Monthly Archives: June 2011

(IPS) Public Workers Fight to Preserve Pensions

A previous version of this article appeared on the Inter-Press Service at: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56311. ATLANTA, Georgia, Jun 30, 2011 (IPS) – Municipal workers across the United States are fighting to preserve their pensions amidst a concerted campaign by corporate interests coupled with budget shortfalls facing all urban areas in the current recession. Some of the affected workers include those who work […]

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Atlanta Proposes Charging for Collected Rainwater

(APN) ATLANTA — A currently proposed City of Atlanta ordinance would begin to charge residents who use rainwater catchment systems, raising concern among some Atlanta citizens who see the ordinance as taxing the water which falls from the sky. Ordinance #11-O-0740, Potable Rainwater Ordinance for Residential Use, was sent from Mayor Kasim Reed’s office to the City Utilities Committee in […]

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(IPS) Iran Executes Hundreds in “War on Drugs”

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56248. ATLANTA, Georgia, U.S., Jun 27, 2011 (IPS) – Iran is drawing international criticism for its continued mass executions of people convicted of violating its drug laws. The Islamic Republic’s judiciary reported that 300 people were on death row as of May 30. “For 300 drug-related convicts, including those who […]

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City of Atlanta Answers Committee Briefings Lawsuit

(APN) ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta and seven Council Members have responded to a lawsuit filed by the News Editor of Atlanta Progressive News–the present writer–challenging their practice of holding seven closed-door Committee Briefings every two weeks. The City’s Answer was filed in Fulton County Superior Court on June 17, 2011, and APN’s News Editor received a copy Tuesday, […]

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Fulton County Bans Use of Elephant Bullhooks in Circuses

(APN) ATLANTA — On Wednesday, June 01, 2011, the Fulton County Commission banned the use of elephant bullhooks in circuses, after months of lobbying by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Georgia Animal Rights and Protection (GARP), delivering a victory to the animals and their human advocates. The vote was four to one, with two absent.  The […]

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NAACP, GCPA Sue Georgia for Neglecting Low-Income Voter Registration

  A lawsuit was filed on June 6, 2011 in federal court  to force Georgia’s state public assistance offices to comply with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) that requires all public assistance offices to offer voter registration forms to people seeking public assistance. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP (Georgia NAACP) […]

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AHA Board Slashes Alisias Contract, Chastises CEO Glover

(APN) ATLANTA — Sparks were flying today, Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at the Atlanta Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meeting, as the Board voted to slash the fiscal year 2012 budget item for the Alisias PR firm from 750,000 dollars to 84,000 dollars, or 7,000 dollars per month. The Board of Commissioners under the Mayor Shirley Franklin administration, including current […]

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Atlanta Branch of the NAACP Supports City Workers in Their Appeal to be Heard on the City’s Pension Plan Dispute (Sponsored)

Atlanta Branch of the NAACP Supports City Workers in Their Appeal to be Heard on the City’s Pension Plan Dispute City employee rally on Wednesday, June 15th at noon. #### (Sponsored blog post) Atlanta, GA (June 13,  2011). The Atlanta Branch of the NAACP will sponsor a rally in support of city workers and their appeal to be heard relative to […]

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APS Ethics Panel Member Resigns to Protect Chairman El

(APN) ATLANTA — A fourth member of the Ethics Commission of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, David Dorsey, has resigned, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. In Dorsey’s letter of resignation, he writes that APS BOE Chairman Khaatim El appears to be guilty of violating Board policies, but that Dorsey would rather resign than find him guilty because he […]

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Mitchell, Moore, Bond Blast Mayor Reed’s Pension Scare Tactics

  (APN) ATLANTA — Council President Ceasar Mitchell and Council Members Felicia Moore (District 9) and Michael Julian Bond (Post 1-at-large) criticized Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in scathing comments during the Full Council Meeting of the City Council of Atlanta on Monday June 06, 2011. Mitchell, Moore, and Bond were responding to the ongoing scare tactics by Mayor Reed related […]

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Wan, Council Sit Silently Through Anti-Gay Rant

(APN) ATLANTA — At the last Full Council meeting of the City Council of Atlanta, on June 06, 2011, citizen activist, Dave Walker, used his two minute public comment portion to make a series of anti-gay remarks. “Mr. President and Council Members, a couple of weeks ago, a State Representative stood up and proclaimed that he was a gay American,” […]

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(IPS) Bahrain’s Tribunal-Issued Death Sentences Cause Outcry

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service at http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56035. ATLANTA, Georgia, U.S., Jun 11, 2011 (IPS) – Democracy advocates in the United States are troubled by the pending execution of two men who took part in anti-government protests in Bahrain. As some governments around the world are enacting, and even expanding upon, U.S.-inspired anti-terrorism policies – particularly in the […]

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Atlanta Councilwoman Winslow Draws Early Challenger

Atlanta Councilwoman Winslow Draws Early Challenger By Matthew Cardinale (APN) ATLANTA — Kwabena Nkromo has announced his intent to challenge Atlanta City Councilwoman Cleta Winslow (District 4) in the 2013 Municipal Election, according to an email he sent to Atlanta Progressive News. Nkromo writes that he wants to promote and develop a significant urban gardening program in the District which […]

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MARTA Rail Proposals in All Directions but South

(APN) ATLANTA — When the Atlanta Regional Roundtable considers proposals to include as part of the finalized regional wish list for the 2012 penny sales tax vote, there will be several MARTA Heavy Rail Line Extensions on the table: East, North, Northeast, West; extensions for every existing line but the one heading due South.   Conceivably, a MARTA Heavy Rail […]

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GDOT Returns Revised Transportation Wish List to Atlanta Region

(APN) ATLANTA — The second step in the process which will lead to a Metro Atlanta region vote in 2012 on whether to levy a one penny sales tax to support transportation projects in the region, has been completed. The Georgia Department of Transportation has reviewed the Metro Atlanta region’s initial, unconstrained wish list, and made some changes.  The changes […]

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