on all the congresspersons can be found here on the House Member Website. Please make sure you include Rep. Fincher in all your communications. He needs to know his statements are not only incorrect, they are unacceptable.

Cut and paste:

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Thriller short film inducted into U.S. Library of Congress

Michael Jackson's 1993 Thriller short film became the first music video to be inducted into the archives of the United States Congress' National Film Registry. The library's archives preserves original copies of classic films, TV and other recordings at the Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Centre near Culpeper, Virginia. The film is currently the subject of a lawsuit between Michael's estate and the film director, John Landis. Landis sued Jackson in January 2009 claiming he is owed outstanding royalties for his work on the 27-year-old film. Other films inducted into the registry on December 30, 2009 include 1979's The Muppet Movie and the 1957 sci-fi epic The Incredible Shrinking Man.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

We hope you had Mele Kalikimaka just like the Obamas

The United States' first family, the Obamas, spent the Christmas Holidays in Oahu celebrating quietly with their extended family. President and Mrs. Obama did not exchange gifts this year, according to White House spokesmen. Instead, they focused the holiday on giving to the children and service to the community. Mrs. Obama, along with her daughters Malia and Sasha, and the First Dog, Bo, delivered cookies to the Children's National Medical Center earlier this week. The Obamas celebrated the holidays with the President's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her family and will extend their Hawaiian trip into January.

There is nothing else like Christmas in Hawaii. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Oahu at the holidays, jump on it.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The day the internet died

A version of a Senate bill would give Pres. Obama and the administration emergency power over the internet in the event of a cybersecurity emergency. The bill, which has gone through several drafts, proposes to allow the government to commandeer and disconnect private non-governmental networks during certain events and to require those networks to be run by certified "cybersecurity professionals" at other times. For details on the bill, visit here.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Have the Kennedy's Handed Their Political Keys to Obama?

Many saw Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Obama in the Democratic primaries last year as his handing the keys to Camelot to someone outside the family.

Kennedy's son Patrick, a Democratic congressman from Rhode Island, has kept a relatively low profile in Congress and has faced substance abuse problems that have led to stints in rehab facilities.

JFK's daughter, Caroline, stepped into the political spotlight recently, only later to drop out of the running for Hillary Clinton's vacant Senate seat.

Robert Kennedy's son Joe was derailed after a messy personal life involving a high-profile annulment, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, has largely stayed out of the spotlight.

Others, like Robert Kennedy Jr., have careers in public service outside of government.

But Stephen Hess, a former staffer in the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations and an adviser to presidents Ford and Carter, says that right now, there are no other Kennedys to assume Ted Kennedy's place in American politics. But don't count them out....

Friday, August 7, 2009

Automakers Give Rave Reviews to 'Cash for Clunkers'

With its awful name and convoluted rules, the cash-for-clunkers program might well have been a flop, yet it turned into a surprising success, even inspiring many of its critics to call for an additional $2 billion in funding. One big reason: the program boosted July 2009 sales of new cars and trucks, giving the economy a bit of a lift.

Most people are turning in their low-mileage SUV's for more fuel efficient, smaller vehicles. Do you plan to visit a car dealer to look into taking advantage of the program?

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers Trade-Ins:
1. 1998 Ford Explorer
2. 1997 Ford Explorer
3. 1996 Ford Explorer
4. 1999 Ford Explorer
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. 1995 Ford Explorer
8. 1994 Ford Explorer
9. 1997 Ford Windstar
10. 1999 Dodge Caravan

Top Ten New Cars Purchased:
1. Ford Focus
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Corolla
4. Toyota Prius
5. Ford Escape
6. Toyota Camry
7. Dodge Caliber
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Breaking news: Of Course Bill got those women

Of course Bill Clinton was successful in getting Euna Lee and Laura Ling released from prison in North Korea. Word is Kim Jong Il told the women months ago he would let them free if they got a high ranking government official like Bill Clinton to fly halfway across the world to meet with him. For his part, the former president refused to go unless he could guarantee he would successfully negotiate their release. This whole trip was cooked from the beginning. The Obama Administration keeps stressing that this was a private trip, but it is obvious private citizens cannot enter North Korea without harsh consequences. Things that make you go hmmm.

Question: both women admitted in a phone call with Lisa Ling they knowingly crossed illegally. Skiers who knowingly go into avalanche zones then have to get rescued have to reimburse certain municipalities for the costs associated with their rescue. Should these two women be responsible for the costs associated with obtaining their release? If they made that statement of their own free will and it is true, should they have to apologize to the United States for all the trouble they caused? Should the same hold true for those backpackers who recently crossed into Iran?

Monday, August 3, 2009

A Black Man is Running for Public Office in Russia

Joaquim Crima, an immigrant from the African nation of Guinea Bissau, is running for District Chief of the Volgograd District. Crima, who immigrated at the end of the cold war and has studied at Volgograd University, earned his citizenship, and taken a Russian name, is the first Black man to run for public office in Russia. News reports paint a picture of widespread discrimination against African immigrants in the former Soviet nation. Crima hopes to change that one vote at a time. Obama's legacy is far-reaching indeed.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Yesterday's Beer Summit in the White House was a success

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Pres. Obama has nominated Jacqueline Berrien to head the EEOC

President Obama has tapped another African-American female Harvard alum for a key government post. Jacqueline Berrien, is a Harvard Law school graduate and associate director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF). She has also taught trial advocacy at Harvard and Fordham law schools and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School. In a statement to the press, Obama noted Berrien's "passion and leadership" and says he is "confident she will make sure the EEOC lives up to its mission of eliminating discrimination in the workplace."

Friday, July 24, 2009

Since Congress isn't going to do anything about healthcare for the foreseeable future

Since Congress isn't going to do anything about healthcare for the foreseeale future, your Congresspersons have a lot of extra time now. Why don't you give them a call and let them know what you think about the Michael Jackson resolution and a host of other issues? Here is a re-post from earlier this month:

Nancy Pelosi is not backing Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee's resolution to recognize Michael Jackson as a humanitarian.
"I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during her weekly press conference. "In his case, if the idea is to praise the life and work, as I assume that resolution does, then why not do that?" she said. "A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to -- that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different."
Rep. Jackson-Lee called on her fellow lawmakers to recognize Michael Jackson as "global humanitarian and a noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger and medical crises" and celebrate Jackson as "an accomplished contributor to the worlds of arts and entertainment, scientific advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, and global food security." She unveiled a framed and sealed copy of the resolution at Michael's memorial on Tuesday and vowed to bring the resolution to be debated on the House floor.

Michael Jackson is in the Guiness Book of World Records as the entertainment star who has donated the most money to humanitarian or charitable causes. For an extensive list of Michael's humanitarian efforts click here.
If you would like to beg to differ with Speaker Pelosi, you can reach her in a number of ways:
e-mail: AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
snail mail: Office of the SpeakerH-232, US Capitol Washington, DC 20515
or District Office - 450 Golden Gate Ave. - 14th Floor - San Francisco, CA 94102
phone: (202) 225-0100, (202) 225-4965, or (415) 556-4862
If you would like to contact your own state representative, go to http://www.house.gov/ and type in your zip code in the upper left hand corner.

Trooper Gets Suspension for Choking Paramedic

An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper caught on video cussing and fighting with the driver of an ambulance carrying a patient has been suspended for five days. A patrol spokesman said Trooper Daniel Martin was put on unpaid suspension Wednesday and must undergo an anger assessment. A cell phone video of the May 24 scuffle that was widely distributed over the Internet shows Martin grabbing the paramedic, Maurice White Jr., in a choke hold around the neck. Trooper Martin's dashboard-mounted camera showed him stopping the ambulance, cussing and accusing White of failing to yield. He also threatened to arrest him.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

When the President calls you out you know it's that ass!

Obama aired out the Cambridge Police Department last night at the end of his healthcare speech:

"I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry; No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, No. 3 ... that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately."
The incident, Obama said, shows "how race remains a factor in this society."

I think it's safe to say there will be some openings at the police department soon.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Dr. Regina Benjamin Selected as Surgeon General

President Obama has chosen Regina Benjamin, a rural family physician who has faced hurricanes, flood and fire to care for impoverished patients along Alabama's Gulf Coast as the next Surgeon General, filling a key public health post ahead of an expected surge in the H1N1 flu next fall.

Benjamin gained fame through her public efforts to rebuild her rural health clinic after Hurricane Katrina devastated it. Benjamin has also served as the first black woman to head the State of Alabama Medical Association and was associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama's College of Medicine.

Obama announced his intent to nominate her at a Rose Garden event on Monday.

Go'head on girl, but...ah..is it me or is she...."pleasantly plump"?

Monday, July 13, 2009

Sonia Sotomayor the Movie?

Rosie Perez is eager to tackle the role of a lifetime by playing Sonia Sotomayor if a biopic of the Supreme Court nominee were ever to be made. Sotomayor's confimation hearings start today in Congress.

"Oh my God, I'd be so honored," the actress told the NY Daily News at screening of the documentary Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech at HBO Studios. Perez would relish the challenge the role would present, playing a real person, who is still alive and able to judge the performance. There is no denying the parallels in the life stories of the Bronx-born-and-bred boricua judge, who pulled herself up from the housing projects to find wild success, and the Brooklyn-bred Perez.

Rosie, watch your back, I think there's been a J-Lo sighting.....where's Mookie?

Nancy Pelosi is trying to kill the Michael Jackson resolution

Nancy Pelosi is not backing Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee's resolution to recognize Michael Jackson as a humanitarian.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during her weekly press conference.
"In his case, if the idea is to praise the life and work, as I assume that resolution does, then why not do that?" she said. "A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to -- that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different."

Rep. Jackson-Lee called on her fellow lawmakers to recognize Michael Jackson as "global humanitarian and a noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger and medical crises" and celebrate Jackson as "an accomplished contributor to the worlds of arts and entertainment, scientific advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, and global food security." She unveiled a framed and sealed copy of the resolution at Michael's memorial on Tuesday and vowed to bring the resolution to be debated on the House floor.

If you would like to beg to differ with Speaker Pelosi, you can reach her in a number of ways:

e-mail: AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov

snail mail: Office of the SpeakerH-232, US Capitol Washington, DC 20515

or District Office - 450 Golden Gate Ave. - 14th Floor - San Francisco, CA 94102

phone: (202) 225-0100, (202) 225-4965, or (415) 556-4862

If you would like to contact your own state representative, go to http://www.house.gov/ and type in your zip code in the upper left hand corner.

Planet Jackson Worldwide