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U W Hispanic Festival turns 20

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WEEKLY

Newspaper VOL.2 NO.7

ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 18- 24, 2012

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Simon predicts huge

Augusta Riverfront LLC president Paul Simon projects several years of losses for TEE Center. VIDEO CAPTURE

TEE Center losses

Personal and Business Income Tax Preparation Accounting/Bookkeeping IRS & State Problem Resolution

The Wise Choice 2664 Tobacco Rd., Ste A, Hephzibah, GA 30815 www.taxwize.net

IRS & State Audit Representation Levy/Lien/Garnishment Release Offers-In-Compromise And More

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

Politics & more

TEE Center mgmt. contracts in limbo – again; City looking at $1 million first year loss

DESOLATION ROW? The TEE Center corridor in downtown Augusta: the parking deck on the left and the exhibition center on the right. It represents tens of millions of dollars in construction that won’t benefit the city, critics say. Photo by Vincent Hobbs By Frederick Benjamin Sr. Political Analysis AUGUSTA Augusta commissioners have, so far, thwarted attempts by Augusta Riverfront LLC (ARLLC) to fast-track the proposed management contracts for the TEE Center (aka Augusta Conference Center). ARLLC president Paul Simon had been pushing for a mid-October agreement for the right to manage the TEE Center as well as to control the facility’s entire catering operation. Earlier in the week, financial projections of huge first year losses for the TEE Center operations began to circulate. The reports, prepared by Simon, show an operating loss of $887,203 for the first year of operation as well as losses for the next four subsequent years. In an apparent show of increasing frustration over the entire TEE Center debacle, Augusta commissioners meeting at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 16 took no action on the proposed agreements. Hopes for an early resolution of the many controversial aspects of the negotiations continues to wane and the public outcry against inking a premature agreement with (ARLLC) has been steady and growing. At a political forum this week hosted by the

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UrbanProWeekly LLC Mailing Address: 3529 Monte Carlo Drive Augusta, Georgia 30906

Augusta Branch of the NAACP, candidates for the county commission were overwhelmingly in favor of doing nothing until a new city panel is installed in January 2013. Four commission seats are up for grabs on November 6. District 1 candidates William Fennoy, Stanley Hawes and Denice Traina all favor putting the brakes on the controversial proposals while District 1 commissioner Matt Aitken has been a strong supporter of Augusta Riverfront LLC and the entire project. District 9 candidates Harold Jones and Marion Williams both said that the city would be better served by waiting until the new commissioners can study the proposals. Former city commissioners Bonie Ruben and Andy Cheek called in to the Austin Rhodes radio show on Tuesday prior to the city commission meeting urging the commissioners not to ratify any agreements until the matter could be studied further. Critics of Augusta Riverfront LLC, which has ties to Morris Communications, publishers of the Augusta Chronicle, suggest that the contracts past and present are weighted too heavily in favor of the private entity and that the city has to bare the brunt any cost overruns or market downturns. The exclusive catering contract which the ARLLD is seeking has drawn the most criticism.

Publisher Ben Hasan 706-394-9411 Managing Editor Frederick Benjamin Sr. 706-836-2018

“All the mony is going to one place,” candidate Fennoy said. Fennoy is a past member of the Augusta Richmond County Coliseum Authority. Pushing for a swift ratification, Simon said that if the contracts were not in force by mid October, his company would not be able to be prepared in time for the first event, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, in the beginning of 2013.

EVENTS BOOKED FOR 2013 1. Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police 2. HRW Distributions 3. Mary Kay Career Conference 4. East Center Georgia Changes EMS Conference 5. ESi WebEOC Conference 6. Augusta Tattoo Festival 7. Georgia Society of Association Executives 8. National Wild Turkey Federation 9. Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Georgia 10. Georgia Sheriff’s Association 11. Georgia Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authority 12. ESi Ironman of Augusta 13. Georgia Nurses Association

Sales & Marketing Phone: 706-394-9411 New Media Consultant Director of Photography Vincent Hobbs

email: Ben Hasan bzhasan54@yahoo.com Frederick Benjamin Sr. editor@urbanproweekly.com Vincent Hobbs photos@urbanproweekly.com

(left) A performer entertains the crowd at the Hispanic Festival held at the Augusta Commons. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Hispanic Festival 20 years old

This past weekend the organizers of the Hispanic Festival of Augusta celebrated their 20th year. As in past years, those in attencance were delighted by folkloric groups, musical groups, and authentic food stands from several countries. For the children there were arts and crafts, and games. And for the dancers â€” you could watch or join in on the festive movements. LATINA FESTVAL GOERS: A group of ladies enjoying the festivities pose for a picture at the Hispanic Festival. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UrbanProWeekly â€˘ OCTOBER 18 -24, 2012

Sound Salsa Sights

UrbanProWeekly â€˘ OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

4 WESTSIDE HS

Volleyball Region 3AA Champs

Congratulations to the Westside High School girls volleyball team for earning the Region 3AA Championship this past Saturday by defeating AR Johnson 25-13, 25-13, & 25-18. The team hosted Lamar County in the first round of the state playoffs on Wed., Oct. 17 at Westside High School gym at 5:00 PM.

Westside volleyball players attempt to block a spiked ball during a regional playoff match against the A.R. Johnson Lady Panthers at the Johnson gym. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

A.R. Johnson volleyball players celebrate after a point is scored during a regional playoff match against the Westside Lady Patriots at the Panthers gym. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Laney volleyball player Niyaka Anderson (4) goes up for the ball during a regional playoff match against the Harlem Lady Bulldogs at the Johnson gym. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

By Dr. Samir N. Khleif Director, Georgia Health Sciences University Cancer Center About 120 out of every 100,000 women in Georgia and South Carolina will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making breast cancer the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the two states, and second only to lung cancer in deaths. October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is not only a time to celebrate breast cancer survival, but to learn about your own risk and get the facts about breast cancer. Here are a few frequently asked questions: 1) If I find a lump in my breast, do I have cancer? Most breast lumps are not cancerous. But any lumps or other changes in the breast should be reported to your physician. A breast exam and tests such as mammograms can determine whether the lump is something to worry about. 2) Can mammograms give me breast cancer, or cause cancer to spread? This is a very common myth. Mammograms use very small amounts of radiation, and risk of harm from exposure is very low. For years, mammograms have been used safely as the gold standard in screening for breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute recommends mammograms for women age

40 and older every one to two years. Talk to your physician if you have a family history of the disease or other risk factors, which might indicate an earlier start or increased frequency. 3) What is my risk for breast cancer? The National Cancer Institute, as well as the GHSU Cancer Center and others, uses a tool that looks at age, medical history, family history of breast cancer and race/ethnicity to help determine a general personal risk of breast cancer. However, many factors determine a risk for breast cancer, and women should work closely with their health care professionals to discuss results from these or similar tools. 4) If my sister had breast cancer, will I get breast cancer, too? Only about 10 percent of breast cancers overall are related to family history. But family history can be a predictor of breast cancer, especially if first-degree relatives (sister, mother or daughter) had breast cancer and if the cancer occurred when they were younger than 50. If your grandmother or aunt had breast cancer, your risk increases as well, but only slightly. If you do have a family history, tell your doctor. He might suggest genetic testing to see if you carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer gene mutations. Genetic testing should take place only upon the advice of a doctor and only if a genetic counselor is available to discuss your results with you. 5) If I have the BRCA1 or BRCA2

gene mutations, will I definitely develop breast cancer? These mutations multiply the risk of developing breast cancer by five, but they don’t guarantee it. Talk with your physician about your risk as well as preventive treatments, such as the drug Tamoxifen, which reduces risk by 50 percent or more. Another preventive option includes removal of the breasts, and women of childbearing age may choose increased surveillance, including more frequent clinical exams and mammograms. Have more questions? Talk to your doctor, or call our cancer hotline, staffed

weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 888365-0747. Dr. Samir N. Khleif is Director of the Georgia Health Sciences University Cancer Center. A medical oncology and opinion leader who has served on many international committees, working groups and expert panels, he is leading the transformation of the GHSU Cancer Center into Georgia’s second National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, which will create an array of new research programs, clinical services and prevention strategies, and attract top-level clinician-scientists and biotechnology.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY {First Colon Cleansing Center In Augusta} CONDITIONS RESPONDING TO COLON HYDROTHERAPY Cited by Rheumatologist, Arthur E. Brawer, M.D. Enhances Weight Loss • Allergies • Acne • Constipation • Irritable Bowel • Gas/Bloating • Asthma • Chronic Fatigue • Spastic Colon • Potbelly Shanta Johnson

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ESSENTIAL CLEANSING CENTER 2045 Central Avenue, Augusta

706-733-5000

coloncleansingaugusta.com • essentialcleansingcenter.com

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY The Richmond County School System will accept bids and request for proposals until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, for the following: 1. Replacement School Bus Tires RE-BID RFQ #12602 2. Replacement Tires for Cars, Light Trucks and Vans RE-BID RFQ #12-603 Bid specifications may be obtained by contacting Amy Bauman in the Business Office at 706-826-1298, on our web site at www.rcboe.org, or at the Richmond County School System, Central Office, 864 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Augusta, Georgia 30901. The Richmond County School System reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY By: Dr. Frank G. Roberson, Secretary

5 UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 -24, 2012

Think Pink: Your Breast Cancer Questions, Answered

For Augusta Commission DistrictMARY 5 DAVIS

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

For Brier Creek Soil and Women’s Conference WRITE-IN Water Conservation set for November 7 For Board of Education District Supervisor

SPARK drama

(Vote for One)

District 10 Business The CSRA (Vote for One) (Vote for One)

ED ENOCH

League is sponsoring a Women Empowerment WILLIAM "BILL" LOCKETT Raheema Johnson (L), a Conference on Wednesday, (Incumbent) CLEVELAND A. O'STEEN in the SPARK HELEN MINCHEW 7, 2012 at the Ray and competitor November JOHNNY R. STEVENS (Incumbent) Joan Kroc Center. Competiton, performs a (Incumbent) The featured luncheon speaker dramatic scene with actor will be Mrs. Leona Barr-Davenport, Torrence White (R) at the President and CEO of the Atlanta WRITE-IN Paine College Odeum. WRITE-IN Business League. WRITE-IN SPARK (Speaking Poetically Additional workshops being For Augusta Commission For Brier Creek Soil and and Remixing Knowledge) developed include Access to For Augusta Commission WRITE-IN District 5 Water Conservation Capital, Technology, Credit and is a television program for One) District Supervisor Procurement policies. District 7 (Vote designed to identify young (Vote for One) The Kroc Center is located at 1833 (Vote for One) people in the CSRA with WILLIAM "BILL" LOCKETT Broad Street. If you have additional (Incumbent) exceptional literary and perquestions or you need additional JOHNNY R. STEVENS (Incumbent) information, please feel free to conKENNETH J. ECHOLS SR formance talent. tact the League at 706 722 – 0994. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Monster Bash to benefit Children’s Medical Center AUGUSTA The first annual Monster Bash, a fundraiser for the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center, will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 at Enterprise Mill, 1450 Greene St. Tickets are $50 each, and VIP tables of eight with reserved seating are also available. Costumes are encouraged, and prizes will be awarded for best couple and individual costume. The event includes heav y hors d’oeuvres from Fat Man’s Café and music by 7 Once, an 11-piece party band. Proceeds from a silent auction will also go to the CMC. Items for bid will include an autographed baseball; a bed-and-breakfast stay; gift certificates for photography, cosmetology, aesthetic surgery and landscaping services; specialty gift baskets and a pair of Kicks 99 Guitar Pull tickets. The 154-bed GHS Children’s Medical Center is the secondlargest children’s hospital in the state, providing the highest level of pediatric critical care and neonatal intensive care as well as a wide range of general and complex health care for children. For more information about this CMC fundraiser, visit monsterbashaugusta.com, or contact Catherine Stewart: castewart@ georgiahealth.edu or 706 -7214004.

Pick up the latest edition of UrbanProWeekly at a

location near your home or workplace.

WRITE-IN

DONNIE SMITH For Augusta Commission District 7

(Vote for One)

Vote NO WRITE-IN

-1PROPOSED ProvidesCONSTITUTIONAL for improving student AMENDMENTS achievement and parental

If you’reKENNETH looking PRODUCTS J. ECHOLS SR Charter School Amendment for insurance, involvement through more DONNIE SMITH Auto WRITE-IN -1we will find the best public charter-1school options. For Augusta Commission Provides for improving student Georgia and South Home House Resolution No. 1162 achievement and parental District 9 Carolina insurance Act No. 762 involvement through more WRITE-IN (Vote for One) public charter school options. Ga. L. 2012, p. 1364 Business solutions Forfor Augusta Commission your House Resolution No. 1162 District 9 HAROLD V. JONES II Act No. 762 “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended needs. (Vote for One) Ga. L. 2012, p. 1364

Bonds

HAROLD V. JONES II

MARION WILLIAMS

Ben Crawford MARION WILLIAMS 1631 Gordon Hwy

WRITE-IN

(Southgate Plaza next to Terry’s) Suite 4 Augusta Georgia 30906 706-305-1698WRITE-IN office bcrawford25@gmail.com

www.gacoverage.com

Vote NO

to allow state or local approval of public charter schools“Shall uponthethe requestofof localbe amended Constitution Georgia to allow state or local approval of public charter communities?” schools upon the request of local communities?” YES

YES

 NO NO

TUR Paid for by The Richmond County Council of PTAs C

Charter School Amendment

TBA

Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options.

Trowell Builders & Associates

-1-

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

 NO Paid for by Hephzibah Elementary School PTA

Designers • Builders • Planners

Sanctuary Multi-Purpose Buildings Renovations P.O. Box 211886 Augusta, Ga 30917 1.800.546.2685 • Fax 706.738.6328 email: tbamakedreams@aol.com

The 20th Annual Harvest Ball Dinner, Dance & Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at the Julian Smith Casino on Lake Olmstead. Live music will be provided for by The Escorts. Tickets are $20 in d advance and $25 at the door. For advance tickets call 706.737.8113. Proceeds from the event will benefit scholarship funds of the , Augusta State University’s Born To Read Literacy Center.

Vote NO

Charter School Amendment

-1-

Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options. “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

 NO

You may vote on Oct. 27.

Fyne Foot Care Center

RN BALLOT OVER TO CONTINUE TURNVOTING BALLOT

OVER TO CONTINUE VOTING Ingrown Toenails

Corns Calluses Spurs Injuries Hammertoes Diabetic Foot Care Foot Ulcer/Wound Care Other Foot/Ankle Conditions

706-373-4402 NEW LOCATION

fynefootcare@yahoo.com

1710 Central Avenue Augusta, GA 30904 1 blk from Family Dollar 2 blks from Druid Park Ave. Fax: (706) 364-8628

More than just a flower shop Church Décor Special Sentiments Wedding Ensembles

Seasonal Arrangements Conventions and meetings Funeral Arrangements

Levi and Mattie Bush, owners

When in need of flowers stop by to see these lovely people. They do it right! (706) 736-8491 • 1(888) 239-3999 www.quickwayflowershop.com

The Computer Guy Computers Done Right, Free Diagnostic Check Clarence

Sat.,

“Making Your Feet Feel Like Your First Steps”

Most major insurance accepted Including Medicare & GA Medicaid All Major Credit Cards Accepted

1335 Druid Park Avenue Augusta, Georgia 30904

“Flowers For All Occasions”

Paid for by Ursula Collins Elementary School PTA

Dr. Latanya P. Fyne Podiatrist

Quick Way Flower Shop

PC TECH

2658 C Barton Chapel Rd. Augusta, GA 706.814.7188 computerguyaugusta@live.com

7 UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 -24, 2012

Harvest Ball Dinner boosts scholarships

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

Paine College to host South Carolina artist John Pendarvis Paine College will host an art exhibit reception featuring South Carolina artist John Pendarvis on Saturday, October 20, 2012, in the Candler Memorial Library building. Pendarvis is a native of South Carolina. His art work consists of large collages, mixed media, canvases, serigraphs and pieces on paper. Pendarvis’ works are representations of jazz band musicians, dancing, African ceremonial masks, and spiritual themes. The collection featured in the Candler Memorial Building highlight is comprised of his most recent works, depicts African Masks Series, man, watermelons, dogs, and the controversial South Carolina Confederate flag. “With the African Masks, I attempted to play on the idea of people wearing masks and play-

Vote NO

Each viewer brings their own perspective to the art; the art will have as many meanings as there viewers. — John Pendarvis ing games; but with these recent works, the viewer is free to decide. Each viewer brings their own perspective to the art; the art will have as many meanings as there viewers. This is perfectly acceptable; no one’s interpretation is any less valid than any other.”

Charter School Amendment

-1-

 NO Paid for by Murphy Middle School PTA

EARLY VOTING DATES AND TIMES SAT. OCT. 27 9 AM - 4 PM Board of Elections Office Henry Brigham Comm. Ctr. Warren Road Comm. Ctr. STARTING OCT. 29- NOV. 2, 2012 VOTE AT Board of Elections Office Henry Brigham Comm. Ctr. Warren Road Comm. Ctr. 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Pendarvis’ work has been awarded best graphics in two Springs Art Shows and first place in the Southeast Black Art Competition in North Carolina. His art has been featured in collections of Spartanburg Arts Council, South Carolina State University, and many private collections. In additions, his work has been exhibited at the Chris and David Abner Invitational Exhibit, in Columbus, Ohio. Pendarvis is a member of The Artist Collective, Greenville, S.C., Upstate Visual Arts, as well as the Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville. For information on John Pendarvis, please visit: http://artistsguildgalleryofgreenville.com For more information on Paine College, please visit: http://www.paine.edu.

Vote NO

Charter School Amendment

-1-

 NO Paid for by Lamar-Milledge Elementary School PTA

The Four Tops

On Thursday, October 25, 2012, the University Health Care System Pops! at the Bell presents The Four Tops. Part of Motown’s elite, this group is known for their contributions to doo-wop, jazz, soul, R&B, pop, hard rock, and show tunes. Topping the Billboard Hot 100 with two number-one hits including, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” this iconic group continues to entertain sold-out concerts throughout the world. The show begins at 7:30pm .

(Above)

Peoples

Abdul “Duke” Fakir, the last surviving original member of

Funeral Home

the Four Tops will be joined by Lawrence “Roquel” Payton, Jr. Ronnie McNeir and Harold “Spike”

Rev. Albert L. Smith Funeral Director/Owner

•Affordable Prices •Traditional Services •Direct Burials •Cremations •Domestic & International Shipping •Pre-planning •Grief Counseling •Notary Public

“Serving with Dignity and Integrity”

706-724-1885 723 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30901

Vote NO

Charter School Amendment

-1-

 NO Paid for by Deer Chase Elementary School PTA

EARLY VOTING POLLING PLACES Board of Elections Office 530 Greene Street Augusta, GA 30901 Henry Brigham Community Center 2463 A Golden Camp Rd. Augusta, GA 30906 Warren Road Community Center 300 Warren Road Augusta, GA 30909

Vote NO

Charter School Amendment

-1-

 NO Paid for by Monte Sano Elementary School PTA

9 UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 -24, 2012

Pops! at the Bell presents

Monster Bash to benefit Children’s Medical Center

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

Jennifer Norman-Dixon Independent Cruise & Vacation Specialist

Hephzibah, GA 30815 Phone 706-925-2929 Toll Free (877-790-6082 Fax 404-601-4492

Email:jdixon@cruisesinc.com www.cruisesinc.com/jdixon

Tender Care Training School

AUGUSTA The first annual Monster Bash, a fundraiser for the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center, will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 at Enterprise Mill, 1450 Greene St. Tickets are $50 each, and VIP tables of eight with reserved seating are also available. Costumes are encouraged, and prizes will be awarded for best couple and individual costume.

Proceeds from a silent auction will also go to the CMC. Items for bid will include an autographed baseball; a bedand-breakfast stay; gift certificates for photography, cosmetology, aesthetic surgery and landscaping services; specialty gift baskets and a pair of Kicks 99 Guitar Pull tickets. The 154-bed GHS Children’s Medical Center is the second-largest children’s

Vote NO

hospital in the state, providing the highest level of pediatric critical care and neonatal intensive care as well as a wide range of general and complex health care for children. For more information about this CMC fundraiser, visit monsterbashaugusta.com, or contact Catherine Stewart: castewart@georgiahealth. edu or 706-721-4004.

Vote NO

Charter School Amendment

Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options.

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

 NO

-1-

State Approved

Certified Nurse Asst. Training Phlebotomy Training Pharmacy Tech. Training 1140 Druid Park Ave. Augusta, GA 30904 OFFICE HOURS TUES-FRI. 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM Phone: (706)736-9225 Fax: (706)736-0995

Paid for by Barton Chapel Elementary School PTA

Paid for by Diamond Lakes Elementary School PTA

Roundtree to speak at Augusta UNCF Campaign Leadership Luncheon from T.W. Josey High School where he earned a football scholarship to South Carolina State University. Richard Roundtree currently serves as Field Operations Supervisor for the Richmond County School System. Richard has served in this capacity

“This is My Vote” Rally The Paine College NAACP Chapter will host “This is My Vote” Rally & Candidate Forum to encourage the community to exercise their right to vote. The Rally will take place during the annual PaineFest activities on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 2 p.m. on the campus of Paine College. PaineFest, filled with activities for the entire family, is an annual festival that is designed to bridge the community with the college. The Festival is free and open to the public. “This is My Vote” Rally will allow the campus community, PaineFest attendees and CSRA residents to meet the candidates and learn more about their platforms and agendas. This event will take place on the Peters Campus Center Veranda. All candidates who wish to participate. For information, contact Kara Shipp, at 404565-8839 or email painenaacp@gmail. com.

As a 45 year resident of District 1 I have been active and committed to enhancing the living experiences and quality of life of the total community. Please vote Stanley Hawes Commissioner District 1. three of my primary objectives

Improve the residential living experiences in District One

h h

Develop A Senior Center at Dyess Park

Make District One A business friendly environment that will increase economic activity

hhhhhhhhhhh ElECtIon DAy novEmbEr 6

Stanley HaweS

augusta Richmond County Commissioner District 1 www.stanleyhawes.com 706-306-5027

for 3 years. der, rape, robbery, child sexual abuse, Richard has been in Law and computer crimes involving child Enforcement for over 18 years. exploitation. His experience includes Extensive For tickets or more information, Investigation, Interviewing and please contact Leadra Collins at (706) Interrogation Experience. Richard 821-8233, or via email at lcollins@ has investigated cases involving mur- paine.edu

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 -24, 2012

AUGUSTA Paine College will host the first annual United Negro College Fund Leadership Luncheon on Friday, November 2, 2012, at 11:30am in the Candler Memorial Library. Richard Roundtree, Augusta native, will serve as the keynote speaker for the luncheon. The theme for the event is “Being a Leader, not a Label”. The cost of the event is $25.00 per ticket or $350 for a corporate table of eight. Proceeds from the luncheon will go to the Augusta UNCF Campaign. Richard Roundtree is a graduate

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

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Commentary

Well, why shouldn’t poor white voters reject Democrats? The white working class is said to ‘vote against its own interests’. This only exposes the patronising assumptions of their accusers. by Gary Younge So white people who are struggling financially are going to vote Republican. And not by a narrow margin. Asked in a recent Washington Post poll which candidate would do more to advance their families’ economic interests, middleclass white voters who said they were struggling to maintain their financial positions chose Mitt Romney. And not by a small margin. In this category he beats Barack Obama by 58% to 32%. Such news is generally greeted on the left by a mixture of despair and ridicule. Here is a group of people, it seems, who simply do not understand what’s good for them. Whites without college degrees, as reasonable if flawed an indicator of “class” in this country as exists, backed John McCain by 58 to 40 in 2008 and George W Bush in 2004 and 2000 by similar amounts. Failing to sense the liberation the Democrats have in store for them, they have been seized by a collective bout of false consciousness and are once again set to vote against their own interests. Having thus infantilised them as ostensible adults in need of protection against themselves, progressives will then wonder why this particular group of people do not flock to them at the polls. There are several problems with this response – not least the condescension towards a group that too many liberals feel too comfortable disparaging – but for now let’s just concentrate on two. First, it interprets interests too narrowly. As a well-paid journalist, I vote against my economic interests when I support parties that favour wealth redistribution. That’s because my own economic interests are not the only things that interest

me when I vote. I have a vision of a society that I’d like to live in that goes beyond my own bank account. It’s patronising in the extreme to assume that poorer white people don’t understand that. I may disagree with their decisions to vote on issues like abortion and gay marriage, but it’s a different thing entirely to suggest that when they prioritise those things it’s because they don’t know what’s best for them. Paradoxically, given that this argument comes from liberals, it is underpinned by an insistence not that they be less selfish, but more. Secondly, if they were voting on economic issues alone, that might be a reason not to vote Republican but it’s not necessarily a reason to vote Democrat. With unemployment still about 8%, many of the benefits of healthcare reform still to kick in and bankers still running amok, it’s not like Democrats are offering much that would support the economic interests of the poor, regardless of their race. It was Bill Clinton who cut welfare, introduced the North American Free Trade Agreement and repealed the Glass-Steagall Act – which helped make the recent crisis possible. If you were going to trade your religious beliefs for economic gain, you could be forgiven for demanding a better deal than that. Indeed, the people most likely to have voted Democrat four years ago – the young, the black and Latinos – are among the groups that have fared worse under Obama. And all the polls suggest they’re about to do it again, albeit in lesser numbers. One could just as easily argue that they are the dupes. Democrats have no god-given right to the votes of the poor of any race and

for the past 30 years can hardly claim to have earned them. In a country where class politics and class organisations are weak, it’s too easy to dump on the white working class as a bunch of know-nothings when the problem is a political class that is a bunch of do-nothings. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem here. When asked which candidate is most likely to advance the economic interests of you or your family, white people backed Romney 50 to 37 while non-whites backed Obama 71 to 22. That kind of discrepancy cannot just be put down to white people being better off. Since the mid-60s Republicans have seen an electoral opportunity in appealing to the basest, racist sentiments of a section of the white electorate. What became known as the “Nixon strategy” aimed to use the dog whistle of racial symbolism – like “Welfare Queens” and “Willie Horton” – to draw white southerners into the Republican fold and peel off disaffected whites in the north too. It worked. Since the second world war, Democrats have won the presidency with the white vote alone only once – in 1964. One of the appeals for some whites of voting Republican is a desire to maintain whatever limited racial privileges they have acquired over the years combined with a fear that what little they have will be taken away by feckless non-whites and undocumented migrants. While in Nevada in 2010 I asked a white Republican without health insurance why she wouldn’t support a candidate who might give it to her. “I never really got into that Obamacare insurance stuff,” she said. “My mind is focusing 250% on this illegal immigra-

tion.” None of this means all Republican supporters are racist. But it does suggest they make their appeal on racial grounds and, as the poll shows, it is effective. But it won’t be forever. Whites will be a minority in the US in about 30 years. Republicans’ appeal to Latinos is already pitifully low and has made several western states, including Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, extremely competitive. Nonetheless, time and again during the Republican primaries Republicans evoked racial themes in the whitest places. “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money,” said Rick Santorum in Sioux City. “I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money.” “Right,” said one audience member, as another woman nodded. “And provide for themselves and their families,” Santorum added. The black population of Sioux City is 2.9%. In Woodbury County, in which Sioux City sits, 13% of the people are on food stamps, an increase of 26% since 2007, with nine times as many whites as blacks using them. Just a few days later, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, Newt Gingrich said: “I will go to the NAACP convention and explain to the African-American community why they should demand paychecks [instead of] food stamps.” African-Americans make up 0.8% of Plymouth’s population. Food stamp use in Grafton County is 6% – a 48% increase since 2007. Those who are struggling and believe Continued on page 13

Southern whites troubled by Romney’s wealth, religion Viewing the past through the lens of privilege obscures who got hurt in the process. White America needs saving from its myopia. By Margot Roosevelt LYNCHBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - Sheryl Harris, a voluble 52-year-old with a Virginia drawl, voted twice for George W. Bush. Raised Baptist, she is convinced -- despite all evidence to the contrary -- that President Barack Obama, a practicing Christian, is Muslim. So in this year’s presidential election, will she support Mitt Romney? Not a chance. “Romney’s going to help the upper class,” said Harris, who earns $28,000 a year as activities director of a Lynchburg senior center. “He doesn’t know everyday people, except maybe the person who cleans his house.” She’ll vote for Obama, she said: “At least he wasn’t brought up filthy rich.” White lower- and middle-income voters such as Harris are wild cards in this vituperative presidential campaign.

With only a sliver of the electorate in play nationwide, they could be a deciding factor in two southern swing states, Virginia and North Carolina. Reuters/Ipsos polling data compiled over the past several months shows that, across the Bible Belt, 38 percent of these voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who is “very wealthy” than one who isn’t. This is well above the 20 percent who said they would be less likely to vote for an African-American. In Lynchburg, many haven’t forgotten Romney’s casual offer to bet Texas Governor Rick Perry $10,000 or his mention of his wife’s “couple of Cadillacs.” Virginia airwaves are saturated with Democratic ads hammering Romney’s Cayman Islands investments and his refusal to release more than two years of tax returns. At the Democratic convention last week, Obama mocked the GOP’s “tax

breaks for millionaires” as “the same prescription they’ve had for the last 30 years.” A former private equity executive with a net worth of some $250 million, Romney vehemently disputes insinuations that he has paid less taxes than required by law. He calls the attacks an effort “to divert attention from the fact that the president has been a failure when it comes to reigniting the American economy.” The GOP nominee’s lucrative business career, which he touts far more than his record as governor of Massachusetts, does resonate with many Southern conservatives. “I don’t like to see the wealthy punished for their success,” said Cory Beaver, 26, as he waited on customers at a Lynchburg restaurant. “Obama leans toward socialism.” Romney’s opposition to gay marriage and his commitment to reversing the Supreme Court’s decision granting

women the right to abortion also gain him more support in the Bible Belt than in other regions of the country. WHERE OLD AND NEW SOUTH COLLIDE

Focusing on 11 states from Virginia and North Carolina to Texas and Oklahoma, the Reuters/Ipsos polling project canvassed 8,690 people in households with incomes under $55,000 a year – just above the U.S. median. Non-Hispanic whites in this bracket have skewed Republican for more than three decades, and they prefer the GOP nominee to Obama by 46 percent to 29 percent. However, as Romney launches a post-convention ad blitz, those numbers could signal trouble for his campaign. Strategists in both parties figure that to offset the president’s expected Continued on page 13

Poor whites from page 12

try where corporate money chooses the 13 candidates and therefore shapes the debate that will demand a change in politics, not just politicians.

Southern whitesand Romny from page 12 landslide among an expanding electorate of blacks and Hispanics -- Obama won 80 percent of minority votes in 2008 -- Romney must garner more than 60 percent of the white vote overall. In Virginia, polls show the candidates virtually tied. The state’s 5.9 percent unemployment rate, well below the 8.1 percent national average, works in Obama’s favor. Overall, 35 percent of the electorate is black, Hispanic or Asian. Large swaths of northern Virginia, which includes Washington, D.C. suburbs, and the Tidewater region, with its heavy military presence, see the federal government as more friend than enemy. In Lynchburg, a city of 76,000 in south central Virginia, Old and New South collide as downtown’s Victorian gingerbread homes yield to high-tech suburban factories. On Main Street, a pawnbroker displays racks of shotguns across from a marble-and-stainless steel bakery offering creme brulée cupcakes. Several times a day, Appalachian coal trains, more than 100 cars long, wind through town. The city is best known as headquarters of an evangelical empire: Thomas Road Baptist Church, with 25,000 members, founded by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, and its fast-growing offshoot, Liberty University. At Liberty’s May commencement, Romney, a Mormon, sought to stake out

common ground with fundamentalist Christians. Without directly mentioning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as the Mormon church is formally known, he told the crowd of 34,000: “People of different faiths, like yours and mine ... can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview.” According to Reuters/Ipsos polling data, however, 35 percent of voters overall, and the same proportion of lower- and middle-income white Bible Belt voters, say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who is Mormon. Many evangelicals who would normally vote Republican say they view Mormonism as a cult. Several of those interviewed in Lynchburg were devotees of the TV series “Big Love” and “Sister Wives,” about polygamous Mormon families. They were unaware that the Mormon Church long ago renounced polygamy. “Mormons don’t believe like we believe,” said Dianna McCullough, a retired factory worker, as she tossed salad in a Tree of Life Ministries soup kitchen. “Like the wives -- Romney’s probably got more than one.” Still, she is undecided in the election. “The gay marriage thing hurts Obama,” she said. “It’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” The president has said he supports

gay marriage, whereas Romney, in his speech at Liberty, drew his biggest applause with the line, “Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.” ENTHUSIASM GAP Four years ago, almost a quarter of voters identified themselves as white Protestant evangelicals in exit polls. Obama won only a quarter of them. This year, many passionately want to defeat him. In a survey conducted this summer by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, almost a third of Republicans said they believe Obama is Muslim, compared with 16 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats. The falsehood is a frequent theme of conservative talk radio. Still, the challenge for the GOP is to ensure that white evangelicals, most of whom voted for other candidates in the primary, are sufficiently enthusiastic about Romney to make it to the polls. On a humid evening at the Thomas Road church, the weekly “Hands Stitching 4 Jesus” group was crocheting teddy bears for children in Mexico. Middle-school teacher Stephanie Parrish, 27, was setting up a slide show from her recent mission to Guatemala with Campus Crusade for Christ. Her thoughts on the presidential election? “Abortion and gay marriage -- where

they stand on morality, that’s big for me,” she said. In 2008, Parrish was a fan of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was defeated in the GOP primary. She counts him as a Facebook friend. She has yet to “friend” Romney, although she plans to vote for him. “I’m not extremely excited,” she confessed. “I’d prefer not to have a Mormon.” Nonetheless, she added, “Romney seems to align himself with conservative values.” Among low- and middle-income white Bible Belt voters, 21 percent in the Reuters/Ipsos polling data said they are uncertain they will vote in the presidential election. That’s not much more than the 17 percent of other respondents who were uncertain. But in a group that leans Republican, it could be enough to hurt Romney. Democratic TV spots in Virginia and other battleground states portray Romney as outsourcing jobs to China and Mexico when he was chief executive officer of Bain Capital -- a charge he calls “deceptive and dishonest.” The GOP nominee’s attacks on “big government” as “hostile and “remote” appeal more strongly to white low- and median-income Southerners than to the nation as a whole. The deep cuts in the Continued on page 14

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Romney will improve their economic lot are wrong, regardless of their race. Eight years of George W Bush proved

things have gotten less bad less quickly. True, those are the only two choices that. But it does not follow automati- on offer. But if you’re poor they are not cally from that that their home should great choices. What they need is a party be supporting Democrats under whom that represents their interests. In a coun-

UrbanProWeekly • OCTOBER 18 - 24, 2012

Southern whites and Romney from page 13 federal government’s domestic program pushed by his vice-presidential nominee, Paul Ryan, reinforce the message. In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, these Bible Belt voters blame Washington more than Wall Street for the recent recession by a margin of 30 points. Overall, Americans blame Washington, too, but by only six points. “Other than the military, everything that’s government-controlled is screwed up,” said William Clarkson, a retired postman who was rooting for the Lynchburg Hillcats, the city’s minor league baseball team, on a sweltering afternoon. “Romney took a lot of businesses that were failing and turned them around,” he said, adding: “I don’t see big business as evil. Obama is using class warfare with his ads about Romney wanting to give tax breaks to millionaires.” Obama’s plan is to extend Bush-era tax cuts for families with incomes under $250,000 a year, while Romney and congressional Republicans support an across-the-board extension. According to the Reuters/Ipsos data, 35 percent of the white Southern group saw Romney as having a “better approach” to taxes, while 25 percent thought Obama does. Paradoxically, the same group agreed by more than 4 to 1 with the statement: “The wealthiest Americans should pay higher taxes,” which is Obama’s cam-

GHSU College of Nursing students to host Senior Health Fair AUGUSTA Seniors can receive free health screenings at a Senior Health Fair hosted by Georgia Health Sciences University junior nursing students from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 at The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 1833 Broad St. The event is open to the public. The screenings are based on a needs assessment survey of older adults by the Kroc Center. As part of their health promotion course, 40 students from the GHSU College of Nursing will provide information, activities and services on the following topics: 1. Joint health (arthritis, strength training, benefits of Tai Chi and encouraging members to participate in the Silver Sneakers program) 2. Diabetes (prevention, healthy food choices/dietary habits and importance of follow-up appointments, checkups and foot care and vision screening) 3. Hypertension (prevention, healthy food choices, importance of medications, appointments, blood pressure screening and connection with diabetes and other conditions) “[The needs assessment survey] found out from participants at the Kroc Center what kinds of services or health information they might be interested in receiving,” said Dr. Deborah A. Smith, Associate Professor of Physiological and Technological Nursing at GHSU’s College of Nursing. “We thought this was a prime area for our students to learn from people who are willing and hungry for the information. We’re always looking for service opportunities.” For more information about the event, call the Kroc Center at 706364-5762.

paign theme. SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT The apparent contradiction in public attitudes about tax policy mirrors widespread confusion over the Affordable Healthcare Act, which Romney has promised to repeal. Overall, 54 percent of Americans -and a decisive 69 percent of white low- and median-income Southerners -- opposed Obamacare, according to the Reuters/Ipsos data. But when asked about specific parts of the law, the results largely favored the president. Both groups opposed the provision that would require them to buy health insurance. However, by more than 2 to 1, both supported making businesses with more than 50 employees offer insurance and forcing insurance companies to cover people with preexisting

conditions. Almost two-thirds of both groups supported a central element of Obamacare: extending Medicaid -- the federal-state program that covers healthcare for the poor -- to families earning less than $30,000 a year. Romney and Ryan seek to cut the growth of Medicaid by capping federal contributions and shifting responsibility to the states. If Obama has fed class resentment with attacks on Romney’s taxes and his mixed record at Bain Capital, the GOP is tapping into a different strain of white middle-class rancor -- one directed toward low-income recipients of government aid. A Romney ad asserts that “Under Obama’s plan, you wouldn’t have to work and wouldn’t have to train for a job. They just send you a welfare check.” Independent fact-checkers say the ad distorts the administration’s plan to give states more flexibility on work rules -- a request that came from

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Republican governors. In Lynchburg, however, it resonates with some white conservatives. At the Modern Barber Shop on Main Street, where the Ten Commandments are displayed in the window, a group of retirees chatted about the election on a recent morning. “I don’t believe in free handouts,” said Robert McCanna, a former accountant. “Obama is pitting blacks against whites.” Retired truck driver Lyle Campbell interjected, “If I was black, I would get anything I want.” Just up the street, however, Sheryl Harris, the senior center activities director, sees the election through the lens of class, not race. “Romney didn’t get to the top of the pile by being a nice guy,” she said. “To make the money he makes you have to step on a lot of people ... Democrats are more interested in helping the lower and middle classes.”

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