Baron Coleman & Takiyah Thompson: Two Sides of Hate/Josh Moon

Baron Coleman and Takiyah Thompson are polar opposites in almost every way. Coleman is an affluent, college-educated male with an above average IQ. Thompson is a young black female who may not have finished high school, much less attended college.

Coleman is very good at multi-tasking. He's a Montgomery attorney, something of a shock-jock at a Montgomery radio station, and heavily involved with Mike Hubbard and the recent court case involving corruption in our state legislature. On Sunday he tweeted the following:

 "When you protest in the street, sometimes you get hit by a car. #Charlottesville"

Coleman later complained that the public was taking his Tweet in the wrong way. Well, Baron, an innocent woman died; that does make people just a little sensitive when you ridicule her death. 

Baron Coleman, if not an actual hater, is indifferent to both the first amendment and human life. Yet that same first amendment allows him to ridicule the dead. What that first amendment doesn't do is allow one to destroy property, especially state property.

That's where Takiyah Thompson, 22, comes in. She toppled a statue in Durham, North Carolina, honoring those who served in the C.S. Army. If anyone has missed it, there's a growing number of ill-informed individuals who consider the 18 year-old dirt farmers who were forcibly conscripted into the War Between the States to be as evil as Simon Legree.  

Thompson was part of a rally that included members of the Triangle People’s Assembly, Workers World Party, Industrial Workers of the World, and Democratic Socialists of America. She's been charged with felonies...which she may be able to plead down to misdemeanors. Still, things don't look good for Thompson's future job possibilities. 

No matter which side of hate a person is on, he/she is wrong. Want to change the world? Do it legally. Don't like a person's politics? Try to change their way of thinking using logic, not vehicular assault. 

*****

Josh Moon is a writer who has been affiliated with several publications based in Montgomery. Originally from Decatur, Moon sometimes offers brilliant journalism...as in about 20% of the time. The other 80% he's condemning the status quo, anything conservative, and most recently Confederate monuments.

He's stated these monuments represent both bad ideas and bad people. See above reference to 18 year-old dirt farmers. We replied to one of his Tweets with the above graphic. Strangely, his answer to us was seemingly lost in cyberspace, but we are left to infer that if the bad people were Nazis, it's completely fine to forgive them...just don't offer that same forgiveness to our brothers and sisters.

Additional Colbert Sales Tax? To Tax or NOT To Tax...

Three superintendents in Colbert County presented to the County Commission (after months of back room meetings) a proposal to raise our taxes. The three (Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, & Colbert County) asserted:

      1. All Superintendents were in support - LIE. Sheffield Superintendent was NOT in support.

      2. All City Councils were in support -  LIE. NO city council member had or is willing to vote on the tax - or support the tax.

      3. All Mayors were in support - LIE. NO mayor has come out in support

     

These three superintendents are ALL in their first term as superintendent, coming from being Federal Programs Coordinators, and Coach & Principal.

What we have here is "Failure to Perform".

IF these three would have had the experience needed to effectively manage a budget, capital improvement planning and discipline in cutting the "Fat", we would not be having this conversation.

Mr. Lindsey - THERE IS NO PIE. The people of Colbert County - and yes, even Muscle Shoals, are NOT buying your story about old buildings and repairs. We are also NOT buying a story of not enough money.

YOU, Mr. Lindsey, just gave an additional pay raise to employees LAST YEAR that is costing the citizens of Muscle Shoals $850,000.00 A YEAR till the end of time.

 

Do you think those buildings that Mr. Pearson (aka grass cutter) was referring to just aged 50 years since you gave that big raise ON TOP of a state raise.

 

You also are continuing to hire coaches and pump more money to that coach and the football facility. How bout those buses (3) that run all day carrying students from the high school across the street to the career tech building - what about that cost?

Superintendents - quit your EXCESSIVE TRAVELING and FAT.

 

Boards - If you want to help your school system - give back your monthly paycheck and quit your excessive travel.

 

Assistant Superintendents - quit your excessive travel and shadowing the superintendents everywhere they go. Can't the superintendent understand without you taking notes?

 

Principals - LORD HAVE MERCY - is there a trip that YOU have ever passed up? - EVEN GOING OUT OF STATE WITH THE 1st WIVES for a group outing (BTW - how can a second wife be a 1st wife? More of that funny business in MSCS?)

 

MSCS - What about all those affairs that result in making cushy upper level positions for the guilty persons that further fattens the payroll for the taxpayers?

It is quite obvious from those who spoke at the hearing last night were all employees in one way or the other or kin to you bullies. Ms. Rudolph who should know better was once an assistant superintendent. Of course, she was another one of those hired because of her connection.

 

Where does all the money go that is collected from the parents for football fees? Football games? Fund raisers? Sales of Ads? and on and on.

How embarrassing that Mr. Pearson had the gall to whine about the buildings in Muscle Shoals. What an ingrate. His pompous elite attitude is beyond comprehension while your schools are telling a different story when '"selling" yourself. Which is it? The same LIES as you are well known for?

There absolutely should be an INCREASE by the COUNTY COMMISSION and CITY COUNCILS for our FIRST RESPONDERS. The FIREMEN - POLICE - EMERGENCY WORKERS that serve ALL the CITIZENS of Colbert County.

You have many sources of income - state, federal, local, property taxes, liquor taxes, sales taxes, grants, fees, football game revenues, and the list goes on and on.

Have all of you, the Boards, City Councils met together and reviewed budgets and your "Christmas stocking list'?

Stop the LIES. Stop the WHINING. Stop the BULLYING.

If you can't figure out a budget and cut the waste - do us all a favor (for the children's sake) GET OUT NOW - RESIGN NOW.

Confession is good for the soul - just ADMIT YOU CAN'T DO THE JOB.

How do you know if the three superintendents are LYING? THEIR LIPS ARE MOVING.

 

 

Leslie M. Shoals

Calling Lynn Greer/Background Checks?

The Certificate of Need Board has again reared its ugly head in the Shoals. It's taken five months for the board to okay a 20 unit transfer of psychiatric beds between ECM and Shoals Hospitals. If the board were no longer extant, we're sure some body would be required to approve the small transfer, but it wouldn't have taken from April until August. 

Where's Lynn Greer, you know, the state representative from Rogersville who promised to have the board either abolished or at least remodeled to better serve the state in the 21st Century?

*****

We've had several questions on background checks, both generalized and specifically relating to UNA. All large companies employ agencies to do background checks. An institution like UNA may pay for these individually, but probably pays a company a monthly fee for unlimited checks due to the volume of employee turnover.

How do these checks work? Arrests as well as outcomes are usually included. Each prospective employee would be evaluated individually. A shoplifting conviction might prevent someone from securing a job as cashier in the cafeteria, but not bar someone from working in groundskeeping.

Why did Jane Doe's attorneys know about David Dickerson's arrests for assault and rape and UNA didn't? Now there's an interesting question. UNA should have known if they did any kind of background check. Miss Doe may have paid for a check on Dickerson before she saw an attorney, or the attorneys could have gone on a fishing expedition. Remember, the attorneys probably don't employ background checks that often, but common sense told them that a then 43 year-old man who had allegedly committed assault and rape probably had previous problems with women.

Would the background check tell what happened with the charges against Dickerson? Certainly if he'd been convicted, that would have shown on any check. Not all states have grand juries, but it's possible a grand jury failed to indict him or that he pleaded to much lesser charges. He could have pleaded to a misdemeanor assault and received probation, never doing any jail time. It would be interesting to see the actual documentation...and we're working on getting it.

In short, if Jane Doe and her attorneys found David Dickerson's previous charges, UNA certainly should have. That brings us to another reader question: Would UNA have hired Dickerson knowing his background? We're pretty sure the answer is “No!” We can't imagine any university of other school taking the chance even if Dickerson swore on the proverbial stack of Bibles that he was innocent.

Remember, the university let four students travel alone with Dickerson to the Florida conference/sales meeting. That brings us to a question of our own. We have to ask just who at UNA thought a single, 43 year-old man was adequate chaperon for two young men and two young women? Sure, college students are supposed to be adults. We all know that they always act like adults, right? Uh...no, they don't, and it would seem in this case, rape charges aside, David Dickerson didn't either.

*****

 

Does the TimesDaily Cover Up Rape Culture at UNA?

Another great editorial from "Reader/UNA Insider":

So, there was actually a real story in the TD covering the Title IX issue. However, this story was overshadowed by two stories concerning the economic impact of UNA and what it would mean to lose UNA. The pro UNA propaganda campaign on this smells suspicious and even Joseph Goebbels would be proud of this crafty maneuver. Heil Kittsy! 

Here, you have UNA being sued by a student claiming Title IX infractions based upon her alleged assault by a university professor. Unfortunately, this is nothing unique nation-wide and, if UNA had followed procedure, it would have nothing to fear. However, in the egocentric idiocy that has plagued this president since he came into office, he decides to berate the student in an official statement rather than say, as any other professional would, that the university can’t comment on pending litigation.

His stupid, self-centered actions have raised national awareness of this issue and has placed UNA in a very bad light. So, what does UNA do to counter the Kitts kerfuffle? It tells the TD to publish economic impact data from a study that was conducted way back in May. Why was this story not published then? Coincidence? Not on your life! It also back-peddles the Friday statement with a new statement this weekend. The statements clearly contradict each other.

It is clear where the TD is throwing its allegiance. If the TD were so concerned about hurting economic engines, then why cover negative stories on our hospitals or our schools within the Shoals community? Has Papa Anderson threatened to pull his advertising if anything negative is printed about UNA? Maybe Shoals residents need to boycott certain businesses until Kitts is removed (BAM and TNT come to mind).

Any reasonable person is aware of what it means to have an institution of the high caliber and standing of UNA within our community. To insult our intelligence by implying that we don’t want UNA is unbecoming of you, TD. Nobody wants to see UNA leave and I believe the community support of its recent $25 million capital campaign makes a convincing argument of this fact. Personally, I am an alum of UNA and I have been a long-time supporter of this wonderful institution. With all of this going on, maybe I need to stop writing my checks until something is done.

To suggest that the removal of Kitts, Shields, or others from their jobs will hurt the health of the institution is both ludicrous and shortsighted. It is also clearly in line with the inflated ego of Kitts himself. Let me offer this bit of advice. If the Board does not do something to address these horrible events, then UNA will become a far weaker economic engine as it addresses more lawsuits, further loses talented, tax-paying citizens to our community who used to work at UNA, and loses the financial support of people like myself.

Kitts and Shields are bad for UNA’s continued growth in our community. It is time that the board realize this and do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of UNA’s students, staff, and faculty. It is time to remove Kitts from office.

*****

Our prediction is David Shields is first in line to be sacrificed. If you read the article in today's TimesDaily, you'll notice that Kenneth Kitts was included in the executive session. In other words, they weren't discussing his good name. Did the name of David Shields come up, or was it other current and former employees? 

No one is championing Shields, but our mail is running 4 to 1 in favor of ditching Kitts as well. We'll see very shortly.

Special: For All You Democrats/UNA

Alabama elections are always crap shoots. A current theory among political pundits is that if Roy Moore, hated by many both conservative and liberal, wins the Republican nomination, a Democrat will win the general election. It could happen.

So who's the best in the Democratic field. We pick Doug Jones or Robert Kennedy Jr. Both have a head on their shoulders and seemingly care about the state. 

Our, ahem, chief Democratic advisor tells us he's voting for Doug Jones. We're predicting a runoff with Jones and (probably) Kennedy. If Moore should win the Republican primary, let's hope a strong Democratic candidate can beat him.

*****

Did you hear about the first UNA football scrimmage of the season yesterday? Did they have a fistfight? No...they had five fistfights. If these guys can't refrain from hitting their own team, how many penalties will the university be seeing this season?

What is wrong with UNA? 

***** 

So far the university hasn't gotten any good press over its "sexual misconduct" press release. Sexual misconduct? That's when a pimply faced boy attempts to accidentally on purpose touch his date's breasts as he pretends to assist her with buckling her seat belt. Sexual misconduct is slapping a co-worker on the backside. Sexual misconduct is looking at porn on the office computer. 

Rape is just slightly more than "sexual misconduct." No wonder the majority of our mail is in favor of riding Kenneth Kitts and David Shields out of town on a barbed wire stretcher.

Huge Backlash Against Kenneth Kitts & David Shields?

From Concerned Citizen 101:

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse... well you haven't been following the actions of the current Administration at the University of North Alabama. With this group it could get worse and has.

So what about the Saturday, August 12th updated statement from UNA about the Jane Doe lawsuit. First it never happened, then all of a sudden it did happen and UNA investigated, saw that the Professor's actions were wrong and so they fired him. What????

Who are these people? Where in the heck are they getting their advice? How do you post a page long statement on August 11th saying the entire lawsuit is a lie. That Jane Doe is just trying to extort money and tarnish UNA's good name. Then the very next day post an entirely new statement saying this did happen but you investigated properly and followed all procedures and protected Jane Doe. UNA posted this August 12th as if the August 11th statement does not exist.

It's called backpedaling. The public is not stupid. The August 11th attack statement does exist and the only reason you removed it was because of the huge backlash and outrage from the public, students and alumni.

So let's talk about Times Daily. What the heck? Talk about insensitive and downright bad timing. Now we all know UNA asked Jennifer Edwards to do this article. But where are the Times Daily Editors? Are you kidding me "What would we lose if UNA wasn't here"? The question everyone should be asking is what was UNA hoping to gain with this article. Was it supposed to be a threat? Or was it supposed to be smoke and mirrors?

So are you saying that because you create jobs and generate all this revenue for the area we should overlook these lawsuits? We should turn a blind eye to the blatant violations of Title IX, numerous complaints of racial discrimination, bullying tactics and very questionable internal controls. Should we be so grateful to UNA that these illegal actions just don't matter? Really UNA. I see you.
 
No, Kitts!!! It doesn't work that way. Let me put it into perspective. It's like someone posted on FB under the comments concerning this article. "It would be like saying to a batter woman ... You should be grateful your abusive husband brings home a check." His check doesn't give him the right to break the law and treat his wife any type of way. And UNA creating jobs for people in the community and generating all this revenue doesn't give it the right to break the law then try to cover it up by any means necessary.

This community is tired of this Administration. I don't recall anyone asking UNA to pack up and leave Florence. However, we are asking and demanding an unbiased investigation into these publicly known lawsuits and other complaints that are not publicly known and get rid of any employee that is guilty. Even Kitts. Heck especially Kitts if he's in the least bit involved.
 
So let's talk about yet another incident that will end up in court if UNA doesn't handle it properly. Given UNA's current track record this will end up in court. I was told today that Dr. Kimberly Greenway who was Director over Student Conduct which includes judicial was involved in a situation where she said some very racially derogatory statements to four African American students who were on dance team. Dr. Greenway ultimately sent the girls to a student conduct board over a video that they posted on social media that a white student on dance team said she found threatening and harsh even though her name was never called and you couldn't prove the video was directed at anyone in particular. The white student said she found the video aggressive. Several people on staff have seen the video and stated it was in no way threatening or aggressive. Some of the statements that Dr. Greenway said to these black students were something like... I don't know what it's like to be a black female thank God. And we will not put up with thuggish behavior. The girls mysteriously didn't make dance team this year.

Here's where bad turned worse. Dr. Greenway supposedly was removed from Student Conduct, but get this. She was made Executive Director and moved to Housing and Residence Life. Sound familiar? It should - that's where Audrey Mitchell, in the Mitchell v UNA lawsuit, now works. Per the Times Daily article and court documents, in February Ms. Mitchell was forced to go back under Student Affairs where David Shields is Vice President. Her office, Housing Facilities Management, was forced to join with Residence Life office which is supervised by Dr. Kevin Jacques. Remember that name? You should; he's named all through Ms. Mitchell's lawsuit.

So Kitts and the staff attorney, Amber Fite-Morgan, thought it would be a good idea to force Audrey Mitchell back under the supervision of David Shields and join offices with Kevin Jacques while there is a very heated lawsuit involving Kitts, David Shields, Kevin Jacques and a lists of others. Then if that wasn't bad enough, move Kimberly Greenway out of Student Conduct for stating to students she's glad she's not a black female and make Ms. Mitchell report to her. Who is a black female???!!!

Kimberly supposedly officially retired July 31st but has told several people Kitts is keeping her on payroll to continue working at UNA.

This is the Twilight Zone, right? Who are these people? Can you imagine Ms. Mitchell's treatment now? If Kimberly was removed from Student Conduct because of questionable actions how does she get a promotion to Executive Director? Is Kitts rewarding discriminatory behavior now? Well UNA allegedly allowed a rapist to continue to work out his contract, so I guess anything is fair game at UNA.

Where is the Board of Trustees? It's clear that Kitts is not capable of running a University.

I agree it's time to drain the swamp but add Dr. Kimberly Greenway to the list. If an ounce of this is true she should be fired immediately. Heck, she retired. Tell her to pack her bag and send her on. Keeping her on payroll just added fuel to the fact that UNA covers up questionable activities and lacks internal controls.

Kitts, David Shields, Kimberly Greenway, Catherine White, who's head of HR, and Kevin Jacques should do UNA as well as the community a favor and have the decency to resign. Let's start calling the Board of Trustees and demand their resignation or termination.


Concerned Citizen 101 

Special: What's Wrong with Mo & What's Right?/Inspiration Landing

First, apologies to readers for the delay in discussing Mo Brooks, one of three senatorial candidates who have a chance to make the Republican runoff on Tuesday. So, what's wrong with Mo and what's right with him?

The main criticism we see about Brooks is that he's a Mormon. Rep. Brooks has stated he is not a Mormon, but does worship in the Mormon faith with his wife and family. We ask: Have you known a time when Brooks' vote in the House of Representatives has been swayed by the Mormon faith?

Second, here's some interesting remarks from a reader:

Luther Strange is working to get national reciprocity for carry permits, just as we have it for drivers licenses and marriage licenses. Mo Brooks, on the other hand, after the recent congressional shooting attempted to get reciprocal carry just for himself and other members of Congress, the public be damned. There is one other thing that nobody has mentioned. If Mo Brooks is elected then we'll have to pay for yet another special election to fill his old seat.

We agree with our reader that Brooks' attempt to arm U.S. legislators and not average citizens is elitist. Is this the worst thing anyone has ever done? No.

We don't think Brooks comes even close to perfect; however, he did acquit himself well during the congressional ball park shooting. We think of the three, he's the most innocuous candidate. Yes, American politics have come down to that...

We plan to vote for Mo Brooks on Tuesday and hope you will also.

***** 

Keith Lankford

Inspiration Landing? A reader writes:

How much are Keith Lankford and the Sheffield Board of Education paying Russ Corey to keep Sheffield City Schools featured in the Times Daily? Kids have ALWAYS been nervous to start kindergarten and parents have been anxious to send them. Why is this "story" worthy of two consecutive days' coverage? Gee, you'd think Sheffield leaders are trying to sell something.....Inspiration Landing, perhaps?

In reference to Russ Corey's story concerning Inspiration Landing in today's TD: Why does each "update" on this "proposed project" sound as if city leaders are starting over from ground zero? Why do they need money for new roads when in the last "update", Clayton Kelly reported that no new roads would be needed for the project? What are Russ Corey's journalism credentials? Three-fourths of his way into this story, he references "Scales". As a Sheffield resident, I know he means Gary Scales, but much of the Shoals area does not know that. Where is John Elkington? Anyone? Anyone?


Shoalanda Loves the Shoals!