PROTEST TODAY@Athens Chamber of Commerce,01/19, 3:30-6pm RE: redistricting

[CottonBear]

:00There is a protest today, Thursday Jan. 19, 2006, at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Building (Hancock Avenue in downtown Athens) from 3:30 to 6:00 pm . It is a quiet protest but NOT silent! Maddy Powell (North Georgia Democrats) has a protest permit from Athens-Clarke County for the whole block around the chamber building! Grady Smith of the A-CC Democratic party will be there too! He and Maddy are the organizers.

TELL EVERYONE IN THE 46th, 47th and 49th state senate districts TO GO DOWNTOWN TODAY from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm & PROTEST the GOP bastards!

The Athens Area Chamber of Commerce (mostly rich, white Republicans who mostly DON'T live in Athens-Clarke County)is trying to directly influence the redistricting and in fact Republican Senator Ralph Hudgens (47th district) (lives in Madison County) has come out and said that the chamber asked him for two senators for Athens so they can have more influence in the GA General Assembly. This is crazy logic because each senator can ONLY represent 155,000 people +/- 1%. Of the three Republican senators involved, Kemp, Cagle and Hudgens, NONE of them live in Athens-Clarke County. Kemp supposedly represnts Athens but he doesn't want to live here for the same reason the others don't : blacks, poor people, academics and bohemians and Democrats.

There was a BARN BURNER of a town hall meeting at the A-CC library last night! :) Democratic State Reps. Jane Kidd and Keith Heard spoke as did Athens-CLarke County Mayor Heidi Davison and A-CC commissioners Charles Carter and George Maxwell. Heidi gave a BLISTERING response to the Chamber of Commerce trying to act like their corporate group should be able to act like elected officials by inserting themselves into our local politics (in order to rape and pillage our city financially, socially and environmentally in order to line their own pockets.) I have never seen her so angry, Good lord, she was pissed off. The crowd applauded wildly all of the speakers and Democratic politicians. There were about 6 Republicans there, including businessmen John Padgett and Oconee County Commission Chair, Melvin DAvis. There was a former local GOP party chair there along with a fewothers I didn't know. (Probably chamber of commerce men.)

I've got to be downtown for a 5pm meeting so I'm going to go early and protest! I may even cancel my 5:45 pm meeting and protest after my meeting too!

TELL EVERYONE IN THE 46th, 47th and 49th state senate districts TO GO DOWNTOWN TODAY from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm & PROTEST the GOP bastards!

To paraphrase Kanye West, "The GA GOP don't care about Athens-Clarke County people." :grr:

[CottonBear]

1. Suggested protest signs:

THE GA GOP DON'T CARE ABOUT A-CC PEOPLE

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPORT CARD: F

(background: The chamber issued report cards on the mayor and commission last year RE: how business friendly they were, and gave each and every one of them an F.) :grr:

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: WHY DO YOU HATE POOR PEOPLE?

[Maraya1969]

2. Chamber of Commerce on Election Day: YOU'RE FIRED!

[CottonBear]

3. Excellent!

We'll use that one at the next protest OR for some local freeway blogging!

Thanks for your support and let me know how we can help Florida's Dems! Peace. CB