I don’t know about you but I am tired of Gov. Jan Brewer, the hand behind the signing of Arizona’s draconian Immigration Law SB1070. It’s been in the news for the past few months about Brewer and her lobbyist ties to private prisons, one specifically, Corrections Corporation Of America (CCA).

Although crime in Arizona is way down, “terrorist”, “kidnapping”, “beheading”, “murder” “drug cartel” and “extortion” are the words widely used to induce fear in the public. Even illegal border crossing is down 49% since 2004.(!) And according to Rachel Maddow’s findings, it is down 67% since 2000.

Wha’at? Illegal border crossing is down and the Immigration Law was just passed? If that law being passed isn’t blatant racism hiding beneath the coat of fear, I don’t know what is.  If anyone took into consideration the above stats this law would never have even been passed let alone broached. Blatant racism, that’s all it is. People can say they are afraid, but c’mon not many want to admit they are racist.

And you can thank the one pushing this kind of propaganda paranoia to the public: Jan Brewer.

I found a video of KPHO News out of Phoenix, the station who reported these interesting findings about Brewer and her lobbyist ties. And as expected, when they confronted Brewer, she opted for the fifth. No surprise there.

Brewer has an agenda in mind, and she’s not alone. Her rhetoric on border security  may be damaging Arizona’s tourism industry for the benefit of CCA. Why? Well, check this out: Brewer’s top advisors, Paul Senseman and Chuck Coughlin have connections to CCA. CCA holds the federal contract to house detained immigrants…to a tune of 11 million dollars every month and could grow exponentially because of the Immigration Law.

Brewer’s campaign staff and governing staff are overrun with lobbyists, particularly those with direct ties to prison privatization. Brewer’s lobbyists have been leaders in the efforts to privatize Arizona’s prison system at the expense of public safety. Here’s a quick Who’s Who:

Can you say “Ka- ching”? I’ll leave it at that.  Watch the video and get all the dirt.

Readers: And now the latest thanks to Maddow’s report Wednesday night: The Brewer campaign is trying to punish KPHO TV by withdrawing her campaign ads from the station.

KPHO TV is a CBS affiliate; in the largest city in Arizona: Phoenix. Maddow states: “This is political retaliation against journalism. This is news.” Yep, they’re advertising on the other two networks but decided to stop advertising on KPHO. Gee, do ya think it’s because KPHO has been digging, reporting and raising questions about Brewer’s lobbyist ties to CCA for the past few months?

Hmm…election time is near – Now who’s the one in fear? Fear of exposure, that is. Hint: I mentioned I was tired of her. :)

If you want to hear more of Maddow’s comments in regards to Brewer and KPHO TV click here for Wednesday night’s report. Begin the video at 3:30.

Comments? Thoughts? New discoveries? Blog me.

***********

Anna Of Guam: The circumstances are so unfortunate. I understand that the brown tree snake is damaging your ecosystem, but I hate to see an innocent snake being killed, when the species should never have been on the island in the first place, and is just living instinctually. It is also very sad to me that  the snakes have endangered and eliminated most of your indigenous birds. So I understand the need to get it all under control. What else can be done other than baiting the snakes with mice? Hafa Adai.

Craig: Glad you liked it, and I think so too.

Doug: My pleasure baby.

Lea: That is par for the course for the GOP. “Civility” shows up rarely in the GOP and if they aren’t going to be civil with their own kind, don’t count on it when it comes to them facing off with the Dems, or anyone else in the way of their agenda. As always, anyone up against the GOP has their work cut out for them.

Nidal: I am fortunate and so grateful that I am a healthy individual that does not require any medications, but many people do need them, or at least they are told that they do for what ever ails them. I am not against western medicine but it can only do so much and as we have read here, there are so many unknown side effects. Who can we trust? As always, no one else is going to care more about your health than YOU. Be a research bug. That’s my two. I actually have more to say about this but I will reserve it for another day.

Ricki: I am aware of the situation in Mexico. It is dreadful. I will speak to Madaline about it.

Ai-Mu: I am not at all aware of the things you speak of. This is so disturbing. I really don’t know what to say except it is not surprising that it is the western corps behind this sickness. I would revert back to the old practice of medicine too if I were you. It is probably better for you anyway. I don’t have a solution, but I am glad that you brought it up here so that me and my readers are now aware.

Irene, and Mary: I so appreciate when I write about something and I learn even more. Although I wish that eugenics didn’t exist, it does and we need to know as much as we can. Thanks for contributing.

Elenor: You got that right. It is no surprise that the word “Integrity” was in the top 10 of the most looked up words in the dictionary in 2009.

LaDesta: Interesting article. I really bothers me when society, and religion is part of society, puts limits on my beliefs and how I choose to practice what ever beliefs I have. Who says we have to stick with one religion? Can we not see the good in different religions or follow the beliefs as we see fit? Does God, or Buddha or Allah put limits on us or do we?

Can we not create our own religion or spiritual practice to suit our needs? As long as one’s practice and belief doesn’t impose on another’s, can we just let people practice and believe what works for them, just as we expect others to let us? Practice and let practice. Believe and let believe. Live and let live.

All of that BS about Obama and his beliefs, whether they are not “christian enough” or whatever else they are saying, is just bigotry in hiding. You’re right in your assessment.

Peace out…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

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Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

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Well, once again, and like every year, the flu season will soon be upon us, which means we will start to see advertising of the flu shot. It’s already happening. Just the other day, I went to Walgreens and they were displaying a big banner: “Flu Shots Given Here Daily”. And I thought, “After all of the hype, and warnings around flu shots, specifically the H1N1, are people still planning on getting this mercury infused, and who-knows-what-else concoction, injected into themselves this winter?” Crazy.

And then I discovered something even crazier, and worse yet, very distrubing. This video by Alex Jones of infowars.com. “So what”, you may ask,  ”who is Alex Jones?” It would be my pleasure to tell you. Here’s a little background:

Internationally recognized veteran broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, and investigative journalist Alex Jones has been featured as a prominent figure of the 9/11 Truth Movement in such publications as The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Popular Mechanics. He has appeared on Good Morning America, 20/20 Downtown, 60 Minutes, The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, Fox News, TalkSport (UK), Russia Today, Channel 4 (UK), A&E, America’s most widely listened to late night radio show, Coast to Coast AM, C-Span, and many other venues. Patrick Beech of the Austin-American Statesman has described Jones as “an absolutely riveting television presence.”

As a dedicated and aggressive Constutionalist, Jones consistently defends the Bill of Rights, property rights, and our nation’s borders. In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Jones passionately argues against foreign entanglements and wars for the sake of corporate and banking interests. Jones avoids the bogus political labels of “left and right” and instead focuses on what really matters – what’s right and wrong. As a tenacious journalist, Jones has broken hundreds of national stories over the span of his career.

Jones began his career in Austin, Texas, with a live, call-in format cable access television program. In 1996, he hosted a show dubbed The Final Edition on KJFK, and the following year he debuted his first documentary, America Destroyed By Design. In 1999, he tied with Shannon Burke of KJFK 98.9FM for that year’s “Best Austin Talk Radio Host” poll as voted by The Austin Chronicle readers.

To read more click here.

So…this brings me back to my question: What do the flu shot, Monsanto, and Eugenics have in common?

My answer: Watch the video.

Readers: What do you think? Still questioning whether you should take the flu shot? Could the flu shot really be another means to push Eugenics? And what about the involvement of Gates and Monsanto? Think Jones is just talking nonsense, and he’s really a paranoid conspiracy theorist?

In my opinion, Jones pretty much ties it all together, and he’s got evidence backing it to boot. His reporting sounds more like a novel or an upcoming movie, than real life. But unfortunately it’s not. It’s scary and it’s sickening.

From all we have learned here…from all we have talked, vented, and ranted about, I can seriously say with conviction, “I think not”. But if you do, fine. – Go do your own research.  I’m listing a few places you can visit on-line to start:

http://www.infowars.com/eugenics-aler…

http://www.infowars.com/unesco-chair-…

http://www.infowars.com/conclusive-gl…

http://www.prisonplanet.com/washingto…

Let me know of your findings…let me know your thoughts. Blog me.

**********

Peter, and Anna: I remember when this subject came up a long time ago on my blog.  Guamanians are still waiting for war reparations? You’re correct in your thinking. The double standard has got to stop. Hafa Adai.

Zen Lill: Yes, I am saving the butt shot for another day. Can’t give up all the goodies at once now can we? :)

Bob: This one made me chuckle.

Gil: Oh, here let me bend over and please spank me good “for standing in the way of guy fulfillment”…I guess this day is just as good an any other. :) Ooh ooh ogle on…

Pinkin’ out….

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

John Curley Photography

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Conflict Minerals 101

Readers: Surprisingly this is the first time that I have seen this video. Knowing exactly how we acquire these minerals and exactly which ones we use every day, and knowing that every day women are killed because we have to be connected to the world, is really sickening.

We need to connect, no doubt. I am aware that without my computer I wouldn’t be able to connect with all of you. It is important. But how important is it to get a new cell phone every time the new model comes out? How important is it to get a new computer every few years?  And many do this just to keep up with the Joneses….impress their friends…brag.

Remember when things seem to last forever? Remember how we used to pride ourselves by saying how old something was and yet it still worked as if it was new? I want to go back to those days.

And not only do we have to be conscious of our purchases but the manufacturers need to get off their high tech horses, think past the profits, and consider the plight of women. Yes, I am speaking to you Apple. I love my MAC, but I love women more.

Shouldn’t everyone feel that way? Shouldn’t corporations do the right thing and put a stop to this murdering over minerals? You would think. But obviously if it is happening, and it is big time, they care little about the precious lives of women, and more about the piece of metal called “profit”.

Just this morning I received an e-mail from Apple: “New Mac. Free ipod touch – Last chance.” Just another way to tempt people to buy what they don’t need all because it is free. Women are dying because Apple is giving things away. Just how many women will die today so that you can have a free ipod?

I have said it before, that the corporations won’t change unless we stop supporting them by not purchasing their products. The lives of women are in our hands. How about keeping them out of our pockets and purses, and picking up a pen and writing a letter.

And how about explaining to your child why they’re not going to get a new computer this year? How about sending your child off to begin the school year with a little something different than most of the other kids? Send them off with their old computer and cell phone. Show your kid how un-cool it is to be carrying a conflict computer that is killing women and girls, and show them how cool they could be knowing that because they aren’t buying into the latest and greatest, THEY ARE SAVING LIVES. Now that is something to brag about.

Besides saying “No” to the “new”…there is another way – the no conflict way. Demand it.

Take Action

Commit to Purchase Conflict-Free Electronics

Help us increase demand for conflict-free electronics. Urge the 21 biggest electronics companies to make their products conflict free. The message is clear: “If you take conflict out of your cell phone, I will buy it.”

Help Us Grow the Conflict-Free Movement

Urge your friends to join you in coming clean for Congo. When the public cried out about blood diamonds, governments and the diamond companies listened. This could be even bigger. Your voice matters. Spread the word.

Urge Your School to Go Conflict-Free

Urge your school to go conflict-free. Get your school to pass a resolution that publicly calls on electronics companies to make conflict-free computers and printers for your campus.

- Download and print this take action post card to share with your friends.

Conflict Minerals Language in Regulatory Reform Bill

Readers: What do you think? When is enough, enough? I say right NOW. Blog me your thoughts, comments, rants…whatever.

Zen Lill: Ouch – not much you can do about a broken toe – HOPE it heals quickly.

General Info: This is good – thanks.

Larry: You nailed it.

Jackson: Thanks for sharing. That is good info to know.

That’s it for today. Have a beautiful day! xoxo

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

John Curley Photography

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

On my blog we call “Other Than Whites” “OTWs”; he calls them “The Other”. The “He” I’m speaking of is Will Bunch, writer for the Huff Po and author of the book “The Backlash”. I haven’t read his book but when Bunch facebooked me, the title of his e-mail, “Backlashing against the Right-wing Backlash” intrigued me, so I clicked over and checked out his new FB page promoting his new book. Which led me to his write on the Huff Po. I liked it, so I decided to post it.

It’s Not About the Mosque! It’s America’s War on ‘the Other’

A few months ago, I spent a Sunday morning in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on Thomas Road in East Phoenix, just on the cusp of the immigration flare-up over racial profiling and Arizona’s repressive law called SB 1070. It was quieter then — a weathered 39-year-old Mexican in a wool cap with a New York Mets logo named Roberto Valdez told me of his trek across the desert to seek work in Phoenix as a day laborer. Weeks earlier, Mexican day laborers like Valdez had been harassed on the weekends by angry white nativists, but in March of 2010 the nativists had moved on. Many had joined the Tea Party, and some were campaigning for GOP anti-immigration zealot J.D. Hayworth for U.S. Senate. Why waste time on “the Other” Roberto Valdez, when America now had “the Other” daring to occupy the Oval Office in the person of Barack Obama.

Five months later, the American political debate — in a time of crushing 9.5-percent unemployment, record foreclosures and bankruptcies, and climate change linked to catastrophes from Moscow to Pakistan to Iowa — has been hijacked over the arcane question of whether to allow an Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan. The controversy is stunning — but it should not be. The national brouhaha over the $100 million Muslim Park51/Cordoba House proposal is not an anomaly but rather the culmination of an alarming downturn in America’s mood, its discourse, and even our former ambitions as a beacon of religious and political tolerance. In 2010, a large swath of the American public — led by ratings-mad media mavens and immoral politicians like Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin — had declared out all-out war on “the Other” in America in all its alleged forms, from immigrants to Muslims to non-white aides working in the West Wing of the White House, and of course the president himself.

And it is threatening to rip America apart in a way that we have not seen in 145 years.

Over the last year, I traveled across the country seeking the sources of right-wing outrage and anger in the Obama era as I researched my new book — The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama — that will be published at the end of the month. What I discovered was fear — some of it innate and much of it whipped up by high-def hucksters on TV and in talk radio and even in the corridors of political power in America. Much of that fear centered on one simple fact: that America is increasingly becoming a non-white-dominated country. While many Americans take no issue with that, the prospect of an America with an increasingly non-Caucasian face is a deeply disturbing one to millions of people — people for whom a unified and traditional culture is a source of solidarity and comfort, even — according to some sociologists — a bulkhead of immortality.

In the mid-2000s, an anti-immigration frenzy took root across right-wing talk radio. It seemed largely a matter of entertainment and most likely changing the subject, since the George W. Bush presidency was at low ebb because of Iraq and Katrina. The increasingly paranoid conversation about the threat from brown-skinned, Spanish-speaking people grew in a way that was completely disconnected from realities, that immigrants were growing the economy in places like Arizona and Nevada, that crime rates among immigrants were quite low, and that these arrivals were paying more in taxes than they received in services.

But the bottom line was that for many, reports that whites will be a minority of Americans by the year 2050 carried the shill ring of an alarm bell. But this concern about the submersion of a dominant white culture in America spiked prematurely in 2008 with the political rise of Obama. In researching the book, I spoke with many conservative voters who talked of their “discomfort” the first time they watched Obama speak on television, who said that in particular they were alarmed at the future president’s use of the specific word “transformation.” These voters were egged on by political “leaders” like vice presidential candidate Palin, who didn’t just voice traditional policies differences with the Democrat but accused him of “palling around with terrorists.”

It is no surprise that by mid-2009 I was hearing from the leader of the anti-Obama group, the Delaware 9-12 Patriots, that the 44th president of the United States “is absolutely not American” while his neighbors were screaming at town hall meetings: “I don’t want this flag to change. I want my country back!” These rank-and-file citizens were often echoing what they heard in a 24/7 right-wing media bubble of ratings-driven irresponsibility — outlandish neo-McCarthyite allegations that Obama had Commies and Maoists working in the West Wing, Glenn Beck’s notorious claim that the president has “a deep-seated hatred of white people” and, perhaps more tellingly, of “white culture,” and most recently radio’s Rush Limbaugh’s bizarre charge that Obama is probably the “best anti-American president the country’s ever had.”

In this paranoid environment, the president looked as much “the Other” as the day laborer Roberto Valdez in the Wal-Mart parking lot. High-employment and the destruction of the working class in America is increasingly demanding a scapegoat, and the right-wing media and an increasingly erratic GOP establishment is more than happy to direct people’s palpable anger down the economic ladder. The result is something like the most un-American piece of garbage legislation that most of us have seen in our lifetime — Arizona’s racial profiling law SB 1070, whose sponsors admit they were seeking to drive Mexican immigrants out of the Grand Canyon State in droves, which is exactly what is happening.

But the modern-day American Diaspora is only the beginning. Once the Pandora’s box of emotion and rage against “the Other” has been opened so wide, it is almost impossible to close. Now the backers of Arizona’s hideous law want to rip apart the 14th Amendment — the one that ended slavery, once a high point of American history, especially for the extinct brand of Republican that drafted it — in order to prevent children of Mexican immigrants from becoming American citizens. The xenophobia has reached the point where a U.S. congressman took to the House floor — with zero supporting evidence — to charge that terrorists had a scheme to breed future U.S.-citizen bombers in maternity wards here.

Which brings us to the present crisis: Mosques in America. It should tell you something that the backlash against Muslims practicing their faith in America is far greater in 2010 than it was in the months immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. That’s because the political firestorm with its epicenter in lower Manhattan really has nothing to do with 9/11 or its aftermath and everything to do with “the Other,” and the awful forces and fears that have been unleashed in the last couple of years — fears that craven politicians like Gingrich, Palin and the formerly rational Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota are eager to surf into the White House in 2013. If the Manhattan mosque controversy were really about our 9/11 sensibilities, how does one explain the opposition to other Islamic houses of worship from Tennessee to California to Staten Island?

America, we are in for the bumpy political ride of a lifetime. It will take enormous courage for defenders of two centuries of religious freedom and tolerance toward both religious and economic refugees to stand firm in the face of the kind of raw public anger and emotion that have caused backbone-impaired politicians like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid or supposed progressive stalwart Howard Dean to wither in mere days. Our determined minority may be barely clinging to our cherished traditions — as best expressed by President George Washington in 1790 when he wrote: “the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens” — in the face of this onslaught for the next few years.

Let’s face it: This country has long had its Know-Nothings and its Birchers and its McCarthyites, but it never had gizmos like Fox News or Sarah Palin’s Twitter feed to fuel toxic ideas so far so fast. It’s time we admit these seemingly disconnected battles over “anchor babies,” mosques, and a black man in the Oval Office are all part of the same war against “the Other,” and that we are in the fight of a lifetime.

Readers: Starting this morning, I  will be out of here super early on Tuesday mornings. Have anything to say? Say it here. Blog me.

Doug: Thank you!

Hey ZL!

Hullanta: If you stick here reading my blog, it is not easy to forget how cruel and evil some men can be. I, and many others, have a way of reminding my readers often. I wish that was not the case, but there are many articles that one can find on a daily basis that reminds us of the abuse and plight of women.

I have blogged many times about Congo. I did not see this one. Thank you for posting. I wish this mineral madness would end. People just aren’t aware. They need to become conscious and responsible when it comes to knowing the affect their buying power and need for consumption of the latest and greatest technologies has on the livelihood of others. PS. Believe in Madaline.

Lea, Peter, Anna, Jose, and all the Chamorros: I HOPE that this is the last of them.

Mike: I know you’re being rhetorical, but I can’t help but answer your question: No. What do you think of the book that I wrote about?

Ellen: You can thank Evelyn for that. And I like your little addition too.

Oscar: Courage comes in all sizes. Take small courageous little steps in support of women that you don’t normally do. Like writing your representatives – thank you for doing that. But don’t stop there. Did you read the article that I posted a few days ago? Sometimes it takes courage to just stand up to your friends, especially men who you see abuse women even in the slightest. Instead of turning a blind eye (which I am not saying that you do), say something….man up. Be courageous…and perhaps it will be contageous. :)

Got to run….

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the ‘Donate’ button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my ‘Donate’ page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

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A little over a month ago, on my way to see a client, I was busily reading my directions to his house and missed a “right turn on arrow only” sign, and proceeded to make the right turn. Oops.

I landed at another small intersection 20 feet away, which didn’t feel like I should have been there, but I waited till that light turned green before I crossed it. It was a bit confusing. At the time I had no idea that I had even broken the law, so I was quite surprised when an officer waiting on the opposite corner pulled me over when I crossed through the second light.

I did get a ticket, not for running a red, which would’ve been a moving violation and a more expensive ticket, but for failing to obey the traffic sign. I was nearly in tears as he handed it to me. I have a stellar driving record and I like to keep it that way.

I bring this up not because I am pissy about the ticket; that goes without saying. But because of what I experienced when I went to the courthouse to “deal with it”.

I can’t even remember the last time I got a ticket, so as I was standing in line in room C-10 to resolve the ticket, I noticed a yellow flyer. The heading of the flyer said, “Resolving Traffic and Minor Offense Citations – Frequently Asked Question”. “Hmm…reading material”, I thought. “I might learn something while I’m here.”

And in fact, I did learn something – Enough for me to want to blog about it here. Note: This is for Marin County, California. It may be different in your county and state.

1. Why can’t I dispute my ticket today? The Court hears testimony from both the defendant and the officer in contested court, and needs at least 30 days to subpoena the officer.
2. Am I qualified to go to traffic school? You are eligible for traffic school if you meet the following requirements: You have a valid driver’s license, do not have a class A, class B or commercial class C driver’s license, the current violation(s) did not occur within the past 18 months.

I have no problem with the above.

3.  Why do I have to post my bail to fight my ticket? Vehicle code section 40519(a) and (b) requires the Court to collect the deposit of the entire bail amount for the purpose of guaranteeing your appearance at the time and place scheduled.

Okay, this I have a problem with. The fact that if I feel I am innocent of the traffic violation or charge, and I want to fight it, doesn’t matter. I have to hand over my cash, as if I was guilty of the charge, before I get my day in court to prove otherwise. Hmm…sounds to me like I am guilty until proven innocent. When did our justice system change?

Now that I am paying for this charge before I have legally been found guilty, which could take up to months before I get my money back, should I prove I am innocent, just how easy is it going to be to for me to get my money back, and just what do they do with it while I am waiting for my day in court? Unfortunately this little yellow flyer of “frequently asked questions” didn’t answer my questions.

4. How do I fight my ticket if I don’t have the money to post my bail? You can contest your ticket without posting the bail by obtaining a bail waiver from the Traffic Commissioner in “walk-in” traffic court.

FYI: Walk-in traffic court allows you to request a payment plan beyond the 90-day option. (see pt. 6 below) Walk-in traffic court is held every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 10:00 a.m. To appear in walk-in traffic court you must register first at the Traffic Counter in room C-10 before 9:00 a.m.

So if you happen to be there already on a Wednesday or Thursday, or it is after 9:00 am, and you can’t pay the bail that you didn’t think you would have to pay to fight your ticket in the first place, sorry….you are going to have to take off work again (if you are employed), and come another day to appear in walk-in court. Or…

5. I want to pay my ticket but I don’t have the money right now. What are my options? You can request a payment plan from one of the clerks at the counter, request a one time 30-day extension or request that your bail amount be converted to community hours.

6. What are the payment plan options? The 30/60 day payment plan has no set up fee and you may put down however much you can afford at the time you set up the plan. The remaining portion must be paid over the next two months. The 90 day payment plan has a $35.00 set up fee and 25% of your bail amount is due when you request it. You must pay the remaining portion in three even installments.

Okay, so if you have a little bit of money on you, and you can afford to fork some over, there is a payment plan that just may work. My ticket was $219.00. What if I was a person living paycheck to paycheck, with no extra cash, as many people are today in this economy? Or what if I was unemployed as many people are? Just how easy is it going to be to make this payment, even if I took the 30/60 day plan offered and paid $19.00 that day. I would still need to come up with $200 over the next two months. That would be a lot of money for me, a person on a limited income not to mention if I was unemployed.

The 90-day payment plan is even worse. Yes you get more time but you’re paying for it in the $35 set up fee. Plus you now need to pay, 25% of the bail at the time that you request this payment plan. If we are working with my $219.00 ticket, one would still need to come up with $35 + $54.75 for a total of $89.75 that needs to be paid. If one is penalized for asking for a 90-day payment pan, what will be the fee for appearing in walk-in court and asking for a plan that is beyond 90 days? I don’t know, but I bet it is more.

Readers: If any of you know, blog me.

Okay…so what if I really can’t pay anything? I am jobless and broke. Oh the court says, “We have a solution for that too.” This brings me to pt. 7 on the yellow “FAQ” sheet:

7. What are Community Service hours? This is volunteer work that you can perform with court approved organizations in lieu of paying your bill. There is a $27.00 set up fee and for every $10 of your bail, you must perform one hour of volunteer work.

Okay, just face it. It doesn’t matter whether you are innocent of the charge or not, you are going to have to fork out some cash. And if you really can’t afford to pay this ticket that you are planning on fighting because you feel you are innocent, you’re going to have to volunteer some of your time too, until you get your day in court.

So let’s figure this one out. Because I am broke, and on a very limited income or unemployed, I opt for the least amount of money out of my pocket. I decide to volunteer. I fork out the $27 for bail and I sign up for community service hours. Basing it once again on the $219.00 ticket, I will have to spend roughly 22 hours of my time performing volunteer work for a ticket that I don’t feel I am guilty of.

What happens when I go to court and I am found not guilty of the charge? Who is going to give me my time back? How will I get reimbursed for the 22 hours of my time in my life, that I gave to volunteer simply because I was guilty until proven innocent?

I think of the wealthy who have no problem writing a check, and going on with their lives. And then I think of so many people who cannot afford to pay their ticket.  People who opt for either a payment plan, which gouges them of even more money. Or they opt for volunteering which gouges them of their time…their life. Something that is not tangible for the court to hand back. Sorry, if when you go to court and you are found innocent, you simply do not get back those hours of your life.

(FYI: My court date would’ve been in November. Plenty of time for me to pay my entire bail via a payment plan, or work off my Volunteer hours before I have the chance to fight my ticket. Yes, you can opt for a speedy trial but then you are waiving your right to appeal personally for arraignment and that in itself is not a good thing to do if you are fighting your ticket to win. And an entire other subject that I don’t want to delve into right now. )

So I conclude that I cannot help but think, the system is once again set up for the rich, and a scam to get more money and free labor from the poor.

It is easy for the rich to pay their ticket. They simply take out their checkbook and write the check. And the poor, who cannot afford to pay, are either paying more for time, or giving their precious time away regardless if they are guilty or not.

Now, I am not saying that all of the people who are rich are guilty of their charge, nor am I saying that all of the poor are innocent of theirs. But what I am saying is that when one has to pay in advance of the verdict, according to this Vehicle code section 40519(a) and (b) , and the court is basically saying that you are guilty until proven innocent, it is the ones who can not afford the bail that are going to suffer. It is the poor.

Comments? Rants? Experiences you want to share? Blog me.

John: Thanks. Love when a man makes up his mind to doing something and commits to it right away.

Claire, Anna of Guam: Thanks for passing it on.

Thanks Saul!

Lea: I agree but there are decent men out there too that can help, they just need to man up. Hopefully they will follow John and Mike’s examples of change.

Zen Lill: My pleasure.

Doug: I got that one too. PS. You left your phone at home.

Mike: Thanks for your commitment too.

Have a great day everyone and drive safe. :)

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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Thank you for your loyal support!

For archives dated before January 17, 2008 click on my Blogroll:

or click here: “A Day in the life of…”

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2010

John Curley Photography

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"