http://nnpa.org/ben-jealous-resigns-as-naacp-president-by-freddie-allen/
http://nnpa.org/obamas-reform-plan-misplaced-for-hbcus-by-freddie-allen/
[BRIEFS AFTER CASH IN THE APPLE BELOW]
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EMBATTLED WHA CEO’S 2nd DWI
ARREST MAY SEAL FATE
By Cash Michaels
staff writer
He
makes $142,000 a year, directs Wilmington’s public housing authority, and
answers to the city’s elected officials and his board.
But
WHA CEO Michael Krause, currently on leave of absence, may now find himself out
of a job before his Nov. 26th court date after his second high
profile DWI arrest last Sunday. The WHA Board of Commissioners were scheduled
to meet today, and at press time, it was not known what action they would take.
Mayor
Bill Saffo has already sent the signal that he’s not pleased.
Given
the circumstances of Krause’s second driving while impaired arrest, where he
reportedly blew a .35 on a breathalyzer test – four times the 0.08 legal limit,
Krause may have used up what even good graces and benefits of a doubt he
garnered after his first DWI offense in 2009.
He had just taken over the
embattled WHA a year earlier in 2008
Krause,
41, pleaded guilty in January 2010 after a test revealed he had a blood alcohol
level of .23.
He was sentenced to 24 hours of
community service, and paid a $100.00 fine with over $350.00 in court fees. At
the time, the WHA Board Chair Lethia Hankins issued a statement saying that the
board had “complete confidence” in Krause’s ability to lead. His punishment
from the agency, however, was never made known.
It is highly doubtful that the WHA
Board will repeat that sentiment after this latest alleged drunk driving
incident.
Last Sunday afternoon, according to
a 911 tape, Krause was seen allegedly driving erratically by another driver
while heading home on Windemere Road. Police arrested Him at his home afterwards, and
took him from his home barefoot.
He was charged with DWI, and
operating a vehicle without a license. Krause posted a $1,000 bond for his
release.
During his five-year tenure, Krause
is credited with bringing in millions of dollars in funding for public and
Section 8 housing. Last December, WHA officially completed the rehabilitation
of the Creekwood South community on Emory Street. Solomon Towers on Castle
Street was also a WHA project completed in 2012.
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NC LEGISLATIVE BLACK
CAUCUS
WANTS OFFICIAL PROBE OF DHHS
By Cash Michaels
Editor
Amid
growing controversies involving high salaries to political cronies,
high-profile terminations of experienced agency heads; and structural
breakdowns in new program implementations at the NC Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS), the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus (NCLBC)
expressed concerns at a press conference Wednesday, and called on the
Republican-led NC General Assembly, and Gov. Pat McCrory, to look into the
matters.
“After
news stories surfaced about unusual contracts at DHHS, Secretary Aldona Wos
chose to communicate via email with only 17 of 170 NC legislators about the
status of the Department and issues reported on in the press,” NCLBC Chairman Rep.
Garland Pierce said in a press statement Wednesday.
“DHHS
is a large agency with a mission that touches many North Carolinians, including
our most vulnerable residents, On-going issues at the Department are linked to
new lay-offs from health care providers, lengthy waits for food stamps in
counties, questions about actions concerning employees and contractors, and the
general health and safety of all North Carolinians,” Rep. Pierce continued.”
“We
have questions and concerns to raise and ask that Governor McCrory and
Secretary Wos communicate with all legislators so we can effectively represent
our constituents.”
Per
the NCLBC press release, the areas where issues need further scrutiny include:
Personnel and Staffing
· Double-digit
salary increases for some staff at a time when most other state employees,
including public school teachers, received no raise at all in the state's new
two-year budget.
· Dorothea
Dix Facilities were determined to not be fit for patients and do not seem to be
fit for state employees in DHHS.
· Conversion
of SPA employees to EPA. SPA protect employees from retaliation so within DHHS,
the organizational matrix and responsibilities are such that some line
functions could be adversely affected by political influence and conversion.
· Sole
Source Services Contracts lacking performance standards and for roles
associated with positions filled by full time staff.
· Resignation
of a long term Public Health Director and firing of long time
Dentist.
NC
Tracks and Medicaid Reimbursements
· Lay-offs
and closings among health care providers due to delays with NC Tracks, at a
time when NC has the third highest unemployment in the country.
· Targets
and delays of Medicaid claims. It was recently reported in the Triangle
Business Journal that of the 2.4 million Medicaid claims filed for the week
ending Aug. 23:
-Of 185,000 institutional claims filed, 59.3 percent were
approved; the DHHS target is 65.2 percent.
-Of 1.5 million professional claims filed, 36 percent were
approved; the DHHS target is 68 percent
-Of 98,000 dental claims, 54 percent were approved; the DHHS
target is 87.2 percent.
-Of 581 pharmacy claims, 70.7 percent were approved; the DHHS
target is 50.1 percent.
-DHHS mailed in early August, 1,100 paper checks to providers
in an attempt to at least get them some money to keep the lights on.
-DHHS is looking at more than 90,000 backlog items, including
37,000 claims and 11,600 provider relations issues.
NC FAST
· NC Fast delays
and transition errors leading to panic and delays with food stamps and food
banks.
· County
hires to assist with demand and food bank issues.
Inspections,
Audits
· Rotation
of inspections within DHHS. Questions have surfaced as to whether or there have
been reassignments, restatements of priorities for inspections among all
institutions in DHHS.
· Accounting
of Audits and Compliance by federal agencies and departments.
· Internal
requests of State employees to conduct surveys with their own medical offices
to test the effectiveness of (NC Tracks) and to volunteer with customer service
with NC Tracks.
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PEYTON GOES THE
ATTACK
IN RALEIGH MAYORAL
RACE
By Cash Michaels
Editor
She’s
back.
Venita
Peyton, the black Republican perrenial candidate who refuses to take the
voters’ repeated “no” for an answer to her numerous electoral bids for public
office, is once again running for mayor of Raleigh, and she’s not being polite
about it.
During
Tuesday night’s mayoral candidates forum at Martin Street Baptist Church,
Peyton went after incumbent Mayor Nancy McFarlane and the rest of the City
Council with abandon, accusing them of covering up the real reason for the
recent firing of longtime Raleigh City Manager J. Russell Allen after 12 years,
among other issues.
“I
have lived in Raleigh almost thirty years, and I am so disappointed in the
leadership that we have now, “ Peyton told the forum audience in her opening
remarks.
She
also balked at the selection process for Allen’s successor being held away from
public view.
Peyton
said she wants to determine what the city’s plans are for vacant properties in
Southeast Raleigh; work to get more jobs for local residents with local
businesses and large projects; and if she could get five votes on council if
elected, would “fire” any new hires until she got answers about what happened
with Allen.
For
her part, Mayor McFarlane mostly ignored Peyton’s hard jabs, saying instead
that she is running for re-election in order to ensure that opportunities are
available “for everyone.”
“It’s
all about jobs, it’s all about economic growth…it’s about continuing to build
on all of our positives to make sure that everyone is included in Raleigh’s
success,” McFarlane said.
McFarlane
added that improving public transportation in the city is a key priority. She
added that making city government more customer friendly is also an ongoing
goal.
Of interesting note, according to a
News and Observer July 19, 2013
article about the mayoral race, the story stated, “Peyton now describes herself
as an unaffiliated candidate who is upset about Raleigh’s current leadership
and the firing of City Manager Russell Allen.”
Peyton
may indeed now “describe herself” as unaffiliated, but that’s not how her voter
registration records described her as of Wednesday of this week.
Venita
Peyton, of the same Raleigh street address as listed on her candidate’s listing
with the Wake Board of Elections, is still registered to vote in the state of
North Carolina as a Republican.
Now
the race for Raleigh mayor is officially nonpartisan, but that raises the
question as to why the N&O would write that “Peyton now describes herself
as an unaffiliated candidate…” if that were not true.
It
would not be the first time during an election campaign that the facts, and
Peyton’s version of them, have differed substantially.
Besides McFarlane and Peyton, the
third candidate in the race is Robert Lewis Weltzin. Weltzin, A US Army Reserve
officer who moved to Raleigh in 2010, is a chiropractor who is throwing his hat into the political
ring for the first time.
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CASH IN THE APPLE
09-12-13
By Cash Michaels
BEN
JEALOUS – This week, and old friend and good man announced that he as stepping
down from the spotlight of leadership.
Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of
the national NAACP announced that after five years, and at the end of this
year, he will be moving aside for other pursuits, and to be closer to his
family.
In
an interview with The Washington Post,
Jealous, the youngest president ever to serve the NAACP, said he may want to
teach at a university (as his wife does), but definitely wanted to be closer to
his family. He’s spent the past five years rebuilding the NAACP into a
powerhouse of a civil rights organization, without apologies.
Has
Ben made mistakes? Absolutely, and the episode with Shirley Sherrod, the US Dept. of Agriculture official who was
slandered by Tea Party activist Andrew
Breitbart (now deceased), was a doozy. Ben was forced to personally apologize to her after
publically denouncing her for something she did not do that Breitbart had falsely
accused of her of.
But
Ben recovered quickly, and led with distinction and courage.
He
was front in center with the Trayvon
Martin case, joining with others to demand that the police chief in
Sanford, Fla. step down (he did) and that George
Zimmerman, the man who shot the 17 year-old black child to death, be put on
trial (he was).
Ben
was the very first national civil rights leader to support our efforts last
year when we fought to have pardons of innocence granted to the Wilmington Ten,
and allowed the resources of the national NAACP to join with
Rev. William Barber and the state
NAACP in advocating for their justice.
I
personally will never forget that. His support meant a lot.
And
Ben has come to North Carolina many times in support of the efforts of the NC
NAACP.
Ben
Jealous is a product of the Black Press, having worked for the Jackson Advocate in
Jackson, Mississippi for several years as a reporter. He also helmed the
editor’s desk at the National Newspaper Publishers Association
for a while. The seventeenth president of the NAACP, Ben was also the youngest
in the nation’s oldest civil rights organization.
Ben
is bold, well educated, and visionary, and those qualities helped him to
inspire the NAACP to recruit new members, especially among young people.
So
at the end of this year, Ben Jealous will leave the NACCP leadership to spend
more time with his family, and lend his amazing talents elsewhere in the
pursuit of changing our world for the better.
I’m
proud to know Ben Jealous, and am deeply proud of the work that he has done for
the cause. All of us should be!
OLBERMANN
– You know, with the exception of NBA basketball, I’m not really a sports fan.
I’ll watch a little football on occasion, and because my youngest daughter is
now learning tennis, I paid strong attention to the US Open on Sunday to see Serena Williams win her fifth title
there in grand fashion.
And
please, I won’t waste my time watching a baseball game (I enjoy movies about
baseball better than the game itself)
So
why am I enjoying watching “Olbermann” on ESPN 2 every weeknight at 11 p.m.
(replayed at midnight)? Because Keith
Olbermann is one of the few brilliant seasoned journalists on television
today who could make reading the phone book entertaining AND informative.
Trust
me, I don’t give a whip about baseball, and yet, last week, I was thoroughly
enthralled by Keith’s opening commentary about why baseball pitchers of today
are lasting longer in the game than great baseball pitchers of yesteryear.
Remember,
I could care less about baseball, but Keith made it something I took instant
interest in.
Now
Keith Olbermann is a madman, and “evil” genius. He’s been fired from more TV
jobs than there are stars in the sky because his legendary ego and short fuse,
despite his talent, eventually working with him intolerable. And he admits
this. He was royally fired from ESPN in the late 1990’s after helping to create
the sports channels signature “SportsCenter” show. Indeed his playfully snarky
on-air style inspired a new generation of sports broadcaster that remains to
this day.
Keith
later left sports, and joined MSNBC, where he remained for eight years with his
signature “Countdown” show, doing to politics and current events what he did
for sports reporting, namely living it up with witty prose, dead target
commentaries, and “Worst Person in the World” features.
Well
we all know how the MSNBC gig ended, with a memorable firefight with the suits
there all too happy to get Keith off the air in 2011.
There
was that brief but disastrous stint at Current TV in 2012 that burned to the
ground after eight months because Keith became disenchanted with what was a
rookie operation that wasn’t up to his standard.
They
fired him, Keith sued, and Current sued back. Finally, they settled earlier this
year, and Keith was free to go back to ESPN and give it one more try.
So
far, after two weeks back on the air (He’ll be doing baseball playoff analysis
on TBS in October as well), Keith is on fire, looking fit, in full humor, and
as sharp as he ever was. This is an older, but wiser Olbermann whose ego is
still inflated, but that’s because he knows he’s an exclusive brand.
Keith
Olbermann is back on television because his talent far exceeds his faults. I
love watching him. I know what I’m getting with Keith Olbermann, and I enjoy
every minute of it.
And
the fact that I am NOT a sports junkie says a lot about Keith’s ability to make
me a lifelong fan…of his.
I
love his baseball “Keith Lights,” I just can’t stand the game.
Oh
well.
DEAR GOV. MCCRORY – Permit me this
open letter to the chief executive of our state.
Dear Gov. McCrory, I hope you’re well sir.
I see your Republican allies in the
state House and Senate aren’t interested in paying you any mind, let alone any
respect. You tried hard when you first took office nine months ago to make
friends and build bridges, probably just as you did as mayor of Charlotte for
over a decade.
But as you see, just because you
are a Republican, doesn’t mean that the GOP leadership is at all interested in
working with you on anything but the strong stuff. Why? Because you aren’t one
of them, sir. You got elected from outside the fold. And since the GOP has
supermajorities in both the state House and Senate, they really don’t have to
listen with you, work with you, or even respect you. They just don’t see you as
conservative enough to be trusted, and many of them are too ambitious to allow
you to get in their way.
So what are you going to do,
Governor? The people of North Carolina elected you to lead for them, not for party.
They depend on you to be their voice against policies they deem wrong and
unproductive, but instead you decided to go along to get along for most of the
legislative session, and look where it got you.
It is no accident, Governor that at
least three Democrats, including former Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, have
announced they want your job, and you haven’t even finished your first year
yet.
Folks are smelling blood in the
water, Governor. I know you’ve got this campaign where you say your “stepping
on toes on the left and the right” to make a better North Carolina, but the
people aren’t buying it, sir.
You need to change your team (they
have not served you well), and you need to be seen flexing your legislative
muscle more on the issues that really matter to North Carolinians, and take
chances fighting for issues you normally wouldn’t. If you want to regain the
support of Republicans and Democrats in this state, Governor, then you have to
be seen fighting for them.
You’ve failed to do that so far,
Pat. And unless you get real serious about representing the interests of ALL
North Carolinians, you and the wife will be moving back to the Queen City in
2016, worst for wear from the experience.
I think your legacy deserves better
than that.
You once said, “The difference is
leadership!”
Oh yeah? Well then, let’s see
some…before it’s too late.
Sincerely,
Cash
-30-
STATE NEWS BRIEFS 9-12-13
NCNAACP CONVENTION IN
ROCKY MOUNT Oct. 10 – 12th
[ROCKY
MOUNT] The 70th Annual State Convention of the NC NAACP will be held
in Rocky Mount Oct. 10th through the 12th, the civil
rights organization announced this week. With the theme being, “ We Shall Not
Be Moved: Holding On To Past Victories As The Fight For Equality and Justice
Continues,” the convention will feature Congressman G. K. Butterfield as a
keynote speaker, and Rev. Barber will deliver his annual “State of Civil Rights
in North Carolina” address. For more information contact Rev. Curtis Gatewood
at 919-682-4700.
BE CAREFUL OF RABID
ANIMALS, STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY
[FAYETTEVILLE]
State health officials warn citizens to stay away from strange acting wild
animals because the number of rabies-infected creatures is on the rise. Indeed,
at least 17 rabid bats have been discovered across the state, according to the
state Dept. of Health and Human Services. At least 155 raccoons have always
tested positive for the disease. Officials say they are seeing more wild
animals infected now than in the past five years. If you are bitten by a rabid
animal, go to a hospital for treatment right away.
FORMER RALEIGH MAYOR
CHARLES MEEKER INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR
[RALEIGH] Democrats are lining up to replace
Republican Gov. Pat McCrory just nine months into his first year, the most
prominent thus far being former Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker. Meeker, who
served five terms as mayor of the Capitol City, indicated last week that he is
seriously considering making a run to challenge McCrory’s re-election bid in
2016. Other Democrats who’ve announced interest include Durham attorney Ken
Spaulding and Chapel Hill businessman Jim Protzman. State Attorney Gen. Roy
Cooper has not announced, but has been very prominent lately in his criticisms
of McCrory, sensing that the Republican governor a weak incumbent by
re-election time.
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TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS
9-12-13
HONORING JOHN CHAVIS
SEPT. 27TH
The
community is invited to take part in the historic John Chavis
Memorial Park 75th Anniversary Celebration, Friday, September 27, 2013. There
will be a
5:30 – 6:15 reception honoring John Chavis, the
legendary minister and educator, and the history of John Chavis Memorial Park.
From 6:30 – 10:30 there will be live Music in the Park – Free! Bring your own
lawn chair.
Then on Saturday, September 28, 2013 from 12pm –
4pm, the “Rediscover John Chavis Memorial Park Community Celebration – Free!
Festivities will include carousel rides, inflatables, games & activities, music
and more. There will also be free financial education and credit reports on
their available. From 1pm – 2pm there will be a Historical Scavenger Hunt in
the Park. At 3pm dancers of all ages and shapes are invited to help attempt to
break the world record for the Longest Soul Train Dance Line ever! Food Trucks
will be on site for food purchase.
For more information, contact the John Chavis
Community Center at 919-831-6989
CAN’T RECALL SAYING DISPARAGING REMARK, BUT DURHAM POLICE CHIEF
APOLOGIZES ANYWAY
Last
week, embattled Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez called a press conference to “take
full responsibility” for allegedly saying in a private meeting with his staff that
a local defense attorney who had been shot “deserved” it. But Chief Lopez added
that though he is apologizing, he personally doesn’t remember ever making the
remark. Right now Lopez is the target of a racial discrimination complaint
filed with the EEOC by one of his black assistant police chiefs. Lopez was
cleared, however, of allegations of nepotism in the hiring of one of his wife’s
relatives on the force. City officials say they could find no wrongdoing on the
chief’s part.
-30-
Make sure you tune in
every Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. for my talk radio show, ''Make It Happen''
on Power 750 WAUG-AM, or online at www.myWAUG.com.
And read more about my thoughts and opinions exclusively at my blog, ‘The Cash
Roc” (http://thecashroc.blogspot.com/2011/01/cash-roc-begins.html).
I promise it will be interesting.
Cash in the Apple - honored as the Best
Column Writing of 2006 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Columnist Cash Michaels was also honored by the NNPA for Best Feature Story
Journalist of 2009, and was the recipient of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP’s
President’s Award for Media Excellence in Sept. 2011.
Until next week, keep a smile on your face,
GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye, bye.
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