Removal of benches in front of Dempsey sparks protest

About 40 people, including several Macon politicians, gathered outside the downtown Dempsey Apartments late Friday afternoon to protest the removal of two park benches in front of the high-rise.

Macon City Council Weighs In On Police Union

Jim Romar a representative for Teamsters Law Enforcement League says Macon police could be the first police department to join their organization.

Some officers hope to form a union within several weeks to fight for better working conditions, equipment and a pay scale.

Ten Macon City Council members say police have a right to unionize and agree council should work with them to tackle problems but wouldn't take sides on the union vote.

Augusta, Columbus, Savannah and Athens police departments say they don't have unions.

Atlanta's police department has had a union since 1985. It helped improve pensions and take legal action to resolve wage and hour disputes.

All five Georgia police departments say they do have pay scales.

Some of the Georgia police departments without a union say they have a Fraternal Order of Police to fight for officers' rights.

Meet the Press: The White House strikes a blow against Wall Street.

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Weekly Address: Working with Small Business to Drive Recovery

Macon Groups Ask Council to Oppose Massage Parlors

Two Macon groups will ask the city council today to take a stand against massage parlors that provide illegal sex.

In a news release, Mercer University's Sex Trafficking Opposition Project (STOP) said it will be join the Junior League of Macon in making a presentation to the Macon City Council.

According to the news release, the Junior League says it will present the council with a "Resolution to Call for Action... concerning the issue of human trafficking and certain Asian-themed massage parlors and 'spas' affecting the Macon community."

STOP, an organization of Mercer students and staff, says it supports the resolution.

Public option gains support

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public.

Public college costs rising faster than private

Tuition and fees for public four-year colleges are now $7,020 on average and for private colleges $26,273, the College Board reported Tuesday, with prices rising faster in the public sector.

Colleges and universities have not slashed sticker prices in response to the economic downturn. On the contrary, tuition and fees rose 6.5 percent at public four-year colleges compared with the 2008-2009 school year and 4.4 percent at private, nonprofit, four-year institutions. Those were steeper rates of increase than in prior years, after adjusting for inflation. Over the past decade, annual increases have averaged 4.9 percent at public colleges and 2.6 percent at private colleges.

The good news for students is that most do not pay full price. Students at private colleges received $14,400 in grant aid and tax benefits this year, on average, leaving about $11,900 in tuition and fees to be paid out of pocket. Public students reaped about $5,400 in grant aid, on average, leaving a net cost of about $1,600.

The entire higher education sector has taken a beating in the recession: Private nonprofit institutions have seen their endowments wither and aid requests swell, while public colleges and universities have sustained reductions of 10 percent to 30 percent in state funding.

In this climate, higher tuition "comes as no surprise," said Molly Corbett Broad, president of the American Council on Education, an association of higher education institutions based in the District. As state budgets continue to shrink, she said, "my concern is that we may soon face a period where significant tuition increases may be necessary to counterbalance the current fiscal instability."

One College Board report, Trends in College Pricing 2009, shows that sticker prices are rising across the board in higher education. Because the Consumer Price Index declined 2 percent from July 2008 to July 2009, the price increases look even bigger after adjusting for inflation. Total charges, including room and board, reached a stomach-churning $35,636 this year at the average private college and $15,213 at the average public institution. Nearly two-thirds of students attend colleges that charge tuition and fees between $3,000 and $12,000.

A second College Board report, Trends in Student Aid 2009, shows that financial assistance is rising at a similar clip, creating a widening gap between the published price of college and the amount students are actually expected to pay. The average undergraduate student received $10,185 in grants and loans in the 2008-2009 academic year, the latest data available. That sum has risen sharply over the past decade in inflation-adjusted dollars. In the 1998-1999 academic year, average aid per student totaled $6,688.

The report found that public four-year colleges awarded about two-thirds of their own grant funds for academic merit, rather than financial need. That finding suggests the colleges are focusing more on the academic pedigree of their students and less on access for those from low-income families.

Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access & Success, said it was "particularly disturbing that public colleges are using such a large share of their financial aid resources for so-called 'merit aid' in these tough times."

Weekly Address: Taking the Insurance Companies on Down the Stretch

Meet the Press: Cost, coverage and compromise. Inside the healthcare debate in Washington

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Meet the Press: Carl Levin, Lindsey Graham, Barry McCaffrey, Richard Myers, Ron Brownstein, Paul Gigot, Katty Kay, Bob Woodward

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Weekly Address: New Momentum for Health Reform

Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is 'call to action'

President Obama said Friday that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" by the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The committee said it honored Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Obama said he viewed the decision less as a recognition of his own accomplishments and more as "a call to action."

President Obama, speaking Friday, said the award was "an affirmation of American leadership."

Reichert Looks for Downtown Revitalization Through Second Street

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert has a big vision for downtown Macon.

He hopes to enhance Second Street and make it a main entry way into the city, by connecting the street on the south side to Little Richard Penniman Boulevard which becomes Mercer University Drive.

He says by connecting both sides of the city through one corridor downtown, it will help bring more people to the area.

One downtown businessman is already expanding his reach.

Meet the Press: Susan Rice, David Brooks, E.J. Dionne, Rachel Maddow, Mike Murph

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Fighting Crime & Behavior

Recently I had the opportunity to speak before a group of students at one of our more prominent universities. It was refreshing to be able to interact with individuals within my generation who were so awake and aware of the responsibilities and challenges that our city faces. I often feel that as a society, we sometimes overlook our youth’s opinions and concerns.

During my visit to the university, I was able to really gauge how concerned the students were about Macon’s crime issues. These are student who reside on an isolated college campus. Most of whom aren’t even from Macon and don’t know if they even plan on staying once they graduate. Yet still, they wanted to know what the great city of Macon thought and planned to do about our city’s crime statistics.

Weekly Address: Health Reform Urgent for the Economy

Four charged in teen's fatal beating, officials say

One of the suspects accused of killing an honor student in a beating captured on tape in Chicago has admitted to jumping on the victim's head after he was lying on the ground, said a spokeswoman for the State's Attorney. Three teens arrested in the death of Derrion Albert were seen on the video attacking him, the spokeswoman said. Authorities charged a fourth suspect with murder late Monday.

Check out the video recording:

Meet The Press: Bill Clinton, Gov. Paterson, Sen. Kyl, Sen. Webb

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Weekly Address: Progress with the G-20 in Pittsburgh

G-20 leaders meet to bolster global economy

Leaders representing 85 percent of the world's economic output were gathering Thursday in a U.S. city that has reinvented itself, hoping to bolster the global economy. The Group of 20 will meet for two days to focus on the worldwide financial crisis, and plot how to avoid a repeat in the future.

The White House is using the economic summit to showcase Pittsburgh -- a city that President Barack Obama says has exhibited an innovative 21st-century recovery after a well-publicized downfall following the shuttering of much of the city's steel industry.

Police boats pass under Greenpeace activists as they hang from a bridge near the G-20 summit.

Speech to the United Nations General Assembly

In this morning's speech to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama covered a range of topics—all under the umbrella of his desire for leaders to recognize the "common future" of a world in which "the interests of peoples and nations are shared."

Macon-Bibb Workforce Development Will Teach Money Matters

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert announced the city's participation in the National Dollar Wise Campaign, focused on teaching kids financial literacy.

It is part of a push through the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which declared September 26 through October 3 Dollar Wise Week.

Reichert says it is important for all young people to know how to balance a check book, understand credit cards and interest rates and how to manage money.

The city partners with the Macon-Bibb County Office of Workforce Development to implement a financial literacy program.

BB&T bank is also involved in the partnership to help educate young people about money matters.

The program will be incorporated into the Workforce Development's year round program.

It serves about 250 kids age 14 to 21 in the Macon-Bibb County area.

Senate Action Next on Jobless Pay Extension

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The ball is in the Senate's court now that the House easily passed a bill to extend jobless benefits in high unemployment states.

The Senate bill is similar, but not identical. Another 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits would be welcome for those jobless living in 27 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico with unemployment rates topping 8.5 percent.

The bill is an economic lifeline to more than 300-thousand people whose jobless benefits are set to expire at the end of the month.

While analysts say the economy appears to turning around, jobs tend to take longer to return. House Majority leader Steny Hoyer says it'll be a while before a lot more jobs are available.

More than a million people expect their benefits to run out by year's end.

Majority leader Harry Reid is promising quick Senate action on its version of the extension.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

At U.N., Obama calls for new era in world relations

President Obama made a forceful call Wednesday for a new era in global relations, urging the United Nations to move past old divisions and disputes to reassert itself as a leading force in confronting the most pressing issues of today.

In his first speech as president to the U.N. General Assembly, Obama sought to distance his young administration from unilateral policies of his predecessor, while pledging a U.S. commitment to work with the United Nations in forging a better common future for all.

"The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation -- one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations," Obama said in concluding a speech that received strong applause.

He told the assembly that the world's countries, both individually and collectively as the United Nations, have failed to put aside old ways of thinking and acting as they confront threats to global security and stability.

Obama warns global recession makes climate change fight harder

President Obama warned Tuesday that the global economic recession could hinder the ability of countries to take necessary steps to combat climate change.

President Obama pledges the U.S. government's commitment to fighting climate change.

"We seek sweeping but necessary change in the midst of a global recession, where every nation's most immediate priority is reviving their economy and putting their people back to work," Obama told a U.N. summit on climate change. "And so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge."

Obama acknowledged that the United States has previously failed to recognize the magnitude of the climate change issue, and he pledged his government's commitment to developing clean energy sources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

"We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations," Obama said.

However, his speech lacked specific details on targets for greenhouse gas emissions and was received with polite applause.

Obama's global support put to the test?

President Obama, facing daunting domestic challenges, may have another tough battle on his hands: maintaining the United States' growing popularity throughout the world. And the spotlight will focus on global issues this week.

On Tuesday, Obama meets with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders separately and then jointly. He will also meet late that day with Chinese President Hu Jintao and speak to the Clinton Global Initiative meeting.

The president meets Wednesday with Japan's new prime minister and addresses the U.N. General Assembly. Later, he will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev -- their first face to face meeting since Obama's decision to scale back U.S. missile defense plans in the Czech Republic.

Later Friday, Obama will take part in two G-20 meetings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, focused on the global economy.

President Obama delivered a speech to the Muslim world this summer in Egypt.

Peach Boys & Girls Clubs Cancel Monday Programs

Peach County parents, kids, and teachers are still coping with the school district's four-day week.

Peach County organizations started offering Monday child-care programs after the school system gave students Mondays off. Now, the Peach County Boys & Girls Club's program has been canceled.

Monday program started out as a response to parent's concern about the four-day school week, but quickly became a financial burden.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Byron and Fort Valley extended Monday's hours to include the morning and afternoon, when children would have been at school.

The program started August 10th, but only ran for four weeks.

The centers in Peach County sit empty on Mondays now because of lack of attendance.

It costed the organization about $250 a day to offer the extended hours. With the $10 fee charged each child to participate, each club needed about twenty-five kids to break even.

Attendance averaged about 20 kids per site.

Meet the Press-President Barack Obama: ‘This debate that's taking place is not about race’ Plus, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. John Boehner, Eugene Robin

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Weekly Address: Progress in the Global Economy

Long-Term Health Care Absent From U.S. Debate

Even as the health care debate rages in Washington, scant attention has been given to providing long-term care for the elderly and disabled. Meanwhile, the issue is driving millions into poverty, stressing families, and straining federal and state budgets.

President Barack Obama has remained largely silent on a long-term care plan -- one of the pieces the late Sen. Ted Kennedy saw as key to an overhaul bill.

Such a plan is included in the bill Kennedy's health committee wrote, but it has not become regarded as a must-have component.

Although it's unlikely that plan would solve the long-term care crisis, it would address an issue that has vexed policymakers and caregivers for decades.

And it would mark the first time the government provided nursing homes and other care for the masses.

Project Unity Cleans Up Village Green

Some people in Macon spent the morning cleaning up their neighborhood Saturday.

Project Unity sponsored the clean-up in Village Green.

Volunteers from the U.S Attorney's Office, Macon Regional Crimestoppers, Macon Police department and other groups joined people who live in the neighborhood for the effort.

They picked up debris, mowed overgrown lots and demolished two condemned houses.

Obama: Race not 'overriding issue' in criticism

Harsh rhetoric flung in his direction is no different than that hurled at other presidents who tried to make major changes during their administrations, President Barack Obama said Friday.

Obama acknowledged that racism plays a role in some of the criticism against him, but added that race is "not the overriding issue."

"Are there people out there who don't like me because of race? I'm sure there are. That's not the overriding issue here," he said. "I think there are people who are anti-government. I think there's been a long-standing debate in this country that is usually that much more fierce during times of transition, or when presidents are trying to bring about big changes.

"I mean, things that were said about FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) were pretty similar to things that were said about me. 'He's a communist, he's a socialist.' Things that were said about Ronald Reagan when he was trying to reverse some of the New Deal programs, you know, were pretty vicious as well."

White House: Criticism of Obama Not Based on Race

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says President Barack Obama doesn't believe he's being criticized because of his race.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that the nation's first black president doesn't think that criticism of his policies is "based on the color of his skin."

Gibbs was asked about the topic following comments on Tuesday by former President Jimmy Carter.

Carter said that Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst during Obama's speech to Congress last week was "based on racism." Carter also said "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."

Gibbs says some people have disagreements with some of Obama's decisions but that those concerns were not because of his race.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Ga. Gets More Than $21 Million For Energy Projects

ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia will receive more than $21 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation activities.

Under the U.S. Department of Energy's Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, the state will use the federal money to implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.

The department announced more than $354 million in funding Monday for 22 states, including Alabama.

Georgia will use funds to work with utilities in assisting homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Department officials say the projects will lead to substantial energy and cost savings, and create or retain hundreds of jobs statewide.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

House passes resolution criticizing Wilson

The House of Representatives on Tuesday formally admonished Republican Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting "you lie" during President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last week.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouts "You lie!" during President Obama's speech Wednesday night.

The House passed a resolution of disapproval on a 240-179 vote that was mostly along party lines, reflecting the Democratic majority in the chamber. Twelve Democrats voted "no," while seven Republicans voted for the measure. Five representatives, all Democrats, voted "present."

According to the Office of the House Historian, it was the first time in its 220-year history that the House has disciplined a member for speaking out during a presidential speech in the chamber to a joint session of Congress.

President Obama Renews Push for Financial Revamp

President Barack Obama heads to New York Monday to mark the anniversary of a key moment in the global financial meltdown.

One year ago, Lehman Brothers went belly up and within days of the investment bank's collapse it was clear a full-scale panic was under way.

The president outlined his plans in June, proposing the most extensive revamp of market rules since the Great Depression.

But there's resistance. Many lawmakers think he'd give too much power to the Federal Reserve. And banks oppose his plan for a new consumer agency to protect borrowers.

One Confirmed for WR Mayoral Candidates Debate

The four candidates in the upcoming Warner Robins mayoral race are scheduled face each other tonight.

Three men are challenging Mayor Donald Walker, who was elected in 1994. They are council member Clifford Holmes, businessman Chuck Shaheen and Chuck Chalk, program manager at Robins Air Force Base.

The forum starts at 6:30 in the city council chambers at Warner Robins City Hall.

The non-partisan election is Nov. 3.

Meet the Press-The Health Care Debate

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Thousands March to U.S. Capitol in Spending Protest

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have flooded the streets of Washington today, marching on the U.S. Capitol to protest what they says is out-of-control government spending.

The Associated Press stated in a news article that some chanted "enough is enough" and "You lie, you lie!" while others are holding signs with slogans such as "I'm Not Your ATM" and "Obamacare makes me sick."

Weekly Address: Losing Insurance Can Happen to Anybody

The President discusses a staggering new report from the Treasury Department indicating that under the status quo around half of all Americans under 65 will lose their health coverage at some point over the next ten years. He pledges not to allow this future to unfold: In the United States of America, no one should have to worry that theyll go without health care not for one year, not for one month, not for one day. And once I sign my health reform plan into law they wont. September 12, 2009.

Wilson's Heckling Causes Campaign Funding Growth

A national Republican fundraiser committee says U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson has raised more than $700,000 since yelling "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's health care address.

Georgia Colleges Get $27M in Stimulus Funding

Georgia colleges are getting more than $27 million in federal stimulus money for energy and conservation projects.

The projects range from installing control systems to gauge how energy is being used in a building to upgrading the heating and air conditioning systems to make them more efficient.

More than 25 of the state's colleges and universities received federal funding for energy conservation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Projects include a $1.7 million program to upgrade lighting at Columbus State University and $2.5 million for Georgia Tech for mechanical upgrades.

State Board Votes to Close Milledgeville YDC

A state board decided that a Milledgeville youth detention center should close Jan. 1, costing the city more than 300 jobs.

Hundreds Rally Against Violence in Macon

Hundreds of Asian-American business owners rallied outside Macon City Hall today to protest the murder of three men at Central Georgia gas stations and convenience stores in recent months.

Joe Wilson shouts to Obama during speech: 'You lie'

A Republican House member shouted "You lie" during President Obama's health care speech to Congress on Wednesday, and members of both parties condemned the heckling.

Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie" after President Obama denied health reform would cover illegal immigrants.

After the speech, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson issued a statement apologizing for his outburst.

"This evening, I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill," the statement said. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."

Wilson also called the White House to apologize and spoke with Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who accepted the apology on the president's behalf, according to a senior administration official.

"We can disagree without being disagreeable," Emanuel said to Wilson, according to the official. "That was the point of the president's speech."

Check it out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR_Ol3VA37o&feature=related

President Obama's Education Speech Released Early

The White House posted President Barack Obama's remarks on education, scheduled for Tuesday, in advance.

President Obama plans to tell the nation's schoolchildren that they are ultimately most responsible for their education.

President Obama's planned talk has been controversial, with several conservative organizations and individuals accusing him of trying to dig too directly into local education.

But White House officials, including Education Secretary Arne Duncan, have said the charges are silly.

In the remarks set for Tuesday, Obama tells young people that all the work of parents, educators and others won't matter "unless you show up for those schools, pay attention to those teachers."

To read the speech click on this link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Planned Obama Speech to Students Sparks Protest

Some schools won't show President Obama's online speech to the nation's students Tuesday because of the objections of administrators and parents. A spokesperson for the Houston school system says, parents who do not want their child to listen President Obama's speech next Tuesday can opt out. President Obama plans to address elementary, middle, and high school students through an on-line speech. Then President George W. Bush made a similar address and there was no controversy over whether or not we should let our children listen to his address. Please stop already.

Macon State Confirms Swine Flu Case

Macon State College says one of its students is a confirmed case of swine flu.

The college says the student was hospitalized last week, and tests confirmed the H1N1 flu. The student has been discharged from the hospital but has not yet returned to class, according to a news release.

The college says its Flu Management Team notified the campus by email and urged student, faculty and staff review its flu policies and procedures.

Gates: U.S. Faces Difficult Mission in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says any request for additional U.S. troops or funds for the war in Afghanistan would only come after officials study a new assessment of the conditions there by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Gates said he doesn't believe "the war is slipping through the administration's fingers," and said that public suspicions about the mission are understandable given eight years of war.

Gates said he believes "it's important for us to be able to show over the months to come" that President Barack Obama's new strategy for both Afghanistan and Pakistan is succeeding. Obama had said the goal is to defeat and dismantle the al-Qaida terrorist network and its allies.

Four Running for Parham's Statehouse Seat

Four people want to replace Bobby Parham as Milledgeville's next state representative.

Bobby Parham

The Georgia Secretary of State's office says the four qualified this week for the House District 141 seat.

They are all from Milledgeville:

• Darrell Black, a Democrat.
• Angela Gheesling-McCommon, a Republican.
• E. Culver "Rusty" Kidd of Milledgeville, an independent
• Casey Tucker, a Democrat

Qualifying closed Wednesday.

Parham held the seat for 34 years but resigned this spring to take a seat on the state transportation board.

The special election will be held Nov. 3, and candidates will run in a single field. There will be no primary.

The district covers all of Baldwin County and part of Putnam County.

Hart: BB&T Site Best For Court

The BB&T building in downtown Macon now looks like the best choice for a new Bibb County courthouse site, the county commission chairman says.

Bibb County Commission Chairman Sam Hart said he now considers the BB&T building the top choice.

BB&T is on Second Street, next to the existing county courthouse.

Hart says no final decisions have been made, but said his second choice would be the Macon Telegraph building on Broadway.

Other possibilities include renovating the existing courthouse or building a new courthouse on Oglethorpe Street near the county jail.

Bibb County's judges say the current century-old courthouse at Second and Mulberry streets is inadequate and presents safety and security problems.

County officials say, if they pick a new court site, they'll consolidate other county offices into what is now the court building. That building is now undergoing a million-dollar renovation, work that county officials say is necessary whether or not the court remains there.

Obama Moves to Retake Health Care Debate

President Obama's decision to speak to Congress and the nation on health care next week raises the stakes after a month of contentious town-hall meetings and falling public support.

The address Wednesday to a joint session of Congress comes as advocates and opponents of Obama's top objective say he must take charge if he wants to succeed where Bill Clinton failed in 1994.

Only twice in the past 16 years has a president addressed Congress on a single topic, Senate records show: Clinton in 1993 on his health care plan and George W. Bush after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"This obviously is a make or break moment," said Robert Reischauer, president of the non-partisan Urban Institute. "It's time for him to stand up and say, 'There are no easy answers, and these are the choices I want you to make.' "

Republicans said the choice must be to "hit the reset button," in the words of House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, after polls in August showed a drop in support for both the president and his plan.

"I don't think the problem is messaging. The problem is with what he's trying to sell," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "There's a serious blowback and negative reaction."

Obama's decision to address Congress doesn't mean he's scaling back his effort to help the 46 million people without health insurance or to protect others from rising costs, said experts tied to the Clinton and Obama efforts.

"Yes, he's resetting the messaging," former Clinton adviser Chris Jennings said. "But it is not a moment of crisis. It is a moment of recalibration."

As he enters what senior adviser David Axelrod calls the "eighth or ninth inning" of the debate, Obama is caught between liberals who want to revamp the insurance market with a government-funded "public option" and moderates who favor an incremental approach.

Both efforts have stumbled. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the public option wasn't essential. Six senators seeking a compromise ran into trouble after one, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged his donors to defeat "Obama-care."

August ended with the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a consummate dealmaker whose brain cancer limited his role on what he called "the political cause of my life."

Said moderate Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.: "It probably is time for the White House to give direction."

Marshall returns from Afghanistan, calls current situation a ‘real challenge’

Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Ga., returns from a six-member congressional delegation to Afghanistan today.

Marshall met with soldiers from the Georgia National Guard deployed to the country, as well as Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In a phone interview Tuesday from Nairobi, Kenya, Marshall sounded less than encouraged by what he saw.

“It’s a real challenge,” he said. “It’s clear that the Taliban’s level of sophistication and effectiveness has been nothing but increasing in the past several years.”

Marshall did lend support to the current U.S.-led strategy in the country and insisted that any reductions in violence would have to include cooperation with Afghan police, military and local tribal leaders. “The key to success lies with the population,” he said. “If history is any measure, it’s going to be very difficult to rally the diverse tribes, warlords, et cetera, to one process.”

He parried war critics — including Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and conservative commentator George Will — who have advocated a drawdown of American troops in the country.

In his Washington Post column Tuesday, Will called for troops in the country to be moved “offshore” and to instead fight the war with unmanned drones, cruise missiles and small Special Forces teams.

Feingold, in a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, called for ending the nation building mission in favor of a “more focused military mission that includes targeted strikes on Taliban and al-Qaida leaders.”

He added that “the operatives we sought (after Sept. 11, 2001) have largely been captured or killed or crossed the border into Pakistan.”

Marshall said that such suggestions were “premature” and that “anybody who argues that the whole point of our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq was to (capture or kill) the culprits of 9/11 ... is out to lunch.” Marshall, a decorated Vietnam veteran, warned that American casualties in Afghanistan are unlikely to abate anytime soon.

“Afghanistan is a much more challenging environment than Iraq,” he said. “I’m afraid that we’re going to go through a really tough period.”

This was the latest of about a dozen visits Marshall has made to Afghanistan — he could not recall exactly how many congressional visits he has made to the country.

Marshall’s return flight home stopped in Kenya so the delegation could meet with officials from the U.S. Africa Command.

He was joined on the delegation by Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., Rep. Tim Waltz, D-Minn., and Rep. David Wu, D-Ore.

Two Macon post offices considered for closure.

Two Macon post offices — the one at Macon Mall and the one on Riverside Drive — are among 413 being considered for closure nationwide, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

Americans think nation still mired in recession

Nearly 9 in 10 Americans say the country's still in a recession, according to a new national poll.

After 35 Years, Next Atlanta Mayor Could Be White

ATLANTA (AP) -- Atlanta could have its first white mayor for the first time in 35 years. Blacks have been the majority population and voting bloc in the city for decades, but the demographics have changed in recent years.

Atlanta Councilwoman Mary Norwood, who is white, is one of the front-runners in the November 3rd election. Two black candidates are also considered top candidates.

Some in the African-American community are worried the black candidates may split the black vote and force a runoff.

All three front-runners have tried to steer the conversation away from race. But a group of black community leaders recently circulated a memo urging black voters to rally behind City Council President Lisa Borders. She is one of the leading black candidates.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Reichert suggests earlier last call for Macon bars

Mayor Robert Reichert wants to move up last call in Macon, cutting alcohol sales off at 1:30 a.m. instead of 2 a.m.

An ordinance to do that likely will be discussed later this month by the City Council, which is scheduled to refer the mayor’s proposal to the council’s Public Safety Committee tonight. But several council members asked pointed questions at the mere mention of the change Monday, signaling that the mayor may have a tough time steering his idea through council.

“What is bringing this about?” Councilman Lonnie Miley asked Monday. “Have we actually had a problem with this? Why do something just to do it?”

The mayor hopes that shutting off sales a little earlier will cut down on fights, spokesman Andrew Blascovich said. Currently bars have to stop selling drinks by 2 a.m., and the city code says no one can drink in a bar after 2 a.m.

But the code does allow people to simply hold an open beer or other drink inside a bar until 3 a.m. Reichert’s proposal would address this apparent discrepancy in the code, moving that cut-off time to 2 a.m., and effectively forcing bars to clear people out and clean up any open containers by 2 a.m.

Blascovich said that, in some places, bartenders will sell one person several drinks right at 2 a.m., “clearly trying to get around the law” and the proposed ordinance “is an attempt to curb that.”

He said it was developed with police input.

Several council members indicated that if the mayor or the police department wants to argue that changing the city code will cut down on after-hours troublemaking, they’d better come armed with statistics. “I don’t see why we would just suddenly pull this out of the air and do it,” Councilman Rick Hutto said.

“This is crazy,” Councilman James Timley said.

Tim Obelgoner, operations manager for the Hummingbird Stage & Taproom downtown, said he doesn’t see a need for the change.

“We don’t have fights in here,” he said. “We don’t put up with them. ... I can’t imagine that putting last call 30 minutes earlier is going to reduce fights.”

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Macon Council: Reichert has the Power to Furlough

The power to furlough Macon city employees will remain in the hands of Mayor Robert Reichert.

Tuesday night, Macon city council members did not pass an ordinance that would require council to approve furloughs or reductions in force that may come from the mayor's office.

Nine council members voted against the ordinance with six voting for it.

It needed eight votes to pass.

Councilman Rick Hutto sponsored the ordinance after the city attorney said they may want to clarify language in the code and personnel administrative guidelines.

The proposed ordinance would require that any reduction in force or furlough be approved by council.

Hutto says the decision council made Tuesday shows that that several members of council do not want to take any blame when the difficulty comes.

Hutto believes furloughs may come up again during budget talks for the next fiscal year, and council should have a say.

But some on council who voted against the ordinance say the right to furlough belongs to the mayor.

Erick Erickson, who voted against the ordinance says, "I think the mayor needs to have the power because routinely when council is presented with the right choice and the easy choice, it takes the easy choice."

The mayor's office opposed the legislation from the beginning.

Mayor Robert Reichert says council's decision shows their confidence in his administrative powers.

Reichert says, "I take this as an affirmation by the majority of council that they do think that the executive power is vested in the mayor's office and the decisions that need to be made on a day to day basis are here, not to be decided by committee votes."

He says he believes changing the code would have created more confusion in who has the power, instead of less.

Reichert says personnel guidelines require that the mayor makes the determination and advises council, if it comes to that. He says what they're looking for is balance.

He says that balance remains with city council's decision to vote down the ordinance.

California sprouts 'green rush' from marijuana

SAN FRANCISCO — A drug deal plays out, California-style: A conservatively dressed courier drives a company-leased Smart Car to an apartment on a weekday afternoon. Erick Alvaro hands over a white paper bag to his 58-year-old customer, who inspects the bag to ensure everything he ordered over the phone is there.

An eighth-ounce of organic marijuana buds for treating his seasonal allergies? Check. An eighth of a different pot strain for insomnia? Check. THC-infused lozenges and tea bags? Check and check, with a free herb-laced cookie thrown in as a thank-you gift.

It's a $102 credit card transaction carried out with the practiced efficiency of a home-delivered pizza — and with just about as much legal scrutiny.

More and more, having premium pot delivered to your door in California is not a crime. It is a legitimate business.

In this May 20, 2009 photo, Tom Romero packs one-eighth-ounce bags of medical marijuana at The Green Door dispensary in San Francisco. Since California became the first state to legalize the drug for medicinal use, the weed that the federal government puts in the same category as heroin and cocaine has become a major economic force. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Marijuana has transformed California. Since the state became the first to legalize the drug for medicinal use, the weed the federal government puts in the same category as heroin and cocaine has become a major economic force.

No longer relegated to the underground, pot in California these days props up local economies, mints millionaires and feeds a thriving industry of startups designed to grow, market and distribute the drug.

Based on the quantity of marijuana authorities seized last year, the crop was worth an estimated $17 billion or more, dwarfing any other sector of the state's agricultural economy.

Experts say most of that marijuana is still sold as a recreational drug on the black market. But more recently the plant has put down deep financial roots in highly visible, taxpaying businesses:

Stores that sell high-tech marijuana growing equipment. Pot clubs that pay rent and hire workers. Marijuana themed magazines and food products. Chains of for-profit clinics with doctors who specialize in medical marijuana recommendations.

The plant's prominence does not come without costs, say some critics. Marijuana plantations in remote forests cause severe environmental damage. Indoor grow houses in some towns put rentals beyond the reach of students and young families. Rural counties with declining economies cannot attract new businesses because the available work force is caught up in the pot industry. Authorities link the drug to violent crime in otherwise quiet small towns.

"For those of us who are on the front lines, it's not about pot is bad in itself or drugs are bad," said Meredith Lintott, district attorney in Mendocino County, one of the country's top marijuana-producing regions.

"It's about the negative consequences on children. It's about the negative consequences on the environment."

Still, the sheer scale of the overall pot economy has some lawmakers pushing for broader legalization as a way to shore up the finances of a state that has teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. The state's top tax collector estimates that taxing pot like liquor could bring in more than $1.3 billion annually.

On Tuesday, Oakland will consider a measure to tax the city's four marijuana dispensaries, which the city auditor projects will ring up $17.5 million in sales in 2010. The city faces an $83 million budget shortfall, and expects the marijuana tax to raise $315,000.

Advocates point out that making pot legal would create millions if not billions of dollars more in indirect sales — the ingredients used to make edible pot products, advertising, tourism and smoking paraphernalia.

With a recent poll showing more than half of Californians supporting legalization, pot advocates believe they will prevail. And they say other states will follow.

Tim Blake is the proprietor of a 145-acre spiritual retreat center which holds an annual marijuana bud-growing contest in the heart of Northern California's pot-growing country.

Politicians, he says, are "going to see the economic benefits, they're going to see the health benefits and they're going to jump on the bandwagon."

On a property flanked by vineyards, Mendocino County farmer Jim Hill grows marijuana for up to 20 patients, including himself and his wife. He believes passionately in marijuana's purported ability to treat the symptoms of diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's; he says his wife suffers from a serotonin imbalance, and he uses the drug to treat digestive problems and intestinal cramping.

Hill's plants enjoy careful nurturing in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. On a recent spring day, his college-age son spread bat guano to fertilize two dozen 6-foot-tall plants.

Hill is 45 years old; he says he spent $10,000 to set up the garden. Patients receive their drugs free in exchange for helping with his crop.

"It's kind of like living on an apple orchard," Hill said. "You don't pay for an apple."

Though marijuana is cultivated throughout California, the most prized crops come from the forested mountains and hidden valleys of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties — the Emerald Triangle.

The economic impact of so much pot is difficult to gauge. Authorities say the largest grows are run by Mexican drug cartels that simply funnel money from forest-raised crops back into their own bank accounts.

Still, marijuana money from outdoor and indoor plots inevitably flows into local coffers. Marijuana increases residents' retail buying power by about $58 million countywide, according to a Mendocino County report. The county ranks 48th out of 58 counties in median income but, by counting pot proceeds, could jump as high as 18th.

Businesses benefit from mom-and-pop growers who cultivate pot to supplement their incomes and from marijuana plantation workers who descend on the Emerald Triangle from all over the country for the fall harvest. Pot "trimmers" can earn more than $40 per hour.

In Ukiah, the county's largest city, business owners say the extra cash is crucial. "I really don't think we would exist without it," says Nicole Martensen, 37, whose wine and garden shop is stocked with bottles from county vintners.

The skunk-like smell of marijuana hangs over the town of about 11,000 during the October harvest, when cash registers brim with $100 bills. Sometimes the wads of cash spent in Martensen's shop come dusted with pot.

But Ukiah banker Marty Lombardi says existing businesses cannot compete with pot industry wages for workers. Lombardi's bank does not make loans to anyone suspected of trying to fund a pot operation, but he said most growers do not need them.

"I don't think you or I have any sense for how much money is generated," he said.

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman says medical marijuana operations that follow state and county laws will face no hassles from his department. His deputies left intact 154 marijuana grows they visited last year, he said

"If you're living in the boundaries, I'm not going to mess with you," Allman said.

Which is not to say that there is no legal risk to growing, selling or buying marijuana. Federal laws still apply, and pot dealings not deemed medicinal are considered criminal by the state.

Local, state and federal authorities pulled up 364,000 plants across Mendocino last year. And the state Department of Justice reported more than 16,000 felony arrests and nearly 58,000 misdemeanor arrests for marijuana offenses in 2007 — the highest numbers in a decade.

Sparky Rose sits in the federal prison in Lompoc, serving a 37-month term. Law enforcement officials insist he is one of many sellers who have used the medical marijuana law as a guise for old-time drug dealing. Rose does not disagree, although he would like to think he helped some legitimate pot patients in the process.

A one-time Web designer, he started out in 2001 making $15 an hour as a "bud tender" working the counter at an Oakland club. Four years later, he was overseeing a dispensary chain with stores in seven cities, 283 employees and sales reaching $5 million a month.

That's not as much as it seems, he says. Much of the money went to pay salaries, to purchase equipment and to buy 200 pounds of marijuana each week.

Rose says he was making $500,000 a year before his 2006 arrest, a sum he considers fair given the chain's volume and the risk he assumed as the company's public face. Before opening a new location, he would meet with local officials and police to get their implicit OK.

"We operated out in the open, and the feds knew who we were and they let us do it for four years, so as time goes on you get this comfortable feeling," he says.

"While I was still in the business, a lot people would ask me, 'I'm thinking about starting a club, what advice do you have?' "And I'd say, 'The biggest warning is sooner or later, you will start to think it's legal.'"

Even people accustomed to buying marijuana over the counter are impressed when they visit the Farmacy, a dispensary-cum-New Age apothecary with three locations in Los Angeles. Decorated in soft beige and staffed by workers in lab coats, the Venice store sells organic toiletries, essential oils and incense along with 25 types of pot stored in glass jars, including strains such as Beverly Bubba and Third Eye.

Anyone can shop there, but to buy the cannabis-infused gelato, olive oil, soft drinks and other "edibles," customers must show a doctor's recommendation, have the information verified by the doctor's office and obtain a patient identification number for future visits.

During a two-hour span, the dozen or so customers who made a purchase all bought pot products and paid the 9.25 percent state sales tax on top of their purchases. The clubs, which are not supposed to turn a profit, call their transactions "donations."

Allen Siegel is 74; he is dying of cancer and wants to try smoking marijuana to ease his pain without knocking him out like prescription drugs do. So his wife, Ina, brought him to the Farmacy for his first visit as a legal pot patient.

"You go in there and they have so many choices," she said

California's "green rush" was spurred by a voter-approved law 13 years ago that authorized patients with a doctor's recommendation to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use. Although a dozen other states have adopted similar laws, California is the only one where privately owned pot shops have flourished.

Los Angeles County alone has more than 400 pot dispensaries and delivery services, nearly twice as many outlets as Amsterdam, the Netherlands capital whose coffee shops have for decades been synonymous with free-market marijuana.

Promoted as a way to shield people with AIDS, cancer and anorexia who use marijuana from prosecution, the 1996 Compassionate Use Act also permitted limited possession for "any other illness for which marijuana provides relief."

The broad language opened the door to doctors willing to recommend pot for nearly any ailment. In a survey of nearly 2,500 patients, longtime Berkeley medical marijuana advocate Dr. Tod Mikuriya found that almost three-quarters of the patients used the drug for pain relief or mental health issues.

Dispensaries began selling marijuana, although they were risking federal charges. Some operators have become less fearful since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said this year that the Justice Department would not target pot operations following state laws, reducing the risk of random federal raids that existed under the Bush administration.

California's pot dispensaries now have more in common with a corner grocery than a speakeasy. They advertise freely, offering discount coupons and daily specials.

Justin Hartfield, a 25-year-old Web designer and business student, founded WeedMaps.com, where pot clubs and doctors who write medi-pot recommendations list their services and users post reviews. Hartfield says the year-old site brought in $20,000 this month, an amount he expects to double in August.

Hartfield exhibited at THC Expo, a two-day trade show at the Los Angeles Convention Center that attracted an estimated 35,000 attendees in June. There was hydroponic gardening equipment and bong vendors and bikini-clad models wearing leis made of fake marijuana leaves.

Like just about everyone else connected to the cannabis trade, Hartfield has a letter from a doctor that entitles him to buy medical marijuana from a dispensary. But he sees no point in pretending he is treating anything more than his taste for smoking weed.

"It is a joke. It's a legal way for me to get what I used to get on the street," he said.

He recalls telling the doctor who provided the referral that he suffered from insomnia and anxiety, though neither was true. As he signed the paperwork, the doctor "congratulated me like I was getting my degree from Harvard."

What would happen if marijuana was legal — not just for medical uses, but for all uses?

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, wants the state to tax and regulate all pot as it does alcohol. State Board of Equalization chairwoman Betty Yee, a supporter, projects the law would generate $990 million annually through a $50-per-ounce fee for retailers and $392 million in sales taxes. (The state now collects $18 million each year in taxes on medical marijuana.)

The state would not start collecting taxes on marijuana under Ammiano's bill until the federal government lifts its restrictions on the drug.

That's not enough for pro-pot activists who want Californians to vote next year on a proposal that would allow adults to legally possess up to one ounce of pot and allow cities to sell and tax the drug.

"Local governments are malnourished and in need of revenue badly," said Aaron Smith, state policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates legalization. "There's this multibillion-dollar industry that's the elephant in the room that they're not able to tap into."

Lintott, the Mendocino prosecutor, is not convinced that legalization would put an end to the underworld's marijuana operations. She argues that big-time growers would never bother filing tax returns. "Legalizing it isn't going to touch the big money," she says.

But others predict the black-market business model would fall apart.

Large-scale agri-businesses in California's Central Valley would dominate legal marijuana production as they already do bulk wine grapes, advocates argue. Pot prices would fall dramatically, forcing growers to abandon costly clandestine operations that authorities say trash the land and steal scarce water.

And legalization, supporters insist, would save state and local governments billions on police, court and prison costs.

But others survey California in 2009 and say the cannabis future is now. Richard Lee has parlayed a pair of Oakland dispensaries into a mini-empire that includes a marijuana lifestyle magazine, an "adult consumption" club, a starter plant nursery and a three-campus marijuana trade school. Oaksterdam University's main campus is a prominent fixture in revitalized downtown Oakland.

All without legalization.

"It's like here's reality, and here's the law," Lee says. "The culture has gone so far beyond the law, people have gotten used to being able to get quality product. They are not going to go back."

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