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AR BRI TN RIS
Cynthia McKinney’s successor calls ethics
‘Bump in the Road’ for Freshmen Reps
By AMBER ENGLISH
NNPA Specsl Conmponden
WASHINGTON
(NNPA) - U. S. Rep.
Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)
from the 4th district in
Georgia and a successor
to former Rep. Cynthia
McKinney says that the
biggest substantive issue
for the newest members
of Congress has been
ethics and ethics reform.
“Many of the veteran
members of congress
understand the climate
we work within and they
want to sce our ethics
committee perform the
way it's supposed to per
form,” says Johnson. “So
many of the freshman
were elected promising a
new day as far as ethics
Upscale shopping centers shun buses
By JOSH SHAFFER
Special to the NNPA
RALEIGH (NNPA) -
Shopping centers in
Raleigh increasingly adver
tise tfiemselves as ‘upscale”
or “affluent.” In other
words, don’t come by bus.
Four plazas in Raleigh
now forbid city buses from
entering the fi)ropcrty, even
the ar‘iing ots. At Brier
(Irch( Commons in north
west Raleigh, that can
mean that workers must
trek up to a quarter-mile
across hot as[(){halt —the
equivalent of Fayetteville
Street in downtown
Raleigh.
A good walk never killed
anyone, but bus riders call
the shopping centers’ rules
another indignity that
poor shoppers and workers
must emfurc. Last Friday,
the city nixed three stops
at the end of Creedmoor
Road because two shop
ping centers there will not
allow Capital Area Transit
buses through the premis
es. One o% those stops
served 15 people a day.
“Some people have to
walk all the way to Target,”
said Denise \)yatkins. 48,
esturing to the horizon
Ecyond %ricr Creek where
she works. “They really
don’t want shoppers unless
Newspaper cites inadequate
planning in mental patient deaths
ATLANTA (AP) - Since
2002, at least 10 patients
released from Georgia's state
_n;:;ml hospitals have died after
i uare
ry ‘Xm:jd‘“‘g‘mmfi%
tion reported in an ongoing
imfiwggativc serics. s o
newspapers an
state records showed that about
5,000 times between 2002 and
2006, the hospitals released
Ean'cms to homeless shelters,
us stations, motels, even
streets and abandoned build-
R
a published Sunday,
based on medical files, court
newspaper deaths are
ms of i
oapeas o vecomiy
oo e ol sel
with mental illness face in find
ing community-based services.
were concerned, and they
expected to be able to do
things like an independ
ent ethics panel, that
many of the veterans did
not think would work
very well.”
Johnson took office in
January of this year,
claiming the seat of
McKinney by runoft in
2006. He joined more
than 50 other newly
clected congressional
members, three of whom
were Black.
McKinney served from
1993-2003, lost a race,
was re-elected and served
again from 2005-2007.
Many of her constituents
admired her for her out
spokenness and passion
for rights, but, contro
ol
J = J
¢
they have cirs.
The city lists four shop
ping centers that have
denied access: Brier Creek
Commons, Towne North
and Brennan Station on
Creedmoor Road, and
Bent Tree on Falls of the
Neuse Road.
On weckdays, buses
passed into Towne North
each hour. The property
manager, Debi Hunter, of
Craig Davis Properties,
began writing the city in
March comp Faining agout
the buses. She described
senior citizens afraid to
leave the Kroger there for
fear of being struck,
adding that she often had
to jump back to avoid
buses. Sgne asked that the
city stop using the shop
ping center.
Carmalee Scarpitti, who
Georgias system for planning
tients post-discharge care is
fi\ong tt:mfoml points of a
U.S. Justice Department inves
igation that began last spring
:fir the Adanta n
reported that at least ll?smc
mtal patients had died
icious circumstances
from 2%’35 through 2006.
The newspaper's Sunday
installment in 5: occasional
series focused on Drendell
Willis, 38, who had a history of
numerous hospitalizatations for
mental illness anl_cli a‘li’:d fi
tume in prison. He
20, 200&11: Albany, 48 hours
after checking out of South
western State Hospital in
Rl s
wo n anti
psychotic medncmgsm would
make him unusually sensitive
" S on e
on
20, Willis left his boarding
AUGUSTA FOCUS
versy seemed to follow
her. She threw herself
into the national spot
light after a physical con
frontation with a U.S.
capitol police officer
when he failed to recog
nize her at a security
checkpoint. Initially
McKinney said it was
racism, but she later
issued a public apology
on the House floor.
Johnson says he takes
pride in already having
established some person
al credibility on Capitol
Hill. Johnson says he
believes he has accom
plished this by “acting in
such a way that people
cah be proud of"
Johnson has focused on
several issues, including
works with the city’s tran
sit program, calred the
danger exaggerated. She
said a pedestrian would
have to li)e halfway across
the street to cross a bus'
path, and at the exact
moment ecach hour.
Sorry, you're banned
Finally, ‘on May 11,
Hunter wrote the city to
say the buses were banned.
“Towne North Shopping
Center LLC hereb
restricts the city of RalciFK
from using our parking lot
as a cut-through. ... We
realize that this may result
in dramatic change to this
established bus route, but
our tenants and their safe
ty are our main concerns.”
On June 15, the city
posted notices along
Creedmoor Road that the
buses would no longer
house on foot and a dy
wandered for at lc:iz)s‘:arf}?mé
hours in the hot sun. Late that
aftemoon he collapsed on a
ramp outside a docrors office.
Attgccmcrgency foom, nurses
packed him in ice, but he died.
Anau later showed that
Willis d:?yfiom a heatstroke
induced by his ant-psychotic
;i newspaper said many
jatric panents leave the
itals wis:lno more than a
'S wodn‘:\nof Ml%(n:n“f:,d
no more a r
Contilll’:vccd m%t. They
may follow-up appoint
ments with puydulgnns. but
notuntilal::z:twoord\m
weeks later — after their medica-
Wk e s
to
in very shaky wmfim," said
Janet Grayson, a former staff
Sec Mental, page 10A
or B R
L e
Bo o (
{ ’l' {, e v 3
e
Rep. Frank Johnson (D-Ga.)
his introduction of legis
lation that would reduce
the shortfall of Georgia’s
Peach Care Health Care
program. Johnson’s legis
lacion would take money
from other states’ Health
Care programs that had
surpluses and give it to
states suttering trom
serve stops beyond the
Stonchenge shopping cen
ter south of Towne North.
At one of those stops, an
average of eight people get
on-and seven get off}daifi\'.
The problem, said city
Transit Administrator David
Eatman, is that buses can no
longer turn around at Towne
North ~ end of the line.
Efforts to reach the owner of
the center failed. Officials
with American Asset Corp.,
Brier Creck's manager and
Scc Buses, page 9A
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shortfalls. He has also
spoken before the House
multiple times on the
need for full funding of
the federal children’s
health care program.
With equal passion,
Johnson says the 110th
congress has faltered
when it comes to ethics,
says Johnson.
Even attempts to pass
tougher ethics legislation
have met tough criticism
and resistance. In May,
Democratic leaders saw
what was supposed to be
a sweeping ethics pack
age watered down to the
bare minimum. Still, the
House passed the Honest
and Open Government
Act.
This past two years,
2007:2008 CSRA Classic
Youth Leadership Program
The CSRA Classic, Inc.
is currently accepting
applications for its 2007-
2008 CSRA Classic
Youth Leadership Pro
gram. This program
meets monthly for train
ing and development
workshops for budding
young leaders. All appli
cants must be between
the ages of 13-18 years
old, attend middle or
high school within the
June 28, 2007
tthe House has seen it's
share of ethics-related
scandal. Controversy
surrounding former lob
byist Jack Abramotff, for
mer Rep. Randy “Duke”
Cunningham, and now
Rep. William Jefferson
have raised public ques
tions about honesty in
Washington.
Still top Democrats say
they are working hard to
clean things up. Majority
Leader Steny Hoyer
spoke passionately for
stronger ethics in the
wake of these and other
scandals.
Hoyer said in a press
release carly this month,
“The New Democratic
Majority is absolutely
committed to ensuring
the highest integrity.”
CSRA or participate in
an accredited home
school program. Applica
tions are available for
pickup at the Walker
Group located (1143
Laney-Walker Blvd.) or
contact Wren Walker at
706-722-4222 for more
information regarding
the program. The dead
line to submit applica
tions is July 31, 2007.
3A