Couple of things
- Todd Walker, see earlier post.
- The state Board of Education will decide on the proposed Lake Oconee Academy charter school after the charter school committee punted yesterday. Not only does this appear to be largely about economics rather than education, but it also doesn't seem terribly feasible for a rather impoverished school system, like Greene County's, to be expected to fund another school which excludes the overwhelming majority of its low-income students north of I-20. Again, if the folks in Reynolds Plantation want to have a school for their own kids, then organize a private school. If you own a home worth $975,000 (at least), I'm going to go on a limb and say you have enough disposable income to start up your own school.
- The 'Stache (aka Glenn Richardson) answers the Athens Banner-Herald's editorial and finds himself on rather shaky ground. In particular, it's staggering the lack of understanding he possesses on how property taxes work, but that's besides the point. The bigger thing he misses is that, for most communities, property taxes have gone up primarily because the state has cut back on its allocated funds for local school districts and, with the litany of new costs and expectations from No Child Left Behind and the underfunding from the federal government, that money has to come from somewhere. Blaming the method of revenue collecting is backward in my mind when it's the system drawn up the state and the federal government which is leading to this.
- The U.S. Attorney finally got involved in the distribution of the Generalow Wilson tape and one can't help but acknowledge the work done by GriftDrift in bringing so much attention to this issue.
- This is very good news, but I'm not exactly holding my breath for it based solely on the political influence that both Texas and Mississippi can wield. I think we're as strong of a candidate as the rest, but it's going to be tough to seal the deal on this one.
- The state Board of Education will decide on the proposed Lake Oconee Academy charter school after the charter school committee punted yesterday. Not only does this appear to be largely about economics rather than education, but it also doesn't seem terribly feasible for a rather impoverished school system, like Greene County's, to be expected to fund another school which excludes the overwhelming majority of its low-income students north of I-20. Again, if the folks in Reynolds Plantation want to have a school for their own kids, then organize a private school. If you own a home worth $975,000 (at least), I'm going to go on a limb and say you have enough disposable income to start up your own school.
- The 'Stache (aka Glenn Richardson) answers the Athens Banner-Herald's editorial and finds himself on rather shaky ground. In particular, it's staggering the lack of understanding he possesses on how property taxes work, but that's besides the point. The bigger thing he misses is that, for most communities, property taxes have gone up primarily because the state has cut back on its allocated funds for local school districts and, with the litany of new costs and expectations from No Child Left Behind and the underfunding from the federal government, that money has to come from somewhere. Blaming the method of revenue collecting is backward in my mind when it's the system drawn up the state and the federal government which is leading to this.
- The U.S. Attorney finally got involved in the distribution of the Generalow Wilson tape and one can't help but acknowledge the work done by GriftDrift in bringing so much attention to this issue.
- This is very good news, but I'm not exactly holding my breath for it based solely on the political influence that both Texas and Mississippi can wield. I think we're as strong of a candidate as the rest, but it's going to be tough to seal the deal on this one.
posted by Jmac at 6:46 AM
6 Comments:
I think one of the biggest difficulties we will face in landing the biodefense center is that our new congressman is likely to be someone who is ambivalent about Athens, at best, or outwardly hostile, at worst. I suspect all of the other candidates will have more supportive, more eloquent, and clearly more senior representatives.
There is a lesson, to both democrats and republicans, on the stupidity of gerrymandering. The legislature stuck us with Columbia County to dilute democrats in Clarke County. This is now a factor that could indirectly cost the state in economic development. (No, I don't think any reasonably compact district including Clarke would have elected a democrat. But perhaps we could elect someone with an interest beyond greater Augusta, not a Norwood or a Whitehead. We would be better off back in Linder's district.)
Nahmias is playing to the crowds on this one, and he knows it. First, it is highly questionable that the tape fits any legal definition of pornography. Secondly, it is a public record, and the public is entitled to access to it.
Finally if it is "child pornography", the production of same is a much more serious federal crime than the possession of same. So if Nahmias is so concerned, why isn't he doing his job and prosecuting the producers of same, such prosecution being much more of slam dunk than the crime of "possession of Exhibit 'A' from State v. Wilson.
Wait, wait, the "producers" would be one Mr. G. Williams, who as we know is not a child raping sexual predator and porno producer, but an innocent victim of 400 years of racial oppression.
So much straw. So many men.
But anyway. Thanks for the link JMac. I'm thinking about heading down to the Supreme Court next week to watch the circus. Should be a hoot.
How is it highly questionable that the tape fits the defintion of pornography? The tape depicts actual minors engaged in sexual acts. That's all you need.
The tape depicts actual minors engaged in sexual acts.
But they weren't engaged in sexual conduct for the purpose of producing the tapes (or were they?).
Hey, I'm game -- If it is child pornography, then I believe that Mr. Nahmias should vigorously prosecute the producers of same, realizing that there is a 15 year minimum sentence. It's kinda stoopid to be dissing folks for exercising a legal right to review public records, but overlooking the certain culpability of the creators of the offensive material.
I say go for it, and let the Hon. G. Williams, child rapist, ponder a 15 year no parole sentence in the federal system.
18 U.S.C. 2256 defines child pornography as "any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where—
(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct." "Sexually explicit conduct" is defined in that same section as "sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex."
I don't read that definition to include a requirement that the minor be engaged in the sexual act for the purpose of producing the tape as you suggest, and I doubt most federal courts would read it that way.
Now a much bigger question is whether it is a federal crime if the tape has not been mailed or transported across state lines. But it would still violate Georgia's child pornography law even if it was never transported through interstate commerce.
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