Target Boots Marines

Is there any reason to shop at Target after this situation occurred?

I spoke w/Jack Dorsey this morning at 9:30 a.m. who related to me that he had not only spoken to both Marines whom he had no reason to disbelieve, he as well spoke with parents of these Marines whom were just as unhappy.

Target doesn't need a pass on this situation and this time unlike the last time it's time to drop the hammer right on Target, perhaps it's time to pressure them financially to the point they never disrespect another service member.

If you would like to call this store to leave a comment in regards to the treatment these Marines received their number is 757-421-6640.

Two Marines say Target store booted them for recruiting

By JACK DORSEY, The Virginian-Pilot © April 7, 2007

CHESAPEAKE - Two Marines in their dress uniforms - the ones with white hats, khaki shirts and blue trousers with red stripe - say they were accused of recruiting at a Target department store here and told to leave.

"We weren't recruiting," according to Cpl. Carlos Rodriguez, 22, who said he returned in October from his second combat tour in Iraq. "I just popped in to say hi to a guy I went to high school with. He works there."

But an assistant manager who saw Rodriguez and the other Marine apparently thought otherwise and showed them the door, according to both servicemen.

Manager Brian Sherman, who was not in the Chesapeake South store Monday when the alleged incident happened, denied Friday that the Marines were ordered out. But he said he was told they were talking to employees.

"They were not asked to leave, in fact they walked around the store and continued to shop," Sherman said.

Target has a strict no-solicitation policy, he said.

Rodriguez said he and the other Marine were in the Target about 10 a.m. Monday, when they had some slack time from their duties. The second Marine, a private, asked not to be identified because he's new to the Corps, but he affirmed Rodriguez's account.

Rodriguez, who is getting out of the Marines in June, and the private, who just completed boot camp training at Parris Island, S.C., are both on temporary duty back in their hometown of Chesapeake.

While they are assigned to a local recruiting office, they are not recruiters and work only as assistants, Rodriguez said.

He said he was talking to his high school friend in Target "briefly and then we were walking toward the CDs when this guy comes out of nowhere. He was the shift manager, or something, and the first thing he started saying was, 'You guys are recruiters, right?' "

Sherman declined to identify the assistant manager because he had not talked to him yet.

The assistant manager said he couldn't have the Marines in the store soliciting workers for the military while they were on the company's clock, Rodriguez said.

"I didn't want to make a scene," Rodriguez said. "We were representing Marines anyway just by wearing the uniform, so I kept my mouth shut."

Then, Rodriguez said, "this retired Navy SEAL came up behind us and he said, 'You forget what... country this is,' and he goes off on (the assistant manager) saying, 'You have no right to throw them out of Target just because they are talking to one of your employees.' "

"He got everything out in the open that I was thinking, so I kind of left with a grin," Rodriguez said.

George Rodriguez, the corporal's father and a former Navy officer, said in an interview that he told his son, " Now you know how I felt the first time I came back from Vietnam because it was like that all over the country."

A Marine Corps official based in Norfolk, Col. Jenny Holbert, said Friday that while the uniform the Marines were wearing is typical of those worn by recruiters, Rodriquez and the private were not recruiters.

"Were they recruiting? That's inconsequential really," Holbert said.

Sherman said no one had filed a formal complaint.

He said he believed the incident has been blown out of proportion.

"We have a no-solicitation policy," Sherman said. "It has been in the news before. It's the same thing we went through with the Salvation Army and we give a lot of money to them. But we don't necessarily allow them to solicit on our property."

Target banned the Salvation Army's Christmas-time kettles from all its stores in 2004.

Sherman provided Target corporate statements that say since 2002, it has been "the victim of a misleading e-mail campaign, which grossly misrepresents our support of veterans and our soldiers."

"Target supports many charitable causes, including veterans' organizations," according to a statement. "For years we have donated funds and volunteer hours to local and national veteran and military organizations around the country."

Bradley Speaks to Defendants in Rape Case

I understand this comes from CBS and let's hope that Ed Bradley can keep this straight. There are still many unanswered questions in this situation.

Bradley Also Speaks To Defendants In Rape Case

Duke Dancers Give Different Accounts

Oct. 12, 2006
(CBS)

The dancing partner of the woman who accuses three Duke Lacrosse players of raping her refutes a key part of her partner’s account of the alleged crime.

Kim Roberts, who danced at the same party where the alleged rape took place, makes the revelation in an interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley this Sunday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Roberts' answer to Bradley’s question directly contradicts a crucial statement the accuser gave to police. Bradley asks whether she, Roberts, who goes by the stage name "Nikki" when she performs, was holding onto the accuser at the beginning of the alleged crime.

Says Bradley, "In the police statement, [accuser] describes the rape in this way: 'Three guys grabbed Nikki,' 'That's you,'" says Bradley, "'Brett, Adam and Matt grabbed me. They separated us at the master bedroom door while we tried to hold on to each other. Bret, Adam and Matt took me into the bathroom.' Were you holding on to each other? Were you pulled apart?"

"Nope," replies Roberts, who says she was hearing this account for the first time.

Roberts also denies the accuser's statement to the police that after the alleged rape, Roberts came into the bathroom and helped one of the rapists dress her.

When pressed by Bradley about whether she saw signs of rape from the accuser, such as complaining about pain or a mention of an assault, Roberts says, "She obviously wasn't hurt...because she was fine."

Bradley's report also contains interviews with the three defendants, Collin Finnerty, Reade Selligmann and David Evans, all of whom proclaim their innocence, and others involved in the case.

Russia, China cast doubts on quick N.Korea vote

Everyone repeat after me Russia and China are our friends who want to help stop this crisis, this is how the democrats do it they keep repeating the above line until they've said what is typically a lie long enough they believe it to be the truth.

Russia, China cast doubts on quick N.Korea vote

By Evelyn Leopold and Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China and Russia on Thursday cast doubt on the chances for a quick vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution imposing economic and weapons sanctions on North Korea for its reported nuclear weapons test.

"I think that of course people are talking about a possible vote tomorrow, but I'm not sure," China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said. "There are many common grounds that members agree. But there are some disagreements."

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton formally introduced the new draft resolution to U.N. Security Council in hopes of securing a vote on Friday but said he was open to further discussion and changes.

But the measure still retained some elements that China has objected to.
Asked about a Friday vote, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said, "I don't think so" and indicated one should wait for results of the latest flurry of diplomatic activity.

"We think there should be a strong reaction but a cool- headed reaction," Churkin said.
He pointed to diplomatic meetings in Asia and in the United States and Russia. Tang Jiaxuan, a Chinese state councillor and former foreign minister met President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the White House on Thursday and then was travelling on to Moscow.

China has used forceful language to condemn North Korea since it announced it had conducted a nuclear weapons test on Monday, a change of tack towards Pyongyang. Wang again on Thursday said Pyongyang's action was "irresponsible." Continued...

Cheerleader Upgraded to Serious Condition After Shooting

Cheerleader Upgraded To Serious Condition After Shooting
Police: Teen Was Part Of Group Looking For Thrills

POSTED: 9:45 am EDT August 30, 2006
UPDATED: 9:56 am EDT August 30, 2006

WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- Family members of a Worthington teenager who was shot have encouraging news to report about her recovery.

According to a family pastor, Rachel Barezinsky was upgraded from critical to serious condition, NBC 4 reported.

The pastor said that Barezinsky is able to whisper words, write some words and has even smiled.

Police said Rachel was shot after she and some friends approached a house across the street from a cemetery.

Rachel is a senior honor student and varsity cheerleader at Thomas Worthington High School, NBC 4 reported.

Detectives said that when the girls ran around the house, a person who lives inside the house, Allen Davis, fired the shots.

Rachel was struck in the shoulder and head with rounds fired from a rifle, NBC 4 reported.

The five teens then ran to their car and drove away before they flagged down an officer on High Street.

Davis, 40, appeared in court last week where more details were released about the incident.

"(Davis) admitted he fired his rifle at least eight rounds at the vehicle driving north on Milton Avenue, near Sharon Springs," said Worthington police Detective Dick Tennant.

Davis said the teens in the car were trespassing and he fired the shots to protect his property.

Police said the girls were on a thrill ride and drove by the Davis' home across from the cemetery, honked the horn and even took a few steps on the property to get a scare.

http://www.nbc4i.com/newsarchive/9761109/detail.html

Worthington Teacher's Receive a 72% Raise

The information below is directly from the Union contracts from 2000-2007.

For a teacher with a Master's degree starting with 5 years of experience in 2000:

Year - Salary
2000 - $39,162
2001 - $42,726
2002 - $46,614
2003 - $50,853
2004 - $53,880
2005 - $58,637
2006 - $62,784
2007 - $67,386

That is a 72% increase from 2000

Does the Worthington Board of Education really get it???

Board of Education nixes August ballot, sharpens ax

news:www.snponline.com/NEWS5-10/5-10_wolevyloss.htm

The above headline was seen in the current issue of the SNP Worthington News and after the last school board meeting it will be interesting to see just how sharp the ax really is & where these cuts will take place.

There was an obvious look of disbelief and confusion upon the faces of this board of education, gone were the partisan remarks that typically seems to come from board president Gary Tyack (who recently won the democrat primary nomination for the 10th District Court of Appeals) concerning coming to the left side of politics which is absolutely out of place considering the business that takes place during this time shouldn't be partisan to begin with.

"Voters will not see a levy request from Worthington City Schools on a special August ballot."

The presidents of the certified and non-certified employees where seen actively engaged in conversation with board members. Information delivered from within the unions is that at least one board member has given the unions a strong committment to deliver another levy request on the November ballot. The certified and non-certified employees of the district have a fresh 3 year contract with the certified members receiving an average raise of 5.43% for the duration of the current contract, the Deparment of Labor cites the typical worker receiving a 2.9% annual raise .

Recent information released showed that in 1995 the district's enrollement was 10,818 with an annual expenditures of $67.9 million and while in 2006 the district's enrollement was 9,562 with an annual expenditures of $105.5 million. This shows there has been a loss of 1256 students while spending has increased by $7.9 million. There also is a well documented past of the district requesting a new levy every 2 years.

While there was some recognition from some board members that perhaps it was time to actively engage the public in finding a financial solution to the situation at hand it was apparent from at least one board member there was a rather eagarness to begin cutting programs within the district. The district spends an average of $12,000 to get the word out concerning the passage of levys. Those who oppose the levy are left to their own devices to spread the word of why a levy shouldn't be passed.

While board member Bob Horton recognized there was no organized opposition to the last levy that failed perhaps it would benefit him to realize that the voters merely sat down and did simple math to know they couldn't afford what the board had asked for.

While alot of the these taxpayers work hard long hours day in and day out there is also the segment of the population of retirees who are on a fixed income of which many are past employees of the school district that had attended the previous public forms (which ran 4 to 5 in opposition of the failed levy in their remarks) to request the board reconsider posting the failed levy.

There as well was a certain amount of whining from the board concerning the taxpayers believing their voices weren't heard in opposition to the failed levy. To better understand what the voters are complaining about you need to look no further than the comments there were made election night such as "I call that a mandate. People don't want to pay more taxes and are taking it out on the Worthington Schools" Dr. Bob Horton This Week Worthington May 4th, 2006.

I believe that more accurately the taxpayers are sick and tired of being sold out to the unions at the bargaining table by the school board they elected to look after the taxpayer's money. All except one board member (Marc Schare) gave the unions that represent the district's employees what was asked for. I understand there was a game of 3 card monty when it came to the increase in health care yet in the end the district lost money and the unions once again walked away with their pockets full of the taxpayer's cash in the form of their 5.43% raises.

The big question now is what's the plan and how will this not impact the students of the district?

Rep. Kennedy Crashes Car Near Capitol

Talk about keeping it in the family here we go and the I wonder how long it'll take Cynthia McKinney before she starts screaming about whitey not being held to the same standards. I for one will agree the Kennedy's have never been held to the same standard as anyone else.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had had no alcohol before the accident.

Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports.

"I was involved in a traffic accident last night at First and C Street SE near the U.S. Capitol," Kennedy said in a written statement released by his office. "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident. I will fully cooperate with the Capitol Police in whatever investigation they choose to undertake."

Kennedy appeared to be intoxicated when he crashed his car into a barrier on Capitol Hill early Thursday morning, said Louis P. Cannon, president of the Washington chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Cannon, who was not there, said the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official "above the rank of patrolman" to take Kennedy home.
No sobriety tests were conducted at the scene.

A letter written by a Capitol Police officer to Acting Chief Christopher McGaffin said Kennedy appeared to be staggering when he left the vehicle after the crash about 3 a.m. The letter was first reported by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Kennedy said he was late for a vote, officer Greg Baird said in the letter to McGaffin. Baird is acting chairman of the Capitol Hill chapter of the FOP police union. The last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier.

Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and his staff declined to discuss any further details of the accident. The congressman took part in House votes Thursday.

Capitol Police did not immediately return phone calls for comment. They issued a one-line statement saying they were investigating a traffic violation that occurred early in the morning at that location.
Baird wrote McGaffin that two sergeants who responded to the accident conferred with the watch commander and were ordered to leave the scene.

He said that after the officers left, Capitol Police officials gave Kennedy a ride home.

Kennedy spent time at a drug rehabilitation clinic before he went to Providence College. He has been open about mental health issues, including being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

© 2006 Associated Press.

Worthington School levy soundly defeated 58 % to 42% margin

Levy Soundly Defeated5.25 mill levy goes down by 58-42 margin......

By Candi Brooks
This Week Staff Writer

As school board member Bob Horton gazed at the precinct-by-precinct voting results on the screen in front of him Tuesday night, he could read the message on the wall. It was "no," plain and simple.With 53 of 56 Worthington school district precincts reported in on Tuesday night, the 5.25-mill Worthington levy was being defeated by a margin of 58 to 42.

The unofficial breakdown was 4,944 votes for the levy, 6,833 votes against."These are strong numbers," Horton said. "I call that a mandate. People don't want to pay more taxes and they are taking it out on the Worthington schools." Horton said the board will definitely return a levy to the voters by the end of the year. The only question is timing-the August ballot or the November ballot. The size of the levy cannot be the same, though. "There is no way we can go back to the votes with that same amount," he said. "We're going to have to make some serious adjustments."

Meanwhile, the district must be ready to make budget reductions if voters do no approve a levy in 2006, said Superintendent Melissa Conrath."We can't go into the school year without a plan in place to make ends meet,"she said. Though she has only been in the district for four months, the message she heard as she met with voters was that there were weary of frequent levy requests.

The district has placed three levies on the ballot in the past five years. Horton said he was surprised that the out-come was not closer. "What's interesting is there really wasn't any opposition," he said. "The numbers are like in the past when we've had organized opposition."

Though they steadfastly declined to call themselves levy opponents, John Herrington and Mike Alfred formed in March an organization called Educate Worthington.On it's website and in a public forum, Educate Worthington provided information about school spending that was not available from the district of levy supporters. The web site received 1,300 hits in two months."I've been optimistic that people are ready for a change," Herrington said Tuesday night. Like Horton, Alfred was surprised by the lopsided results. "There is no glee in this, but the reality is they can't continue to aske for money every two years," he said.

Levy campaign co-chair Saul Seigel said he hopes residents of all districts will join together to force state lawmakers to find a better way to fund schools in Ohio. In short the school board must make some tough choices, he said. It is incumbent upon the board of education to do things that won't be pleasant," Seigel said.

The issue was a combination operating/improvements levy. Five mills would have allowed the district to continue offering current programs. Without it, the district will face a $6-million deficit at the end of the 2007-08 school year.

The permanent improvements part of the levy would have raised $11.4-million over the next five years, or apporximately $2.3-million a year to oay for capital projects like computers, buses and building repairs.

The levy would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $191.41 annually in property taxes. That property owner already pays $1,276.25 to the schools each year.

cbrooks@thisweeknews.com


"These are strong numbers," Horton said. "I call that a mandate. People don't want to pay more taxes and they are taking it out on the Worthington schools." "What's interesting is there really wasn't any opposition," he said. "The numbers are like in the past when we've had organized opposition."

I guess someone has been asleep during the board meetings or just downright ignored those citizens who took time out of their day to make their views crystal clear to the board of education.

In short the school board must make some tough choices, he said. It is incumbent upon the board of education to do things that won't be pleasant," Seigel said.

Don't worry the teacher's contracts are safe and that's the most important thing of all. Those raises are nearly double what the typical employee recieves. There are many within our community that have just as important jobs and yet receive far less in compensation.

There are federal grants available for some of the district's needs I guess Worthington is too good to take a federal grant, they must view it as taking a hand out. At one school board meeting a teacher from within the school district that teachs in Columbus offered to provide information that gave the schools grants for the much needed computers.

Yet at the same time their teachers won't tell them how they've no compassion by asking the taxpayers to give up things in their own lives because of the educational elitism and entitlement they believe are theirs because they're teachers.

Our communities would really be in trouble if the many other professions that keep our country alive & well pulled the same stunt.

Remember this is the same thing the UAW is waking up to and it never fails to amaze me that the UAW at Delphi is ready to strike really screwing themselves. They will in turn screw the auto industry as we currently know it and our economy.

Yet at the same time they believe much like the illegal aliens (these people are criminals) who are attempting economic blackmail by yet more days of threatened boycotts against the sovereignty of the US because they don't like our immigration laws.

Battle for the 21st, The Race To Replace Reidelbach

There are 2 democrats fighting for the nomination to run against the republican candidate to replace Linda Reidleback R-21st District.

They would be Dean Hernandez and Jean Herendeen Ackerman are both campaigning on an education platform, said platform can be summed up with the following sentence: Fix School Funding by increasing the income tax or state sales tax to give more money to school districts. I lifted the above sentence from a post on www.ColumbusTownHall.com that was provided by Marc Schare who happens to be a current member of the Worthington Schools Board of Education.

The most interesting thing happened after Marc left that post, he was contacted by the husband of the candidate (nothing like hiring our to take care of your own problems, he will be a very busy puppy IF she can find her way to the statehouse) at which time Mr. Ackerman did his best to bully Marc at which time the original poster left the the following post.

Lest you think that Columbus Town Hall is not read by the powers that be, I received an email this morning from the Herendeen Ackerman campaign stating, in very strong terms, that Ms. Herendeen Ackerman is not advocating a tax increase of any kind. Marc Schare

I took time yesterday to check out both of these candidate's sites and learned a few interesting things.

Mr. Hernandez is a veteran who is a financial advisor for a small family owned company in Columbus. While Jean Ackerman is currently a teacher in the Hamilton Twp School district.

What struck me the hardest was Jean Ackermans hard attack on charter schools. Yet at the same time as a worthington resident she hid her opposition to the current school levy that will be considered on May 2nd, 2006.

She claims to have attend 2 public forums the school district had to receive taxpayers input, she alledges to have spoken out against the current levy request (that is on the ballot to be voted on May 2nd, 2006) was no where to be found at the school board meeting the night the same board approved for placement on the ballot. She was no where in sight to express her alledged opposition to the levy's placement on the ballot.

She or someone within her campaign penned a letter to the editor espousing her opposition to the school levy, which is hard for me to believe that a union member that teachs in another school district would come out in opposition against a levy within her home school district. Mr. Hernandez has recieved the endorsement of the OEA unlike Jean Ackerman.

Considering all the money the NEA and it's many state & local variants spend do they need another lobbyist to further their agenda on the state level within the statehouse?

Since the current NEA president has made it perfectly clear that he could care less where the money for his member's future raises come from is there a need for another union lobbyist within the state legislature?

No candidate can serve 2 masters and since the taxpayers could possibly elect her to do the job they ask is there anyway she can keep her master's within the teacher's unions happy yet looking out for the best interest of the taxpayers? In order to keep the 2nd set of masters she to whom she would be holden to their only true interest is that they recieve more money and that would only be accomplished by raising taxes on the state & local level.

I would encourage everyone to remember the unions don't help people for free and since there is no free lunch they would expect this mother of 2 to make sure she produces more money for them otherwise from past experience they would expect her to supply their members with more money.

I did notice this morning on my drive through worthington that someone had placed her campaign signs at state route 315 at the intersection of hard road. Which is illegal.

When asked on Sunday about answering the taxpayer's questions at www.columbustownhall.com the campaign's answer were as follows:

In case you haven't noticed, there is an election on. There are other things to do.

I feel disenfranchised after that remark from her campaign.

Political agitator Kabaka Oba dies

Having recently been back to downtown Cincy here are my observations. The Cincinnati police like the Columbus Police merely practice trend crime solving and it's a real shame because here in Columbus residents are being robbed by armed individuals right outside of their own abodes.

Until the taxpayers within the OTR decide they've had enough of the black on black genocide nothing will change. It's so sad that in both Columbus & Cincinnati that the thinning of near age mentors of the black community rages on. Kabaka Oba reaped the seeds of malcontent that he had sowen for so long within the community.

Ladies & Gentlemen boys & girls of all ages the numbers don't lie, the many numerous deceased are those who've paid the price for the racist & anti-semetic comments that've flown forth from Kabaka Oba's mouth.You cannot have it both ways either you do or do not want your local police officers to help make your neighborhoods safe for all to live in.

Civil lawsuits and constant threats towards officers & their families only results these officers waiting for trajedy to strike before exiting their cruisers. Now that Kabaka Oba has what he asked for who will now fill that place within OTR.

Do not blame those who visit OTR for the many illegal activities that continue to flourish there. If those with OTR would finally decide they would take control of their community the drug dealing would come to a stop and that community has noone except themselves to blame for being held hostage while a few ragtag $1 thugs ruin their chances to a better life.

The bottom line is IF you don't want the suburbanites coming to OTR to buy their drugs don't allow the dealers to sell it there, the community must force them out.

I've seen postings of "the black fist" activities and the blame shifting it's no wonder OTR is in the shape that it is. This is something that cannot be blamed on anyone except those who allow the activities that flourish in open site as they do. It will now be interesting to see what becomes of "the black fist".