Decision Maker
MSNBC
MSNBC is a widely recognized American news-based pay television cable network, offering comprehensive coverage of breaking news reports, political analysis and commentary. Owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, it broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, covering USA and global news alike across various platforms. Positioned as a progressive, liberal-leaning network, MSNBC serves its audience with a lineup of influential hosts in prime time, showcasing different perspectives on current events. It has broadened its reach by providing online information through its official website and digital platforms, thereby increasing accessibility for the international audience.
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CBS, NBC, FOX Broadcasting Company, ABC, Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC
My beautiful daughter Alison, a journalist for WDBJ7 in Roanoke, VA was murdered on live television in 2015. For years now, I have been fighting Google to remove the video of her murder from YouTube. Google, along with Facebook and Instagram are protected from any liability thanks to a law called Section 230 for which the only exception is for copyright violation. I appeared on 60 Minutes on January 3rd and described how my life has been affected by Google's ongoing injurious practice. As I said in my interview, Google's original motto was "Don't be evil". Now, they are the personification of just that.
Equally as immoral is Gray Television, a media conglomerate with major network affiliates across the country. In late 2015 Gray purchased WDBJ and now owns the copyright to that infamous video. My legal team at Georgetown University Law has asked Gray repeatedly for co-copyright use that would enable us to sue Google for damages. A co-copyright agreement would in no way subject Gray to any legal liability. We cannot legally compelled them, only ask that they do the right thing. Until 230 is repealed, it's our only recourse to hold Google accountable.
Sadly, Gray repeatedly either refuses or ignores our pleas to grant this request, cynically offering only a worthless usage license--useful only if we wanted to re-broadcast Alison's murder. As pernicious as Google and Facebook are, Gray is worse. I seek your help and ask that you beseech Gray to do the decent thing and provide me the means to bring a modicum of justice to these sociopaths who endanger lives and democracy while monetizing murder videos.
Thanks for your help!
Andy ParkerRead more
Andy ParkerCollinsville, VA, United States
182,506
1/20/21
CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, BuzzFeed, Axios , VICE
DISCLAIMER: We'd like to clarify to those signing that when you are donating to this petition the money is going towards change.org's network to keep amplifying these petitions. The money will not be donated to us to filter to charities (sadly we just figured this out as this is our first time making a petition). Please be mindful of that before donating! Thank you.
Over the course of the past year, the unfortunate inflation of racist rhetoric associated with the origin and spread of the Coronavirus has resulted in an uptick of deadly hate crimes against Asian Americans. In the past week we've seen murders and hateful assaults skyrocket across America but have noticeably felt ZERO pressure to cover from America's mainstream news sources. Why is it that in the eyes of American media, Asian lives do not matter?
President Biden very recently signed an Executive Order to help combat hate crimes toward the Asian American community. He even outlined his agenda on the campaign trail for the AAPI Community. By the way, our VP is from an AAPI bloodline. So why is it that every mainstream outlet hasn't given these mounting assaults, the time of day?
Because Asian Americans still have not been given a voice in mainstream America and it's time they covered OUR struggles, fights and needs. We are Americans and deserve to live without constant fear, or the fear of our elders being senselessly murdered.
Recent elderly Asian American assaults + murders:
Vicha Ratanapakdee
Yik Oi Huang
Mauricio Gesmundo Sr
Noel Quintana
91 Year Old In Oakland (Jacob Azevedo began a GoFundMe in the community to help arm more Asian seniors to defend themselves, you can donate HERE.)
64-Year Old Grandmother
...and the list goes on. Never forget Vincent Chin.
We're asking for the mainstream media (CNN, MSNBC, FOX NEWS, WASHPOST, LA TIMES, NYT) to step up and give this national issue some visibility and coverage. We cannot keep this to the AAPI community only, we need this to be a movement and issue ALL Americans are aware of to help prevent these crimes. PLEASE SIGN TO HELP UP KEEP THE PRESSURE ON MEDIA.Read more
Zeena KodaDenver, CO, United States
123,964
2/6/21
MSNBC, CBS, Department of Justice, United States Supreme Court, Commission on Presidential Debates, ABC, New York Times, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Inc
Live fact checking should run across the screens or should be announced live during the all presidential debates in order to allow transparency and to allow Americans to make informed decisions about who the choose for President.
This I believe would solve the following problems:
It would restore Americans belief in the political process
It would shift the narrative of two party politics from identity politics back to politics of policy
It would hold politicians accountable for misinformation
It would create a more curious and well informed public
In order for this to be executed properly this should be enforced by a non partisan committee such as the Debate commission . Read more
Marcel dinkinscorona, NY, United States
101,884
10/8/20
Victory!
Elizabeth Warren
No child living in America today should have to worry about whether they’ll have a place to sleep at night or enough food to eat. But these are daily realities for the 1 in 6 poor children in this country. Children like me.
Growing up on the North Side of Minneapolis, I know what it means to struggle. I’ve been homeless, spending school nights sleeping on park benches. I’ve been hungry, not knowing where my next meal would come from. I know what it means to have to work to support your family when you need to be focusing on school. And I know that other kids shouldn’t have to face these struggles. Every child in America should be able to focus on learning, growing, and just being a kid.
Did you know it’s been 20 years since there was a question about how to address child poverty in a presidential debate? But a child is born into poverty every minute in this country. Those children will face hunger, homelessness, illness, violence and toxic stress. And those children deserve answers about how the next president of the United States is going to make sure they get a fair shot at a better life.
Ignoring this issue on the national debate stage sends a signal that children living in poverty are not a priority. To fix the problem, we need to put a spotlight on it.
That’s why I’m calling for a question in the presidential debates about child poverty. I want to know what the next president is going to do to make sure the next generation won’t struggle like I did. Will you join me? Please sign the petition today. Read more
Israel Glenn, Children's Defense FundUnited States
78,577
9/10/19
ANIMALS ASIA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), World Animal Protection, Chinese Government, Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, National Tourism Administration...
We have all heard about the Giant Panda’s declining numbers in the wild and the shrinking of their habitat; China’s proactive conservation efforts in the attempt to address the problem have garnered worldwide attention. Few of us though are familiar with the plight of the Asiatic Black Bears commonly known as ‘Moon bears’. Despite being the well-known mascot animal of the 2018 Winter Paralympics, their fate remains unchanged. With the blessing of the local lawmakers, they are subjected to indescribable atrocities within commercial “bile” farms. The barbaric practice is commonplace in many far eastern countries, namely China and Vietnam.
Prior to the 1980s, Moon bears were hunted for the sole purpose of extracting bile, as it is a commonly used ingredient in Chinese Traditional Medicine. The hunting ban led to a far worse fate for the species, as factory farming permits the harvesting of the precious substance repeatedly from a live animal, but it is far from ideal.
Factory “Bile” FarmingThe bile farming process rivals even the most barbaric torture practices known to humanity. It entails removing baby bears from their natural habitat for the purpose of the continual harvesting of the digestive liquid secreted by their liver. An adult specimen produces approximately 2.2 kg of the liquid, in the span of 5 years.
Many of the bears are missing limbs as a result of being trapped in the wild. Catching them involves snares or steel leg hold traps. From the moment of their capture, they are subjected to a treatment no other animal species on earth is forced to endure. Kept in tiny extraction cages or worse, full metal jackets, resulting in complete immobilization. They remain in these horrific contraptions for the entire duration of their lives. The cages are often so small that the inhabitants are unable to stand on all fours or turn. The metal jackets resemble medieval torture devices. Heavy and typically rusting, they restrain movement using sharp spikes and strips of metal.
“Milking” MethodsThe confinement is enforced to ensure hassle-free “milking” (the term describes the process of extracting 10-20 ml of bile twice daily).It is done using various methods, requiring surgery performed under no anesthesia or painkillers:
Repeated drainage through a directly inflicted open puncture wound and permanent implant of a tube inserted into the gallbladder through the abdomen.
The full-jacket method uses a permanent catheter tube to extract the liquid. It is then collected in a metal box worn by the bear at all times.
Insertion of steel catheter through the bear’s abdomen, directly into the gallbladder.
The free drip considered the “most humane” approach of all, involves the creation of a permanent hole or fistula. The bile then drips out unless it leaks back into the abdomen and complications occur.
The Excruciating Effects of CaptivityThere are hardly any Moon Bears left in the wild as the reward for delivering one to a farm ranges between $280 to $400. There are over 12,000 bears currently kept in government-licensed facilities.
A staggering number die because of the stress of butcher-style surgeries or the infections that inevitably occur. We regard those as the lucky ones. Those that survive are kept alive with the help of antibiotics, sometimes for up to 25-30 years.
The applications of the liquid are no longer restricted to the production of traditional medicine. Its use has spread to the cosmetics industry. Many shampoos and skincare products currently sport the exclusive ingredient.
The captivity conditions inevitably result in physical injuries, muscle atrophy, bone deformities, and never-ending pain.
The entire team behind MoonBear.Finance takes a firm stance against this deplorable practice. We endorse various initiatives promoting the species’ welfare and this petition is one of them. Sadly, not all governments support the ideology behind the #ReleaseTheMoonBear cause and so we seek your help. We urge you to join us and take immediate action to end the inhumane treatment of these vulnerable animals once and for all. Here is how you can get involved:
Please sign and share this petition with your entire network
Avoid the purchase of products containing bear bile
Influence local legislation
Raise awareness to the plea of Asiatic Bears
Donate to a charity that rescues animals from the hellish conditions described above
Create a Video or Tweet using #ReleaseTheMoonBear and help unleash the power of social media
Let’s work together towards the eradication of bile farming and allow the Moon bears to prosper once more!References:
https://www.animalsasia.org/intl/end-bear-bile-farming-2017.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bile_bear
https://moonbear.finance/
https://www.paralympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-paralympic-mascot-launched
https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-bear-bile-farming.html
Read more
Polar MUnited Kingdom
75,140
9/28/21
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, Council of the European Union, United Nations Security Council, United Nations, Honeywell International, Angela Merkel (CDU), UK Parliament, FOX New...
The United States gives South Africa approximately 9.4 Billion Dollars in US aid. There is no record of where this money is directed. The South African Government vote 99% against the US in the UN, have violated the AGOA agreement by deliberately breaking every human rights law by changing their constitution to take land from the white minorities without compensation. They have further broken the international law and the Geneva Convention laws with this act. The South African government has openly threatened the US government and is in full support of Iran. They also support and have been hiding ISIS and other Muslim training camps within the country. Furthermore the South African Communist Party (SACP) an affiliate of the government ruling party demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Pretoria South Africa calling for the death of American Citizens. (One bullet one American) The removal of Apartheid 25 years ago and with a newly elected ANC government in 1994 has seen a massive decline of law and order. United Nations (UN) stats from 2012 state that South Africa has the highest murder rate of half a million people since 1994. The rape & corruption rate is the highest in the world. The South African Government has placed approximately one hundred and sixty four (164) laws discriminating against all minorities in the country mainly whites. We ask again why were Bill Gates, Ex-president Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Henry Kissinger, EX-Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, George Soros and the Clinton's doing there when the US gives South Africa 9.4 Billion in AID while they murder an average of 60 people a day and rape a female of any age every minute. The deliberate call for the killing of farmers by the South African politicians especially Julius Malema, Elias Ace Magashule, Andile Mngxitama and the denial by Cyril Ramaphosa (President) that this was the case, resulting in which has seen massive increase of torture, rape and murder. (One bullet one Boer (Farmer)) This inciting of murder lays all the blood spilled upon these political parties namely the EFF, BLF & ANC. The overwhelming evidence of massive corruption and the refusal of the government to arrest said party members. We demand full economic sanctions be placed with the immediate stop of all US aid to a country that has violated every human rights law known to modern man. We feel the African National Congress (ANC) government with their affiliates the South African Communist party and United Trade Union movement need to be removed by any means possible. They have failed the people of South Africa and the world due to their criminal activities and human rights violations. The US Ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks needs to be recalled for supporting this evil agenda. EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO BELIEVES IN THE GOOD OF MAN, ALL EX- SOUTH AFRICANS NOW IS THE TIME NOT TO TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR LAND OF YOUR BIRTH IN ITS TIME OF NEED. SIGN THIS PETITION AND GIVE US A MANDATE TO REMOVE THIS EVIL ONCE AND FOR ALL. Read more
THE HAWKWilliston, ND, United States
63,563
2/26/20
U.N. Electoral Assitance Division (EAD)
We the people of the United States of America are officially requesting the United Nations to monitor our remaining 2016 presidential election. So far we have seen evidence of massive election fraud all across the country, which gives us reason to believe that the fraud will continue. We have a reasonable suspicion that our government and the integrity of our electoral process has been compromised in order to place their chosen candidate in power against the will of the American people.
The U.S. State Dept. says that a discrepancy in exit polls of more than 2% indicates fraud, we have had discrepancies outside of that margin in at least 16 of the state primaries all the way up to a discrepancy of 23%. These discrepancies have only happened in one of our political parties and they have all been in favor of one candidate. On top of the exit poll discrepancies there has been reports of ballots cast in the names of deceased citizens, patients of mental hospitals, and elderly people with dementia. There has been reports of registration purging, switching of party affiliations, vote flipping, and massive voter suppression. Not to mention the millions of voters who have not been allowed to vote because they do not claim any party affiliation. Multiple major universities have calculated that in order to get our current results without election fraud, the odds would be 1 in 70 billion.
This level of election fraud is usually only done covertly and in 3rd world countries, now it's being done openly and blatantly in the United States. Our democracy is being stolen and we very well maybe on the brink of a dictatorship, we can no longer trust our government and we need help from the outside. So we are respectively requesting the U.N. to step in and assess the integrity of our electoral process. We also request that you review the apparent fraud of our current results and ensure credibility and transparency moving forward. We feel that your help is imperative to avoid an inevitable major conflict in the U.S. due to corruption in our government.
Read more
James CarterColorado Springs, CO, United States
61,460
6/19/16
NEW YORK TIMES, CNN, Associated Press, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Wall Street Journal, ABC, MSNBC, Washington Post, LA Times
My name is Sylvester Owino, and I was in “immigrant detention” for 9 years.
My name is Carlos Hidalgo, and for a year and half I was incarcerated in “immigrant detention centers.”
That is what the media, government, and for-profit prison companies who run these facilities call them, but in reality, these are immigrant prisons. These prisons incarcerate children, families, and members of our community.
People in immigrant prisons are not serving a sentence, but simply awaiting the outcome of our request to stay in the US.
Those of us who have lived behind the locked gates and barbed wire know that the term “detention center” does not accurately describe the conditions and truth of what happens on the inside.
We, who have survived these brutal places, are requesting that media organizations - The Associated Press, The New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, and other influential media outlets, call these facilities what they are: immigrant prisons.
Until we are honest about the fact that these are prisons, the inhumane conditions inside will continue to be covered up by the term “detention center,” and the corporations running the facilities will continue to make millions off of the suffering of the people inside.
If these are harmless “detention centers” … Why do they look like prisons, why are they run like prisons, and why are they owned by prison companies?
We were incarcerated in facilities run by the two largest for-profit prison companies in the country. Carlos was in GEO Group’s Adelanto immigrant prison, and Sylvester in CCA’s Otay immigrant prison in San Diego, among other facilities.
We both experienced countless human rights abuses. We worked for the for-profit prisons for $1 a day, cleaning and cooking. Carlos was put in solitary confinement for 6 days for organizing a hunger strike to protest inhumane treatment. Sylvester filed complaints on behalf of friends who were beaten by guards.
In Adelanto immigrant prison, 3 people have died in the last 7 months, and 6 people have attempted suicide since December 2016. Dozens of us have gone on hunger strikes to try and change things.
In order to end the abuse, we must first call them prisons and then close them. Starting with Adelanto.
Sylvester & Carlos
Supported by:
o Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Collective, IEIYC
o Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, ICIJ
o Freedom for ImmigrantsRead more
A.J. WaltonNew York City, NY, United States
46,483
10/18/17
CNN, MSNBC, Lowell Police Department, Elizabeth Warren, Charlie Baker, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts State Senate, Massachusetts State House
On the night of December 19, 2020 in Lowell, Massachusetts, police claimed Moses Harris jumped into the Concord River after being confronted by police officers. My family have not seen any body camera footage from the night, we haven’t been given clear answers as to why no one stopped him or protected him after watching him enter the river, and the last council he met with was police. The brief search for his body has been called off, local papers are giving ambiguous details about his case almost as if he is missing, with no Missing signs or Amber Alerts being issued up by the police. Lastly the police department have refused to grant our family the audience to meet with us and discuss his case.
We ask for your support to pressure the Lowell Police Department to account for the life they took. We ask all those even if you aren’t from Lowell, Massachusetts to stand with us, this Holiday season because all we want is answers to why our angel went to Heaven so soon. Another black man life could have been taken and we refuse for this case to be swept underneath the rug. With all your support however that won’t happen. Read more
Emmanuel WahpoLowell, MA, United States
38,486
12/23/20
Cedric Richmond, Bernie Sanders, Donald J. Trump, John Bel Edwards, Mayor Cantrell, MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, ABC, NBC, FOX Broadcasting Company, Union Pacific, United States Department of Labor, Unite...
The first link below is to the GoFundMe referenced at the end of this petition.
gf.me/u/xpvsqj
The second link will take you to a site run by one of the few angels here in New Orleans who have selflessly taken on the task of getting justice for Jose, Quinn, and Anthony.
Follow this page for more info on the #hardrock3 and read below for an overview of what happened, where we are currently, and what we plan to do.
#hardrock3 Link: https://m.facebook.com/HardRock3-102823511314993/
The 3rd link takes you to the page of Rubia Garcia, the 10 year educator and local human rights & social justice advocate, Hurricane Katrina survivor, and life long resident of New Orleans, who organized the #boycotthardrock movement to force Hard Rock into action. If you follow her, she visits the site daily to bring awareness to the hundreds and thousands (millions during Mardi Gras) who visit the site daily. She shares regular/daily updates on her social media pages to inform the millions around the world who are now following this story and fighting to bring justice and peace in death to the victims and their families because they were denied and robbed of them in life.
Rubia Garcia Link: https://www.facebook.com/1341832342508469/posts/3746743705350642/?vh=e&d=n
BACKGROUND:
On Saturday, October 12, 2019 at approximately 9am, the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana that was under construction, collapsed. Out of the approximate 281 people in the building that morning, there were 18 people transported to the hospital from the site and many others that drove themselves to area hospitals. However, the day of the collapse, at least 3 workers were publicly unaccounted for. We will discuss the potential causes for the collapse later.
But first, our brothers.
The day after the collapse, on Sunday, October 13th, the body of one of our brothers, Anthony Magrette, was pulled from the rubble after 32 hours. His family has reported since that his autopsy revealed he had survived the first 27; 5 hours too late, due in part to New Orleans first responder administrators refusing to allow responders into the building and also refusing help from local unions, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other local volunteers who offered to assist in recovery and telling the families as they waited those 32 hours that Anthony was "alive" and in a "safe Haven. To date, the families haven't heard from Mayor Latoya Cantrell since she attended the wake (with press to take pictures), even though in press conferences her and other city officials say that they have spoken to them regularly since the collapse. They have not. See this news link from March 4th. ( https://www.fox8live.com/2020/03/05/family-hard-rock-collapse-victim-calling-answers-accountability-city-new-orleans/ )
As of today, March 5, 2020, the bodies of our other two brothers, Jose Ponce Arreola and Quinnyon Wimberly, still remain inside the building. Quinnyon, who can tragically be seen on the original video of the collapse exiting the building on the 12th floor as the building comes down, not only remains in the building to date, but his legs at this very moment, are visible to any of the public from the streets around the city/site. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5_UtZWK1aw&disable_polymer=true ,
Some may remember a few weeks ago at the end of January, the tarp that the city had placed to cover his legs had blown away in the wind, and this was when global outrage behind the coverup and the #boycotthardrock movement began. This, in the greatest country in the world, was unacceptable.
Now 5 months later, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, countless Saints games, the LSU games including the Championship, as well as personal holidays, and of course Mardi Gras, have all gone on since the collapse and the cries of the families and the community; have been blatantly ignored.
In that time that has passes, the plans on what to do with the building and how to address recovery have changed so many times that as writing this, a fair number would have to be at MINIMUM in the double digits. Adding to this inconsistency, are those of conflicting information being provided by and between our elected officials.
For example, in a press on February 12th, just weeks after the start of the #boycotthardrock movement and the same day that Hard Rock International sent our Mayor a personal letter, the Mayor stated not once, but twice, that she intended to recover the bodies and THEN control-implode the building in mid-March. This statement was HUGE to the families and the community.
Just days prior to the Mayor saying this in that February 12th conference, New Orleans Fire Chief Time McConnell had stated the opposite and original plan forced upon the families by the city, that they would implode the building with the bodies inside. Only for last week, the plan that was proposed and approved by the Mayor, to state that what the fire chief had said, was the real truth all along, and the Mayor not onlylied to the families, the press, and the city, but also, you and the millions others around the world now a part of this movement towards righteousness and justice.
POTENTIAL CAUSES and DEFINITIVE EFFECTS
- The building is located at 1031 Canal St. It is on the corner of Canal Street and North Rampart and up until 2014 used to be the Woolworth’s. It was the location of the first organized lunch counter sit-in in New Orleans. In September 1960, 2 whites and 5 blacks walked in and sat at the Woolworth's counter and demanded to be served, in direct protest to the Jim Crow laws of the South at the time. The city signed off on the demo, (our now Mayor being a member of the council) and the Woolworth’s was declassified as a historic landmark and demolished in 2014.Praveen Kailas of Kailas Companies, the owner of the land and son of the now lead developer/stakeholder in the 1031 Canal pleads out to federal charges for over billing in the Louisiana States Road Home Program. He turns the company to his dad Mohan Kailas, who then announces the consortium and partnership with Hard Rock and 2018, it starts. This just shows history of corruption. Also shows that Hard Rock didn’t bet their developers.
- Mayor LaToya Cantrell has taken over $70k from the consortium. City Council members have taken over $20k from them as well.
- Unapologetic and proliferated use of non union, undocumented workers.Supervisors ignored the warning of these workers who even took to apparently posting videos to social media DAYS BEFORE the collapse after being told to go back to work when they told their supervisors that the temporary shores holding up the concrete slabs they had just poured, were failing.
- The floors of the Hard Rock on Canal Street are a different size shape and size than the ones that were approved by the cities safety and permitting office; and public records apparently show a violation by the developers of the project which is a consortium named 1031 Canal, composed of Kailas Companies, Citadel Builders(Denzel Clark), and All Star Electric (Todd Trosclair, has be reported to have thrown campaign fundraisers for Mayor Cantrell), who failed to file such change with the city according to Sections 26-15 of city code. The size and shape of the decking used, is extremely important because tips engineers have stated publicly that the floors placed, weren’t meant to withhold the spans between the beams as were those of the original design.
- The final concrete was poured into the 18th floor on October 4th and according to American Concrete Institute, should have been cured at minimum given those spans, for 14 days. Three days after the pour on October 7th it appears they began removing the temporary shores to support the decking while it cured. Three days after that, on October 10th, workers are posting videos showing the shores that remained, still remained because the pressure had bent them in place. Two days after that on the 12th, they moved forward with installing the rooftop pool. And just a few hours after that, the building floors pan caked. Pulling half the entire building, pulling the floors from the 18th floor that Jose was standing on from under him, entombing him completely ever since. Then, wrapping around the North Rampart side of the building, and catching Q, as stated before just on the opposite end of the building, leaving only his legs and now his partially visible face, as the only proof as to where he is and how absolutely horrible this all is on what is now, day 146.
- One of the workers Joel Ramirez Palma, a husband, father of 3, and construction worker with almost two decades of construction background, was one of the workers who had warned supervisors that the building wasn’t safe. The day of the collapse, he spoke with local news media. Less than 48 hours later, he was arrested, detained for weeks, and then deported. He remains there, after living and making an honest living with his family for the majority of his life.
As of Day 142 (March 2, 2020)
- Top building official for the City of New Orleans, Larry Chan, and Chief Building Inspector Terry Willis were secretly recorded (recorded by Chan himself) in a special meeting they had held Sept 16th(a month BEFORE the Hard Rock Collapse)with city inspectors after he reissued a 5 year old policy statement of the department which required city inspectors to use the approved mobile app to upload time stamped photos of site visits and recording their locations. He warned them that there were GPS trackers in the vehicles. He warned them NOT to inspect commercial buildings if they held only residential inspection certifications.Later that day after the meeting he (Chan) and an analyst in the Department, Richella Maxwell, were escorted out of the building and placed on emergency suspension, "based on the ongoing investigation into your involvement in the alleged illegal issuance of city permits.
- This all stems from a years long investigation into the city's Safety and Permits Office, which just days before this meeting Chan called, had led to the indictment of Kevin Richardson, a former city inspector worker who actually had been FIRED IN 2015 for taking $65K+ in bribes for buildings he had not inspected or forged documents on, having potentially touched permits numbering over 8,300 in his career working since 2009. He was reportedly working/conspiring with an analyst Maxwell, maybe others, who had remained within the department office after Richardon was terminated. Richardson pled out within weeks AFTER the collapse.City Inspectors Julie Tweeter, Thomas Dwyer, and Eric Treadway reportedly signed off on MULTIPLE PROJECTS throughout the city that they had never visited (witnesses AND GPS in the suspected inspector vehicles appear corroborate this); and NOT just the Hard Rock site. Also important to note, since the collapse, other buildings have had issues with permits and scaffolds have fallen in the French Quarter in front of Harrah’s Casino, landing ion cars and just missing innocent people, due in significant part, to such carelessness and corruption.
- Julie Tweeter, the inspector who signed off on the October 1st inspection of the top floor of the Hard Rock, even reportedly requested one company to EMAIL HER photos of the project since she never showed to take the pictures herself as required by law. She also signed off (at minimum) on 6 different occasions at the Hard Rock DESPITE THE FACT that the Louisiana State Fire Marshall's Office confirms she wasn't certified to inspect commercial buildings such as the Hard Rock. She wasn't the only one not certified on commercial buildings, but was conducting them on the Hard Rock Commercial Site. Inspector Bryan Cowart ALSO signed off on key stages of the Hard Rock's construction without the requisite certifications for projects such as the Hard Rock.
- The day of the meeting with supervisors Larry Chan and Terry Willis on September 16th, Julie Tweeter's inspection logs show she performed a foundation inspection at the Hard Rock, but her city truck stopped within a few block for only 6 minutes. Two weeks after that meeting she approved that fatal final pour, but her truck never came within 7 blocks the construction site that day. Three days later, the concrete is poured. Three days after that the temporary shoring posts are being removed and workers like Joel Ramirez Palma (the man soon after arrested and deported) begin warning job supervisors that the remaining shores are buckling and failing. And 5 days after that, just hours after installing a rooftop pool, those top floors collapse.Eric Treadaway was the inspector that signed off on the July 26th inspection of the 14th floor. That day, GPS tracker in what is believed is his city truck, never came near the Hard Rock.
- The 3rd inspector Thomas Dwyer, signed off on 3 slab inspections on August 9th, but GPS from the inspector vehicle believed to be his, made it to City Hall around 9am that day and left at 2:48, the car never making it to the Hard Rock site the day of in that vehicle. The vehicle believed to be his DID however make it to the Hard Rock on September 20th, another date in his log as to an inspection he had reportedly performed. Although having ALSO missed the wrong decking.
- Tweeter and Treadaway are suspended without pay pending a pre-termination hearing next week at City Hall.
- Larry Chan was also allowed to retire.
- Safety and Permits Director, Zachary Smith, was DEMOTED and will STILL REMAIN EMPLOYED as a deputy within the department.
- City Administration announced days ago that they are DISMANTLING the Department of Safety and Permits, renaming it 'Department of Licensing and Regulation', because well.... CLEARLY.... 'safety' isn't what they signed up for, nor is it a priority. Especially when this has been going on for YEARS in EVERY aspect of city governance here in Nola from Construction to Sewage and Water, and beyond.
- The historic building of the Saenger Theatre were damaged. The building behind, what is now the New Orleans Athletic Club, to this day, can’t use its facilities.
- The buildings attached to the Hard Rock site have all been purchased by the consortium and have filed with the city for demo.
- To date, there is NOT a date or time for when the building is to come down, the timeline just keeps getting pushed back and filled with more lies and scandals.
- The families have ALL spoken publicly and voiced their desires that they want the remains removed hastily and with dignity, for the building to be preserved for evidence, and those accountable, brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law.
THE PLAN:
It’s been almost 5 months now and the bodies of Jose and Q still remain in the Hard Rock Hotel that collapsed back in October of last year with no plan to date as to when they will be removed. Yet another uniquely New Orleans event, Jazz Fest, is fast approaching. The Mayor has once again rescheduled the implosion date until maybe some time in April and will attempt to recover the bodies AFTER the implosion is completed. Another "deadline" postponed, yet again.
The families want the remains of their loved ones so that they can give them a proper burial. In as BEST condition as possible given the known facts that our brothers have been crushed, partially blown up when they decided to demo the cranes with them inside of it, and having been exposed to New Orleans elements for 5 months.
This is their number ONE and TOP priority, and has been since day ONE. That part, has never changed. They do not wish to force anyone to risk their lives and potential add injury to an already egregious insult to humanity. However, incidents' such as this, and even ones FAR WORSE, have unfortunately transpired and have been resolved and remedied in a fraction of the time. Which begs one to question, why is implosion and destruction of a crime scene (the City Office of Inspector General IS criminally investigating as does NOT wish the building to be taken down until the initial investigation is concluded, which is supposed to come next month.
Second to this demand, is to prevent them from imploding the building, not just with the bodies inside, but also in order to preserve the evidence and stand the best chance at holding those who are responsible, accountable.
Lastly, to push for support of a Civil Rights park to be placed at the site once clean up has been concluded. Not only does this honor the lives of Jose, Q, and Anthony, but also to the dozens injured and numerous businesses affected. It also serves as a small gesture to honor not just to the history that has permanently been erased by the destruction of the Woolworth's, but also to rectify the wrongs made SINCE without regard to the families, which has ultimately forced a community to rally into raising these funds to do it ourselves.
We want to help them and we need YOU to help us.
This fundraiser will run continuously, but the first deadline is February 12th. The 5 month anniversary of the collapse. This means we are in a crunch so if this is going to happen and going to be impactful, it has to happen and happen FAST.
The City of New Orleans has made it clear to the families directly that there are two specific reasons that they will not recover the bodies. They have said that they will not spend ANY MORE MONEY (as of Dec 2019, the City of New Orleans, NOT the consortium, has used over $12 million of taxpayer dollars), nor will they forced their teams to risk their lives.
Well, THIS plan.... While ambitious, is the solution.
Our plan is to raise the funds to hire a team of experts (we are currently in talks with 3 potential teams) who specialize in this specific type of recovery, investigations, and legalities. We want to pay for their transportation, accommodations, tools/supplies, staff, etc, any all expenses that will be needed in order to accomplish this challenging, but possible task that our incompetent politicians and crooked contractors can't seem to do. We will do it ourselves. WE... the millions of people around the world following, will pay for them to come in and conduct a search and recovery operation.
These funds will cover all fees including airfare and ground transportation, accommodations, materials, expert fees, tools, and staffing needed to fund #hardrock3recovery.
The money and plans (including the team who has agreed to do it) will be presented to the Mayor, the City of New Orleans, and other state elected officials at that time for their approval. In the event they deny the plan that cost them absolutely NOTHING, as well as specifically honors the desires of the families while addressing the two main justifications against removing them, the funds will continue to be raised to reissue the plans, as well as seek legal/ judicial remedies, in order to force them. And why? Because the Power of the People, is supposed to be more powerful than the people in power, THAT's why.
In conjunction with the specific Hard Rock incident legal recourses towards justice, the committee for #hardrock3 will use a portion of these funds to create a the “Hard Rock Meets Hard Knocks” Scholarship fund, with specific scholarships dedicated under the names of the victims Jose Ponce Arreola, Anthony Magrette, and Quinnyon Wimberly, to educate, train, and provide resources to human rights activist, advocates, and muckrakers around the world to investigate and expose the levels of corruption in their local communities, and provide a channel to broadcast such situations GLOBALLY. Also, fund will be provided to produce the plans for the park that is to replace the site. How the funds will be used will be fully transparent and expenses made public.
This fundraiser is dedicated to the honest workers who lost their lives to no devices of their own. It is dedicated to the memory of Anthony Magrette, Jose Ponce Arreola, and Quinnyon Wimberly, who from forever on, will be known and honored now, as the #HardRock3. This cause serves as the beacon of light in an unjust world working towards justice and demanding it on behalf of the men, their families, for the numerous businesses impacted, as well as to the people around the city who have had their lives turned upside down due to the effects this has all had on transportation, in conjunction with the added emotional trauma of having to relive the indecency of having two of our own being disrespected in a city that is NOTORIOUS for revering our dead unlike anywhere else in the world. All of this, in addition to the repeated injustice of being bold faced lied to constantly by our public officials and having due justice held hostage to a dollar amount and cowardice.
RIP Anthony, Jose and Quinnyon.
We will NOT let you be forgotten.
And we WILL bring you home.
Not because it is cheap, and not because it is safe;
But because as Americans, it's just the right thing to do.
And we are better than leaving good, innocent men behind when we have to resources available to bring them home.
When the people who are supposed to protect us, don't.
THAT, is where the PEOPLE come in.
It is where YOU come in.
Any amount helps, and if not because we know these are trying times for many of us, PLEASE....never underestimate the power of a supportive word and/or a SHARE; after all, such empathy is what started this movement to begin with.
NOW, we need you to follow this through to the true progress and change we demand.
We can... and we WILL get justice.
Not just here, but everywhere.
All we all have to do... is....be human.
�
#hardrock3
#boycotthardrock
#behuman
#standupandwalktall
For more information on the Hard Rock Collapse, the Boycott on Hard Rock or updates, please follow Rubia Garcia, Rubia Garcia II and #boycotthardrocknola on Facebook. Please follow the social media pages as they will tell you more about these victims, share photos, articles and videos and give everyone a place to memorialize these innocent victims of such a preventable, tragic disaster.Read more
Rubia GarciaUnited States
20,684
3/6/20