Pensacola Voice

8
Volume 48 Num. 2 January 10 - January 17, 2013 50 Cents Scan the image with your smart phone or tab- let’s camera or go to www. pensacolavoice.com and log in with your face book account, to post your com- ments or see more pictures and stories about Pensac- ola. Be sure to Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! @PensacolaVoice INSIDE TALKING IT OUT weekly editorials Page 4 “We’d Do It Again” page 2 Business 2 Religion 3 Editorial 4 Community 5 Classifieds 7 Health 8 Pine Forest Defeats Catholic 62-53 (Above) Crusaders vie to block jump shot by Eagles -- photo by J MIles Pine Forest Remains Undefeated By Gov. Rick Scott, special to the Tampa Bay Times In Print: Sunday, January 6, 2013 In my family, we seldom saw a physician growing up. My parents struggled financially. My father was a long-distance truck driv- er, and he was often laid off when department stores were fully stocked. My mother had a hard time finding work that would allow her to also raise five children. When one of my younger broth- ers had a hip disease, my parents agonized over how they would pay for his treatment. A Shriners Hospital For Children more than 200 miles away came to the rescue. I remember how appreciative my mother was after each visit. I know from experience that par- ents want their children to have the best health care possible. This means they need access to quality care they can afford. On Monday, I will meet with Health and Human Services Sec- retary Kathleen Sebelius in Washington to discuss the health care challenges facing Florida families. I look forward to discussing ideas for addressing the issues of health care cost, quality and ac- cess. Reforms like our Statewide Medicaid Managed Care propos- al (which is currently with Sebelius for HHS approval along with a proposal for long-term care reforms), tax incentives for individuals to buy insurance, price incentives for healthy behaviors, and flexi- bility to buy personalized coverage will all lower cost and increase quality in our health care system. I also look forward to discussing with Secretary Sebelius the po- tential increase in the number of people in our state’s Medicaid pro- gram for those who cannot afford health care. While the president’s health care law is now the law of the land, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that increases in the number of Floridians having their health care costs paid for by federal and state taxpayers would be left up to each individual state. There are two key questions driving our consideration of this issue: • How will we pay for it? • Will it decrease costs and improve quality and access to health care for Florida fami- lies? Today, Florida’s Medicaid program provides health care to more than 3.3 million Floridians. That means that one in six Floridians have their health care cov- erage provided by tax revenues of the remaining Floridians, and Medicaid is approximately 30 percent of our state budget. The cost of Medicaid has been growing at 3 ½ times the growth rate of the state’s general revenue for years. This crowds out our ability to invest in K-12 education, state universities and other priorities. Growing government is never free. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration recently reported that adding people to Medic- aid under the new law would result in a total cost to Florida taxpay- ers of more than $63 billion over 10 years. The report also pointed out that the federal government has a long history of dramatically underestimating the cost of government programs. For example, the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital pro- gram was estimated by Congress to cost less than $1 billion in 1992. The actual cost came in at $17 billion. Just as taxpayers pay for our Medicaid program today, they will ultimately be responsible for Governor Scott: Working for Affordable Health Care for Floridians Healthcare, Pg 7 Austin Paul Jazzes It Up for Five Sisters This weekend customers of Five Sisters Restaurant got a double treat as they enjoyed Sunday brunch; good food and good music. Saxophonist Austin Paul was on hand to en- tertain the crowd with sounds ranging from contemporary gospel to slow jazz. Paul, who is 16years old, has been playing since he was in the third grade. A five time winner at The Appollo, this young man can touch the hearts and soul of anyone that lis- tens. Austin Paul can be found at Five Sisters on Sundays from 11am to 3pm. If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy good music while having a dynamic meal, come to Five Sisters and make a dream become a reality. Pine Forest High Bas- ketball team beat Catho- lic High 62-53 Saturday night in a tense game. Closing the gap within 2 points in the first quarter, However, making tough shots and increasingly strong defense proved to be a winning formula in the first half for PFH Ea- gles. Throughout the beginning of the third quarter, Cath- olic continued to pressure the Eagles with continu- ous passing while draw- ing a number of fouls. Time management, though, proved to be on the side of PFH and at the end of the third quarter, The Eagles were in the lead 39-34. Both teams played a su- perb game with the Eagles landing with a score of 62-53. They now have a record or 15-0. According to maxprep. com, PFH play next when they host Milton for a 6A District 1 battle on Tues- day, January 8. Pine For- est will battle a Panthers team coming off a 52-33 league win over Pace (Pace, FL). The Panthers record now stands at 5-7.

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This is the January 10 edition of the Pensacola Voice

Transcript of Pensacola Voice

Page 1: Pensacola Voice

Volume 48 Num. 2 January 10 - January 17, 2013 50 Cents

Scan the image with your smart phone or tab-let’s camera or go to www.pensacolavoice.com and log in with your face book account, to post your com-ments or see more pictures and stories about Pensac-ola. Be sure to Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter!@PensacolaVoice

INSIDE

TALKINGIT OUT

weekly editorialsPage 4

“We’d Do It Again” page 2

Business 2Religion 3Editorial 4Community 5Classifi eds 7Health 8

Pine Forest Defeats Catholic 62-53

(Above) Crusaders vie to block jump shot by Eagles -- photo by J MIles

Pine Forest Remains

Undefeated

By Gov. Rick Scott, special to the Tampa Bay TimesIn Print: Sunday, January 6, 2013

In my family, we seldom saw a physician growing up. My parents struggled fi nancially. My father was a long-distance truck driv-er, and he was often laid off when department stores were fully stocked. My mother had a hard time fi nding work that would allow her to also raise fi ve children. When one of my younger broth-ers had a hip disease, my parents agonized over how they would pay for his treatment. A Shriners Hospital For Children more than 200 miles away came to the rescue. I remember how appreciative my mother was after each visit. I know from experience that par-ents want their children to have the best health care possible. This means they need access to quality care they can afford. On Monday, I will meet with Health and Human Services Sec-retary Kathleen Sebelius in Washington to discuss the health care challenges facing Florida families. I look forward to discussing ideas for addressing the issues of health care cost, quality and ac-cess. Reforms like our Statewide Medicaid Managed Care propos-al (which is currently with Sebelius for HHS approval along with a proposal for long-term care reforms), tax incentives for individuals to buy insurance, price incentives for healthy behaviors, and fl exi-bility to buy personalized coverage will all lower cost and increase quality in our health care system. I also look forward to discussing with Secretary Sebelius the po-tential increase in the number of people in our state’s Medicaid pro-gram for those who cannot afford health care. While the president’s health care law is now the law of the land, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that increases in the number of Floridians having their health

care costs paid for by federal and state taxpayers would be left up to each individual state. There are two key questions driving our consideration of this issue:• How will we pay for it?• Will it decrease costs and improve quality and access to health care for Florida fami-lies? Today, Florida’s Medicaid program provides health care to more than 3.3 million Floridians. That means that one in six Floridians have their health care cov-erage provided by tax revenues of the remaining Floridians, and Medicaid is approximately 30 percent of our state budget. The cost of Medicaid has been growing at 3 ½ times the growth rate of the state’s general revenue for years. This crowds out our ability to invest in K-12 education, state universities and other priorities. Growing government is never free. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration recently reported that adding people to Medic-aid under the new law would result in a total cost to Florida taxpay-ers of more than $63 billion over 10 years. The report also pointed out that the federal government has a long history of dramatically underestimating the cost of government programs. For example, the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital pro-gram was estimated by Congress to cost less than $1 billion in 1992. The actual cost came in at $17 billion. Just as taxpayers pay for our Medicaid program today, they will ultimately be responsible for

Governor Scott: Working for Affordable Health Care for Floridians

Healthcare, Pg 7

Austin Paul Jazzes It Up for Five SistersThis weekend customers of Five Sisters Restaurant got a double treat as they enjoyed Sunday brunch; good food and good music. Saxophonist Austin Paul was on hand to en-tertain the crowd with sounds ranging from contemporary gospel to slow jazz. Paul, who is 16years old, has been playing since he was in the third grade. A five time

winner at The Appollo, this young man can touch the hearts and soul of anyone that lis-tens. Austin Paul can be found at Five Sisters on Sundays from 11am to 3pm. If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy good music while having a dynamic meal, come to Five Sisters and make a dream become a reality.

Pine Forest High Bas-ketball team beat Catho-lic High 62-53 Saturday night in a tense game. Closing the gap within 2 points in the fi rst quarter, However, making tough shots and increasingly strong defense proved to be a winning formula in the fi rst half for PFH Ea-gles. Throughout the beginning of the third quarter, Cath-olic continued to pressure the Eagles with continu-ous passing while draw-ing a number of fouls. Time management, though, proved to be on the side of PFH and at the end of the third quarter, The Eagles were in the lead 39-34.Both teams played a su-perb game with the Eagles landing with a score of 62-53. They now have a record or 15-0. According to maxprep.com, PFH play next when they host Milton for a 6A District 1 battle on Tues-day, January 8. Pine For-est will battle a Panthers team coming off a 52-33 league win over Pace (Pace, FL). The Panthers record now stands at 5-7.

Page 2: Pensacola Voice

Businesspg 2 The Pensacola Voice • January 10 - January 17, 2013

(BPT) - If you could start over again, would you make the same decision? According to a recent survey, 78 per-cent of active duty military personnel say a resounding “yes.” When you think of the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform have made, especially in recent years, this overwhelming positive response may seem odd. But when you consider the dedication to duty and our nation that they exhibit, it’s not all that surprising. Yet, as war efforts draw down and the military reduces the size of its forces, thousands of active duty personnel will be discharged and returning to civilian life. The poll conducted by Excelsior Col-lege in November 2012 also indicated that a large majority (88 percent) of active duty personnel expected to pur-sue a postsecondary educational cre-dential after being discharged. What may be surprising to many in the ci-vilian world, however, is that much of the training received while serving in the military is college-level and has

tremendous application in a variety of civilian occupations. As an education example, an avia-tion electronics technician in the Navy, depending upon the sailor’s rating, will have had to complete numerous training programs that are equivalent to college courses. This equivalency evaluation of military training is con-ducted by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recom-mendation Service (ACE CREDIT) and is accepted by most colleges and universities toward their degree re-quirements. In this Navy example, an E-3 might have as many as 35 credits to put toward an associate degree in applied science at a college like Excel-sior. That’s more than half way toward the entire 60 credit-hour degree. On the employment side, take some-one whose “career field” in the Army was as multi-systems transmission operator, a 25Q in Army lingo, for example. Using the O*NET OnLine website, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, employers

would find that someone with this military occupa-tion has the skills and expe-rience needed in a handful of civilian jobs, especially in the cellular telephone and two-way radio commu-nications fields where the growth in job openings is expected to be much faster than average through 2020. Alarmingly, however, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the current vet-eran participation rate in the workforce is less than 52 percent. It’s not just re-turning active duty personnel who are affected, however. Members of the Na-tional Guard and Reserve forces face similar employment issues and em-ployers can become actively involved in a program called ESGR, Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves. Those who have served in our armed forces say they would do it all over again. To them, the nation owes both

a debt of thanks and the chance at an education and a job when they return home. As employers and higher educa-tion become more informed about the skills, education and strong work eth-ic our military personnel bring to the civilian world, the more we can do to support them by making the transition easier. The rewards for doing so are high for everyone.

Active duty military: ‘We’d do it again’

Treasury Announces $302.0 Million Increase In Small Business Lending At Florida Institutions Receiving Capital Through The Small Business Lending Fund

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury yesterday re-leased a new report show-ing that Florida institutions receiving capital through the Small Business Lend-ing Fund (SBLF) continue to increase their small busi-ness lending, in total by over $302.0 million over their baselines. This Use of Funds report represents the sixth con-secutive quarter in which SBLF participants have increased lending to small businesses and provides strong evidence that the SBLF program is working as intended. Across the country, SBLF participants have increased lending by

$7.4 billion overall and $740 million over the prior quarter. Community banks participating in SBLF have also increased business lending by substantial-ly greater amounts than a peer group of similar banks across median measures of size, geography, and loan type. “Community banks par-ticipating in the Obama Administration’s Small Business Lending Fund have consistently increased small business lending over the past two years, re-sulting in increased access to capital for thousands of small and family-owned businesses across the coun-try,” said Deputy Secretary

of the Treasury Neal Wolin. “With the help of lending supported by SBLF, these small businesses continue to grow and create jobs in their neighborhoods.” Small businesses play a critical role in the U.S. economy and are central to growth and job creation. In the aftermath of the reces-sion and credit crisis, small business owners faced dis-proportionate challenges, including difficulty access-ing capital. The SBLF, established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law in 2010, encourages com-munity banks to increase their lending to small

businesses, helping those companies expand their operations and create new jobs. Treasury invested more than $4.0 billion in 332 institutions through the SBLF. Collectively, these institutions operate in over 3,000 locations across 48 states. This report includes information on the 326 in-stitutions that continue to participate in the program as of September 30, 2012, including 275 community banks and 51 community development loan funds, or CDLFs. SBLF encourages lend-ing to small businesses by providing capital to com-munity banks and CDLFs with less than $10 billion

in assets. The dividend or interest rate a commu-nity bank pays on SBLF funding is reduced as the bank increases its lending to small businesses – pro-viding a strong incentive for new lending to small businesses so that these firms can expand and cre-ate jobs. As of September 30, 2012, the average rate paid by community banks on SBLF capital was two percent. Individual com-munity banks can reduce the rate they pay to one percent if they increase qualified small business lending by 10 percent over their baseline. The SBLF is one part of

the Obama Administra-tion’s comprehensive agen-da to help small businesses access the capital they need to invest and hire. Trea-sury also administers the State Small Business Cred-it Initiative (SSBCI), which allocates $1.5 billion to state programs designed to leverage private financing to spur $15 billion in new lending to small businesses and small manufacturers. For more information on the Obama Administra-tion’s small business initia-tives, please visit www.sba.gov. For more information on SBLF, please visit www.treasury.gov/sblf.

Page 3: Pensacola Voice

ReligionThe Pensacola Voice • January 10 - January 17, 2013 pg 3

KEEPING THE FAITH:Some Assembly Required

by Dr. James L. SnyderIt was just before New Year’s and the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were relaxing after a busy week of toil and labor. Not paying much attention to my surroundings, I had immersed myself in a favorite book. As far as I am concerned, nothing com-pares to a favorite book when you are try-ing to relax and unwind. I turned the page and happened to notice on the other side of the room my wife was all a twitchy. I have seen this behavior before and I knew she was anxious to say something. I pretended not to notice. Finally, it was as if she exploded. “I can’t wait for the New Year. Aren’t you excit-ed?” I answered in the affirmative to try to keep the conversation as minimal as pos-sible. “No, I mean aren’t you really excited about the New Year?” I knew if I was going to get back to my book I would have to let her say, what was on her mind. According to her, the approaching New Year was going to be spectacular. Everything old, she explained to me, would be new again. We have been in this New Year for a cou-ple of weeks now and, I will not contradict my wife, at least aloud, but this New Year looks suspiciously like the Old Year. I am not quite sure what she thought would be different this year, but to me it is just the old year run through again. And,

that is good with me. I am not one of these persons that needs the latest flash in the pan. I quite prefer the tried and true. It was about two weeks after the New Year and my wife said, “I’ll be back in an hour or two, I’m going shopping.” It did not dawn on me at the time but about 10 minutes later, it did. The reason my wife was so excited about the New Year was that she was going to go out and buy some new clothes. After all, according to her calculations, the New Year deserves new clothing. I smiled as I thought about her going to the store trying on dresses, seeking one that would fit her both in size and in fan-cy. As for me, I am quite comfortable in my old clothes. They fit me just fine, thank you. Women have to look fine all the time. Men, on the other hand are not that partic-ular about what they wear. I can wear the same shirt for days on end and feel just as comfortable as the first day I put it on. My clothing does not make me feel any younger. I go along with the saying that says you are only as old as you feel. Of course, I do have some of those Methuse-lah moments. Everything old was once new and if new last very long it ends up being old. There-fore, whatever is old was once new and whatever is new will one day be old. This is where most people make their mistake. They fail to see the relationship between old and new.

For example, as much as our culture pretends to be youth oriented, it does ev-erything to get old while looking young. I often have this conversation with my wife. I am not old, I am just getting older and my plans are to get older and older and older. The great object in life is to get as old as you possibly can while looking and feeling new. Nothing to me is sillier than a 40 year old trying to act 20. The mind may say 20, but the body really knows it is 40. If people would put the money they spend to look young in a 401(k) their gold-en years would truly be golden. How much money is spent each year on plastic sur-gery? What I want to know is, who in the world do they think they are fooling? Their mirror? Right after the New Year’s celebration, I got up one morning feeling terrific. There was a bounce in my step, a giggle on my tongue; I was feeling like I was 20 some-thing. I had not felt this good since I can-not remember how long. Then it happened. No matter how good you might feel some day, there is always some-thing or someone who can undermine that and put you in your proper place. My mistake was going into the bathroom. There in the bathroom for all the world to see, especially me is this ghastly object called a mirror. When I looked into the mirror, I was shocked to

see I was not alone. I thought I had come into the bathroom by myself but there in the mirror was this old guy I hardly rec-ognized. My first reaction was to ask him to leave the bathroom and then I noticed some-thing. That person in the mirror was me! All of those exhilarating feelings dissipat-ed as reality grabbed hold of my soul and soundly shook me. In my Bible reading that morning, I read what the apostle Paul said. “And be re-newed in the spirit of your minds; and that she put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24 KJV). Only God, in His wisdom, can create in me something that is truly new. Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail [email protected]. His web site is www.jamessnyderministries.com.

Casting visions from the pulpit

So, this is what new looks like

By Ronnie McBrayerDo you know the three most frightening words in the English language? “Some assembly required.” You or-der something online; a toy or a bicycle for your chil-dren. Or you go to a big box store to get a grill or piece of patio furniture. When UPS brings it to your door or you find the item you’re looking for in the store, it’s not ready to go like you saw in the online catalog or the advertisement in Sunday’s paper. “Some assembly required,” the tag on the box says. So, you lug this box the size of a queen-sized mattress out to the garage and open it. There are buckets of screws, connectors, rods and unidentifiable small piec-es of plastic that you will never use no matter what the directions say. And for the next six weeks you attempt to put this thing together. The worst case for me was construction of the dreaded children’s play set. When I was growing up our swing sets were just tubes of lightweight aluminum. If you were swinging too high the front side of the entire swing set would rise off the ground a solid foot. Now, we have these play sets made of concrete-anchored-treated-tim-bers, and screws the length of baseball bats. Assembly requires a civil engineer and a degree from MIT. When I bought one of these behemoths for my children I was in the back yard with a slide rule and a skill saw for the entire summer. And I lost all credibility with my neighbors. There was no way they were going to that pastor’s church, not with the raging four-letter obscen-ities flying out of my mouth. When we moved, to my children’s chagrin, I left the play set there; not so much as a gift to the family that bought our house. No way was I going to disassemble it and attempt to put it back together. Once was more than enough. Some assembly required: This is true of the products you buy, your relationships, the children you are rais-ing, and the person you are becoming. We are all works in progress, even as this relates to our faith. The Apos-tle Paul said: “Continue to work out your salvation.” We have been given this wonderful gift of grace, sal-vation and grace. We have come to understand God’s love and have answered a call to a life of faith. This gift is like getting a bicycle in a box or a swing set bound by straps and smothered in Styrofoam peanuts. It’s like possessing a new piece of patio furniture but it’s in a

dozen pieces, the materials scattered across the yard.You’ve got to work it out. You’ve got to put it all to-gether. You can’t ride the bike if it stays in the box. You can’t play on the swing set if it remains disassembled. You can’t enjoy your furniture if you don’t connect the pieces. And faith will not be what it is intended to be – what God wants it to be in your life – if you don’t work it out, if you don’t open the box and put it together. Maybe faith has become such a burden for some of us because we’re lugging around on our backs the box full of assorted spiritual materials rather than putting it all together. So much informs and shapes our spirituality: The read-ing of Scripture, prayer and fasting, meditation and re-treat, good works done in the name of Christ, service of the poor, worship, periods of contemplation and re-flection, times of doubt and frustration. These all come together to make us who we are. Somehow these things become transformational in our lives. Somehow these pieces fit together to form something useful, something valuable, something that looks a lot like faith.So pop the bands off the box that’s waiting for you in the garage. Put on your work gloves and break out the tool chest. Call your neighbor to lend a hand. Before you know it, all the pieces might just fall into place.Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and author of multiple books. You can read more and receive regular e-columns in your inbox at www.ron-niemcbrayer.me.

By Jeff Brumley (Associated Baptist Press)Some pastors may look forward to -- and even need -- a post-holiday lull. But not Doug Dortch, the senior min-ister at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Instead, he’ll be busy those first few days and weeks of 2013 delivering messages that will lay out his vision for the church. Despite coming on the heels of Advent and Christmas, Dortch said, the New Year season is perfect for an annual state-of-the-church preaching. “It’s a way of taking advantage of the culture’s readiness for some kind of change or transformation,” Dortch said. “There’s something exciting about a new year … and a congregation is more prepared to hear a pastor offer direction then than any other time of year.” The term some use is “vision casting,” and it’s commonly a practice in healthy congregations, said Bill Wilson, presi-

dent of the North Carolina-based Cen-ter for Congregational Health. Wilson said he sees a lot of pastors laying out their visions shortly before and after the New Year. The problem is not enough are doing it. “It is almost always without fail one of the first things we find lacking when we walk into a congregation where there is conflict or lack of energy or passion,” Wilson said, adding, that reluctant pas-tors and ministry staffs should look at the process as setting New Year’s reso-lutions for their congregations. “There is no better time to address the future than the first or second week of January,” he said. Kyndall Renfro said she understands how the New Year is a perfect time for sharing blueprints for progress – as long as they are the right blueprints. “It can be a problem when a church has a lack of vision, but it’s also a prob-lem to have an under-developed or

wrong vision,” said Renfro, pastor at Covenant Baptist Church in San Anto-nio, Texas. Renfro said part of her hesitancy stems from only being at the church since September 2011. Plus it’s a small congregation – about 50 members – in which Renfro said she feels pretty close to each person. “I try to be attentive to each person’s spiritual journey and notice how they are blossoming,” she said. “That’s a very personal way of doing it rather than from the pulpit.” But Renfro said she can see the im-portance of taking a corporate view as well. “I think there is a role for both of those,” she said. Another pastor said he could not imag-ine leading a church without sharing his vision with the congregation at least once a year.

“For one, it keeps me honest,” said Greg DeLoach, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga. DeLoach said he uses his state-of-the-church address to summarize his and the congregation’s successes and fail-ures during the previous year. “No matter what else I say, people al-ways want to know how we did finan-cially, in mission dollars, new mem-bers” and other categories, he said. “And then I do the vision casting – we are looking ahead throughout the next year.” That’s a good time to prepare the con-gregation for expected changes, such as in ministry staffing and worship chang-es, he said. “I need to be able to hit those things head-on,” DeLoach said. “I need to be honest about the challenges we face and also about what we stand to gain.”

Page 4: Pensacola Voice

Editorialpg 4 The Pensacola Voice • January 10 - January 17, 2013

Black Conservatives Ask Supreme Court to Reform Voting Rights Act

Africans in America should be aware that 2013 is a year of great significance. It will mark the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by Abraham Lincoln, the 50th Anniversa-ry of the Assassination of Medgar Evers and the 50th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington. The question is whether 2013 will be a year of super-fluous commemorations, ceremonies and celebrations, or will it be a year of destiny for Africans in America where we create new history? The recent State of the Black World Conference III was organized around the theme - State of Emergency in Black America: Time to Heal Black Families and Communities. We selected this theme to emphatically declare that we have yet to achieve the “dream” so brilliantly articulated by Martin Luther King, against the back-drop of the Lincoln Memorial a half century ago. Hence, the choice is clear, it is imperative that 2013 be a year of his-torical reflection on the deeds and events of the past as the foundation for concert-ed action to fulfill our destiny as a fully free and self-determining people in the U.S. and the world. While reflecting on Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, we should be ever mindful of Lerone Bennett, Jr.’s, assertion that the 16th President of the United States was “forced into glory;” that his “greatness” is to be found not in his love of African people or his de-sire to abolish slavery but his steadfast and unwavering commitment to “save the union” with or without slavery. Moreover, the glorification of Lincoln obscures the fact that the Proclama-tion, which only “freed” some of the enslaved, was prompted by his recogni-tion that Africans were already striking blows for our own freedom by deserting the plantations in droves. Equally important, we must remember that “emancipation” and Reconstruction may have temporarily bestowed political rights but failed to provide that which formerly enslaved Africans needed most urgently -- social rights, land, property, capital, reparations for the centuries of free labor which contributed mightily to the emergence of the American nation. We were not and have not ever been paid restitution to repair the cultural, spiri-tual and physical damages done during the holocaust of enslavement. As a con-sequence, a huge “wealth gap” persists between Euro-ethnics and Africans in America today - despite the fact that we have thousands of Black elected officials and a Black family in the White House. The State of Emergency in Black Amer-

ica would be eliminated if the govern-ment were compelled to award repara-tions to the sons and daughters of Africa in America. One hundred and fifty years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, there must be a renewed demand for reparations. Medgar Evers, a veteran of World War II and NAACP Field Secretary, was gunned down in his driveway in Mis-sissippi for actively fighting to restore those rights supposedly guaranteed by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States and the Reconstruction Civil Rights Statutes; rights which were repealed de facto by white supremacist terrorist organizations in the Post-Reconstruction era. It is not enough to simply remember Medgar Evers; if 2013 is to be a year of destiny for Africans in America, then our reflec-tions must be matched with a determina-tion that “we ain’t gonna let nobody turn us around,” that “we will not be moved” by voter suppression laws and efforts to repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Racist and reactionary forces in America must know that there are no barriers or obstacles that can be thrown in our path that will stop us from marching on ballot boxes to promote and defend our inter-ests and aspirations. Who would have thought that when Martin Luther King, Jr. mounted the stage to deliver his renowned “I Have a Dream” oration that fifty years lat-er an African American would occupy the most powerful seat in the world as President of the United States - a stun-ning symbol of “racial progress.” But, who could have also imagined that fifty years later, Africans in America would be in the throes of a State of Emergen-cy in America’s “dark ghettos” charac-terized by massive, chronic joblessness, thousands of inadequate schools dis-pensing inferior education, out of con-trol crime, and an epidemic of violence/fratricide and mass incarceration - with no meaningful targeted policy response. This should be a stark reminder of the “bounced check” part of King’s speech where he complained that the “prom-issory note” of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” embodied in the Declaration of Independence and Con-stitution keeps coming back “marked insufficient funds” when it comes to the sons and daughters of Africa in America. Therefore, with our memory refreshed, the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington must mark a renewed deter-mination to press this administration to “cash the check,” to recognize the crises in Black America and promote policies

designed to ensure the kind of social and economic security King was fighting for at the end of his life. Anything short of that coming from the President will sim-ply be more ceremony without substance -- and unacceptable! If 2013 is to be more than a year of empty celebrations, Africans in America must muster the determination and re-discover a spirit of resistance required to heal Black families and communities. As Richard Allen, Booker T. Washington, the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Mary McLeod Bethune, Madame C.J. Walker, the Honorable Elijah Muham-mad, Malcolm X, the Honorable Minis-ter Louis Farrakhan and numerous other leaders have taught, the first priority is to “do for self” - to utilize what we have in “our own hands” to empower African people to effectively advance a freedom/liberation agenda. With a trillion dollars in Black spending power, we must inten-sify the struggle to build and strengthen Black social and economic institutions as the first source of our empowerment and sustenance as a people. In this re-gard, the Institute of the Black World 21st Century unites with the goals of the Freedom 2013 Initiative spearheaded by the Rev. Dennis Dillon of New York. The goal of this Initiative is to use the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation to galvanize Africans in America to amass our economic/finan-cial resources for Black empowerment. Second, as we discussed at State of the Black World Conference III, if 2013 is to be a year of destiny, then Africans in America must demand that businesses and private sector institutions that thrive on Black dollars reinvest in Black com-munities. A renewed spirit of resistance dictates that we unapologetically employ economic sanctions to punish those in-stitutions which take our dollars but do not hire sufficient numbers of Black peo-ple or invest in Black communities. No-body should be allowed to do business

in our communities without agreeing to a covenant to employ Black people and reinvest in our communities. Finally, Africans in America pay taxes, vote and participate in various facets of the electoral political process. But, for our participation to be meaningful we must demand that the system be re-sponsive to our needs. Fifty years after the March on Washington, it is inexcus-able that the masses of Black poor and working people are still suffering near the bottom of the social/economic lad-der in this country, despite the “gains” of the Civil rights and Black Power Move-ments. Therefore, it would be inex-cusable for Black leaders, activists and organizers to countenance a Commemo-ration of the March on Washington that does not match the militancy of the he-roes and sheroes who assembled on the National Mall in 1963. The Congress of the United States and the Obama admin-istration must hear the voice of Fannie Lou Hamer crying out that the masses of Black folks are “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” If 2013 is to be a year of destiny for Africans in America, then the objective of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington must be to end the State of Emergency in Black America. Faced with the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Medgar Evers and the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Africans in America must decide that our destiny is in our hands! Dr. Ron Daniels is President of the Insti-tute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. His arti-cles and essays also appear on the IBW website www.ibw21.org and www.north-starnews.com . To send a message, ar-range media interviews or speaking en-gagements, Dr. Daniels can be reached via email at [email protected].

By David Almasi and Judy Kent Washington, D.C. - As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on the constitutionality of “preclearance” stan-dards in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Project 21 black leadership network has filed a legal brief with the Court ar-guing that the Department of Justice is using an obsolete portion of that law to justify a race-conscious administration of justice and to obstruct voting laws in affected states and localities. “[S]eparate-but-politically-desirable is no more compelling an argument than separate-but-equal,” says the brief, which criticizes adherence to outdated rules apparently for political reasons. Project 21 legal experts are available for comment about the brief, the over-all problems with preclearance rules, the politicization of the Obama Justice Department and why the Court needs to rule against Section 5 enforcement. “I agree with the petitioners’ argument that the Justice Department — under the leadership of Eric Holder — has engaged

in aggressive enforcement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act,” said Proj-ect 21 Co-Chairman Cherylyn Harley LeBon, a former senior counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. “And since Congress failed to act on ways to modify the law for modern day stan-dards, local and state governments have been left with the only remedy available — the Supreme Court.” In the case of Shelby County, Alabama v. Eric H. Holder, Jr., Shelby County officials want the Court to invalidate “preclearance” standards imposed on specific states and localities by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Due to reports of discriminatory behavior during the 1964 elections, states and localities cov-ered under the Act are required to obtain federal approval for all voting procedure changes. This requirement, imposed 48 years ago, was intended to be temporary. Although preclearance standards were considered to be an “extreme temporary measure” when adopted, Congress has repeatedly failed to address changing de-

mographics and the evolution of Amer-ican society during reauthorizations of the Act. As noted in Project 21’s brief: “Sec-tion 5… is not consistent with the let-ter and spirit of the Constitution… [N]ew circumstances now place even cov-ered jurisdictions well ahead of where non-covered jurisdictions were in 1965, and provide an ongoing political check against backsliding. The urgent neces-sity for extreme measures such as pre-clearance is thus well past, and such leg-islation is no longer appropriate.” The brief points out: “That Section 5 has become a tool for requiring racial classifications and race-based redistrict-ing illustrates how far this remedy has fallen from the more noble purposes that animated it in 1965.” Shelby County officials are suing to end the onerous process of applying and waiting for federal approval of even mi-nor and popularly-supported actions re-lated to the voting process. The lawsuit is not meant to have the Court overturn

the Voting Rights Act in its entirety, but merely remedy the “dramatic upheaval to the relationship between the federal government and the states” caused by Section 5’s preclearance mandate. Noting how Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is being used by the Obama Administration to pursue policies meant to promote political power based solely on racial identity, the Project 21 brief states: “[The Justice Department’s] vote-dilution views and conduct actual-ly treat block voting somewhat schizo-phrenically. Block voting by minority groups, for example, is effectively fa-vored and encouraged, and if successful would be taken as evidence that discrim-ination has been defeated… That the identical conduct by non-minority voters is deemed as evidence of unconstitution-al discrimination requiring congressio-nal remedy shows the contradictions.” It is also asserted in the brief: “Section 5 itself is now a central tool for institution-alized racial discrimination at the com-

A Year of Destiny for Africans in AmericaRights, Pg 7

Page 5: Pensacola Voice

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by Marion Williams Ph.D.ret./Pres. Omega Golden Rule Foundation, Inc.Rain and wind storm did not stop this year’s 60th annual 2012 Que-Capades and Schol-arship Ball held at a City of Pensacola’s Corrine Jones Community Center located on Sanders Beach. Beginning at 8pm, David Kimborough and his Impact Band from New Orleans, La served as the ‘hot live band’ for the evening. While the Beta Omicron Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Omega Golden Rule Foundation, Inc. were the co-sponsors of the Ball, this stellar and historic event, though no longer the mega event of the city, it is still one of the main fundraiser for Scholarships and mandated community programs sponsored by the Omegas in Pensacola for the community. Over the years thousands of dollars have been generated and returned to the community. Presently, the Que-Ball funds are used to support high school student scholarships, Talent Hunt Programs for youth and the Escambia County Science Fair and History Fair. Brothers of Beta Omicron also provide support to Manna Food Bank, St. Joseph Caring and Sharing Ministries, the United Negro College Fund, the NAACP, American Diabetes Society, The Sickle Cell Foundation, American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, the Elderly and poor families, local Head Start programs, and the Northwest Florida Blood Services with Blood donations, to mention a few. Many of our brothers serve as “community tutors, mentors and volunteers.” The fi rst Que-Ball was held at J. Lee Pickens Elementary School on north Hayne Street during the summer of 1952. In 1953, the Que-Capades Ball moved to the new Municipal Auditorium until its demise. This Ball was a generational event and was attended by grandparents, parents, adult children and later great grandchildren when they became of age. There were past Queens or Sweethearts who always vied for the title of “Miss Ome-ga.” Annual contestants would form groups with brothers, friends and supporters to run for the Ms. Omega title. During intermission the winner was crowned with a golden crown and given a beautiful bouquet of roses followed by the singing of the “Omega Sweetheart Song and then, the “Hymn.” The Que-Ball was place for returning college students, alumni, friends, family and friends. It was our “Black Country Club.” Great local entertainers such as Peggy Scott played for the Ball along with many super bands from Atlanta and Mobile, Alabama. The Que-Ball provided during segregation in the fi fties and sixties, a place of royal

Black entertainment The Ques (Men of the Omega fraternity) would always provide an innovative “Skit” during the Ball and a signature Que-Capade’s dance Line, fi nale. Bro. Waymon W. Wynn(deceased) would always be a Show stopper! With brothers, Norm Ross, Martin Lewis, Dr. Marion Williams, Ray Simmons, Jr., Joe Banks, Steve Henderson, Bill Byrd, Donald Clark and the chorus line of Omega brothers bringing up the rear. Mrs. Gilda Marvray was the annual Ball Choreographer, par excellent! Some of the theme “shows” were: “Shaft” (Bill Byrd), Super Fly (Donald Clark), Willie Nelson & Otis Redding (Marion Williams), Under the Board Walk (Ray Simmons, Jr. & Joe Banks), Men in Black (Dempsey Lewis, Sr.), Broadway Ques (Chorus Line), Califor-nia Raisins (Martin Lewis, Rufus Newton, Dr. John Veasley), The Motown Sound & Eddie Ruffi n( Ray Simmons, Jr.), Hawaiian Dancers (Martin Lewis, Wendell McCray, Sr.). We even had a “Star Trek” theme complete with a Space Ship with lights! The shows continued until 2010. Now, the Omega Men can be found each year singing to their sweethearts at the Cor-rine Jones Recreational Center.

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CommunityThe Pensacola Voice • January 10 - January 17, 2013 pg 5

QUES Celebrate 60 Years of Giving Back to Community

Grand Opening for new Downtown Library - January 11, 2013Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward will speak at the Grand Opening Celebration for the new

Downtown Library this Friday, January 11. The library is located at 239 North Spring Street and festivities begin at 10 AM. We greatly look forward to seeing you there.

Hanniton Watts American Legion 193 - January 21, 2013The annual Martin Luther King program will begin at 2 pm at the Post located at the corner of

12th Ave and Fisher Street. For more information please call 433-7271 for Will E. Warren, Com-mander of the American Legion Post.

United Brothers Golf Association - Janyary 20th and 21st.We will be holding the 7th Annuald Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Golf Tournament at the Osceola Municipal Golf Course located at 300 Tonowanda Dr., Pensacola, FL 32506. For more informa-

tion please contact Ronald Weaden at 696-9113

2013 Emmaud Kidz Anniversary Choir Recruitment throughout JanuaryThe Emmaus Kidz will be recruiting kids ages 6 through 21 for the Annual 2013 Emmaus Kidz Annual Choir Anniversary to be held May 5th. Registration will be held 1:30 pm on January

12th and 26th at Charity Chapel located at 5820 Montgomery Ave. For mor information please contact J.O. Gatson at 698-0571.

Three Kings Visits PensacolaSunday afternoon, children, family and friends enjoyed the celebration of Three Kings Day at the Haynes Street House. Approximately 70+ children received gifts, toys and enjoyed food as young men garbed in robes depicted the Three Kings that came to visit the baby Jesus. Three Kings or Kings from the East were, according to Christianity, a group of distinguished foreigners who visit-ed Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular fi gures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an im-portant part of the Christian tradition. Western Christianity celebrates the Magi (three kings)

on the day of Epiphany, January 6, the day immediately following the twelve days of Christmas, particularly in the Spanish-speaking parts of the world. In these areas, the Three Kings (“los Reyes Magos de Oriente”, also “Los Tres Reyes Magos” and “Los Reyes Magos”) receive let-ters from children and so bring them gifts on the night be-fore Epiphany. In Spain, each one of the Magi is supposed to represent one different continent, Europe (Melchior), Asia (Caspar) and Africa (Balthasar). According to the tra-dition, the Magi come from the Orient on their camels to visit the houses of all the children; much like Santa Claus with his reindeer, they visit everyone in one night. In some areas, children prepare a drink for each of the Magi. It

is also traditional to prepare food and drink for the cam-els, because this is the only night of the year when they eat.

Omega men sing to their sweethearts

Children gather to pose with the Three Kings.

Page 6: Pensacola Voice

Communitypg 6 The Pensacola Voice • November 22 - November 28, 2012

Page 7: Pensacola Voice

ClassifiedsThe Pensacola Voice • January 10 - January 17, 2013 pg 7

DISOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

In The Circuit Court of the 1st Judicial Circuit, in and for

Escambia County, FloridaFamily Law Division

Case No. 12DR004215Division: YM

In Re: The Marriage of RA-CHEL MOSHE AKA RACHEL

WANDA SHEEHAN Petitioner/Wife

andCHRISTOPHER SHEEHAN

Respondent/Husband

NOTICE OF ACTIONTO: Christopher Sheehan

5811 Montrose AveChicago, IL 60641

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for petition of Dissolution

of Marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy your written defenses, if any, to it

on Gregory P. Farrar, Esquire whose address is 109 Palafox St., Pensacola, Fl 32502 on or before 01/21/2013 and file the original with the clerk of this

Court at 190 Governmental Center Pensac-ola, Fl 32501 before service of the Petitioner or immediately

thereafer. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in

the petition.Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders,

are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. you may review these documents upon

request.you must keep the Clerk of

Circuit Court;s office notified of your current address. (You

may file Notice of Current Address, Florida Supreme

Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed to the address on record at the clerk;s

office.WARNING: Rule 12.285,

Florida family Law Rules of Procedure, requires cer-

tain automatic disclosure of documents and information.

Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal

or strking of pleadings.Dated: Dec. 14, 2012

Ernie Lee MagahaClerk of Court

Theresa MoquinnDeputy Clerk

DISOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

In The Circuit Court of the 1st Judicial Circuit, in and for

Escambia County, FloridaFamily Law DivisionCase No. 12DR0523

Division: MIn Re: The Marriage of

JASON CATOPetitioner/HUSBAND

andAMANDA CATO

Respondent/WIFE

NOTICE OF ACTIONTO: Amanda Cato 4681 Gene-

va Drive Pensacola, FL 32526

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for petition of Disso-lution of Marriage has been

filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy your written defenses, if any, to Jason Cato whose address

is 2103 N 58th Avenue Apt. 1, Pensacola, Fl 32526 on or

before March 19, 2012 and file the original with the clerk of this

Court at 190 Governmental Center Pensac-ola, Fl 32501 before service of the Petitioner or immediately

thereafer. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in

the petition.Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders,

are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. you may review these documents upon

request.you must keep the Clerk of

Circuit Court;s office notified of your current address. (You

may file Notice of Current Address, Florida Supreme

Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed to the address on record at the clerk;s

office.WARNING: Rule 12.285,

Florida family Law Rules of Procedure, requires cer-

tain automatic disclosure of documents and information.

Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal

or strking of pleadings.Dated: Dec. 14, 2012

Ernie Lee MagahaClerk of Court

Theresa MoquinnDeputy Clerk

financing any additional people added into it — however unpredictable that cost may be at this time — for years to come. I am hopeful that Secretary Sebelius and I will have a productive meeting on these important issues. I remember how my parents struggled to pay for my younger brother’s treat-ment. I believe that having a safety net health care system — like Medicaid — is absolutely critical for those who need it most. But we must understand if we can afford to nearly double (from 3.3 million to 6.1 million by 2022-23) the number of Floridians using Medic-aid today under the new law. We must also be certain that nearly doubling the people in this program would improve health care services, not just for those in government-run programs but all

Floridians who would be impacted by such a dramatic growth of government in the health care marketplace. I look forward to a thoughtful discus-sion with Secretary Sebelius on how we can reform our current system in a way that will keep our economy grow-ing so more Floridians can get a great job (where benefits still provide the best access to great, affordable care), while also improving the quality of health care services Florida patients receive. Our goal must ultimately be to drive down the cost of health care so all families can access the level of care they desire. Rick Scott is governor of Florida. He wrote this exclusively for the Tampa Bay Times.

Governor speaking about Healthcare

continued from pg 1

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mand of the [Obama Jus-tice Department] itself.” A ruling on the constitu-tionality of these preclear-ance standards is extreme-ly relevant beyond Shelby County’s complaint be-cause the Obama Admin-istration used preclear-ance standards in 2012 to challenge voter ID laws in Texas and South Caroli-na. The constitutionality of photo ID protection was upheld by the Court in 2008 in Crawford v. Marion County, but Eric Holder’s Justice Depart-ment claims preclearance regulations trump this. “Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to en-sure that all Americans had access to the ballot. The Obama Justice De-partment’s abuse of this authority to favor his political allies makes a mockery of the Voting Rights Act,” said Project 21 Co-Chairman Horace Cooper, a former congres-sional leadership aide and constitutional law profes-sor. “Either these abuses must be ruled illegal or the preclearance standards must be struck down.” Project 21, a leading voice of black conserva-tives for nearly two de-cades, is sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research (http://www.nationalcenter.org).

Rights continued from pg 4

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Healthpg 8 The Pensacola Voice • Janary 4 - January 11, 2012

Red Cross Volunteers to Celebrate MLK Day

with Lifesaving Fire Safety Tips

Volunteers will canvass Scenic Heights Neighborhood as part of national

MLK Day of Service.

Pensacola, January 21, 2013 – During the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, volunteers from the American Red Cross will be going door-to-door in Scenic Heights, a neighborhood that experienced several house fires last year, sharing information about how to prevent home fires and how to escape safely should a fire occur.Volunteers will talk to residents who are available, and will leave safety-tip door hangers for people who are not at home. The door hangers, printed in both English and Spanish, provide cooking and heating tips, highlight the importance of smoke alarms as well as the need to create and practice a fire es-cape plan.“Fire is the biggest disaster threat to American families—not floods, hur-ricanes, or tornadoes,” said Jerry Kin-dle, CEO of The American Red Cross of Northwest Florida. “And home fires

are one disaster that can usually be pre-vented when people understand how to protect their homes and families.”Nationally the Red Cross provides food, shelter, comfort and hope to peo-ple affected by as many as 70,000 fires annually, or about one fire every eight minutes. The Northwest Florida Chap-ter responded to over 200 home fires last year.The American Red Cross offers the fol-lowing fire prevention tips: All heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn (paper, matches, bedding, furni-ture, clothing, carpets, and rugs) at least three feet away from heating equip-ment. Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended, and use a glass or metal fire screen to keep fire and embers in the fireplace. Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home. Turn off porta-ble space heaters every time you leave the room or go to sleep. Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned if necessary. If you must use a space heater, place it on a level,

hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs, or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Plug power cords directly into outlets and never into an extension cord.About the American Red Cross:The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teach-es skills that save lives; provides inter-

national humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit orga-nization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more infor-mation, please visit www.yourredcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.red-cross.org.

For Submission of Ads and Community Calendar Events,

Please emai l a l l mater ial by Noon Monday the week of pr int .

Thank You: Staff of The Pensacola Voice