Town Of Garner Planning Department Temporary: Fill & Download for Free

The structure of your query is in the form of:1.Cause2.Effect3.Solution by participation.Let's take each case one on one.1.Cause: Shops being demolished.Since you asked this question, you must he aware that the Hon'ble High Court ordered the administration to remove encroachments within a stipulated time frame, using 'all their might.’ It was a Public Interest Litigation, in which a simple question was answered and the rule of law upheld, with provision of appeal to highest court. Insofar as the rules are concerned, a state subject of municipality and government/public roads/land is hardly able to stand in a higher court if appealed, on the basis of the list of arguments already undertaken by the High Court. Now, the ambit of the order does cover all encroachments, depending on the best available reliable document, which is somewhat dated, but a government document nonetheless. The court can only frame additional guidelines if atleast one respondent raises the question of the parties affected on a limited list of causes, maybe there was no such representation made, maybe the court found the encroachers guilty beyond suspicion and had not to extend the orders besides asking the original state of roads/walkways to be restored. Simply, it means no representation was found worthy of being adjusted to in the final verdict. In a PIL, such representations are quite possible.2. Effect: Loss of property, opportunity and means of earning/employment.A property is considered valid with it's rights and duties if it is legal. Merely paying taxes on an illegal property does not make it legal. From time to time, the government or the courts have the power to declare the means of assessment for legality and validity. All employment generated from such property may automatically be illegal, or atleast not valid to be claimed for rights, even if duties such as proper upkeep, taxes paid or hire of services such as electricity, water and so on. The government is really limited in securing the right to opportunity under private means of employment, it can't dictate people to take up any ploy, or allow them any services while unemploying due to any reasons. No one not on government rolls has anything to do with losing work or earning. Yes, there must be favourable conditions for employment and it is checked by various means such as corporate tax, business registration etc. There should be no discrimination and anyone able to work may be adequately compensated to survive compared to any other person that may similarly survive with the lowest pay and perks on a humanitarian and just basis, known as pay/compensation etc. Private firms do not depend on the government to provide funds for work-pay and hence the government can't help them in case of a risk such as closure, stoppage of work or demolition. Just because someone did not know this doesn't mean their paycheck should be borne by the government.But yes, there are provisions of unemployment support from the government, and it is really limited. No state government has come forward to make any modifications to it, and never considered a respectable compensation since the vote-bank of such unemployed individuals is too small compared to, say, people who vote on the basis of subsidies or caste/regionalism. It just doesn't cover all the bases, unlike universal basic income or social security as done in advanced economies of the western countries.3.Solution by participation.Creativity is hard to come by during times of distress. In order to survive in any business, some creativity is always present in manner of operations, management or business accumen. In this case, creativity with the right effort is required, and also a major concern of the provisions of law. Any solution must adhere to these basic principles.The court has already advised the law and order to impose curfew, vide sec. 144 and to file contempt, FIR and recover charges from the parties that do not cooperate on the phased manner of operations.The window to the probable discussions on solution was already closed when no representations were received during the course of PIL being heard. The local government could also have made themselves party to the suffering of the people, and so could any civil society association or person.Now to stop the activity, as originally asked in the question, those who may present documents citing sensitive areas (being already granted security by means of CISF, Military or deemed of national importance such as historical places and corporates) may act on their proven clauses on which they may be allowed relaxation of time, a chance of hearing or a minuscle delay from the courts. On case to case basis, such parties may even succeed in being granted stay orders, permitted their clauses are heard and vetoed valid.The other group may use their clout and influence to have either a delayed action or revisions in mapping/estimation. The order is of the nature that does away with the usual ways people can hamper the work of a government official or use bureaucratic red tape to achieve desired outcomes.Finally, the individuals who are affected may best be heard only on logical and humanitarian causes of being treated fair and just. In due course, the damage may already be done and they may be left with no place to return to.There's a limited provision to rehabilitate persons, but since the road/land isn't being aquired for any purpose, simply reclaimed, such requests won't be heard.Individuals may consider an appeal to the Hon'ble courts for considering their list of common demands with respect to securing their livelihoods and having enough representable persons with common social status and income. As frequently seen, a rich representative for a community of poor isn't a good idea to beckon against the courts, the appeal may linger on, but no positive outcome may be guaranteed when the leadership itself is questionable.The best way out would be to establish a cooperative of resettlers, with insurances of health and temporary shelters granted by the government. They may be provided some opportunities in nearby industries and Special Economic Zones with regard to employability and qualifications. Those finding better opportunity elsewhere may migrate and lose their cooperative deposits or insurance. Those choosing to remain can develop solutions under govt schemes or urban/rural housing and self help groups, part time jobs and demand social welfare until they fully integrate back into the social and economic setup.Now, talking about creativity, as mentioned at the beginning of point 3:People born before the 70’s wouldn't agree, but if the main accused are shopkeepers and their primary concern is about their possessions, the stock or colloquially 'maal' (in Hindi), then there is a very trendy and easy alternative of selling online. They just have to find one web developer, a photographer and stock their items with a dispatch courier and they will get sold off, shop or no shop. Such warehousing won't work of course if the primary nature of the stock is of inferior quality or if the primary buyer is oblivious to online shopping. But if human rights can be invoked in favour of some illegal activity, this suggestion may equally hold value on the scale of hapazard means to achive an objective.It's important that those affected know that there's more to life and since disruption is in trend, start-ups and small scale industries, city -based solutions provide ample opportunity.If we keep blaming traffic or congestion, do note that people will hire an ac cab to offset the problem of time with their money. Anyone providing simple services based on people-centric solutions is likely to suceed. Some people can really through problems and devise clever solutions so that people equate convenience against money and such an enterprise is likely to succeed.There are enough old people in the city who can employ runners for daily chores.Anyone losing their shop can still list their inventories online and get sales by arranging deliveries direct to door.People losing key businesses can approach companies who may be interested in having boutique in-house services, providing space and logistics.Tie-ups with schools can allow many to shift their principal place of work and yet stay in the business.Apartments and large housing projects may be approached to provide commercial space in exchange for services.The affected may gather every week to encourage and support each other and use social platforms to garner support and discuss future outcomes, rather than blaming the past. A weekly radio show or a video release may also highlight their plight and inspire others with success stories to move on with life.People haven't lost their franchise to vote, only place of business and prime source of earning. They should be able to have their role in electing local bodies who provide realizable alternatives, not fake/illegal promises.Do also note that people will also vote against encroachment, and that the government or the court have no obligation to authorize illegal activities.For people who wouldn't agree to anything contained herein, who have a single sentence answer to every illegal activity being justified in some or other way, please go through the following reading of the order, which may dwell upon you that going into the details of anything in a court is likely to yield justice, in which the key functionaries in the government are warned to be liable for contempt for deriding the provisions of law:Uttaranchal High CourtManmohan Lakhera vs State Of Uttarakhand And Others on 18 June, 2018IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL Writ Petition (PIL) No.47 of 2013 Manmohan Lakhera ... Petitioner Versus State & Ors. ..... Respondents Mrs. Prabha Naithani, Brief Holder for the State-respondent nos.1 to 3 Mr. S.S. Chauhan, Advocate for respondent no.5 Dated: 18th June, 2018 Coram : Hon'ble Rajiv Sharma, J.Hon'ble Lok Pal Singh, J.[Per: Hon'ble Rajiv Sharma, J.] This petition was treated as PIL on the basis of letter sent by Mr. Manmohan Lakhera, Journalist highlighting therein the encroachments made on the public path by unscrupulous persons. The scope of this petition was enlarged from time to time.2. The affidavits have been filed by the District Magistrate, Dehradun. According to the latest affidavit filed by him, a meeting was called by him on 10.07.2014 for removal of encroachment over footpaths. The encroachments are removed on 06.06.2013, 07.06.2013, 10.06.2013, 11.06.2013, 12.06.2013, 13.06.2013 and 14.06.2013. The road wise list of removal of encroachments was filed as Annexure No.C.A.2 (Colly).3. The massive drive was launched for removal of encroachments. However, the fact of the matter is that, till date, the encroachment is being made with impunity on the public paths. The affidavits filed by the private parties were taken into consideration but not found satisfactory.4. According to the Gazetteer of Dehradun, written by H.G.Walton, ICS, First Published in 1910, a municipality, and the chief town and head quarters of the Dehradun district, is situated in north latitude 30019" and east longitude 7805",' at an elevation of 2,300 feet above the level of the sea, slightly to the east of the watershed line between the Ganges and the Jumna systems, occupying a plateau defined on the east by the Rispana Rao and on the west by the Bindal. Between these rivers lie the city and civil station, and beyond the Bindal are the cantonments. The town of Dehra was constituted as a municipality in 1867, and at that time its boundaries enclosed as area of only some 3½ square miles. The last alteration was made in 1909 with the object of including within municipal limits the villages of Hathibarkala and Dalanwala. New cantonments have also come in the area. This is a favourite settlement for Gorkha pensioners.5. In sequel to the directions issued by this Court, Shri Rajeev Sharma, President of District Bar Association Dehradun has filed a very comprehensive report. The report is accepted. We will deal with the issue of encroachment road-wise/area-wise.6 The Commissioner has visited the Chakrata Road on 14.04.2014. It is the main road leading from Clock Tower to Vikas Nagar. The worst affected area is about 500 mts. approx. starting from Clock Tower to Prabhat Cinema. Encroachment was removed in the year 2012. The shopkeepers, whose shops were demolished, were allotted shops as alternative for rehabilitation. The drive was undertaken for widening of the road. According to the G.O. 2123/V-2011-01 (vkŒ)/2011, minimum 2 mts. set back was required from the main road. This norm has been flouted with impunity. This could not happen without the connivance and collusion of the State officers/officials as well as the employees of MDDA. One glaring example of encroachment on Chakrata Road is by Mandir Samiti, Clock Tower. The portion of the Mandir property was demolished. The Mandir Samiti was allotted two shops at the MDDA Complex, however, despite that, fresh encroachment has taken place in triangular shape by the Mandir Samiti by putting angle iron and tin. The vehicles are also parked haphazardly on this road leading to frequent traffic jams. For reasons best known to the MDDA, the property of some of the shopkeepers has not been brought within the scope of demolition near the MAZZAR.7. One more glaring example is of Prabhat Cinema. The State functionaries and the employees of the MDDA, to give undue benefit, have changed the alignment of the road itself, leading to further chaos on the road. There is large scale encroachment on the footpaths and the commercial establishments have kept their big generators on the footpaths causing great inconvenience to the pedestrians. The placing of generators right on the footpaths, besides causing inconvenience to the pedestrians, is a constant source of noise as well as air pollution. The MDDA itself has notified 850 khokhas on this road which have been permitted to mushroom without authority of law. There are about 12 to 15 illegal tin shops on the left side of the road near the Bindal bridge. The footpaths are occupied unauthorizedly by putting up temporary stalls. After the Bindal bridge, there is Kishan Nagar Chowk and Ballupur Chowk, which have been encroached upon by the shopkeepers. Big sweet shop such as Uttar Sweets has extended its shop on the road. The customers parked their vehicles in front of the shop, which make the condition worse. The Standard Bakery has also constructed illegal shed and has extended its shop on road. Near the Central School and ONGC Community Center, the road has been encroached on both the sides by unauthorized occupants.8. Now we will advert to Saharanpur Road. It is also the main road leading from Clock Tower to Delhi - Dehradun Highway. It is the most crowded road of the Dehradun Town. The first patch of the road which starts from Clock Tower to Prince Chowk is choked with temporary encroachment. The area has been encroached upon by roadside shopkeepers. The shopkeepers have extended their shops beyond the permissible limits. At Darshan Lal Chowk, there are 10 to 15 illegal khokhas on the road disrupting heavy traffic. On the streets, small restaurants and food stalls, during the night period, are run in unauthorized manner causing nuisance and menace to the public at large. The main Arhat Bazar, as per government record, was shifted to Main Transport Nagar. The businessmen were given compensation and shops in Main Transport Nagar in lieu of part of their property demolished in the road widening but the position is still the same. After crossing the Lakhibagh police chowki, there is again a bottleneck. The shopkeepers backed by politicians have encroached upon the government land. The Arhat Bazaar, though on papers has been shifted, but it still is in existence and is a constant bottleneck. It takes about 45 minutes to travel from Clock Tower to Saharanpur Chowk.9. Now the Court will advert to Nehru Colony. This Colony is located on Haridwar Road. It was initially developed by Awas Vikas Parishad. It was the first duly approved residential colony of Dehradun. The majority of residential buildings have been converted into big showrooms causing inconvenience and nuisance to the local residents. The Nagar Nigam vide letter dated 25.04.2017 has admitted that the majority of residential buildings have been converted into commercial. It was astonishing to note that in one particular building 221-B Nehru Colony, a huge photo studio named as Khalsa Studio was being run and on the first floor a full fledged educational academy called "BSC Academy" was being run.10. The position of Rajpur Road is equally bad. This road starts from Clock Tower and leads to Mussoorie. Though the basements were approved for parking but these are being used for commercial purposes by the big business establishments including shopkeepers. The footpaths on the Dilaram Bazaar, constructed by MDDA, have been occupied. From Dilaram Bazaar to Hotel Madhuban, there are about 50 shops on the left side of the Rajpur Road. Most of theillegal khokas on this street are eateries. The footpaths are occupied unauthorizedly. Near Gandhi Park, the footpaths have been encroached upon by the cobblers, astrologers and beggars. The pedestrians cannot move freely in this area. The shopkeepers display their merchandise on the streets. 8 ft. wide footpath is reduced to few feet only. There are thelas and rikshaws parked on this area. There was a footpath near the Clock Tower named as the New Market. In this area, the shopkeepers display their merchandise without authority of law. There are traffic jams on these roads and the police has not taken any effective steps to regulate the same. The land near the Parade Ground is also encroached by the illegal Khokhas and temporary structures. The Nagar Nigam has illegally permitted holding of "Sunday Bazaar" by the shopkeepers.11. Now, we advert to Karanpur Bazaar, which is one of the oldest bazaar of Dehradun. The 30 feet wide market road is fully encroached upon. The government land has been given for even opening of ATMs by public banks. Even the Nala on this road has been encroached upon. The vehicles are parked haphazardly on this road. There was large scale encroachment made by Maheshwari Sweets to the extent of 10 fts., however, no steps have been taken by the authorities to remove the said encroachment.12. We will now advert to Araghar and Dharampur area. This road was visited by theCommissioner on 22.04.2014. It is a VIP road. This road is also encroached by the shopkeepers. Few of them are also running the workshops. Shops to the extent of 2 to 3 fts have been extended towards the road. It was also undertaken by the Nagar Nigam in Public Interest Litigation W.P. No.283 of 2004 (M/B) that the Sabzi Mandi will be shifted to some other place. The Nagar Nigam shifted the sabzi mandi on the road adjoining to LIC Zonal Office at Dharampur. The shopkeepers who were supposed to shift from the old place did not shift. Now they have kept two shops, one original shop and one allotted to them by way of rehabilitation.13. Haridwar Road is the main road connecting the city with Rishikesh-Haridwar Highway. The establishment has permitted the unauthorized vegetables and fruits shops on the road. The temporary structures are being run in abundance on this road.14. There are other very important areas of Dehradun including Paltan Bazzar, Dispensary Road, Hanuman Chowk, Sarnimal Bazaar, Tehsil and Jama Mazid. The entire drain from the clock tower to the end of the Paltan Bazaar is 100% encroached by the shopkeepers. The footpaths are also encroached by the shopkeepers. They have fixed their own tiles on the footpaths. None of the shops are within the permissible limits. The total width of the market is 30 ft. but only 10 ft. of open space is hardly left. The Dispensary road is also the worst affected area. The MDDA had recently constructed a multipurpose complex and allotted number of shops to the local shopkeepers who were shifted from the main road, however, the entire road is again encroached upon by the fruit and vegetable sellers. The vehicles are parked haphazardly near the multipurpose complex. 15 to 20 shopkeepers have encroached upon the Dispensary road. The dry fruit merchants have extended their shops near Zama Maszid area. Same is the plight of Sarnimal Bazaar. The shopkeepers have extended their shops around 6-7 feets on both sides.15. The roads that were 30-40 fts. wide on Prem Nagar Cantonment are also encroached upon. The pedestrians are not in a position to walk on roads. The shopkeepers are charging monthly rent for letting the fruit sellers and vegetable sellers sit in front of their shops. It has further compounded the situation. The area starting from Subhash Road is again an example of lawlessness. The residential houses have been illegally converted into commercial complexes.16. The gist of the report is that the shopkeepers are firstly allotted temporary structures. These people convert them into pucca structures and thereafter they encroach on the government land. The shopkeepers, though allotted new shops, do not leave their old shops. The so called encroachment drives undertaken by the Nagar Nigam and the MDDA are mere eyewash. The Officers who permit the conversion of temporary structure to pucca structure and encroachment on the government land, municipal land and MDDA land, are not punished. It has come on the record that the District Administration has convened a meeting on 10th July, 2014 to get rid Dehradun from encroachment on public land, more particularly the footpaths, before the one man Commission was constituted.17. The fact of the matter is that despite repeated directions issued by this Court, neither the State Government nor the MDDA nor the Nagar Nigam Dehradun has taken any effective steps to remove the encroachment from the public streets/pavements. Public streets are for public convenience. These should be free from encroachment. The citizen must have a free access to footpaths. The Court can take judicial notice of the fact that the children and elderly people also use the footpaths. The menace is so alarming that even the road, which are 30 fts. wide, have been reduced to mere 7-8 fts. The shopkeepers, firstly, are permitted to construct temporary khokhas and, thereafter, they make them pucca. There are permanent bottlenecks as noticed in the report, and highlighted by us. The footpaths are being permitted to be used for placing big generators causing noise and air pollution. The shopkeepers are permitting the vegetable and fruit vendors to sit in front of their shops. The residential premises have been converted into commercial complexes, more particularly, in the oldest colony i.e. Nehru Colony. Similar is the plight of other localities. The residential houses on the Haridwar road have been permitted to be used as commercial purposes. The basements, which are to be used primarily for parking lots, are being permitted to be used for commercial ventures. There are chaos all over Dehradun. The traffic moves at snail's pace. The public authorities cannot be oblivious to the loss of precious time of commuters. The Court can take judicial notice of the fact that the roads, encroached upon with impunity with the connivance and collusion of the authorities, are also ridden with garbage. Every citizen has a right to access to footpaths, roads, parks and public utilities under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. It is the duty cast upon the MDDA and the Nagar Nigam to keep the roads clean. Recently, there was a strike by the Safai Karamchari which further deteriorated the position. There was no alternative plan available with the Nagar Nigam and MDDA. The garbage was not removed from the streets for days together. The respondents are putting wool over the eyes of the Court by giving assurances from time to time that they are doing their best to remove the encroachment, but till date, Dehradun town is still suffering from this menace. The decision was taken by the High Power Committee on 10 July 2014. We are in 2018. Since then, the things have worsened instead of improving. The simple reason for encroachments, extension of shops and unauthorized construction is manifestation of the human greed with the collusion of functionaries of government and municipal bodies. The employers did not take any disciplinary action against the persons responsible for keeping the cities and towns free from encroachment.18. We live in a democracy. The rule of law should prevail. There is sufficient material on record to suggest that there is living anarchy as far as city of Dehradun is concerned. The cities/towns should provide quality living. The towns have been reduced to the status of slum areas. The slum areas are permitted to mushroom. Every city/town has a carrying capacity. Dehradun was once known for its aesthetic beauty. There are important institutions in Dehradun likeIndian Military Academy, ONGC, Survey of India, Forest Research Institute, etc. Schools of international fame and universities are also situated in Dehradun. Dehradun is the seat of governance but there is an old proverb "Nearer the Church, the farther from God" (nhid rys v/ksajk). If that is the plight of the capital city, we can visualize the situation prevailing in other towns and cities in the State of Uttarakhand. Recently, a report has come that the quality of Dehradun city was bad. The river Rispana flowing through the heart of the town has been reduced to the status of sewer (worse than nala). How the functionaries of the State capital are oblivious to this, is beyond our comprehension. There has to be sensitivity in the system. Every person serving in a public system is accountable for his acts. Encroachment, unauthorized constructions, coming up of slums is a grim reminder of callousness on the part of the authorities concerned.19. Accordingly, on the basis of material placed on record, more particularly, as per the report submitted by Mr. Rajeev Sharma, Chairman/President of the District Bar Association Dehradun as per the order dated 25th July, 2014, we issue following mandatory directions:i) The Municipal Corporation/MDDA/ State functionaries are directed to remove all the unauthorized encroachment on public footpaths/ streets/ roads/ pavements including unauthorized constructions made over them within a period of four weeks from today by using its might. It shall be open for the State functionaries to impose Section 144 of Cr.P.C. while removing the demolition of illegal structures built on government and municipal land/footpaths/streets.ii) The Chief Secretary to the State of Uttarakhand is directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officers/officials, during whose tenure, government land/municipal land/forest land have been encroached, with impunity, by the unscrupulous people. The disciplinary proceedings shall be commenced for imposition of major penalty. We authorize the Chief Secretary to the State of Uttarakhand, to constitute the nodal agency to supervise the disciplinary proceedings to be initiated against the officers/officials who were found remiss in discharge of their statutory duties. It is made clear that no officer, be it of any rank, shall be spared. The axe should not fall on lower class employees alone.iii) The State functionaries/MDDA and the Nagar Nigam Dehradun are directed to seal all the residential premises which are being misused as commercial purposes including basements within a period of three weeks from today. It is made clear by way of abundant precaution that if the basement areas, which are meant for parking vehicles, are not used for parking purposes, the entire commercial building be sealed.iv) The persons who have taken advantage of rehabilitation policies, but have not surrendered their shops at the old places, their new leases shall be cancelled and themunicipal/state functionaries shall take over the shops. The same shall be auctioned again in accordance with law to maintain rule of law.v) The State Government is directed to carry out necessary amendments in the building bye- laws of the Nagar Nigam Dehradun and MDDA that no unauthorized construction is compounded to arrest the tendency of the people to raise unauthorized construction by paying meager compounding fee. The compounding of entire unauthorized construction is against rule of law.vi) The Director General of Police to the State of Uttarakhand is directed to ensure that there are no traffic jams in Dehradun city to avoid wastage of precious time and inconvenience to the commuters and pedestrians.vii) It is made clear that in the eventuality of the directions not being implemented in the time frame, given hereinabove, the Court may recommend supersession of the Nagar Nigam by the State Government. It is made clear that after the removal of the encroachment, demolition and unauthorized constructions, it shall be the responsibility of the State officers/officials and MDDA to maintain constant vigil that the land is not reoccupied.viii) Unscrupulous people have been permitted by the State functionaries to raise unauthorized construction in the river bed as well as on the banks of river Rispana. The respondents are directed to restore the "Rispana River" which is an important tributary of Ganges, within a period of three months from today. The encroachment on both banks shall be removed within three months from today.ix) The entire State of Uttarakhand is in Zone 4-5 seismic activity. New buildings can be permitted to be constructed after receiving the report from the structural engineer.x) The Director, Health Services to the State of Uttarakhand/C.M.O./Health Officer of Municipal Corporation Dehradun shall submit day-to-day report to the Registrar General of this Court about the cleanliness in the city of Dehradun after visiting the spot every 24 hours.xi) Respondents are directed to submit compliance report before the Registrar General of this Court.xii) The Secretary, Public Works Department shall be the Nodal Agency to implement thedirections issued by this Court, hereinabove, and in case of non-compliance, he shall be personally liable for contempt as well as disciplinary proceedings.20. With the aforesaid observations and directions, present petition stands disposed of.(Lok Pal Singh, J.) (Rajiv Sharma, J.) 18.06.2018 18.06.2018 Rajni

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The startup NationBuilder, founded by liberal documentary filmmaker Jim Gilliam and Mark Zuckerberg’s college roommate Joe Green, sells software primarily to help political campaigns manage their campaigns, but it came under fire from fellow progressives recently when it signed the Republican State Leadership Committee as a customer. Raven Brooks, head of the liberal Netroots Nation, called on similar groups to not use NationBuilder, accusing it of giving away tools to the opposition.With cynicism about government at an alltime high, Rattray says he can keep growing by keeping the stories personal. The petitions that catch fire on The world’s platform for change are almost always tied to human drama and not about tackling abstract challenges such as health care or immigration reform. In 2004 Cally Houck’s two daughters were killed in a car accident after renting a PT Cruiser that had been recalled for power-steering problems. Federal law prohibits the sale of recalled cars but not the rental of them. In February Houck mounted a campaignand got 162,000 signatures on Change.org. In September U.S. senators reached a deal on legislation banning the rental of recalled cars; the law is expected to pass.Then there was 8thgrader Abby Goldberg, 13, of Greyslake, Ill., who tried to get her town to ban plastic bags as part of a school project. In June she found out the state legislature was considering a bill that would make it illegal for towns to ban plastic bags, and she started a Change.org petition directed at Governor Pat Quinn (“Governor Quinn: Don’t Let Big Plastic Bully Me!”). She garnered 150,000 signatures. In August, Quinn called Goldberg personally to say he had changed his mind and would veto the bill.John Lauer, a seasonal firefighter in Custer, S.D., started a petition in May calling on President Obama to make seasonal firefighters eligible for government health care plans. They were denied coverage as temporary workers. Six weeks later he got a call from The world’s platform for change, asking to promote his petition. He agreed, having 1,000 signatures at the time. After returning from a fire several days later he checked the site: It had 94,000 signatures (and eventually got 126,000). In July President Obama directed federal agencies to make health care available to these firefighters.“I don’t think anyone is surprised at what I’m doing: the successful application of my skills in an ambitious way,” says Rattray. “The surprise is that it wasn’t applied to banking but to a social business for good.”—-TRENDING: TECHWhat the 33 million http://Forbes.com users are talking about. (For a deeper dive, scan here or go to Forbes - Tech Information and Tech News - Forbes.com)PERSON:Ren ZhengfeiTime for Huawei’s shadowy founder to start talking. evasion won?t placate congress.COMPANY:Getty ImagesCarlyle Group takes Getty Images private for $3.3 billion within days of Shutterstock?s $80 million IPO.IDEA:Tablet WarsThe iPad is down from 81% share of the market to 51% in a year. Now come Google and microsoft.Warm n regardsArijit

As a grassroots movement—a self-organized local-level movement to stop police brutality—yes, but as a national organization no. That is, as a motto and coalition or movement to support Black people against police brutality and that advocates the need for police reform yes, but as an official national organization no because, among other things, the national organization rejects the nuclear family, two-parent homes, along with all their biological grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, and nephews of the two parents for “villages” with no accountability or liability. Thus, this leads to economic, educational, and even incarceration disparities. The disparities between a one-parent home and a two-parent home are egregious. (Note: Sept. 17, 2020—6 hours after I wrote this, the BLM website took their “What We Believe” page down that stated their intent to “disrupt” the “Western” concept of the “nuclear family” for “villages”.)The #Black Lives Matter, first used in 2013, became a rallying cry for a social movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality by seeking justice for their victims which includes not only judicial accountability but also police reform in order to prevent further deaths by law enforcement. While Black Lives Matter can primarily be understood as a broader mainstream decentralized grassroots social movement, by 2014, an organization known as the Black Lives Matter Network had begun as a centralized network establishing over 30 national chapters between 2014 and 2016 that spread worldwide. So, it’s now known as the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (blacklivesmatter.com). This smaller movement or organization does advocate against police violence towards Black people, but they also advocate for various policy changes considered to be related to Black liberation which many may not necessarily agree with. Another organization closely related to it is the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL). Then there is the California-based organization called the Black Lives Matter Foundation that has accepted donations that do not support the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. They are a separate organization.There are two social issues that need to be addressed in America, police brutality (i.e., the use of excessive force and deadly force) and racial profiling, particularly of Blacks, which the Fourth Amendment expressly prohibits. The reason these two social injustices need to be addressed separately is because police violence and misconduct is committed against every racial group, though against Whites there is no national media outrage or coverage of it, and it is perpetrated by all races of offIcers. When officers respond to a call or see a violation of the law being committed, there is no White privilege, but racial profiling is primarily focused on Blacks. Black men are often detained by police and treated as dangerous criminals for no other reason than suspicion, that is, for being Black. So, more focus on Blacks by police leads to more arrests for weed (and imprisonment if it’s an ounce or more because they call that trafficking, and now it’s even legal in a lot of states though they are still imprisioned) and altercations with police and then the numerical odds of a deadly encounter also increase.Thirty years ago, in 1990, former Los Angeles Laker Star Jamaal Wilkes, “Silk”, was driving home from his office on Wilshire Boulevard when two officers pulled him over, ordered him out of his car, and cuffed him with no reasonable explanation. They said something about his license tags being about to expire. “Their treatment of me was arrogant and distasteful”, he said. “They acted like I was dangerous. The way they handled things, it could have gotten ugly. If I got angry and said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ it might have started something. I realized how easily police brutality could happen. It made me more sympathetic toward the common guy who isn’t famous and gets into a situation like that”.Jump ahead to 2020, to when Sports Editor John Zant interviewed Wilkes after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police. “There’s no mistaking what happened to George Floyd”, he said. “He was clearly murdered. We don’t have to speculate about it. [The police] can no longer hide behind the blue wall. We can’t tiptoe around the elephant in the room that is systemic racism”. Wilkes sees the Black Lives Matter movement as an essential response. “Of course, all lives matter, he said. “But not all lives are being slaughtered in the streets”.And thirty years later, innocent Black citizens are still being harassed for driving while Black—sportswriter Victor Bryant was pulled over by traffic cops five times in one year without being ticketed—and if your not famous and just a kid or common man, detentions often escalate into tragic killings.Will Smith said “I have been called (racial slurs) by the cops in Philly on more than 10 occasions. I got stopped frequently. So I understand what it’s like to be in those circumstances with police”.American films as early as 1967 brought attention to this systemic problem. “In the Heat of the Night” which won five Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier’s character Virgil Tibbs finds himself in a precarious position: He is a Black man at the wrong end of a cop’s gun. A redneck police chief is enthralled that such an obvious suspect as Tibbs has landed in his lap. His logic is chilling. A rich White man is dead and a Black man is out late at night; thus, he has found the murderer. And as early as 1946, radio programs brought attention to this problem. Issac Woodard, a Black US army veteran, didn’t know the name of the police chief or the town where he beat him, crushing his eyeballs and blinding him, but Orson Wells mounted a radio program that found both.Systemic racism is racism established and perpetrated by government systems. Slavery was made legal by the US government. Segregation, Black Codes, Jim Crow, and peonage were all made legal by the government, and upheld by the judicial system. These acts of racism were built into the system, which is where the term “systemic racism” is derived. When a system, such as governmental policing, is flawed and its malicious acts are upheld by the judicial system, this can be a form of systemic racism if it is applied disproportionately towards one race because of being targeted for trafficking even small amounts of illegal drugs.Concerning Breonna Taylor’s shooting by police for “alleged” drug trafficking (she wasn’t as confirmed by the raid, came up empty, and the post office that was monitoring all her packages), Walter Katz, a veteran police oversight expert who has monitored departments in Los Angeles, San Jose, and Chicago, called the known circumstances around Taylor’s death “very problematic”, and indicative of systemic flaws in training and tactics.This killer did this for over nine minutes without a care in the world, while his three partners just accepted it as normal procedure, even getting hostile to the bystanders who were pleading with them to stop. This is the face of systemic tactical flaws that often result in death. Police response nationwide, “Why do we not get any respect”. Why? because you don’t angry when you see things like this, and instead, you try to justify it. Your supposed to protect us, not kill us. All were asking is for you to help us out with this problem—flawed training and tactics that lead to the killing of unarmed citizens—and to stop ignoring it. You should be just as angry when you see a fellow officer kill a handcuffed citizen like this as you do when a fellow officer is killed. Our safety and your safety are equally important, but this officer was in no danger.Is Jacob brandishing a gun or knife? No. Are the police being threatened? No. You don’t kill fleeing suspects. (We are all innocent until proven guilty.) You apprehend them. Scared or worked up officers should never pursue a suspect since they are prone to panic and shoot when they haven’t even been threatened. Have the brave and calm ones lead, or apprehend him later with a well organized setup.When governments, both local and federal, fail to secure the safety of its citizens from harm's way, and worse yet, are often the source of such action, then citizens must rise up for humanities sake in the form of nonviolent political action groups that address the needs of its citizenry to bring about social and political change, and the numerous Black Lives Matter coalitions throughout the country are such a platform against police brutality. Before this, the only people giving voice to this issue were Black youth, particularly the Hip Hop group N.W.A. with their song “Fuck the Police” in 1988, and, arguably, the most prominent Hip Hop artist for this cause is Ice Cube, a former member of N.W.A. (In the movie “Behind Enemy Lines”, 2001, Ice Cube and N.W.A. get some props from a young Bosnian soldier.) In 2017, he struck again with a song called “Good Cop, Bad Cop” that has this line:“Black lives matter is not chit chatterCause all they [police] want to do, is scatter brain matter”Until recently, there really hasn’t been a successful platform or movement to address our grievances over police brutality. Instead, there was one really big setback. The 1992 Los Angeles Riots, or sometimes called the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, were a series of riots and civil disturbances over a six-day period following the Rodney King verdict of acquittal of four officers that went beyond social protest. Wilkes said, “I was shocked by the verdict. I was further shocked by the riots”. By the time the riots ended, 63 people had been killed, 2,383 people had been injured, more 12,000 had been arrested, and estimates of property damage were over 1 billion, much of it in Koreatown. The violence, theft, and attacks on motorists only divided the nation even more and prompted even more aggressive police responses, especially the videos of Reginald Denny being pulled from his truck and having his skull fractured in 91 places and having one of his eyes hang out of its socket, and the video of Fidel Lopez being dragged out of his truck, robbed of 2,000 dollars, beaten in the face with a car stereo, stabbed in the head, and spray painted black. I was even mugged at gunpoint. A coworker of mine was stabbed on two different occasions, once nearly missing his spine, and another time, he had a gun forced so hard against his forehead that left an imprint for days. Another coworker was mugged twice, once at gunpoint and once at knifepoint. Though the anger and rage were justifiable, they should have been channeled into political and social coalitions against corrupt police, like the popular Black Lives Matter coalitions are doing among American athletes and the Hip hop artists were doing, and not against innocent White, Korean, and Latino citizens. So, instead, they fueled racial fears and stereotypes.But that temporary misstep doesn’t negate the problem of systemic police brutality first evidenced by the Rodney King video. There is such a disconnect between the public and law enforcement agencies that they don’t even realize the fear and mistrust that a lot of citizens have of them, and how much anger there is over the killings of unarmed citizens. It baffles many how law enforcement agencies haven’t put an end to the constant asphyxiation of detainees or the endless shooting and killing of unarmed citizens. But, George Floyd’s death has galvanized the nation, and other parts of the world, to stop police killings of unarmed citizens by amending use-of-force laws and by transforming policing as we know itSpecifically, there should be policing and use-of-force policy reforms that abolish the right of an officer to use deadly force due to a “perceived threat” (Although laws vary by state, police officers are generally allowed to use deadly force when they BELIEVE their lives or the lives of others are in danger. It doesn’t matter if there is no actual threat when force is used. Police officers can shoot you if they just think you might be a threat, have a weapon, or be a felon trying to flee.), that abolish impunity for officers, use of tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and stun guns against protestors, no-knock raids, corruption, and chokeholds or any type of neck restraint, and police departments should match the police force demographics to those of the community and require officers to use body-warn cameras.The biggest obstacle to policing reforms, however, are police unions and culture. So, some cities may have to start over by dismantling their police departments that are racist and then restructuring them or, in most cases, by just getting rid of the White supremacist’s among their forces. This is the present goal of the “defund the police” movement, not abolish them but to restructure corrupt departments by instituting public oversight and shifting some of their present responsibilities to social services. This way, police can spend more time focusing on violent crimes and keeping our neighborhoods safe from thieves and violence. For instance, during protests, we need them to protect businesses, property, and vehicles, and apprehend looters and vandals who steal and damage property in the guise of pseudo-justice but not to harass protestors. Each city and state will have to decide what course of action to take. But there is one city that should be the case study for police reform and that is Camden, New Jersey. Before it’s police reforms, Camden was routinely named one of the most violent cities in the US. Now, seven years after the old department was booted (though around 100 officers were rehired), the citiy’s crime has reduced by close to half. Officers host outdoor parties for residents and knock on doors to introduce themselves. It’s now a radically different Camden due to police reform that brought and end to police corruption and misconduct.Our police departments are failing us, along with our politicians. Who is there to speak for the common man? To speak up against injustice? Who among them has the courage to lead us? The answer, none of them. Right now, the voice of reason is found among the men and women on our national sports teams. They are leading the way for racial justice and social reform, and historically always have been. Starting with football, the LA Rams signed Kenny Washington in 1946, followed by baseball, Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Frank Robinson in 1947. And then the NBA, the Boston Celtics signed Charles Cooper in 1950. The same can be said for our present generation of sports teams. In 2020, we have experienced historic solidarity from our national sports teams and players, both collegiate and professional, from the Milwaukee Bucks - the first NBA team to strike during game 5 of the playoffs to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake in the Buck’s home state of Wisconsin - to the WNBA, MLB, NFL, and collegiate football. Players, such as Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow, have spoken up, and the NCAA revealed a 5-point plan to fight racial injustice.The following is a statement from the Baltimore Ravens:“With yet another example of racial discrimination with the shooting of Jacob Blake, and the unlawful abuse of peaceful protestors, we must UNIFY as a society. It is imperative that all people - regardless of race, religion, creed or belief - come together to say, ‘‘Enough is Enough’.This is bigger than sports. Racism is embedded in the fabric of our nation’s foundation and is a blemish on our country’s history. If we are to change course and make our world a better place, we must face this problem head-on and act now to enact positive change.It is time to accept accountability and acknowledge the ramifications of slavery and injustice.Though we cannot right all the wrongs of our county’s history, we can:Arrest and charge the police officers responsible for Breonna’s killing and the shooting of Jacob Blake.Demand that Senator Mitch McConnell bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 to the Senate floor for vote.End qualified immunity; require body cameras; ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants; hold police accountable in court; establish a framework to prohibit racial profiling at federal, state, and local levels.Support state- and federally-mandated CALEA Accreditation and national standards of care in policing.Encourage everyone to engage in the political process by registering to vote on both the local and national level (www.risetovote.turbovote.org.)Demand prison sentencing reform that is fair and equitable.Encourage every citizen to act with respect and compliance when engaging with the police. If you feel there has been an abuse of power, we encourage you to contact your police department’s internal affairs unit.We will use our platform to drive change now - not just for our generation, but for the generations that follow, for our sons and daughters and their children.”This organization should be running our country and law enforcement, not the present politicians and police chiefs.Some, however, because of the success of the Black Lives Matter movement, think police brutality is only committed against Blacks. This is far from the truth. It effects us all. I was almost shot by a police officer who said I had committed a felony (lie). As he was crouched in a shooting position midday on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, his White partner snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear, “I have never seen him like this”. Then he slowly moved away, so he wouldn’t also be shot. Consider some of the following unpublicized killings of unarmed White citizens, including one in Minneapolis. Many are available on YouTube, but I must warn you, they are REALLY GRAPHIC:Daniel Shaver was shot and killed by police while pleading “please do not shoot me” inside a La Quinta Inn when he was walking down a hallway with a girl friend—-see YouTube video, very graphic. (The 26-year-old officer was acquitted and allowed to retire from the force with a tax-free pension worth 31,000 a year for life as a result of his “suffering” due to his killing of Daniel Shaver.)Daniel Saenz was shot and killed by police while handcuffed outside a jail—-see YouTube video, very graphicJoseph Hutcheson was asphyxiated to death by a policeman’s knee after he went to a police station for help—-see YouTube video, very graphicJason Conoscenti was shot in the back and killed by police—-see YouTube video, very graphicJustine Diamond was shot and killed by police in MINNEAPOLIS (2017) after calling 911 and walking up to their car to greet them—-see pic aboveDillon Taylor was shot and killed by police after exiting 7-Eleven with friends to buy a drink—-see YouTube videoKelly Thomas was beaten to death by six officers. He choked on his own blood—see pic aboveZachary Hammond, a teen, was lured by police to a Hardee’s parking lot in a drug-sting operation and then was shot twice in the back at point-blank range while still in his car. The Officer didn’t even mention the shooting in his report.Ethan Saylor, the white Eric Garner, was asphyxiated by police while wailing “Mommy it hurts”.Christopher Cervini, the White Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by Roderick Scott, the Black George Zimmerman.Christopher Roupe was shot and killed by police while playing a video game.Douglas Zerby was shot and killed with 12 rounds by police while watering his grass with a water hose nozzle.Eugene Mallory, 80, was shot and killed while in bed after a mistaken meth raid by police.Just last Friday, September 4, Golda Barton dialed 911, she hoped emergency responders could help hospitalize her autistic 13-year-old son who was having a mental crises. Instead, officers repeatedly shot Linen Cameron after he ran away, leaving the boy in serious condition with injuries to his intestines, bladder, shoulder, and ankles. Her response, ““Why didn’t you just tackle him”.The present times, with the BLM movement, are similar to the 60s and early 70s with the social unrest demonstrated by the Berkeley protests or “Berkeley Revolution”, a series of protests in 1964–1965 and 1970 at the University of California, Berkeley and the wider area around Berkeley, the Columbia University protests of 1968, and the “The Student Strike of 1970 when over 4 million college students across the nation protested America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the largest protest in American history.The watershed moment was when 4 Kent State students were shot and killed by National Guardsmen on May 4, 1970.However, The Student Strike of 1970 quickly turned to civil unrest, without the looting though, in the form of violence towards the National Guard in many areas, instead of being a social and political movement, and thus lost its ability to bring about change. Rather, it divided the nation even more. However, almost all of the outbreaks of violence in American cities in the late 60s were triggered by instances of police brutality. One college student even hung a sign that read “They can’t kill us all”. Thus, Richard Nixon won the presidency in 1968 on a law-an-order platform, and California Governor Ronald Reagan called for military force to crush dissent: “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with. No more appeasement”. He would then send 2,700 National Guards to People’s Park near the University of California, Berkeley. Trump also declared himself “Your president of law-an-order” to quell dissent. However, former military generals and admirals have learned from history and rebuffed Trump’s request. They called for him to, instead, unify the nation. Stopping young looters by protecting businesses is one thing, but denying someone’s right to protest is the most un-American thing you can do in a democracy. It’s our fundamental right to question and challenge authority, our government. This is the key to what has made our country so great.The events of that time were often contrasted in American films by law-and-order redneck sheriffs and other government authorities, often referred to as “The Man” in both White and Black films, who targeted long-haired “hippies” (Whom they also referred to as “commies”.) for persecution and killing: “Tribes” (1970), also known as “The Soldier Who Declared Peace” (UK), starring Jan-Michael Vincent; “White Lightning” (1973) starring Burt Reynolds as “Gator” whose brother is murdered by the sheriff for protesting; and “First Blood” (1982) starring Sylvester Stallone as Rambo who is persecuted by a small town sheriff for his long-hair as he wrongly profiles him as a hippie and un-American.At the same time in America, there were other organized social protests going on in the 60s, such as the Civil Rights Movement.However, this movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr, would follow the path that all the great 20th century protest movements were using worldwide, nonviolence, that would sustain them as social and political movements. These nonviolent protest movements would make the world a much better place by following the footsteps of Jesus as he confronted the Roman Empire. For example, Mohandas Gandhi (who learned the technique of passive resistance from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5–7, and from its 20th century socio-economic political form as detailed in Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience”), Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino Jr., Kwame Nkrumah, and Cesar Chavez, all used nonviolence and civil disobedience for political reform, justice and equality, rather than terrorism. In America, MLK’s non-violent protests spurred JFK and LBJ to pass the “Civil Rights Act of 1964”, the”Voting Rights Act of 1965”, and the “Civil Rights Act of 1968” or also known as the “Fair Housing Act”.Another extremely well organized protest movement in the 60s was the East Los Angeles Walkouts or Chicano Blowouts.They were a series of 1968 protests by Chicano (Mexican) students against unequal conditions in Los Angeles Unified School District high schools. The first walkout occurred on March 5, 1968. The students who organized and carried out the protests were primarily concerned with the quality of their education. This movement, which involved thousands of students from the Los Angeles area, 15 to 20,000, was identified as “the first major mass protest against racism undertaken by Mexican-Americans in the history of the US”. Here are some examples of how well organized it was. Funds for Los Angels Schools were allocated based on the number of students in class each day. By having students walk out of homeroom before attendance was taken, the organizers could increase public attention by targeting the schools financially. And students from seven high school campuses, four from East LA, participated in the walkouts, one time many of them met together at a park. Following the walkouts, the students were allowed to meet with the board of education to list their academic, administrative, and facilities demands.So yes, every non-violent racial and social reform movement is important to give us voice, to be heard, and to bring about change.