Internet Message From Austin Crash Plane Pilot

Joe Stack, who’s house was set a blaze today, is believed to be the pilot of the plane that crashed into the Austin office building which contains IRS offices.

It’s been rumored for the last hour that the house fire and plane crash were linked; though authorities have not confirmed. Nonetheless, a now single page website containing a rambling message from Joe Stack has been found.

Whois.com has the site registered to Stack at a San Marcos, TX address, a small college town about 30 minutes south of Austin. The site has been registered since 2003, and the registration records were last updated in 2006; so it would appear that this site was not created post crash as a hoax.

Austin News Channel 7 reports that a neighbor of the house that was burned confirmed that the house belong to a Joseph Andrew Stack III, who is a pilot who ownes his own plane.

The one page website has no banner, no sidebars, no buttons, and only a couple of links. Just black text on a white page (except a section of IRS tax code in red); and it ends with:

Joe Stack (1956-2010)
02/18/2010

Being a 7 year old site, one must believe that Stack deleted all other info he may have had on the site, and stripped it down to this one page to focus attention only on his final rating declaration.

If this is the actual pilot’s writings, he gives some insights into his motives, which seemed aimed at the IRS. The piece starts off with the words "If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?”

It then goes on later to say:

“My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984…”

The Fbi pulled down his site at: http://embeddedart.com/ - but expecting that this would happen, I saved the comeplete text here


- Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF

Plane Crashes Into Office Building In Austin Texas

Early reports of the Thursday morning crash had that a small plane had crashed into a local FBI building; but now it's being reported by News Channel 8 in Austin that official have said the building where the crash too place is adjacent to the building housing the FBI.

Austin Plane Crash
Photo courtesy of coloursmarie

The crash took place at 9400 block of Research Boulevard.

KGNB News reports that "Austin-Travis County EMS Assistant Director James Shamard said smoke is visible for at least a mile and that paramedics have set up a triage center at the scene."

Will update as details come in.

Local Fox 7 in Austin says the crash took place between 9:30 and 9:45 central time.

It was a small single engine airplane.

Hit a 7 story building in North Austin, near the air port, off of I-183


11:08 central Press Conference:

Fire Department representative Terry Evans

Two individuals transported to the hospital, 1 person unaccounted for.

They shut down the power grid

“Fire continues to burn…but we’re offensive and inside the structure.”

No deaths reported at this point.
"
There are some federal offices in that building that was hit"

"It appears the plane struck about the second floor...that's very preliminary"

James Holly, Division Chief with Ems

“do not have confirmation on where it came from [the plane] Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF

Tea Party Convention Comes To Nashville With Much Controversy

The National Tea Party Convention is in Nashville this weekend, but not without significant controversy.

The convention is capitalizing on the energy of the grassroots organized, but often Republican Party fanned movement, that mounted up first in early 2009 in opposition to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the federal stimulus package; and then in opposition to national healthcare reform in August.



But rumblings have been heard for weeks now over the nature and purpose of the convention as constructed. Allegations started from local Nashville Tea Partiers that the event was basically a for-profit sham, co-opted by the national republican party; whereas activist in the movement see the movement as something meant to be grass-roots and party independent.

In December some convention steering committee members began to quit the committee in protest, and took to the internet to denounce the convention, the convention organizing entity, Tea Party Nation, and its president Judson Phillips; blasting its $549 registration price. The complaint from defectors tends around the notion that movement people are mostly working and middle class folks who can’t afford a price tag like that, and that the event is really for elites. Some have called it nothing more than a Republican Party fundraiser.

Further, Tea Party Nation is not a non-profit activist organization; but a for-profit business set up by Philips in April 2009 after he helped organize two of Nashville’s earliest Tea Party events at the capital in Downtown Nashville. Judson is a lawyer in Williamson County just south of Nashville.

Not only is Tea Party Nation a for-profit business, but the convention’s chief merchandiser is also a for-profit company set up to capitalize on the movement. Tea Party Emporium is self-described on it’s website as follows:

Tea Party Emporium was established by jewelry industry veterans, a family who has manufactured the world's finest gold and diamond jewelry for over one hundred years. Today, inconspicuous, as opposed to conspicuous, consumption is very much in vogue. Affluence and the attainment of wealth seem to have fallen out of favor. What has not changed is appreciation for something beautiful. In that vein, and in the light of the current climate of a government hell bent on the largest redistribution of wealth in history, we designed a small, delicate piece of jewelry which we hope will galvanize feelings felt by millions of Americans.

The site does say that “a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Heritage Foundation”, though not what portion. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative establishment, policy think tank, and not exactly a grassroots movement organization.

It all really started to break down publicly when Kevin Smith owner of a Nashville web design company, and webmaster for Tea Party Nation, posted a 6,000 plus word piece entitled “On the Backs of Tennessee’s Middle Class (or, The Story Behind Tea Party Nation’s Dishonest Beginnings)” on his personal website.

Smith lamented how Phillips took advantage of his volunteer services in building a site for Tea Party Nation, just to see Phillips then go register what he thought would be an activist organization as a for-profit business; as well as various funding discretions, including acceptance of donations when Tea Party Nation has no separate non-profit arm to process such donations through.

Nationally, RedState.com's Erick Erickson began taking umbrage, mostly with concern for Sarah Palin's reputation. From there many national mainstream publications begin picking up the story.

Then the most well known Tea Party group sponsoring the convention, the American Liberty Alliance backed out on January 13th, announcing its disentanglement via a statement posted to the Alliance’s webite* from Odom partially stating that:

“Earlier yesterday we announced our support of the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville this February. At the time, we were basing our support on limited knowledge of those involved and we trusted that all was well…But at this point, we have to respond to the concerns and wishes of our membership. And quite a few of our members have asked that we consider sitting this one out.”

Odom would further go on to write that the fact of Tea Party Nation being a for profit business in-and-of itself is not the deterrent that gave the Alliance pause, stating that:

“To be clear, the for-profit model has its place in the movement. Many, MANY groups in the movement operate this way. But these groups should always have boards and oversight, and should never, ever process donations through personal paypal accounts.”

A January 4th Tea Party Nation press release about the convention that thanked Odom and the American Liberty Alliance for their support, also announced that the Tea Party Express will be rolling in and joining us for the convention.

The Tea Party Express, which goes by the slogan Just Vote Them Out, is an outfit that the Alliance had already labeled as an astroturf organization back in the fall of 2009, a pejorative termed used in rightwing activist circles to refer to what are seen as counterfeit organizations that only appear to operate on principle on the surface, but have other ulterior underlining motives. The Huffington Post reports that:

“Tea Party Express, operated by Our Country Deserves Better PAC, is a series of bus tours which travel the country holding rallies and fundraisers that garner FOX News coverage. Sal Russo, chief strategist for Our Country Deserves Better, is also principal partner at Russo Marsh & Rogers (aka Russo Marsh & Associates), a Republican-affiliated public relations firm in Sacramento. Joe Wierzbicki, another RM&W principal, is the PAC's coordinator.”

Finally, last week, two of the three most prominent speakers backed out, Republican Representatives Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. Keynote speaker Sara Palin has maintained her intent to speak, yet; found herself feeling the need pledge her 100,000 plus speaking fee to charity.

Bachmann and Blackburn, citing concerns about possible campaign finance violations, withdrew from participating in the convention. Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF

Photographer Makes House Into Ice Sculpture

In a video posted on WSMV News Channel 4's website (seen here: http://www.wsmv.com/video/22407896/) is displayed an unusal piece of artistry.

The news narrotor says that Detriot Photographer Gregory Holm is making "a statement about hundreds of thousands of abondanded homes" in the area. The house was donated by the state for as an "installation art piece".

Holm says "there's a lot of uses for these homes, you know. You can turn it into art, you can salvage the wood and recycle it."

Hmm. Well here's an ideal: maybe you could let the homeless live in the "homes". A novel thought, I know; but just a thought.

I mean the government has money to throw around to give houses away for art; I'd think they could work with a struggling family to get back on its feat. But I'm kind strange like that.

In Nashville check out the Homeless Power Project Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF

Music City Convention Center Passes Metro Council

On Tuesday night, January 19, Metro-Nashville County Council voted 29 to 9 to pass the $585 million downtown Nashville convention center. Music City Center, as it will be called, looks to be open in 2013, having already scheduled its first convention.

Despite opposition from the likes of Councilmen Mike Jameson and Eric Cantor, the vote was a forgone conclusion by the time council members arrived at the court house. In comments before the vote Councilman Michael Craddock noted this fact, yet proceed to give his exegesis of opposition.

"I've got to vote no because I believe in the people that make this city up. I believe in the hardworking men and women who work 50, 60, 70 hours a week just to get by, just to buy their groceries," Craddock said. "There is a voice out there, ladies and gentlemen, and you've all heard it, and it's as loud as can be not to do this."

Councilman Crafton, for his part, proposed a resolution that would have put the Music City Center up for a public referendum vote, much like that for the building of the Titans stadium. The proposal was defeated.

Council Black Caucus members, led by Lonnell Matthews and Jerry Maynard, apparently dropped previously stated possible opposition if minority contracting was not sufficiently apart of the plans, as all Black Caucus members voted in favor of passage; though ORDINANCE NO. BL2010-611, which would have most guaranteed minority consideration has been deferred indefinitely after passing only the first reading.

Music City Center will have 545,000 square feet of exhibit, ballroom, meeting and retail space and also includes a 1,800-space parking garage. By comparison, the current Convention Center, has only 150,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF

Debate at City Council Remains Heated Over Building Convention Center

[From January 15th publication in the pride]

With a last vote on public financing for a $585 million convention center in downtown Nashville soon approaching, the critical rhetoric by some councilmen is heating up. At the Metro Council meeting on Monday January 11, frequent critic, Councilman Mike Jameson, challenged and attacked the accuracy and authenticity of a report on the feasibility of building the planned center.

Music City Center, as it would be known, will gobble up a large portion of downtown, behind the Nashville Arena, formerly Sommet Center; uprooting a number of businesses already located in that are, including the downtown Greyhound bus station for instance.

In questioning HVS Consulting about the feasibility and economic impact studies that the firm constructed for the council, Jamerson seized on language in the report that was similar to language in reports that HVS had done for other cities regarding building convention centers; in particular a portion that state the city was unique in away that would buffer convention city profitability from economic cycles and downturns.

Jamerson read from HVS reports to Milwaukee, Wisconson; Sante Fe, New.Mexico; Omaha, Nebraska and Columbus, Ohio; that contained almost word for word the same language. Jamerson bristled at HVS representative Tom Hazinski, that “…when you then tell us that Nashville’s different, I go back and look at the language that you’ve given to Nashville, and you’ve given that to so many other cities that are competitors.”

Eric Cantor also had critical questions for the consulting firm, asking Hazinski how many out of approximately 250 studies conducted by HVS have discouraged cities from going forward with building convention centers. Hazinski answered that “I would say slightly over half the projects that we’ve worked on have not proceeded.”

While HVS was being grilled inside, competing sides of the debate rallied outside the Council meeting on the courthouse lawn. Supporters where addressed by Mayor Karl Dean, who once again made his case in favor of publicly funding the convention center, which he says will pay for its self through visitors’ tax revenues.

Another critical issues surrounding the convention center project that could have an impact on voting is the council’s Black Caucus’ issues with the awarding of contracts related to the convention center to minority business. Chairman of the Council Black Caucus Councilman Lonnell Matthews, who has been engaged in meetings and consultation with the Metro Development and Housing Agency and Mayor Dean, has expressed optimism in recent days.

Councilman At Large Jerry Maynard has stated that the issue could be the deciding factor on how he votes on the project.

The council vote on the proposed convention center is scheduled for January 19 . Read more! Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF