MsConcerned's Manifesto

Category: Community

  • Mary J. Blige on Singing to Hillary Clinton: ‘She Needed to Feel That This Police Brutality Mess is a Nightmare’

    I commend Mary for her work and passion, I have just one #Concern/Comment either sing (that which you are very good at) or consider being a talk show host – you must be able to separate the two until you build trust.

    Good luck and best wishes Mary…

    Mary J. Blige is using her voice in a different way as the host of her new talk show “The 411 with Mary J. Blige,” powered by Apple Music. For her inaugural sit-down, the Queen of HIp-Hop Soul interviews Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, an intimate conversation that shows both Blige and Clinton outside of their comfort zones.

    Source: Mary J. Blige on Singing to Hillary Clinton: ‘She Needed to Feel That This Police Brutality Mess is a Nightmare’

  • Novel financing plan infuses $11.2 million to treat drug-addicted Connecticut parents

    Novel financing plan infuses $11.2 million to treat drug-addicted Connecticut parents

    As a concerned citizen I’m #Concerned to know if the money allocated for this project could have been better spent on providing mental health and rehabilitation services to prison inmates upon release.  Think on this: No matter how much money a community spends on providing rehabilitation services for either individuals or families as a unit – it is ultimately up to the individual to want to make a change in their lives and then seek help.

    Drug Violation Arrests in Connecticut, 2001-2005I’m #Concerned if there was a ratio analysis conducted on the number of individuals that have had repeat rehabilitation services is equivalent to the number of repeat offenders (i.e. recidivism).

    Note:  Rehabilitation after incarceration works,  see the lives of Mayor Ganim of Bridgeport, CT and Governor Rowland of New Haven, CT.

    Secondly with $11.2 allocated of philanthropic means why was an established program in Stamford Connecticut (and other surrounding areas, Greenwich, Norwalk and Bridgeport) known as The Liberation House not provided one red cent in grant money.  This may be apples and oranges, but nonetheless this program has always assisted both individuals and families in spite of the local medical and mental health services that should have been provided by Optimus were being rejected because of the inability to manage the influx of clients (someone who is currently receiving services).  Optimus would deny care if the individual was referred from Liberation House.

    PFS is “helping to set a new bar for solving the nation’s complex challenges,” said Rafael López, commissioner for the U.S. Administration on Children, Youth and Families, on Wednesday

    MIDDLETOWN –  With a fresh infusion of $11.2 million in philanthropic and private capital via a new financing framework, Family Based Recovery Services can reach up to 500 Connecticut families over a five-year-period.

    Sources:

    Novel financing plan infuses $11.2 million to treat drug-addicted Connecticut parents

    National Substance Abuse Index

    New York Times Ganim

    New York Times Govenor Rowland

  • Protect and Serve the Second Dimension

    Protect and Serve the Second Dimension

    fake-policeProtect and Serve the Second Dimension

    Investigation shows officers get info from criminal history, motorist and other databases for entirely non-work-related reasons

    Did You Know

    In Florida, a Polk County sheriff’s deputy investigating a battery complaint ran driver’s license information of a woman he met and then messaged her unsolicited through Facebook.

    If this is occurring in Florida what’s happening in your state?

    Source: Police sometimes misuse confidential work databases for personal gain: AP

  • Statewide Amber Alert issued for missing Rocky Mount girl, 2 :: WRAL.com

    Statewide Amber Alert issued for missing Rocky Mount girl, 2 :: WRAL.com

    A statewide Amber Alert was issued early Tuesday for a missing 2-year-old girl who authorities say was abducted from her home in Rocky Mount.

    Source: Statewide Amber Alert issued for missing Rocky Mount girl, 2 :: WRAL.com

  • Medical Marijuana Program Continues to Grow

    Medical Marijuana Program Continues to Grow

    According to an article in the CT News Junkie, “The number of patients in the state of Connecticut receiving medical marijuana treatment keeps growing, now at 13,440…”

    Of course it the number of patients smoking weed would rise for at least 2 reasons:

    1.  Addiction;
    2.  Friends who are addicts want a supply;

    A story in Psychology today states, “A realistic concern for recreational users of marijuana is whether or not they will become addicted. There are no easy answers to this question. In my opinion, the most unbiased book on this and other related topics is The Science of Marijuana (2008). The Science of Marijuana is written by Leslie L. Iverson, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Cambridge in England. In the book, he reviews decades of international research on marijuana, both laboratory research and survey research. Based on his review of the scientific literature, between 10 to 30% of regular users will develop dependency. Only about 9% will have a serious addiction. For an excellent post on the biology of marijuana addiction see http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-addiction/201001/is-marijuana-addictive-you-can-bet-your-heroin”

    The demand has been so great that one of those dispensaries, Bluepoint Wellness in Branford, recently received permission from a local zoning commission to move into a much bigger space across the street from its current location on East Main Street which is 5 minutes away from Branford High School located on 185 E Main St, Branford, CT 06405.

    According to (Kajstura, 2014),Connecticut’s drug free school zone laws require mandatory minimum sentences of up to 3 years for certain drug-related offenses committed with 1500 feet of a school, day care, or public housing.  The facility is currently a 5 minute drive and approximately 32 minute walk from the high school – oh, but this is legal distribution!

    Source: CT News Junkie

    Gumbiner, J. (2010, December 5). Is Marijuana Addictive. Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/search?q=why+is+marijuana+addictive&pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR

    Prison Policy Initiative – http://www.prisonpolicy.org/zones.html

     

  • We Live in a World…”I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek”

    We Live in a World…”I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek”

    we-live-in-a-world

    This is best sign I have seen so far. Notice race isn’t brought up. We bring up the pressure of being a police officer, but don’t address what goes through a persons mind when a gun is put in their face by a police officer. I sympathize with anyone being killed unjustly. That includes the 5 police officers in Dallas. I hope we keep having open dialogue between law enforcement & the communities which they protect. We need as a society to think outside or ourselves. Do I think all cops are bad, NO. Do I know what it’s like to be black, NO. But I’m raising black kids. So this issue is important to me. When I hear Black Lives Matter, what I think ppl are saying is Black Ppl want to be safe & treated fairly, says Gary Owen

    Folks are protesting, and people are getting killed during and around the protesting.  I’m quite sure this is very different from one the more successful protest, i.e. The Boston Tea Party,  or the many “non-violent” protest led by Martin Luther King.

    It seems today is re-aligning itself with days gone by or have they gone anywhere?  Has the tree hangings turned in bullets raging across the lives of both innocent and guilty?

    This complex social situation is perhaps best summed up by King himself in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written to members of the Birmingham clergy and religious community who had urged patience and restraint of the civil rights movement. Of the Black Nationalist movement, King notes:

    “The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad’s Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro’s frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible “devil.” I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the “do-nothingism” of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest.”

    Have we has a people merely tolerated too much for too long?  Have we scraped the bottom of the barrel and found there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Have we been oppressed so long that even the Word of God no longer prevails?  Have ever actually given God a try?

    Scripture states in II Timothy 3 –

    3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

    That’s some harsh direct information from Paul. He proclaimed we would be without self-control, boastful and proud sound a lot like some of us already falling into these categories.  If Paul was right and these are the signs of the “last days” how far are we from the “Last” day and if we are not even close I shutter to think what this world will look like next year based on the behavior of folks today.

    Sources:

    The Independent – http://theindependent.ca/2014/01/20/dr-martin-luther-king-strategies-and-tactics-of-civil-disobedience

    EdSitement – https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/martin-luther-king-jr-and-nonviolent-resistanc

    NIV Bible – 2 Timothy 2 New International Version (NIV)

     

  • America’s Not So Funniest Videos – Will the Real Keith Lamont Scott Video Please Stand Up?

    America’s Not So Funniest Videos – Will the Real Keith Lamont Scott Video Please Stand Up?

     

    America You Decide…

  • Gas Prices on the Rise: Are You Ready?

    shell-smiley-face-5-09-for-gas

     

     

     

    While the increase in gas prices has increased costs for all commuters, workers from households whose income is below the federal poverty level pay a larger proportion of their income for gas.This fact sheet uses data from the 2006 American Community Survey to quantify the relative burden of gas use for commuting.

     

    Public Transportation
    Rising fuel prices the last few years have led to significant increases in costs for public transit agencies. As fuel prices continue spiraling upward, the added costs are a significant concern for transportation officials. A possible benefit from higher gas prices, though, is an increase in public transit ridership. As the cost of fueling a car increases, people may seek out ways to reduce fuel consumption, and one such option is public transit. If an increase in gas prices leads to a rise in transit ridership, then fare revenue would increase, and the added fuel costs for the transit operator would at least be partly offset. A number of news reports across the United States have indicated that transit ridership has increased with the rise in gas prices, but few studies have been conducted to confirm this relationship or measure the extent of it.

     

    Conversely – Markets can be on edge if there is a rapid fall of oil prices. This is of particular concern for countries which produce oil –  Russia, Iraq, Venezuela. Oil sales are an important part of their incomes.  For every $20 decline in the price of a barrel of oil, you should expect about a 50 cent decline in the price of a gallon of gasoline. And that is what we’ve seen.

     

    Home Buyers
    Home buyers have been making the trade off for years – the further away from metropolitan centers a home is located the cheaper it is likely to be. There are exceptions to this, of course, but generally consumers have been willing or maybe forced to exchange time for money, frequently commuting 40 or 60 or 80 miles each day between a nice home in the suburbs to their job in the city or in another far-flung suburb.

    Since higher energy prices will not be restricted to the gas pump, there could be profound repercussions on the cost of constructing homes and of operating them. First of all, it is a given that costs of material such as lumber and especially products which are petroleum-based are going to increase. Prices for materials will start a multiplier effect as transportation and ingredient costs and the energy required for production all rise. For example, dimensional lumber will cost more to cut in the field (oil to run the saws, cranes, and tractors) transport to the saw mill, run through the mill, and transport to wholesale and then to retail markets. Costs along each step will be passed on to the consumer.

    Shipping
    High fuel costs also directly affect the expenses of shipping and transportation companies, including giants United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS), FedEx Inc. (NYSE: FDX) and the U.S. Postal Service. Because most such companies don’t hedge against oil price increases, the heavier burden of running their delivery fleets is absorbed by consumers and other businesses.

    gas-breakdown

     

    In Your Community

    Think on this why do the prices of gas surge every year?  Is there a correlation between the time prices rise and current events around the world and on the street where you live?

    1. Consumer Spending – gas prices rises shopping at the mall decreases;
    2. Car Shopping – gas prices rise, hybrid sales rise;
    3. Automakers spend less – loss of jobs;
    4. Confidence suffers – depression rises, physician visits rise and depression medication surge;
    5. Grocery Shopping – Cost to ship the food rises; if you are on food stamps the amount of food you are able to purchase decreases;
    6. Salary – does not increase with the surge in gas prices, what local trips will you avoid to compensate? Movies, Town Hall Meetings, PTA meetings, Voting

    The next time you driving around town and on Monday the gas is $1.89/gal and on Thursday of the same week the gas is $3.20/gal; ask yourself the question:

     

     

    black-woman-scratching-her-headWhat other item(s) have I ever purchased from the grocery store, Walmart or even The Dollar Store – did the price rise on that item which was in stock the week before?

     

     

     

     

    Source

    http://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/19/reuters-america-update-2-us-pump-prices-rise-as-colonial-preps-gasoline-line-restart.html
    http://www.urban.org
    http://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com

     

  • Section 8 – Meriden Connecticut

    Section 8 Chamberlain Heights and 24 Colony Street Apartments
    Chamberlain Heights and 24 Colony Street Apartments

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  • A Definitive Look at Winning the Lotto – A Matter of Life or Death

    Gambling

    A dollar and a dream, that all it takes to be a winner at Lotto a game of chance where everyone wants to be a winner. With phrases like, “You Gotta be in to Win it” and “All it Takes Is a Dollar and a Dream” seem to echo in the hallways of chance catapulting one to dash off to the local convenience store and purchase 10 or 25 tickets when the pot increases. Time and time again we watch the local news as they repeat  those “winning lotto stories” thus turning up the volume of the opportunity to become a millionaire. What if your life or loss of life was the “give-away”? What would you choose, would you play, what would be the driving force behind your decision? The answer to these questions may not be so easy to make based on many factors or perhaps just one.

    The lottery has been around since about 1965. In fact lotteries were illegal until 1964 according to the NGISC (National Gambling Impact Study Commission). Seems like those things that are for one reason or another deemed under the header as may not be good for human consumption are the things  certain populations of folk will fight tooth and nail for.  Alcohol, marijuana, gaming, and even abortion to name a few were labeled as illegal activities. Come with me as we take a walk down the avenue of winners and losers.

    Alcohol – The Prohibition Amendment was adopted in the 1920s allowing the making and selling of alcoholic beverages illegal. However the Eighteenth Amendment of U.S. Constitution established that only certain intoxicating liquors were prohibited, so for instance the medical field and some religious groups could participate in consumption as long as the intent was not to “intoxicate” oneself. The Volstead Act further went on to define “intoxicating” and briefly state the Act provided three definitions: (1) to prohibit intoxicating beverages, (2) to regulate the manufacture, sale, or transport of intoxicating liquor (but not consumption), and (3) to ensure an ample supply of alcohol and promote its use in scientific research and in the development of fuel, dye and other lawful industries and practices, such as religious rituals.

    Cannabis – In the 1600’s colonists were ordered to grow hemp for export and even George Washington grew his own batch of Marijuana. As in the “natural” course of things, pun intended, someone somewhere figured out that smoking it much like the consumption of alcohol provided a sense of well-being. There you have it in 2012 the smoking of marijuana purely for enjoyment was legalized in the state of Washington.

    Abortion – A topic with grave proportions hit the circuit in Roe v. Wade. In 1973 the court ruled 7 – 2 that women had the right to abort a pregnancy, governed by the length of gestation, if she so desired. One little case that is rarely mention is the case of Doe v. Bolton where the state of Georgia would only allow abortions under the following conditions: (1) injury to the mother; (2) in rape cases; and (3) presumed deformity of the fetus. This topic continues to be a struggle today in deciding when life begins under the extreme headers of Life vs. Murder.

    Gaming – Last but not least the highs and lows of “trooping” with the “Big Dawgs” a more commonly known phrase used by some young folk in urban neighborhoods. In this area the art of winning is defined as luck, chance, opportunity, a “feeling”. I’ve  watched some individuals play the gambling machines at the local casino and to my extreme surprise I have witnessed people (in hopes of manipulating “luck”) wiping the gambling screen, or attempting to calculate the number “wins” based on the amount of money used on each pull of the handle.  For example on the dollar machine with a max bet of $10 they would play $1 for 5 pulls of the handle and on the 6h pull increase their bet to the maximum $10 dollars.  I ask the question then what is luck and what is the driving force to achieve luck and can it be achieved and or manipulated?

    According to Merriam-Webster, luck is defined as , “a force that brings good fortune or adversity”.  Adversity! What is this! I proclaimed. When I think of luck it has always been associated with  good fortune, and then I remembered – ahhh yes as the artist Harold Melvin states in his song Bad Luck written by himself and the Blue Notes the singer talks about bad luck may feel like the lyrics state, “…Played a number `cause that number’s hot stuff,  But the bookies get you for every cent you’ve got, Walk around in a daze with your pockets bare, Go to see your woman and she ain’t even there.”   Very descriptive of someone who has made a decision to gamble for what ever reason and now that’s he has spent all his money he goes to see his woman and she’s gone.  Geeze sounds like if you make a not so good decision everything subsequent goes awry.   Why would some folk make a decision to gamble, life stressors, i.e. a broken heart the possibility of foreclosure on a home or even watching your car roll backwards down a cliff just when the bank has demanded the return of the vehicle due to non-payment. These and other scenarios can be the catalyst for playing the lotto or gambling on the machines in the casino in hopes that the “luck” will change. Not to mention the players that have won and won exceptionally large amounts of cash in lottery drawings could make one believe they too can be a millionaire.

    For example in Pennsylvania there was a winner of $250,000 in their Mega Millions ® Jackpot sales. The mere thought of receiving a quarter of million dollars for purchasing a PA Lottery Daily Number ticket coupled with paying off ones debt could surely be enough incentive to think that one’s “bad luck” will be changed in an instant. In CT and PA there are two chances to win on the same day. For example in Pennsylvania there is the opportunity to win the PA Lottery Daily Number in both the afternoon and again in the evening Yet in CT one would have to play twice to win either in the morning or in the afternoon.  I suspect that with even that small increase in the chances of winning from once a day to twice a day not only produce increase sales for the state  lottery – then why do schools not have enough books and supplies?  In the State of CT in 2012 the President and CEO of the CT Lottery indicated that not only did they celebrate multiple years of success but that they raised $7.2 billion dollars for programs such as education and public health again I ask why are teachers spending their own funds on supplies?

    Is it possible that the forces that drive one to play lotto can have severe consequences? Absolutely, if this is indeed a game of chance then all attributes of chance become optional. There was a moment in time where if you were “chosen” the prize would be the life of your child. That’s right, in the book of Exodus in the Bible the writer tells of a story where God released a plague that would kill the first born of Egypt from the Pharaoh’s son to the first born of the cattle. It would appear that “luck” was not on the side of the Hebrews unless they envoked the power of the blood and brushed in on their front door, again what’s luck got to do with it?  Again I ask what is it to have “luck” and what is the driving force of luck just how does it work? In my summation “luck” would be a combination of everything about a person, their desire to seek great things without doing much work.

     

    Good luck in all your endeavors or not.

     

    REFERENCES

    King James Bible – http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org
    Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission http://aglc.ca/gaming
    National Gambling Impact Study http://govinfo.library.unt.edu
    National Archives – http://www.archives.gov
    Merriam Webster – http://www.merriam-webster.com
    You Tube – http://youtu.be/AzZRQHjvx-A
    Pennsylvania Lottery – http://www.palottery.com
    Connecticut Lottery – http://www.ctlottery.org

     

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