Bad Deeds for 7-20-2010 – More RWA Lies

 

Conservative Liar Edits Video to Get Good Person Fired – Shirley Sherrod was an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); specifically, the USDA Georgia director of rural development. In a speech to the Georgia chapter of the NAACP, she tells a story about her work 24 years ago for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund. In her story, Sherrod had met her very first white farmer, and at first didn’t know how to handle the situation. She ultimately befriended that white farmer she talked about, and helped that family save their farm.

Now, enter Andrew Breitbart, a conservative blogger who thrives on waving his malodorous lies around on Fox News and the Internet. Breitbart edited the video of Sherrod’s story to make it appear that she is racist who wouldn’t help the farmer. The video is all over the Internet and all over Fox News. Just like the ACORN edited video, which got ACORN defunded by the government, this edited video got Shirley Sherrod fired from her USDA job. The white farmer and his family have now come to Ms. Sherrod’s defense, praising her for her help.

So every time a conservative tells lies, people fall over themselves to believe the liar and convict the innocent. Especially if the innocent are trying to help the poor. This stinks! Getting active for this election is the only cure. Speak out with the truth!

 

Rick Perry’s Campaign is Spreading Lies About Bill White’s Financial Management of Houston – The facts: Bill White managed Houston with fiscally disciplined budgets and surpluses, cutting tax rates 5 straight years. The City of Houston will end Fiscal Year 2010 with $170 million in reserves and passed a balanced budget for 2011 projecting $126 million in reserves at the end of the year, with no layoffs or furloughs, unlike many other cities in the country.

Mayor Annise Parker recently highlighted Bill White’s record of fiscal discipline in her State of the City address:

“I am very proud to announce that the state of the city is strong. I would rather be mayor of Houston than any other city in America…we are still the strongest city, financially, than any other city in America.”

“Let me thank again, former Mayor Bill White for his strong, effective leadership over his six years of service in this city. His vision and hard work made Houston a better, finer, and more prosperous city. We thank him for his service.”

Right after he first took office, Bill White tackled the city’s pension system, cutting a $1.7 billion liability nearly in half and securing a sound future for both retirees and city taxpayers. Harvard professor and former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, a Republican, described Bill White’s pension reform as a national model, saying it proved a “return to fiscal soundness can be accomplished.”

Bill White also built cash balances that can be used in tough times. Under his watch, between the end of fiscal years 2003 and 2009, the general fund balance grew from $136 million to $236 million. The current administration projects that it will have $170 million on hand at the end of the 2010 fiscal year.

Because of the cash balances Bill White built for Houston, the balanced budget adopted by City Council in June 2009 did not require the kinds of cuts made in many other cities, like cuts in public safety and employee layoffs and furloughs. The budget projects a significant positive general fund balance even after 2011.

Bill White’s fiscally disciplined leadership left Houston on strong financial footing, in better shape than cities all over the country.

Regards,

Jim