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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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This 1991 book of essays by George Shepherd Jr of the Nation and others discusses the resurgence of racism during the Reagan years in the United States and the rest of the Worls. This increase was attributed to a rise in consciousness of the neo-conservative ideas and the rise in racist groups. The author explains this rise as our failure to understand the underlying social and economic changes in the United States.
To achive the American dream, there needs to be real and equal opportunity for all Americans, an opportunity free from discrimination, exploitation and repression.
Current Michigan policies, including the Right to Work law reinforce those concepts of repression and exploitation of the working class citizens.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 5:47 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The bottom line is poverty is increasing in Flint and Genesee county and the continued misuse of resources designed to break the cycle of poverty only exacerbates the problem. As the socio-economic plight of portions of Flint worsen, the gang influence will increase.
I read the articles where the racist groups want to initiate a racial conflict, but i don't see open warfare in flint. What I do see is more gang warfare as open competition for scarce resources continues. Some gangs have been know as equal opportunity surrogates for family and race distinctions are not always considerations. Conversely, some gangs are organized along rigid ethnic memberships.
You cannot continue to systematically exclude the north end, the east side or even portions of the south side from participation in legitimate economic activities without experiencing a push back. The statistics on right to work states are appalling: 7 of the 10 poorest states are right to work; and 9 of the 10 wealthiest states are not. In Michigan union workers have taken concessions. Wages for workers have remained stagnant for many years while corporate profits have generally risen. Right to work in the south has brought higher unemployment and lower wages. What right to work will do is create an even more permanent low paid worker class so that corporations can enjoy greater wealth. |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:43 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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One great failure was the Enterprise Zone in Flint. It and the Renaissance Zone were supposed to provide economic revitalization from downtown to the north side and parts of Mt Morris Township. This time it was minority corruption the allowed these funds to be misused. Instead of growing successful business opportunities along Saginaw Street and other areas, the money went to party stores, bars and car wahes along Saginaw Street and ML King. The failure rate of the loans were as high as 70% and the protection of the loans was nonexistant. The City recovered little if anything from these bad loans. The State failed to monitor and so did HUD. A failure by CCDC to provide audits for 3 years resulted in a huge liability for the city.
Corruption remains a big issue and there has been corruption involved in every economic program initiated in Flint and Genesee County. The Snyder administrations handling of the federal monies coming in will only benefit Snyders friends. There continues to be little economic benefit for Flint residents. I don't know how Snyder expects to protect these downtown developments as the income gap continues to widen and the anger grows.. |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:04 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care:
February 1999 - Volume 46 - Issue 2 - pp 334-339
Article: Presented At The 28Th Annual Meeting Of The Western Trauma Association, February 22-28, 1998, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
The Relationship between Socioeconomic Factors and Gang Violence in the City of Los Angeles
Kyriacou, Demetrios N. MD, PhD; Hutson, H. Range MD; Anglin, Deirdre MD; Peek-Asa, Corinne PhD, MPH; Kraus, Jess F. PhD, MPH
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the relationship between community-level socioeconomic factors and the incidence of gang-related homicide in the city of Los Angeles
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Methods: An ecological group-level analysis was conducted to correlate the 5-year incidence rates (from 1988 through 1992) of gang-related homicide with community-level socioeconomic statistics for the 18 geographically distinct Los Angeles Police Department divisions. Eight socioeconomic factors were examined: (1) log mean per capita income, (2) proportion employed, (3) proportion high school graduates, (4) proportion single-parent families, (5) proportion male, (6) proportion younger than 20 years of age, (7) proportion African American, and ( proportion Hispanic. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for the interrelationships among the study variables and gang-related homicide. Adjusted regression estimates were calculated from a multiple linear regression model.
Results: The overall 5-year gang-related homicide rate for the city was 48.8 per 100,000, with a range of 5.2 to 173.5 per 100,000 among the different Los Angeles Police Department divisions. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed that the strongest negative correlations with gang-related homicide were log mean per capita income and proportion employed, and the strongest positive correlations were proportion single-parent families and proportion younger than 20 years of age. With mutual adjustment of all variables, only log mean per capita income and proportion employed were significantly associated with gang-related homicide.
Conclusion: At the community level, gang-related homicide in Los Angeles is most closely associated with lower income and unemployment. These relationships may provide important insights into the causes of gang formation and gang violence
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Study Ranks Joblessness Top Factor in Gang Toll
Slayings: Unemployment and low income levels are stronger influences than age, race or education, researchers find. Some caution that conclusions may be too sweeping.
October 28, 1997|GREG KRIKORIAN | LOS ANGELES TIMES STAFF WRITER
Of all the factors contributing to gangs and their epidemic of violence in Los Angeles, none is more significant than the staggering rates of unemployment in their communities, according to a report to be released today by a team of university-affiliated medical researchers.
The researchers found that employment and per capita income were more closely associated with the city's gang homicide rate than a variety of other social, economic or other demographic factors including age, race, education or the proportion of single-family households. The study will be presented today at UCLA as part of a lecture series sponsored by the California Wellness Foundation and UC.
The findings, while questioned by some criminal justice experts, suggest that the best hope of curbing Los Angeles' gang carnage rests with community-based economic programs that would cut away at the conditions that give rise to gangs and their violence, according to the researchers.
"The bottom line of our study is that of all the variables we examined, the one factor that is the most closely associated with gang homicides is unemployment," said Dr. Demetrios N. Kyriacou, director of trauma care in the department of emergency medicine at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar. "And until our society and community leaders and business sector decide they are going to approach this problem from that point of view, we really won't be able to prevent this epidemic of gang-related homicides."
Because the researchers wanted to examine the root cause of Los Angeles' gang homicides using the most reliable demographic data available from the U.S. Census, their study examined gang violence in the city between 1988 and 1992, just before and after the last census, said Kyriacou, the principal investigator for the study, which included medical researchers at Harvard Medical School and USC.
Examining eight social, economic and demographic factors, the study measured those factors against the gang homicide statistics compiled within each of the Los Angeles Police Department's 18 geographic divisions during the five-year period ending in 1992, when there were 1,702 killings where the victim, the suspect or both had street gang involvement. Although gang killings have dropped since 1992, Kyriacou said the trend does not negate the significance of the findings.
"Street gang violence has been a social and criminal problem in American society for several decades. Over the past 20 years, however, street gangs have proliferated dramatically," the report says, citing a 1995 study that shows that gang activity exists in 94% of U.S. cities where populations exceed 100,000.
"The city of Los Angeles, in particular, has suffered from this proliferation," the report adds, noting that the city has America's largest number of street gangs--406--and gang members--62,693.
Over the years, the report notes, various competing social theories have been advanced to explain why gangs form. And the factors cited in both the creation of gangs and their violence have included poverty, unemployment, delinquency, lack of family structure, lack of education and racism, the report says.
But the research on gangs, the report adds, has often been "hampered" by problems in developing a methodology, leaving studies limited by their reliance on data from case studies or surveys without comparison groups.
For this study then, researchers said, the incidence of gang violence was evaluated by comparing the relationships between community-level socioeconomic factors with the rate of homicides linked to street gangs.
What the study found was the following:
* While single-parent families and the proportion of a community's population under the age of 20 were strongly linked to gang homicide rates, those factors were nowhere near as significant as unemployment and per capita income when all the variables were measured.
* In communities where unemployment ran highest, between 14% and 16%, there were 125 to 175 gang homicides per 100,000 population--about 15 times the killing rate compared to communities where unemployment ran a more modest 4% to 7%.
* Similarly, gang homicides in the city were almost entirely confined to communities where the per capita income was $25,000 a year or less during the five-year period studied. In the poorest communities, where per capita incomes were less than $10,000 annually, the homicide rate ranged from 75 to 175 people per 100,000 population. And in communities where the per capita income was $25,000 or more, the homicide rate was less than 10 per 100,000 residents.
By themselves, the research showed, other factors undeniably have a significant role in the number of gangs and their resulting violence. For example, the highest homicide rates were recorded in communities where the population under 20 years of age was a sizable 40%, while the lowest murder rates were reported in areas where a quarter or less of the population fell below that age. |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 7:19 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Column: Gov. Rick Snyder did not make the case for right to work, while his police maced the people
Published: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 11:45 AM Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 1:54 PM
By Brian Wheeler | bwheele1@mlive.com
By Mark Schauer
Last week, more than 12,500 people came to Lansing from across the state to send a message to Gov. Rick Snyder and legislators that right to work is wrong for Michigan. I was proud to stand with teachers, nurses and construction workers as we peacefully exercised our First Amendment rights outside the House chamber during the final votes.
As the media has reported, I was among the demonstrators who were maced by state police troopers. Reporters love a good story, and a former congressman getting maced sure makes for good headlines.
The more compelling story was about the union nurses who sprang into action almost immediately to care for the injured. I can’t think of a better argument for collective bargaining than the image of nurses flushing the eyes of construction workers who were maced while demonstrating against right-to-work bills.
My mom was a nurse, so I know that nurses always put their patients first. That’s exactly why collective bargaining works.
The fact that state troopers working for Snyder felt the need to use chemical spray on peaceful demonstrators says something about the quality of the bills we were protesting.
When Snyder was elected in 2010, I sincerely hoped he would be a moderate voice in Lansing who could stand up to the special interests in his own party. Unfortunately, by signing right-to-work bills into law behind closed doors, our self-proclaimed “tough nerd” governor took the easy way out.
In my 28 years of public service, I’ve seen my share of protests. During the health-care debate of 2009, my congressional office received death threats — but that didn’t stop me from holding dozens of local town hall meetings to explain my vote face to face with voters. Months went by between the initial introduction of the bill and its passage, allowing for millions of Americans to have their voices be heard.
It’s unfortunate Snyder and Lansing Republicans never bothered to make their case for right to work to the public. That’s probably because the facts show right to work weakens the middle class by lowering wages an average of $1,500 per year. Less money in the pockets of middle-class families means less money to spend on gas, groceries and child care means less money for small businesses to create jobs
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What’s more, Snyder’s claim of Indiana’s success as the singular reason Michigan should adopt right to work is baseless speculation. Indiana officials have been unable to provide even a single example of a company that moved there because of the state’s right-to-work laws.
Snyder will certainly spend the next two years cheerleading for the law. In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels was claiming the law was a success before it had even taken effect. But Michiganders can only hope that Republican leaders will stop attacking workers and turn their focus to strengthening the middle class by improving our infrastructure and restoring the cuts made to education. That’s what will make Michigan strong.
— Mark Schauer is a former congressman who represented the 7th Congressional District, including Jackson County. |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:20 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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6 Things you should know about the GOP's Plan B
Democrats Blog
Posted by
Elizabeth Chan
12/20/2012
With the fiscal cliff deadline looming, the American people have made their voices heard: They want a balanced approach that protects middle-class families, seniors, students, and the most vulnerable Americans—while asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
The so-called Plan B put forward by Speaker John Boehner and the Republican Party accomplishes none of that.
Instead, here's what the Republicans are proposing:
1. Cut taxes for millionaires by an average of $50,000 and raise taxes on the middle class.
2. Eliminate tax cuts for 25 million students, families, and businesses who are struggling to make ends meet.
3. Cut off 2 million Americans from unemployment assistance, a vital lifeline for Americans fighting to find work.
4. Subject doctors to deep cuts in Medicare payments.
5. Offer minimal deficit reduction that doesn't address our long-term fiscal challenges—and zero spending cuts.
6. Protect the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans instead of stepping up and working to reduce our deficit by $4 trillion.
The bottom line is that the Republicans' so-called Plan B burdens the middle class and fails to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.
President Obama is fighting for a significant, balanced deal that will provide security for middle class families, the economy and our nation’s future—and asks the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. It's time for the GOP to put politics aside and come to the table. Every day they waste, the possibility that taxes go up on every single American increases. |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 6:29 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Boehner's Plan B was to cut food stamps and eliminate Meals-on-Wheels.
After Boehner and Cantor promised a vote on Plan B, they were unable to marshall enough votes to pass the entire measure. They did manage to pass the plan to cut food stamps and Meals-on-wheels.
Instead after an executive meeting ended in a screaming match but no resolution, the GOP bid washington DC good bye for the holiday. Not sure if they will return to work on the fiscal cliff! |
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:49 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Detroit, Flint and Saginaw are the key markets and distribution in MIchigan. This analysis shows how much the drug trade, especially heroin and cocaine, dominate the Flint economy. You have to consider the impact of corrupt politicians and possibly even corrupt law enforcement contribute to this trafficking. This is a brief but excellent read.
PDF]
Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area - ...
www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/dmas/Michigan_DMA-2011(U).pdf
Drug Market Analysis 2011. 1. Executive Summary. The overall threat from drugtrafficking and abuse in the Michigan High Intensity Drug. Trafficking Area ... |
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Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:46 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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In the 2011 MMichigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Market Ananlysis is a detailed description of the rise of heroin use, primarily by white suburban caucasian youth. Heroin use is nearly that of cocaine.
Part of the theory is that oxycodone users are substituting heroin for . Controlled Prescription Drug (CPDs) such as the opiods. Also cocaine availability has lowered and the cost has increased, which may be driving down the demand.
* African American and Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) along with criminal groups, are the primary distributors in Michih=gan, These groups work together to dominate both the wholesale and the retail distribution of drugs . This ongoing collaboration serves to stabilize the drug operations, and likely ensures higher and more consistent profits for the organizations involved.
* Violent crimes, including drug related crime, is prevalent throughout Michigan , particularly in Detroit, Flint and saginaw. Of particular concern are the frequent violent thefts by criminals targeting distributors to steal money and drugs. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:40 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Heroin (primarily South American heroin) is readily available and the price along with high purity and availability, translate into high demand. The Drug Enforcement Agency has found heroin with 20 to 50 percent purity and at times up to 90 percent purity.
Detroit samples tested for 45.3% purity , higher than all samples nationwide of 33.6 %.
Law Enforcement Officials (LEOs) in Detroit have indicated cocaine availibility is down since 2008 while cocaine price has increased. Large quantities are hard to purchase and the retail price of an ounce of cocaine runs $1,000 to $1,300. There has been a coresponding in publicly funded drug treatment. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:48 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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High level heroin trafficking is in part the oxycocone users making a substitution in their drug of choice. The wholesale heroin cost is still cheaper and easier to obtain than Prescrition opioids.
*LEOs report the number of young suburban caucasians using heroin has increased inthe last 3 to 4 years and their use remains high.
LEOs report the problems of heroin use is approaching that of cocaine and presently supasses other drugs. Publicly funded drug treatment for heroin addiction is more than any other drug and double that of powder and crack cocaine combined. Since large numbers of these suburban youth are covered by private health nsurance, the cost may be higher.
LEOs believe the medical marijuana programs allow criminals to exploit the demand for karijuana. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:56 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Western Michigan has the the highest production and use of Methamphetamine. The criminal associates help the producers acquire the products used as the precursor chemicals by circumventing the chemical control laws.
Sometimes the primary producer and/or their associates use what is called "smurfing" in order to obtain the pseudoephidrine from drug stores. These "smurfs" are sometimes group of people from homeless shelters that buy the controlled pseudoephidrine cold medicines theoughout the day from various drug stores. These buys are at or below the legal thresholds for purchasing these drugs. Smurfs get about $50 a day.
Illegal pseudoephidrine is expensive and sometimes dealers tade product for the drug. The primary producer of Methamphetamine is local caucasian independent dealers that operate on a small scale using what is called a one pot method. Flint and other local police have found vehicles used to manufacture and transport this method of production. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:08 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| The wholesale distribution of the majority of drugs into Michigan is controlled by the Mexican and African American Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) The Mexican DTOs have a supply side both inside and outside of Michigan. The African American DTOs are the predominant distributors at the wholesale level in Michigan of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. The supply lines run through Chicago and Atlanta as well as directly from the southwest border trough their mexican connections. The Michigan based African American DTOs purchase cocaine and marijuana from mexican DTOs all along the southwest border, but most notably in Arizona. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:17 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| There are many advantages to purchasing drugs at the border. or the Mexican DTOs they decrease their exposure during the transport of the drugs to the drug centers in the states. The African American DTOs gain more direct control over their product and get better prices. this collaboration seres to stabilize the drug operations amd probably results in higher and more consistent profits. |
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Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:58 am |
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