Urban Spectrum Makes Second Annual Global Market A Success
Editor:
I want to personally thank you for being involved in the 2nd Annual Global Market. I have been out of town since the event, and wanted to thank you for the Urban Spectrum’s participation and support. The Urban Spectrum was absolutely critical in improving the Global Market from its inaugural year, and I thank you on behalf of our staff and all of the vendors that participated for your continued support.
Jason Page
MicroBusiness Development
The Working Class Makes Us Great
(To Rocky Mountain News Editor John Temple)
Why was it necessary to put Governor Bill Owens on the front page of the Sept. 5 Rocky Mountain News, doing nothing more than posturing, while on page 12 you have Pastor Larry Brown of the Lowry Community Christian Church working well into the night with his 50-member volunteer crew preparing for the 125 evacuees sent to the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver?
It isn't the politicians that make this great country what it is. It is the working class citizens. We are sick and tired of the news media glorifying Bush, Owens, and the rest of the good-for-nothings who wait for an opportunity to pose for the press.
Did I get your attention?
Phyllis Reid
Denver
Tools Needed For Rebuilding
Editor:
In order to rebuild, tools will be needed.
Hand tools, axes, saws, vise grips, a variety of sharpening stones, work gloves, multi-task tools, at least 100-foot, 550-pound parachute cord, a variety of shovels, trowels, cleaning rags, bungee cords, tool, boxes, etc.
Home owners, carpenters, and repairmen may have had these items, but they were lost or damaged in the Katrina hurricane.
Please help them donate tools you no longer need.
Perhaps some organizations could have tool drives and take them to the hurricane states, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, wherever needed.
Fran Washko
Inconsistent Aid? No - Inconsiderate President
Editor:
Why would Bush give aid to Zimbabwe, when U.S. policy is to oppose President Robert Mugabe's government, yet is slow to give assistance to the people of African descent in New Orleans who are affected by the tragedy wrought by Hurricane Katrina? Though this question points to inconsistency, through understanding we will find that the Bush administration's thinking is consistent. Bush has offered assistance to Zimbabwe because he is trying to overthrow the government of President Robert Mugabe. The U.S. administration wouldn't say ‘overthrow’ they would use the language of ‘regime change.’ To drive a wedge between the Zimbabwean government and its people, Bush gives Zimbabwe assistance to gain trust, so the people of Zimbabwe believe that the U.S. is looking out for the best interest of Zimbabwe's people. Once Bush gains enough trust then it can persuade the Zimbabwean people to rebel against President Mugabe and U.S. policy of regime change is accomplished. Then the U.S. can install a sell-out lackey, who will be African, that will allow the U.S. to rape Zimbabwe of its natural resources. Bush giving assistance to Zimbabwe shows lack of concern for Zimbabwean people. It is the U.S.’s attempt to put a face of concern on a body of greedy self-interest. Bush cares nothing about the Zimbabwean people. He just wants to steal Zimbabwe's gold, chrome, platinum, etc.
Likewise Bush's slow movement to assist people of African descent in New Orleans is a display of the same lack of concern. These people of African descent are some of the most economically depressed people of America. Bush can gain nothing of economic value by helping these people. So he is in no hurry to assist these people of African descent. Bush will tell you differently, but his behavior exposes what is really true. Bush does not care about Africans no matter whether they are located on the African continent or in the geographical boundaries of the United States. In Zimbabwe he shows his lack of concern by giving in order to sow discontent to accomplish overthrowing the government. In New Orleans he shows his lack of concern by being slow in his giving. Both behaviors are consistent with his lack of concern for people of African descent. Condeleeza Rice, wake up. You are being used. If you didn't know it, now you do. If you already suspected it, does this mean you have sold out your dignity for fifty pieces of silver? The truth must be told. The truth will set you free.
Pastor M. Ajabu
ajabum@netzero.net
SBA Sets The Record Straight
Editor:
On the heels of recent distorted reports about a special post 9/11 loan guarantee program administered by the SBA, it's time for a reality check.
In the interest of setting the record straight, let me point out that the SBA had a disaster recovery, low-interest loan program in which it directly made loans to victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Every eligible loan applicant in New York City and across the country who qualified for a loan under this program was able to receive one. There was ample funding. There was no competition between small businesses for this money, as implied by these articles.
Separately, Congress pursued legislation to respond to the needs of small businesses across the country which, through no fault of their own, were adversely impacted financially by 9/11. This resulted in the Supplemental Terrorist Activity Relief (STAR) program. Through STAR, small business could obtain loans, guaranteed by the SBA, at commercially available interest rates.
The SBA implemented the STAR program openly as Congress mandated and it was a success. In fact, many small businesses have stated that they would not have made it after the economic downturn caused by 9/11 without these SBA-guaranteed loans.
Finally, because of these articles and misrepresentations, small businesses that received these loans appropriately are unfairly being dragged through the mud. The real 'outrage' would be if this sensational reporting also causes them to lose customers. That would truly be a second injury.
Hector V. Barreto
Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
Talented Student Needs Sponsors For Miss Colorado Teen USA
Editor:
Hello, I am Echoe Malone. In May of 2003, the Urban Spectrum presented an article about me as a Girl Scout member. Recently, I was selected to participate as a finalist in the Official State Preliminary competition of the 2006 Miss Colorado Teen USA Pageant. If I should win the competition, I will automatically compete in the nationally televised Miss Teen USA Pageant. | | As a participant for the Miss Colorado Teen USA Pageant, it is required that I find several sponsors in my community who will contribute towards the total sponsorship fee. This fee will help to underwrite the many costs of the pageantry event. The following are some community organization that I have memberships:
The Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists (CABPES); Math Enrichment Program; Junior Engineers Tomorrow's Scientists (JETS); Aerospace Engineering, Widening Our World (W.O.W), a summer work program which high school students instruct senior citizens in computer operations; Mile High Girl Scout, Ethnic Counseling Career Center (ECCC); National Association of Negro Women; University of Denver Medical Science Program; Denver Health Sciences Center Pre-Collegiate Program.
Please consider helping me to raise the necessary dollars for this event and contact the pageant's director, Carol Hirata, at 888-894-3736. Thank you.
Echoe A. Malone
Denver Helpful Hints For Hikers
Editor:
Sunday, August 21, KOSI-FM did an excellent program on ham radios. In emergencies, radios are extremely helpful, often saving lives.
What I wish is that hikers, mountain climbers, and rock climbers would take a two-way radio with them when they participate in these activities. Sometimes they are out of range of 911 on their cell phones.
If they would leave a message on the outside and inside of their vehicles that says the areas they will be hiking or climbing in, it could well be lifesaving to them.
Fran Washko
To All Who Voted For George W. Bush: A Letter From Michael Moore
To All My Fellow Americans Who Voted for George W. Bush:
On this, the fourth anniversary of 9/11, I'm just curious, how does it feel?
How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows?
That's right. Horse shows.
I really want to know - and I ask you this in all sincerity and with all due respect - how do you feel about the utter contempt Mr. Bush has shown for your safety? C'mon, give me just a moment of honesty. Don't start ranting on about how this disaster in New Orleans was the fault of one of the poorest cities in America. Put aside your hatred of Democrats and liberals and anyone with the last name of Clinton. Just look me in the eye and tell me our President did the right thing after 9/11 by naming a horse show runner as the top man to protect us in case of an emergency or catastrophe.
I want you to put aside your self-affixed label of Republican / conservative / born-again / capitalist / ditto-head / right-winger and just talk to me as an American, on the common ground we both call America.
Are we safer now than before 9/11? When you learn that behind the horse show runner, the #2 and #3 men in charge of emergency preparedness have zero experience in emergency preparedness, do you think we are safer?
When you look at Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, a man with little experience in national security, do you feel secure?
When men who never served in the military and have never seen young men die in battle send our young people off to war, do you think they know how to conduct a war? Do they know what it means to have your legs blown off for a threat that was never there?
Do you really believe that turning over important government services to private corporations has resulted in better services for the people?
Why do you hate our federal government so much? You have voted for politicians for the past 25 years whose main goal has been to de-fund the federal government. Do you think that cutting federal programs like FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers has been good or bad for America? GOOD OR BAD?
With the nation's debt at an all-time high, do you think tax cuts for the rich are still a good idea? Will you give yours back so hundreds of thousands of homeless in New Orleans can have a home?
Do you believe in Jesus? Really? Didn't he say that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us? Hurricane Katrina came in and blew off the facade that we were a nation with liberty and justice for all. The wind howled and the water rose and what was revealed was that the poor in America shall be left to suffer and die while the President of the United States fiddles and tells them to eat cake.
That's not a joke. The day the hurricane hit and the levees broke, Mr. Bush, John McCain, and their rich pals were stuffing themselves with cake. A full day after the levees broke (the same levees whose repair funding he had cut), Mr. Bush was playing a guitar some country singer gave him. All this while New Orleans sank under water.
It would take ANOTHER day before the President would do a flyover in his jumbo jet, peeking out the widow at the misery 2500 feet below him as he flew back to his second home in DC. It would then be TWO MORE DAYS before a trickle of federal aid and troops would arrive. This was no seven minutes in a sitting trance while children read "My Pet Goat" to him. This was FOUR DAYS of doing nothing other than saying "Brownie (FEMA director Michael Brown), you're doing a heck of a job!"
My Republican friends, does it bother you that we are the laughing stock of the world?
And on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain?
Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle-class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever.
Are we safe? Do you really feel safe? You can only move so far out and build so many gated communities before the fruit of what you've sown will be crashing through your walls and demanding retribution. Do you really want to wait until that happens? Or is it your hope that if they are left alone long enough to soil themselves and shoot themselves and drown in the filth that fills the street that maybe the problem will somehow go away?
I know you know better. You gave the country and the world a man who wasn't up for the job and all he does is hire people who aren't up for the job. You did this to us, to the world, to the people of New Orleans. Please fix it. Bush is yours. And you know, for our peace and safety and security, this has to be fixed. What do you propose?
I have an idea, and it isn't a horse show.
Michael Moore
www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint@aol.com |
