.: The Story of Baby Ojore Jevell Bryant

I am a 21 year old African American mother living in Atlanta , GA. I just recently had my first child on June 28, 2008. His name is Ojore Jevell Bryant, but you can call him O.J. When I was 5 months my OBGYN referred me to a specialist because they detected a problem. The specialist determined that my son had gastroschisis. This is a condition in which the fetus’s intestines are growing on the outside of the body. The specialist assured me that my son would be okay. That the pediatric surgeon would simply put the intestines back in the inside and sew up his abdominal wall.

O.J had surgery on June 29, 2008 the day after his birth. His surgeon Dr. Parker called me and said that his abdominal wall had closed while he was in my womb and cut off the blood circulation to the intestines on the outside, and they had died off. My son has 19 centimeters of intestines left. This forced them to put him on a colostomy bag. All the doctors that I have spoken with have told me that my son’s intestines are to short for him to sustain life. They gave me the option to send him home with hospice and let him die. My son is too beautiful and full of life to let anyone give up on him especially me. They said the only other option is for him to get an intestinal transplant. Due to his condition he can’t eat by mouth. He is fed intravenously, artificial nutrition called TPN. The doctors told me that the TPN deteriorates the liver over a long period of time, and they predict that he will also need a liver transplant because of that.

We will have to move out to New York or Nebraska for the transplants, and the problem is that I don’t have the means. The social worker at the hospital said that I can stay there while he’s there. But when he is discharged she can’t do very much. I have to stay there after the surgery so I can go to his follow up visits. I need help raising the money so I can be there for my little prince. Please help me!

I receive dozens of emails from other members concerning events and things that they may need. I really need my NABFEME sisters to help me out right now. I’m begging you to please spread the word on my situation. I will appreciate any references, referrals, support, sponsors, and monetary donations. We are currently at Egleston Hospital at Emory. We will be here a while because he got sick and they want to do another surgery on him before the transplant. This will be his 3rd surgery and he’s only 4 months. He is very strong!

I know that you are so powerful and you have so many connections, that with the help of God you can give my son a chance at life. Sisters, my son is the world to me and his dad, and we are willing to do anything to help our son through this. We love him to the fullest extent possible and he has a lot going on with him but we are going to stay strong and fight this. Anything that you can do, anyone who you could connect us with will be greatly appreciated. Thank you immensely! You are a beautiful person inside and out. Continue to be blessed.

Sincerely,

Brittany McMullen.

Join Only In The A on December 10th, 2008 at the Hammonds House Museum (503 Peeples Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30313) for this cocktail awards reception and fundraiser to assist with the medical expense for Ojore Jevell Bryant and Brittany McMullen.

Special thanks to Blue Boy Media, ATL2nite.com, NABFEME and The Style Suite.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Lenora Bowler at 404.543.7376 or BElenora at gmail.com

If you haven’t had a chance to vote, click here to view the official list of 2008 CHOZEN Award Nominees

My last $20. It’s burning in my pocket. 20 singles, 2 tens, 4 fives, or however you wanna look at it. There is so much you can do with a $20. Contrary to what we have been forced to believe. In college that $20 alone could last me a whole week! Every fast food chain now has a dollar menu, gas is at an unbelievable low, and you can catch a matinee movie, local play, or buy an awesome bargain outfit. I know because I did it. Last night, while out on the town I realized I had one last $20 in my pocket. As I rummaged my purse for the endless amount of money that was supposed to be there, I realized it was down to just that one bill. I still had not eaten, been on my outing for the night, nor put gas in my car. I immediately looked up to the sky and said, “Why Me!!!”. I decided you know what, I’m going to make this $20 work.

First, my girlfriend and I headed downtown to a the 1st ever Chozen Awards held at the historic Hammond House. The awards were honoring Atlanta’s hottest entrepreneurs professionals, entertainers, trendsetters, and other movers and shakers in the city. And best of all it was FREE! I’m learning, more and more, that’s some of the most awesome and gratifying event in the city are free events or put on at a minimal cost by Non-profits and other community organizers. There was free food and free drink ( they even had my favorite wine!). Anyway, afterwards we headed down to this jazzy little sushi bar and I was able to purchase a tasty little special for $7.50.  My girl grabbed the tip and we headed a bit further downtown to a swank little jute joint and heard some amazing artist on open mic night! The cover was $5. Yes, I still had $7.50 in my pocket.  It’s funny but God works in mysterious ways, and will make you realize just how fortunate you are in a split second.  As I went to grab my cell phone I realized that it wasn’t in my purse and I had to have misplaced it somewhere. Aaagghh!!!

We began to frantically retrace our steps and call around to see if any often places we had been had found a cell phone. Nothing. I put the remainder of my money in my gas tank and decided to ride back over to where our night began, at the West End at the Awards Ceremony. As I finished putting gas in my car, I went to reach for the door handle and it broke off! Yes, I somehow HeManned my car door handle it just broke off! Okay, so I look back up to the sky and apologize. I mean honestly, and sincerely. I had been having a wonderful night, with $20 in my pocket, and here I was being ungrateful and frustrated over a cell phone. Completely not acceptable. So, I managed to open my door and we headed back to the West End, Upon arrival my friends phone rang, and one of the ladies who organized the Awards Ceremony had indeed found my phone and had left it with the individuals who ran the museum. It was now closed for the night, but she assured me that I would be able to pick it up today. I headed back down to the West End today and picked up my phone. There is was, in perfect tact.

I spoke with the museum’s Executive Director and I began to share the details of my eventful night. He started to tell me to always be thankful for what I had and that everything in life happens a certain way for a reason.  It’s not like it was the first time I had heard those words, but at that moment they became so true and so real. After talking even more about my profession and about my recent degree in Public Relations that I acquired from Morgan State, he offered me a job!  “You’re kidding me , right?” I was not only shocked and excited but I also felt so fortunate and ashamed. The director told me I would go very far because of my gracious personality and attitude, and that I had a spirit that drew people to me. As I left the museum I kneeled my head and prayed. “Thank you Father for being so gracious and merciful. I was so undeserving of everything that had happened to me in the last 48 hours, yet I had received so much. I even received some of the kindest words I had ever heard amidst my poor attitude. I will do better, I promise.” I wanted to share this story because all to often we think what we have is minimal or meaningless. I stared my night frustrated with only $20 in my pocket. I questioned God and was very ungrateful. Even so, I ended up having great fun, getting my lost cell phone back, and a job! If that’s not the beauty of our Father in Heaven, I don’t know what is…

With health care costs, food prices, and the unemployment rate on the rise, you need to do everything you can to protect yourself – and your career – from the danger of recession.

Check out these 5 stable, growing industries. Many feature careers that pay $50,000 and more!

1. EDUCATION

Education isn’t just for kids. In fact, in 2003, the U.S. had over 75 million students of varying ages at all levels – from elementary school to college and beyond!

Having an impact on young minds and sharing your knowledge can be a rewarding, steady career. You can get started on a teaching career with a 4-year college degree in teacher education. If you’re already a teacher, you can prepare to advance to a principal position with a master’s degree in educational leadership or educational administration.

The Pay Off: Salaries for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers average about $47,000 to $52,000 a year.* Principals have an average annual salary that ranges from $40,000 to more than $80,000! Learn more about education and teaching programs now.

2. ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING

Now more than ever companies are being held responsible for their financial reporting. Add evolving financial laws and regulations and the increasing number of businesses into the equation, and the result is an in-demand, stable industry with a wealth of employment opportunities.

Get started on a recession-proof accounting career with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in accounting, and then broaden your opportunities and salary range with an accounting master’s degree. Or you can get your feet wet with an accounting diploma or accounting certificate program.

The Pay Off: The median annual salary for accountants and auditors in 2007 was $63,180.

Another Plus: Accounting is a broad industry with many specialties. Want to work for the IRS? Explore government accounting programs. Interested in investigating financial wrongdoing? Try a forensic accounting program.

3. HEALTH CARE

It’s no surprise that one of the most stable industries – even when the economy is in poor shape – is health care. No matter what the state of the country, there will always be people in need of quality health care services.

Train to coordinate and plan the delivery of health care services with a health services administration or health care administration degree. Want to assist doctors and care for the sick? Consider a nursing diploma or degree program. Or prepare for a supporting role with a one-year dental assisting and short-term medical assisting programs.

The Pay Off: Medical assistants make an average of $13.59 an hour – over $28,000 annually. Dental assistants make an average of $15.52 an hour which can add up to about $32,000 annually. Registered nurses averaged over $62,000 per year in 2007. Medical and health services managers can make over $80,000 annually.

4. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Constantly evolving technology means continued growth and stability for careers in the information technology industry. Consider studying to become a computer systems analyst or computer software engineer.

To get started, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, like information security.

The Pay Off: Computer systems analysts can earn an average annual salary of $75,890. Computer software engineers, who design, develop, test, and evaluate computer software and systems, earn an average of $85,000 to $90,000 a year!

5. SECURITY

Following 9/11, national security became a top priority. Factor in a growing population and increased concern for public safety, and you see an industry full of lucrative, stable careers.

Although you can join the police force with only a high school diploma, a degree in law enforcement, criminal justice, public administration, or other industry-related areas can help you get ahead in this line of work. To work as a probation officer, you’ll need to start with a bachelor’s degree in social work or criminal justice.

The Pay Off: Police officers earn an estimated $50,670 a year. Detectives and criminal investigators earn an estimated annual salary of $62,500. Probation officers have a median salary of $47,980.

Another Plus: With three years of full-time related work experience, and the right degree, you could meet the criteria for employment as an FBI agent!

*All salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

Well something I haven’t shared with you all is my avid love for reality television. I know I seem to only be involved with politics and my oh so emotional opinions on life, but when I get a chance to let my hair down, there’s nothing I enjoy more than to watch some good old, scripted, sexually biased, exceptionally comedic, reality television. I began in the 90′s with Real World and have been a dedicated follower since the beginning, with  personal favorite season being Seattle ( you know the year that Stephen slapped oh girl in the mouth before she rode off in the cab!). Anyway, I have been officially sucked into the good, the bad, and the ugly (Temptation Island, Bad Girls Club, Survivor, Super Nanny, Who wants to Date a midget, Age of Love, America’s Top Model, Making the Band,Flavor of Love,  Tru Life, Amazing Race, Biggest Loser, and Celebrity Rehab) just to name a few.

I’m not sure where my fascination comes from but I am just a fan, period. But last night, this reality junkie  was pissed! Something I have grown to accept when watching my favorite reality show is frustration, but I know it makes for good ratings. But last night, VH1 went too far. I sat down to watch the latest installment of Rock of Love Charm school hosted by Sharon Osborne and actually felt so compelled that I wanted to write VH1. Now there are always villains and heroins in these shows, promiscuous girls and holier than though pretenders, but this show enlisted the cast of the hugely wild set of chicks from Rock of Love. Truthfully, there are usually one or two girls that I actually like and the rest are purely entertaining. But this season I actually like most of the girls, even in their ditsy attempts to become English inspired, remade ladies. I oblige the show because it actually seems like although it’s good old television, they are actually helping some ladies become more refined and helping them deal with their issues. Well the infamous Lacey, the redheaded disaster is the season’s villain and she does an amazing job at pushing my buttons every week. She plots against other girls to pick them off one by one by tormenting and abusing them, in one way or another and take pleasure in being a supposed know it all with false vegan principles. Now, before I voice my complaint let me state this, I enjoy the Charm school series (I think Monique was a much better host by the way) because it takes these women from these awful reality show reputations that they have gained and actually gives the life lessons on how to become  a better woman, role model, and citizen. It tries to focus on the good in them while helping them diminish their exploitative and raunchy  behaviors through a series of lessons and tasks. Okay, well since that’s the rundown on the show let’s get back to Lacey. She has had an ongoing beef with Dallas, a former Rock of Love girl with a pissy attitude and sometimes arrogant behavior. By all means I recognizes her flaws, but at least she doesn’t blatantly disrespect the other cast members, act boisterously, annoys everyone, and play angel in the face of the judges. And truthfully, she really showed a lot of growth on the show.  Last night, she held her cool when Lacey spilled her drink on her, heckled here from around the pool, wiped her feet all over her personal clothing while lying in her bed, and ultimately ruined their challenge by being the WORST team member ever. I agreed, Dallas should have been big enough to step up to the plate and accept the task regardless of how much she hated the girl, but she’s human. I’m sure was just tired of being constantly disrespected and even more tired of  Sharon seeing Lacey as someone who truly felt bad for her actions and was doing better. When I saw Sharon expel Dallas, I went through the roof!

Are you serious? Now I know it’s reality television but c’mon, that drama was so tactless. What kind of message was the show sending again? Don’t become a bigger or better woman just be a master ,manipulator and demean everyone around you and we want to reward you on our show. BULL!!! I actually though this show had some  type of principle and positive responsibility to the young girls watching. I know they can laugh and enjoy the craziness of the house, but ultimately, giving a devilish character like Lacey the time on television that she ultimately desires most, is counter-productive and sen sent out the worst message to its views. I’s sorry VH1, I know you have to maintain you ratings, but bad choice.

Reality shows have to have thir place for the villlans and villanesses. I get that, but when they have one that is so grotesquely obnoxious that people actually stop watching it(Plenty of my friends have because of Lacey) it takes away, even from artificial nature of reality television (and that’s hard). Take someone like New York. She was a villan but at least she was a bit eaier on the eyes, composed her obnoxous behavior when necessary, and kept it together, She was apised villan as oppsed to LAcey whos just an annoying, drunk, ugly, wannabee, with a terrible dispositio on life, and extrelmmy flawed charter. Unfortunaltel VH1, you can’t save this one, and giving her a spin off, DON’T even think about it. It would be a disater for you station and to the eyes of all of your loyal supporters.

Ok, so I know I have talked your ear off about politics in the last few months. It just had just become such a major part of my life (something I never would have anticipated) and honestly I can say Im proud that I chose to dedicate that much time to something for my own personal gain. What I mean by that is, a lot of people say they don’t get into politics because it’s something that they cant change, so why bother. I feel, when you choose not to be knowledgeable on the subject, you completely take yourself out of the conversation that the whole world is having. Whether or not your ONE voice can change the world or not, don’t sell yourself short by not knowing about it at all. Ok, politics, enough said… for now.

So, this past weekend I caught a flu bug. I know, awful right? Well not really. It actually helped me get a bit closer to my mother and allowed me to tell my father what exactly his negative presence in my life has done to me. When I moved to Atlanta this past summer, I brought only the belongings that I could fit into my small car. Therefore, I left my winter clothes, computer, and a lot of other large items at my uncle’s house (my father’s brother). My father and my stepmother said as a graduation present they would pay for the shipping of all of my things to Georgia within the following months. Needless to say, here it is November, and I have yet to receive my winter clothes. And needless to say, I have gotten sick because I do not have my winter clothes which includes my coats and jackets.

Yes, I should have just been making arrangements to get them sent down here myself, but every time I went to ask my father he said he was working on it, and ultimately I just wanted to think that nattered enough to my father that he would take care of it. On Sunday night I found out that was so far from the truth. This is my dilemma. How can a father, who supposedly loves his daughter so much, I mean I am named after him for God’s sake, care so little about not only keeping his word, but the well being of his little girl in these frigid months! Something I have had to come to terms with was the conversation that followed. Besides me calling and asking about the status of my things being sent down here I have not had a conversation with my father since July. He has not called ONCE to see how I was doing, where I was working, or what was going on new in my life. My heart has broken from the things he has done so many times and its come to the point now where I’m just numb.

I was also scheduled to go on a trip this past Aug, with my step-mom(my father’s wife) to Santa Domingo. We had planned this trip long before I graduated in May of 08 and the agreement was that they would take care of all of my expenses as another part of my graduation gift. I ended up missing the trip because I could not financially take it, and that initial agreement that stated that they would take care of the financials all of a sudden became VOID. Wow right, no just something I have become so used to. My father saying one thing, promising another, and not following through with either, lol all I can do these days is laugh. Probably to hide the tears, but what can you do? When we talked this past Sunday I asked him straight up. What have I done to you as a daughter that is so awful, that you won’t call me, wont make sure that I have my things in this cold winter, or keep your word on anything you say? What or who in this wold could make you abandon the fragile relationship that you already have with me? And why don’t you love me enough to fight for me or care enough to makes things right with us? I have to wake up everyday and think about those things as I’m surrounded by family and friends that at least have their parent or parents that express their love.

When my father left us when I was 14, I picked up the pieces and my mother, my sister, and I had to manage. I forgave him for making us lose the only home I had ever known, being uprooted from the schools and friends I had grown to love, and being subjected to abuse. At the end of the day he was my father, and all I really ever wanted was for him to love me enough to fight for me. My father told me that he had not been in touch because he had been upset about the way I handled things this past summer. Those things meaning missing the trip that his wife had planned for me and her. Are you serious? He basically had chosen to sever the ties between me and him again because I did something he did not like to his wife. It all became so clear again. I will never be the priority in his world, like I wasn’t when he left, I won’t be any time in the near future.

The purpose of me writing this is to say to all of those fathers out there, or all of those daughters who just wanted a daddy to care for them, please keep forging on. No one is worth your tears, your pain, or your heart. When a person loves you, they do so because they want to, not because they are supposed to. And they don’t just speak those three words, they show you through their actions. True enough, I know who my father is, he was an active part of my life for a while, but a lot of the time I feel as though he should have just walked away like so many others have. Him being present in my life but constantly withdrawing himself and showing me that me and my feeling didn’t matter hurt just as bad as it would have if he were just a sperm donor. He never told me to my face that I wasn’t important to him, but how he has treated me means just as much. Please don’t be that father. Don’t be that man. Let the daughters and all the women in your life know how important they are to you at every opportunity that presents itself. It will go far.

In my life I have had to be strong. I have had to be the bigger person for so long and to so many. After a while it just seems as though someone would recognize that and want to come take that burden off of me. But then I have to remember that God does not put anything in our lives that we are not capable of handling. There is so much I still need to learn and still need to accomplish, but one thing that I do have in tact is my heart and the way that I treat the ones I love.

I’m still trying to let it all sink in. I’m so filled with emotion, joy, and admiration. This historic day, November 5, 2008, is one that I am so proud to be a part of. My ancestors are smiling down today and expecting me to uphold all of the things that are are righteous. I have now an obligation in this life, even more so than before, to do my part to encourage change and reach beyond the stars. We have come so far and there are so many more strides that we must take. Who would have thought that this day would have come so soon, but I am so blessed that it did.

Last night I watched the results come in from the polls in downtown Atlanta with over 1,000 of my peers. We laughed, cheered, cried, laughed, and prayed. It was a celebration party from the beginning till the end. But THAT moment was so special and so touching because WE were a involved. My young generation that often gets labeled as “lost” was truly found. We came together and shared in an experience that was monumental and everyone watched in silence as President Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech in Chicago’s Grant Park. Today, we are accountable. Not just Blacks, not just youths, not just women, but all of us and accountable for making this county unite and love our neighbors as we face some of the hardest times we have even seen.

I called my 16 year old sister and prayed with her for the safety of the Obama family. We talked about what this election meant for the world and what it meant to her. Her word to me were, “I want o be President too!” You see, President Obama has ignited something is all of us and ignited something in our children. They now see the vision that was only a distant dream at one point in history. Today will be a day that I will remember forever. I will cherish this great country that I live in and am so proud to be a citizen with all of those good people who saw President Obama’s vision and fought with him to make history. Thank you all, I love you, and I love my country.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is a day that I have prayed for for my entire young life. It’s a day that has never come before in history and one that will always be remembered in the future. Today, there is an African American man at the top of the ballot running as the presidential candidate for the United States of America. It’s nice to acknowledge that this campaign and the support of Barack Obama is not only because he is a Black man, but a qualified one. Yet it is important to recognize the important of a man of color being able to run. There was a time, not too long ago, when African Americans could not stand in line with whites, dine in restaurants with whites, or attend schools with them. Blacks were raped, beaten, enslaved, and lynched for things as simple as looking at their white counter parts in their eyes, not saying “yes Maam” or “No Sir” when being spoken to, or speaking out against the harsh and cruel treatment that they had been subjected to. The confidence and dignity of an entire race was stripped and if it was not for the most admirable Civil Rights activist such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Frederick Douglas, and Rosa Parks to name a few, we would still be waiting for a chance to be considered equal. During The Civil Rights movement racial segregation and the disenfranchisement that took place made blacks feel as though they would never be treated as equals to their white counter parts.

Now, this is far from a history lesson but it is important to understand our history and to understand the pride and excitement and long awaited justification that many minorities feel. My grandmother picked cotton in the fields of Southern Georgia and cleaned houses for white families to support her own. She fought hard to make a better life for her children and shed tears when the idea of a man of color being elected to president became more than an idea, but a fact. In this country there were many injustices besides those towards just African Americans. Native Americans were forced off their land and killed, Hispanics, many Caribbeans, Asians, and many other minority groups were treated as second class citizens. America, the land of the free, has not always lived up to it’s ” Land of the Free” name and instead taken a “Holier Than Thou” approach. But today is a new day, a new time, and change is coming. The new generation is much more accepting and understanding of others.

We are a generation of HOPE! A generation of CHANGE! And a generation of ACCEPTANCE! It’s time that we band together and love each other to support the change that Americans needs. We all live in this great country and it is up to us to be the change that we hope to happen. Regardless of who you vote for, this election in monumental. The opportunity for a woman to become vice President, the opportunity for a Black man to become President. Either way, we are changing our future one vote at a time. Please take the time to vote. Show your sincerest gratitude for those who came before you to sacrifice their pride, their humanity, and often times their lives to give you the opportunity to let your voice be heard. There are places in this world still today where citizens have no voice and no right to oppose the way in which the country the live is ran. It is something that should not be taken for granted. I encourage those who think that their 1 vote cannot count, to do their homework. In elections past each of those single votes did count, and even if they were not to make the difference in their candidate being elected, do it for the ancestors.

It is bigger than a candidate being black, it is about a candidate being an advocate for love and acceptance of all. One who is interested in changing this country and ultimately changing this world. You decide, but Obama, You’ve got my VOTE!!!

The most disappointingthing to see was the unsportsmanlike behavior that Senator McCain displayed. Sometimes it’s not what people say that’s important but more importantly what they do. After the debate, Barack Obama chose to go into the stands to meet and greet as many people as he could. He was involved. John McCain didn’t even shake Obama’s hand as he attempted to scurry out the door. He just isn’t involved, and even more so I think he’s beginning to get incredibly frustrated in his camp’s ability to take the lead in their race to the White House.

White House. Those words alone have had many meanings to a lot of people throughout history. As African Americans and many minorities have lacked equal treatment throughout the days of this country, it has been because of the leadership in the White House. Now, I wonder are we really ready for a man of color to sit in the seat of President. My heart and my mind say yes, as I argue that RACE is not the determining factor in this election. It is, and should be, QUALIFICATION. And Barack is proving time and again that he is the most qualified candidate. I received an email from a friend this morning that was very disturbing. It showed me that although the chants for “CHANGE” rage loudand strong throughout the country, many people are not ready for the change that Obama will shorely bring. Take a look at these images and I hope it disgusts you the way it turned my stomach. I will not give this type of idiocracy anymore of my energy, but look at where some of our nation’s citizens still remain. How Patriotic huh? 

Ok, she wasn’t really on Vogue but check out this article that I found on my friends blog. Its guaranteed to make you think. If you want to read some more good information check out his blog site at http://relentlesstv.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=RelentlessAaron.

Here’s the article, tell me what you think….

Alaska Resident Send Email To Warn Voters
Here’s a copy of the Anne Kilnenny email that’s been getting passed around by email for the last few days. Anne claims to be a Wasilla Alaska resident. Snopes.com and others have verified her identity.

She paints a picture of Sarah Palin that Karl Rove might not appreciate. Judge for yourself:

The Anne Kilkenny Email:

ABOUT SARAH PALIN

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child’s favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she’s like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won’t vote for her can’t quit smiling when talking about her because she is a “babe”.

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.

She is “pro-life”. She recently gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn’t take positions; she just “puts things out there” and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.

Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin’s kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.

Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.

She’s smart.

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a “fiscal conservative.” During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later; to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.

While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.

These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.

In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today’s surplus, borrow for needs.

She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the “old boy’s club” when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys”. Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal; loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State’s top cop (see below).

As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla’s Police Chief because he “intimidated” her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska’s top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it’s pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council

became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn’t like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the “old boys’ club” when she dramatically quit, exposing this man’s ethics violations (for which he was fined).
Anne Kilkenny
annekilkenny@hotmail.com
August 31, 2008

Validated by Daily Journal
Alaska resident writes about VP nominee Palin
09/05/2008, 4:02 pm

By Susy Schultz Managing Editor
815-937-3330
sschultz@daily-journal.com
On the Internet, comments, posts, articles and information fly.

But anonymity rules. So, John Doe just might be Jane. And can you trust that the friendly grassroots campaign you just joined isn’t really organized by a top political strategists?

The Daily Journal would like to know and maybe you would, too.

Recently, we received a note about the Web post, “Letter from Anne Kilkenny,” about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee. We thought for sure it was not really, “a resident of Wasilla, Alaska” who has known Palin since 1992 as the post claims.

So, we checked it out. Kilkenny does exist, and she does live in Alaska. We reached her by phone and asked if she wrote the rather long note that calls Palin “smart” but also questions her abilities.

We asked Kilkenny, “Did you write that letter?” She replied skeptically, “Well, I don’t know. Read me parts of it. I’ll tell you if it’s mine or not.”

After we read it to her, she said, “Yes, I wrote that.” She sent it out to 40 people, brothers, sisters and friends, on Sunday — two days after U.S. Sen. John McCain announced Palin as his choice. On Wednesday, if you enter Kilkenny and Palin’s names on Google, about 200 sites refer to this letter.

Why did she do it? Kilkenny told The Daily Journal she wanted to offer people information and her experiences. She does not flatter Palin, but she said she did vote for Palin when she ran for city council.

“How affirming it has been,” she said. “I am pleased to know how idealistic Americans are. They want information not just the politics of destruction.”

Verdict: Agree with it or not, the letter is authentic.

Article courtesy of Relentless Aaron.

Wow, that’s our soon to be president. And I have to say, I’m quite proud. Its not just because I’m a Democrat ( because truthfully I was contemplating the idea of Independent for a long time) and it’s not because I’m a woman, or a minority. It’s because he’s the best choice that we have. He’s charismatic, realistic, and eager to make a change, and I believe him. While my friends were here from the UK we sat and talked about their view of our country and the decisions that we have made. You know what each and everyone of them said? You Americans would be “CRAZY” to elect someone who falls anywhere near along the lines of Bush to lead us for the next four years.

They made me see the U.S. and our politics in a very realistic light. The world is a much smaller place today than in the years when our big bombs and missiles alloted us a sense security from foreign attacks. The WORLD hates Bush and the decisions that he has made in the last 8 years. To elect McCain, (someone who has backed Bush in over 95% of his decisions) would illustrate to the world that we are incompetent and incapable of being a world power or leader.

Ok, so do I feel that Obama is the “Savior” of the new millennium without any shortcomings. No, not at all. He’s human as well. But I do think he has the capabilities to deliver us out of the social, economic, and political mess that we are in.

Part 2. Coming Soon!