Hello: Outside World, American Veterans and real patriots!

SUBJECT: Valdosta Chapter of the SCLC, questions Valdosta City Mayor John Fretti? (But was the general public properly informed of what took place at the Valdosta City Council Monthly Meeting by the Valdosta Daily times and other news media outlets)?

Soon, we will witness how little some Americans care about Rev. Martin L. King Jr., his dream, heroic work, struggle, and commitment to all humanity. In 2008, will the American Citizens pretend to celebrate Dr. King accomplishments but fail to put into practice what he gave his life for?

Recently, the President of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chapter of the SCLC, (Minister Floyd Rose) an organization that was founded by Rev. King Jr., was ignored by our local media beyond question. Therefore, the people of South Georgia remain ignorant to what took place at the monthly meeting and the real issues were a whiteout.

I will attempt to fill in the gaps, and inform you of what others may have not wanted you to know alleged public meeting. But I want you fully aware of the truth. And we cannot allow our whiteout machine to keep us deaf, dumb, and blind to the times---forever. So we cannot make intelligent decisions based on facts as they relates to our local government and a once sided media.

There have been two or three articles published concerning the SCLC presentation before the mayor and council. However, it seem strange that only 14 words were used------to present the SCLC Chapter address to the major, council, members, and local citizens in the press concerning this meeting.

Therefore, the beef of the SCLC concerns was a complete WHITEOUT. http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/local/local_story_323233246.html

Then another article was published with approximately 941 words highlighting Mayor John Fretti contributions on Dec 18^th, and the mayor accomplishments to the City of Valdosta---by Kari L. Sands. But the local media never interviewed the President of the SCLC. Why?

What are they afraid of? Is it that they know TRUTH will set US free?

So decide for yourself if our local media is properly informing the general public in Valdosta, Lowndes County, and the State of Georgia concerning governmental meetings in our beloved community? And if not, why NOT?

http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/archivesearch/local_story_351210607.html

Please read the unpublished concerns of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chapter President of the SCLC (Minister Floyd Rose), given before the mayor and council. Then read the minutes from the Valdosta City Council and see if the local media was fair and balanced.

However, local citizens know absolutely NOTHING ABOUT what transpired at the meeting. Except what the editor and writers wanted the general public to know. Again why would they not publish the facts? This is not a Black or White thing but a right thing… You decide…..

From the Public Record: (See What local citizens never read in the media)

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6210309357032490693&postID=4904801654561036817

GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES

Retired United States Armed forces

A concerned citizen and brother

September 12, 2007

Ms. Kay Harris Editor

Valdosta Daily Times

200 North Troup Street

Valdosta, Georgia 31601

Dear Ms. Harris:

I was the first editor of a weekly newspaper in Macon, Georgia in 1963. It was called the Macon Reporter. It was published because the mainstream newspaper, the Macon Telegraph, refused to cover stories with which the publisher disagreed and letters to the Editor whose opinions differed from his own.

We had all been led to believe that, although the Editor reserved the right to reject letters that he deemed inappropriate, the restriction had to do with slander for which the newspaper may have been liable, etc. On the other hand, the Macon Telegraph pretended to be fair, and encouraged its readers to write letters to the Editor. At no time did he tell his readers that the letters had to agree with his point of view.

Let me be clear. I certainly understand that a privately owned newspaper has the right to decline letters that expresses a point of view with which the Editor disagrees. However, it seems to us that it is not in the best interest of any newspaper to censor letters and sermons solely because he/she disagrees with the contents.

If the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution says that the "Congress shall make no law..abridging the freedom of speech.., or of the press," it seems that a newspaper would adopt no editorial policy which rejects letters and sermons that restricts freedom of opinion. This is not to suggest that we believe that letters that slander should be printed. They should not. On the other hand, would it not be in the best interest of your readers that they read a variety of opinions, even when those opinions disagree with the Editor's? It seems to us that a letter or a sermon that challenges, convicts, and convinces, would be a credit to the newspaper, however controversial it is.

A review of our letters and sermons indicates that they have been relevant, and we trust, challenging. They have been based on current events, and our own research. Have they been provocative? Perhaps they have. Have they been controversial? Perhaps they have been.

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factually based? We have responded to articles and information that we have received from the Valdosta Daily Times and other media outlets.

We hesitated to write this letter. However, after some discussion we decided, as a matter of principle, that it is more important to us that you understand our position than it is to have another letter printed, if we have to make sure that you agree with its content. That, it seems to us, goes against everything that we believe is Christian or American.

Sincerely yours,

Floyd

President

December 7, 2007

Dear Valdosta Daily Times

Your reporter's account of what took place during the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the December 6, city council meeting was misleading at best. It portrayed me as some out of control, disrespectful character who was bent on disrupting the council meeting. Because of how our presentation on November 19, was reported by the Times, we taped our presentation on December 6, and a copy is being forwarded to you.

We did not read the same letter before Council as claimed in your report. The letter was not written until December 20, and the Times were given a copy of the letter, along with the News Release. Not that it will likely matter, enclosed is another copy.

I found it interesting that your reporter chose to interview the Mayor, and to give him an opportunity to express his feelings about what took place, but not me. Nor did she interview anybody else.

Not a single black councilmen knew anything about the Mayor's claim that he had brought $11,000,000 to our community, or knew anything about the "more than 4000 new jobs" referenced in his campaign Ad, and they publicly acknowledged such last night. And your report failed to mention it. It also failed to mention that the Mayor was invited to our meeting on November 25 to explain what we now know was a misleading Ad, but he didn't come or call. And he claimed at the December 6 meeting that he asked me to contact him at his office or his home, and neither was true, and the November 19, council meeting minutes should reflect that.

We find it disturbing that neither the November 20, nor the December 7, edition of the Times mentioned what the misleading Ad was about. That, at least, would have let your readers know why it was important for the Valdosta-Lowndes County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to publicly question its truthfulness. Although politicians often mislead the public in their campaigns, but to make claims which affect a population of people who are hurting for jobs is cruel, and should not be acceptable, not even by the newspaper that endorsed him.

Sandy Sander & Kay Harris

All the Mayor had to do was simply tell us where the "more than 4000 jobs" were that he was responsible for bringing to our community, the source of the $11,000,000, and where it was spent, or simply acknowledge that the Ad was not true. And that would have ended the discussion. Instead he chose to play victim of a "barrage of attacks." To describe our exchange of words as a "barrage of attacks," was nonsense. Furthermore, I was not escorted from the Podium by the Police Chief, as inferred by the article. My presentation was over when Councilmen Vickers, Head, Payton, and Wright acknowledged that they knew nothing about the $ 11,000,000 or the 4000 jobs. He then asked me to leave the council chambers, and I refused. In fact, I told him that I would rather be arrested. Nothing is more important to me than my integrity, and I would have preferred to go to jail in dignity than leave the council chambers in shame.

It seems to us that the most important source of news in Valdosta should be concerned about any politician who deliberately misleads a segment of the community in his bid for re-election, even though he was its choice.

We have never asked for preferential coverage from the Valdosta Daily Times. We only expect fair reporting. After all, when your readers pick up their newspaper, except for opinions on the Editorial page, they deserve an unbiased account of events.

Respectfully yours,

Floyd President cc: Kari L. Sands

December 8, 2007

John Fretti

Dear John:

We received your letter on December 7^th. Since you indicated that the questions that were raised at the December 6, meeting would be answered, we were eager to read it.

There was never any question about whether more than 4000 new jobs have come to Valdosta in the last four years. Your radio Ad, which was specifically directed at the black community, claimed that the jobs were brought to our community. The question was not whether or not you were responsible for bringing $11,000,000 dollars to Valdosta, but whether the money was spent hi the black community, as claimed by your radio Ad.

The information that you sent to me does not speak to these claims. The article from the Valdosta Daily Times which you enclosed said, "Mayor Fretti exclaimed that anywhere a citizen can look, he or she can notice growth in the community in the last four years." This was written following one of the Candidates forums. "He stated that since he took office, Valdosta has gained approximately 4,000 high paying jobs and received more than $11,000,000 in state and federal aid." This statement does not support your claim that the funds and jobs were brought to our community.

At the December 6, city council meeting you said that the Ad that was aired in the black community was "the same Ad that was all over town; the same words." Are you telling us that you told white supporters that you attended their "Watch Night meetings, and helped organize their Juneteenth observance, neither of which they celebrate?

To trivialize this matter, and make me out to be some out of control character bent on disrupting council meetings, is ludicrous. The unemployment rate among blacks is more than twice that of whites, and the median income for blacks is only $18,600 compared to $36,400 for whites. And for you to claim that you had brought more than 4000 new jobs to our community hurts. And we care too much about our people to allow such claims to go unchallenged.

It seems to us a simple matter. You could have acknowledged that the Ad was, at best, misleading, and the matter would have been ended. Why is that so difficult for you to do? Everybody, including the four black councilmen who represent our community, and the City

John Fretti

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Manager's Office, have acknowledged that they know nothing about the $11,000,000 and the more than 4000 new jobs referenced in your Ad.

There were other people who were prepared to speak at the December 6, council meeting. At least two with which I am familiar, and the subject of their presentations had nothing to do with this issue; one was Queen Robinson, the fifty-five year old homeless woman who addressed the November 19, council meeting. One of the city's employees had made arrangements for housing for her. And since her case was made public, she wanted to publicly thank you and the council for listening to her, and the employee for helping her. The other was a man who had some concerns about traffic problems. But you arbitrarily cut off that portion of the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the meeting prematurely.

When you came to our office prior to your first election as mayor, seeking our support, we believed that you were, as your campaign literature stated, a man of integrity, leadership, and vision. You had earlier spoken at one, perhaps two, of the meetings of the People's Tribunal, and talked about honesty in government. Unfortunately, the John Fretti who was running for Mayor does not seem to be the John Fretti who is mayor. You have initiated policies designed primarily, not to serve the people, but to control them.

Policies that are unjust must be changed, and they can only be changed if they are challenged. One of those policies is to deny the right of citizens to address their own representative during the Citizens to Be Heard portion of the council meetings. As a man of conscience, I cannot obey an unjust policy, and I am willing to pay the price for challenging it, including arrest and being imprisoned. If there are questions that I have for my representative or any other councilman, I will ask him, and will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate.

Enclosed is a copy of the letter that I sent to the Publisher and Editor of the Valdosta Daily Times expressing our concern over the way the newspaper has covered this issue.

Respectfully yours,

Floyd Rose

cc: City Manager, Councilmen, Valdosta Daily Times, Police Chief Simons.

My words to the American People: Again, and again, I say to the people of South Georgia and the people of America. WE! Had better wake-up to the new reality of our times or the government we once knew----will be a thing of the past.

Then what a day that will be for our beloved nation and the lives that were lost to save us from what we see around the corner for the American people? God bless America and everybody else.

GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES, Retired United States Armed Forces, A concerned citizen and brother of humanity