School Watch

NY 1 has this article:

NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on Monday announced a new school safety initiative, which includes the installation of security cameras in the city’s 30 most violent schools. Klein says the cameras will have a positive effect on school safety because students will know they're being monitored.

The plan calls for a tough new disciplinary process, including community service for minor infractions, and short and long-term removal from the classroom, and even the school, for more serious ones

Kim du Toit and Connie du Toit have initiated a new Homeland Security Watchdog website.

Liberty Dogs is a community weblog focused exclusively on monitoring developments in the new Homeland Security Department. The purpose is to have a place to keep track of all the great commentary on the web and all the news reports on this important topic. I will be a contributing member.

Secret Documents Reveal Tobacco Industry
Influence on African American Groups

Previously secret documents show that tobacco companies provided money, cultivated social and political ties, and aggressively offered free cigarettes to African American leadership groups -- even as the evidence grew that African Americans bear a disproportionate share of the tobacco-related disease burden.

The study shows that tobacco industry representatives sought out African American leaders to oppose policies restricting smoking in public places and to circumvent laws and policies prohibiting cigarette sampling in public schools and parks, said Yerger. In addition, the industry relied heavily on African American leaders to make the case that raising cigarette taxes hurt African Americans. To accomplish this, tobacco industry representatives coordinated press conferences and provided material for op-eds that appeared in the black press.

Blogger Jane Galt expounds on the wisdom of the NYC fare increase.

"25 or 50 cents -- the proposed raises -- are a drop in the bucket. ... they're [New Yorkers] complaining because they don't want to pay. Liking to get things for less than the cost of providing them is hardly unique, but neither is fulfilling those wishes some sort of civic duty. It's time for New Yorkers to pay their way".

I have no problems with the issues surrounding the rate hike and I'm willing to pay the extra 50 cents. I think that $2 a ride is still the cheapest way to get around in NYC. My only concern is that a fare increases may chase away riders. With NYC's streets already overflowing with cars, the MTA needs to make alternatives to driving as attractive as possible.

An ongoing poll on the issue so far, suggests that there are more non-supporters of a rate hike. And, opinions on the matter are mixed at best.

NY Newsday has a nice chart showing the progression of NYC fare hikes from 1904 to present that puts things in perspective.

The Ill Fated TIPS program

Proposal to Enlist Citizen Spies Was Doomed From Start

The Justice Department's Operation TIPS program, which would have enlisted tens of thousands of truckers, bus drivers and other workers as citizen spies, was doomed before it began.

The Homeland Security package approved by the Senate last week and slated to be signed by President Bush includes language explicitly prohibiting the government from implementing the controversial initiative. It was hounded by criticism from civil libertarians and targeted for elimination by key lawmakers.

TIPS -- the Terrorism Information and Prevention System -- was envisioned as a "national system for reporting suspicious and potentially terrorist-related activity" involving "millions of American workers who, in the daily course of their work, are in a unique position to see potentially unusual or suspicious activity in public places,"

"This program epitomized the government's insatiable appetite for surveillance of law-abiding citizens," said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington office. "Too many people thought that the government's anti-terrorism policies wouldn't have an impact on their lives, but this showed that they would."

This certainly proves that standing and speaking up for your rights can be effective (even if it's to a certain extent).

To have the cable guy, postman, meter readers, all snooping around a citizen's house would be unacceptable. Imagine the telephone guy or the UPS delivery person glancing around your property and scribbling down notes ... Scary.

One can now say that TIPS is officially dead, even though this is good news, we still have this developing situation to pay attention to.

Make Theirs a Double

Cheers to the Bush twins, who turn 21 today and can finally throw away their fake IDs. Jenna and Barbara Bush, whose hijinx have given their presidential father headaches, will finally reach legal age and can have a cocktail without worrying about the cops. [more]

Foilage Foliage

"Spell check" may have provided a one-stop cure for the plague of misspelling, but what about the problem of mispronunciation ? ... The 100 most often mispronounced words in the english language are Here.

Gored!

The new, improved Al Gore tells Salon he suspects demonizing Saddam was a Bush campaign ploy -- and explains why it took him so long to speak out.

Skyscraper at Ground Zero

Plans for redeveloping the World Trade Center site include proposals for memorials on the tops of buildings and below ground, a garden and the tallest building in the world, a published report said.

Although it is not yet known which elements will make it into the final design, the director of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the agency charged with overseeing the redevelopment process, praised the new plans for their creativity, the New York Times reported Friday.

Sir Charles Puckers Up

For one night, Charles Barkley's TNT talk show, "Listen Up!", could have been renamed "Pucker Up!" Barkley, whose outspokenness on everything from politics to movies to golf has raised eyebrows, last night made good on an unfortunate, highly publicized on-air wager: He kissed colleague Kenny Smith's ass, although it's not what you might envision.

Last Thursday, during TNT's NBA coverage, Smith and Barkley were debating the play of Yao Ming, the Rockets' 7-5 rookie, when Barkley vowed that if Yao scored 19 points in a game this season he would kiss Smith's rear end "right here." Two days later, Yao, averaging 3.3 points at the time, sank 9 of 9 shots and scored 20 points against the Shaq-less Lakers. [more] (Via Newsday)

Make no mistake about it Charles, Yao Ming's got game