Couple of things
- Lookee, lookee ... a local blogger done good. Charles gets a letter in the Banner-Herald. He also adds some worthwhile discussion to the downtown alcohol problems, of which I agree with some points and disagree with others.
- I don't necessarily reach the same conclusions as this Banner-Herald editorial did based on the comments from local bar owners. Granted, I don't agree with the bar owners that the university is driving all of these kids downtown, but the editorial suggests that these owners do their part in enforcing the existing laws on the book as well. I think it's clear from their comments they are doing that to the best of their ability, and still failing for a variety of what appear to be legitimate reasons (though the editorial called them 'excuses'). This is puzzling along the same lines as an earlier editorial criticizing The Red & Black that Hillary has already refuted - namely the concession they're already doing many things to stop underage drinking but still offering criticism of it.
- Speaking of this issue, The Red & Black talks to the mayoral candidates about it.
- Jane Kidd's on the stand regarding redistricting and plans to introduce a constitutional amendment calling for an independent commission, provided she wins her election in a few months.
- Hillary's fantasy football team is chock full of random SEC players.
- In the 'I'm-slowly-becoming-a-media-mogul' department ... I'm set to host a 30-minute TV show for Clarke Central football on Charter's local channel. This is in addition to the whole blogging thing and my agreement to assist WRFC 960-AM with their high school football games on Friday night.
- Regarding tailgating, I had never really thought about the new plan to move folks out to the intramural fields. It just seemed rather inconvenient for me, but I didn't realize until yesterday, chatting with my interns, how much students hate that idea. Why? Because it will tear up the fields they use.
- I don't necessarily reach the same conclusions as this Banner-Herald editorial did based on the comments from local bar owners. Granted, I don't agree with the bar owners that the university is driving all of these kids downtown, but the editorial suggests that these owners do their part in enforcing the existing laws on the book as well. I think it's clear from their comments they are doing that to the best of their ability, and still failing for a variety of what appear to be legitimate reasons (though the editorial called them 'excuses'). This is puzzling along the same lines as an earlier editorial criticizing The Red & Black that Hillary has already refuted - namely the concession they're already doing many things to stop underage drinking but still offering criticism of it.
- Speaking of this issue, The Red & Black talks to the mayoral candidates about it.
- Jane Kidd's on the stand regarding redistricting and plans to introduce a constitutional amendment calling for an independent commission, provided she wins her election in a few months.
- Hillary's fantasy football team is chock full of random SEC players.
- In the 'I'm-slowly-becoming-a-media-mogul' department ... I'm set to host a 30-minute TV show for Clarke Central football on Charter's local channel. This is in addition to the whole blogging thing and my agreement to assist WRFC 960-AM with their high school football games on Friday night.
- Regarding tailgating, I had never really thought about the new plan to move folks out to the intramural fields. It just seemed rather inconvenient for me, but I didn't realize until yesterday, chatting with my interns, how much students hate that idea. Why? Because it will tear up the fields they use.
posted by Jmac at 7:05 AM
10 Comments:
1) They're not random. There was loads of statistical analysis done.
2) Really? You just now realized that about the intramural fields? Students have been harping on it ever since the plan was announced. Ultimate frisbee kids do not want to end up with half a bottle in their thigh.
Excellent news on the Central show. One small step toward broader community committment to our Clarke County HS teams?
Darren
question for all you legal types:
isn't it illegal to be in possession of false identification? I'm not sure but I think there are laws against misrepresenting one's identification. The Constitutional provision against self-incrimination allows some freedom in choosing whether a person must reveal their identity but no protection at all for intentional falsifying it.
right? wrong?
The preliminary version of my campaign web site went up in February, with the fully functional version following in March (www.VoteGarland.org). At that time I sent the bullet points of my campaign platform out to the local media, including one about legislative redistricting. Below is my response to a posting on the Athens Politics blog back on 02 March:
Hi All
This is verbatim from the copy that will appear on my campaign web site, which will naturally have a page concerning my policy proposals (not the least of which concerns redistricting). The site should be up and running in a couple of weeks (we're not quite there yet, and it didn't cost anywhere near $2500).
REDISTRICTING
The Commission should ask Clarke County’s legislative delegation to introduce a bill that would take redistricting out of the hands of the General Assembly. Though relying on an extra-legislative commission is not without its own drawbacks, given the opportunity to do so, neither major political party has shown itself able to resist the temptation to gerrymander the state’s legislative and/or congressional districts.
According to the National Council of State Legislatures, twelve states have commissions charged with the “primary responsibility” for legislative redistricting, two others employ “advisory commissions” and a further five have instituted “backup commissions.” Six states give commissions the “primary responsibility” for congressional redistricting; another state employs a “fallback commission” for that purpose. Additionally, movements are underway to establish redistricting commissions charged with “primary responsibility” in California, Florida, and Texas. Uniquely, Iowa utilizes a non-partisan legislative staff process to redistrict for both its legislative and congressional representation, which then must be approved by the state legislature.
Of course, the particular makeup and procedures of each commission vary from one state to another. I am not recommending a particular composition or practice, merely suggesting that the Commission ask that the General Assembly begin the process of redistricting reform.
Dude, you're getting a TV show? Or at least an episode? That's awesome. Be sure to tape it (like you hadn't thought of that) so we can all construct some sort of drinking game around your television shenanigans. I'm so proud -- you're all growns up.
Seriously, congratulations. I will want to see this show.
1. Believe, I know there was plenty of analysis. The number of times we discussed what rookie running back you should take is testament to that.
2. I did just realize about the fields, so perhaps I'm behind the curve. Though apparently it's going to be just four of the nine exisiting fields, which is still enough reason for some students to be upset.
3. Thanks Darren ... I think it's a combination of that as well as the committment of the new football coach at Clarke Central to get the team some exposure. Should be pretty cool.
4. I do think it is illegal to have a fake ID, but again, I'm not well-versed in that ... Charles might be able to help out on that front.
5. Thanks for your comments James, and I like that idea. I hope more folks get behind it. Even though we're on different sides of the political spectrum, I begin to like your ideas more and more.
Here's the Georgia criminal code. Dig around and find out the answer:
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail.pl?code=16-1-1
My guess is that there may be a distinction between having an ID that is not you and attempting to use said ID. Also, if I had to guess, manufacture of a fake ID might be a separate offense.
Darren
The proper code section in the Georgia Code for fake IDs is 16-9-4.
There is a distinction between completely fraudulent IDs and unlawfully possessing someone's legitimate ID. If the possessor can demonstrate they have a legitimate reason for having someone else's license (the code section provides an example: attempting to return it to the proper owner), they can be in possession of the other person's license.
One thing that is not clear to me is a portion of subsection (c)(2): "Any person who violates [certain sections of the code] for the second or any subsequent offense..." is guilty of a felony. It's not clear if this is the second offense after a prior conviction, or if uncovering two fake IDs on one person at the same time can result in the person being charged with a felony. When this situation came up for me (two fakes, same time), I believe we went with two charges, both misdemeanors. Nevertheless, I think that most of the underage kids who use fake IDs do not realize they could be charged with a felony if caught with them twice.
I think there is some wiggle room when it comes to novelty fakes, in that they usually are false IDs that have no government seal on them. However, my experience with the novelty IDs is that, if the warning or caution on the reverse—where it states the card is a novelty item and not intended as any representation of an actual ID—has been etched off, it's moved into the illegal category.
As for lying about your identity, there's 16-10-25. I do not know the case law, which is most important for this one, but I believe that it is correct that there is no constitutional protection for misrepresenting one's identity (or else, of course, this law would have been struck down). I think that this law even applies to first tier encounters, or where the officer just walks up to you and starts chatting about the weather and casually asks for your name. However, whether or not such an encounter actually is the "lawful discharge of the officer's official duties" or just a casual conversation I think perhaps could be argued in court. It definitely would, though, present enough articulable, reasonable suspicion to bump the encounter into the next level if it's discovered that the person was lying.
I hope this helps, anonymous. Perhaps the best advice in such situations where there is the temptation to misrepresent is simply to be silent. You might then be charged with obstruction (16-10-24), but I'm not sure how well a person can be prosecuted for exercising one's right to remain silent.
Also, perhaps one of the best responses to Bennett and Stafford concerning the intramural fields fiasco is to point out that the tailgating on the North Quad has resulted in perennial problems in maintaining the grass there. One can still find glass shards, bottle caps, and other trash left behind from the games from last year. One can see throughout the winter and spring how much work the physical plant must put into repairing and regrowing the grass that, annually, gets trampled to death by tailgating fans.
The cleanup crew they have hired are exceptional people, and patrolling the campus while they were cleaning it all up was a deep lesson in the indecent callousness of the tailgating Georgia fans who lacked "Bulldog Pride." I do not wish to knock or in any way criticize what the cleanup crew does, but they are time-pressed human beings working hard who, understandably, may miss some things. And, as well, it is their policy not to pick up charcoal. Who, then, will pick up the ashes and briquets left behind at the IM fields? I suspect it will be the physical plant, and I suspect the usual reaction will be "Hey, but that's their job."
But, we will have to see, and hopefully the people who want the IM fields to be saved will be polite as they document in photos everything that goes wrong. Especially since the administration is moving the traffic and trash further away from where they have had to traditionally look at it every Monday.
fuck that -- i want a cedar shoal show
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