Cincinnati Change

Cincinnati Change Addresses Foreclosure

2007-03-17T02:56:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati and Cleveland will be the lead of a 50 city Alliance for Global Change, created by Cincinnati Change as a committee, that will use business process under license from companies from riverfront and lake front locations in the state of Ohio with a focus on a million households Foreclosed On.

The demonstration project will be 20,000 households.

They will be from a pool of a million households called Real Estate Owned (REO). REO is a term frequently used by lending institutions as applied to ownership of real property acquired for investment or as a result of foreclosure. These institutions will be asked for a pool of new funding that will provide -

Support for a Financial & Homeownership Literacy Program to a million households as part of American Education program A-76 contract with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a division of the US Federal Government. We will have a 1,000 non governmental organization (NGO) partners like the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) is the nation’s foremost trade association for economic justice. We will have special demonstration programs in 50 cities that support 100,000 Veterans, 100,000 Small office Home office small businesses owners, 100,000 female head of households with children, 100,000 508/ADA clients , and 100,000 senior citizen lead households.
Setup under United States Department of the Treasury through a A-76 contract that will address saving the sub-prime market. This will be demonstrated through a business process that is created that includes a pool of 20,000 foreclosed households in Ohio. Users of this pool would use a business process called American Justice in Homeownership created by Hershel Daniels, Junior and directed by Fred Hargrove, Sr. PE MBA. American Justice sets up negotiations that include lifestyle and career support in saving the homes of a million people in 100 cities on the average 12,000 per city with a failure rate of 25% out of a pool of 100% real estate owned by the banks. We will bring together over 1,000 partners to a American Justice in Homeownership Alliance run by Cincinnati Change and the American Alliance of Distance Learning and Training.
American Action for Global Renewal in America to rebuild 50 cities through an alliance of Empowerment Zones based on a plan submitted by Lloyd Daniels Development Group (LDG) to the Cincinnati Empowerment Zone. This happened in 2002 when Hershel and Wanda Daniels owned LDG. Before it stopped operations it has seeded its rights for an investment of $40M in rights to purchase a patent granted to Hershel Daniels, Junior to a new enterprise to be called Cincinnati Change Company for Change, LLC. which will be 80% owned by Hershel and Wanda Daniels along with 20% by investors.
Cincinnati Change through a Committee called Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW and Cleveland Churches Can Change NOW will create a American International Faith based Alliance which will support these million households in their walk out of foreclosure through the creation of low moderate income money funds that will invest up to 60% of its funds in foreclosed debt owned by members of its syndicate.

For more action goto http://natiglobalchange.blogspot.com/

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland State of the State Address

2007-03-14T14:47:00.001-05:00

Governor Ted Strickland

State of the State Address

Columbus, Ohio, March 14, 2007

Text of Governor Strickland’s State of the State Address

Living within our means. Investing in what matters.

Speaker Husted, President Harris, Leader Beatty and Leader Fedor, Lt. Governor Fisher and statewide elected officials, members of the General Assembly and the Supreme Court, distinguished guests, First Lady Frances Strickland, and my fellow Ohioans...

Let us begin these proceedings with a moment of silent reflection to honor the thousands of brave Ohioans who have served and are serving in the military, especially those who are in Afghanistan and Iraq, and those who have suffered injuries in these conflicts.

Thank you.

I am pleased to stand before you as the governor of the great state of Ohio.

We may have come here today from flatlands or foothills, from the banks of great rivers or the shore of a Great Lake, from a quiet village or a bustling city. But even in its glorious differences, Ohio is one state, and we are one people.

We love Ohio for all that it’s been. For all that it is. And for all that it can be if we work together for the common good.

So I ask you to join me in embracing the challenges before us.

Join me in declaring an ambitious vision for our state.

Join me in staking a claim on Ohio’s future.

Let me tell you that the state of our state is resilient. The state of our state is full of promise. And, my friends, the people of our state are ready to reject the status quo. They are ready to embrace transformational changes that will bring even better days ahead.

Ohio is the heart of our nation – with unique strengths in distribution and logistics and agriculture. Ohio is the heart of innovation – with world class universities, research hospitals, and a revolutionary commitment to new technology.

There should be no doubt. Ohio can thrive and Ohioans can thrive. Our people and our companies made the products of yesterday, and are making the products and providing the services of tomorrow.

But we must be open to new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking. The strategies and ideologies of the 20th Century will not make us strong in the 21st Century. As a writer

once observed, “The things that got us here will not get us there.”

The priority of my administration is to keep and create jobs that grow from Ohio’s strengths and that are worthy of Ohio’s workers.

Ohio can take the lead in the national and international economies.

And here’s just one example. Ohio has everything it takes to become a center of advanced energy technology. We have energy resources, technical know-how, manufacturing experience, and logistical advantages.

Next-generation energies – biofuels, fuel cells, clean coal, and renewable sources such as wind – offer us the opportunity to create jobs, support our farmers, reduce our dependence on foreign oil producers, and be responsible stewards of our environment.

That's why my administration will coordinate an almost 1 billion dollar investment in energy programs, to ensure energy will be an economic development leader in Ohio.

Over the next four years we will target 250 million dollars per year in tax exempt bond cap allocation to leverage billions of additional investment dollars in energy projects. We will broaden our Third Frontier investment. We will develop energy projects across technologies and across the state, and in doing so attract new investments and new jobs for Ohio.

Ohio will embrace new industries, new technologies, and a new economy. But our greatest strength will always be our people.

That’s why I am seeking to expand and improve our job training programs. This can be done without any new dollars from our budget – by simply using funds available from the federal government that have gone ignored.

The Federal Government’s Workforce Investment Act helps states provide job training. We’re 51st in making use of those funds.

Those resources can be put to use to provide demand-driven job training. Training targeted toward the jobs of the future, and available to meet the needs and fit the schedules of busy Ohioans.

Now we all believe in the importance of a good work ethic. It’s a crucial quality our young people need to succeed in life. But, let’s be candid, it’s difficult to develop a good work ethic without work.

Consequently, I’m proposing that the Department of Job and Family Services develop a grant program to encourage job training and job creation for young people in low income communities.

Participating employers will receive funds to support the training and wages of a young employee.

In the process, we can reach thousands of young men and women. Helping them get their foot in the door today and opening new doors for them in the future.

Transforming Ohio’s economy will require a partnership.

That’s why I have launched a new initiative called Advantage Ohio, a top to bottom review of state regulations to eliminate contradictory and obsolete rules. In the process, we will make it easier for companies to do business in Ohio while protecting the health and safety of our people.

As we embrace new ideas, we must acknowledge that our budget situation makes the challenges we face all the more daunting.

There is belt tightening ahead and it’s not a pleasant thing to do…Especially when we’re already dealing with shortfalls.

And so we face a choice.

We can take the easy route. We can continue divvying up our shrinking resources and spreading them around so that everybody is mildly satisfied while nothing is actually accomplished.

Or, we can make very tough choices. We can seek cuts, and savings where possible, enabling us to make meaningful investments which will lead to a transformed Ohio.

My budget reflects tough choices.

It’s a budget that does two things above all else. We live within our means. And we invest in what matters.

For the biennium, under my budget, of the 18 cabinet departments that rely on general revenue funds:

2 departments will absorb a cut.

9 departments will make do with funding that does not keep up with inflation.

While the remaining 7 departments will receive reasonable budget increases.

In the first year of my budget, general revenue spending will actually shrink, and over the two year span of the budget total spending will increase a modest 2.2 percent annually.

That’s lower than the growth rate in House Bill 66. In fact, it’s lower than any budget in the last 42 years.

So as we ask for sacrifice, we must demonstrate responsibility. Wastefulness and giveaways

can no longer be tolerated.

That’s why my budget eliminates the Ed Choice voucher program.

It limits the Student Choice Grant for students attending private colleges to those with a financial need.

It eliminates financial aid for students in proprietary for-profit schools not in the Board of Regents system.

It limits the discount on the state sales tax provided to large retailers.

It ensures that the Commercial Activity Tax applies broadly and equally across all sectors of the economy including the petroleum industry.

It captures for Ohio the full sales tax revenue generated from residents of other states who come here to buy motor vehicles.

It prevents shipments of untaxed cigarettes into our state – a dubious practice that hurts small business people, especially in border communities.

And there are many more examples in this budget where we will make cuts and find savings. Collectively, these decisions allow us to invest in what matters.

Now, for those tempted to cave in to the special interests, who will come asking you to restore this item and that loophole, my message to you is this: It’s time for shared sacrifice.

It’s time to come together in common purpose, and work for the common good.

And state government should set an example. To make the best use of the funds available, my administration is initiating the Ohio Government Accountability Plan.

The essence of the plan is to clearly state priorities, establish performance agreements with agency directors showing how they will pursue those priorities, and, then, measure the outcome to find out what worked and what didn’t.

We will create a vision for economic competitiveness and apply it across all state programs. Every department, not just the Department of Development, will be evaluated in part by its ability to keep, attract, and create jobs worthy of Ohio’s workers.

Let there be no confusion, even in the face of budget cuts, we in Ohio are not sounding the retreat. Far from it. What we do now will strengthen our state and strengthen our future.

But, it will not be easy.

“Opportunity,” as Thomas Edison once said, “is missed by most people because it is dressed

in overalls and looks like work.”

And that’s exactly what’s ahead of us. Work.

Work to improve our schools.

Work to increase access to health care.

Work to prepare Ohioans for the jobs of the future.

And the opportunity to make Ohio stronger and healthier, now and for generations to come.

We were sent here to listen to the people and to each other. We were sent here to work together. We were sent here to leave this state in better shape than we found it.

That is our responsibility. That is our opportunity. That is our work.

Because the problems of the uninsured are our problems.

The struggles of a laid off worker are our struggles.

The future of a school child is our future.

And, let me add, the failure to fix what is broken, the failure to strengthen what is working, the failure to imagine what is possible, that, would be our failure.

I think, for the most part, we agree on the destination. We may differ about which route to take, but we must move forward. We can no longer sit stalled by the side of the road.

We must squarely face the most pressing problems in our state.

There are 156,000 children in Ohio without health insurance. And that’s 156,000 too many.

Many of the parents of those children live with fear each day. Fear of a broken bone or a bout with bronchitis that will not only bring pain to their child, but will bring bills that destroy their family’s budget.

Let me be plain: this is wrong. And we can make it right.

My budget will make access to affordable health coverage available for every single child in Ohio, and every young person up to the age of 21.

Under my proposed budget, we will offer State Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage to Ohio children whose parents make up to 300 percent of the federal poverty line. In a family of four, for example, that’s coverage for every child in every household whose family makes less than $62,000.

And for those who exceed that income limit but still lack insurance, we will provide those families an opportunity to buy into Medicaid coverage for their children.

We will also expand Medicaid eligibility for low income working parents up to 100 percent

of poverty and coverage of pregnant women up to 200 percent of poverty.

And for Ohioans with severe disabilities who want to work but who are afraid of losing their Medicaid coverage if they become employed, we will allow those individuals to work and to maintain coverage by buying into Medicaid.

And we are working with the insurance industry to expand available options for individuals who can’t afford coverage. I am seeking permission from the federal government to use Medicaid funds for private health insurance premium assistance. This would help as many as 300,000 Ohioans – those earning up to 150 percent of the poverty level – pay for coverage that is otherwise beyond their means.

And here’s a common sense investment we’re going to make.

We will expand the PASSPORT program to provide essential in-home services to more vulnerable older Ohioans who need a little help with their medical needs or daily needs, but who do not require the constant care of a nursing home.

It’s a popular program with seniors because it offers them dignity and choices. And because it works.

I inherited a waiting list for PASSPORT services when I took office. In response I issued a directive last week to open the PASSPORT program to everyone on that waiting list. And in my budget, I propose welcoming 5,600 additional participants to the program.

This is simply good policy – it meets a vital need for our seniors and for their families. And it saves taxpayers in the long run, because PASSPORT clients spend more time in their own homes and less time in nursing homes.

We must be committed to operating this program efficiently. I am troubled that Ohio has lost federal reimbursement dollars for PASSPORT by sitting on paperwork. That practice is over. Instead of months to file the paperwork, we’ll have it out in weeks, and we’ll receive more federal support in the process.

Let’s talk about one of the best investments we can make – early childhood education.

If your interest is the economy, if your interest is our social health, if your interest is our physical health, if your interest is education – at any level, for any age – then you must care about early childhood education.

Those early years affect everything. Research shows a better start for our children ultimately means that there will be less crime and more college, less teen pregnancy and more home ownership, less welfare and more health.

A modest investment during a brief period of childhood leads to a lifetime of positive outcomes.

But while every child deserves a fair start on their way to school, too many of our children begin the race not only well behind the starting line, but facing in the wrong direction. We cannot afford to abandon those children who face a poverty of resources and a poverty of experiences. We must recognize the facts: we have a readiness gap that leads to an achievement gap that results in an outcome gap.

So let’s fix it by increasing access to early childhood education.

Today we have a hodgepodge of confusing rules which makes it difficult for parents to take advantage of existing programs. For example, a child may be eligible for our Early Learning Initiative, but ineligible for subsidized child care.

We need one easily understood standard. In my budget, if a child’s family is under 200 percent of the poverty level, that child will be eligible for any early care and learning program we have.

We also need to expand our public pre-school offerings. My budget provides a $10 million expansion of public pre-school, expanding the number of 3 and 4 year olds taught by 66 percent.

This is the first expansion of the program since 1989.

As we expand access, we must increase the quality of a child’s educational experience as well.

My budget increases child care provider rates which will help attract and retain experienced and well-trained staff. And we will make funds available for professional development and training, the hiring of specialists in early childhood development, and interventions to promote school readiness.

And we will expand efforts to provide information and support to Moms and Dads.

Our Help Me Grow program serves families with children from newborn to 3 years old. As early as just a few weeks into their lives we offer an in-home visit from a nurse to help new parents in the crucial first days of a newborn’s life. The program provides vital information and resources on health, safety, and development. In my budget, we will expand the program to reach thousands of additional children.

Even as we include our youngest children in our early childhood education system, we must work harder to see that our young adults don’t find the door to higher education slammed in their faces by out of control tuition costs.

Today, the state spends less on instructional support for our universities than it did in 2000.

This defies common sense.

We know an educated workforce attracts jobs – economic forecasts show that more than 60 percent of new jobs will require a college degree. And yet, Ohio is 47 percent above the national average in public university tuition costs and 37th in producing college graduates.

My goal is clear and my budget sets the stage. In 10 years, we will increase the number of Ohioans with a college degree by 230 thousand, and we will increase the graduation rate among those who start college by 20 percent.

My budget sets two major initiatives to help make college affordable for every Ohioan.

First, I will establish a higher education compact between the state and our public colleges and universities which will result in lower tuition costs for our students. This compact will increase funding for the basic instructional subsidy by 5 percent next year. And by 2 percent more the following year.

To get their share of this historic funding increase, each public college and university must find ways to operate more efficiently.

And they must announce that there will be no tuition increase next year, and that tuition will increase no more than 3 percent the following year.

Think about that.

Instead of a tuition increase of 9 percent – and that’s what we’ve averaged in Ohio since 1996 – there would be absolutely no tuition increase next year.

This plan will benefit over 400 thousand students currently enrolled in our public colleges and universities, and will send a strong message to those planning for college.

Even with the compact in place, there will still be a gap between the cost of a college education and what many Ohio students and families can afford.

My second major initiative aims to fill that gap.

To do this, we will continue the full implementation of the Ohio College Opportunity Grant for all the public and private colleges in the Board of Regents system. This will provide assistance to families with incomes up to 75 thousand dollars per year – helping more than 100 thousand students pay for their education.

Next, we will partner with the business community and the Ohio College Access Network to attack the remaining gap between a student’s resources and the cost of college through private fundraising.

Our higher education system will be stronger – indeed it will actually become a system, unified in purpose – with the creation of a cabinet level Chancellor of Higher Education.

I appreciate the efforts of legislators to help redefine this position. And I appreciate the

decision of the Board of Regents to appoint Eric Fingerhut – who I think will be an outstanding Chancellor today and will only become more effective in the future.

If we do this right, education will feed the economy. Success will bring more success. And the beneficiaries of our efforts will not only be students in the classroom, but all Ohioans.

And as we seek improvements in higher education, and early childhood education, we will not abandon our constitutional responsibility for primary and secondary education.

To be sure, the legislature, previous administrations, local school boards, educators and our students have achieved significant progress in our schools.

SAT scores and ACT scores top the national averages. Proficiency tests reveal that our students exceed the national average in reading, in math, and in science. Our high school graduation rate is up 8 percent over the last 8 years.

President Harris, Speaker Husted, Leader Fedor, and Leader Beatty, you and your colleagues are to be thanked for the role you’ve played in improving Ohio’s schools. But there’s much work left to be done.

Too many Moms and Dads, and too many of our teachers can still say, without fear of contradiction, that their districts lack the resources necessary to provide their students with the quality education they deserve as citizens of Ohio.

We can do better.

And under my budget plan we will.

My proposals do not solve all the problems of our schools, but they represent a major advance toward providing adequate and equitable funding for our primary and secondary schools.

To begin, we must create a better system for knowing what we’re getting for our money. My budget addresses that need with a pilot project in which participating school districts will adopt a standard fiscal reporting system. In the second year, the Board of Education will be required to implement this transparent accounting system in every district in the state. This will finally let us see exactly where our money goes and what it accomplishes.

And just as we must closely and realistically track local spending, we must accurately acknowledge the full contribution the state makes to local schools. Currently we don’t include the full range of tax relief – which is real cash for local schools – when we calculate the state’s share of education spending. My budget will change that as well.

A true accounting of education spending reveals that less than half of local school funding currently comes from state resources.

Under my plan, our investment in schools will bring the state’s support for local school districts to nearly 54 percent in 2009. This likely reflects the largest percentage contribution of state resources to local school districts in the modern history of Ohio.

How do we do this?

First, we increase the amount of foundation funding per student by 3 percent in each of the next two years.

Second, we focus our aid formulas to put the emphasis on meeting students’ needs. In the process, many districts will receive additional funds, and no school district, not one, loses any state funding from what they have today.

Third, over two years, we will increase parity aid by more than 7 percent. And to ensure that that aid has the greatest effect, we will target the money to the 60 percent of districts most in need rather than spread it out among the 80 percent of districts as is now the practice.

Fourth, we will increase poverty based assistance by 22 percent over the biennium – adding both flexibility for schools in how they use the funds and the expectation that they demonstrate results.

And, finally, my budget will authorize securitizing Ohio’s tobacco settlement funds for approximately 5 billion dollars.

Armed with those resources, we will help firm the financial foundation of our school systems for at least a generation.

With 2.2 billion of that money, we will meet all current commitments of the school facilities commission. Within five years, every dollar will be in the hands of local school districts as they create facilities of the future.

The remaining resources – just over 2.8 billion dollars – will allow us to forego issuing bonds that are currently scheduled for the next three years.

As a result of not incurring this debt, avoiding principal and interest payments, 250 million dollars in general revenue funds will be made available each year for the next 20 years.

We will dedicate that yearly savings to the largest targeted property tax cut in the history of Ohio by expanding the Homestead Property Tax Exemption.

For those over 65, and the disabled, regardless of income, this will mean no property tax, not one penny, on the first $25,000 of value in their homes.

That’s a tax cut, a property tax cut for one in every four Ohio homeowners.

How does this help our schools?

Well, the state will replace the tax revenues lost due to the expansion of the Homestead tax cut. In other words, schools will have local property tax dollars replaced with state dollars.

Paying for our local schools is a responsibility that has been largely borne by local property tax payers. Many have argued, and the DeRolph decision agreed, an education system primarily dependent on the wealth of the local community is inherently unfair. Because where you grow up in Ohio should not determine where you end up in life.

With this plan we ease the burden on some of our most vulnerable property taxpayers and we strengthen the financial base of our schools.

Let me underscore, by 2009 the state will provide almost 54 percent of the funding for our local schools. That would be the highest level of state funding for local schools in the post-DeRolph era.

With additional funding, with additional parity aid and poverty based assistance, and with the Homestead property tax cut, we are making the biggest single advance toward an equitable education system in our state’s history.

A generation of Ohio students will benefit. And so too will parents. And taxpayers.

But this is possible only by making the tough decisions I spoke of earlier.

Even as we stabilize the funding foundation of our schools, we must reinvent the mission and performance of our education system.

Today, the goal is not to outshine Pennsylvania, or Indiana, or Kentucky. We must set high standards to prepare our young people to compete with the world, to win in the Global economy.

We must build educational systems that are fluid enough for creativity and innovations, and agile enough to adapt to the demands of our changing state and world.

We will weigh seriously the recommendations of experts – including a recent report from Achieve that was commissioned by the state Board of Education and financed by the Gates Foundation.

Their recommendations include:

Placing more responsibility with, and expectations on, our school principals in their role as instructional leaders.

Giving teachers more opportunity to learn and collaborate with their colleagues on effective teaching methods.

Using achievement and proficiency tests as a means of helping students move to higher levels of learning, and not just as a means of sorting and labeling students and school districts.

And they pointed out the unfairness of demanding more and more of our public schools while demanding less of charter schools supported with public tax dollars.

I believe the standards gap between our traditional public schools and other schools receiving public money is so glaring that we must act immediately. My budget imposes a moratorium on new charter schools and prohibits for-profit management companies from running charter schools. My budget eliminates the voucher program except for the means-tested voucher initiative in Cleveland.

I am also requiring that we closely monitor all charter schools to determine if they meet educational and fiscal standards of accountability.

As we take on questions of reform, as we take on questions of funding, the goal must be absolutely clear. We will have public schools that serve our children’s needs. All of our children.

I ask you to work with me today, tomorrow, and every day. So that together we can build an education system that every Ohioan is proud of.

As my Lt. Governor, and my great economic development director, Lee Fisher often says, “our success will depend on our willingness to make strategic investments in the unbreakable link between educational achievement and economic prosperity.”

I am well aware, the process does not end with these proposals, it begins.

President Kennedy often told of the general who asked a gardener to plant a sapling for him. The gardener objected that the kind of tree the general chose would grow slowly, and would not reach maturity for 100 years.

So the general replied, “Well, in that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon.”

Let me close today by speaking directly to the mother who knows her child will get sick, as all children do, and asks if she will be able to afford treatment.

And to a worker who sweats through a shift all day, then sits through a class at night, and asks if a better job awaits his efforts.

And to a grandparent who treasures his home, but worries that his health or his property taxes could push him out the door, and asks only for a chance to stay put.

And to all who listen to our challenges and ask if we can meet them.

We can.

With wisdom and the determination to make tough choices and invest our resources wisely:

We can improve access to health care, offer affordable coverage to every child in Ohio, and in-home assistance to seniors who need it.

We can bolster Ohio’s economy by building a more skilled and more educated workforce and capitalizing on our strengths.

We can reduce the burden on taxpayers while making our school funding more equitable. In other words, we can make Ohio schools constitutional, functional, and exceptional.

Because with the dawn of each day, there is hope of a new Ohio. Shaped by our people, forged by our ideas, and fueled by our ambitions.

Join me in a shared commitment to this standard: that with the dawn of each day, there comes a better Ohio, a stronger Ohio.

Proverbs tells us: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” But, my friends, now is the time for hope. A new day is coming. A new Ohio awaits us.

Thank you and God Bless you.

Fred Hargrove Senior PE MBA Chairman of Cincinnati Change

2007-02-28T23:52:00.000-05:00

My name is Frederick Hargrove Sr. PE, MBA and I am a native Cincinnatian, born, raised and educated here. I grew up in many of the neighborhoods which have now been designated as empowerment zones.

I am the Chairman of Board of Cincinnati Change and a Professional Engineer.

Some Background: I came about Cincinnati Change to bridge the understanding that the Tri-state is politically fragmented and segregated by race and class. Through this organization and a faith based partner many poor Cincinnati residents will overcome their high degree of desperation and hopelessness. we will work with 50,000 Cincinnati Change Agents to overcome the belief that things cannot change. Cincinnati Change was created to “change this perception” by taking action to change Cincinnati NOW on June 19th, 2000 and took its first action at the 2000 Black Family Reunion.

In 2001, the founders of Cincinnati Change submitted a request to the Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation (CEC) that they set out procedures to issue $100M (now $130M)of revenue bonds to buy a patent and develop businesses that would have employed over 8,000 people. The request was updated in 2002 and again in 2003 at meetings that were held with the Cincinnati Empowerment Zone.

In 2004, the CEC set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission in order to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and stands ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

Cincinnati Change is creating a limited liability company called Queen City Development Group who will become operational 1 March 2007 through buying 40$ equity in a proposed LLC named MDDG. On Feb. 25th 2006 Cincinnati Change started to organize the community to develop approximately 15 acres " eight city blocks " of prominent waterfront property that has been pre-assembled, at one time, with the opportunity to tap into surrounding anchors that will, by 2009, generate approximately a 100,000 visitors annually to the area. Over 500,000 visits will happen from kids in the region and foreign exchange student visits. they will be housed in developments with 60% low incomes that are financed through established NYSE listed money funds.

Under the Cincinnati Change plan of action in action is the creation of the Cincinnati Change Change Agent 300 LLC. It will be headed by a executive board made up of the Cincinnati Change Treasurer Irvin Henderson, Rev. Charles Britton (ONG-Ret.), Dr. John Hurlimann, Pastor Wanda J Lloyd-Daniels of Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW, Ammons United Methodist Men of Ammons United Methodist Church, Mens Conference of Cincinnati District, the 100 male march ministries, and a representative from ELMC LLC who will handle technology along with 8 other appointees.

Cincinnati Change has hired three companies I have equity in McGarw Daniels Development Group, Hargrove Engineering, LLC (which I own), and Education Learning Management Company LLC.(I am a managing director), along with Wilson Military Academy and other partners (including a 501(c)3) to be part of the team that proposes that we create a local master developer for the riverfront who will team with global development partnership.

Under my leadership I see Cincinnati Change as forging alliances with the faith based community and others to encourage increased economic stability in Hamilton County. We will do that by helping to rebuild the south with the development of a third frontier creative class information highway infrastructure for real estate development with partners like Accorn.

I have worked with other founders to create a joint venture company which will provide jobs through the acquisition and development of businesses, intellectual property and real estate properties through this lead developer which is to be called Queen City Development Group.

I went to school in Walnut Hills and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. I am a experienced 30 year Professional Engineer and have a Masters in Business Administration. I have lived in Japan and been around the world in my role as a consulting engineer.

I was born in the West End of Cincinnati, Ohio, shopped in Over the Rhine, and, when in college, I lived in Mt. Auburn and Clifton Heights. Most of my relatives were lived in Avondale and most of my school friends lived in Evanston.

Cincinnati has been my home and the home of my parents since the early 1950’s when they were forced to leave the south to avoid racial prejudice. As was consistent with the times, my parents came to Cincinnati to live with their relative and start a new life.

On September 25, 1954, I was born. I have lived in many different neighborhoods in Cincinnati and have spent most of my 48 years here. I have raised my family here and am proud of my heritage here.My education here started at Millvale Elementary, I was Valedictorian of my junior high school and graduated in the top 25% of my class at Walnut Hills High School. I was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

I went to the University of Cincinnati on full scholarship from General Electric for Metallurgical Engineering and a full scholarship from Proctor and Gamble for Mechanical Engineering. After graduation I went to work for Proctor and Gamble in their Engineering Division and was placed in their “fast track program for management candidates”.

During my tenure at Proctor and Gamble I designed many patentable devices,( not the least of which was the device which produced the “Folger’s Coffee Crystal”) but because I was an employee all such creations were the property of Procter and Gamble and I was proud to simply be doing my part.

After five years of proven service I was sent to school to get my MBA to continue my rise in the organization. I graduated from Hood College with an MBA in operations. At the time, Hood College, in Frederick Maryland, was rated as the best small college in the United States.In 1980 Procter and Gamble, went thru reorganization and my mentors, as were many other people, were displaced. The company downsized and since I was in school, I was part of that down sizing.

However fortune smiled on me and I was able to gain employment with NCI, the National Cancer Institute, at Fort Detrick in Frederick Maryland, as an engineer in charge of the design, construction and maintenance of research facilities. My experience at Procter and Gamble allowed me out shine all of my competition and promotions and recognition quickly followed.

During my stay there I was invited to join the Board of Directors at NIH, the National Health Institute in Bethesda Maryland.I was a technical advisor, offering advice on the feasible and safety of allowing certain contagious research to be done in the research facilities controlled by NIH. This experience brought me face to face with the latest technology for the control and containment of infectious disease and biological agents such as AIDS, all types of Cancers, Anthrax and other contaminants still listed as classified.

During my stay at Fort Detrick, I was co-opted by the United State Army to provide engineering support for their “experiments” at Fort Detrick. (As a point of information, Fort Detrick was the old biological warfare facilities for the United States Military). Fort Detrick is about 45 miles from Washington D.C. It was also the home of Air Force One and the East Coast Relay Station which was responsible for the defense of the entire eastern seaboard.) During my stay on the east coast I worked for NCI, NIH, and the Department of the Army and as a security contractor the Department of Defense.

Based on my experience I am qualified to design a secure level facility anywhere in the world and currently design hospitals. I am currently on assignment with one of the worlds biggest design/builders of hospitals. I am now designing the hospital of the future with partners that can be built today. I also worked for a firm responsible for design clean rooms and chip manufacturing rooms and designed one of the first class 1 clean room facilities.

In 1986 I received a call from Proctor and Gamble. It appeared they had a project which required certain expertise which was possessed by only a handful of people. I was one of them. It involved a cost saving project which resulted in a savings of approximately $200,000,000.00 per installation. Until this point they were unable to prove this technology.

My assignment was to prove this technology, install it, and perform a successful test. Six months later we had our first successful run of a technology which had the potential of saving billions of dollars in capital equipment requirements. Riding on this success, I decided it was time to venture out on my own.

I started what is now Hargrove Engineering L.L.C. in 1988. (It’s precursor, Hargrove Design and Drafting Services had started two years earlier, in 1986.) In the last eighteen years, I have personally led hundreds of design projects. I have actively participated in every design which has come into our office, whether it was a single family dwelling or a collaborative effort with NASA and Martin-Marietta to place a man on Mars. Our last two major government assignments was the management of the replacement of the roof at the US Army Tank Plant and a 2002 Homeland Security Contract for the city of Cincinnati Water Works.

Cincinnati has the opportunity to become the crown jewel of the Midwest once more. Acting in conjunction with a whole host of entities who believe there is still some majesty left in Cincinnati, we are attempting to be the catalyst for this revitalization. We profess a plan of overall inclusion with shared opportunities for everyone up and down the economic scale.

Our plan is to develop partnerships with experienced builders who can work with us to create a million smart homes by 2015. They will be for first responders, educators, public service employees, the military, fire fighters, police, health care workers and the students in creative class or third frontier organizations that bridge the gap to those who have not. We will use a already established mutual fund with over $600M in current investments.

No one can do this alone and we propose to do this because we are not alone. As long as there is good will among like-minded people dedicated to the improvement of life among the masses, we will never be alone.

I consider myself a product of the empowerment zones and along with partners like Hershel Daniels, Junior stand ready to develop housing under the authority of the President of the United States. I helped form on June 19th 2005 Cincinnati Change as my agent to do this.

_____________________________________________

In the Nati Cincinnati Change and partners will build the Global Total Distance Learning Management System headquarters. It will be used by clients as a tool that uses the MDDGjCOMM™ business model (MDDG) to develop a web mobile based product that empowers the student, teacher and guardian with the tools, instruction appropriate for their needs and operations most relevant to the business of education. Educators will use this our advanced 4th generation online standards repository to access state standards and carefully selected instructional resources to ensure curriculum alignment and identify standards that are most likely to appear on state exams.

It is goal of this interactive tool to give local teachers and schools the power to add local learning objectives and teacher-created resources establishing meaningful connections to mandated state standards. The product will deliver the highest quality correlation under constant review and analysis by a team dispersed around the globe through a call center that supports subject area experts from round the world using the latest technology from over 1,000 partners. Our users will be able to get content everywhere with our technology.

MDDG would issue $130M in Empowerment Zone Bonds to be used to create the physical infrastructure to support the creation of multimedia content production infrastructure, network operations center, research center and corporate headquarters and MDDG would invest $40M in patented (1996) switching methodology being used by Cisco Microsoft, Honeywell, Siemens, and others without permission. This patent would, MDDG believes, change the way existing communications network architectures operate and be only available to AT& T and or Sprint and other chosen partners, who will be approved by us and our strategic wireless partner (each of which operates a Tier 1 Internet backbone). This technology will be added to the MDDG business model to create a to be patented method which has been dubbed MDDGjCOMM™. In 2007 we will start to build on this platform as part of a 10 billion dollar investment in Cincinnati.

Lets Give Peace A Chance

2007-02-08T11:53:00.000-05:00

We, Cincinnati Change, support the proposals made over at the Cincinnati Beacon for community councils. As a matter of fact will host them at our headquarters at 2439 Auburn Avenue whenever you want to start. Email us at fred@cincinnatichange.com and we will get right back to you.

Did the President lie to the American public ? Maybe, but before we get there we would need to have a special investigation (beyond Congress finally starting to do its job) in the middle of a WAR for Survival. Is it an impeachable offense - we obviously know it if we look at what Clinton was impeached for.

We still have to govern our way out of losing a battle in Iraq and avoiding a war with IRAN. Yes I said a battle. We are in a WAR. If you don't think so then none of this makes any sense to you. We will be at WAR for a decade of more even if we are wining the peoples hearts and minds through positive and concrete actions like we have done in the past.

As a prelude to action this May we propose a second war on domestic poverty. We would look this November 28th 2007 to declare a Global War on Living Standards that is based on the Revised UN The Millennium Development Goals as adopted in Cincinnati by 1 March 2007.

As part of these gaols we propose a program that will create 1,000 businesses including a program for 300 youth based businesses for people age 17 to 22. We would support 300 established Cincinnati businesses that support the arts, computer services, communications service providers and those businesses dealing with the Creative Class and or Third Frontier.

We would propose creating a global multimedia content production infrastructure tied to set locations around the world and creating 9,000 jobs by providing a seven way play to 500 million people based on the development in Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Sixty per cent of these jobs will come from residents of the low income Empowerment Zone of Cincinnati. Each household would receive a cafeteria of human, financial, entertainment, professional, legal, social and health services based on our development of a patent application through The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) based on a Business Method Patent that supports the principles behind The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guideline 26000 by June 19th 2007.

The ISO Working Group on Social Responsibility (WG SR) laid the foundations of ISO 26000 at its second meeting, 26-30 September 2005, in Bangkok, Thailand. ISO 26000 will give organizations harmonized, internationally agreed guidance for social responsibility, drawing on best practice and consistent with relevant declarations and conventions by the United Nations and its constituents, notably the International Labour Office (ILO). The standard will not contain requirements allowing ISO 26000 to be used for certification.

By August 1 2007 we would be set to bridge the digital divide in Cincinnati whereas 10,000 clients (HH in Hamilton County) would represent the marketplace and buy new homes in the Empowerment Zone over the next three years and an additional 2,000 in southwestern Ohio.

Cincinnati Change as agent for the patent holders (established and future) would provide services in a public private partnership based on already established city operations and the Municipal Code to create a competitive electronic connectivity network with a fiber star tied to regional loops.

This includes the creation of a private police force to bring peace to community councils who request such a force that will operate under the Municipal Code, laws of the state of Ohio and under federal law in obedience to the UN Human Rights Charter. These members will volunteer to support foreign peace operations in Africa.

Through Cincinnati Change and partners we would provide the aforementioned set of services to the 50,000 residents of the Cincinnati Empowerment Zone on a means tested basis through Community Councils that we would propose to be first established in Mt Auburn. From here we then can go wherever those who want to participate in discussion of how do we want our government ran.

We look forward to working with a global network of people who want to beat swords into the modern equivalent of plow shares. I just want to do it under our constitution with an active citizenry who will take care of their brothers and sisters, and do unto others as they would have others do to them and follow International human rights instruments .

Cincinnati Change believes that no matter how we got here we have been in a WAR since the early eighties. The so called War on Terrorism is now real and coming to a neighborhood near you unless we get this right. So we support community councils who are modeled on the Deacons for Defense, who after all just wanted peace.

Having lived in north Africa and many people who I know say we have made it more dangerous. Now is not the time to quit the fight because our foes wont recognize that we have quit the field of battle and bring more of the WAR here.

We want an energized peace movement that talking about how we create a world in which the target is not my country (the United States of America) and everybody works to those goals common to all men and women including earth warming (as part of Global Trade). Yes we have squandered good will like we had a barrel full since 9/11, yet we have to be prepared to defend the country from the Wars we are in - Global Trade and Terror.

In War on Terror we fight an enemy whose operational motto can be summed up as "God is our objective, the Quran is our Constitution, the Prophet is our leader, struggle is our way, and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations."

In general this enemy advocates the creation of Islamic government, believing that God has set out a perfect way of life and social organization in the Quran. It expresses its interpretation of Islam through a strict religious approach to social issues such as the role of women, but also believes that Islam enjoins man to strive for social justice, the eradication of poverty and corruption, and political freedoms as defined by the Islamic state.

It strongly opposes westernization and supported Hitler during WWII. Among its founders goals as stated by the founder of the modern Muslim Brotherhood Hassan al-Banna was the doctrine of reclaiming Islams manifest destiny; an empire, founded in the seventh century, that stretched from Spain to Indonesia.

Only now they want the United States of American,.......they can wait.

The Start of the Legacy for a Marine

2006-12-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

A man who saved my life is dead and the city has lost another leader. His life was lost, I know not why? When I knew him we had 1,000 kids enjoy a week long hip hop jam with no problems. That was 2005, its 2007.

RIP Richard

Hershel Daniels, Junior
Commander
Cincinnati Change, Inc.

Richard D. Muhammad, a Marine, was found dead at the Sycamore Hotel, 7759 Reading Road at about 11:30 p.m.

Capital for a Billion Dollar Fund via Referendum

2006-12-11T03:08:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Change believes that if its our water works then we should sell the Cincinnati Water Works and the city railroad The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific that we lease out and is operated by Norfolk Southern as part of their Central Division.

Then we will have real money to decide how to invest in a better Cincinnati. Cincinnati Change has hired a economist and engineer who estimated we could get over a 900 million dollars - the city not the region. Under this proposal we could could earn an extra 30 million a year, after equaling what these city owned assets earn the general fund.

Cincinnati Change believes that we should then invest that into people and the infrastructure to change Cincinnati over the next 30 years. To do that we look to bring together 300 social services and related agencies together who we look to create a unified solution to problems in the Nati with the following top ten areas of spending:

Small Business Development Fund
Creative Class Program with a focus on OTR & Uptown
Third Frontier with a focus on Universal health Care for residents of the city
Comprehensive All Sector Job Creation and Support
World Class First Responder Human Services Infrastructure
Neighborhood Development with a focus on Senior Citizen Housing Transition
30 years Lead Free Household program including 20,000 Homes
Quality Low & Moderate Income Homes
New Public Safety Program with built in Comprehensive Reentry Programing
Young Peoples Support Network including the Recreation and Park System

Cincinnati Change is looking into using the Cincinnati Municipal Code Chapter 103 REFERENDUM MEASURES to sell the above assets and use the money to buy Cincinnati real estate (unlike the stock which is the current favorite of the pension funds). This would include key neighborhoods like OTR and like Mt. Auburn which would cost $350 million dollars to buy and or debt from institutions that want to stay in our neighborhoods like Christ Hospital which needs to build new facilities and buy new equipment to reduce the age of their infrastructure - we guess over $700M over the next ten years. All this would earn us at least 7% annually.

And our water quality would stay the same or go up through an agreement with the new owners. We would establish as part of this plan an independent office of environmental quality who would test the water and make their reports public. Under this plan this office would also monitor lead and other deadly substances in the city along with air quality through the 20,000 meteorological stations that would be built in the city.

These monies would even cover the city general fund as our current money fund managers of the 2 billion dollar city pension fund can not earn enough money to cover expenses. So far to the tune of 16 million dollars a year or more. This money then has to come out of the general fund.

If the question of private ownership bothers you then have the 2 billion dollar pension fund buy them.

Freed Citizen

2006-09-18T19:50:00.000-05:00

a newspaper established June 19th 2006
________________________________________________________

Martin Luther King invoked the American Dream in what is perhaps his most famous speech: "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream."

The American Dream is the belief that in the United States of America, hard work and determination can lead to a better life, usually through the earning of money. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to the newer generations - including African Americans in the state of Ohio.

Freed Citizen Media will tell record their history and the actions that affect their and surrounding communities through the monthly Freed Citizen Newspaper.

publisher : Hershel Daniels, Junior
e-mail : fcpub@cincinnatichange.com

2439 Auburn Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
Phone: 513.257.2552
letters to paper : freedcitizen@cincinnatichange.com
editorial : fceditor@cincinnatichange.com
ads : mam@cincinnatichange.com

The American Dream

2006-09-13T01:00:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King invoked the American Dream in what is perhaps his most famous speech: "Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream."

The American Dream is the belief that in the United States of America, hard work and determination can lead to a better life, usually through the earning of money. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to the newer generations - including African Americans. The United States remains a magnet for immigrants today, receiving 1 million legal entrants annually — the largest influx in the world.

We ask this question, "If the U.S. becomes something along the lines of Mexico, do we all stand to lose something?"

As the Anglo-Euro population diminishes, why would people, who would under some peoples plans become voting American citisens, from alien cultures subscribe to the prescriptions of a Thomas Jefferson, or care about the legacy of Magna Carta? The Magna Carta is often a symbol for the first time the citizens of England were granted rights against an absolute king.

We will speak over the coming days of all those jobs that "Americans won't do". We take the position that these jobs were being done as recently as 15 years prior by Americans who worked as roofers, framers, drywallers, body, fender repairmen, truck drivers and janitors. Prior to the mass deluge, native-born minority citizens dominated these occupations and were able to sustain their families on their salaries.

9/11

2006-09-11T07:50:00.000-05:00

This WAR is for REAL !

Who we at War with in totality is not yet clear, but to get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. The war in Iraq is a very large battle front. Even the War on Terror now is just a battlefront.

Cincinnati Change believes that the United States of America, our country, is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it.

This War will be as bloody as the Civil War and as great a challenge as the Second World War.

We are in World War IV whether we like it or not, or whether we know it or like it. We cannot appease our out of this, the other side wants to win.

The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war and even fewer who realize what losing really means.

First, let’s examine a few basics:

1. When did the threat to us start?

Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer as far as the United States is concerned is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us:

* Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;
* Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983;
* Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;
* Leon Klinghoffer October , 1985
* Lockerbie, Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;
* First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;
* Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;
* Nairobi, Kenya US Embassy 1998;
* Dares Salaam, Tanzania US Embassy 1998;
* Aden, Yemen USS Cole 2000;
* New York World Trade Center 2001;
* Pentagon 2001.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET
(Note that during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide).

Hows this for a practical approach to the illegal invader problem

2006-09-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that one of crucial root causes of crime is poverty and that we can change the conditions from which crime takes root. It is a mission of Cincinnati Change to change the conditions in which children live so that they can grow up and become adults in a nurturing and supportive community environment.

The War on Terrorism and the hope for Democracy has a problem illegal invaders in the country.

Cincinnati Change has what it believes is an example of a practical approach to the illegal invader problem.

We use the term illegal invader because that is who this solution is aimed at. If you have not broken the laws of the United States of America then the term does not apply to you. If it does we hope to create an example in Cincinnati that can provide for more secure borders within 150 days from a administrative and training headquarters located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cincinnati Change will propose a A-76 Contract to provide totally secure borders within three years using the full resources of the federal government combined with state and local governments in cooperation to this vital national goal with a coalition of 300 corporate partners, 1,000 small business enterprises and 10,000 non governmental and faith based change agent partners.

We support a 20 year sunset law granting 50 million visas allowing foreigners legal immigrants status. This would allow them to work for 20 years in the United States at a cost of $50,000. This would include support of family unification by not subtracting the visas given to immediate relatives of U.S. citizens from visas available to all family immigrants. thereby the Illegal Invaders in this country could apply for up to 20 to 30 million visas over the next three years - they would have to sign and or their country a $50,000 Individual American Citizenship performance Bond;

Cincinnati Change will build in support for agricultural workers that builds on current law and regulation as an example while working to provide a path to legal, permanent residency and citizenship for college age students and or those in service to the federal government;

Cincinnati Change supports the application of due process rights for the illegal invaders who are facing deportation, including access to fair, humane and follow established legal procedures such as a speedy trials through remote court operations, and the creation of a pool of adequate counsel and will work in greater Cincinnati to create such an infrastructure using our patent license;

Cincinnati Change is a non governmental organization who is not a 501 C 3 organization who supports efforts to penalize anyone for providing humanitarian assistance to illegal invaders by providing American citizens in need with assistance determined by a local faith based lead coalition of community service providers at the local level such as what we will look to assemble in Cincinnati. In addition, we support our fellow human beings in their native countries in need of help. To that end we will team up with Ammons United Methodist Church and their operations to create economic and community development infrastructure through the co development of infrastructure for the 20 to 30 million illegal invaders in the United States of America, that in turns finances development in their home country and works to stop their migration;

We support efforts to require, encourage and/or deputize state and or local police to enforce federal immigration laws with oversight through the US State department;

We support the mandatory detention of undocumented invaders. Cincinnati Change will support the Department of Homeland Security by providing for the detention of up to 100,000 individuals indefinitely. This will happen within 150 days from acceptance of our A-76 proposal to DHS from an Network Operations Center located at 2439 Auburn and growing to include over 4 million sq. ft. of mixed use development in support of the network facilities that will house a million undocumented invaders. Most of these will be faith based run but overseen by the coalition created by Cincinnati Change in Cincinnati, Ohio and;

Cincinnati Change will create an A-76 Coalition to creates a contract with the US Government to create a low-level Citizenship and Immigration Digital Support Service that supports personnel exercising legal authority to judge the good moral character of an applicant for citizenship complete with thorough identity background checks and judge which type of facility that individual will go to.

We believe that the new phase the war is going in that it will have even a longer term affect on us as citizens of the United States of America. Our job is to make sure that the 8 trillion dollars spent since September 11th 2001 was spent as the 1st Phase as we rebuild America over the next five years.

Cincinnati Change will propose that we, Citizens of the United States and the 50 million people who want to become citizens spend $10 trillion dollars worldwide to bring about democracy, safe communities and peacefull coexistence with the coalition created by the United States of America and it's allies in the War.

Cincinnati Change will be one of the co-founders of a business that is majority African American owned and will be a Professional Military Corporation. One that serves clients from around the world but for Cincinnati Change will implement it's A-76 proposal through a stratagic partnership with 1,300 companies and 10,000 non governmental organizations and faith driven organizations.

At Cincinnati Change we believe that our nation can stand as a shining example to all the world of freedom and democracy, a unique honor that comes with a responsibility to lead. First we must make our streets safe and our communities secure. In Cincinnati we can create an example that can be used throughout the United States and the world.

We can and have to win the War on Terror in Cincinnati, first with Peace in the Hood with Jobs in the Hood.

We don't have all the answers but through the net we hope to bring about change in greater Cincinnati that is, in part, coordinated through a public private faith based partnership called Nati Action Agency. This organization will be formed on 17 September 2006 by Cincinnati Change and partners

An Example of Leadership

2006-09-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

At the close of the Revolutionary War in America, a perilous moment in the life of the fledgling American democracy occurred as officers of the Continental Army met in Newburgh, New York, (Newburgh was the headquarters of the Continental Army) to discuss grievances and consider a possible insurrection against the rule of Congress.

They were angry over the failure of Congress to honor its promises to the army regarding salary, bounties and life pensions. The officers had heard from Philadelphia that the American government was going broke and that they might not be compensated at all.

General Washington calls for a confidential meeting with Generals Henry Knox and Jedediah Huntington to formulate a response to the Newburgh conspiracy, a plot by a group of officers to force the army’s will upon Congress. The “General orders of yesterday” refers to Washington’s orders telling his officers not to attend and unauthorized meeting but to wait for another. An anonymous circular dated March 10, written by Colonel Walter Stuart, in which it was proposed that the officers refuse to disband when the war ended if the Congress did not meet their demands.

On March 10, 1783, an anonymous letter was circulated among the officers of General Washington's main camp at Newburgh. It addressed those complaints and called for an unauthorized meeting of officers to be held the next day to consider possible military solutions to the problems of the civilian government and its financial woes.

General Washington stopped that meeting from happening by forbidding the officers to meet at the unauthorized meeting. Instead, he suggested they meet a few days later, on March 15th, at the regular meeting of his officers.

Meanwhile, another anonymous letter was circulated, this time suggesting Washington himself was sympathetic to the claims of the malcontent officers.

And so on March 15, 1783, Washington's officers gathered in a church building in Newburgh, effectively holding the fate of democracy in America in their hands.

Unexpectedly, General Washington himself showed up. He was not entirely welcomed by his men, but nevertheless, personally addressed them...

Gentlemen:

By an anonymous summons, an attempt has been made to convene you together; how inconsistent with the rules of propriety, how unmilitary, and how subversive of all order and discipline, let the good sense of the army decide...

Thus much, gentlemen, I have thought it incumbent on me to observe to you, to show upon what principles I opposed the irregular and hasty meeting which was proposed to have been held on Tuesday last - and not because I wanted a disposition to give you every opportunity consistent with your own honor, and the dignity of the army, to make known your grievances. If my conduct heretofore has not evinced to you that I have been a faithful friend to the army, my declaration of it at this time would be equally unavailing and improper.

But as I was among the first who embarked in the cause of our common country. As I have never left your side one moment, but when called from you on public duty. As I have been the constant companion and witness of your distresses, and not among the last to feel and acknowledge your merits. As I have ever considered my own military reputation as inseparably connected with that of the army. As my heart has ever expanded with joy, when I have heard its praises, and my indignation has arisen, when the mouth of detraction has been opened against it, it can scarcely be supposed, at this late stage of the war, that I am indifferent to its interests.

But how are they to be promoted? The way is plain, says the anonymous addresser. If war continues, remove into the unsettled country, there establish yourselves, and leave an ungrateful country to defend itself. But who are they to defend? Our wives, our children, our farms, and other property which we leave behind us. Or, in this state of hostile separation, are we to take the two first (the latter cannot be removed) to perish in a wilderness, with hunger, cold, and nakedness?

If peace takes place, never sheathe your swords, says he, until you have obtained full and ample justice; this dreadful alternative, of either deserting our country in the extremest hour of her distress or turning our arms against it (which is the apparent object, unless Congress can be compelled into instant compliance), has something so shocking in it that humanity revolts at the idea.

My God! What can this writer have in view, by recommending such measures? Can he be a friend to the army? Can he be a friend to this country? Rather, is he not an insidious foe? Some emissary, perhaps, from New York, plotting the ruin of both, by sowing the seeds of discord and separation between the civil and military powers of the continent? And what a compliment does he pay to our understandings when he recommends measures in either alternative, impracticable in their nature?

I cannot, in justice to my own belief, and what I have great reason to conceive is the intention of Congress, conclude this address, without giving it as my decided opinion, that that honorable body entertain exalted sentiments of the services of the army; and, from a full conviction of its merits and sufferings, will do it complete justice. That their endeavors to discover and establish funds for this purpose have been unwearied, and will not cease till they have succeeded, I have not a doubt.

But, like all other large bodies, where there is a variety of different interests to reconcile, their deliberations are slow. Why, then, should we distrust them? And, in consequence of that distrust, adopt measures which may cast a shade over that glory which has been so justly acquired; and tarnish the reputation of an army which is celebrated through all Europe, for its fortitude and patriotism? And for what is this done? To bring the object we seek nearer? No! most certainly, in my opinion, it will cast it at a greater distance.

For myself (and I take no merit in giving the assurance, being induced to it from principles of gratitude, veracity, and justice), a grateful sense of the confidence you have ever placed in me, a recollection of the cheerful assistance and prompt obedience I have experienced from you, under every vicissitude of fortune, and the sincere affection I feel for an army I have so long had the honor to command will oblige me to declare, in this public and solemn manner, that, in the attainment of complete justice for all your toils and dangers, and in the gratification of every wish, so far as may be done consistently with the great duty I owe my country and those powers we are bound to respect, you may freely command my services to the utmost of my abilities.

While I give you these assurances, and pledge myself in the most unequivocal manner to exert whatever ability I am possessed of in your favor, let me entreat you, gentlemen, on your part, not to take any measures which, viewed in the calm light of reason, will lessen the dignity and sully the glory you have hitherto maintained; let me request you to rely on the plighted faith of your country, and place a full confidence in the purity of the intentions of Congress; that, previous to your dissolution as an army, they will cause all your accounts to be fairly liquidated, as directed in their resolutions, which were published to you two days ago, and that they will adopt the most effectual measures in their power to render ample justice to you, for your faithful and meritorious services.

And let me conjure you, in the name of our common country, as you value your own sacred honor, as you respect the rights of humanity, and as you regard the military and national character of America, to express your utmost horror and detestation of the man who wishes, under any specious pretenses, to overturn the liberties of our country, and who wickedly attempts to open the floodgates of civil discord and deluge our rising empire in blood.

By thus determining and thus acting, you will pursue the plain and direct road to the attainment of your wishes. You will defeat the insidious designs of our enemies, who are compelled to resort from open force to secret artifice. You will give one more distinguished proof of unexampled patriotism and patient virtue, rising superior to the pressure of the most complicated sufferings. And you will, by the dignity of your conduct, afford occasion for posterity to say, when speaking of the glorious example you have exhibited to mankind, "Had this day been wanting, the world had never seen the last stage of perfection to which human nature is capable of attaining."

George Washington - March 15, 1783

This speech was not very well received by his men. Washington then took out a letter from a member of Congress explaining the financial difficulties of the government.

After reading a portion of the letter with his eyes squinting at the small writing, Washington suddenly stopped. His officers stared at him, wondering. Washington then reached into his coat pocket and took out a pair of reading glasses. Few of them knew he wore glasses, and were surprised.

"Gentlemen," said Washington, "you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country."

In that moment of utter vulnerability, Washington's men were deeply moved, even shamed, and many were quickly in tears, now looking with great affection at this aging man who had led them through so much. Washington read the remainder of the letter, then left without saying another word, realizing their sentiments.

His officers then cast a unanimous vote, essentially agreeing to the rule of Congress. Thus, the civilian government was preserved and the young experiment of democracy in America continued.

The Father of Labor Day in Ohio

2006-09-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Change joins the Cleveland Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists in Commemoration of the Father of Labor Day, the Honorable John Patterson Green (1845-1940)

The Cleveland Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists which consists of members from seventy-seven international and national unions recognizes John Patterson Green’s legislative sponsorship of Labor Day in Ohio. House Bill 500 was passed on April 28, 1890 and consisted of one sentence:

“Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that the first Monday in September of each and every year shall be known as Labor Day . . .”

In 1894, the U.S. Congress passed a bill making Labor Day a national holiday.

Patterson Green’s efforts preceded the accomplishments of organized labor leaders such as A. Philip Randolph, Sleeping Car Porters; John L. Lewis, United Mine Workers; Philip Murray, United Steel Workers; Jimmy Hoffa,Teamsters; Walter Reuther, United Auto Workers; and Cesar Chavez, United Farm Workers.

Born in New Bern, North Carolina, John Patterson Green became Cleveland’s first black lawyer and first black elected official (Justice of the Peace) and was also the second African-American elected to serve in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1882.

During his second elected term in 1890, the state of Ohio enacted Labor Day legislation that earned him the title “Father of Labor Day in Ohio.” The former common laborer and lawyer wanted to honor all working men and women in Ohio with the idea of establishing a holiday to celebrate the contributions of workers (not politicians).

The Honorable John Patterson Green served three successive terms in the Ohio General Assembly, including two terms in the House of Representatives (1882-1883 and 1890-1891). In 1892, he was elected to the Ohio Senate, making him the first African-American elected to a state senate north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the United States. While serving as an Ohio state legislator, John Patterson Green sponsored and supported 21 major bills on behalf of labor.

During his professional and legislative career, he counted among his closest friends Mr. & Mrs. John D. (Ms. Lara C. Spellman) Rockefeller, Marcus A. Hanna and George A. Myers—all captains of industry. He also was a friend of and assisted Civil Rights leaders, such as Harry Smith, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, Charles Chestnut, and other black leaders of his day.

Mr. Green was also befriended by and received appointments to federal positions by Presidents James A. Garfield and William McKinley. Of all his associations and accomplishments, however, the Honorable John Patterson Green was most proud of his work to honor all working men and women of this nation by initiating Labor Day.

This material on John Patterson Green was researched at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio by Minister Robert E. Saffold.

Since its founding conference in 1972, The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) stature among African American workers has grown. Currently, more than 77 different international and national unions are represented in CBTU. With 50 chapters nationwide and one in Ontario, Canada, CBTU is maximizing the strength and influence of black workers in unions and empowering their communities.

One year from Hurricane Katrina

2006-08-28T23:27:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Change on this one year Hurricane Katrina Anniversary believe that we have a plan to aid in which the playing field for the moderate to poor income consumer in Gulf through a alliance with companies from Cincinnati who will concentrate it's efforts in New Orleans.

We believe that if we lose New Orleans then we lose more than those poor black people that is the image of New Orleans. We lose ways of life that are unique to America. This includes a unique New Orleans perspective, jazz, gumbo ya-ya.

The Mission of Cincinnati Change through a operation called Gulf Change will address the needs of the people who were left behind long before the vicious winds and violent waters of Hurricane Katrina & Rita came along to wash them away. We are now picking up on this date the development of Gulf Change with a group of partners that includes Architects and Engineers.

The Superdome is repaired and the Saints are about to begin a pro football season there. Landmark restaurants are back and bustling, and new places are opening in the busy, unflooded Uptown neighborhoods. Xavier and Tulane University has put themselves back into action.

Citizens are resourceful and through our membership in two premier grassroots organizations, The National Community Reinvestment Coalition and Acorn, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now with whom we will work with in the flood zones and the close neighborhood after neighborhood as we tie together the opportunities to develop businesses owned by the people of Gulf.

Cincinnati Change will frame a vision for rebuilding that serves the interests of all residents in the city in cooperation with expertise drawn from greater Cincinnati to:

create the digital infrastructure that will help frame a vision for rebuilding that serves the interests of all residents and is connected to like people in greater Cincinnati;
use the expertise of contractors hired by Cincinnati Change to develop specific plans and proposals that are technically informed and resident-led that focus on those who have the least;
support the development and operation of 1,000 community based businesses;
create the infrastructure to support the message that resident voices must be consistently heard by city, state, and federal officials as key decisions are made in the months and years ahead as we create housing opportunities for 20,000 households through a investment in a mutual fund, and;
make sure that over the next three years that at least 50% of the job opportunities go those who are designated as hard to serve.

The release of billions of dollars in federal recovery funds for New Orleans, as well as some private grants, depends on the formation of a single master plan covering everything from city-wide infrastructure issues to neighborhood-specific projects. In a July 5, 2006 press release, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, the New Orleans City Council and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) announced their agreement to adopt a common plan, to be overseen by the Greater New Orleans Foundation's (GNOF) New Orleans Community Support Foundation (NOCSF).

Among other things, the New Orleans Community Support Foundation calls for each of New Orleans' 73 neighborhoods to select from a recommended (selected by an expert national review panel) list of professional architects, urban planners and other professionals to assist in their efforts and/or endorse projects already in progress, spearheaded by the BNOB, the Lambert-Danzey group, and by the neighborhood groups themselves over the many months that no other resources were available.

100 Male Ministries 100 Days of Action Starting Today

2006-07-29T23:43:00.000-05:00

Ammons United Methodist Church under the leadership of Vera Cole has provided leadership to a group of Cincinnati churches that after one year are continuing to mobilize their men to bring about change not only in their neighborhoods, but also to the people who live there. Cincinnati Change current mission is to encourages increased economic activity in Hamilton County with Ammons and it's partners. We will create companies that support the ministry like Hughes Electronics did the Hughes Medical Institute through trusts setup by each company that supports our youth.

Cincinnati Change is proposing to create with Ammons United Methodist Church a Cincinnati Company called Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW, Inc. (C4N). The mission of the company is to provide consulting, homeland safety and security infrastructure management, design and construction from our headquarters in Cincinnati as a faith based enterprise that is owned in part by the ministries of the churches involved and the companies created as church affiliated companies who will pay their taxes on unrelated business income and use the rest to support the needs of young men and boys.

During 2007, more than $500 billion dollars is being allocated for and through the federal, state and local government units in the United States and our for profit businesses will take advantage of these contracts with it's faith based sponsors in the following areas -:

Peace in the Hood, Jobs in the Hood Initiative
Veterans Assistance program operation
Creative Class Workforce and Network Development Program
Third Frontier Workforce Development Program
Housing program to build a million homes for young men and their families
ReEntry of Young Men into society
Preparing for and responding to future catastrophes
Immigration & Secure Boarders
U.S. Gulf Coast Reconstruction
Regional National Energy Policy Partnership Demostration Program

Cincinnati Change has created a program that serve the nation through and it's partner The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training, Inc.(AADLT) who has joined with Beauchamp Tower Corporation, Inc. and it's partners to support their proposal called Operation Enduring Service (OES) which will the basis for the creation of a program to employ over 1,000 of countys young men in 2007 through the 100 male March Ministry of Ammons United Methodist Church.

The 100 Male March Ministries was launched one year ago on a 5th Sunday with a walk in a troubled Walnut Hills neighborhood from Peoples Corner to Ammons United Methodist Church. They will gather this Sunday the 30th of July 2006 to celebrate one year of action at 934 E. McMillan St. and march to Ammons United Methodist Church. Each man is asked to bring a boy to mentor. Call 513.545.7905 for more information.

According to Melvin Williams, president of the Cincinnati District United Methodist Men and manager of the CVS Pharmacy on East McMillan Street at Pebbles Corner, "We're trying to put a human face on Christianity from the male point of view."

Regional Social Service Organization, Political Parties or Terrorists?

2006-07-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

MOSCOW - Russia on Friday published a list of 17 groups it regards as terrorist organizations, but did not include the Palestinian militant movement Hamas or Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group, both regarded as terrorists in Washington.

Separately, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Hezbollah must have a say in any agreements in the Middle East crisis, Russian news agencies reported — another sign of differences between Russia and the United States about the region.

"Any agreements must be coordinated with all the basic forces in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, as an organization that is represented in the parliament and government of Lebanon," RIA-Novosti reported quoted Lavrov as saying on a plane returning from an Asian security meeting in Malaysia. Hezbollah has 11 members in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament, and two Cabinet ministers.

The terrorist list, published in the official daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta, included al-Qaida and the Taliban as well as the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a rebel group fighting for Kashmir'sindependence from India, and Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood. ( News News Photos Images Web )

The Russian Federal Security Service's top official in charge of fighting international terrorism, Yuri Sapunov, said Hamas and Hezbollah were not a major threat to Russia and were not regarded as terrorist groups worldwide.

But he said Russian security agencies took account of international lists of terrorist groups when exchanging intelligence with foreign counterparts. Sapunov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta the list of 17 "includes only those organizations which represent the greatest threat to the security of our country." Groups linked to separatist militants in Chechnya (News News Photos Images Web )and Islamic radicals in Central Asia made the list.

Russia has come under criticism for its refusal to list Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.

Israel' name Israel is now fighting a ground and air war in Lebanon against Hezbollah guerrillas, who are firing rockets into northern Israel. Israeli forces have also attacked the Gaza Strip to target Hamas militants. Russia has criticized the scale of the Israeli offensive, while the United States has blamed Hezbollah for the violence.

President Vladimir Putin ( News News Photos Images Web ) earlier this year provoked U.S. and Israeli anger by inviting leaders of Hamas to Moscow shortly after their January election victory. The meeting made no progress in softening the group's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist or foreswear violence.

Lavrov's reported comment about Hezbollah echoed the arguments Russian officials made for inviting Hamas leaders, when they said that they were dealing with Hamas as an entity that had just come to power in elections.

Lavrov said that Russia's support for a Hezbollah role in decision-making in the Mideast crisis was shared by European countries and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan ( News News Photos Images Web ) adding: "As for support from the Americans for this position, I have no such information," RIA-Novosti reported.

The European Union ( News News Photos Images Web ) considers Hamas a terrorist organization and along with the United States slapped financial sanctions on the new Hamas-led government. But it does not list Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

$30 Million for 300 Partners

2006-07-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Change Mission: CINCINNATI CHANGE encourages increased economic stability in Hamilton County along with the development of a third frontier creative class information highway infrastructure. We support the creation of companies and or provide technical assistance to established businesses, which will provide jobs through the acquisitions and development of businesses expansion. This will be a statewide demonstration project.

Cincinnati Change has created a program that serves the nation through it’s partner The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training, Inc. (AADLT) which has joined with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) program called Community Express. It is a national program-offering loan and technical assistance (TA) The program was created by NCRC’s Banker/Community Collaborative Council in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Cincinnati Change is a member of NCRC and as such ask others to join 600 other organizations.

Under this program we will pair, as a deliverable subcontract to the initiative, SBA-guaranteed loans with business coaching for historically under-served entrepreneurs, in this case one recruited to this program.

Cincinnati Change will provide technical services to 300 companies for $30 million dollars in revenue bonds.

Cincinnati Change Current Mission

2006-07-28T05:28:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Change current mission is to encourages increased economic activity in Hamilton County. We will create a third frontier creative class information highway infrastructure that can support a variety of operations. First among the goals of this mission is provide jobs through the acquisition and development of businesses, intellectual property and real estate properties that support a new national program demonstrated in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Change is creating a Cincinnati Company called Uptown Security. The mission of the company is to provide consulting, homeland safety and security infrastructure management, design and construction from our headquarters in Cincinnati. During 2007, more than $350 billion dollars is being allocated for and through our for profit businesses we will take advantage of contracts in the following areas -:

Preventing another terrorist attack on the United States
Detecting threats against the United States
Preparing for and responding to future catastrophes
Immigration & Secure Boarders
U.S. Gulf Coast Reconstruction
Iraq
Afghanistan
Africa
North Africa and Middle East
National Energy Policy

Cincinnati Change has created a program that serve the nation through and it's partner The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training, Inc.(AADLT) who has joined with Beauchamp Tower Corporation, Inc. and it's partners to support their proposal called Operation Enduring Service (OES).

OES is a Cincinnati faith based leadership of a public-private sector joint operation that includes an Education Initiative, a Public Safety Collaboration, a Defense of the Homeland Alliance and a Disaster Response Program which incorporates Federally held Non-Retention Ships and Equipment with partners who have already invested millions of dollars in operations.

According to Melvin Williams, president of the Cincinnati District United Methodist Men and manager of the CVS Pharmacy on East McMillan Street at Peebles Corner, "We're trying to put a human face on Christianity from the male point of view."

Our goal is to meet at People Corner on Sunday at 0900 at Gilbert and McMillan at the CVS Store to bring OES's headquarters to Cincinnati, Ohio through the 100 Male Ministries of Ammons United Methodist Church through a proposed agenda that includes saving souls and doing the following -

 Create a agreement between Cincinnati Change & Ammons on as faith based organization partnership

 Creating 200 new companies with those attend the 100 Male Ministries Meetings every month

 Creation of an Operation Enduring Service headquarters in Cincinnati

 Hargrove Engineering, LLC will be the lead Architecture and Engineering firm for 1,000 homes

 Support the creation of the Ohio Small Business Accelerator Alliance for 100 Ohio businesses

 Create alliances with 100 established businesses in support of the mission of Cincinnati Change

 Spread the word that their is an solution and churches and non profits are moving on creating jobs

 Structure of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Cincinnati Change and whoever attends this Sundays service at Ammons United Methodist Church at 1301 E McMillan at 11:00.

Cincinnati Change has a business support goal of starting 50 new businesses during the coming week staring at 2 PM to 5:30 PM this coming Sunday at Red Lobster (You pay for your own meal). Call 513.545.7905 for more details and or email us at oes@cincinnatichange.com.

Cincinnati Change and partners will create a community business development program with the SBA, private sector, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to support the creation of over 1,000 small and medium businesses in Ohio which will employ students who go to and or graduate from our school partners.

Semper Fi !! Let's keep this Hummer going around the world, so we won't forget!

2006-07-28T04:49:00.000-05:00

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.

( March 2, 2006)

Karla Comfort received a lot of looks and even some salutes from people
when she drove from Benton, Ark., to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in her
newly-painted, custom Hummer H3 March 2. The vehicle is adorned with the
likeness of! her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, and nine
other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st
Marine Division who were all killed by the same improvised explosive
device blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December.

For Karla Comfort, having the vehicle air brushed with the image of the
10 Marines was a way to pay homage to her hero and his fellow comrades
who fell on Iraq's urban battlefield.

"I wanted to let people know (Marines) are doing their jobs honorably,
and some of them die," said the 39-year-old from Portland, OR "I don't
want people to forget the sacrifices that my son and the other Marines
made."

Leading up to her son's death, Karla Comfort had received several
letters from him prior to his return. He had been deployed for five
months, and Comfort "worried everyday he was gone until she got the
letters and found out the date he was coming home," she said.

Marines knocked on the front door of her home in Farmington, Mich., at 3
am with the dreadful news.

"I let my guard down when I found out he was coming home," she said.
"There are times that I still cannot believe it happened. It's very hard
to deal with."

Karla Comfort came up with the idea for the rolling memorial when she
and her two other sons attended John's funeral in Portland, Ore.

"I saw a Vietnam (War) memorial on a car, and I said to my son Josh, 'we
should do something like that for John,' she recalled. "He loved
Hummers."

She purchased the vehicle in January and immediately took it to
AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark., where artist Robert Powell went to
work on changing the plain, black vehicle into a decorative, mobile, art
piece.

"I only had the vehicle for two days before we took it in," she joked.

Two hundred and fifty man-hours later, Powell had completed the vehicle.
The custom job would have cost $25,000. Out of respect for Karla
Comfort's loss and the sacrifices the Marines made, AirbrushGuy & Co.
did it for free. Comfort only had to purchase the paint, which cost
$3,000.

"I love it," she said. "I'm really impressed with it, and I think John
would be happy with the vehicle. He would have a big smile on his face
because he loved Hummers."

Karla Comfort gave Powell basic instructions on what to include in the
paint job. But in addition to the image of her son in Dress Blues and
the faces of the nine other Marines, there were several surprises. "He
put a lot more on than I expected," she said. "I think my favorite part
is the heaven scene."

On the left side of the vehicle, a detail of Marines are depicted
carrying their fallen comrades through the clouds to their final resting
place. The American flag drapes across the hood, the words, "Semper Fi"
crown the front windshield and the spare tire cover carries the same
Eagle Globe and Anchor design that her son had tattooed on his back.

"All the support I have been getting is wonderful," she said.

Karla Comfort decided to move back to her hometown of Portland, and
making the cross-country trip from Arkansas was a way for her to share
her son's story. It's also her way of coping with the loss.

"Along the way I got nothing but positive feedback from people," she
said. "What got to me was when people would salute the guys (Marines).
It's hard to look at his picture. I still cry and try to get used to the
idea, but it's hard to grasp the idea that he's really gone."

Let's keep this Hummer going around the world, so we won't forget!

What do you think?

President Bush Signs Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006

2006-07-27T12:27:00.001-05:00

9:34 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Good morning. Welcome. Thanks for being here on this special day. Please be seated. America began with a Declaration that all men are created equal. This Declaration marked a tremendous advance in the story of freedom, yet it also contained a contradiction: Some of the same men who signed their names to this self-evident truth owned other men as property. By reauthorizing this act, Congress has reaffirmed its belief that all men are created equal; its belief that the new founding started by the signing of the bill by President Johnson is worthy of our great nation to continue. (Applause.)

I'm proud to be here with our Attorney General and members of my Cabinet, the leaders of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. I thank the bill sponsors, I thank the members of the Judiciary Committee. I appreciate so very much representatives of the Hamer family who have joined us -- (applause) -- representatives of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute who have joined us -- (applause) -- and members of the King family, in particular Reverend Bernice King and Martin Luther King[III}, thank you all for coming. (Applause.)

I'm honored to be here with civil rights leaders like Dr. Dorothy Height -- (applause) -- Julian Bond, the Chairman of the NAACP -- (applause) -- Bruce Gordon, thank you Bruce -- (applause) -- Reverend Lowery, it's good to see you again, sir -- (applause) -- fortunately I got the mic this time. (Laughter.) I'm proud to be here with Marc Morial. Thanks for coming Marc. (Applause.) Juanita Abernathy is with us today. Jesse Jackson, good to see you, Jesse. (Applause.) Al Sharpton -- (applause) -- Dr. Benjamin Hooks and Frances are with us. (Applause.)

A lot of other folks who care deeply about this issue. We welcome you here. It's good to welcome the mayor. Mr. Mayor, good to see you. Thanks for coming. Tony Williams. (Applause.) Everything is fine in the neighborhood, I appreciate it. (Laughter.) And the Mayor of Selma, Alabama, James Perkins, is with us. Mr. Mayor, proud you're here. (Applause.) Welcome, sir.

The right of ordinary men and women to determine their own political future lies at the heart of the American experiment, and it is a right that has been won by the sacrifice of patriots. The Declaration of Independence was born on the stand for liberty taken at Lexington and Concord. The amendments to our Constitution that outlawed slavery and guaranteed the right to vote came at the price of a terrible civil war.

The Voting Rights Act that broke the segregationist lock on the ballot box rose from the courage shown on a Selma bridge one Sunday afternoon in March of 1965. On that day, African Americans, including a member of the United States Congress, John Lewis -- (applause) -- marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in a protest intended to highlight the unfair practices that kept them off the voter rolls.

The brutal response showed America why a march was necessary. When the marchers reached the far side of the bridge, they were met by state troopers and civilian posse bearing billy clubs and whips -- weapons they did not hesitate to use. The images of policemen using night sticks on peaceful protestors were carried on television screens across the country, and they stung the conscience of a slumbering America.

One week after Selma, President Lyndon Johnson took to the airwaves to announce that he planned to submit legislation that would bring African Americans into the civic life of our nation. Five months after Selma, he signed the Voting Rights Act into law in the Rotunda of our nation's capitol. (Applause.) In a little more than a year after Selma, a newly enfranchised black community used their power at the ballot box to help defeat the sheriff who had sent men with whips and clubs to the Edmund Pettus Bridge on that bloody Sunday.

For some parts of our country, the Voting Rights Act marked the first appearance of African Americans on the voting rolls since Reconstruction. And in the primaries and elections that followed the signing of this act, many African Americans pulled the voting lever for the first time in their lives.

Eighty-one year old Willie Bolden was the grandson of slaves, and in the spring of 1966, he cast his first ballot in Alabama's Democratic primary. He told a reporter, "It felt good to me. It made me think I was sort of somebody." In the America promised by our founders, every citizen is a somebody, and every generation has a responsibility to add its own chapter to the unfolding story of freedom. (Applause.)

In four decades since the Voting Rights Act was first passed, we've made progress toward equality, yet the work for a more perfect union is never ending. We'll continue to build on the legal equality won by the civil rights movement to help ensure that every person enjoys the opportunity that this great land of liberty offers. And that means a decent education and a good school for every child, a chance to own their own home or business, and the hope that comes from knowing that you can rise in our society by hard work and God-given talents. (Applause.)

Today, we renew a bill that helped bring a community on the margins into the life of American democracy. My administration will vigorously enforce the provisions of this law, and we will defend it in court. (Applause.) This legislation is named in honor of three heroes of American history who devoted their lives to the struggle of civil rights: Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King. (Applause.) And in honor of their memory and their contributions to the cause of freedom, I am proud to sign the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. (Applause.)

(The act is signed.) (Applause.)

POTUS at the NAACP

2006-07-20T19:16:00.000-05:00

President Bush Addresses NAACP Annual Convention

2006-07-20T18:56:00.000-05:00

Text of President Bush's speech at the NAACP's annual convention Thursday in Washington DC at the Washington Convention Center

BUSH: Thank you all very much. Thank you very much. Bruce, thanks for your introduction. Bruce is a polite guy, I thought what he was going to say, it's about time you showed up. And I'm glad I did. See, I see this as a moment of opportunity. I have come to celebrate the heroism of the civil rights movement, and the accomplishments of the NAACP.

I want to talk about ways to build what the NAACP has always sought, a nation united, committed to destroying discrimination and extending to every American the full blessings, the full blessings, of liberty and opportunity. It's important to me. It's important to our nation. I come from a family committed to civil rights. My faith tells me that we're all children of God, equally loved, equally cherished, equally entitled to the rights He grants us all.

For nearly 200 years, our nation failed the test of extending the blessings of liberty to African Americans. Slavery was legal for nearly a hundred years, and discrimination legal in many places for nearly a hundred years more. Taken together, the record placed a stain on America's founding, a stain that we have not yet wiped clean.

When people talk about America's founders they mention the likes of Washington and Jefferson and Franklin and Adams. Too often they ignore another group of founders, men and women and children who did not come to America of their free will, but in chains. These founders literally helped build our country. They chopped the wood, they built the homes, they tilled the fields, and they reaped the harvest. They raised children of others, even though their own children had been ripped away and sold to strangers. These founders were denied the most basic birthright, and that's freedom.

Yet, through captivity and oppression, they kept the faith. They carved a great nation out of the wilderness, and later, their descendants led a people out of the wilderness of bigotry. Nearly 200 years into our history as a nation, America experienced a second founding: the Civil Rights movement. Some of those leaders are here. These second founders, led by the likes of Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the constitutional guarantees of liberty and equality. They trusted fellow Americans to join them in doing the right thing. They were leaders. They toppled Jim Crow through simple deeds: boarding a bus, walking along the road, showing up peacefully at courthouses or joining in prayer and song. Despite the sheriff's dogs, and the jailer's scorn, and the hangman's noose, and the assassin's bullets, they prevailed.

I don't know if you remember, three weeks ago, I went to Memphis, Tennessee. A lot of people focused on the fact that my friend, the Prime Minister of Japan, was an Elvis fan, because we went to Graceland. But we also went to another stop, a stop Reverend Jesse Jackson knows all too well, a painful moment in his life and in the life of our nation, reflected in the Lorraine Motel.

The Prime Minister and I went there, which is now the National Civil Rights Museum. By the way, if you haven't been there, you ought to go. Among the people greeting me there was Dr. Benjamin Hooks. It's good to see you again, sir. He led me out onto the balcony of Room 306. I remember Dr. Hooks pointed to the window that was still half-cracked. You know what I'm talking about, Jesse. It's not very far away. It was a powerful reminder of the hardships this nation has been through, the struggle for decency.

I was honored that Dr. Hooks took time to visit with me. He talked about the hardships of the movement. With the gentle wisdom that comes from experience, he made it clear we must work as one. And that's why I've come today. We want a united America that is one nation under God, where every man and child and woman is valued and treated with dignity. We want a hopeful America where the prosperity and opportunities of our great land reach into every block of every neighborhood. We want an America that is constantly renewing itself, where citizens rise above political differences to heal old wounds, to build the bonds of brotherhood and to move us ever closer to the founding promise of liberty and justice for all.

Nearly a hundred years after the NAACP's birth, America remains an unfolding story of freedom. And all of us have an obligation to play our part.

I want to thank your chairman, Julian Bond, for his introduction. And thanks for greeting me today, Mr. Chairman. I asked him for a few pointers on how to give a speech. It doesn't look like they're taking.

I want to thank Roslyn Brock, the Vice Chairman of the board, as well. I thank all the board members, all the participants, all the members of the United States Congress for joining us today, as well.

I congratulate Bruce Gordon on his strong leadership. I've gotten to know him. See, shortly after he was elected, he came by the Oval Office. He doesn't mince words. It's clear what's on his mind. He's also a results-oriented person. I'm pleased, I'm pleased to say that I have, I'm an admirer of Bruce Gordon, and we've got a good working relationship. I don't know if that helps you or hurts you. But it's the truth. I admire the man.

We've had frank discussions, starting with Katrina. We talked about the challenges facing the African American community after that storm. We talked about the response of the federal government. And most importantly, we talked about the way forward. We talked about what we can do working together, to move forward. As a result of that first meeting, we found areas where we share common purpose, and we have resolved to work together in practical ways. I don't expect Bruce to become a Republican, and neither do you. But I do want to work with him, and that's what I'm here to talk to you about.

So we've been working together in helping the citizens along the Gulf Coast recover from one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history. You know, when we met, I told Bruce that I would work with the Congress to make sure we dedicated enough money to help the folks. He kind of looked at me like, sure, he's heard these political promises before. It's not the first time that he had heard somebody say, well, we'll work together to see if we can't get enough money, and I suspect he might have thought, well, he's just trying to get me out of the Oval Office.

But I meant what I said, and I want to thank the United States Congress for joining with the administration. We committed over $110 billion to help the people in the Gulf Coast. That's money to go to build new homes, good schools. Bruce and I talked a lot about how do we make sure the contracting that goes on down there in the Gulf Coast goes to minority-owned businesses.

The road to recovery is long and difficult, but we will continue to work together to implement the strategy that Bruce and I worked on along with people, other people like Donna Brazile and other leaders. We've got a plan, and we've got a commitment. And the commitment is not only to work together, but it's a commitment to the people of the Gulf Coast of the United States, to see to it that their lives are better and brighter than before the storm.

We also worked together to ensure that African Americans can take advantage of the new Medicare drug benefit. Look, I understand that we had a political disagreement on the bill. I know that. But I worked with the Congress to make sure that the days of seniors having to choose between food and medicine is over. And that's the case of this new Medicare benefit. The federal government pays over 95 percent of the cost for our nation's poorest seniors to get this new drug benefit.

And I want to thank the NAACP for recognizing that it's important to help our seniors sign up for this benefit. We put politics aside. We said, the day is over of arguing about the bill; let's make sure people receive the benefits of this bill. Bruce Gordon has shown leadership on this important issue, and I want to thank you for that.

We'll work together, and as we do so, you must understand I understand that racism still lingers in America. It's a lot easier to change a law than to change a human heart. And I understand that many African Americans distrust my political party.

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: I consider it a tragedy that the party of Abraham Lincoln let go of its historic ties with the African American community. For too long my party wrote off the African American vote, and many African Americans wrote off the Republican Party.

That history has prevented us from working together when we agree on great goals. That's not good for our country. That's what I've come to share with you. We've put the interests of the country above political party. I want to change the relationship. The America we seek should be bigger than politics. And today I'm going to talk about some areas where I believe we can work together to reduce the obstacles for opportunity for all our citizens. And that starts, by the way with education.

Surely, we share the same goal: We want an excellent education for every child. Not just some children, but every single child. I can remember being the governor of Texas, I don't know if there's any Texans here or not. Tell them "hi" at home.

I remember going to a ninth grade class when I was the governor. It was in a neighborhood that's, a low-income neighborhood there in Houston. And I asked the ninth grade teacher, I said, how's it going? The man looked me in the eye and said, my students cannot read. That's wrong to hear a ninth grade teacher say, my students cannot read.

I decided to do something about it when I was the governor, and I decided to do something about that when I became the President. See, we must challenge a system that simply shuffles children through grade to grade, without determining whether they can read, write, and add and subtract. It's a system, see, I like to call it this: We need to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. If you have low expectations, you're going to get lousy results. We must not tolerate a system that gives up on people.

So I came to Washington and I worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass the No Child Left Behind Act. Let me tell you the strategy behind the act. It says that the federal government will spend more money on education in primary and secondary schools, and we have increased the budgets by 40 percent. It also says, and in return for additional help, you must measure. We didn't say the federal government is going to measure, we said, we want the local, the states and the local districts to measure.

And so why do you ask that? Why do you say that in return for increased money, you need to measure? And the reason why is because, in order to solve a problem you've got to diagnose the problem. Measuring results can tell us whether or not teaching methodology is sound. Measuring results can enable us to figure out which children are falling behind early.

You know, one of the interesting things about the No Child Left Behind Act, it says that when we find a child falling behind early there will be extra money for tutoring, extra money for help. The whole purpose is to make sure people are at the starting line. The whole purpose is to make sure that the teacher that told me that, my children can't read, no longer happens in the 9th grade. Measuring helps us determine how we're doing.

There's an achievement gap in America that's wrong for America, an achievement gap that says we're not fulfilling the promise. One of the barriers to opportunity, one of the obstacles to success is the fact that too many of our children aren't reading at grade level. And we know that because we measure, and we're doing something about it. Actually, the achievement gap is beginning to close. There's more work to be done. Measuring allows parents to see how the school that their child is going to is doing. It lets the parents determine whether or not they should be satisfied with the education their child is getting.

I strongly believe that parental involvement is important for our school systems. And I believe, and I strongly believe a parent knows what's best for his or her child. That's what I believe. And therefore, when we find schools that are not teaching and will not change, our parents should have a different option. If you want quality education you've got to trust the parents.

You know, an amazing thing about our society today is wealthier white families have got the capacity to defeat mediocrity by moving. That is not the case for lower-income families. And so, therefore, I strongly believe in charter schools, and public school choice. I believe in opportunity scholarships to be able to enable parents to move their child out of a school that's not teaching, for the benefit of the United States of America.

I also understand that we've got to do more for primary, more than just primary and secondary education. I'm proud to report that working with the United States Congress, the number of low-income Americans receiving Pell grants has increased by about a million Americans since I have become the President. Pell grants are an important part of educational excellence and opportunity.

We're expanding money for our community college system. I met my pledge to increase funding for historically black universities by 30 percent. A decent education is the gateway to a life of opportunity. It is a fundamental civil right. And I look forward to working with the NAACP to enhance educational excellence all across the United States of America.

Second, I hope we can work together in an America where more people become owners, own something, something that they can call their own. From our nation's earlier days, ownership has been at the heart of our country. Unfortunately, for most of our history, African Americans were excluded from the dream. That's the reality of our past. Most of your forefathers didn't come to this land seeking a better life; most came in chains as the property of other people. Today, their children and grandchildren now have an opportunity to own their own property, and good policies will encourage that. And that's what we ought to work together on.

For most Americans, ownership begins with owning your own home. Owning a home is a way to build wealth. Owning a home is to give something they can leave behind to their children. See, one of the concerns I have is that because of the past, there hasn't been enough assets that a family can pass on from one generation to the next. And we've got to address that problem. And a good way to do so is through home ownership. Owning a home gives people a stake in their neighborhood, a stake in the future.

Today, nearly half of African Americans own their own homes, and that's good for America. That's good for our country, but still got to do more. So we, working to do our part with helping people afford a down payment and closing costs, helping families who are in rental assistance to become home owners, helping people understand the fine print when it comes to mortgage documents.

One of the things I want to work with the NAACP on is to encourage more people to be able to open the front door of the place where they live and say, welcome to my home, welcome to my piece of property.

I also want to work to home ownership in other areas. We want to see more African Americans own their own businesses, and that's why we've increased loans to African American businesses by 40 percent.

We're taking steps to make it easier for African American businesses to compete for federal contracts. We're working to expand help to have African American workers own a piece of their own retirement.

You know, one of my friends is Bob Johnson, founder of BET. He's an interesting man. He believes strongly in ownership. He has been a successful owner. He believes strongly, for example, that the death tax will prevent future African American entrepreneurs from being able to pass their assets from one generation to the next. He and I also understand that the investor class shouldn't be just confined to the old definition of the investor class.

You know, an amazing experience, when I went to Canton, Mississippi, I asked the workers there, who were mainly African American workers, I said, how many of you have your own 401(k)? Nearly all the hands went up. That means they own their own assets. It's their money. They manage their own money. It's a system that says, we want you to have assets that you can leave from one generation to the next. Asset accumulation is an important part of removing the barriers for opportunity. I think it's really important, and I want to work with Bruce, if possible. The federal government should encourage ownership in the government pension program, to give people a chance to own an asset, something they can call their own.

Ownership is vital to making sure this country extends its hope to every neighborhood in the United States of America. And I look forward to working with the NAACP to encourage ownership in America.

I want to work with you to make sure America's communities are strong. I've got a friend named Tony Evans. Some of you may know Tony, from Dallas, Texas. He was one time giving a sermon. I heard him speak, and I want to share with you what it was. He said, he told a story about the man who had a crack on one of the walls in his home. So he got the plasterer to come by, and the guy plastered the wall. And about four days later, the crack reappeared. Got another plasterer in, put the plaster on the wall, and it reappeared again. He's getting frustrated. He finally called a wise fellow over. The man explained what the problem was with the cracks on the wall. He said, look, in order to solve the cracks on the wall, you have to fix the foundation.

What I want to do is work with the NAACP to help fix the foundations of our society. We want strong families. We want to help people who need help. We want to help the addicted, we want to help the homeless, we want to help those who are trying to reenter society after having been incarcerated. That's what we want to do. We want to help lives be improved. Government can hand out money, and we do, but it cannot put hope in a person's heart, or a sense of purpose in a person's life. That's why I strongly support institutions of faith and community service all around our country. I believe in the neighborhood helpers and healers.

And I put this policy in place. We've provided more than $5 billion to faith-based groups that are running the soup kitchens and sheltering the homeless, and healing the addicted, and helping people reenter our society, people who are providing compassionate care and love. Organizations of faith exist to love a neighbor like they'd like to be loved themselves. And I believe it's important for government to not only welcome, but to encourage faith-based programs to help solve the intractable problems of our society.

And this faith-based initiative is being challenged in the courts. They claim that, they fight the initiative in the name of civil liberties, yet they do not seem to realize that the organizations they are trying to prevent from accessing federal money are the same ones that helped win the struggle of civil rights. I believe if an organization gets good results, that helps people turn their lives around, it deserves support of government. We should not discriminate based upon religion. We ought to welcome religious institutions into helping solve and save America, one soul and one heart at a time.

Finally, you and I seek America that commits its wealth and expertise to helping those who suffer from terrible disease. We believe that every person in the world bears the image of our Maker, and is an individual of matchless value. And when we see the scourge of HIV/ AIDS ravaging communities at home and abroad, we must not avert our eyes.

Today more than a million of our fellow Americans live with HIV, and more than half of all AIDS cases arise in the African American community. This disease is spreading fastest among African American women. And one of the reasons the disease is spreading so quickly is many don't realize they have the virus. And so we're going to lead a nationwide effort, and I want to work with the NAACP on this effort, to deliver rapid HIV/AIDS, HIV tests to millions of our fellow citizens. Congress needs to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act, and provide funding to states, so we can end the waiting lists for AIDS medications in this country.

To whom much is given, much is required. This nation is a blessed nation, and when we look at HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa, we haven't turned away. We believe it's our nation's responsibility to help those who suffer from this pandemic.

We're leading the world when it comes to providing medications and help. Today more than 40 million people around the world are living with HIV/AIDS; 26 million of those live in Sub Sahara Africa, including 2 million children under the age of 15. We're calling people together. We pledged $15 billion to provide medicine and help. We launched the emergency plan for AIDS relief. Before this AIDS emergency plan was passed, only 50,000 in Sub Sahara Africa were getting medicine. Today, that number has grown to more than 560,000 people, and more are getting help every day. By working together we can turn the tide of this struggle against HIV/AIDS and bring new hope to millions of people.

These goals I've outlined are worthy of our nation. In the century since the NAACP was founded, our nation has grown more prosperous and more powerful. It's also grown more equal and just. Yet this work is not finished. That's what I'm here to say. The history of America is one of constant renewal. And each generation has a responsibility to write a new chapter in the unfinished story of freedom.

That story began with the founding promise of equality and justice and freedom for all men. And that promise has brought hope and inspiration to all peoples across the world. Yet our founding was also imperfect because the human beings that made our founding were imperfect. Many of the same founders who signed their names to a parchment declaring that all men are created equal permitted whole categories of human beings to be excluded from these words. The future of our founding, to live up to its own words, opened a wound that has persisted to today.

In the 19th century the wound resulted in a civil war. In the 20th century, it denied African Americans the vote in many parts of our country. And at the beginnings of the 21st century, the wound is not fully healed and whole communities, to heal this wound for good, we must continue to work for a new founding that redeems the promise of our declaration and guarantees the birthright of every citizen.

For many African Americans this new found began with the civil rights movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A generation of Americans that has grown up in the last few decades may not appreciate what this act has meant. Condi Rice understands what this act has meant. See, she tells me of her father's long struggle to register to vote, and the pride that came when he finally claimed his full rights as an American citizen to cast his first ballot. She shared that story with me. Yet that right was not fully guaranteed until President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. President Johnson called the right to vote the lifeblood of our democracy. That was true then, and it remains true today.

I thank the members of the House of Representatives for re-authorizing the Voting Rights Act. Soon the Senate will take up the legislation. I look forward to the Senate passing this bill promptly without amendment, so I can sign it into law.

There's an old Methodist hymn that speaks of God guiding us with a hand of power and a heart of love. We cannot know God's plans, but we trust in his purposes, because we know that the Creator who wrote the desire for liberty in our hearts also gives us the strength and wisdom to fulfill it. And the God who has brought us thus far on the way will give us the strength to finish the journey.

Thank you for having me. May God bless.

Happy Birthday to US: Cincinnati Change is 1 year old

2006-06-19T22:25:00.002-05:00

Who can even the playing field for the moderate to poor income consumer in greater Cincinnati in an information technology and a global economy driven world?

CINCINNATI CHANGE, A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO KNOWS WE CAN CHANGE CINCINNATI NOW IN CO-OPERATION WITH A FOR PROFIT JOINT VENTURE WITH THOSE WHO WANT DEVELOPEMNT TO REACH ALL LEVELS OF THE COMMUNITY

In 2004, the Cincinnati Empowerment Company set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission in order to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and preparied itself and it's leadership to stand ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

TODAY IS OUR FIRST YEAR OF ORGANIZED OPERATION

Like leadership in the past such as one of the first African American Congressmen pictured above Cincinnati Change's leadership today will change Cincinnati NOW.

In our first new action of the year Cincinnati Change and partners will create over the next 100 days a community business development program with the SBA, private sector, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to support the creation of over 1,000 small and medium businesses. These will be businesses that will employ students who go to and or graduate from our school partners starting in September 2006.

VA Secretary Cost of theft way north of $100M

2006-06-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

With millions in danger of identity theft because a data analyst took home a computer disk that was later stolen during a burglary, more than 100,000 aggrieved veterans sought answers from 14 call centers set up by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Asked at a congressional hearing on the cost for preventing and covering potential losses from identity theft, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson estimated "way north of $100 million" and did not rule out a total as high as $500 million.

While the stolen disk drive did not contain detailed medical records, it did contain codes that describe physical disabilities, Nicholson said.

WASHINGTON – Emphasizing VA’s continued commitment to evaluating and improving procedures related to the handling of sensitive veterans’ data, Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson named former Maricopa County (Ariz.) Attorney Richard M. Romley as his new Special Advisor for Information Security.

“Rick Romley is a well-respected attorney and veteran who will provide a critical outsider’s perspective to VA as we work diligently to reform the Department’s information security policies and procedures,” said Secretary Nicholson. “Rick shares my commitment to cutting through bureaucracy to provide results for our nation’s veterans. I am grateful to Rick for agreeing to come to Washington and serve VA and his fellow veterans during this challenging period.”

During this assignment with VA, Romley will serve as a Special Advisor to the Secretary for Information Security, reporting directly to Secretary Nicholson. Romley will be responsible for evaluating the current state of VA’s information security procedures and processes, and developing recommendations for improvement in VA’s information security systems.

“I appreciate the confidence Secretary Nicholson is showing in my ability to provide an independent and objective assessment of the existing information security procedures within VA,” said Romley. “Over the next few months, I look forward to serving my fellow veterans by investigating and making recommendations to the Secretary on how the Department can best prevent future information security incidents.”

Romley’s appointment comes a day after Secretary Nicholson’s announcement of a series of personnel changes in VA’s Office of Policy and Planning – the division in which the private information of up to 26.5 million veterans was compromised.

Romley is nationally recognized as a leader in criminal justice, and served four elected terms as the Maricopa County (Ariz.) Attorney (1989-2004). He was responsible for administering one of the largest prosecuting attorney’s offices in the nation, with Maricopa County being the fourth most populated county in the country.Romley has testified before Congress on the issues of violent crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, youth violence, public corruption and victims’ rights. He has also championed many prosecution and reform policies. In the early 1990s, Romley successfully prosecuted “AzScam,” the largest public corruption case in Arizona’s history.

Romley served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam until he was injured. He has received numerous commendations for his service, including the Purple Heart. In 2001, Romley received the Presidential Unsung Hero Award, and Disabled American Veteran of the Year Award from Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Veterans Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary steps down over theft

2006-06-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

Michael H. McLendon is a Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Assistant Secretary who didn't immediately notify top officials about a theft of millions of veterans' personal information is stepping down, citing missteps that led to the security breach. Michael H. McLendon, deputy assistant secretary for policy who supervised the VA data analyst who lost the data, said he would relinquish his high-level post on Friday.

“Words are inadequate to describe how I feel about these recent events and the impact on the band of brothers and sisters of service members and veterans that we are supposed to serve,” McLendon wrote in a letter obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

“Given that this very serious and tragic event occurred on my watch and in my organization, I feel it necessary that I tender my resignation,” stated the letter, which was submitted to the VA late Friday. “I would be modeling the wrong behavior to my staff and others in VA if I took no action to be responsible.”

Michael H. McLendon, VA deputy assistant secretary for policy, learned of the May 3 burglary less than an hour after the worker (GS-14) reported it to his supervisors and to Montgomery County police, according to a briefing document, given to congressional committees this week by the VA. McLendon met with two high-ranking VA information security specialists the next day.

The briefing document reveals new details about the 60-year-old man at the heart of the scandal. He is a senior-level career employee working as an information technology specialist in the Office of Policy. As a GS-14 level employee, he earns between $91,407 and $118,828 a year.

Among items stolen from his Aspen Hill home was an external computer hard drive that VA officials say contained the unencrypted names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of 19.6 million to 26.5 million veterans.

In a meeting with McLendon two days after the theft, the employee "assumed full responsibility, acknowledging he knew he should not have taken the data out of the office," the summary says. James J. O'Neill, VA deputy assistant inspector general for investigations, said in an interview yesterday that the employee is cooperating fully in the investigation. "He reported it [the theft] immediately, and he certainly could have kept it quiet," O'Neill said.

According to the document, Dennis M. Duffy, acting assistant secretary for policy, planning and preparedness, was told of the theft May 5. Duffy asked VA computer security specialists to determine the extent of the data lost and three days later asked them to draft a memo. McLendon convened a meeting of the Office of Policy staff May 9 to stress the importance of data security and had the data analyst discuss his experience.

It was not until that day, May 9, that Duffy informed VA Chief of Staff Thomas Bowman about the theft, suggesting that senior management should discuss the department's obligations to notify veterans whose data may have been compromised. Bowman told Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield, the department's No. 2 official, the next afternoon, but neither man informed Nicholson until May 16, the document shows.

Nicholson told the White House that day and informed Congress and the public six days later, on May 22.

"What the timeline shows is that, once he was informed, the secretary acted quickly, decisively and in the best interest of veterans," said Matt Burns, a VA spokesman.

The 60 year old data analyst will be dismissed while the acting head of the division in which he worked, Dennis Duffy, has been placed on administrative leave, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said Tuesday.

EnTrust America in Houston

2006-05-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tour America

Houston, Texas

Thursday Night at the Houston Hobby Airport Hilton

7:00pm CST!

Meet The EnTrust America President

Ken Stoll

Where: Houston Hobby Airport Hilton - Houston, Texas
When: Thursday, June 1st, 2006 at 7:00pm

Who: Ken Stoll, George Washington Baker,

and a line up of Special Guests

SEE YOU THERE!

call 513.252.2552 for more information

or goto http://www.entrustamerica.com/hershel

Veterans Update

2006-05-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is an update to that plan to serve veterans in the United States in the theft of unencrypted names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of 19.6 million to 26.5 million veterans is second only to a hacking incident last June at CardSystems Solutions in which the accounts of 40 million credit card holders were compromised.

$172 Million Contract Proposal

2006-05-27T22:06:00.000-05:00

We, including Cincinnati Change, will go forward this week to ask the President of the United States (POTUS) to create a US sponsored enterprise like a Fannie Mae and or enter into a contract like that with the Federal Reserve.

We are creating the organization that will hire RE Saffold & Company, LLC (a enterprise in formation by RE Saffold Associates, Inc.) Lloyd Daniels Development Group, Inc,. Hargrove Engineering, LLC, Daniels Henderson Consulting Group, LLC, and companies such as Entrust America, Inc. to create a solution to the current problem at the Veterans Administration.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently learned that an employee, a data analyst, took home electronic data from the VA, which he was not authorized to do. This behavior was in violation of their (VA) policies. They say the data contained identifying information including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth for up to 26.5 million veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings.

Importantly, they say, the affected data did not include any of VA's electronic health records nor any financial information. The employee's home was burglarized and this data was stolen. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the VA Inspector General's office, have launched full-scale investigations into this matter.

Authorities believe it is unlikely the perpetrators targeted the items because of any knowledge of the data contents. It is possible that they remain unaware of the information which they posses or of how to make use of it. However, out of an abundance of caution, the VA is taking all possible steps to protect and inform our veterans. We believe it could be a 3 trillion dollar breach of security.

The VA is working with members of Congress, the news media, veterans service organizations, and other government agencies to help ensure that those veterans and their families are aware of the situation and of the steps they may take to protect themselves from misuse of their personal information.

The VA will send out individual notification letters to veterans to every extent possible. Veterans can also go to http://www.firstgov.gov/ as well as http://www.va.gov/opa/ to get more information on this matter. The firstgov web site is being set to handle increased web traffic. Additionally, working with other government agencies, the VA has set up a manned call center that veterans may call to get information about this situation and learn more about consumer identity protections.

That toll-free number is 1-800-FED INFO (333-4636). The call center will be open beginning today, and will operate from 8 am to 9 pm (EDT), Monday-Saturday as long as it is needed. The call center will be able to handle up to 20,000 calls per hour (260,000 calls per day).

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson has briefed the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, co-chairs of the President's Identity Theft Task Force. Task Force members have already taken actions to protect the affected veterans, including working with the credit bureaus to help ensure that veterans receive the free credit report they are entitled to under the law.

Cincinnati Change is creating a private sector Task Force to meet 31 May 2006, to coordinate a comprehensive response, recommend further ways to protect affected veterans, and increase safeguards to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents.

We will go to the VA Director under the leadership of our non Executive Co-Chairman Brother Bob Saffold this Thursday on a schedule being developed to met the needs of Vets.

We will create a enterprise that will provide this potential loss of over 3 trillion dollars worth of data can be mitigated through a business solution devised by the partners involved for a million servicemen in a $172 million ID Security fix to the aforementioned problem. This would be based on a IDIQ contract that would be executed as a POTUS Executive Order and federal contract.

The contract goes up to $2.6 billion dollars for service for the 26 million vets with leadership from the Regional President of the 501(c)19 US Veterans and other IRS approved organizations.

Neighbor to Mayor Community Forum on Jobs and Workforce

2006-05-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Mayor Mallory will hold a town hall style forum to discuss jobs and workforce development with citizens. The Mayor will begin the forum followed by short presentations by community organizations including the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, the Urban Appalachian Council, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, the United Steelworkers of America, the NAACP, UNITE-HERE!, and the African American Chamber of Commerce.

Neighbor to Mayor Community Forum on Jobs and Workforce from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the North Avondale Recreation Center on 615 Clinton Springs Avenue.

Map of
615 Clinton Springs Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45229-1324

This is the first in a series of community forums that the Mallory is holding to discuss important issues facing thecity. A forum on Health Care will be held on June 6, at College Hill Elementary School followed by a Housing forum on June 29 at Memorial Hall.

Uptown Security

2006-05-17T08:09:00.000-05:00

Founded June 19th 2000, incorporated June 19th 2005 and is planning to change the city starting June 19th 2006 through Cincinnati Change's Uptown Security.

We support our troops and police. Cincinnati Change supports the mission statement of the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD). We also want to work in partnership with the citizens of the community to provide a safe environment where the quality of life may be improved through the delivery of fair and impartial police services.

100.9 The Wiz is hosting "The Peace Summit" at the National Underground Freedom Center in the Harriet Tubman Theater from 6p-9pm on Thursday, May 18, 2006. This forum will provide an opportunity for community dialogue about the ever increasing violence in Cincinnati. The Summit will feature evening personality, Big Greg, and Midday host, Asia, co-hosting the event with Russ Parr. This forum will allow the community to speak on their fears, concerns, and positive suggetions on possible resolutions.

Take the time to allow your voice to be heard drop us a line here and tell about what you think. We will be talking about the billion dollars to be spent over the next decade by Cincinnati on public saftey.
Cincinnati Change said in our Top Stories of 2005, on the election of Mark Mallory as Mayor, "New leadership brings with it a chance to improve the city. He can use the assets of the city which are more than a billion dollars to make fundamental changes in the lives of the residents of the city. He can coordinate the leadership in the region to create a Cincinnati lifestyle that benefits everyone in the region. At Cincinnati Change we know they have the tools to deal with the problems of the city and look forward to this council to have the will to use them to benefit the residents of the city."

We hope to work with interested parties who believe that we can have Peace in the Hood along with Jobs in the Hood by Junetenth 2006 with a partnership with EnTrust America.

In 2002, the Cincinnati Police Department entered into a collaborative agreement with other parties in Cincinnati. The collaborative agreement binds the signature's ( the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), the Fraternal Order of Police, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)referred to as "the parties") to a series of reforms and initiatives intended to reduce social strife in the city.

The agreement requires the CPD to implement a variety of changes, most notably the adoption of Community Problem-Oriented Policing (CPOP) as a strategy for addressing crime problems and engaging the community.
Other provisions of the agreement require the CPD to establish a civilian complaint review process. The collaborative agreement incorporates a previous agreement between the CPD and the U.S. Department of Justice on use-of force issues.The agreement has five primary goals:

Ensure that police officers and community members…become proactive partners in community problem solving.
Build relationships of respect, cooperation, and trust within and between police and communities.
Improve education, oversight, monitoring, hiring practices, and accountability of the CPD.
Ensure fair, equitable, and courteous treatment for all.
Create methods to establish the public’s understanding of police policies and procedures and recognition of exceptional service in an effort to foster support for the police (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, undated, pp. 3–4).

The agreement also specifies the need to evaluate achievement of these goals. We look forward in reviewing this process with the Mayor and City Council so as to give direction to the city manager who has stated on 25 Feb. 2006 "[Colonel Thomas H.]Streicher works for me."

We will use data from many sources to establish our base, including data from the RAND Corporation who is in the middle of evaluation over a five-year period, from June 2004 to the latter part of 2008 on the agreement. Starting on June 19th 2006 we will create the first annual report on the collaborative evaluation. This study will be of interest to Cincinnati residents and public officials who want to invest in the residents not in jails ( Not that we are against building a new $225M jail. As a mater of fact we will build it for cost plus 9% flat.)Furthermore, we will build a social service infrastructure that will work with it and will bring this forward on 26 May 2006 for public comment.

Cincinnati Change is creating a Cincinnati Company called Uptown Security. The mission of the company is to provide homeland safety and security infrastructure management, design and construction from our headquarters in Cincinnati; During 2006, more than $150 billion dollars is being allocated for:

Preventing another terrorist attack on the United States
Detecting threats against the United States
Preparing for and responding to future catastrophes
U.S. Gulf Coast Reconstruction

These are among the nation’s top priorities this year, and are the central themes of Rebuilding the Gulf Coast After Katrina and Rita with People of Faith and one of the most influential homeland security small business events you can attend this year will be held each week at the Entrust and Cincinnati Change headquarters stay tunned to http://www.cincinnatichange.com/ for more details and http://www.entrustamerica.com/hershel. to
provide management from our headquarters at 2439 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati global security and safety tools, services and support with training conducted from a 22 acre site in Cleveland and products supplied from our proposed 200 acre inter-modal logistics center in Texas, and;

create an environment is to improve the development, operation, use, and protection of society's essential man-made and natural assets and to enhance the related social assets of safety and security of individuals.
demonstrate our system used in street level crime solutions with public arrest powers.

This operation would support public safety and homeland security in the City of Cincinnati under Cincinnati Municipal Code Title Viii: Business Regulations\Chapter 887 titled Private Police.

We will create a new company for these operations as a proof of concept in the user of the sprint network in education, public safety, and commercial business development – a private security that uses our Mobile Wireless Network from Sprint as the backbone of our public saftey and homeland security management system.

We will deploy this program to over 250 domestic cities over the next 3 years as we demostrate our actions to clients that are covered 24 hours a day through public camera mounted on the officers as well as in the sky (this will give clients a example use of our system to track people who may have fallen outside of society. This will offer clients a example use of our system to track people who may have fallen outside of society but yet have a chance, through our innovative court based partnership to create content or provide some service in which our network can sell directly to private sector and or through a public/private sector initiative create content that employees them in some role, in either case thereby supporting their family)

This company will provide secure transit systems starting with a demonstration development in greater Cincinnati - including funding the creation of a new secure bridge, if our team builds it. This will be accomplished using a financial instrument created for this purpose which is to be a new type of regional community redevelopment wrap around lead by a core city - in this case Cincinnati. By 2009 we expect to have 100 cities worldwide using this program to reduce smog, deaths and provide for the residents of the center city community and regional economic development.

By 2007 this company will have the trained staff to provide consultation with communities under contract. This will be done with over 200 public and private sector partners through the development of a Global Safety and Justice Program that addresses occupational safety, transportation safety, food safety, and public safety including violence, policing, corrections, substance abuse, and public integrity. We will develop this company as a private public partnership in cooperation with all parties who are signatures to the Cincinnati Change Collaboration Center for Solutions to Global Problems. We will create a training center in Blue Ash that will serve as a traing site for over 10,000 graduate students who will stay of a 30 acre campus that would include all that they need - classrooms, distance learning support, sports, onsite wepeons ranges, flight training, technology traning, OPTA training site, justice and public saftey institute, and 24x7x52 problen support center.

This company will provide security for clients in their workplaces and community. This company will create a subsidiary called 1st responders team. It is to be a for profit company whose mission is to care for clients and their families in case of a emergency. We look to make our first client the residents of the city of Cincinnati. If an emergency happens the staff is to run to the problem and the students are to provide logistical suppport. They are transport people to one of 750 planned unit developments around the united states or 250 in foriegn loications in partnership with Global Change.

LDG plan of action.is to create a African American owned Professional Military Company who will be 40% owned by a trsut setup for the employees and their famileis. we would go after the Dafuar Contract and put on the fround 10,000 armed and trained personal backed up by logistics bu the USAF using steady stream of C-130's and 4 flights of Galaxies after building up housing for a million households and the infrastructure in return for running the oil as a joint venture from a Ohio headquarters that takes advanatage of the already established POTUS executive orders.

Cincinnati Change is working with The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training & Wilson Military Academy to create a branch of the Military Academy in the city of Cincinnati at an Empowerment Zone Developable site called Techsolv.

The American Academy of Distance Learning and Training (AADLT)is a tax exempt non-profit organization which will implement a plan of action creating change in education through the creation of a distance learning network that will serve 100 million accounts worldwide by 2009. We will execute a plan serving over 100,000 people in the Gulf who where affected by the disasters of 2004 & 2005 through the creation of Freedom Technology & Training Centers. Each center will house preschool-12th grade schools, a military academy and education training with organziations like the Job Corps,

We will work with businesses, faith based organizations, non profit organizations and Superjobs Centers to create a workforce trained for employment in Military Construction. We will concentrate on creating jobs in real estate development, professional services, construction, debris removal and closed cycle burn centers, tourism, education, health care, technology, hospitality, and entertainment through partnerships with companies supported and or developed by us with our change agent government partners.

It will be a partnership of Opportunities Industrialization Centers of Ohio, Inc., Hargrove Engineering, LLC, Entrust America International, LLC, RE Saffold & Company, LLC., Education Management Learning Complexes, LLC., Daniels Henderson Consulting Group, LLC, Freedom Technology Training Centers International,LLC. and other strategic partners who will raise the funds needed to fund all of the above.

Cincinnati Change and partners plan to capitalize on the above plan to create jobs in the city as we monitor events worldwide from our network operations center at Techsolv.

THE GULF CHANGE FORUM

2006-05-12T01:13:00.000-05:00

Robert E. "Brother Bob" Saffold
R.E. Saffold Associates, Inc.

present

THE GULF CHANGE
OHIO MISSISSIPPI FORUM

“Rebuilding the Gulf Coast After
Katrina and Rita With People of Faith”

May 12th and May 13th 2006
9:00 a.m. – 5:00p.m.
at
3940 Olympic Boulevard Suite 100
Erlanger, Kentucky 41018

859.980.0775

Convened By:
The National African American Business and Contractors Association
in conjunction with the
Ohio Minority Contractors Association, Inc and the Minority Contractors Association of Mississippi, Inc.

SPONSORED BY:

R.E. Saffold Associates, Inc., National Collection Systems LLC, MMI Hotel Group, Inc., Gaf Castle Resources, Inc. Hargrove Engineering LLC, New Concept Consulting, Inc., Arick’s Environmental Management Services, Inc., U.S. Veterans Inc., Coalition of Black Trade Unionits, Nazareth Missions Inc., Neighbors Inc., Cincinnati Change and Entrust America.

The confirmed Keynote Speaker is
Mr. Kevin Boshears,
Director

Office of Small Business and

Disadvantage Business Utilization
Department of Homeland Security, Washington D.C..

Invited Government Agencies and Others Includes:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), The Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

_____________________________

During 2006, more than $150 billion dollars is being allocated for:

· Preventing another terrorist attack on the United States
· Detecting threats against the United States
· Preparing for and responding to future catastrophes
· U.S. Gulf Coast Reconstruction

These are among the nation’s top priorities this year, and are the central themes of Rebuilding the Gulf Coast After Katrina and Rita with People of Faith and one of the most influential homeland security small business events you can attend this year.

Participation in this high-profile national and international forum will provide you with:

· Detailed information on the $50 billion being spent by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies on homeland security prevention, detection, preparedness, and response with small businesses.
· The latest details on more than $300 billion being spent on Gulf Coast reconstruction, the biggest reconstruction program in U.S. history.

Mr. Boshears was named Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) in May, 2003. He is responsible for the overall implementation of the Department’s small business procurement program.

Prior to this, Mr. Boshears was named Director of the Treasury Department’s OSDBU in February, 1999 where he had served as the Acting Director since August, 1998. He previously served in the same office as a Procurement Analyst since June, 1995 and was responsible for providing guidance to the Small Business Specialists located in Treasury’s twelve bureaus. He also worked on Treasury’s small business website and represented Treasury at various governmental, congressional, and trade association outreach activities.

Mr. Boshears brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the procurement field, having served as a Contracting Officer for the Justice Department prior to his small business duties at the Treasury Department. Mr. Boshears is a well known instructor in the federal small business procurement arena. On numerous occasions, he has conducted training courses, made presentations, and handled briefings on contracting with small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), women-owned small, HUBZone small, and service disabled veteran-owned small business concerns.

Mr. Boshears currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Directors' Interagency Council, originally elected to the position for FY 2001 and re-elected for both FY 2002 and FY 2003. On May 9 - 10, 2002, Mr. Boshears was presented with the Frances Perkins Vanguard Award for Exemplary Utilization of Women-Owned Small Businesses by a Federal Procurement Official and the Gold Star Award for Excellence by the U. S. Small Business Administration.

He holds a BBA degree from the College of William and Mary, and earned his MBA from Liberty University.

Five Trillion Dollars On The March

2006-05-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

This nation's civil rights movement of the 1960s broke the back of overt white supremacy that prevented black Americans (who were citizens) from enjoying the rights guaranteed to them under the Constitution. Undeniably, the freedoms codified by civil rights-era legislation have made life better for all Americans — regardless of skin color, gender or national origin.

The Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Celler Act or the INS Act of 1965) abolished the national-origin quotas that had been in place in the United States since the Immigration Act of 1924. It was proposed by Emanuel Celler and heavily supported by Senator Ted Kennedy. In the two decades that followed, along with millions of legal immigrants, the U.S. attracted a huge, mainly Hispanic, illegal population -- roughly 3 million of whom received amnesty from Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Illegal immigration describes migration across national borders without complying with the legal requirements.

As of July 1, 2004, Hispanics accounted for 14.1% of the population [including the 11 million illegals]) or about 41.3 million people. Hispanic growth rate over the July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 period was of 3.6 %, higher than any other ethnic group in the United States, and in fact, more than three times the rate of the nation's total population (at 1.0%).

The projected Hispanic population of the United States for July 1, 2050, is 102.6 million people. According to this projection, Hispanics will then make up 24% of the nation’s total population. [2]At the same time, the black population is projected to rise from 35.8 million to 61.4 million by 2050, an increase of about 26 million or 71 percent. That would raise their share of the country’s population from 12.7 percent to 14.6 percent.

``This is the defining moment for the Republican Party,'' Graham, of South Carolina, said on the ``Fox News Sunday'' program. With Hispanics the fastest-growing group in the U.S., Republicans ``will lose our majority'' if Congress passes harsh penalties for illegal immigrants and fails to create a way of addressing the estimated 11 million undocumented workers already in the U.S., he said.

No matter how you look at it, it is the United State of America not the United States of the Americas. If Mexicans and other foreigners want to make it here legally, more power to them. Let them use the legal means.

Let them earn the rights and citizenship not just have it handed to them because they are here.Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize persons whose ancestry hails either from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, or the original settlers of the traditionally Spanish-held Southwestern United States. The term is used as a broad form of classification in the U.S. census, local and federal employment, and numerous business market researches.

In Spanish speaking America, when speaking of any given nation's Hispanic population, those who are implied include criollos, mestizos, and mulattos, but excludes indigenous Amerindians, the unmixed descendants of black African slaves, and other more recent non-Spanish immigrants which may now reside in Latin America. In this context, regardless of whether the excluded groups now use Spanish as their first and only language.

As is the case with all blacks, most Amerindians and the great majority of immigrants do not qualify for Hispanicity,We disagree with many immigrant-rights organizers [seemingly only Hispanic Latino] and their sympathizers who seem to be saying that there is some inherent right to enter the United States, thumb their noses at the law [it is against the law to cross the border without permission, even for Citizens] and at the same time make fools out of those who wait patiently in foreign lands for visas to come to the United States.Roughly 60% of the illegal alien populationare undocumented aliens and 40% are nonimmigrant overstayers.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States found that the government inadequately tracked those with expired tourist or student visas.Crossing the border without authorization is a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for subsequent violations. Immigrants who are caught illegally trespassing U.S. territory are fingerprinted and immediately returned, unless they are a repeat offender, in which case they may be criminally prosecuted.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) made the hiring of an illegal alien an offense for the first time. American businesses hire well over 10 million illegal aliens per year, with 4.2 million or more normalized into our economy. A 2005 Pew Hispanic Center survey on attitudes toward immigration, conducted in part in Mexico, found that an estimated 70 million adults in Mexico would come to the U.S. if they had the means and the opportunity.About half of those said they would be willing to move to and work in this country illegally.

The study also found that 35% of Mexican college graduates want to come to the U.S., even if that means they would have to work at a job below their qualifications — and many also said they'd be willing to come illegallyImmigrant-rights groups will have to acknowledge that an unchecked flow of unskilled labor drives [over a million a year] down wages for entry-level jobs, rendering all poor Americans, including millions of teenage workers, less competitive.

The reality is that most Americans won't do entry-level labor for the meager wages often offered to undocumented workers. Also in industries where they have concentrated their work the wages have been flat and or decreased in relation to inflation.

Those of us in Cincinnati Change who are Americans who came to America by slavery, have paid the dues, not the over 11 million illegals who broke the laws of this country and the over 5 million children they have had in America. We acknowledge that they have rights as human beings and believe that they should exercise those rights in their own country.

On the other hand, in our country we should have a plan if they don't want to leave America.Cincinnati Change Chairman Fred Hargrove Sr. said: "Our nation’s immigration policy must be consistent with humanitarian values that take in consideration the needs of America’s disadvanted and with the need to treat all individuals with respect and dignity who obey our laws. We must move away from the politics of ostracizing immigrants and instead look at how we can work to meet the needs of our nation"

Cincinnati Change is calling for Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a focus on the enforcement approach in which the United States immigration policies must be consistent with our humanitarian values as expressed in our laws. As public policy, such legislation must address genuine immigration reform that should include proposals that would allow people to earn the right of citizenship through hard work, the commitment of several years, learning english and meeting several security and related requirements, including paying their fine for breaking our laws.

We also propose a partial monetary solution whereas they will pay the United States $250 Billion Dollars over the next 5 years to be used in those areas with the most unemployed Americans. This money would be used to address the larger economic needs of the nation such as the creation of job training programs and small business programs, as well as federal education assistance to those in areas already identified as in need of help through HUD so that all Americans can have enhanced opportunities.

We also feel employers employing those who break the immigration law should be prosecuted as should public officials and religious leaders who aid them. Fines for illegals and their employers would bring in over 60 billion dollars 1/5 of the war costs.

At the same time if we open up our borders to 50 million more people under the E-2 visa then the country could look to put over 5 trillion dollars into a second war on poverty in America. Under this expanded E-2 all you have to do is invest at least $50,000 in America over 5 years. For those already here after they pay their fine for breaking our laws, $5,000 each.

Mayor Mallory Highlights Historic First 100 Days in Office

2006-03-10T14:42:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati – Today Mayor Mark Mallory highlights his 100th day in office and already has list of accomplishments to highlight actions that are moving the city in a new direction. In his short time in office, Mayor Mallory has made strides toward improving public safety, creating regional partnerships, creating greater access to government, empowering communities, building a more efficient government and building Cincinnati’s national profile.

“I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far,” said Mayor Mallory. “These things have been done with the help of others including my team on Council, the Administration and in partnership with citizen stakeholders. We still have a lot to do but it is exciting to see how much we have already achieved by working together.”

Included in Mayor Mallory’s list accomplishments are a number of historic efforts:

Convened the first-ever meeting between the Mayor and Cincinnati’s Community Council Presidents. More than 30 community leaders came together to discuss neighborhood issues and how they could work together with the Mayor to improve their communities.

For the first time in over ten years, Mayor Mallory traveled to Washington DC to meet with the Congressional Delegation to discuss the city’s federal budget priorities.

Conducted unprecedented roundtable meetings with regional Mayors to work on issues of regional interest.

Convened a group meeting between the Mayor, City Department Heads, and managers. The discussion focused on team building, empowering employees and the vision for a new Cincinnati.

Conducted a series of one-on-one meetings with all City Department Heads in an effort to discuss priorities, initiatives, and their ideas to create a better work environment.

Mayor Mallory began his term by fulfilling his campaign promise to clean up City Hall by revising the rules of city council restore decorum and professionalism to the meetings of council. He also opened up city hall to the public by unlocking the door to the Mayor’s Office and removing the metal detectors while maintaining security. Part of his Open Door Policy has been the Mayor’s Night In initiative, which gives citizens direct access to speak with him about concerns and ideas. He has held three Mayor’s Night In sessions and has met with over 100 citizens.

A testament to the Mayor Mallory’s consensus-building skills is the work he has done to repair the traditionally strained relations Cincinnati has had with the Police Department and the Hamilton County Commissioners.
“The key to achieving success is opening the lines of communication and building strong relationships,” Mayor Mallory said. “Working together, we can overcome any issue and make Cincinnati one of best and most exciting cities in the country.”

In January, Mayor Mallory brought together leaders from across the city to launch his public safety initiative, which focused on addressing crime through collaboration. The initiative called on citizens to come forward to report any information that they have about crimes and for the media to partner with the city to catch targeted criminals by publicizing their profile.

This call for collaboration has led to a dramatic increase in calls to CrimeStoppers and a corresponding increase in arrests from those calls.
On the campaign trail, Mallory stressed the importance of Cincinnati being a regional leader and building the relationship the City has with the County, Northern Kentucky and other tri-state governments.

One of his first actions as Mayor was to reach across the river and meet with Northern Kentucky leaders and begin face-to-face conversations with other area Mayors to discuss how to tackle issues that impact the region.

“We cannot allow jurisdictional boundaries divide us,” said Mallory. “It is more important now, than ever before, as major projects are being brought on line that will have serious impacts on the entire region.”

Earlier this week, Mayor Mallory announced that he will give the 2006 State of the City Address to the citizens of Cincinnati on Thursday, March 16 at 5:30 pm at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

We propose a Time Warner partnership

2006-03-02T23:17:00.007-05:00

Time Warner Chairman & CEO Richard D. Parsons

Cincinnati Change is proposing to set up a company using Time Warner as our backbone and content supplier. We look to use this network to make a change in Cincinnati through jobs and in the Gulf as we rebuild 60,000 homes. This network will be built into homes and businesses passed by high speed cable, fiber to the home and a unique wireless network. It is to be a global network that will connect 4 million users by 2009 using technology and content from Time Warner. These systems will be located in the Americas, Africa and Asia. We will start with Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio.

As a special focus of our relationship we will bring a million black voices together through the creation of a coalition of 100 complexes like what we propose in Cincinnati. This facility would feature:

A Global Digital Learning Museum on History with a focus on African Americans
A broadcast performing arts center that seats at least 2,000 with 40 resident performing arts companies and feature at least 10 entertainment venues such as Diva's, Upscale Dinner Club, Blues Club, Soul Music Center, Motown Lounge, Hip/Hop, R&B, and others.
A School of Pan African Studies with a focus on creating regional and African Peace through economic development that brings about regional change.
A regional Cultural Center that would partner with other centers around the world through a digital connection with a special focus on our first alliance - the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
A African American Fine Arts Museum and Library created with libraries as it's partner that would create a online public access system for African Americans.
A Food Court featuring food from the America's, Africa and Asia with a focus on the differing styles of popular African American foods along with a multipurpose banquet center.
A multi-media products and a large tourist shop with African American themed items along with the regions largest African American bookstore, new media sales center, and meeting spaces for African Americans in the third frontier and creative class.
Global Headquarters of a Alliance of 1,000 African American Businesses with Clubhouse and Suite Hotel that targets it's services to the world traveler with a upscale new brand that features a world class beauty, body and health center.
Class A Office Space with regional headquarters of many African American Non Governmental Organizations
Market rate housing for executives and staff who will have access to a global

Cincinnati Change Third Frontier Plan of Action Start

2006-03-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

We are developing a Cincinnati Change Third Frontier Plan of Action. Under this Plan of Action we will develop 100 subsidiary companies to our holding company.

Each company in our plan of action will create operations centered around educational products development, facilities management of smart school and workforce development buildings, distance learning, digital remote educational services and support in joint venture with Educational Learning Management Corporation L.L.C..

Each company developed will contribute to the creation it's assigned technology as well as carrying out research and development in the Science Complex we propose to build on the Banks in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Science Museum we build on the banks will be the first of its kind. it is our intention to develop 100 of these facilities in cooperation with public school systems and these interested in development of science in our children. It will be a world class science museum that contains both interactive "modern" exhibitions and historical displays along with a Planetarium and Observatory.

These facilities would house a science library and commercial data storage site for research notes, a science boarding school with commercial grade labs, a science film production center and a OMNIMAX theater. Each complex would have space for commercial research and a product prototyping development center.

This Science Museum will contain over 300 interactive exhibitions throughout discovery-based and themed exhibition areas that are people with disabilities friendly. The Science Museum exhibition areas provide experiences for all age levels (with a focus on serving the regions 500,000 kids) to creatively combine science facts and learning through play. Each Museum will have extensive education programs include in-depth field trips as well as a range of outreach activities that are based on our interactive digital broadcast communcations network.

Our global interactive broadcast communications gaming eCommerce network that will be built on a domestic mobile phones network backbone. This network serves over 45 million people today. It is our goal to network over 20 million households worldwide by 2009. Each will be built with our technology installed in them with regional network operations centers located as tourist attractions in our Science Complexes.

We will team up with third parties to make this happen. Cincinnati Change will use a unique financial formula that when combined with an established patent lets us create a manufacturing infrastructure that will create over 2,000 jobs from research and development carried out in our Science Complexes.

Uptown Security Report

2006-02-26T00:03:00.002-05:00

We support our troops and police. Cincinnati Change supports the mission statement of the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD). We also want to work in partnership with the citizens of the community to provide a safe environment where the quality of life may be improved through the delivery of fair and impartial police services.

Cincinnati Change said in our Top Stories of 2005, on the election of Mark Mallory as Mayor, "New leadership brings with it a chance to improve the city. He can use the assets of the city which are more than a billion dollars to make fundamental changes in the lives of the residents of the city. He can coordinate the leadership in the region to create a Cincinnati lifestyle that benefits everyone in the region. At Cincinnati Change we know they have the tools to deal with the problems of the city and look forward to this council to have the will to use them to benefit the residents of the city."

We hope to work with interested parties who believe that we can have Peace in the Hood along with Jobs in the Hood.

In 2002, the Cincinnati Police Department entered into a collaborative agreement with other parties in Cincinnati. The collaborative agreement binds the signature's ( the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD), the Fraternal Order of Police, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)referred to as "the parties") to a series of reforms and initiatives intended to reduce social strife in the city.

The agreement requires the CPD to implement a variety of changes, most notably the adoption of Community Problem-Oriented Policing (CPOP) as a strategy for addressing crime problems and engaging the community.

Other provisions of the agreement require the CPD to establish a civilian complaint review process. The collaborative agreement incorporates a previous agreement between the CPD and the U.S. Department of Justice on use-of force issues.

The agreement has five primary goals:

Ensure that police officers and community members…become proactive partners in community problem solving.
Build relationships of respect, cooperation, and trust within and between police and communities.
Improve education, oversight, monitoring, hiring practices, and accountability of the CPD.
Ensure fair, equitable, and courteous treatment for all.
Create methods to establish the public’s understanding of police policies and procedures and recognition of exceptional service in an effort to foster support for the police (U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, undated, pp. 3–4).

Cincinnati Change will be reporting on the result of the decree and efforts by third parties in relationship to that degree on our website Nati Action Agency. To do that we must first establish a baseline that all parties agree to. We have chosen to by the create a online bullitien board system whereas all facts are laid out for comment that become the basis for PEACE IN THE HOOD/JOBS IN THE HOOD.

From this day Cincinnati Change will partner with parties to evaluate whether the above mentioned agreement to see if the goals are being achieved.

We will use data from many sources to establish our base, including data from the RAND Corporation who is in the middle of evaluation over a five-year period, from June 2004 to the latter part of 2008 on the agreement.

Starting on June 19th 2006 we will create the first annual report on the collaborative evaluation. This study will be of interest to Cincinnati residents and public officials who want to invest in the residents not in jails ( Not that we are against building a new $225M jail. As a mater of fact we will build it for cost plus 9% flat. Furthermore we will build a social service infrastructure. This will be done with established program providers and faith based providers like Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW and the 100 Male Ministries that will be targeted to graduate ex felons and their families from a life of poverty. We will start in 2006 with 100 clients.

We believe our report may also prove useful to residents and officials in other jurisdictions where similar reform efforts are underway to learn from us. We look forward to creating a public private partnership that puts over 100 new private police officers on the street with Citizens on Patrol and invests in the lives of over 2,000 young men and women who are at risk.

We want to thank the City of Cincinnati who funded the project on behalf of the parties to the collaborative agreement. Recent RAND works that may be of interest to readers of this blog include the following:

Training the 21st Century Police Officer: Redefining Police Professionalism for the Los Angeles Police Department (Glenn et al., 2003)
Assessing Racial Profiling More Credibly: A Case Study of Oakland, California (Ridgeway and Riley, 2004).

The RAND Safety and Justice Program research was conducted under the auspices of the Safety and Justice Program within RAND's Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment Division.

Cincinnati Change is creating a Cincinnati Company called Uptown Security. The mission of the company is to

provide homeland safety and security infrastructure management, design and construction from our headquarters in Cincinnati;
provide management from our headquarters at 2439 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati global security and safety tools, services and support with training conducted from a 22 acre site in Cleveland and products supplied from our proposed 200 acre inter-modal logistics center in Texas, and;
create an environment is to improve the development, operation, use, and protection of society's essential man-made and natural assets and to enhance the related social assets of safety and security of individuals.

Federal Lessons Documented

2006-02-26T00:03:00.001-05:00

Ms. Frances Fragos Townsend
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism

"Frances Townsend has been a trusted advisor on global terrorism in my Administration. Her strong background in law enforcement, coupled with her experience in the intelligence community, makes her an excellent choice to be Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor as we face the continuing challenges of protecting America from the terrorists who seek to do us harm," President Bush stated.

Ms. Frances Fragos Townsend was appointed Homeland Security Advisor by the President on May 28th, 2004. Ms. Townsend chairs the Homeland Security Council and reports to the President on United States Homeland Security policy and Combating Terrorism matters. She oversaw the creation of The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned Full PDF Document (3.19 MB) .

Every American policy maker should read this document -

Letter to the President from Frances Fragos Townsend
Foreword
Chapter One: Katrina in Perspective
Chapter Two: National Preparedness - A Primer
Chapter Three: Hurricane Katrina - Pre-Landfall
Chapter Four: A Week of Crisis (August 29-September 5)
Chapter Five: Lessons Learned
Chapter Six: Transforming National Preparedness
Chapter Seven: Epilogue
Appendices
Appendix A – Recommendations
Appendix B – What Went Right
Appendix C – List of Acronyms
Appendix D – Staff Page
Appendix E – Endnotes

Fred Hargrove PE MBA Cincinnati Change Chairman

2006-02-18T13:14:00.002-05:00

My name is Frederick Hargrove Sr. PE, MBA and I am a native Cincinnatian, born, raised and educated here. I grew up in many of the neighborhoods which have now been designated as empowerment zones.

I am the Chairman of Board of Cincinnati Change.

Some Background: Cincinnati Change understands the Tri-state is politically fragmented and segregated by race and class. Many poor Cincinnati residents have a high degree of desperation and hopelessness along with the belief that things cannot change. Cincinnati Change was created to “change this perception” by taking action to change Cincinnati NOW on June 19th, 2000 and took its first action at the 2000 Black Family Reunion.

In 2001, the founders of Cincinnati Change submitted a request to the Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation (CEC) that they set out procedures to issue $100M (now $130M)of revenue bonds to buy a patent and develop businesses that would have employed over 8,000 people. The request was updated in 2002 and again in 2003 at meetings that were held with the Cincinnati Empowerment Zone.

In 2004, the CEC set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission in order to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and stands ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

Cincinnati Change is creating a limited liability company called Queen City Development Group who will become operational 1 March 2006. On Feb. 25th 2006 Cincinnati Change started to organize the community to develop approximately 15 acres " eight city blocks " of prominent waterfront property that has been pre-assembled, at one time, with the opportunity to tap into surrounding anchors that will, by 2009, generate approximately a million visitors annually to the area. Over 500,000 visits wil happen from kids in the region and foriegn exchange student visits.

Under the Cincinnati Change plan of action is where I would be chairman of a 200 member LLC with the executive board made up of the Cincinnati Change Treasuer Irvin Henderson, Rev. Charles Britton, Dr. John Hurlimann, Pastor Wanda J Lloyd-Daniels of Churches Can Change Cincinnati NOW, the United Methodist Churches Mens Conference of Cincinnati District, the 100 male march ministries, and a repersentative from ELMC who will handle technology along with 8 other appointees.

Cincinnati Change has hired three companies I have equity in Lloyd Daniels Development Group, LLC.(where I am President), Hargrove Engineering, LLC (which I own), and Education Learning Management Company LLC.(I am the managing director), along with Wilson Military Academy and other partners (including a 501(c)3) to be part of the team that proposes that we create a local master developer for the riverfront who will team with global development partnership.

Under my leadership I see Cincinnati Change forging alliances with the faith based comunity and others to encourage increased economic stability in Hamilton County. We will do that by heliping to rebuild the south with the development of a third frontier creative class information highway infrastructure for real estate development.

I have worked with other founders to create a joint venture company which will provide jobs through the acquisition and development of businesses, intellectual property and real estate properties through this lead developer which is to be called Queen City Development Group.

I went to school in Walnut Hills and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. I am a experienced 30 year Professional Engineer and have a Masters in Business Administration. I have lived in Japan and been around the world in my role as a consulting engineer.

I was born in the West End of Cincinnati, Ohio, shopped in Over the Rhine, and, when in college, I lived in Mt. Auburn and Clifton Heights. Most of my relatives were lived in Avondale and most of my school friends lived in Evanston.

Cincinnati has been my home and the home of my parents since the early 1950’s when they were forced to leave the south to avoid racial prejudice. As was consistent with the times, my parents came to Cincinnati to live with their relative and start a new life.

On September 25, 1954, I was born. I have lived in many different neighborhoods in Cincinnati and have spent most of my 48 years here. I have raised my family here and am proud of my heritage here.My education here started at Millvale Elementary, I was Valedictorian of my junior high school and graduated in the top 25% of my class at Walnut Hills High School. I was a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

I went to the University of Cincinnati on full scholarship from General Electric for Metallurgical Engineering and a full scholarship from Procter and Gamble for Mechanical Engineering. After graduation I went to work for Procter and Gamble in their Engineering Division and was placed in their “fast track program for management candidates”.

During my tenure at Procter and Gamble I designed many patentable devices,( not the least of which was the device which produced the “Folger’s Coffee Crystal”) but because I was an employee all such creations were the property of Procter and Gamble and I was proud to simply be doing my part.

After five years of proven service I was sent to school to get my MBA to continue my rise in the organization. I graduated from Hood College with an MBA in operations. At the time, Hood College, in Frederick Maryland, was rated as the best small college in the United States.In 1980 Procter and Gamble, went thru reorganization and my mentors, as were many other people, were displaced. The company downsized and since I was in school, I was part of that down sizing.

However fortune smiled on me and I was able to gain employment with NCI, the National Cancer Institute, at Fort Detrick in Frederick Maryland, as an engineer in charge of the design, construction and maintenance of research facilities. My experience at Procter and Gamble allowed me out shine all of my competition and promotions and recognition quickly followed.

During my stay there I was invited to join the Board of Directors at NIH, the National Health Institute in Bethesda Maryland.I was a technical advisor, offering advice on the feasible and safety of allowing certain contagious research to be done in the research facilities controlled by NIH. This experience brought me face to face with the latest technology for the control and containment of infectious disease and biological agents such as AIDS, all types of Cancers, Anthrax and other contaminants still listed as classified.

During my stay at Fort Detrick, I was co-opted by the United State Army to provide engineering support for their “experiments” at Fort Detrick. (As a point of information, Fort Detrick was the old biological warfare facilities for the United States Military). Fort Detrick is about 45 miles from Washington D.C. It was also the home of Air Force One and the East Coast Relay Station which was responsible for the defense of the entire eastern seaboard.) During my stay on the east coast I worked for NCI, NIH, and the Department of the Army and as a security contractor the Department of Defense.

Based on my experience I am qualified to design a P-4 level facility anywhere in the world and currently design hospitals. I am currently on assignment with one of the worlds biggest design/builders of hospitals. I am now designing the hospital of the future with partners that can be built today. I also worked for a firm responsible for design clean rooms and chip manufacturing rooms and designed one of the first class 1 clean room facilities.

In 1986 I received a call from Procter and Gamble. It appeared they had a project which required certain expertise which was possessed by only a handful of people. I was one of them. It involved a cost saving project which resulted in a savings of approximately $200,000,000.00 per installation. Until this point they were unable to prove this technology.

My assignment was to prove this technology, install it, and perform a successful test. Six months later we had our first successful run of a technology which had the potential of saving billions of dollars in capital equipment requirements. Riding on this success, I decided it was time to venture out on my own.

I started what is now Hargrove Engineering L.L.C. in 1988. (It’s precursor, Hargrove Design and Drafting Services had started two years earlier, in 1986.) In the last eighteen years, I have personally led hundreds of design projects. I have actively participated in every design which has come into our office, whether it was a single family dwelling or a collaborative effort with NASA and Martin-Marietta to place a man on Mars. Our last two major government assignments was the management of the replacement of the roof at the US Army Tank Plant and a 2002 Homeland Security Contract for the city of Cincinnati Water Works.

Cincinnati has the opportunity to become the crown jewel of the Midwest once more. Acting in conjunction with a whole host of entities who believe there is still some majesty left in Cincinnati, we are attempting to be the catalyst for this revitalization. We profess a plan of overall inclusion with shared opportunities for everyone up and down the economic scale.

Our plan is to develop partnerships with experienced builders who can work with us to create a million smart homes by 2015. They will be for first responders, educators, public service employees, the military, fire fighters, police, health care workers and the students in creative class or third frontier organizations that bridge the gap to those who have not. We will use a already established mutual fund with over $600M in current investments.

No one can do this alone and we propose to do this because we are not alone. As long as there is good will among like-minded people dedicated to the improvement of life among the masses, we will never be alone.

I consider myself a product of the empowerment zones and along with partners like Hershel Daniels, Junior stand ready to develop housing under the authority of the President of the United States. I helped form on June 19th 2005 Cincinnati Change as my agent to do this.

We at Cincinnati Change believe that we can Change Cincinnati NOW. To make this happen, as Cincinnati Change’s Chairman I have accepted a position with Lloyd Daniels Development Group LLC as President in their development in Port Arthur, Texas as the center point of redevelopment efforts in the south which will employ people in Texas and Ohio by the end of 2006 in building smartHOMES and buildings with our technology built into them.

Blacks in the USA

2006-02-18T13:14:00.001-05:00

According to 2003 U.S. Census figures, some 37.1 million African Americans live in the United States, comprising 12.9 percent of the total population.

At the time of the 2000 Census, 54.8 percent of African Americans lived in the South. In that year, 17.6 percent of African Americans lived in the Northeast and 18.7 percent in the Midwest, while only 8.9 percent lived in the western states. Almost 88 percent of African Americans lived in metropolitan areas in 2000. With over 2 million black residents, New York City had the largest black urban population in the United States in 2000.

Among cities of 100,000 or more, Gary, Indiana, had the highest percentage of black residents of any U.S. city in 2000, with 85 percent, followed closely by Detroit, Michigan, with 83 percent. Atlanta, Georgia, has a large African-American population of about 65 percent. The nation's capital, Washington, D.C., had a 60 percent black population.

These are 2½ million adults who are pathological gamblers.

2006-02-16T17:40:00.001-05:00

Based on criteria developed by the American Psychiatric Association, we estimate that about 2½ million adults are pathological gamblers, and another 3 million adults should be considered problem gamblers.

Extending these criteria more broadly, 15 million adults are at risk for problem gambling, and about 148 million are low-risk gamblers (about 29 million adults have never gambled).

Pathological, problem, and at-risk gambling are proportionately higher among African Americans than other ethnic groups, although African Americans still comprise a minority of all pathological gamblers.

Pathological gambling is present in one out of five of the 1 percent of adults who consider themselves professional gamblers.
Pathological gambling is found proportionately less often among people who are over 65, college graduates, and in households with incomes over $100,000 a year; however, college graduates are more likely to be at-risk gamblers than those at other education levels.
The availability of a casino within 50 miles (versus 50 to 250 miles) is associated with about double the prevalence of problem and pathological gamblers, according to the combined patron and telephone survey results. This finding is similar to the difference in the overall level of past-year casino gambling (40 percent of adults living close to casinos versus 23 percent of adults living 50 to 250 miles away); however, these prevalence rates were not different in the telephone survey alone.
Pathological and problem gamblers are more likely than other gamblers or nongamblers to have been on welfare, declared bankruptcy, and to have been arrested or incarcerated.
Pathological and problems gamblers are much more likely than low-risk gamblers to gamble for the excitement, to have been troubled by mental or emotional problems including manic symptoms and depressive episodes, and to have received mental health care in the past year.
Pathological and problem gamblers, who comprise about 2.5 percent of adults, probably account for 15 percent of casino, lottery, and pari-mutuel receipts from the gamblers who are represented in the surveys.
Pathological and problem gamblers in the United States cost society approximately $5 billion per year and an additional $40 billion in lifetime costs for productivity reductions, social services, and creditor losses. However, these calculations are inadequate to capture the intrafamilial costs of divorce and family disruption associated with problem and pathological gambling.

Cincinnati Change Business Op - The Banks

2006-02-16T16:38:00.001-05:00

CINCINNATI CHANGE is assembling a team to meet the request for Master Developer Qualifications For Redevelopment Of Ohio’s Southern Gateway.

E-mail us your qualifications admin@cincinnatichange.com

The Banks is between Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ball Park. The county of Hamilton says this about the Banks -

The Banks is the shining centerpiece of our region, reflecting excitement, energy and a new sense of pride and a renewed connection with our River. It is a place people call home. It is a place where people work and shop and party and visit. It is a place where people cheer the home team, celebrate freedom, and honor our rich diversity. It is a place for playful enjoyment and quiet reflection. It is a place for everyone, citizen and visitor alike. It is a place to come again and again.
It is an engine to drive economic growth and new vitality in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and our entire region. It is a place that links us together, it is a new spirit of cooperation. It is an experience that elevates our city to true world-class status.
It is our potential.
It is our future.

Lets study the cost of doing the banks without Gambling

2006-02-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

National Gambling Impact Study Commission Final Report

Problem and Pathological Gambling

The Commission respectfully recommends that all governments take every step necessary to implement all relevant components of the recommendations listed here before lotteries or any other form of legalized gambling is allowed to operate or to continue to operate.

Such requirements should be specifically itemized in a state statute as applicable to a state-run lottery. Similarly, such requirements should also be specified and made applicable for inclusion in tribal government law and tribal-state compacts.

4-1 The Commission respectfully recommends that all relevant governmental gambling regulatory agencies require, as a condition of any gambling facility’s license to operate, that each applicant adhere to the following:

— Adopt a clear mission statement as to applicant’s policy on problem and pathological gambling.

— Appoint an executive of high rank to execute and provide ongoing oversight of the corporate mission statement on problem and pathological gambling.

— Contract with a state-recognized gambling treatment professional to train management and staff to develop strategies for recognizing and addressing customers whose gambling behavior may strongly suggest they may be experiencing serious to severe difficulties.

— Under a state “hold harmless” statute, refuse service to any customer whose gambling behavior convincingly exhibits indications of a gambling disorder.

— Under a state “hold harmless” statute, respectfully and confidentially provide the customer (as described above) with written information that includes a state-approved list of professional gambling treatment programs and state-recognized self-help groups.

— Provide insurance that makes available medical treatment for problem and for pathological gambling facility employees.

4-2 The Commission recommends that each state and tribal government enact, if it has not already done so, a gambling privilege tax, assessment, or other contribution on all gambling operations within its boundaries, based upon the gambling revenues of each operation. A sufficient portion of such monies shall be used to create a dedicated fund for the development and ongoing support of problem gambling-specific research, prevention, education, and treatment programs. The funding dedicated for these purposes shall be sufficient to implement the following goals:

— Undertake biennial research by a nonpartisan firm experienced in problemgambling research to estimate the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling among the general adult population. Specific focus on major subpopulations including youth, women, elderly, and minority group gamblers should also be included. An estimate of prevalence among patrons at gambling facilities or outlets in each form of gambling should also be included.

— Initiate public awareness, education, and prevention programs aimed at vulnerable populations. One such purpose of such programs will be to intercept the progression of many problem gamblers to pathological states.

— Identify and maintain a list of gambling treatment services available from licensed or state-recognized professional providers, as well as the presence of staterecognized self-help groups.

— Establish a demographic profile for treatment recipients and services provided, as state and federal laws permit. Develop a treatment outcome mechanism that will compile data on the efficacy of varying treatment methods and services offered, and determine whether sufficient professional treatment is available to meet the demands of persons in need.

— When private funding is not available, subsidize the costs of approved treatment by licensed or state-recognized gambling treatment professionals for problem and pathological gamblers as well as adversely affected persons. Additionally, such funds shall ensure that persons in need of treatment can receive necessary support based upon financial need. Treatment cost reimbursement levels and protocols will be established by each state.

4-3 Despite the fact that pathological gambling is a recognized medical disorder, most insurance companies and managed care providers do not reimburse for treatment. The Commission recommends to states that they mandate that private and public insurers and managed care providers identify successful treatment programs, educate participants
about pathological gambling and treatment options, and cover the appropriate programs under their plans.

4-4 The Commission recommends that each gambling facility must implement procedures to allow for voluntary self-exclusion, enabling gamblers to ban themselves from a gambling establishment for a specified period of time.

4-5 The Commission recommends encouraging private volunteerism of groups and associations working across America to solve problem gambling, especially those involving practitioners who are trying to help people who are problem gamblers. This should include strategically pooling resources and networking, drawing on the lists of recommendations these organizations have presented to the Commission, and working to develop uniform methods of diagnosis.

4-6 The Commission recommends each state-run or approved gambling operation be required to conspicuously post and disseminate the telephone numbers of at least two state-approved providers of problem-gambling information, treatment, and referral support services.

Third Frontier Capitalization

2006-02-14T19:04:00.000-05:00

THE THIRD FRONTIER PROJECT

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

To adopt Section 2p of Article VIII of the Constitution of the State of Ohio.

This amendment would:

Be for the purpose of creating and preserving jobs and stimulating economic growth in all areas of Ohio by improving local government public infrastructure, including roads and bridges, expanding Ohio’s research and development capabilities to promote product innovation and commercialization, and preparing sites and facilities for economic development in Ohio.

Declare that local government public infrastructure, and financial assistance for research and development and development of sites and facilities in Ohio for and in support of industry, commerce and distribution (all referred to together as “development purposes”) are public purposes.

Authorize the state to issue bonds to finance, or assist in financing, public infrastructure capital improvements for local governments. Authorize the state to issue bonds to provide financial assistance for research and development in support of Ohio industry, commerce, and business, and authorize state and local governments and state supported and state-assisted institutions of higher education to issue bonds and provide other financial assistance to support research and development purposes as provided for by law. Authorize the state to issue bonds to pay costs, or assist others in the payment of costs, of projects for the purpose of developing sites and facilities in Ohio.

Limit the total principal amount of general obligation bonds issued under this amendment for financing development purposes as follows:

no more than $1.35 billion for local government public infrastructure with no more than $120 million in each of the first five fiscal years and no more than $150 million in each of the next five fiscal years;
no more than $500 million for research and development purposes with no more than $100 million in each of the first three fiscal years and no more than $50 million in any other fiscal year, and;
no more than $150 million for developing sites and facilities with no more than $30 million in each of the first three fiscal years and no more than $15 million in any other fiscal year; provided that any principal amount that in any prior fiscal year could have been but was not issued may also subsequently be issued.
Require bonds for infrastructure capital improvements and developing sites and facilities mature no later than thirty (30) years after their date of issuance and for research and development purposes mature no later than twenty (20) years after their date of issuance, and that any refunding obligations mature no later than the permitted maturity date for the obligations being refunded; and provide that bonds for research and development purposes and developing sites and facilities will not be subject to the limits on state debt service under Section 17 of Article VIII or the prohibitions against lending aid and credit in Sections 4 and 6 of Article VIII of the Ohio Constitution.

Authorize the General Assembly to pass laws providing for its implementation, including laws providing procedures for issuing obligations, ensuring the accountability of all state funding provided for development purposes, restricting or limiting the taking by eminent domain of private property for disposition to private sector entities for research and development and the development of sites and facilities, and for the implementation of the research and development purposes to benefit people and businesses otherwise qualified for the receipt of funding in all areas of Ohio, including economically disadvantaged business and individuals in all areas of the state, including by the use Ohio products, materials, services and labor to the extent practicable.

This amendment became effective immediately. with it's passage - 1,512,669 or 54.12% voted yes to 1,282,571 or 45.88% who voted no.

New Orleans has 180,000 homes and needs more

2006-02-09T01:02:00.000-05:00

Dateline New Orleans - At the moment, a major constraining factor on businesses' return and local job growth is housing. The 180,000 habitable homes in New Orleans just about equal the city's current population.

"It's a capacity constraint," says Greg Rigamer, president of consultant GCR & Associates in New Orleans.

To encourage new growth, city officials are traveling the country, alerting companies to the new Gulf Opportunity Zone Act, which Congress passed to give businesses investment incentives.

The Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 is a far-reaching measure that impacts many businesses, investors and individuals nationwide as well as in the hurricane-affected areas, due to the broad scope of some hurricane-related provisions and because of the numerous technical corrections that have been made to earlier tax laws.

Congress included technical corrections affect 10 past tax acts going back to 1987, including a number of important amendments related to the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. The changes include clarifications to the Sec. 199 domestic production deduction, Sec. 409A nonqualified deferred compensation rules, and Sec. 965 repatriated dividends deduction.

Although the GO Zone provisions apply only to the specific geographical area devastated by Hurricane Katrina (and in some limited circumstances to those affected by Hurricanes Rita or Wilma), affected taxpayers outside those boundaries will qualify for relief if they have investments or own an interest in property or businesses within the zone, or invest in the GO Zone within the timeframe for the targeted tax relief.

Companies investing in the hurricane-impacted areas, for example, are eligible to depreciate their investment by 50 percent in the first year, or are eligible for long-term financing through tax-exempt bonds.

We are meeting on 1 February 2006 at 0900 downtown to talk about how Cincinnati Change can help rebuild the Gulf with Ohio businesses. It will bring over 200 jobs to the city of Cincinnati.

2006-02-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

Coretta Scott King Is Dead

2006-01-31T23:26:00.001-05:00

We are made sad to learn of the death of Mrs. Martin Luther King.

Coretta Scott King (April 27, 1927 – c. January 31, 2006) was the wife of the assassinated civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and a noted community leader in her own right.

Faith is what calls us

2006-01-26T00:15:00.001-05:00

President George W. Bush delivers remarks at a White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, March 1, 2005. White House photo by Paul Morse

“ ......reflect on the great movement for civil rights that transformed our country. We remember leaders like Rosa Parks, who today is being honored with the John Thompson, Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award.

And we recommit ourselves to working for the dream that Martin Luther King gave his life for: an America where the dignity of every person is respected; where people are judged not by the color of their skin -- by the content of their character; and where the hope of a better tomorrow is in every neighborhood in this country. “ President Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at "Let Freedom Ring" Celebration John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, D.C

Cincinnati Change believes that by faith America can lead the world through progressive internationalism that includes the bold exercise of U.S. leadership to foster peace, prosperity, and democracy.

The founders of the organization and Change Agents of Cincinnati Change will bring together an interfaith alliance that works with the federal government of the United States of America from a headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“When our founders declared America's independence, they invoked the self-evident truth that all men are created equal. Our Constitution was written to put the principles of a free and equal society into practice. It is a living document.

It required amendment to make sure that promise was fulfilled, amendments like the abolishment of slavery, the guarantee of equal protection, and the right to vote for all Americans.

Dr. King called these documents America's great "charters of freedom," and he continued to trust in their power even when the practice of America did not live up to their promise.” President Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at "Let Freedom Ring" Celebration John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, D.C

Together with the Mayor of Cincinnati and other elected officials at all levels of government Cincinnati Change will work with allies, institutions and investors who agree that working together makes us stronger, not weaker.

“At the dawn of this new century, America can be proud of the progress we have made toward equality, but we all must recognize we have more to do. The reason to honor Martin Luther King is to remember his strength of character and his leadership, but also to remember the remaining work. The reason to honor Mrs. Parks is not only to pay homage to her strength of character, but to remember the ideal of active citizenship. Active citizens in the 1960s struggled hard to convince Congress to pass civil rights legislation that ensured the rights of all, including the right to vote.

And Congress must renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” President Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at "Let Freedom Ring" Celebration John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, D.C.

By 2009 this company will employ over 1,800 people keeping over 10,000 field agents supported for foreign operations.

Cincinnati Change and partners will have over 1,000 people on staff (2007) who provide training of over 10,000 students (2008) across the globe for public service as nurses, doctors, paramedics, security & safety officers, foremen, firemen, police, FBI Agent, ICE Agent, a member of the Boarder patrol, pilot, diver, and other occupations who shall be employed by a foundation with offices in Cincinnati that provide the logistics support for 20,000 people, daily.

We are developing a method of service through a private public partnership lead by faith.

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers; [these offices were given] to equip the saints for the work of service, [which work has as its goal] to build up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith..."

The 2006 Cincinnati Neighborhood Summit

2006-01-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

"In order to achieve true success and change in our community, we are going to need the support of the community,” Mayor Mallory said in his press release as he launched his Campaign to Address Public Safety.

“Everyone one of us must step up and do what we can to reduce crime and make our neighborhoods safer."

We encourage everyone to go to the neighborhoods summit so as to continue the process of change started in the past. Lets make 2006 the year where we bring Peace in the Hood with Jobs in the Hood.

The 2006 Neighborhood Summit will be held Saturday, February 4 at Xavier University's Cintas Center. Emphasis this year is on neighborhoods sharing their expertise on community projects.

Home Sale Decline - In the Nation

2006-01-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON (January 25, 2006) – Existing-home sales declined in December but easily set an annual record, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – were down 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 6.60 million units in December from an upwardly revised pace of 7.00 million in November. Sales were 3.1 percent lower than a 6.81 million-unit level in December 2004.

There were 7,072,000 existing-home sales in all of 2005, up 4.2 percent from 6,784,000 in 2004. This is the fifth consecutive annual record; NAR began tracking the sales series in 1968.

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, expected the monthly sales decline. “This is part of the market adjustment we’ve been discussing, with a soft landing in sight for the housing sector,” he said. “The level of home sales activity is now at a sustainable level, and is likely to pick up a bit in the months ahead."

Cincinnati Change's job in region is to assemble a team to develop 20,000 homes in greater Cincinnati over the next decade with a initial five year focus on Hamilton County starting this year. Here some facts on Hamilton County and the hosuing market:

The total housing units in Hamilton County 373,393 for the 845,303 people who live here.

African Americans in Hamilton County occupied 79,409 housing units.

Owner-occupied housing units 207,591 or 59.9% of total vs an average of 66.2% nationally.

African Americans in Hamilton County had 27,414 owner-occupied housing units, less than 13.4%.

Renter-occupied housing units are 139,199 of total counter renter homes is 40.1% of all homes vs national average of 33.8%.

African Americans had 51,995 renter-occupied housing units, about 40%.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.27 percent in December, down from 6.33 percent in November; the rate was 5.75 percent in December 2004. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed rate was down to 6.10 percent.

“Mortgage interest rates have been trending down from a peak in November, and are lower than expected – if lower interest rates are sustained, the housing market could see some unexpected lift,” Lereah said.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $211,000 in December, up 10.5 percent from December 2004 when the median was $191,000. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.

In Hamilton County the median value (in dollars) for African American homes was $84,700 while for whites it was $111,400, a difference of $26,700.

This means the 23,699 single-family owner-occupied homes owned by African Americans are valued in Hamilton County have $550,000,0000 less than value than their White counterparts.

View Existing Home Sales Data

Existing condominium and cooperative housing sales increased 1.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 877,000 units in December from a level of 863,000 in November. Last month’s sales activity was 4.5 percent higher than the 839,000-unit pace in December 2004. For all of 2005, condo sales jumped 9.3 percent to 896,000 units, the 10th consecutive annual record.

The median existing condo price was $228,100 in December, which was 10.2 percent above a year ago. In 2005, the median condo price was $218,200, up 12.7 percent from 2004.

Single-family home sales declined 6.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.72 million in December from 6.14 million in November, and were 4.2 percent lower than the 5.97 million-unit pace in December 2004. In 2005, single-family sales rose 3.6 percent to 6.18 million, the fifth straight yearly record.

The median existing single-family home price was $209,300 in December, which was 10.8 percent above a year ago. For 2005, the median single-family price was $207,300, up 12.6 percent from 2004.

In the Midwest, existing-home sales eased by 2.6 percent to an annual pace of 1.52 million in December, and were 1.9 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $173,000, which was 10.9 percent higher than December 2004.

Mayor of Cincinnati News Release on Peace

2006-01-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

Mayor Mallory Launches Campaign to Address Public Safety

(Cincinnati) – Mayor Mark Mallory announced today [19 Jan 2006] his public safety initiative at an afternoon press conference at the College Hill Recreation Center. Mallory’s initiative includes a series of proposals that focuses on targeted policing, more aggressively prosecuting serious criminals, cleaning up neighborhoods, and ensuring children are in school.

“Today, we are taking the first steps in an on-going campaign to improve public safety. These initiatives are designed have a real impact on our communities,” Mayor Mallory said. “Dealing with Cincinnati’s crime problem will not be easy. These problems did not develop overnight, and they will not be solved overnight. I am confident that with the combined commitment of our entire community, we can produce real results and positive change.”

Mallory’s public safety plan addresses the issue of crime in Cincinnati on several levels. The initiatives include:
1. A mandate for Cooperation
2. Make better use of crime data
3. Merge Vice and Drug Enforcement Units
4. Aggressively enforce forfeiture and property seizure ordinances to target mid-level drug dealers.
5. Target the 50 most violent criminals in Cincinnati with aggressive policing strategies
6. Coordinate media, CPOP, Citizens on Patrol to target the 50 most wanted
7. Call on the US Attorney to increase the number of prosecutorial cases they accept from Cincinnati
8. Enhance our effectiveness by strengthening our working relationship with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies
9. Focus on truancy sweeps in hot spots

Mallory was joined at the press conference by public officials and community leaders from across the city, including Cincinnati City Council Members, Cincinnati Police Chief Thomas Streicher, Hamilton County Coroner Dr. O’dell Owens, Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Rosa Blackwell, City Manager David Rager, representatives of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Cincinnati, Community Council Presidents, and other community leaders.

“The Police Department intends to seize the opportunity provided by our new leadership in Cincinnati to embark on a mission that will continue to drive down crime and improve the quality of life in Cincinnati,” Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher said. “Major offenders are being targeted, greater citizen participation is being solicited, improved partnerships are being cultivated, the latest technology is being employed and the Greater Cincinnati region will be the winner. You can make a difference by joining us in this very worthwhile venture.”

"The proper approach to crime & safety in our community must include short tem & long term strategies that emphasizes increased graduation rates, reduction in drug usage, and building stronger family units," Dr. O’dell Owens said.

“It is essential that we work together as a caring community to keep the young people of our city safe and involved in healthy activities,” said Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Rosa Blackwell. “Prevention is the key to ensuring that our youths stay on the right track — and one of the most important ways we can accomplish this is to keep our students in school and learning. An example of how our district is working with the police department to make sure our students are in school is to support officers when they conduct truancy sweeps.”

“In order to achieve true success and change in our community, we are going to need the support of the community,” Mallory said. “Everyone one of us must step up and do what we can to reduce crime and make our neighborhoods safer.”

News Release

Mayor Mark Mallory

City of Cincinnati 801 Plum Street, Room 150, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Date: January 19, 2006

Contact: Jason Barron, 513-352-5356

Some of Cincinnati Change's Beliefs

2006-01-23T04:37:00.000-05:00

CINCINNATI CHANGE knows that the Tristate politically fragmentation and segregation is by race and class. Many poor Cincinnati residents have a high degree of desperation and hopelessness along with the belief that things can’t change. Cincinnati Change was created to change this perception by action; we will walk the walk, not talk the talk - join us in changing Cincinnati NOW.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that Americans once again face a grave threat to our security – internal as well as external, and we will give top priority to mobilizing the resources needed to meet and defeat our enemies. The founders of CINCINNATI Change believe the most fundamental test of leadership today is the willingness to declare your position then stand up and fight for what is right for people.

Thats why we will be on the steps of city hall on monday at 10;00 AM. Working for Peace in the HOOD along with Jobs in the HOOD.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that America must lead the world through progressive internationalism—the bold exercise of U.S. leadership to foster peace, prosperity, and democracy. Working with allies and international institutions makes us stronger, not weaker.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom and in the faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, justice and peace in the world.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that America must lead the world and through its cooperative domination create solutions that serve the needs of Americans and those people who join in the freedoms enshrined in our constitution. The central mission of our time is to defend America’s security with the ideals and aspirations enshrined in the creation of the United States of America and ideals embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law and through the creation of organizations to protect those who cannot do so themselves.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between people and that through CINCINNATI CHANGE the founders will create the capacity to be a instrument in creating the initiatives that will make it happen that will benifit the people of Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI CHANGE believes that we who are citizens of the United States of America which has enshrined in it’s constitution the right of the people to address grievances to our government - it is a government of the people and holds forth the belief that the holders of political office should be responsive to needs of the people so on June 19th 2005 did a founding trustee board create CINCINNATI CHANGE.

TIF stands for tax increment financing.

2006-01-20T17:24:00.000-05:00

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a way for Cincinnati to intercept some of the taxes that would be paid by owners of real estate. TIF uses the additional property taxes paid as a result of development in the district to pay for part of the re-development costs that will make this city great.

When a Cincinnati Change Change Agent Developer renovates and or constructs a new building, the market value of the property and its property taxes typically rise. Classic examples would be building a new store on an undeveloped parcel or replacing one or more old buildings with a renovated and or new, larger building.

In both of these instances, the market value of the property will rise because the improvements add value to the parcel.

Tax increment financing (TIF) is a way for governments to help finance new capital projects by taking advantage of expected property tax returns.

When a TIF district is created, the county auditor certifies the current tax capacity of the properties in the district as the TIF district's "original tax capacity." As the property in the district increases in value, these increases above the original tax capacity are "captured." The law refers to this amount as the district's "captured tax capacity."

If we fiully impliment the Cincinnati Change plan of action then we expect to redirects payment of property taxes in the amount of the value of new improvements. TIF does not exempt public improvements from taxation. Rather, the taxes continue to be paid but are redirected to the City rather than the tradition disbursement among the City, County and Board of Education.

[Note: In most cases, 25% of the incremental revenues are dedicated to the Schools and should be factored into any calculations about the amount of revenue available for public infrastructure. We hope that this will increase the funds to the public schools to lower the deficiet they are experiencing for the next 20 years.]

Based upon the terms/conditions of a negotiated Redevelopment Agreement between the City and a Cincinnati Change Agent Developer, Cincinnati Change, as a partner in the development, would look to invest in the people who need it most through a coalition of non governmental agencies and for profit businsses who will look to change the lives of residents of some of the areas wih the worst crime, old public infrastructure and provide support for young people and seniors.

Past program examples include Taft Broadcasting Corp., Village at Stetson Square: Luxury Apartments, Queen City Square, Atrium 1, The McAlpin Development, Shillito Lofts, Amantea Nonwovens Company Creation , Bridge Worldwide Office Expansion, CBS Personnel Holdings Expansion, Cinergy Center Expansion and Renovation, Convergys Corporation Retention and Expansion, Formica Corporation Relocation, Lab One Relocation & Expansion, Sun Chemical Corporation Expansion and Westin Hotel.

Lets give a current real world example, how the Cincinnati Change TIF Plan would work in Over the Rhine (OTR).

OTR Housing Capacity (drawn from the 2002 OTR Plan)

We can start from the premise that we want to maintain at least 5,000 of the existing habitable units. Most in some need of renovation. The pool of available housing options can be increased through renovating vacant buildings and developing vacant lots for housing.

There are approximately 500 vacant residential buildings in the neighborhood. These buildings originally included a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 20 housing units.

These units were small and often composed of multiple small rooms. For today’s purposes, if we assume that each building could contain between one and four units, there would be capacity for an average of an additional 1,000 units created in existing vacant buildings.

The vacant land inventory identified approximately 700 vacant parcels in the neighborhood. If those vacant parcels provided for even 200 building sites with one to two units each, there is the capacity for another 300 units of new construction.

In addition we envision the conversion of large institutional and commercial buildings retail spaces with OTR based creative class and or third frontier small office home offices.

Based on the many assumptions provided above, it is reasonable to consider that OTR has the capacity for approximately 6,300 housing units. At an average household size of 2.2, these 6,300 units could house a population of over 13,830 people, which would be similar to the neighborhood’s population of 15,025 in 1970’s (or about 10% less).

OTR is today a neighborhood of renters with a current homeownership rate of less than 5%, which is considerably lower than the approximately
38% homeownership rate for the City of Cincinnati.

Under the Cincinnati Change TIF Plan home ownership would rise over the next decade to over 40% through buy ins from current residents anfd those who move into the neighborhood and support home ownership by capture of the TIF revenues that lket us develop low moderate income hosuing for families in the coummunity now.

Through the Cincinnati Change TIF program we expect to support the creation of over $600M in public investment in over 1,000 Over the Rhine Businesses - all of whom would be required to be OTR homeowners.

Procedures

The Internal Finance Review Committee is to review each project. It is expected that the requesting Department will have requested, documented, reviewed, and formulated a recommendation based on the City's Investment Information Guidelines.

Then city council decides.

LETS ROLL

Cincinnati Change on the Banks

2006-01-19T23:34:00.000-05:00

Establishing Authority of the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority: Ohio Revised Code Section 4582.22 authorizes counties and municipal corporations to act jointly to create a "Port Authority" as defined in those sections.

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) of Hamilton County, Ohio, Resolution (Volume 280, Image 5-15) dated October 4, 2000, approved an agreement for the creation of a new Port Authority between the BOCC of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati.

Purpose: To implement the redevelopment of the Riverfront and continue the efforts of brownfields redevelopment in Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The Port Authority was chosen as a development mechanism by the city of Cincinnati because its unique “tool kit” could be used to assemble the necessary pieces of the development puzzle.

Nowhere else has approximately 15 acres – eight city blocks – of prominent waterfront property been pre-assembled, at one time, with the opportunity to tap into surrounding anchors that will, by 2009, generate approximately a million visitors annually to the area.

Cincinnati Change will propose that we create the following on this space:

Science Museum & Third Frontier Research Center

Global Communications Network Operations Center

African American Museum and Culture Center

Mixture of 20 plus Food, Beverage and Entertainment Sites

Multimedia Production Center

Downtown University Center

Professional Conference Center

Offices including International Center

Presidential Suites Hotel

Upscale Professional Suite Hotel

Extended Stay Hotel

Upscale Condo

Market Rate Condo

Graduate Student Housing

First Responder Housing

This project under our direction will create over 600 FTE jobs (and up to 1,000 PTE's) for people living in the Empowerment Zone of Cincinnati.

We will house over 200 businesses here including over 100 creative class third frontier multimedia production companies.

Tax Exempt Bond Backgrounder

2006-01-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

Tax-Exempt Bond Examination Results Used to Focus Customer Education Programs

August 2003

Reference Number: 2003-10-172

This report has cleared the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration disclosure review process and information determined to be restricted from public release has been redacted from this document.

August 19, 2003

MEMORANDUM FOR COMMISSIONER, TAX EXEMPT AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES DIVISION

FROM: Gordon C. Milbourn III /s/ Gordon C. Milbourn III
Assistant Inspector General for Audit (Small Business and
Corporate Programs)

SUBJECT: Final Audit Report – Tax-Exempt Bond Examination Results Are Used to Focus Customer Education Programs (Audit # 200210050)

This report presents the results of our review to determine if Office of Tax Exempt Bonds (TEB) management uses the results of tax-exempt bond examinations to focus their taxpayer education and outreach efforts in order to provide Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Division customers with top quality service by helping them to understand and comply with the applicable tax laws.

In summary, we found that TEB function management adequately used the results of examinations to focus their taxpayer education and outreach programs. Interpretive guidance had been developed for all examination issues involving noncompliance that we reviewed. The TE/GE Division’s Internet website provides customers with links to interpretative documents related to tax-exempt bonds, such as Private Letter Rulings and Field Service Advice.

However, the website does not have interpretative guidance for all applicable Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) sections related to tax-exempt bonds, nor does it have direct links to the applicable I.R.C. sections. Consequently, we recommended that the Director, TEB, modify the TE/GE Division’s Internet website to provide direct links to applicable I.R.C. sections.

Management’s Response: The Commissioner, TE/GE Division, agreed with our recommendation and will modify the website to include links to applicable I.R.C. sections. Management’s complete response to the draft report is included as Appendix IV.

Table of Contents
Background
Tax-Exempt Bond Examination Results Are Used to Focus Customer Education Programs, but Additional Information Should be Provided to Improve Customer Service
Recommendation 1:
Appendix I – Detailed Objective, Scope, and Methodology
Appendix II – Major Contributors to This Report
Appendix III – Report Distribution List
Appendix IV – Management’s Response to the Draft Report

Background
The Office of Tax Exempt Bonds (TEB) within the Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Division administers the Federal tax laws applicable to tax-exempt bonds. Tax-exempt bonds include governmental and qualified private activity certificates of debt that are issued by state and local governments or by organizations acting on their behalf, such as universities and non-profit organizations. They are used to finance various tax-exempt projects, such as courthouses, hospitals, airport expansions, and highways.

Bond issuers are required to meet certain requirements under the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) for the interest received by the bondholders to be exempt from Federal income tax. If the proceeds of the tax-exempt bonds are not used for their intended purpose, the bond may no longer be tax-exempt, and the issuing organization may be liable for the taxes as well as paying sanctions.

TEB function management stated that bond customers paid $9.9 million in sanctions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, $5.7 million in FY 2001, and $31.7 million in FY 2002.

The tax-exempt bond sector is experiencing dramatic growth.

Between 1985 and 2000, more than 400,000 Information Returns for Tax-Exempt Bonds (Form 8038) were filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). During the same period, the value of outstanding bonds grew by more than 125 percent, from $650 billion to nearly $1.5 trillion. In addition to the growth, regulations governing tax-exempt bonds are among the most complex in tax administration.

The goal of the TEB function is to provide its customers with top quality service by helping them understand and comply with the applicable tax laws and protect the public’s interest by applying the tax laws with integrity and fairness. To achieve this goal, the TEB function has concentrated its efforts in three areas:

· The Customer Education and Outreach Program is designed to assist members of the bond industry in understanding their tax responsibilities. TEB function management believes that one potential reason for noncompliance is a lack of understanding of the complex legal requirements.

· The Voluntary Compliance Program is designed to foster voluntary resolution of violations of the I.R.C.

· The Examination Program is designed to determine if bond issuers comply with the legal guidelines for tax-exempt bonds. The TEB function completed 344 examinations in FY 2002, which included both correspondence examinations and field examinations.

Ø A correspondence examination is a limited scope examination conducted via correspondence. If significant tax issues are identified during a correspondence examination, the examination may be converted to a field examination of the bond issuance.

Ø A field examination is a broader scope examination that ensures bond issuers comply with the pre- and post-issuance requirements necessary for the bond issuance to qualify for and maintain tax-exempt status.

The TEB function tracks noncompliance issues identified from examinations to determine where to focus future educational efforts in order to reduce noncompliance. At the time we began our audit, principal issues of potential noncompliance were input to the Quarterly Field Reports and forwarded to the TEB function headquarters office each quarter.

During our audit fieldwork, the TEB function began using the Audit Information Management System (AIMS) to manage its inventory of open examination cases and capture information about issues that were identified during examinations.

In addition, examiners prepared Exempt Organization Examined Closing Records (Form 5599) to record and capture primary issue codes that indicate specific areas of noncompliance. Periodically, TEB function examiners and management have focus group meetings to identify the prevalent issues that should be addressed through customer education.

Cincinnati Change at Muisc Hall on Monday 16 Jan 2007 at 11:30

2006-01-11T01:53:00.000-05:00

On 16 January 2006 at 11:30 Cincinnati Change is creating a limited liability company called Queen City Development Group at Washington Park right across from Music Hall. Then we will walk in for the FREE 12:00 Martin Luther King Day event with Bishop E. Lynn Brown, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Second District, Cincinnati.

E. Lynn Brown was elected the 46th bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in 1986 in Birmingham, AL. He was born April 2, 1936. As a native of Jackson, Tennessee, Bishop Brown joins the sainted Bishop Isaac Lane as one of the only two bishops of the church born in Madison County, Tennessee, the birthplace of the CME Church. According to family lore, in 1870 his great grandmother was the cook for one of the bishops of the M.E. Church, South, during the organization of the CME Church. Thus, his nurture in the church from the "incipiency of his being" all the way through college on the very grounds where Christian Methodism originated is unique.

Bishop Brown's elementary and secondary education was from the public schools of Madison County, TN. He matriculated at Lane College in Jackson where he came under the directing influence of Chester A. Kirkendoll, the 35th bishop, who was the president. He earned the BA degree from Lane. His theological training was at Phillips School of Theology at The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA which he entered as the recipient of a Fellowship Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. He earned the M.Div. degree. Several honorary degrees have been conferred upon him. He has taught at the Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, lectured extensively, and has earned a national reputation as a preacher.

The hallmark of the entire ministry of Bishop E. Lynn Brown has been his community activism. He has been at the forefront in the struggle for justice. He received the Outstanding Community Service Award. As a bishop he has served as Chair of the Department of Lay Activities and has served as Chair of the Department of Evangelism, Missions, and Human Concerns.

He serves on the National Board of Directors of SCLC and the Board of Directors of the National Congress of Black Churches (NCBC). The NCBC repersent denominations with 65,000 churches and membership of over 20-million. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Phillips School of Theology.

Bishop Brown is married to Gladys (nee Stephens) Brown, and is the father of Alonzo Victor and Cheronda Patrice. His office and residence are in Cincinnati. Bishop E. Lynn Brown, is also the Chairman of the Board of The Center for Closing the Health Gap.

This year he leads the celebration of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. as it's Chairman. This day is offen called Martin Luther King Day and is on Monday January 16, 2006 at the Cincinnati Music Hall for a free concert starting at noon.

The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, Ph.D. (January 15, 1929 Â April 4, 1968) was a Baptist minister and political activist who was the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. King won the Nobel Peace Prize and Presidential Medal of Freedom before being assassinated in 1968. For his promotion of non-violence and racial equality, King is considered a peacemaker and martyr by many people around the world. Martin Luther King Day was established in his honor.

We have established Cincinnati Change to adhere to many of the principles that he stood for.

Besides winning the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, in 1965 the American Jewish Committee presented the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the American Liberties Medallion for his "exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty." Reverend King said in his acceptance remarks, "Freedom is one thing. You have it all or you are not free."r King Jr.,

Martin Luther king was aregisteredd Republican and may have supported affirmative action.

Among his comments:

"Whenever this issue [compensatory treatment] is raised, some of our friends recoil in horror. The Negro should be granted equality, they agree, but should ask for nothing more. On the surface, this appears reasonable, but is not realistic. For it is obvious that if a man enters the starting line of a race three hundred years after another man, the first would have to perform some incredible feat in order to catch up."

"A society that has done something special against the Negro for hundreds of years must now do something special for him, to equip him to compete on a just and equal basis. "

"... for two centuries the Negro was enslaved and robbed of any wages and potential accrued wealth which would have been the legacy of his descendants. All of America's wealth today could not adequately compensate its Negroes for his centuries of exploitation and humiliation. It is an economic fact that a program such as I propose would certainly cost far less than any computation of two centuries of unpaid wages plus accumulated interest. In any case, I do not intend that this program of economic aid should apply only to the Negro: it should benefit the disadvantaged of all races."

"You can't talk about solving the economic problem of the Negro without talking about billions of dollars. You can't talk about ending the slums without first saying profit must be taken out of slums. You're really tampering and getting on dangerous ground because you are messing with folk then. You are messing with captains of industry.... Now this means that we are treading in difficult water...."

On April 3, 1968, King prophetically told a euphoric crowd:

"It really doesn't matter what happens now.... some began to... talk about the threats that were out -- what would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers.... Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

King was assassinated the next evening, April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, while preparing to lead a local march in support of the heavily black Memphis sanitation workers' union which was on strike at the time.

Over the next 5 years Queen City Development Group will create in the south over 2,000 acres of real estate developments that will serve as relief centers, under contracts, for a million people by 2010 with 1,000 Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana businesses lead by Fred Hargrove P.E., MBA whose Engineering Company is taking the point in a joint venture that will tread in the dangerousus waters of rebuilding the south and being ready when this happens again.

We will partnership with an Inter Faith Based Leadership lead by Pastor Wanda Lloyd-Daniels, of Ammons United Methodist Church who is also a journeywoman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, owner of Lloyds General & Electrical Contractors, a Ohio company that is 20 plus years old general contracting and technology company that is a FBE/MBE/SBE and she is the head of the Cincinnati Hamilton County Black Republican Forum.

This company will create on Tuesday, 17 January 2006 a proposal to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a proposal for less than $100M in an IDIQ contract to care for 7,000 households and their facilities in the Gulf. Under the contract the federal government is paying the bill over 5 years ($100M or less) with companies drawn from around the nation, a 30% preference given to team like ours that located in the affected areas and are SBA 8A firms. The contract starts in March 2006.

Over the next five years we will recruit over 10,000 businesses and 100,000 people in the Gulf to pick up the bill afterwards, either through their representative government and constitutional right to redress grievances to the government and or direct contracts with our subsidiary Queen City Development Group and it's affiliate Gulf Change through the business process developed by Hershel Daniels, Junior.

Gulf Change will perform basadministrativeive functions as a contractor with Union workers through Lloyds General and Electrical Contractors, Inc., if we conclude a Cincinnati based planned labor agreement whereas we get access to pension funds to -

1 build homes for 100,000 people over next ten years; promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government in communities through the use of fiber to the home enable community access technology master territory licensee's who use our patent in communications as their competitive advantage in the Gulf states demonstration;

2 facilitate a political process at a neighborhood level through the internet to determine regions future based on development from 16 Jan. 2006 till 19 June 2006 of a plan to house and rehabilitate the lives of 100,000 people and from then to create the financial and technical ability to implement the plan by December 31, 2006;

3 create 10 centers in the Gulf to provide for the coordinate humanitarian and disaster relief of all international agencies for a million people in the America's and as part of a internal effort lead by AID and Gulf Change, first headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio for a 18 month staff training period; Fred Hargrove Sr. and partner companies, educational institutions and governmental agencies who will support the reconstruction of key infrastructure with over 100 companies who will invest in the redevelopment including foreign companies who operate key urban infrastructure including phone systems, water works and sewage plants;

4 maintain civil law and order thought eh creation of a private military company that in Cincinnati has the public police powers empowered to them through the city of Cincinnati under it's laws, and;

5 promote human and civil rights for Americans and create a environment whereas American citizens can live safe and secure lives; and assure the safe and unimpeded return of all displaced persons to their homes in the Gulf.

Gulf Change is to be created on a model created by Hershel Daniels, Junior that e think is a business process that created a master holding company called Gulf Change as a for profit Business that is divided into nine holding companies which it calls "Change Agent Commands".

These Change Area Commands are:

CAC I: Public Safety and Security including NBC, Justice, Public Safety and Fire Protection

CAC II: Contract Civil Administration and Metropolitan Assets Utilization

CAC III: Neighborhood Democratization, Institution Building and Community Development

CAC IV: Reconstruction and Economic Development

CAC V: Public Private Partnership Agreement Monitoring Team

CAC VI: Lifelong Education and PLA Workforce Development

CAC VII: Health Services and Support including assisted living facilities

CAC VIII: Faith Based Leadership and Family Support & Development

CAC IX: Professional Services Support

Nick Spencer: Do They Really Want Us?

2006-01-11T00:17:00.000-05:00

Nick Spencer: Do They Really Want Us?

No we don't want but need the region to help stamp out poverty in the region. The question is how many businesses will be started from this project?

If you want to make the change you have to be the change.

In 2001, the founders of Cincinnati Change submitted a request to the Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation (CEC) that they set out procedures to issue $100M of revenue bonds, to develop our patent right.

The request was updated in 2002 and again in 2003. In 2004, the CEC set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority. In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission to Change Cincinnati NOW.

This done, then on June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and stands ready to change Cincinnati NOW.On 16 January 2006 Cincinnati Change is creating a limited liability company called Queen City Development Group.

Cincinnati Change will annouce a program thgat does economic development for poor people as part of the celebration of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., often called Martin Luther King Day in on Monday January 16, 2006 at the Cincinnati Music Hall where a free concert starts at 12:00, we will be in Washington Park at 11:30 AM.

This day is a United States federal and state of Ohio holiday honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, this year that is January 16, a day after his birth.The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America.

We will commemorate at Cincinnati Music Hall the timeless values he taught us through his example -- the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership, which we need in the Nati NOW.

By the way Nick we where part of Karma, at 1120 jackson street, so we have been there done that in 2001/2002.

It's 2006 can't we all just change the city.

Peace in the Hood, Jobs in the Hood.

MLK Birthday at Music Hall on 16 Jan 2006 at 11:30

2006-01-10T02:25:00.000-05:00

A celebration of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., often called Martin Luther King Day in on Monday January 16, 2006 at the Cincinnati Music Hll. for a free concert starting at 11:30 AM.

It is a United States federal and state of Ohio holiday honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is observed on the third Monday of January each year, around the time of King's birthday, this year that is January 16, a day after his birth.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America.

We will commemorate at Cincinnati Music Hall the timeless values he taught us through his example -- the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership, which we need in the Nati NOW.

In 2001, the founders of Cincinnati Change submitted a request to the Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation (CEC) that they set out procedures to issue $100M of revenue bonds. The request was updated in 2002 and again in 2003. In 2004, the CEC set the procedures to issue the bonds through the Cincinnati Hamilton County Port Authority.

In 2005, Cincinnati Change assembled a team to meet its organizational objectives through creation of a mutual fund to fund its mission to Change Cincinnati NOW. On June 19th, 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and stands ready to change Cincinnati NOW.

On 16 January 2006 Cincinnati Change is creating a limited liability company called Queen City Development Group.

2006-01-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Our Action On Crime

Lets talk about action. It’s a new year and lets get down with the new City Council. They got right down to business right away on the budget. They passed a budget and set the stage for a consensus to develop on how we define public safety.

We would go about achieving it when City Council Law & Public Safety Committee reviewed the shooting incident that occurred on Christmas Eve, in depth. This is after the CCA does it’s jon and we have a ruling from Dr. O. Who shot who?

Remember public saftey is the issue we pay over 120M a year for, we can ask questions - we own the city. Before anyone has a problem with what we say you should know one of us wrote the OPTA training manual and started for a College in Ohio their Criminal Justice course.
This incident in Roselawn which resulted in the death of one 19 year old Chanel Jordan, who was coming to pick her brother up, fact or fiction. Lets put it in the Blog on uptown security - here.

Cincinnati Change and partners will create dances for teens starting in April at our 20,000 sq. ft. building.

Cincinnati Councilman Cecil Thomas, chair of the Committee, has said it was a productive meeting, but now a holistic approach is needed to attack the problem, with council, police and parents working together. A number of community members spoke about the violence in the community and the need to take action against the problem. Cincinnati Change has declared 2006 as the year of Peace In the Hood along with Jobs in the Hood.

What that means is that we are bringing 100 Cincinnati Change Agents together to do teen dances by April. At these dances we will address the racial division in the city. Join us in this. We need all the help we can get. Goto to web site and give us the word on what you want to change in Cincinnati.

In 2005 racial division has not been reduced under previous leadership, but we have hope for 2006. We still had to much disconnect between the African American and poor in Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Police Department even with the Department of Justice Memorandum of Understanding (DOJ) and the Collaborative Agreement (CA). The Big story is the change in leadership of the FOP and the coming together of the African American community around the issue race and crime.

The image of police officers and the city as a whole is still recovering from race riots that erupted in April 2001, following the shooting death of an unarmed black man who ran from a white police officer trying and subsequent police slow down. The perception that emerged has been said to have embarrassed Specialist Kathy Harrell, the first woman elected president of Queen City Lodge No. 69 of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“The whole city got a black eye from it,” she said in an interview. “But did we grow from it? Yes. Have we proven we’re still an excellent city? Yes. Are there concerns that have to be dealt with? Definitely.” We hope to work with her and other interested parties who believe that we can have Peace in the Hood along with Jobs in the Hood.

We will create those jobs based on the construction of new buildings and the rehab of other buildings we own.

Cincinnati Change was incorporated Juneteenth 2005, June 19th 2005, as a not for profit organization. Development efforts, that succeeded and failed in 2005, set the state for the mission of Cincinnati Change. We will serve as an innovative, proactive partner in supporting comprehensive economic development, workforce needs creation along it’s development, quality housing development that is lead free and environmentally safe, supportive of historic conservation efforts where they make sense, land use management based on creating a land trust for the city.

Cincinnati Change will become supportive of creating in Cincinnati a worldwide arts and cultural amenities infrastructure that is a tourism destination managed by an African American owned and managed company. It would also support the creation of a comprehensive human and social services infrastructure for all Cincinnati’s citizens through established programs along with the creation of a new unified command and control agency for the residents of the city to be called The Nati Action Agency.

In 2005 Cincinnati Change bought interest in it’s headquarters at 2439 Auburn Avenue in preparation for starting operations in February 2006. Cincinnati Change believes that the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored by each other and those who we elect.

Cincinnati Change believes in the equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability, including, if needed, timed affirmative action. Cincinnati Change believes in free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity through creating content for the third frontier - join us, help us change Cincinnati NOW.

Blog with US at http://cincinnatichange.blogspot.com/

9,000 Jobs Plan

2005-12-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Peace in the Hood with Jobs in the Hood Campaign

In 2006 we will create the basis for creating 9,000 jobs by creating 1,000 small businesses. Each of these businesses will in turn employee at least one person - the majority owner. Many such as the food service and entertainment establishments will employ 20 or more.

Each business would have it's own offices and each onwner will have a smart home built and or remodeled for them in the Empowerment Zone and or developable sites site's such as the Blue Ash Airport.

We will develop business relationshp with the following lines of business -

1.1. Global Financial Networks
1.2. Worldwide Energy Developer & Distributor
1.3. African American Owned Business Partners
1.4. SOHO Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.5. Small Micro Sized Business Enterprise Partners
1.6. Female Business Partners
1.7. Veteran Owned Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.8. Empowerment Zone Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.9. SBA Certified 8A Program Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.10. SBA Certified Hub Zone Firm Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.11. Renewal & Rural City Business Enterprise Business Partners
1.12. Hispanic Business Enterprise Partners
1.13. Real Estate Development Professionals
1.14. AEC Professional Partners
1.15. World Wide Professional Service Support
1.16. Professional Security & Safety Company
1.17. Business Development Professionals
1.18. International Community Banking
1.19. International Trading Company
1.20. Global Transportation & Logistics Services
1.21. World Wide Sales Support & Services
1.22. Global American Minerals
1.23. International Water Services & Sales Co.
1.24. International Construction
1.25. International Workforce Development & educational Services
1.26. International Human Service Support
1.27. Global Real Estate Development
1.28. Global Hospitality Services
1.29. Global Food Services
1.30. Travel & Tourism Services
1.31. African American Global Charter Inc.
1.32. Third Frontiers Inc.
1.33. International Branding and Imaging Agency
1.34. Global Communications Development
1.35. Worldwide Technology Development Services
1.36. International Broadcasting Development
1.37. International Multi-Media Development
1.38. International Arts & Entertainment
1.39. Global Computing Services & Sales
1.40. Global Environmental BioTECH Company

WE NEED YOU TO CHANGE CINCINNATI NOW

2005-12-31T06:18:00.000-05:00

The City of Cincinnati Law & Public Safety Committee met on Friday

NOTICE – SPECIAL MEETING LAW & PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

The Law & Public Safety Committee did meet

Friday, December 30, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

in Committee Room B (Room 312, City Hall)

801 Plum Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

The committee reviewed the shooting incident that occurred on Christmas Eve in the Roselawn community, which resulted in the death of one young woman, who was coming to pick her brother up and was not at "dance", and the wounding of another youth.

Committee Members:

Cecil Thomas, Chair

Leslie Ghiz, Vice-Chair (Did Not Show)

Jeff Berding, Member

John Cranley, Member

Chris Monzel, Member

Jim Tarbell, Member (Did Not Show)

Cole who is not a member did show.

Abigail Imn

Clerk to Committee

_______________________________________________

The Story.... so far

The story includes "Security slim at teen dance, owners say" in the Cincinnati Enquirer. The promoter of the Christmas Eve teen dance that turned into a deadly shooting on the street about a block away, failed to provide the adequate security promised in his contract with The Legacy, said an attorney for the Roselawn banquet and conference center Tuesday."It's unfortunate the promoter dropped the ball here," said attorney Richard Goldberg.

Not only should the promoter of the Christmas Eve dance party that turned deadly at The Legacy be question but all others releated to this. Where is the CCA? When the "dance" turned rowdy it resulted in the death of 19 year-old Chanel Jordan.

Cincinnati council is looking at holding a stop the violence summit early next month to address the problems of violence and guns in the city. The Law and Public Safety committee held a special meeting yesterday to discuss the Christmas Eve shooting that left a 19-year-old Chanel Jordan dead and her child motherless.

Chair Cecil Thomas says it was a productive meeting, but now a holistic approach is needed to attack the problem, with council, police and parents working together. A number of community members spoke about the violence in the community and the need to take action against the problem.

__________________________________________

At 3 PM at world peace Bell on Saturday 31 December 2005 we will bring in the year of Peace in the Hood....Jobs in the Hood.

Directions to peace bell

425 York St

Newport, KY 41071-1639

For more information email nubianoracle@cincinnatichange.com or call the office at 513.381.5111 ext 3.

FEMA Hotel/Motel Extension for Evacuees

2005-12-15T13:36:00.000-05:00

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval said victims of the Hurricanes and their aftermath must be given more time in hotels because FEMA cannot guarantee that all applications for other aid, such as rent assistance or trailers, will be processed by the agency's Jan. 7 deadline. The temporary restraining order was part of a class-action lawsuit filed in November by advocates for hurricane victims.

The ruling was in response to a class action lawsuit filed in November by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights along with the New York law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP; John Pierre, Attorney and Professor at Southern University Law Center; the Public Interest Law Project; and the Equal Justice Society. The Lawyers' Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights legal organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to provide legal services to address racial discrimination.

FEMA is immediately complying with the court order. FEMA has extended the stay of all of those evacuees living in hotels and motels paid for by FEMA at least through January 7, 2006 . No hurricane evacuee will have to make the transition to longer-term housing without first receiving rental assistance from FEMA or being provided with referral options if ineligible for assistance. The federally-reimbursed hotel/motel program will end no earlier than February 7, 2006 for those still working with FEMA to receive assistance.

"We have extended the stay to all evacuees staying in hotels and motels to Jan. 7," said acting FEMA Director David Paulison during a teleconference Wednesday. "It has been our mission all along to make sure the evacuees making the transition into longer-term housing have the assistance they need. Our goals and those of this ruling are very much the same and that is to make sure no one is asked to make a transition to longer-term housing before receiving the tools to do so, such as FEMA’s rental assistance. "

Although the short-term lodging deadline is Jan. 7, during a conference Wednesday, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen said eligible evacuees who contact FEMA prior to the deadline would be allowed to reside in hotel or motel rooms after the deadline in order to find an apartment. The federally reimbursed hotel/motel program will end no earlier than Feb. 7 for those still working with FEMA to receive assistance.

FEMA has provided rental assistance to 653,000 families affected by this catastrophe so far. The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to pick up the tab for about 41,000 hotel rooms in 47 states and the District of Columbia at an estimated cost so far of about $350 million.

Judge Duval’s order requires FEMA to notify all displaced persons who were incorrectly told by the agency that they must apply for a SBA loan in order to obtain temporary housing assistance. Pursuant to the court order, FEMA “must notify applicants and potential applicants that no such requirement exists and that no applications will be held up for Temporary Housing Assistance processing due to an SBA Loan application not being filled out, or being filled out incorrectly, unnecessarily, and/or superfluously.”

The needs of the relative few who remain in hotels and motels remain a top priority. FEMA continues to reach out to those evacuees who may not yet know of federal aid they are eligible to receive, and encourages those who have not registered to do so.

This ruling is critical for the close to 100,000 hurricane survivors who are now living in at least 37,000 hotel and motel rooms throughout the country," said John Brittain, Chief Counsel of the Lawyers' Committee. "African Americans made up a disproportionate high share of the hurricanes' survivors. Many have little or no resources and those that remain in hotel rooms are in most need of assistance at this time," added Brittain.

Cincinnati Change will work to ensure that all victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have housing and economic development opportunities.

14 December 2005 Order of the Day

2005-12-15T03:37:00.000-05:00

CINCINANTI CHANGE ORIGINAL MEMORANDUM

14 December 2005

In Re.: October 25th 2005, Port Arthur Working Paper

For Immediate Release
Subject: Cincinnati Economic Development
Contact: Hershel Daniels, Junior

Cincinnati Change
2439 Auburn Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
Phone: (513) 381-5111Ext 3
E-mail:admin@cincinnatichange.com

CINCINNATI CHANGE knows that the Tristate is politically fragmented and segregated by race and class. Many poor Cincinnati residents have a high degree of desperation and hopelessness along with the belief that things can't change. They can and Cincinnati Change will do so by organizing Cincinnati Change Agent for Change Now Campaign. It will create with 200 non governmental organizations and agenceis of government the creation of 50,000 Cincinnati Change Agents partners.

These Cincinnati Change Agents are to be created to “change the peoples perception of Cincinnati” by taking action to change Cincinnati NOW. the founders of Cincinnati Change started this movement on June 19th, 2000 where they took the first public action at the 2000 Black Family Reunion to organize a response to the authority granted to Cincinnati - the ability to issue $100M worth of non volume cap revenue bonds.

From the leveraged investment of these funds in Cincinnati Change Small Business Agents Partners Business Cincinnati cahnge Agents will have access to discounts on over 10,000,000 items through our integrated web site (to go public 17 January 2006) and delivery to a Agents doorstep.

Cincinnati Change was created "to change Cincinnati" by action; we will walk the walk, not talk the talk - we are asking people, organizations and companies to join us in changing Cincinnati in our lifetime.

Cincinnati Change Response to Hurricane Katrina & Rita

As President Bush stated, on Thursday September 15th 2005 in New Orleans, "In the aftermath [of Hurricane Katrina and now Rita], we have seen fellow citizens left stunned and uprooted, searching for loved ones, and grieving for the dead and looking for meaning in a tragedy that seems so blind and random.

We have also witnessed the kind of desperation no citizen of this great and generous nation should ever have to know - fellow Americans calling out for food and water, vulnerable people left at the mercy of criminals who had no mercy, and the bodies of the dead lying uncovered and untended in the street."

MISSION AUTHORITY

On June 19th 2005 Cincinnati Change received its charter from the State of Ohio and stands ready to change Cincinnati NOW as an example of Global Change a business process owned by Lloyd Daniels Development Group that meets national emergencies in cooperation with those who want to change the world.

For more information goto our 360 degree Blog.

Cincinnati Change Proclamation on December 7th as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

2005-12-07T23:34:00.000-05:00

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2005

A Proclamation by the Chairman of Cincinnati Change. On this day we celebrate a national remembrance for those lost on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. We at Cincinnati Change honor the courage of a generation of Americans who devoted themselves to one of the great missions in our country's history – global democracy and freedom.

After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor took more than 2,400 American lives, millions of our citizens answered the call to defend our liberty, and the world witnessed the power of freedom to overcome tyranny.

During this global fight for survival America's ultimate triumph was far from clear in the early days of World War II. When our country was attacked at Pearl Harbor as in Asia and Europe, country after country had fallen before the armies of militaristic tyrants. However, the brave and determined men and women of our Nation maintained their faith in the power of God to support our freedom and spread democracy.

They fought and won a world war against two of the most ruthless regimes the world has ever known. In the years since those victories, the power of freedom and democracy has transformed America's enemies in World War II into close friends. This is the greatness of America the ability to reach out it's hand in friendship to those who are our today our enimies as our friends tomorrow. Witness Japan and Germany.

Cincinnati Change is dedicated to the spread freedom and democracy around the world. We are a organization dedicated to secure a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren. We are grateful to the men and women who are defending our flag and our freedom in the first war of the 21st century. We look forward to the days of peace like our forefathers have done in the past.

These patriots are protecting our country and our way of life by upholding the tradition of honor, bravery, and integrity demonstrated by those who fought for our Nation in World War II and that is continued to this day by our military.

The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as "National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day." The service and sacrifice of our World War II veterans continue to inspire people across our country and set an example of sacrifice. Cincinnati Change remains deeply grateful for all that these heroes have done for the cause of freedom.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this Seventh Day of December , in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the two hundred and thirtieth year in the Independence of the United States of America.

FREDERICK HARGROVE SENIOR
PE, MBA
Chairman of Cincinnati Change