Welcome! This free speech community journal was created so the Maple Heights African American community could share videos, photos, events, articles, posts, ideas, thoughts, and information.  We're now exclusively on Facebook, so don't forget to also check out our Facebook page.  Have a fantastic day!



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

DANGERS OF SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE

Leaders testify at senate hearing on dangers of school-to-prison pipeline
school to prison

Expert testimony highlight failures of harsh school discipline policies and outline alternative solutions

 
 
 
(Washington) – Across the country, an alarming number of students are suspended, expelled and even arrested for minor or trivial offenses. Instead of being sent to school guidance counselors for schoolyard fights or talking back to teachers, young people are increasingly pushed into police stations, courtrooms and juvenile detention centers.
 
 
 
Read the rest HERE 
 
 
Related:
 

updated 10:43 AM EDT, Fri October 26, 2012
 
 

SHERROD BROWN DOES THE RIGHT THING

I don't think Sherrod Brown would mind my sharing his letter to me.  I'm so thankful that Sherrod Brown was re-elected to the Senate.  He  is an excellent example of the kind of public servant we want to represent us.
 
 
"Dear Elaine:
 
Thank you for getting in touch with me about the salaries and benefits provided to lawmakers and federal workers.
 
 
During these tough economic times, working families are making their own difficult decisions on how to reduce their personal budgets. With this in mind, it is clear that the government must lead by example and share in the sacrifices required to reduce its budget.
 
 
In December 2010, President Obama introduced a plan to freeze salaries for federal civilian workers for two years. According to projections, the proposal saved the federal government $5 billion.
 
 
 
In addition, with the understanding that lawmakers should not be receiving a raise as working families are struggling to make ends meet, I am a cosponsor of legislation that would prevent members of Congress from receiving an automatic pay raise. This bill would reduce spending by $80 million over the next decade. Lawmakers have not received a cost-of-living adjustment for three years.
 
 
Furthermore, with some in Congress considering substantial changes to Social Security, there is no reason that lawmakers should be exempt from the same reforms that could cause financial hardship for the middle class. I am proud to have introduced the Congressional Retirement Age Act, which would amend federal employee pension laws so that members of Congress can no longer receive their federal pensions before individuals can receive their Social Security retirement benefits.
 
 
Lastly, when I first came to Congress, I refused participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program because too many Americans had no health coverage at all. Only after Congress passed health reform legislation in 2010 — which provides Americans the same type of insurance options that members of Congress currently receive — have I opted to participate in the Congressional health plan.
 
 
As the Senate considers legislation that would cut salaries or benefits for federal workers and lawmakers, I will be sure to keep your views in mind. Thank you again for getting in touch with me.
 
 
Sincerely,
         
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator"

CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION OF BLACK STORYTELLERS CELEBRATE KWANZAA





































   CLEVELAND ASSOCIATION OF BLACK   STORYTELLERS

Friday, December 14, 2012

WHO IS BUYING FORECLOSED HOMES AND WHY IT'S A PROBLEM

"Who's Buying Foreclosed Homes and Why It's a Problem
by Nate Berg (October 13, 2011)
 
 
Foreclosed homes tend to be problems for cities. They sit there, empty, unkempt, just asking for someone to break in. What they need and what governments at basically every level want is someone to buy them. Own them. Love them. Live in them.
 
 
So when a foreclosed property gets sold, the problem’s solved, right? Well, not exactly. According to a new study published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, property sales don’t lead to solutions because often the people buying foreclosed properties from banks are also investors looking to resell the property. But these predominantly small-time investors typically have fewer resources to spend on maintaining their homes as they sit on the market and wait for new buyers.
 
 
“A lot of them are being sold to an investor and staying vacant,” says Dan Immergluck, an urban planning professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the author of the study. “You have the same problem as before.”
 

READ THE ENTIRE HERE



NOTE:  A COMPANY CALLED CORELOGIC IS LISTED ON THE  PROPERTY TAX RECORDS [WHERE THE PERSON WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TAXES IS LISTED] OF MILLIONS OF HOMES THROUGHOUT COUNTIES IN OHIO AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.  WHO IS CORELOGIC?  WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN  MAPLE HEIGHTS GOVERNMENT AND CORELOGIC? CLICK NUMBERS BELOW FOR SOME  INFORMATION
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Update on Corelogic:
The Illogic of CoreLogic, August 26, 2012