MUSINGS FROM J.L. CHESTNUT, JR. BOULEVARD
1-15-09
As the only African-American writer on this website, my companions have asked me to pen these musings from close to the newly named J.L. Chestnut, Jr. Boulevard. Although the name of the street was changed Tuesday night, nothing in Selma has changed as a result of the street being named for Attorney Chestnut. The sun came up this morning. We still are going to lose about 450 jobs when Bush Hog closes shortly, crime and violence continue in the city, single women continue to have babies at an alarming rate, the educational system has the same number of drop outs as it had before the street was renamed, and the lowest paid city workers have been hit with a 12.5% decrease in their salaries while the highest paid city workers did not take a pay cut.
While the unholy trinity of Franklin Fornicator, Duke the Cultist, and Turner the Terrible are rejoicing that a street has a new name, INJUSTICE AND LOSS OF JOBS FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE CONTINUE RIGHT UNDER THEIR SELF-RIGHTEOUS NOSES. I have not heard one word from these three out of town, Johnny come latelies, to Selma about the INJUSTICE perpetrated on the lowest paid workers in the city of Selma. While they are rejoicing and gloating that the six black council members voted to name a street after Attorney Chestnut, hundreds of blacks are losing their jobs and having their wages cut by the same City Council which voted to change the street name.
What is more important to our people? To make enough money to feed their families or to drive down a street filled with pot holes that is named Chestnut Boulevard? Is Chestnut Boulevard going to feed anyone? CONSIDER WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL DID without one word of objection from the Fornicator, the Cultist and the Terrible. By a vote of 5 to 4, the Council voted to cut the pay of EVERY city employee except the certified police and firemen. This means that the black men who work in the Public Works Department and make an average of $14,500.00 a year will lose 12% of their pay plus the additional amount they had to pay for an insurance increase this year. People, these are black men who are trying to support families. WHAT AN INJUSTICE; YET THE BIG THREE SAY NOTHING. They are too busy rejoicing that a street has been renamed.
By contrast, the highest paid city employees, certified police officers, who make an average of $39,000.00 a year when the over $300,000.00 in overtime they earned last year, is added to their salaries DO NOT have their salaries cut even one penny. Every other full time city employee except certified police and firemen are taking a 12.5% pay cut. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THIS, AND WHY HAVEN'T Franklin, Mark and Albert raised their shrill voices in protest?
And who were the 5 council members who voted for this UNJUST ACT? Allen, Benjamin, Bowie, Keith and Newton. AND GUESS WHAT, WHO VOTED AGAINST THIS, WHO VOTED FOR THE CITY EMPLOYEES: that awful (according to the Fornicator and his minion Leashore) Williamson, Tucker, Crenshaw and Randolph!
What misplaced priorities do Franklin, Duke and out of town Albert have? Not one word that about 450 people are about to lose their jobs at Bush Hog, located on Chestnut Boulevard, but plenty of words of praise that we have a Chestnut Boulevard, thanks to a racial vote of 6 to 3. We have been told by our councilwoman that there was an agreement with Tucker and Bowie for them and the whites, except possibly Williamson, to vote to change Jeff Davis to Chestnut Boulevard from Hamilton Street to Broad Street. Apparently Benjamin and Allen were unaware of this and the motion followed to change the entire street. As an African-American, I can understand the pressure on Tucker and Bowie to vote to change the entire street after the motion was made by Benjamin; however, I know that in politics, it is very important to keep your word.
But my point is, while all of this is going on, hundreds of blacks are about to lose their jobs and Franklin, Mark and Big Al have not said one word in behalf of black and white workers at Bush Hog. If our people are duped by these three and follow them, Chestnut Boulevard will soon be 2 miles of abandoned buildings, closed businesses, and delapidated houses.
It may be nice to have a street named for Attorney Chestnut, but that doesn't deserve three months of talk and division while the town is going to hell in a hand basket!! Come on Franklin, get that Chicago debased mind in the thought mode and see what is happening to our people while you are wasting time and energy on projects that will not feed hungry children or families. How about some action to correct the real INJUSTICE IN THE CITY? Or did they just teach you to be destructive rather than productive in Chicago?
