The Connect the Dots Crew Blog

Time to Stop Wasting Time

2011-11-18T10:41:00.007-06:00

Our successes and failures bear witness for and against us. The condition of our community bears witness to our refusal to advocate a common cause. My difference with you has subordinated our common cause. The ego of "I" has subordinated the "We" of collective consciousness. Why must we use so much of our time and intellectual energy addressing such anti-revolutionary, anti-Black, anti-God and Goddess, mundane, myopic trivialities rooted in minds starved for attention and suffering from low self esteem and self loathing. Let us who willingly follow the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan double our efforts to get after the lost and found; mentor and protect the new converts from hypocrites and agents; stop profligate spending and be found working to pool our resources to assemble land to do urban gardening and agribusiness. "I" am the problem, "We" are the solution.

I am the Problem, We are the Solution

2011-11-16T06:47:00.008-06:00

The problems within the Black community are solvable. The first step to solving our problems is to take a good look in the mirror. When you do, you will realize like I did, that I am the problem. No, I am not saying that I am the sole source of abberative behavior in the Black community. What I am saying is that I, my and me in my vocabulary is the problem. Selfish, self centered, egotistical leadership is the problem. Too much "I, my and me" in our conversations; not enough "us, our and we."

"The I has subordinated the we" the Honorable Minister Farrakhan told me this past week. "Our differences have subordinated the cause" he added. Unless we think, speak and act for the whole, our leadership is nothing but vanity. Until we settle our differences, the cause or our permanent interest will never be addressed and we will continue to suffer.

Today, we must begin to think, speak and act for the whole. No individual can rise above the condition of his people. There must be men or groups of men advocating one common cause. We didn't get to America because one individual decided to enslave African for 310 years. Nor was the Native American's land stolen from them by one or two persons - it was men or a group of men advocating one common cause.

It is time to do for self. Leadership must stop using I, my and me but rather think, act and speak for us, our and we. Like Jesus, we must say "I can of myself do nothing." Submission to Allah our Creator and unity will turn you and I to the We. When that happens, then it will be Allah (God) acting through the We.

Dancing with My Demons: Personal Reflections from Death Row

2011-10-03T08:02:00.014-05:00

The execution of Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis on September 21, 2011 re-stimulated some personal demons I thought I had long vanquished. When I speak of these suppressed personal demons, I am speaking of the fear of death, uncontrollable anger, and misdirected hate.

On March 1 and June 22, 2000, I witnessed two executions in the State of Texas. Odell Barnes and Shaka Sankofa both died before my eyes on death row in Huntsville, Texas. I served as spiritual advisor to both and I believe they were innocent. I am convinced that had either been wealthy and able to afford competent legal counsel, I wouldn’t have witnessed their deaths. In Texas, and across the United States, it is better to be rich and guilty, than to be poor and innocent.

Troy Davis, Odell Barnes, and Shaka Sankofa’s cases have similarities that unleashed my demons. In the case of Troy and Shaka, both had jurors that would not have found them guilty had they known the inconsistencies that were uncovered after their trials. Odell Barnes said to us from the death gurney in March, 2000: “I thank you for proving my innocence, although it has not been acknowledged by the courts.” Prior to his execution, the French Government had paid tens of thousands of dollars for appeals lawyers and forensic experts who raised more than a reasonable doubt as to Mr. Barnes’ guilt.

What is interesting is that all three men saw their cases as symbols of a larger struggle for freedom, justice, and equality. Odell Barnes said moments before he died: “May you continue in the struggle and may you change all that's being done here today and in the past." Both Troy and Shaka accepted that they may lose their lives, but the struggle against injustice must continue. Shaka said to me in the death chamber during the last 15 minutes of his life: “…You must expose this injustice to the world. You must continue to demand a moratorium on all executions. We must move forward Minister Robert Muhammad.” His words still ring in my ears and resonate in my soul.

During our struggle to save Shaka’s life, I had fasted for 40 days under medical supervision. Shaka was executed on the thirtieth day of my fast. During our last private visit on the day of his execution, we were talking about food because a tray of food was sitting in front of his holding cell. I asked whether that was his last meal. Shaka’s response to me that hot steamy day in June, 2000 was: “No sir! Brother Muhammad, to accept a (last) meal is to cooperate with injustice. Non cooperation with evil is an obligation.” Troy Davis, like Shaka Sankofa before him, refused his so-called last meal. It makes me wonder how many times we have cooperated with injustice and thereby perpetuated our own suffering by assuaging the guilt and affirming the humanity of our oppressors. In conclusion, I don’t see any easy path to liberation for us and our children. There will be no permanent change without the willingness to reason one with another, coupled with a long-suffering patience to unify our people, and an unwavering effort to pool our spiritual, mental, and economic resources toward formulating a long term strategic plan for building the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Only when we lose our fear of death, control our emotions, and direct our hatred toward what Allah (God) hates will we be free.

A part of me died last night with Troy Davis as before with Odell Barnes and Shaka Sankofa in 2000 – what died in me was the fear of death and any hope that the Black people and the righteous will ever get justice in America absent an intense struggle backed by the power of Allah (God) and His Christ. Shaka told me from his holding cell outside of the death chamber hours before his execution: “My brother, death is a complement to life. They make it something to fear so that they can control us. To be an effective leader, you must be willing to pay the price.”

Last night, Troy Davis, as Shaka Sankofa before him, died a free Black man. Now I know what the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan means when he says he is a “free” Black man. After my final dance with my demons last night, I too, am now free.

Party of Lincoln is run by Jefferson Davis

2011-09-29T08:13:00.012-05:00

"African-Americans have been brainwashed into not being open minded, not even considering a conservative point of view," Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Wednesday September 28, 2011 on CNN's The Situation Room.

Mr. Cain, here is why Blacks don't vote for so-called conservatives or today's Republican Party: They are the modern day Klu Klux Klan sans the hoods and sheets.

The new Klu Klux Klan doesn't lynch Blacks anymore. They just take over state legislatures and take us back to the "good ole days" when a 'darkie' knew his place. The new Klan puts in voter ID laws designed to suppress the Black vote. Klanservatives deny ex-felons, who have served their time and fulfilled their debt to society, the right to vote. They leave millions of children in poverty, want to destroy Headstart, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, public sector jobs and the public school system. The former plantation aristocracy and financiers that make up today's GOP, want to bleed the middle class and blame the poor for America's problems. Like a scene out of Birth of a Nation, this new breed of Klan member wants to protect America by creating fear of Muslims, immigrants, and other groups. Conservatives trot out first responders and war veterans like Xmas decorations when its in season while cutting their benefits and not focusing on educating, employing, and caring for them when they are disabled or retired.

What is wrong with our brother? What prevents him from seeing why we don't vote for his brand of conservative. It has nothing to do with liberalism or brainwashing. Black people are not going to join the political party of Abe Lincoln because it has been taken over by Jefferson Davis.

Public Policy Matters

2011-09-09T03:43:00.010-05:00

Houston - There are four groups of people in Houston. Those who oppose Mayor Parker because of her sexual orientation; those who oppose her policies on principle; those who oppose her because of her sexual orientation, but use public policy as the reason; and, those who trust the voters' choice, but are disappointed in the way Mayor Parker has implemented her policies.

In truth, liars, drunkards, adulterers, fornicators, murderers, and thieves have occupied the mayor's seat in Houston. Yet, we seemed to have gotten along just fine in the past. What is so different now? Some view the mayor's sexual orientation as sinful and therefore, we have brought God's wrath upon this city. Really? Well there is a born again, evangelical governor in Austin who is running for president. How do you explain the statewide drought and wildfires? Is the state cursed? Certainly your not suggesting he is gay or sinful are you? Why didn't his prayer rally at the Reliant Dome in Houston produce rain and end the drought? In fact, it got so hot afterward, it set a new record. Is God listening to anybody today?

For the record, I don't have to agree with Mayor Parker's sexual orientation to engage in intelligent dialogue about public policy issues. Public safety, community development, economic development, health and human services, transportation, and public works are functions of government that affect all of the citizens of Houston. There is too much at stake to play games with the future of this city. Yes, morality matters. But it is hypocritical to strain at the gnat of Ms. Parker's sexual orientation, while swallowing the camel of cutbacks in education and health care, mass incarceration of our youth, tax breaks for the rich, while increasing "fees" on the middle class. Stop the foolishness. Lets get down to business.

How to Avoid a Long Hot Summer in Houston, Texas

2011-05-16T18:27:00.009-05:00

Houston - The city of Houston is going through a budget crisis. Mayor Parker is forced to cut 20-30% from city departments and 5% of the workforce in the police department. This means less parks and recreations, library hours and summer employment coupled with a thinned out police department. This is a recipe for disaster. The FBI interagency taskforce claims there are 10,000 identified gang members and 200 gangs in Houston. In 2010, the Houston Chronicle reported that during 2010, Blacks were stopped more than any other group in the city. Their stated reason was that low income communities have a higher crime rate (and coincidentally more Black folk).
There has to be a concerted effort by the Greater Houston Partnership to provide employment and support activities that will keep children occupied during the summer. The real responsiblity lies with Black leadership waking up, listening and talking with our youth. We also bear a greater responsiblity to produce jobs to employ our children like every other ethinic group does for their own children. We must now take responsiblity for our own community and stop looking downtown for the utimate solution to our problems. Downtown and big business can help, but it is up to us to put together the plan and carry it out.Let's get moving now! In this way, we can avoid a long hot summer in Houston, Texas.

Time to Decide What's in Our Own Best Interest

2011-04-05T20:35:00.009-05:00

Black people have to decide what is in their own best interest. This is something we have to do for ourselves without outside influence or interference.

The miserable conditions that Black people live under in America and around the world would make a brass monkey cry. Our condition in the Western Hemisphere is the direct result of the world's greatest crime - the transatlantic slave trade.

Africans, Arabs, Europeans and Americans participated in the slave trade. Animist, Muslim, Christian and Jews have the blood of millions on their hands. The stolen labor of enslaved Africans in the so-called New World created untold wealth for Europe and made possible the Industrial Revolution that gave the West the technological advantage it enjoys today.

At the end of the day, any honest leader of Black people will have to lament over the terrible condition of our people. They will be forced to admit, it is not getting any better for the MASSES of Black people. Unless and until a decision is made to do that which is in the best interest of our people, nothing will change for the better. Nobody is going to do for us what we refuse to do for ourselves.

Now is the time to put all options on the table. Assimilation, integration, accommodation or separation, reparations, repatriation? Time is running out. Our people are suffering and dying. We can't afford to wait 40 more years for the answer. Black leaders have to decide whether they are truly Black leaders or the tools of others while wearing a black face. Decide now or we perish.

Long Live the Spirit of the Million Man March!

2011-02-02T05:12:00.007-06:00

Houston-Recent events in North Africa and the Middle East show clearly that the youth are exercising their power on the streets of Cairo, Tunis, Damascus, Beirut and Amman. Their demands for freedom, justice and equality are rocking the foundations of their governments and putting fear in the hearts of the ruling elite. What image, what idea and whose example are they following? Where would the youth of Egypt get the idea of a "million man march"? You have to look no further than right here in the United States of America for the answer.

The biggest state in United States is the state of denial. White supremacy in America is an idea and system that won't acknowledge the accomplishments and aspirations of darker people unless they have no choice or it is on their terms. Today, the events in North Africa and the Middle East are frightening to those who have lived lavishly on the backs of the poor darker masses of the world.

The pain in the faces of the network news commentators having to utter the words "million man march" as it relates to Egypt is evident. Why? The historic Million Man March of October 16, 1995, led by Nation of Islam leader Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was America's biggest nightmare. For nearly two million or more of their ex-slaves to come to Washington, DC on a Monday without permission - led by a man they didn't approve of - was traumatic. America thought they had written the Million Man March out of history. White America may have given themselves a collective pacifier by claiming only 400,000 attended the march in 1995. Now, they are reminded of that great day by the youth of Egypt and the Middle East.

My advice to the ruling elite is this: stop looking for the leaders of the revolt. The leader is Allah (God) Himself. It was Allah (God) who inspired the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan to call for the Million Man March. It is the example of the Black men in America that heeded his call that is inspiring the youth of the world. Long Live the Spirit of the Million Man March!

O-GOP Movement

2010-12-29T07:55:00.008-06:00

Houston - Consider this: most eligible Blacks don't register; most who register don't vote; most who do vote, vote Democrat. What if those who are eligible, decided to register and vote in Republican primaries just to see if we can moderate or fire a shot across the bow of O-GOP (Our Grandparents Original Party)?

To my "Yellow Dog" Democrat friends: this is not a threat to your allegiance to the Democratic party. I know the Dems have done much for our people during the last half of the 20th century. However, they have also crippled our spirit of self determination with a Santa Claus like welfare state that is unsustainable and not in our best long term interest. There are issues we rarely discuss in our community like: master-slave relationship with party bosses, mental health, child molestation, abortion, separation, reparations, repatriation, and agriculture among other matters. Unless we are willing to put everything on the table for the liberation and salvation of our people; we who claim to be leaders will be nothing more than cowards. If what we have been doing over the last 40 years has been working so well, then why are Black people in such bad shape despite having our brother Obama in the White house?

You think you have a permanent friend in the Democratic party? Watch these Blue Dog Democrats vote like Republicans in the next Congress. Unless Black people take their destiny in their own hands and put everyone on notice that we have no permanent political friends and no permanent political enemies, just permanent interest - we will continue to be ignored by the Republicans and taken for granted by the Democrats. Politics IS NOT the panacea by which our people will be saved. But if we are going to play the political game, we might as well play to win. Mission Impossible? What are we afraid of? We don't have anything to lose but our chains.

I Am Not Going Away Quietly!

2010-11-05T18:22:00.005-05:00

Houston - For those who are hiding in a cave or in a closet, I say: "Come out of hiding and start fighting back!" I am sick of these hand wringing Democrats and so-called Progressives whining about how the Tea Party and Republicans have taken over the government. So what!

Does anybody see that the Republicans have conned the Tea Party? Can anyone guess what will happen when the Tea Partiers find out what the rest of us knew about the Republican ruling elite? If they think Democrats are elitist, wait until they wake up and see who they have gotten in bed with.

In Texas, many are worried about the Texas legislature being two-thirds Republican, needing no Democratic votes to pass anything. "We can't stop them" is what I'm hearing. Well, they may go quietly into the night but as for me, I refuse to go to the lynching tree, gas chamber or reservation without putting up a hell of a struggle.

Man up Black folks! Man up Progressives! Grow a spine and stand up!

Disorganized Love and Organized Hate

2010-11-03T08:25:00.006-05:00

Houston - In 1993, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said to me as we sat in a car at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas: "Brother, disorganized love can be overcome by organized hate." I never forgot his words and wise counsel.

Last night, November 2, 2010, those who openly advocated "taking back their nation" and conversely putting us back in our place, completed one step in that process. The victory of the Tea Party is reminiscent of 1877, when post emancipation Reconstruction ended and Jim Crow began.

The message from Tuesday's election is clear. Those who see the ascendancy of people of color as a threat have struck back like the sequel to Star Wars. Yes, the Empire has indeed struck back. The members of the Tea Party are NOT the majority; we are. How then were they able to win? The victory of the Tea Party is actually the result of our apathy and disorganization.

In the end, they stayed on message and organized themselves accordingly. The same economic conditions that existed in the post Civil war America exist today. The same social and political climate hovers over this country. We must not go hide in a closet and cry our eyes out. We must challenge these hardhearted demagogues on their turf.

It is time to organize a winning strategy. That requires a message that resonates with our people and an organizational effort to bring what we envision into existence. No matter how much we love, if we are disorganized we can be overcome by those who hate us. Let's get moving brothers and sisters. Time out for siting around waiting on a mystery God to bring us food, clothing and shelter. President Obama has his hands full. We must organize for our own self interest. If we don't nobody else will. Be prepared for the Return of the Jedi!

I'm Fighting Mad

2010-09-24T17:58:00.003-05:00

Have you ever just got fed up with crap people are saying and doing? I'm serious. The national, state and local political and economic conversation is just garbage. Nobody wants to take on the 500 pound elephant in the room. America has become a nation of paranoid naysayers, who can't think their way out of a wet paperbag. It is time for a new generation to come to the forefront and make a way for the rest of us. Any volunteers?

Renew Houston: The Devil is in the Details

2010-06-12T08:42:00.009-05:00

I agree with the overall goal of Renew Houston. However, the devil is always in the details. Will this dedicated fund for street construction and maintenance derived from developers impact fees relieve METRO of having to transfer .25 cent of $1 of sales (consumption)tax revenue for general mobility? If not, why not? The city gets 67% of METRO’s .25 cent. Are we being asked to pay twice for the same service? Will we once again go back to using 85% of METRO's resources for 15% of its suburban customers? METRO has 10,000 bus stops but only 2,200 bus shelters. Must METRO inner city riders be left in the rain at bus stops forever?

Why do we keep building in or near flood plains anyway? Why do we insist on suburban style development in an urban core? Yes, private property is sacred in Texas, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us should have to pay for some exercising their freedom. Are there going to be any changes to existing regulations to increase density or insist that those types of development that contribute to flooding pay their fair share?

Lastly, will the promised construction jobs and contracts developed from this proposal be a true economic opportunity for all or will the usual suspects be found feeding from the public trough again?

I need answers before I endorse this proposal.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan: Misunderstood and Misrepresented

2010-05-13T15:50:00.006-05:00

One day the world will know what so many of us know of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. If he was the ugly racist and anti-Semite he has been made out to be, hardly any of us who follow him would follow him. Hate's not us! When you learn who he really is, you will literally go for the jugular of the political, religious and media sources who fed you a Hefty bag of garbage about this man. Time grows short. Unlike our leaders of the past that were vilified during their lifetimes, Minister Farrakhan will be vindicated in his lifetime. But what will those who have been deceived do to those who deceived them when they find out that all that was said about this man was purposely misrepresented to them? The time has come for all to sit down and have a rational discussion about Minister Farrakhan. Forget the name calling. Consider the time and consider his place in history. Watch the Cathy Hughes interview of Minister Farrakhan and judge for yourself. Peace!

http://www.tvoneonline.com/shows/show.asp?sid=1120&id=2718

Drinking the Anti-Metro Kool-Aid

2010-04-16T19:07:00.012-05:00

Kool-Aid, Kool-Aid tastes great! Wish I had some -can't wait!

Ah yes, that famous Kool-Aid jingle from my youth. I thought I would never hear it again, but I was wrong. My ears are bleeding everyday from the non stop anti-Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Kool-Aid in the media and in political circles. For the employees and contractors that work for Metro, it is becoming unbearable. The latest glasses of Kool-Aid have been served up by KHOU 11 News Did Metro try to deceive feds to get $900M? and KRIV Fox News CEO Frank Wilson to Leave METRO.

KHOU 11 News' report was very interesting - not for what they reported, but for what they didn't report. By pulling a partial quote from FTA's statement in the news story, KHOU 11 Metro sales tax scam story would leave one to believe that the Federal Transit Administration was contradicting Metro about the sales tax revenue projections in question. To be fair, KHOU 11 covered their ethical butts by posting the FTA's entire statement on their website. But what they didn't put in the news story was what they actually asked FTA and FTA's responses.

Below are the questions KHOU 11 submitted to FTA and FTA's answers. Read and decide for yourself.

KHOU 11
1. Can you please confirm if Metro did indeed transmit the sales tax revenue forecast information from page 24 of that document to FTA/DOT in November 2009 (the date on the front page of that document)? If you received that information on a different date, please provide that date.

FTA
The financial plan dated November 2009 contains the latest projections of sale tax revenues FTA has received from METRO. We received it in November.

KHOU 11
2. Has Metro received any updated information since you received the information I'm referencing from above? If so- what are those new projections- and when did you receive them?

FTA

We cannot comment on what information METRO has received or not received with regard to the sales tax projections since November. You should ask METRO that question. FTA has not received updated sales tax revenue projections from METRO since November 2009.

KHOU 11
3. What is the most current status of any monies (my understanding is $900 million) slated to come to Metro in relation to their application to the federal government for "new starts" funding to begin construction of new rail lines in the Houston area (i.e.- has the money been formally approved to come here yet- and if not, what is the update on that status)?

FTA
Both the North and Southeast Corridor light rail projects are expecting $450 million in New Starts funds, for a total of $900 million. While some of that money has already been appropriated by Congress and awarded by FTA in grants for preliminary engineering and final design work, the majority of the funds will not be provided until after full funding grant agreements (FFGAs) are executed and Congress appropriates the additional funds. FTA expects to execute FFGAs for the projects sometime this summer, following our internal review and a required 60-day Congressional notification period.

Now does anything in these answers resemble a surprised FTA being alerted to a scam perpetrated by Houston Metro? In fact, the answer to question number 3 is an affirmation that Metro will have a full funding agreement by this summer pending final review.

Here is Metro's response to the KHOU 11 News story. Read and decide for yourself.

Khou Ch. 11 aired a story at 10 PM last night alleging that METRO submitted outdated sales tax projections to the FTA last November to intentionally deceive so as to win federal funding (because 2008 projections were higher than those made in 2009).

The allegation is completely and utterly false. In fact, much of what was reported in the story was inaccurate and misleading. . METRO has been working closely with the Federal Transit Administration for over five years and has followed the federal funding process to a "T." METRO developed sales tax projections in June, 2008 and provided those figures to the FTA in September, 2008. The most recent sales tax projections were developed jointly with the FTA in July, 2009 and were submitted to the FTA in August, 2009 for entry into Final Design. (Note: FTA requires that all financial assumptions are frozen at Final Design entry.) It should also be noted that METRO and its outside financial advisor, First Southwest, independently prepare a financial capacity analysis which utilizes sales tax projections from September, 2009. That forecast was discussed publicly at the December, 2009 Board meeting.

What is really going on here? Anti Metro, anti-rail, anti-Frank Wilson Kool-Aid is what. You don't have to be a fan of Frank Wilson, light rail or Metro to know that the powers to be want him out. Instead of honoring his contract, it has been decided to do the Texas Two Step - create a scandal, convene a grand jury to indicte - then offer to drop the charges if the target resigns (the old Wilson better get out of town by sundown without his loot or else trick).

Let me tell you what my sources told me this afternoon at 4 PM CST. Metro CEO Frank Wilson has no intention of resigning unless and until Metro honors the terms of his contract. No amount of muckraking is going to scare this tough South Philly boy off. If they want him to leave - they should pay up! This doesn't appear to be a case of the books being cooked - but more of an attempt to book the cook!

Warning: My sources in government and the transportation industry are saying this ill advised, ham handed attempt to get Frank Wilson to resign via character assassination is endangering Houston's federal transit funding and will have a chilling effect on any capable, competent and qualified candidate wanting to come to our great city to head our transit agency.

Connect the Dots

TEA LOSES IN COURT OF APPEALS AGAIN

2010-04-16T08:08:00.009-05:00

TEA Commissioner Robert Scott

COURT OF APPEALS
THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS
P.O. BOX 12547, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2547
www.3rdcoa.courts.state.tx.us
(5 12) 463-1733

J. WOODFIN JONES, CHIEF JUSTICE
JAN P. PA'TTERSON, JUSTICE
DAVID PURYEAR, JUSTICE
BOB PEMBERTON, JUSTICE
ALAN WALDROP, JUSTICE
DIANE HENSON, JUSTICE

April 13,2010

RE: Court of Appeals Number: 03-06-00003-CV
Trial Court Case Number: GN503667
Style: Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education v. Alphonso Crutch Life Support Center

Dear Counsel:

On the date noted above, appellant's motion for leave to file post-submission letter brief was granted by this Court, and appellant's post-submission brief was filed. In addition, appellant's (Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education) motion for rehearing was denied.

Very truly yours,
JEFFREY D. KYLE, CLERK

Note: This means the lower court's and Court of Appeals ruling favoring Alphonso Crutch stands. TEA can either abide by this ruling or appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. Either way, TEA keeps stalling to try to run out the clock on the school by with holding funds. There will be a hearing in Austin, Texas on April 22, 2010 in the Court of Appeals on another District Court ruling against TEA in favor of Alphonso Crutch. Join us there if you can. Or better yet, call TEA Commissioner Robert Scott at (512) 463-9734. Urge him to stop wasting taxpayer's money and denying poor children with no other school to attend an education. Demand that he dismiss TEA attorney Jim Thompson from the Alphonso Crutch case and negotiate a fair settlement with the school.

Democrats: Don't Abandon Heathcare!

2010-01-22T16:53:00.014-06:00

Houston- Democrats are running scared after losing the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts. So what do they do? Abandon healthcare reform and shift to the economy and jobs. This maybe good for mid term elections, but it is bad for the country. My perspective is personal. My wife just completed a 7 hour brain surgery by a skilled surgical team. She has been afforded the best of healthcare in the world at the renown Houston Medical Center. I wonder if she would have been sentenced to a slow death like 45,000 others a year who lack healthcare in America? I am greatful to have good health insurance, but what about others?

I am so angry at the Democrats, I could scream! Why are they so concerned about "bluedog" Democrats. These Republicans in Democrats clothing are the creation of Dr. Howard Yee-Haw Dean. The former DNC Chair's monster, just like Dr. Frankenstein's, has turned on its master. Howard Dean should shut his pie hole and go away. It is time for the party to purge itself just like the Republicans are doing. Let Democrats be liberal to moderate and Republicans conservative to moderate. We independents will keep ourselves were we are - ahead of both of them.

The Supreme Court recently gave big money the open door, window and everything else to take what little sense of democracy there is away from the people. If you think politicans are puppets of special interest now, just wait until the next election. For the most part, the people are screwed. Stand up now and tell the Democrats to do what we independents put them in office to do: make a change. Forget Wall Street and K Street. Do the people's work.

Teddy Pendergrass RIP

2010-01-14T11:55:00.004-06:00

When I got the news that soul singer Teddy Pendergrass died at the age of 59, I was saddened. I don't know why, but I have been playing his solo and Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes performances on my I-Pod lately. I love the song Pretty Flower. It is one of my favorites of his Bluenote days; while Come on Go with Me is my favorite solo tune.

Like he sang on Come on Go with Me, "believe me you're not under any kind of pressure" to agree with me about my favorite TP songs! However, on this we all agree, he will be missed.

Thank you TP. May you rest in peace.

Join NBA Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes and Minister Robert Muhammad for Groundbreaking Business Opportunity

2009-11-27T04:34:00.005-06:00

Houston - On Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 3 pm CST, NBA legend Elvin Hayes will host a meeting to introduce a groundbreaking business opportunity to the community. The "Big E" will be joined by local Minister and urban planner Robert Muhammad in an effort to promote grassroots economic development during these difficult economic times.

The University of Houston

Campus Recreation and Wellness Center

Room 1038A

4500 University Drive

Houston, TX 77204-6056

For directions go to the website: <http://www.uh.edu/recreation or call 713-743-4844 office - 713-703-8525 Cell

www.ntellc.cieaura.com

Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan Speaks Live

2009-11-27T04:21:00.005-06:00

Houston - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan will address a worldwide audience live via webcast at 10 AM CST on Saturday, November 28 and Sunday November 29, 2009.

There will be a public viewing of the webcast at Muhammad Mosque No.45 located at 4443 Old Spanish Trail Houston, Texas 77021.

For more information, visit http://www.noiswregion.org/ or log on to http://www.noi.org/ to view the webcast.

At Least She Spelled My Name Right

2009-10-28T23:00:00.006-05:00

Houston - Tonight I did a television interview with ABC affiliate KTRK Channel 13 in Houston, Texas regarding the Alphonso Crutch Charter School's ongoing battle with the Texas Education Agency. One of Channel 13's best reporters, Jessica Wiley interviewed me for her 10 pm broadcast package. Unfortunately, the children of Houston will continue to suffer because Mrs. Wiley failed to make TEA prove or document their false claims about the school. So, she aired a story that did two things: 1) reinforced her station's investigative report from 6 years ago and 2) allowed TEA to make claims that could not be documented or verified.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of the press for a reason. The press is not suppose to take the government or any body's word for anything. For the press in this and every case, documentation should trump conversation. If there is to be any justice for the children of Alphonso Crutch Charter School, someone from the press or community has to join me in trying to expose TEA's violation of the law and human rights of our children. I grieve for the children. Mrs. Wiley and Channel 13 missed an opportunity to make TEA prove their claims. They also failed to accept our invitation to review documents and records that prove our position. Oh well, at least she spelled my name right. I should be grateful for something.

Help Defend the Poor Children of Houston against the Texas Education Agency

2009-09-10T10:33:00.009-05:00

The Texas Education Agency has unleashed a nine year blistering attack against a Houston area charter school that caters to at risk inner city youth. Unable to revoke the Alphonso Crutch Charter School's charter in 2002, the agency has done everything to destroy the school and its founder Vida Belford. The school once had three campuses and nearly 1,700 students. Nearly 70% of the students were there because no other school in 18 area school districts would accept them. Crutch is the alternative school of alternative schools. Like many charter schools in Texas, Alphonso Crutch had its issues, but nothing that couldn't have been remedied. Unfortunately, This has become a personal matter and here is who is behind it.

The only attorney in TEA history to lose a charter revocation case is Jim Thompson. He has never gotten over it. He told me to my face in front of witnesses on April, 2003: "I see no purpose for this school." He has been on a mission to use any administrative means at his disposal to accomplish what he failed to do in a fair and open hearing before an independent third party.

The fact is, not only has Alphonso Crutch defeated Jim Thompson in administrative revocation hearings and the subsequent appeals by TEA, but also in three state district courts and the Texas Court of Appeals. Attorney Jim Thompson and TEA refuse to obey the ruling of their own administrative law judges, Republican and Democratic judges and an unanimous panel of appellate judges. This agency is out of control and nobody, I mean nobody can put them in check.

Unfortunately, the Texas Attorney General's office is joined at the hip with TEA and cannot be objective enough to show TEA the unconstitutionality and illegality of its behavior in this case. Instead of defending due process and equal education rights of poor children, the Texas Attorney General has sided with this out of control state agency. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott can't possibly know what his lawyers are really doing in this case. We can't imagine him allowing the power of his office to be used against poor children of color in the state of Texas. We know he wouldn't allow himself to be used like he was in the Kidcare case 7 years ago.

If you want to know how dirty this has gotten check this out. TEA has withheld 100% of the school's state funding over the past 2 years. Alphonso Crutch survived because of the Federal Title 1 funding available because of the poverty of its student population. In 2007, TEA pre-approved a $44,000 draw for the school only to demand it be repaid soon thereafter.

TEA admits its was their mistake, knowing fully well in advance that federal money can only be paid back out of private or state funds. Now mind you, TEA has withheld nearly $1.7 million dollars in state funds illegally according to three district and an appellate court, yet they refuse to even partially fund this school that still is educating our most vulnerable children. Meanwhile, because of a $44,000 mistake in approving federal funds, TEA has blocked $1.5 million in federal funds Crutch qualifies for from coming to the school. If we can't call it a conspiracy, you can't call it a misunderstanding. What we have here is arrogance, corruption and an abuse of power. TEA is so bold, they even lie to the President Obama's Department of Education, knowing their is no independently sourced documentation that exists to back up their assertions against the school. The joke on the streets is: How do you know when TEA is lying about Alphonso Crutch? Answer: Are their lips moving?

I know any reasonable persons will find all of this hard to believe - but documentation beats conversation any day. I, Robert Muhammad, as Chairman of the Alphonso Crutch Charter School, pledge to allow any credible media, education or child advocacy organization come and review our records, as long as the privacy of the students and staff is not put in jeopardy. Who will take me up on this offer?

Here is what you can do to help: Call and email the TEA attorney listed below. Let him know that you are outraged and demand that the school be given a reasonable settlement so that it can continue educating the most needy children in our area.

Jim.Thompson@tea.state.us
(512) 463-9037

Stop the Texas Education Agency from Harming at Risk Youth

2009-09-09T08:13:00.008-05:00

Contact TEA Commissioner Robert Scott

Texas Education Agency

1701 N. Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701

(512) 463-9734

commissioner@tea.state.tx.us

The Texas Education Agency is out of control. TEA defies the governor, the legislature and now, the courts. They answer to no one - not even the taxpayers and the best interest of the children they are suppose to educate!

Stop this personal vendetta against school founder Vida Belford and the unique school she created to help at risk youth. This is the ONLY charter school in the history of the state of Texas that has defeated TEA's attempt to revoke its charter. Now, they won't renew the charter and have sought to impose death by "a thousand cuts" by making up non compliance violations and withholding its funding. Demand TEA obey the Courts and reach a settlement with Alphonso Crutch Charter School, so that at risk children in Houston, Texas with NO OTHER school to attend may be educated and not put out on the streets!

Tune in to Connect the Dots Radio Show from 3-4 PM CST. www.kpft.org or 90.1 FM Houston, Texas. Thanks.

Join the Unofficial, Unauthorized, Unfunded Houston 2020 Summer Olympics Committee

2009-08-26T09:21:00.015-05:00

I, Robert Muhammad, am the self appointed, self directed, self recognized Chairman of the unofficial, unauthorized, unfunded Houston 2020 Summer Olympics Committee.

Houston, Texas is a non-zoned, free market, developer friendly city that has no comprehensive plan to speak of. Getting the development community to work together toward a common vision is like trying to herd cats. Its hard to stop what you are doing when your short term interests are so lucritive, even though your long term prosperity is in jeopardy. What is needed is a unifying cause or goal. I don't believe anything less than a man on the moon by the end of next decade challenge will do.

Daniel Burham, co-author of the Chicago Plan of 1909 said: "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die.”

In order to prepare to host the Olympics we need a plan. That plan needs to be big! It should include some of the following ideas:

·We need a first class integrated, multi modal, mass transit system which includes light rail, commuter rail and high speed rail connecting Houston, Dallas, Austin/San Antonio (a Texas Triangle not a T-Bone). Madrid is bidding for the 2016 Olympics. They have a regional transportation authority, a consortium to do the construction and Madrid Metro Operates the system.
·
We can build and operate such a system if we don't siphon off another $2.7 billion dollars from our mass transit system under the guise of general mobility over the next 10 years. For instance, there are nearly 10,000 bus stops in the MTA system with only 2,200 bus shelters. That’s criminal in this heat! Don’t blame Metro, it’s not running the deficit, the city and county are plugging their deficit with mass transit money.

We need a minimum $2 billion dollar investment in our storm water and waste water system. $50 million a year is not going to suffice given our rate of projected growth over the next 30 years.

We have to build and upgrade millions of square feet of housing, hotel, and activities facilities inside the 610 Loop (U of H, TSU, Rice, Stadiums). This build out left behind after the Olympics will make our city a much better place. The planned olympic villages can be converted to mixed income, mixed use workforce housing.

Finally, we need a plan to train and employ all able body homeless persons in an effort to clean up and transform this city over the next 10 years.

Where there is no vision the people perish: Proverbs 29:18
A vision without people shall perish: Rev. Kirby John Caldwell
A vision without a plan is a hallucination: Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk

Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas Rules in Favor of Alphonso Crutch Charter School

2009-07-08T07:16:00.005-05:00

Why We Must Abolish the Texas Education Agency PT.2

2009-06-10T07:18:00.005-05:00

ALPHONSO CRUTCH LSC § IN THE DISTRICT COURTS OF
CHARTER SCHOOL, INC. §
Plaintiff §
§
v. §
§
TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS
COMMISSIONER ROBERT §
SCOTT, JANE AND JOHN §
DOE in their individual §
capacities §
Defendant § 53rd JUDICIAL DISTRICT

AFFIDAVIT

I, Vida Belford, being over the age of 18 years of age, of sound mind and competent to make this affidavit, hereby depose and say that the following is true and correct according to my personal knowledge.

1. When traditional public schools fall behind in their essential purpose there should be an alternative. Unless there is, students will be deprived of the opportunity to succeed and the long term competitiveness of our economy will suffer. Business in this country needs an educated and diverse workforce. Charter schools seemed to be a reasonable mechanism to allow parents who are dissatisfied with the quality of the education being offered in the public schools to take control. Charter schools offered disadvantaged minorities an alternative that could change their lives. Charter schools extend beyond disadvantaged urban areas to poor rural areas. The competition from charter schools has been confirmed to provide an incentive for public schools to do a better job. The charter schools teachers are encouraged to think outside the box, they tend to generate innovative approaches to education that are transferable to the public schools. To be a successful teacher in a charter school, you have to be highly motivated. You have to be interested in actively working with parents as well as the students because most charter schools really do focus on getting everyone involved. Teaching in a charter school is not a nine to five job, it is literally a 24/7 commitment. Teachers have more time to be innovative.

Charter schools are created by founders who are required to be members of the community (parents, teachers and the like). The idea of a charter school usually starts with three or four parents who are frustrated with the local public schools and want to obtain a quality education for their children. Typically, the group expands to include members of the community who no longer have children in school, but believe strongly in education and are frustrated with their local district is not providing the education that they think their grandchildren and others in the community deserve. Seasoned educators become interested, which has been a trend in the charter schools.

2. ACLSC Charter School is an alternative to an alternative school of choice within Greater Houston metro area and surrounding counties. ACLSC has made many positive contributions to improve the educational opportunities to thousands of at risk urban learners caught up in anti-social and sometimes criminal behavior. ACLSC has a proven track record of success in meeting the social, developmental, and educational needs of these students. Having a free day care on campus provides young teenage parents, primarily adolescent girls, with an opportunity to continue their education free of worries about inadequate or unaffordable child care. The school provides parent training, child nutrition and developmental classes designed to teach these students appropriate parenting and child nurturing skills, while at the same time, enhancing their understanding of their overall responsibilities as parents. Juvenile crime and anti-social deviance is a serious problem in most major urban areas including Houston metro area. Many of these youth eventually wind up incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities and correctional institutions. ACLSC has an innovative and comprehensive educational curriculum designed to steer at risk urban learners away from destructive anti-social behavior.

ACLSC offers an array of programs and educational activities, including accelerated learning, that will help rehabilitate these youth and guide them into more constructive life choices. Since many students referred to ACLSC have been adjudicated as juvenile delinquents by the juvenile courts, the school serves as a juvenile justice, welfare, and prison reform program in the community and Greater metro area. School staff works cooperatively and in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the Texas criminal justice system, including the criminal courts and probation departments serving Harris, Fort Bend, and surrounding counties. ACLSC serves as a community service site for these agencies. Representatives and officials with the juvenile parole and probation departments visit the school on a daily basis, and the school staff routinely appears in court to serve as advocates for some students and to report on individual student progress as appropriate. Many students are referred to ACLSC from the Texas Youth Commission, and the staff work closely with TYC to monitor and evaluate individual student progress and performance. The school offers individual counseling in anger management, behavior modification and chemical dependency. ACLSC has a prison reform intervention program. Students who experience on going disciplinary and truancy problems are referred to the program for counseling, mentoring or other services. The initiative is to educate these students about the risks and personal destruction that invariably results from criminal behavior. The student receives counseling and may attend one or more court sessions. Students will also visit a penal institution to see and experience, first hand, a prison environment. We believe upward mobility is important for the success of our students. Along with the more traditional educational curriculum, ACLSC also serves as a job-readiness and employment site for at risks urban learners. The school provides free transportation, tutorials, and extracurricular activities. Students can take classes in driver’s education, woodshop, auto mechanics, carpentry, computer literacy, drama, dance, home economics and music production. Given the current popularity of pop music, the school has a recording studio designed to teach students the fundamentals of sound engineering and music production. Our goal is to rescue each and every student, one by one if necessary, before it is too late.

3. The primary source of funding for charter schools comes from the Foundation School Program (FSP) and is based on the number and types of students attending school (what the agency calls Average Daily Attendance [ADA]). The weighted ADA (WADA) is ADA plus adjustments for students participating in special education, career and technical education, bilingual/ESL education, state compensatory education, and/or gifted and talented education programs. Schools that choose to provide transportation to students receive additional state funds. Charter schools are not entitled to participate in the instructional facilities allotment or the existing debt allotment. See TEC § 46.036.

Charter schools do not have taxing authority and, accordingly, generate no property taxes. The following paragraphs address the methods of state funding for charter schools.
For school year 2007-2008, funding to charter schools that were in operation prior to September 1, 2001, is based on 50% of the amount of state aid the sending district would have earned for each student (calculated using the sending district’s Adjusted Allotment and Enrichment Tax Rate). If the sending district is one that does not receive FSP state aid, the state aid to the charter school may be based on the sending district’s average maintenance and operations tax collections per ADA if this method is more beneficial to the charter school. The additional 50% of state funding for a charter school in operation prior to September 1, 2001, is based on the state average formula which uses a state average adjusted allotment, state average enrichment tax rates, and a state average additional state aid for tax reduction (ASATR) per WADA. The name of this funding formula is the Resident District dependent formula.

The funding system for charter schools is different for schools beginning operations after September 1, 2001. See TEC § 12.106. The State Average formula is based solely on the state-wide average funding per weighted student calculated using the state average adjusted allotment, state average enrichment tax rates, and a state average additional state aid for tax reduction (ASATR) per WADA. The name of this funding formula is the State Average formula.
For schools in operation prior to September 1, 2001, the State Average funding system will be phased in over 10 years beginning in 2003-2004, and during the phase-in period the schools will receive a portion of their funding under the Resident District formula.

The primary source of funding for charter schools comes from the Foundation School Program (FSP) and is based on the number and types of students attending school (what the agency calls Average Daily Attendance [ADA]). The weighted ADA (WADA) is ADA plus adjustments for students participating in special education, career and technical education, bilingual/ESL education, state compensatory education, and/or gifted and talented education programs. Schools that choose to provide transportation to students receive additional state funds. Charter schools are not entitled to participate in the instructional facilities allotment or the existing debt allotment. See TEC § 46.036.

Charter schools do not have taxing authority and, accordingly, generate no property taxes. The following paragraphs address the methods of state funding for charter schools.
For school year 2007-2008, funding to charter schools that were in operation prior to September 1, 2001, is based on 50% of the amount of state aid the sending district would have earned for each student (calculated using the sending district’s Adjusted Allotment and Enrichment Tax Rate). If the sending district is one that does not receive FSP state aid, the state aid to the charter school may be based on the sending district’s average maintenance and operations tax collections per ADA if this method is more beneficial to the charter school. The additional 50% of state funding for a charter school in operation prior to September 1, 2001, is based on the state average formula which uses a state average adjusted allotment, state average enrichment tax rates, and a state average additional state aid for tax reduction (ASATR) per WADA. The name of this funding formula is the Resident District dependent formula.

The funding system for charter schools is different for schools beginning operations after September 1, 2001. See TEC § 12.106. The State Average formula is based solely on the state-wide average funding per weighted student calculated using the state average adjusted allotment, state average enrichment tax rates, and a state average additional state aid for tax reduction (ASATR) per WADA. The name of this funding formula is the State Average formula.
For schools in operation prior to September 1, 2001, the State Average funding system will be phased in over 10 years beginning in 2003-2004, and during the phase-in period the schools will receive a portion of their funding under the Resident District formula.

A school district may use state aid received pursuant to the Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 42, Subchapter B, and indirect costs as defined in §105.11 of this title (relating to Maximum Allowable Indirect Cost) for any lawful purpose, including operations and using, purchasing, or acquiring real property or land; improving real property; constructing or equipping buildings; renovating real property; repairing real property; or maintaining real property. A school district may fund obligations from state aid, received pursuant to the TEC, Chapter 42, and Subchapter B, including reduction of bond tax by deposit into the district debt service fund, lease purchase agreements, and public property finance contracts authorized
under the Local Government Code, §271.004 and §271.005; time warrants issued pursuant to the TEC, §45.103; maintenance notes issued pursuant to the TEC, §45.108; and contracts issued pursuant to the TEC, §44.901. The amount of funds is a great deprivation to charter schools, in order for their to be fairness and equitably in comparison to school districts. Alphonso Crutch LSc Charter School is being required to educate our unique population of students for less money than would have been spent on the students at their home schools.

4. The Texas Education Agency is a “tortfeasor”. The agency has behaved in a tortuous manner and has harmed the minority disadvantaged students attending the alternative to alternative school. The agency has created obstacles overcome, which has been unreasonable interference abridging the privileges and breached a duty of care, under the statues, to ensure all students are entitled to an equal educational opportunity. TEA‘s unreasonable interference resulted in denial of educational resources to better the lives of the students and society. The agency’s actions have contributed to the drop-put and incarceration rate in our city. It is a fact, Houston is number 1 in black male violence. Alphonso Crutch LSC Charter School has been a benefit and value to the city, school districts and the community as a whole. The school has a wealth of support letters ranging from congressional representatives, mayor, Texas youth Commission, the community and the state and federal team, to name a few. The school has been handicapped to provide this array of education and social support, since the withholding of funds. Many of the students on probation and parole are currently in the process of revocation, due to non-attendance. I have written letters and spoke with many representatives, explaining the litigation and to please work with the students, due to this critical dilemma.

This crisis has had an adverse affect on the majority of the students and the purpose of why and how they ended up at the school. The students, staff, contractors, vendors, parents, administration, and the community have felt the impact of the school’s financial crisis. The school was considered by TEA representatives as one of the most thorough schools and was considered in the top five schools. The school is currently operating and has its charter in place. The school is generating funds for the students and the educational operations, but the funds are being withheld for the alleged debt owed to the agency. The school has monthly operational expenses, as all other educational facilities, that must be paid, but have not since the withholding of funds. The funds are being applied to the alleged debt, but none of the funds are being use for the proper purpose, to educate the students. The school has requested numerous times for a payment plan, until the matter was resolved, to properly prepare the students to complete their course studies and to properly prepare them for the TAKS, the mandatory standardize test, but the school has met with total resistance from the agency. TEA‘s manner of withholding has been a tactic to take away the contract away from the school. The withholdings has had an adverse affect on the school and the required payments to Texas Workforce Commission, Teacher Retirement, Internal Revenue Service, preservation of the educational facility, insurance, teachers and academic standards and results, employee wages, deprived the ability to defend against the legal challenges and the overall standard of care for the minority disadvantaged students. TEA started applying monies dedicated to us from programs such as the Texas Foundation School Program before we even knew what they were being withheld for.

And they continued to withhold them in a manner that prevented us from having a due process hearing. First, I have to note that they started to withhold money for the month of February 2008. The school’s CFO reviewed the Tea finance website for the monthly allotment. The actual calculated allotments appear on the website during the week before the 25th, which is the date the funds are administered each month. TEA did not agree to provide the school with a hearing of any kind until April. They paid us for April and May of 2008 but did not pay us for January, February of March of 2008, nor did they pay us for the summer of 2008. They did not pay us for the complete school year just ended. The hearing they provided did not provide us with due process. By withholding our money for the number of months before the hearing they prevented us from being able to adequately fund experts, etc. that were needed for the hearing. The hearing that took place was untimely. Further, the hearing was presided over initially by an individual, Adrain Johnson, who had indicated that the school should shut down. He was clearly biased against the school. The legal person directing him at the hearing (and apparently between meetings) was Jim Thompson. Mr. Thompson is a white male who was the subject of a discrimination complaint that we filed with the Texas Education Agency. Not only was the hearing untimely, especially because of the financial condition of the school at the time it was held, but it was substantively and procedurally unfair. I requested documents on the record while Adrain Johnson was presiding over the hearing. Most of those documents we never received. Further, our attorneys requested documents verbally and in writing and many of those documents were not received either. One of the categories of documents we had requested was information about how somewhat similar situations were handled regarding other schools. Another was handwritten documents from Nora Rainey. She was responsible for calculating payments due to Alphonso Crutch. TEA claimed that because of the court order requiring that the school be paid and limiting any withholding that would take place, which they had to calculate the amounts owed to the school by hand. Calculations from a computer were produced but these were not the documents described to me by Nora Rainey. Further, the record review hearing was not completed in the time limitations laid out in the rule itself and this again caused great harm to the school because we were still not receiving any funding. Very limited time was allowed for the hearings and individuals such as Assistant Attorneys General were permitted in the hearings over our objection. When this court took a recess and the parties agreed to confer again they insisted that the discussions be called a Record Review (over our objection).

But whether it was or was not, they again did not comply with the rules for a record review. One thing they did is that before the meeting which was to be presided over by Adrain Johnson the Agency replaced him with another Record Review Presiding officer with no notice to us. We did not know who he was or that he had been appointed until we appeared at the meeting. However, he too was infected with bias for a number of reasons, not the least of which was his indication that he spent a lot of time with Adrain Johnson to get familiar with the proceeding and what the facts were. We were not privy to any of these communications and have no way of knowing how accurate they were. Both presiding officers got specific direction from Jim Thompson.

We had objected to Thompson’s participation. Witnesses from TEA who would be able to testify that the school was eligible for some of the funding that was the subject of the withholding were not able to testify at the hearing. One of our experts had requested information so that he could give a final report to the hearing officer to indicate the amount of money, if any, that the school might have owed to TEA (or vice-versa). However, TEA refused to provide him this information. This was a part of the Record Review Proceeding. Further as part of this proceeding there was a side meeting of TEA’s auditors and Odyssius Lanier, a CPA who has worked for the school. Mr. Lanier is also a major contractor for TEA. He provided detailed information and testified at the hearing that the school did not owe the amount of money that was being withheld. At the meeting with TEA auditors they came up with a recommendation that the no documentation rule be applied and that TEA withhold a maximum of 30% of what was owed to the school. However, at the Record Review hearing the auditors were silent on this but never denied the agreement to the best of my recollection. Mr. Lanier was not supported by the very people who had met with him and reached the agreement. However, it is clear that the Auditors did say that the agreement was subject to approval by others at TEA, and clearly this did not happen. The Hearing officer refused to accept this alternative or to duly consider the information provided to him by Mr. Lanier. Mr. Lanier is a principal in one of the largest minority CPA firms in the United States. They have large contracts with the state and federal governments and have a great reputation. As I know (and Mr. Lanier agreed) the school did not owe the State the amounts being claimed by TEA (or anything close to those amounts).

3. I have encountered experiences with Attorney Jim Thompson, which has confirmed the interaction is personal, retaliation and unwanted harassment throughout the past years. The school has settled matters in many of the sit down meetings with the Administration, but once it is reviewed by the Attorney Jim Thompson, the agreement is disregarded or the outcome has not been what has been discussed between both parties.

4. TEA Attorney Jim Thompson made what I felt to be a discriminatory and derogatory statement to me, concerning the physical appearance of the students, outside the TEA building. I sent correspondence to the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Education, documenting the statement. I was contacted by George Cole in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Education.

5. A meeting was held on April 23. 2003, at Barnes & Turner Law firm, with TEA and Alphonso Crutch, present were TEA Attorney Jim Thompson, Karen Case, Associate Commissioner of Quality, Compliance and Accountability Review, Mr. Marshall (the monitor), Attorney Jermaine Thomas (school counsel), two Board members, the school CPA and myself, the purpose of the meeting was to introduce the monitor to the school. Attorney Thompson stated he saw no purpose for the school.

6. The school was negotiating settlement during the 05-06 School years, after the school prevailed in several cases in State District Court. The school and TEA participated in mediation and an agreement for settlement. The settlement was never finalized after it was presented to the agency Attorney.

7. The school has repeatedly expressed and requested, Attorney Thompson not to participate in any matters concerning Alphonso Crutch LSC Charter School, due to the Civil Rights Complaint and the adversarial interaction which has not been productive in resolving matters of the school. The school has experience disparity of treatment, discrimination, and not provided due process, as has been pointed out and address throughout the past several years.

8. Attorney Thompson has always been involved and the request has been ignored, which has complicated and made the outcomes a lengthy and non-negotiating process. Attorney Thompson stated TEA was ready, willing and able to correct funding errors, in a timely manner.

9. Throughout this lengthy process to resolve the disputes, the school administration, the Attorneys, the Certified Public Accountant and the Independent Consultant have never been provided the requested required documents for review. Mr. Bassie reviewed the documents provided by TEA, which were the documents from the TEA website. He needed the working papers, the breakdown of how the calculations were computed. The adjustments needed to be accompanied with the correspondence and the specific calculations, to allow the Accountant the ability to verify, support or challenge the adjustment amounts. The Independent Consultant, and the Certified Public Accountant for the school express the need for the documents, evidence has been produced that has verified the TEA audits are deficient and do not comply with the Accounting Principles. Although Attorney Thompson stated they are willing and ready to correct funding errors in a timely manner, these requests have been ignored and the needed documents have not been presented to the requesting parties.

10. The Record Review proceeding, were untimely in nature. The scheduled dates were continuously introduced, changed and it was havoc to have a uniform agreed date and time. The dates were presented, as requested, the professionals and experts cleared and re-arranged their schedules numerous times, to accommodate the dates and times. The dates were continually changing and last minute schedules were provided and forced the parties to make sudden quick changes in their schedules, to ensure they were in attendance. The school was not allowed any funding during this process, which has been a major crisis, while trying to continue to function on a daily basis. The students need meals, supplies, transportation and many resources. The school was totally deprived during this process. The scheduled time was limited, meaning, the meetings were not long enough to properly produce, review and dispute evidence and documents, by both sides, during the process. The documents requested for charter schools and school districts that have had the same alleged allegations, to be presented for review, to review the resolutions. These documents were never provided after numerous requests. The problem over the years, has been, in my opinion, the funds are withheld without the right to contest ahead of time on the matter of settle-up and the opportunity to provide an offer or negotiating component, of apportioning the amounts withheld, is absent from this process.

11. The law as interpreted by Mr. Thompson makes it easy for the Agency to prevail in hearings and shut down charter facilities. They attempted to shut us down previously and even dropped a case a couple of years ago regarding the renewal of our charter that was before the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The Agency’s interpretation of the law relating to withholding money from those suspected of being overpaid is fallacious and prevents litigants from having due process of law. The record review provisions are designed to limit any process that is accorded litigants and in fact from what I observed with our hearing is applied in a manner to completely deny one due process. The facts suggest that they believe that if they hear you, even with no intention of acting appropriately, that they have provided one all of the due process that is due under the law. As a School Administrator I have to be very familiar with due process of law. The bias shown includes but is not limited to: (a) the refusal of the agency to appropriately regulate the auditors/investigators attempts to make the school repay funds, which have never been received; and (b) the rejection of Mr. Lanier’s final resolution. Dr. Johnson was over the Records Review when he had prejudged the school should consider closure. Attorney Thompson has been allowed to have a major influence in the review matter. How can any proceeding with the history of these individuals be fair to us? I don’t think there is any way.

12. The Records show a connection between Dr. Adrain Johnson and action taken and unfortunately it tainted everything that happened during the process. Dr. Johnson headed the Records Review, which was in collaboration of receiving correspondence signed by him, stating the school should consider closing. I was taken aback from the correspondence. Dr, Johnson was aware of the repeated request for documentation to support the alleged debts. He was also aware of the history of the school and had participated in several meetings, where the evidence was in favor of the school. The Independent Consultant discussed all of the facts surrounding his audit, the deficiencies and the fact the process was not followed as with all of his audits performed in the past, with other school districts. He expressed he tried to schedule the required meeting, after his report was sent, without an explanation from the agency, was never scheduled. The final report was generated, absent the meeting to review his facts and discussed the facts and findings. He expressed the history of the agency’s interaction to be “personal” in nature and how it was a tactic to bankrupt the school, to force it to close. He expressed to Dr. Johnson the integrity issues he felt were an important factor and discussed in detail with Dr. Johnson the facts. Dr. Johnson stated based on Mr. Lanier’s information, his role is a very important part of the process, acknowledging his familiarity of his credentials, when Mr. Lanier had obtained his contract with the agency. The agency needed to allow Mr. Lanier to sit down with the auditors.

The school and TEA representatives agreed to Dr. Johnson’s suggestion. Mr. Lanier and the TEA auditors of the outcome of the meeting did not coincide. Mr. Lanier stated he agreed to a 70/30. The school receives 70% and the agency accepts 30% of the allocated funds for the audited school year. The auditors stated there was not an agreement. Dr. Johnson’s connection throughout this process with the letter, suggesting the school to close and to be the decision maker in the outcome of the school’s fate tainted everything that happened in the process.

13. The school and the agency had been in on-going communication to schedule dates and times for the meeting, during this time, the school was never informed or formally notified Dr. Glynn would be taking over the Record Review. The school was introduced to Dr Glynn at the scheduled time of the Record Review on November 25, 2008. Dr. Glynn wanted the report from Mr. Bassie by the close of business on December 15, 2008, absent the delivery of the requested calculations and other important documents, pertaining to challenging the alleged allegations, which were vital to properly respond to the false allegations and the testimonies during this process. I provided a copy of the letter from Daystar Education Service, the previous PEIMS Software Consultant from Whitesboro, Texas, to verify the inaccuracy of calculations in the past on attendance from TEA. (See Attachment). The school was to receive those funds, as agreed by Commissioner Scott in the School Year 2005-2006, with the School Attorney’s, but the funds were never released. Alphonso Crutch LSC Charter School has tried to resolve the matter, but it has been to no avail. A third party must be involved for the process to be unbiased. The school has respected independent professionals, which TEA has contracted to perform services for the agency, but in the school matters, he report was not honored. I pray to God for the sake of the children, this matter can be resolved, to ensure the students a right to an equal educational opportunity. The school currently does not have telephone and internet services, which has been a great hardship. The schools, outside agencies (probation, parole, courts, MHMRA, CPS, etc.,), have not been able to communicate or transfer documents or school record, nor contact the school to communicate during this time. The communication has been by walk-ins, and mail. The communication from the school has been by private cell phones. I pray this information provided; will be considered in the final decision of the fate of our students, who do not have another school to attend.

14. I want to stress the time frame in Judge Livingston’s order was based on our having a trial within the months following the hearing, but because of the appeal this has never happened. The case has been argued before the Court of Appeals but no ruling has come down (it was argued around 2006 if I recall correctly). I want to express the actions of the agency is a blatant disregard to the students and parents, human and civil rights, school choice and a right to an equal educational opportunity. I want to express based on the agency's information, the students are the most disparate in the state, but are being denied resources, food, transportation and educational services, to allow the student an equal playing field with the other students in the state. As Representative Sylvester Turner had indicated, the appropriate thing to do is to work on recouping amounts with a school that was overpaid in a manner so that the school will not be required to be shut down. By refusing to engage in such an arrangement and claiming the law does not provide this, they are achieving their fait accompli. By fact of their actions the school will necessarily close. Lost in this process of the belief that there is something wrong with the school is the recognition that there are students, staff and parents who are greatly harmed by such an action. This court must tell the State that the Constitution does not allow them to do what they are attempting to do here, their actions are against basic humanity and human dignity and remind me of the kinds of things that Southern officials did during the Civil Rights movement to deny rights to children of color.

One must ask if TEA would have done this to a predominately white charter school who had staff with children in college, mortgages and car notes and students who needed to find transportation to school that had been failed by their local school districts. The state acts immediately, absent due process to collect alleged funds owed to the agency, but will never properly evaluate funds owed to the school and administer appropriately. Time is definitely not a factor during the process. The students under court supervisory orders are being violated, due to non-attendance. They are economically disadvantaged and are unable to pay the bus fare. The probation office stated they are allowed to provide the student a $2.00 bus fee for the week, but the paper work is extensive, so the students have not been provided the fee. The fee from the probation office, will only provide the fare to school for one day, it does not cover the return fare home. If the student's live in Humble, the fare is $3.00, one way to school. The students who are diagnosed as mentally retarded and/or emotionally disturbed, are unable to receive the required services and parents, the monitors and I have contacted and expressed our concerns to the agency and made them aware of the crisis. They informed the parents they have alternatives and the parents have explained and expressed, they do not. During my NCLB visit this past week, the parent, Devote, who wrote the affidavit, expressed her major concerns, her children's education and the parents right to school choice and provided specific details and reasons the agency needed to be aware of the purpose the school serves in her children's lives. TEA stated they know this is a problem, but they have been advised to tell parents, to call the parent complaint line. She detailed the services the school had provided for her niece, who have suffered severe disabilities from the crisis of being shot in the head. MHMRA has collaboratively worked with the school with the required, identified, rehabilitation at for many of the students. Child Protective Services and many other agencies visit the students during the day, the children are mobile and they have not been able to meet with the students. The school has been a stable point in most of the children who have been mobile. The children who move all of the time due to financial and family crisis

15. TEA alleged in a preliminary report dated October 27, 2007, alleging the school owed funds, stating the District Summary Report, the Attendance Report, is less than the Summer Submission.

16.
The District Summary Report is the actual attendance being reported every six weeks to the agency; the school was reporting the attendance, although the funds were being withheld to the school. TEA was in violation of the Public Information Act, the school nor was the public provided the amount of neither monthly nor annual funds that were expected or were paid to the school. Nora stated they had to manually calculate the funding due to the court order. Leo provided the first breakdown of the funds, upon the Superintendent’s request. The request to review the monthly calculations were ignored and never provided by Nora. The Summer Submission was sent to be in compliance with the deadline to re-submit the data, due to lack of staff and financial hardship. The school Summer Submission was pending after the original date sent of June 22, , followed by several approved re-submission dates, until August 31, which means the submission was in pending status for June, July, August, September and October. At the start of school the submission was still in pending status, which the procedures, as explained by Nora Rainey, in Formula Funding, if the school does not send in an estimate, the school will be paid on an average of the total six weeks attendance reports divided by six, the number of reporting periods, which means the school was not paid on the Summer Submission numbers. The month of October and November is the actual attendance reporting, the school reports, to be paid through the system. This means addressing numbers and funds for the summer submission is not relevant, because it would not be paid in a pending status. I addressed this question to Nora, if the school has approved re-submission dates; it means the data is pending. There are expected dates to resubmit, which means the information submitted, is not final. She responded it is in pending status, which cannot generate funding.

The staff and contractors, who are responsible for this area of reporting to the school, could no longer afford to work, the PEIMS software Consultant agreed to submit the Summer Submission. He demanded funds in order to submit. The school contacted the agency and requested funds to pay the necessary debts for mandatory school operations. The PEIMS Software Consultant stated he would send data, which is normal for all schools, and will review and check all information at the time of re-submission. Due to no funds received, he did not re-submit after August 31. The school does not owe funds for information in a pended status. The information discussed is the explanation why the number reported in the district summary was less than the Summer Submission. The school was paid on the actual attendance reported during the school year.

During the beginning of 2007-2008 school years the school was still utilizing the Eclipse PEIMS Software. The Consultant, after hiring a Computer Security Specialist with X-Systems, had provided the school skeletal software. Meaning the school could input the data of the school, the basics; it could not generate the necessary reports to generate attendance reports. The conversion process had not been performed on the software, which calculates the data in numbers and statistics needed by the agency. I reported this dilemma to my State Campus Intervention Team, Ms. Patterson and Ms. Key and alerted them of my problem. X-System began working with the Eclipse Software Consultant and the proper process began on the proper installation of the software to prepare the school to submit reports. The School began researching new software and determined RSCCC software with Region 4 Education Services would be the best PEIMS data reporting software to obtain. The school began the transition. X-Systems contacted Region 4 John Syers, a conference was scheduled and the process began around the month of November. During this time, the data was transmitted to the new software and training of the required staff began, unfortunately, the school is still confronted with back debts, which have never been settled and it constantly interferes with moving forward in our current school year. The school was scheduled to pay the debt for the new software, which postponed continuous training to successfully complete the transition. The school submitted the first and second six weeks attendance reporting using the Eclipse software, after many checks and balances. The Texas Education Agency Attendance reporting screen accepted the second six weeks submission, but there was a defect on the first six weeks report. The school contacted the agency and after several attempts to submit, was notified it was an internal technical error problem within the agency. The e-mails stated they would have their technicians repair the problem and notify the school, when the repairs were completed. The school was contacted and notified by telephone it was scheduled for a Federal visit.

The school was focusing on meeting the State and Federal Representatives requirements, and preparing for the Federal visit. After a successful Federal visit, the school again attempted to resubmit the first reporting of attendance and the system again was flawed. The school contacted the agency through e-mail and telephone conversations, with the outcome of finally completed the submission with the assistance of the technician on February 21, 2008. The school successfully submitted the third attendance report; the school had informed the agency of the software transition, which during the transmission of the data to the new software, all of the needed data does not transmit. Many important factors of the data must be inputted manually, for example, student details, courses, grades, etc. The school had spoke with the agency during the crisis with the first attendance report, but the contact person, Nora Rainey did not express the school must submit the third submission at the time of the conversation. I asked her what was needed to ensure the school received the Foundation School Program funds. The agency would not take into consideration the tasks of the transition of software and the checks and balance of the accuracy of the data, which is a voluminous task, consisting of all of the data of the school. To ensure an accurate report. The school CPA checked the Finance website of the agency around February 20, 2008 to discover the school was reported as no funds to be administered for the month of February, which is released to the school’s bank account on the 25th of each month. The Ledger screen had a balance of zero, with no adjustments amounts. I telephoned the Attorney’s to contact the agency to explore the reason for the school zero amount with no adjustments noted, no prior form of notification of this adjustment and to find out how the matter could be resolved. Ms. Dumfisher stated the school would not receive any revenue, for February until the March date of the 25th of the month. I expressed the financial crisis of the school, the staff needed to pay their monthly expenses and the school operation. It was to no avail.

The Associate Commissioner, Dr. Johnson intervened and tried to provide assistance in resolving the matter with the agency. The school received an average of $2500.00 in March for the month of February, which was never posted on the Finance website and was informed on the agency’s Finance website it would receive an average of $2900.00 for the month of March. The school operations are unable to operate on this amount of funding. The school was responsible for administering the TAKS tests, transporting and feeding students, paying the staff to meet the educational and social support needs of the students, paying the facility rent and utilities, along with supplies and other educational needs with this amount of funds. During the fourth six weeks attendance submission, using the new RSCCC software and the assistance of the Region 4 Representative John Syer, the school again, encountered an internal technical problem with the agency’s reporting screen. Again the process of contacting the agency through e-mails and the Computer Security Expert from X-Systems contacted the agency and contact was made by the technician, who assisted the school with the repairs and the process of submission of the data. At the present time, the school is still awaiting a response for the needed funds to pay the school debt to continue to operate for the school year.

The school has been corresponding back and forth with TEA, concerning the finances, the review of documents to substantiate the findings of the settle-up and the recalculations of the settle-up, due to data of the staff not being calculated to calculate financial totals, a repayment plan until the numbers were verified, funds to be provided to the school to continue the school operation, and requested due process during this process. Again, TEA has withheld the funds, as in the school year 2005-2006, and not allowed the school the proper due process, to resolve the matter properly. The school continually tries to resolve the financial issues with the agency, and through the courts, to no avail. It is very difficult to operate, without any financial revenue provided to the school.

The School was reporting student attendance, during the school year, through the six weeks attendance report on the agency’s website. The school was funding from the Foundation School Program and financial adjustments were made, based on student attendance, during each six weeks report in the Foundation School Program Reporting System. The school had lost several critical faculty and contracted staff, several in the reporting of the school data. The attendance records were updated in the system but the final six weeks attendance submission was not reported. Routine procedures for the agency, is if the attendance report is late, the school is paid on the last attendance report the school filed. The school was paid on the six weeks submission based on the fifth six weeks report. The students last day of attendance was the twenty-fifth of May. The Peims Software Consultant, filed the Summer Submission on the twenty-second of June to meet the deadline date and to be provided a resubmission date, which is a normal procedure for the agency, to complete the reporting of the data and check for all errors. The school continued to experience financial hardship, due to the agency non-payment of funds. The school requested and was approved several re-submission dates, due to the financial hardship and lack of personnel.

This meant the Summer submission data was pending until the final was re-submitted. The school requested a final re-submission date approved, for the thirty-first of August, which is outside of the reporting parameters, due to the financial hardship. The re-submission, which would have been the final data, was not submitted. The school was never paid on the Summer submission data, due to the pending status for resubmission, which means the discrepancy in the actual data reported in the District Summary, during the school year was correct and the Summer submission, which the Consultant filed for a resubmission date, was never applied in a financial manner to the school. At the beginning of the school year, the school is paid by the total of six weeks submissions, divided by six, which is the number of reporting cycles, and paid on the average calculated. If the school does not send in an estimated number, the school will be paid on the calculated average. The school Summer submission was still in pending status. The school did not receive revenue, until the month of November, which is the actual number reported in the school student reporting system, the school had the finances manually calculated by the agency due to the litigation and a court order of funds agreed to provide the agency up to $50,000.00 a month until the Administrative hearing, or expiration of the court order. I., Vida Belford, Superintendent, telephoned the agency for verification of the schools calculated funding and the breakdown of the court order. Leo provided the breakdown on the 28th of November, verifying school revenue and the calculations of the court order deduction. Charter Schools are not tax based; therefore ACLSC is paid a different dollar amount based on the school district, because of the amount of tax dollars received into the district. The reports and investigations did not provide the breakdown, providing these critical components.

The school requested all documents for review, the lack of funds, and funds being withheld without allowing constitution rights of due process. The school was addressed for settle-up, which means to settle-up all finances, unfortunately, the school was not granted the opportunity, and Al Johnston from TEA stated the school was owed funds because the staff data was not calculated. The data was in the PEIMS, but not in the Foundation School Program. The staff reported in PEIMS, would mean the school was owed and estimate of $40,000 to $45,000.00, which means the estimate of settlement is definitely incorrect. The school is paid different dollar amounts per school districts, which means all of the calculations need to be reviewed. The school was not provided the necessary documents, although the agency collected the debt, with these important relevant factors not being addressed.

17. How Texas Foundation School and other monies owing to the school work and that they should be dedicated to the education of the students at the school and not willy-nilly withheld to take care of some obligation (especially if this will cause the school to shut down, and especially if this means that the school cannot repay any money that is owed)?

Vida Belford
Superintendent

Why We Must Abolish the Texas Education Agency

2009-06-10T07:08:00.003-05:00

I, Vida Belford, being over the age of 18years of age, of sound mind and competent to make this affidavit, hereby depose and say that the following is true and correct according to my personal knowledge.

ACLSC Charter School is an alternative to an alternative school of choice within Greater Houston metro area and surrounding counties. ACLSC has made many positive contributions to improve the educational opportunities to thousands of at risk urban learners caught up in anti-social and sometimes criminal behavior. ACLSC has a proven track record of success in meeting the social, developmental, and educational needs of these students. Having a free day care on campus provides young teenage parents, primarily adolescent girls, with an opportunity to continue their education free of worries about inadequate or unaffordable child care. The school provides parent training, child nutrition and developmental classes designed to teach these students appropriate parenting and child nurturing skills, while at the same time, enhancing their understanding of their overall responsibilities as parents. Juvenile crime and anti-social deviance is a serious problem in most major urban areas including Houston metro area. Many of these youth eventually wind up incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities and correctional institutions. ACLSC has an innovative and comprehensive educational curriculum designed to steer at risk urban learners away from destructive anti-social behavior.

ACLSC offers an array of programs and educational activities, including accelerated learning, that will help rehabilitate these youth and guide them into more constructive life choices. Since many students referred to ACLSC have been adjudicated as juvenile delinquents by the juvenile courts, the school serves as a juvenile justice, welfare, and prison reform program in the community and Greater metro area. School staff works cooperatively and in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the Texas criminal justice system, including the criminal courts and probation departments serving Harris, Fort Bend, and surrounding counties. ACLSC serves as a community service site for these agencies. Representatives and officials with the juvenile parole and probation departments visit the school on a daily basis, and the school staff routinely appears in court to serve as advocates for some students and to report on individual student progress as appropriate. Many students are referred to ACLSC from the Texas Youth Commission, and the staff work closely with TYC to monitor and evaluate individual student progress and performance. The school offers individual counseling in anger management, behavior modification and chemical dependency. ACLSC has a prison reform intervention program. Students who experience on going disciplinary and truancy problems are referred to the program for counseling, mentoring or other services. The initiative is to educate these students about the risks and personal destruction that invariably results from criminal behavior. The student receives counseling and may attend one or more court sessions. Students will also visit a penal institution to see and experience, first hand, a prison environment. We believe upward mobility is important for the success of our students. Along with the more traditional educational curriculum, ACLSC also serves as a job-readiness and employment site for at risks urban learners. The school provides free transportation, tutorials, and extracurricular activities. Students can take classes in driver’s education, woodshop, auto mechanics, carpentry, computer literacy, drama, dance, home economics and music production. Given the current popularity of pop music, the school has a recording studio designed to teach students the fundamentals of sound engineering and music production. Our goal is to rescue each and every student, one by one if necessary, before it is too late.

ACLSC is disputing the preliminary investigation report and alleged funds owed in 2005-2006, 2006-2007, and 2007-2008. The school was in litigation over funds TEA stated were owed and the Independent Consultants performed an audit and verified the school was in compliance with the Accounting principles of attendance, the report reflected the school was 95.5 % accurate with a 4.35% error rate. The school encountered a great financial hardship; the school was not provided funding for ten months, although there was a court order to ensure funds were provided to the school until the scheduled hearing date. The school provided the required documents to verify the students were in attendance, along with the independent audit report. TEA dismissed the hearing and never settled the dispute of funds, but continues to withhold funds to the school. TEA alleged in a preliminary report dated October 27, 2007, alleging the school owed funds, stating the District Summary Report, the Attendance Report, is less than the Summer Submission.

The District Summary Report is the actual attendance being reported every six weeks to the agency; the school was reporting the attendance, although the funds were being withheld to the school. TEA was in violation of the Public Information Act, the school nor was the public provided the amount of neither monthly nor annual funds that were expected or were paid to the school. Nora stated they had to manually calculate the funding due to the court order. Leo provided the first breakdown of the funds, upon the Superintendent’s request. The request to review the monthly calculations were ignored and never provided by Nora. The Summer Submission was sent to be in compliance with the deadline to re-submit the data, due to lack of staff and financial hardship. The school Summer Submission was pending after the original date sent of June 22, , followed by several approved re-submission dates, until August 31, which means the submission was in pending status for June, July, August, September and October. At the start of school the submission was still in pending status, which the procedures, as explained by Nora Rainey, in Formula Funding, if the school does not send in an estimate, the school will be paid on an average of the total six weeks attendance reports divided by six, the number of reporting periods, which means the school was not paid on the Summer Submission numbers. The month of October and November is the actual attendance reporting, the school reports, to be paid through the system. This means addressing numbers and funds for the summer submission is not relevant, because it would not be paid in a pending status.

I addressed this question to Nora, if the school has approved re-submission dates; it means the data is pending. There are expected dates to resubmit, which means the information submitted, is not final. She responded it is in pending status, which cannot generate funding. The staff and contractors, who are responsible for this area of reporting to the school, could no longer afford to work, the PEIMS software Consultant agreed to submit the Summer Submission. He demanded funds in order to submit. The school contacted the agency and requested funds to pay the necessary debts for mandatory school operations. The PEIMS Software Consultant stated he would send data, which is normal for all schools, and will review and check all information at the time of re-submission. Due to no funds received, he did not re-submit after August 31. The school does not owe funds for information in a pended status. The information discussed is the explanation why the number reported in the district summary was less than the Summer Submission. The school was paid on the actual attendance reported during the school year.

During the beginning of 2007-2008 school years the school was still utilizing the Eclipse PEIMS Software. The Consultant, after hiring a Computer Security Specialist with X-Systems, had provided the school skeletal software. Meaning the school could input the data of the school, the basics; it could not generate the necessary reports to generate attendance reports. The conversion process had not been performed on the software, which calculates the data in numbers and statistics needed by the agency. I reported this dilemma to my State Campus Intervention Team, Ms. Patterson and Ms. Key and alerted them of my problem. X-System began working with the Eclipse Software Consultant and the proper process began on the proper installation of the software to prepare the school to submit reports. The School began researching new software and determined RSCCC software with Region 4 Education Services would be the best PEIMS data reporting software to obtain. The school began the transition. X-Systems contacted Region 4 John Syers, a conference was scheduled and the process began around the month of November. During this time, the data was transmitted to the new software and training of the required staff began, unfortunately, the school is still confronted with back debts, which have never been settled and it constantly interferes with moving forward in our current school year. The school was scheduled to pay the debt for the new software, which postponed continuous training to successfully complete the transition. The school submitted the first and second six weeks attendance reporting using the Eclipse software, after many checks and balances.

The Texas Education Agency Attendance reporting screen accepted the second six weeks submission, but there was a defect on the first six weeks report. The school contacted the agency and after several attempts to submit, was notified it was an internal technical error problem within the agency. The e-mails stated they would have their technicians repair the problem and notify the school, when the repairs were completed. The school was contacted and notified by telephone it was scheduled for a Federal visit. The school was focusing on meeting the State and Federal Representatives requirements, and preparing for the Federal visit. After a successful Federal visit, the school again attempted to resubmit the first reporting of attendance and the system again was flawed. The school contacted the agency through e-mail and telephone conversations, with the outcome of finally completed the submission with the assistance of the technician on February 21, 2008.

The school successfully submitted the third attendance report; the school had informed the agency of the software transition, which during the transmission of the data to the new software, all of the needed data does not transmit. Many important factors of the data must be inputted manually, for example, student details, courses, grades, etc. The school had spoke with the agency during the crisis with the first attendance report, but the contact person, Nora Rainey did not express the school must submit the third submission at the time of the conversation. I asked her what was needed to ensure the school received the Foundation School Program funds. The agency would not take into consideration the tasks of the transition of software and the checks and balance of the accuracy of the data, which is a voluminous task, consisting of all of the data of the school. To ensure an accurate report. The school CPA checked the Finance website of the agency around February 20, 2008 to discover the school was reported as no funds to be administered for the month of February, which is released to the school’s bank account on the 25th of each month. The Ledger screen had a balance of zero, with no adjustments amounts. I telephoned the Attorney’s to contact the agency to explore the reason for the school zero amount with no adjustments noted, no prior form of notification of this adjustment and to find out how the matter could be resolved. Ms. Dumfisher stated the school would not receive any revenue, for February until the March date of the 25th of the month. I expressed the financial crisis of the school, the staff needed to pay their monthly expenses and the school operation. It was to no avail.

The Associate Commissioner, Dr. Johnson intervened and tried to provide assistance in resolving the matter with the agency. The school received an average of $2500.00 in March for the month of February, which was never posted on the Finance website and was informed on the agency’s Finance website it would receive an average of $2900.00 for the month of March. The school operations are unable to operate on this amount of funding. The school was responsible for administering the TAKS tests, transporting and feeding students, paying the staff to meet the educational and social support needs of the students, paying the facility rent and utilities, along with supplies and other educational needs with this amount of funds. During the fourth six weeks attendance submission, using the new RSCCC software and the assistance of the Region 4 Representative John Syer, the school again, encountered an internal technical problem with the agency’s reporting screen. Again the process of contacting the agency through e-mails and the Computer Security Expert from X-Systems contacted the agency and contact was made by the technician, who assisted the school with the repairs and the process of submission of the data. At the present time, the school is still awaiting a response for the needed funds to pay the school debt to continue to operate for the school year.

The school has been corresponding back and forth with TEA, concerning the finances, the review of documents to substantiate the findings of the settle-up and the recalculations of the settle-up, due to data of the staff not being calculated to calculate financial totals, a repayment plan until the numbers were verified, funds to be provided to the school to continue the school operation, and requested due process during this process. Again, TEA has withheld the funds, as in the school year 2005-2006, and not allowed the school the proper due process, to resolve the matter properly. The school continually tries to resolve the financial issues with the agency, and through the courts, to no avail. It is very difficult to operate, without any financial revenue provided to the school.

The School was reporting student attendance, during the school year, through the six weeks attendance report on the agency’s website. The school was funding from the Foundation School Program and financial adjustments were made, based on student attendance, during each six weeks report in the Foundation School Program Reporting System. The school had lost several critical faculty and contracted staff, several in the reporting of the school data. The attendance records were updated in the system but the final six weeks attendance submission was not reported. Routine procedures for the agency, is if the attendance report is late, the school is paid on the last attendance report the school filed. The school was paid on the six weeks submission based on the fifth six weeks report. The students last day of attendance was the twenty-fifth of May. The Peims Software Consultant, filed the Summer Submission on the twenty-second of June to meet the deadline date and to be provided a resubmission date, which is a normal procedure for the agency, to complete the reporting of the data and check for all errors. The school continued to experience financial hardship, due to the agency non-payment of funds. The school requested and was approved several re-submission dates, due to the financial hardship and lack of personnel. This meant the Summer submission data was pending until the final was re-submitted. The school requested a final re-submission date approved, for the thirty-first of August, which is outside of the reporting parameters, due to the financial hardship.

The re-submission, which would have been the final data, was not submitted. The school was never paid on the Summer submission data, due to the pending status for resubmission, which means the discrepancy in the actual data reported in the District Summary, during the school year was correct and the Summer submission, which the Consultant filed for a resubmission date, was never applied in a financial manner to the school. At the beginning of the school year, the school is paid by the total of six weeks submissions, divided by six, which is the number of reporting cycles, and paid on the average calculated. If the school does not send in an estimated number, the school will be paid on the calculated average. The school Summer submission was still in pending status. The school did not receive revenue, until the month of November, which is the actual number reported in the school student reporting system, the school had the finances manually calculated by the agency due to the litigation and a court order of funds agreed to provide the agency up to $50,000.00 a month until the Administrative hearing, or expiration of the court order.

I., Vida Belford, Superintendent, telephoned the agency for verification of the schools calculated funding and the breakdown of the court order. Leo provided the breakdown on the 28th of November, verifying school revenue and the calculations of the court order deduction. Charter Schools are not tax based; therefore ACLSC is paid a different dollar amount based on the school district, because of the amount of tax dollars received into the district. The reports and investigations did not provide the breakdown, providing these critical components.

The school requested all documents for review, the lack of funds, and funds being withheld without allowing constitution rights of due process. The school was addressed for settle-up, which means to settle-up all finances, unfortunately, the school was not granted the opportunity, and Al Johnston from TEA stated the school was owed funds because the staff data was not calculated. The data was in the PEIMS, but not in the Foundation School Program. The staff reported in PEIMS, would mean the school was owed and estimate of $40,000 to $45,000.00, which means the estimate of settlement is definitely incorrect. The school is paid different dollar amounts per school districts, which means all of the calculations need to be reviewed. The school was not provided the necessary documents, although the agency collected the debt, with these important relevant factors not being addressed. The staff and school operations are in a critical financial hardship state, the majority of the staff is single parents who are the sole financial support of their homes. They have the rent to pay, car notes, utilities, food and many other financial debts they are trying to meet. There is several staff, who is parents of several of the students. We provided employment to enhance parental involvement. One parent had her car reposed from the school property for non-payment.

There is several other staff that is in the same situation. Two of the staff have critical situations, where one parent has three sons in the criminal justice system, one of her sons, who is sixteen years old has been certified as an adult for three felony cases, she has obtained an Attorney to represent him, an has not been able to meet the financial arrangements of the Attorney agreement, due to non-payment of her payroll check, and past dilemmas, due to non-payment. The Attorney contacted her and stated if she is unable to make the current payment, he will withdraw from the case; he is unable to continue to provide services, if she cannot render the agreed payments timely. Another staff has a son on death row. He has exhausted his appeals. His IQ has justified his status as mentally retarded. Unfortunately, the Attorneys she had on the case missed the deadline for filing, she has tried to obtain an Attorney to properly address the matter in court. She has been before the courts and her son’s execution date, will be given at the upcoming court date. She is in desperate need for her payroll check to try and rectify the legal problem, along with meeting her financial obligations of rent, utilities, etc. Many staff has individual critical financial obligations. The school is behind on the financial obligations for school operations, and is in desperate need of payment of the rent on the facility, utilities, payroll, contract labor and vendor services, in order to continue to provide the necessary educational and support services to the students, agencies, courts and the community.

Please help, Justice is all we asks, just an equal opportunity, as all of the other schools, to educate our children, it would be in the best interest of assisting the school districts, the community and positive for all, especially the crime and drop out rate, it would be a win, win for all. Due to the financial crisis, the school lost the CDL truck driving, free drivers education, the stand alone daycare, for our teen moms, the school uses one room, and it is located on campus, offering child care, child development and parenting to the teen moms and it assists students who encounter CPS, and meets their educational needs, free day care, taking away the desperation to find child care to attend school. The school woodshop, carpentry, which build the school benches and cabinets, auto mechanics, the students worked on the school buses and service cars, from building engines to oil changes, home economics, which prepared the students to cook and sew, foreign language was offered for employment enhancement and competitiveness. The school is in a serious critical financial situation and we serve the potential and official dropouts in the city. The school would like to be afforded the fair and equal opportunity and protection for the rights of the youths, who are in desperate need of our services to survive.

Vida Belford
Superintendent

My Journey to Turkey Pt. IV

2009-05-02T20:03:00.017-05:00

Saturday August 2, 2008

We began the day with a meeting with Dr. Ahmet Arabaci, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at Fatih University. The university is a private institution founded in 1996. It is made up of 4 campuses, 7,300 students (427 foreign, 762 on scholarship), and 630 staff members.

Fatih University confers degrees in engineering, economics, business management, public policy, public administration, art and science, and language as well as 2 year vocational degrees in computers, tourism, child development, foreign trade and nursing. They have exchange programs with 53 universities in the European Union; also China, Russia and the United States. The university offers a 4 week summer course in Turkish language and culture for $1,500. Engineering is offered in Turkish and English, while International Relations is in English only. The cost per year per student is approximately 15,000 Turkish Lira.
Fatih University was founded in 1996. The school is governed by a private foundation’s board of trustees. The funding mix is 40% student fees and 60% foundation resources provided by movement’s health care, media, and shipping company interests.

One of the difficult challenges in its formation was passing the scrutiny of the government because the school was founded by their religious movement. Another challenge was matching the salaries of professors at the state universities in order to build a qualified faculty.
Questions to be satisfied before the college was approved for operation were: Is the education secular? Is there any foreign influence? Is the school a threat to the state?

What is the underlying ideology of the school? In fact, at one point, the government withheld funding and the university was forced to file a lawsuit in 2001 to win the state portion of their funding. The school is competing and recruiting the top Turkish high school graduates. It offers scholarships to foreign and domestic students in the areas of theatre, sports, and science. The university has a beautiful campus. We witnessed its expansion and new construction while we were on site. The delegation came away with the impression that the university presents a strategic opportunity for the exchange and training of our students in America. [www.fatih.edu.tr]

The delegation’s next stop was the Sema Hospital built by the Gulen movement. The three year old private hospital is a former hotel that was renovated and expanded. It is a five story, 22,000 square meters, 217 bed facility that employs 600 personnel. The first two floors consist of clinics and management offices. Floors three thru five are patient rooms, with the exception of the third floor conference and prayer rooms. The site was chosen for its sea side view and excellent air quality. Sema’s Assistant Manager, Mr. Mehmet Ciranoglu, gave us a tour of the hospital. We met with General Practitioner and Professor Dr. Umit Topaloglu, Cardiologist Dr. Mehet Ates, and Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Ilyas Akdemir. Dr. Ates had lived in Houston as an “observer” of our medical system. Our hosts stated that Sema is the largest private hospital in Turkey. It takes both domestic and international patients. Their goal is to build 8 hospitals in Turkey in cities such as Bursa and Ankara.

They said they wanted an institution that was “fair and open to everyone.” They are in the process of building new hospitals in Iraq and Kazakhstan. Their biggest challenge is finance, along with recruiting high quality doctors and teaching professors. According to Dr. Ilyas Akdemir, auto accidents are the leading cause of death. They have an emergency room but not an American style trauma center. However, their ambulances are manned by a doctor and a nurse when they are dispatched. Infectious diseases in children and heart disease (smoking related), hypertension in adults are prevalent. Cancer rates vary and HIV/AIDS rates are very low. The life expectancy in Turkey is 72 years old. It is lower than in the United States because their higher child death statistics lowers the average, according to Dr. Akdemir. Sema accepts insurances and operates within European Union medical payment standards. They discussed the difficulty of getting Turkish doctors residency in the United States. The movement is presently working on 10-15 scholarships to support their doctors while they work on passing the three exams required to be licensed in the United States. Our hosts did not know much about the Cuban medical system or its educational process to produce medical professionals. In the delegation’s opinion, if the presence of modern equipment, design of the facility, compassion and competence of medical staff, and clear strategic vision are indices of the level of care afforded the patients, then elements of Sema hospital’s operation could serve as a model for health care in Turkey and the world. [www.semahospital.com]

The delegation’s next stop was a visit to Samanyolu Broadcasting Corporation. We were hosted by Content Editor, Mr. Bayram Karci. According to Mr. Karci, the television station was founded in 1993 as a family oriented network. Private stations began broadcasting in Turkey in the 1980’s with no standards. Now, there is a “self imposed” responsible broadcast policy to meet general broadcasting standards set by Turkish regulators. Samanyolu’s policy is to take sex, violence, and drugs out of broadcast content. The station’s objective is community service, not profit, according to Mr. Karci. They provide education through entertainment. Their drama-action content is geared toward promoting ethics and religious values indirectly; whereas the discussion programs and documentaries are explicit in the presentation of ethical and religious values. The broadcast network has 6 channels and airs in 114 countries. They also have 3 radio stations. According to Mr. Karci, they are one of the top 5 stations in the Nielson rating system. Samanyolu channels are thematic. EBRU, their English language station, has news, documentaries, sports, music, discussion programs, and can be accessed via the internet. The news channel was created to present “objective news,” without the secular bias shown by their private competitors. In central Asia, they run local programs along with their international content. The network airs commercials that fit their broadcast standards and they also sell their programs to other channels.

Eighty percent of their content is original; however, they do purchase movies and cartoons from Hollywood and Japan. They have 650 employees, plus staff in Germany, New Jersey, and Azerbaijan. Their future plans are to create a documentary station and to expand their network in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. The delegation came away believing there was an avenue to provide the network with our own family oriented news, entertainment, documentary, and discussion programming for domestic and international broadcast. [www.samanyolu.tv]

The delegation’s last institutional visit for the day was to the movement’s Tughra Books formerly the Light Publishing Company for a meeting with author and scholar M. Enes Ergene (left) and senior editor of The Fountain Magazine, Hakan Yesilova (center). Our scheduled one hour meeting resulted in a four hour dialogue. Tughra Books is a “kitchen of publications” in 16 languages. It was described as “[Islamic] tradition witnessing the modern age” and the place where the “role of the traditional scholar and the modern intellectual” is explored. The publishing house employs 200 workers, editors, and authors. Twelve authors are working on books related to Fethullah Gulen. Mr. Ergene has written 4 books on the movement that have been translated into Russian, Arabic, and English. Their publications are contributed to by scholars from around the world. The original purpose for the site of the publishing house was to serve as an independent Islamic research center whereby Islamic experts and intellectuals along with their families could be lodged for seminars and symposiums. This location is not suitable, so they are trying to find another site to meet their objective. They have a strong relationship with scholars in the Middle East. Each visits the other twice a year.

The notes from the four hour meeting are too voluminous to detail in this report. However, our meeting can be summarized as follows: The study and critique of Islamic movements worldwide; Islamic leaders and scholars; division as the biggest problem in the Islamic world and how being Muslim (not a sect in Islam) is the “superior identity;” how bigotry, intolerance, and not being open to dialogue hurts Islam; Mr. Ergene’s personal history and relationship with Fethullah Gulen and his movement; how dialogue should be put into practice; the common thread of Islamic movements, their strengths and weaknesses; the Islamic world’s view of America and prophecy; and the Nation of Islam in the West. Mr. Ergene ended our discussion by reminding us that the devil within is greater than the devil without and the threat is greater from within our movements than from without. We [Muslims] cannot be disassembled unless we disassemble ourselves. He referenced Surah 13 verse 11 for further study. The delegation felt this was a deeply spiritual and highly enlightening stop on our tour.

Finally, Mr. Ergene’s son implored with us before we departed to bring our children next time so that he would not have to play alone. [www.tughrabooks.com]

The day concluded with a delicious late dinner at the home of businessman, Mr. Mete Atakul.

We were joined for tea afterward by two Gulen movement supporters. The shared their opinions of the movement and experiences performing missionary work in the Sudan and Egypt.

My Journey to Turkey Part III

2009-04-24T19:58:00.015-05:00

Friday August 1, 2008
The Houston delegation visited Miniturk Park which is the equivalent of two football fields filled with models of the historic sites of Turkey and a museum.

We appreciated this attraction because it allowed us to see many important points of interests that time and logistics prevented us from visiting during our stay.

One interesting aspect of this stop was the park’s museum featuring a mock up of the Battle of the Dardanelles along with pictures and quotes from the father of the modern Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The museum serves as a solemn reminder to both visitor and citizen of the sacrifice of the Turkish people to preserve their nation and independence during and after World War I. [www.miniaturk.com.tr/eng]

We then visited the Zaman Newspaper and Media Group. According to Mr. Erkan Sismanoglu, the newspaper’s Public Relations Manager, Zaman is the number one newspaper in Turkey.

Zaman distributes 800,000 copies daily and control 11% of the print advertising market. The paper is a family oriented media source that is printed in both Turkish and English.

The newspaper’s workplace has a part time doctor, gym and shower, barber, and offers free breakfast, lunch, and dinner for their employees. Women were visible and present in all areas of the building we visited.

We were introduced to Mr. Okan Bassey Udo, a Nigerian who has served as the paper’s Sports Manager since its inception. Upon learning who we were he inquired excitedly about Minister Farrakhan: “Is he here?” We informed him that the Minister was not present and that he would have to settle for us. We had a loud and hearty laugh together afterward.

Zaman newspaper has won several awards for their cover designs and featured articles. The newspaper was started to print the “truth” as they understood it and not be limited to propagating the message of the status quo. This visit reinforced the importance of The Final Call Newspaper or a media outlet to express our own perspective or point of view. [www.todayszaman.com/tz-web]

After leaving Zaman, the delegation proceeded to the Sultan Fatih Mehmet (The Conqueror) Mosque complex for Jumah prayer service.

After Jumah prayer service, the Imam gave us the history of the Fatih mosque which is currently under renovation.

Sultan Fatih Mehmet conquered Constantinople in 1453 and renamed the city Istanbul. It is difficult to find a place in Turkey that does not have a person, street, building, or institution that is not named after Mehmet the Conqueror. He has an elaborate tomb on the grounds that is visited by a constant stream of

pilgrims.

Our tour of the Fatih Mosque was followed by a visit to the Kadim Dialogue Center for Intercultural Studies for a meeting with Harum Tokak, the President of the Journalist and Writers Foundation. We engaged in a lengthy dialogue about Islamic history, the Nation of Islam in the West, and the Gulen movement past and present.

Mr. Tokak urged us to visit the schools they have set up, particularly in Africa stating: “they are your schools.” He said that education over the last 50-60 years has taught us to be enemies of each other. The movement establishes the schools, teaches, and then turns them over to the locals. He further explained that the concept of dialogue was necessary for humanity to find forgiveness and for conflict avoidance. During our discussion, Mr. Tokak said the Nation of Islam reminded him of the early history of Bilal and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He said he believed we are the ones to call the entire Nation (Ummah) of Islam under one roof.
This was further illustrated by his explanation of the red color found in the tea cup set design he sent as a gift to Minister Farrakhan. Mr. Tokak said the red represented the blood and suffering of our people. The cup and plate design is made by placing them in fire and taking them out to create the beautiful print. So it is with our people in America – we are destined to lead the world after suffering slavery just like Bilal, he said. We were joined briefly during the dialogue by Mr. Reha Camuroglu, a member of the Turkish Parliament and Brothers Hamza and Faruk who were movement members operating in the Far East (i.e. South Korea). The dialogue session was very lively and thought provoking. [www.qyv.org.tr]

The scheduled activities concluded with a boat ride on the Bosporus Straits. We viewed both the European and Asia Minor sides of the great 4,000 year old city of Istanbul. Istanbul, with a population of 14 million people, is the 9th largest city in the world. It is as cosmopolitan and modern as any city to be found on earth.

This historical city is unique because it is the bridge between East and West, Europe and Asia Minor, occidental and oriental, ancient and modern, Islam and Christendom. Although Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Istanbul serves as the commercial center and is its largest city.

The boat ride helped the delegation place Istanbul into a proper geographical perspective. More importantly, it served as a metaphor for the beginning of our transformation from mere tourist and sightseers to participants in the making of history. Although the water relaxed our minds, the significance of our journey weighed heavily on our hearts.

It crystallized more so than at any prior moment on the trip that we represented the Nation of Islam in the West and everything we did would have implications beyond our limited understanding. Our greatest concern was that no one back home would believe how well we were treated by our hosts and what we had witnessed and participated in. We wondered out loud if the significance of Minister Farrakhan’s world tours were grasped by the believers and supporters back in the United States. This was a pivotal moment on the trip.

My Journey to Turkey Part II

2009-04-09T15:43:00.019-05:00

Daily Journal -Thursday July 31, 2008

On the evening of our arrival, after checking in our hotel, we had dinner at Kubban Restaurant and Bakery hosted by the owner, Brother Mehmet. He stated he prayed with Minister Farrakhan at the Blue Mosque during Jumah Prayer service when the Minister visited Turkey. We also met the Deputy Governor of Istanbul Mr. Hurrem Aksoy and other businessmen who frequent this establishment. The Deputy Governor greeted us warmly in English and sent over a fruit tray to our table.

After dinner, we were given a tour of the facility. The restaurant site is a former textile warehouse. It is a three story structure with a basement, located on a corner lot in suburban Istanbul. It features a bakery, multiple kitchens, casual, formal, outdoor dining areas, conference rooms, childcare, and prayer rooms, along with a prep-kitchen and storage area that encompasses the entire basement. The seating capacity of the entire facility is 800 persons. The restaurant and bakery is ultra modern and immaculately clean. However, ground meat is not prepared in a machine. It is prepared manually.

Meats are marinated and placed in a cooler for 24-48 hours before cooking. Both meats and vegetables are chosen by region and season. The basement area also houses employee showers and dressing rooms. The restaurant staff was highly professional and most attentive to our needs. The restaurant and bakery complex was quite impressive. It reminded us of the Nation of Islam's Salaam Restaurant in Chicago. [www.kubban.com.tr]

My Journey to Turkey Part I

2009-04-08T07:31:00.005-05:00

General Overview

This journal summarizes the activities of the Muhammad Mosque No.45 – Nation of Islam delegation that traveled to Turkey July 30 thru August 11, 2008. Brothers Lawrence, Durce, Robert, Danny, and Isaiah Muhammad (right to left), were guests of the Raindrop Foundation and the Institute of Interfaith Dialogue. Our general itinerary was as follows:

07/30-31/08 Travel from Houston to Istanbul
07/31/08-08/3/08 Istanbul and vicinity
08/3-5/08 Bursa
08/5-7/08 Izmir, Ephesus
08/7-8/08 Urfa
08/9/08 Konya
08/9-10/08 Istanbul
08/10-11/08 Travel from Istanbul to Houston

Brother Harun Alacadag, a school teacher who resides in Houston, Texas served as our main host, guide, and translator. Brother Harun and the sponsors of the trip are followers of M. Fethullah Gulen. They have taken nearly 200 delegations to Turkey from Texas and the Southwest region during recent years. Their leader Mr. Gulen was born in Korucuk, Turkey in 1938. He was an Imam and religious teacher in the cities of Erdine and Izmir. His underlying philosophy is one of Islamic spiritual and intellectual enlightenment with a strong emphasis on tolerance and dialogue. After several years as an itinerant preacher, his ideas caught hold with the younger generation of the late 1960’s.[i] Because of the secularism of Turkish political life, Mr. Gulen’s movement strives to be apolitical. They appear to have succeeded in building a movement in Turkey that has touched people in all walks of life without incurring the wrath of the military or secular elements within the government.

According to those we met, their movement has built close to 1,000 private schools around the world, many of which are in Africa.

Their school curriculum strongly emphasizes math and science. Many of their students have taken top honors in university placement test and International Knowledge Olympics. Some of their schools are adorned with billboard size pictures of their graduates who have achieved academic honors. In addition to the schools, we visited a hospital, university, television station, newspaper, publishing house, and businesses built and operated by his followers.

[i] Fethullah Gulen (1999). New Millennium Message. Istanbul: Kadim Dialogue Center for International Studies.

While President Obama is in Turkey: Right Wing Critics at Home Try to Cook His Goose

2009-04-06T14:31:00.007-05:00

President Obama has enraged right wing talking heads once again. His crime: telling the truth. In President Obama’s address to the Turkish Parliament, he acknowledged that America is a “majority Christian” nation but not a “Christian nation.” The right wing spin machine is in full gear in an attempt to rally the remnant of the White Southern evangelical base that remains loyal to the Republican brand. By feeding their bigotry and engaging in revisionist history, the right-wing Klu Klux Klan-servatives are playing the “I told you he (Obama) was an unpatriotic socialist Muslim” card.

Is America a Christian Nation? What kind of Christian Nation? The right wing talking heads are guilty of slander of the President by omission and commission - especially when it comes to the context of American history. For example, they often fail to acknowledge that the Puritans, who sailed to the new world on the Mayflower, did so to escape persecution of other Christians. You see, the Puritans did not celebrate Christmas as the so-called “mainstream” Christians of today and yesterday did. In fact, the tradition of placing a lit candle in the window during Christmas was to signify that one was not a Puritan, thereby sparing them religious persecution in England. The truth is that the Puritans were just as thankful to get away from mainstream Christians as they were for landing in this land-o-plenty. Oops! I guess I will be accused of attacking the Thanksgiving narrative.

The Jefferson Davis wing of “the Party of Lincoln” also argues incorrectly that the Founding Fathers of the United States of America were Christians who followed the Bible without questioning one word of its text. On January 24, 1814, Thomas Jefferson wrote a private letter to John Adams. In it, he wrote the following:

“The whole history of these books (the Gospels) is so defective and doubtful that it seems vain to attempt minute enquiry into it: and such tricks have been played with their text, and with the texts of other books relating to them, that we have a right, from the cause, to entertain much doubt what parts of them are genuine. In the New Testament there is internal evidence that parts of it have proceeded from an extraordinary man; and that other parts are the fabric of very inferior minds. It is easy to separate those parts, as to pick out diamonds from dunghills.”

Mind you, this is what one Founding Father wrote privately to his fellow Founding Father. Jefferson later wrote a book that attempted to expunge what he considered to be additions to the Gospels from the words of Jesus. This book was kept in his family and published after his death as the Jefferson Bible.

Remember, Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, a President, a Christian, and a slave-owner. He had serious doubts about the Gospels, does that mean he was anti-Christian? He declared ‘all men to be created equal,’ yet held slaves; does he not deserve his place in human history? Jefferson, a Mason, was a Christian who had a Holy Qur’an in his book collection; does that mean he was unpatriotic? (Congressmen Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a Muslim, was sworn in on Jefferson’s Holy Qur’an in 2007) My objective is not to attack Christianity, but to put a spot light on the hypocrisy of the right wing attack machine.

Why can everybody else speak the truth and question conventional wisdom, (other than President Obama) and have their reverenced place in history? Why can’t the Cotton-Curtain conservatives give the President a chance to try to bridge the gap between the United States and the 1.5 billion Muslims across the globe that right-wing bigotry and revisionist history has exacerbated after September 11, 2001? Time dictates Obama’s agenda – not right or left wing politics. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan admonishes us all to “consider the time.”

For more information on Thomas Jefferson read – Fawn M. Brodie (1974) Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History and Lester J. Cappon, editor (1959) The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and John and Abigail Adams.

Term Limits, Political Ambition and Raw Political Power

2009-04-02T08:54:00.003-05:00

Term limits, political ambition and raw political power are dangerous to our future.

Last year, I had lunch with a wealthy man who was seriously contemplating running for mayor of Houston. He pointed out the problem with the storm water system that would require a $2 billion bond referendum to fix. I remember former City Councilwoman Ada Edwards saying that Houston had nearly 3,500 miles of old stormwater and waste water infrastructure that needed to be repaired or replaced. What are we waiting for?

To me, Houston city mayor and council term limits was the worst thing that ever happened to this city. Each city official appears to be positioning themselves toward the next political office. Since the political hereafter for mayor and city council is achieved through partisan means, I have observed our city council table debate become more politically partisan and ideologically divided than ever before. Worse yet, it appears that no one at City Hall dares tell the taxpayers the truth about the hard choices that await them. This is because their political ambition gets in the way.

Each player on the city level keeps kicking the infrastructure and bond debt can down the road. The courage to make hard decisions requires telling the taxpayers that some things cannot be put off and will require major sacrifice. The longer we wait, the more severe the problems will become and the higher the price we will have to pay. We should abolish or radically alter our term limits charter amendment. The city suffers great damage today. Damage greater than all the corruption and career politician fears that were the impetuous for term limits in the first place.

On another note, the educational situation in Texas is most dire. The drop out rate in Texas is at crisis proportions. Especially, if you factor in middle school drop out rates with the high school numbers. In Texas, raw political power is spelled T-E-A. I have encountered elements within TEA who have told me to may face that they don’t care anything about our children. They only care about acquiring more bureaucratic control over our educational process while carrying out personal vendettas. They once told the 3rd Court of Appeals panel that no one has jurisdiction over them if they decide to go after a charter school in Texas; even if done without due process. Had I not been there to hear it with my own ears, I would not have believed it. The Texas Education Agency too often behaves like a criminal enterprise requiring an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department under the RICO (Racketeering and Corrupt Organization Influence Act).

Read the book "The New Texas Challenge: Population Change and the Future of Texas" (2003) by Steve H. Murdock, Steve White, M. Nazrul Hoque, Beverly Pecotte, Xuihong You and Jennifer Balkan. If we don't radically address the education system and stem the negative trend, particularly among Hispanic students, we are toast! Hispanic population growth will only increase. If they are not educated properly, there will not be anyway we will have enough of a workforce with per capita level of income and wealth to carry the weight of the society they will inherit. This is why TEA’s raw power must be checked, and checked fast.

Go to www.noi.org and download the free Study Guide entitled The Education Challenge a New Educational Paradigm for the 21 Century.

The Great Train Robbery of Houston, Texas Pt. 1

2009-04-01T07:49:00.007-05:00

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro) is a much maligned public agency. The paradox of its name, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has led to it being derided by many within its political jurisdiction because of the strong influence the mayor of Houston has over its board and chairman. Every two years the agency finds itself fighting in the legislature to keep its regional authority as a transportation agency, project funding, eminent domain authority, and board structure in place. My observation and experience is that other governmental agencies look upon Metro with disdain.

The citizens, who don’t have to utilize its services, tolerate it as if it were a wayward adolescent relative. To those who depend upon it, Metro is an imperfect necessity, which often fails to provide good customer service. To contractors and service providers, it is a frustrating bureaucratic maze. To some elected officials and their friends, Metro is a cash cow to be milked everyday. To taxpayer watchdog groups, Metro is an untrustworthy cauldron of political double talk. To the news media, it provides a guaranteed story on a slow news day.

That being said, Metro is an agency filled with dedicated public servants, who deserve to have their story told, even if it is by someone who has not always been a fan of Metro. For the record and public disclosure purposes let me tell you that I am a paid stakeholder affairs consultant to the agency. You could rightfully argue that my client-consultant relationship has changed me into an advocate for Metro. There is no amount of money Metro or anyone else can pay me that can change the facts or the truth. I am more outraged about what my research has uncovered than all the incompetence, arrogance, and political machinations I have witnessed at Metro over the years.

Here are some facts; the Metro Solutions light rail project and overall bus service operations have been ill-affected in the name of “general mobility.” The public transportation system of Harris County has been looted for the past 21 years by the city and county to the tune of $2.5 billion. Let me be explicit, 25% of public transit revenue from the one cent public transit sales tax has gone for street, drainage, and landscaping projects. This is NOT what voters established Metro to do when it was created in 1978. This has taken place while politicians in city and county government tout their tax rate cutting policies and control of government spending. In this case, there ought to be a law compelling truth in advertising. It is easy to balance your budget when you use the revenue of the area public transportation agency to do it.

The tragedy is that this money was used to promote and facilitate automobile oriented policy over mass transit. When gasoline goes back up to $4 a gallon, we again will be asking ourselves: “why is Metro so inadequate?” Go back to the 1988 referendum the voters passed. We allowed our transit agency’s reserves set aside for rail and multi modal transit to be used for police overtime and general mobility. We also allowed a bifurcated bus system to be set up. There is a level of comfort on the suburban park and ride buses that are not evident on the inner city buses. HOV and HOT lanes are a part of the system, but should not be such a large part of the capital expenditures of the system. What about commuter rail? There is a nasty intergovernmental fight brewing on over which entity will build and operate the future commuter rail network. Mind you all of this could have been done by Metro as the regional transportation agency if it was allowed to keep its $2.5 billion and seek match funding from the federal government. We have been effectively robbed of $5billion dollars for public transit. We could have built the inner city light rail network and commuter system twice over by now. You don’t believe me? Just look no further than our neighbors to the north in Dallas. More to come in Part II. For more information on Metro Solutions go to www.communities-in-motion.org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FolFdqxY9EA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neIJ-167S7E

The Tree Shakers and the Jelly Makers

2009-03-31T08:16:00.004-05:00

July 1, 2009 will mark 22 years of my service as the Student Minister of Muhammad Mosque No.45 Houston, Texas. Tomorrow, April 1, will also mark another milestone, I was appointed the Student Southwest Regional Minister in 1994. During my public life I have tried to seek justice for the little man. We have challenged politicians, corporations, brutal elements of law enforcement, corruption in the judiciary, and misbehavior in our own community. I know that I have been used by members of my own community like a pit bulldog to go after certain elements of the establishment, only to see the benefit go not to the masses, but to a few members of the Black bourgeoisie. Ergo, the title: The Tree Shakers and the Jelly Makers.

Tree Shakers are those activists who put it on the line for the cause. These revolutionaries and activist lose their jobs, families, possessions, freedom, and are treated like pariahs while they are alive. The saddest part is we have had to pass the hat to bury many of them. I have watched the elite beneficiaries of the Tree shakers' struggle come to their funerals and express a love for them. I wondered to myself if they were sincere or not.

You see, Tree shakers knock the fruit off the tree so that the Jelly makers can take the fruit and make jelly. Too often, the Jelly makers forget or refuse to give the Tree shaker a spoonful or a jar of jelly to keep shaking the tree. Jelly makers mistakenly believe that they are the reason why they are where they are by virtue of their education and working inside the system.

Meanwhile, one by one, we watch our Tree shakers die off or go into bitter self imposed exile. Today, the Jelly makers are running out of activist to use and find themselves unable and unwilling to take the risks to advance the cause of freedom, justice, and equality. I, for one, am tired of being used by Jelly makers. It is time that a more equitable arrangement to be made that benefits both the masses and the classes. I am not knocking the educated elite among our people. I by virtue of my education and social status could be identified as elite. But I am under no illusion that a minister of the Nation of Islam will ever be fully accepted or trusted.

I, too, celebrate the election of President Barack Obama. What I am saying is that racism, sexism, classism, is not over - it has become more insidious. The struggle continues. It ain't over! Take care of your Tree shakers or face a grim future.

I return in this blog to the opportunity presented by $1.46 billion in light rail construction to begin shortly in Houston. This is the largest public works project in the history of Houston, in terms of dollar expenditure. Yet, our community doesn't seem to be in a position to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity. Is this the masses fault or should the Black intellectual class have united long ago to be poised to make some jelly for us all?

I have been involved in every referendum to build stadiums in this city during the last two decades. I have been inside negotiations and meetings with some of the most powerful persons in Houston. After all is said and done, ($1 billion dollars in stadium construction) we don't have one Black that could serve as a prime contractor on a major project in this city. In Atlanta, the Black mayors helped create a business powerhouse in Herman Russell. Where is our Herman or Ermine Russell in Houston, Texas? Out of this $1.46 billion project million in small business a Black owned company must emerge that can post a bond of $100 million, have a line of credit of $25 million, and send competent personnel to set up offices throughout this hemisphere and the world.

If in my lifetime we as a people could accomplish this in Houston, I would feel that my tree shaking has not been in vain. For more information on the Metro Solutions program visit www.communities-in-motion.org.

My First Blog

2009-03-30T09:50:00.002-05:00

Today is a good day. I am grateful to Allah (God) that He woke me up this morning. I am anxious to make my meetings this morning. There is so much to do and so little time.
The important thing to know is that there is opportunity awaiting the wide awake man and woman in Houston. Soon, Metro will sign a contract with Parsons to build 20 miles of light rail lines in Houston, Texas. The contract is worth $623 million dollars of which $300 million is to go to small and disadvantaged businesses.

If you are ready to be the change you desire go to www.communities-in-motion.org and learn more about Metro Solutions. Time is of the essence.