John Robinson address before Valdosta City Council Ignored by local press! Why?

#100-12-2009, Omissions by local press:

Citizens to be heard: Address before “Valdosta City Council Meeting on DECEMBER 10, 2009, at 5:30 PM. By Mr. John Robinson (No Response from 1st ADDRESS)

SUBJECT: 2nd Address on Small Disadvantaged and Emerging Businesses

Good Evening Mr. Mayor and Council!

“It’s a beautiful afternoon, what we have seen displayed here this afternoon. It’s a great honor to be here. My name is John Robinson: ADDRESS NOT PUBLISHED HERE.

Response from Mayor John Fretti: “Yes Sir”

I have come here before and I mentioned something about the disparity studies. And this is about the Small Disadvantaged and Emerging Businesses. That is coming up before us as a new project and program. We have had conversations about this at other times. And we did not seem to come to NO agreement through our conversations. But I am here tonight to say that this city is now a METRO CITY. Everybody is aware of that and we do have some problems in this city along racial lines and everything else, and the way we are going to need---to address this as a hold and as a people.

As the man was saying about Dr. King monument, the monument is fine. But we don’t need no monuments, we need jobs. We need power to be shared, and you know this city is set up; with all White structure power. There is no question to that, and we got people in positions that, that’s, that’s councilmen. But we got to realize the facts. Its time now that we got to have some monies and some economic development on other side, the South Side----where we can get something done.

Ah, I met with a man by the name of the Famous physiologists Marvin Dunn from the International University of Miami. NOW! I am practically as you can say----is a no body; but I am somebody. And I want to say this, and it is not a JOKE. And it is not a THREAT---these are FACTS.

We are going to take legal positions. Ah, from the brotherhood of concerned citizens, economic development and on behalf of the Black Business Association. That the word minority is no longer used, therefore we don’t feel---there is no fair shake. There is nothing going to come down this pipe that is fair and we are going to need everybody to get involved, so that we as a city can sit down, and start discussing the issues.

I know the word minority might seem like it is something, and we discuss set asides and stuff like that. But there have NOT been nothing fair about this city, as far as jobs where people can jobs and projects. You see I was a farmer business owner, and I worked for waste management as a vender service since 1983. Ah, the solid waste authority headed out of New York---the owners of MGM Universal studios. And I have done work for half of the State and have did projects up to 2 ½ million dollars. And I ran half the state of Florida as a vender for Waste Management and Refurbishing sanitation equipment as far as being dumpsites, pull off tubs, and other things.

We also have general contractors in our families and you know. I was informed that I didn’t want to work. I have esophageal cancer. And have approximately 3 to 5 years of survival rate to live. My survival rate is .085 percent. And I am dedicating the rest of these days that I do have to promote entrepreneurship.

And I am hoping that this old system, I was informed by business people from this community. Major predominate business folks when we first come here with our companies. I got acquainted with the Langdale Family and Mr. Langdale. I got acquainted with the Copeland’s out there. These are all good and descent people and these are people that dominate in business. And, but, I was also informed NOT by this group of people.

But others that’s predominate people in business here, that this city is run by the good old Boys. This is what I was told and said, that there is NO NEED for your business coming here. Thinking that your guys are going to get involved in a major cooperation because it is NOT going to happen.

They said if you were in Jacksonville or in some other place but not here in Lowndes County Georgia. Because the good old Boys are not going to permit it. And these are people that are involved in real-estate and in other areas of this city.

So I did not believe that, I honestly did not believe that, but now I am convinced. And now we are talking about the disparity study. But ah, the United States Justice Department says that there is something wrong here. And I do believe that we can resolve our own problems. If we got the courage among ourselves to sit down and actually discuss how we got here over the historical period of time. And see if we can get someone to invest on the other side over there where there is no money.

So people can become entrepreneurs. There was a young lady standing in line over here at a place where they were paying light bills. And there were several people over there as common citizens. And they had several degrees in sociology and in other different fields. And these people were Black, saying they had been out there in line since 1:00 AM in the morning.

With 95 % --of the people out there that morning was Black people in their own community. I do believe that if we can sit down, and talk about the ugly issues, the good issues, the bad issues, and come to a resolution. That we can come up with some type of a formulation. That we all can get in the plan and discussion and formulate some form of meaning and real trust between one another. That monies can be divided equally across that old railroad track of social divide. So we can get somewhere that Blacks, Whites, and everybody can benefit.

See here, whether we have the facts. I am not going to take up too much time. But everything from the cost line of Miami Florida to the Canadian line is Patel now. And we are going to be sitting here arguing, and bickering. And then this hold country is going to be owned by foreigners. And those of us, who didn’t get the opportunity to have nothing, will not have anything. And those of us who have something; is going to see it go down the tube. Then its going to be a shame. For us to say, that we as Americans are the ones who suffered in this country-----NOT to have an opportunity.

So if you guys will. Please take under consideration that we need to sit down and talk before litigation gets started. Because I promise you, that it will get started.

Thank you: Response of Mayor John Fretti: Thank you, Mr. Robinson.