text:
Talk:Oakland renters displaced by Hope VI program

NPOV
Theres nothing to clean up, since the accuracy of this story is not in dispute. [[I feel honored to be able to speak freely about the corruption taking place in Oakland's housing programs that target the poor for dislocation. Sincerely, Lynda Carson -- Oakland, CA. 510/763-1085

LyndaCarson, Thanks for contributing this well written and well sourced article to Wikinews. Wikinews welcomes contributions original reporting such as these. The article needs a little more work before publishing though, since some of it does not adhere to the Neutral point of view.

Wikinews articles are written to conform to NPOV in order to ensure that our coverage of an event is fair and unbiased. We do this by only reporting facts, leaving out all editorial opinion, and representing all views over an issue, attributing each and giving each view the depth of coverage deserved by its relative notability. a (much better written) introduction to NPOV can be found here, including an explanation of why NPOV is useful.

I and other contributors will be happy to help make the necessary changes to this article, in fact, the "cleanup tag" added to the article is the first step in doing this. It is meant to be constructive criticism helping to improve the article.

Also, i see that u've published this article on Indymedia, but without releasing it to the public domain or under a Creative commons (CC) license. This means that the article can only be reproduced by other non-commercial publications. Now, even though Wikinews is a non-commercial website, it releases its articles with a CC license, allowing commercial use. So you will have to either post a "released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5" notice on the Indymedia article page, or e-mail such a permission to a Wikinews administrator in order for Wikinews to host this article.

welcome and thanks again for writing for wikinews. i look forward to more such articles from you. reg, — Doldrums(talk) 04:32, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I tried to make this article more NPOV by removing some loaded words ("gentrification project", etc.) Not sure if this is enough to undispute it.--DCo1 06:06, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Ach, copyvio!
This does appear to be a copyright violation... Someone from Indymedia will need to verify the copyright status of this article. I've not tagged it as a copyvio, yet, as it may be that it existed here first. It could be dual licensed, etc. but the Indymedia site doesn't indicate that the copyright is held by the author (it looks like Indymedia has the rights to the story). --Chiacomo (talk) 06:03, 28 October 2006 (UTC)
 * have requested the wikinews contributor here. — Doldrums(talk) 06:19, 28 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I have confirmation by e-mail that the author of the Indymedia report, Lynda Carson has submitted this article for use on wikinews. — Doldrums(talk) 13:46, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
 * I too have received a confirmation email. --Chiacomo (talk) 02:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

OR notes
Sources: Oakland renters displaced by Hope VI program

[EBALDC and Related Companies, LLC., created Creekside Housing Partners, L.P., to take control of Oakland's public housing property in East Oakland at the Coliseum Gardens site, now known as Lion Creek Crossings. Chambers Construction will develop the homeownership portion at Lion Creek Crossings with EBALDC and The Related Company jointly responsible for the apartments.]

---Lion Creek Crossing (Coliseum Garden) Now Renting---

The Oakland Housing Authority received a HOPE VI grant to replace its 178 notorious Coliseum Garden apartments with a mixed income development of over 350 apartments and approximately 28 homes for sale. EBALDC assembled a development team, which includes The Related Company of California and Chambers Construction to work with the housing authority. Chambers Construction will develop the homeownership portion with EBALDC and The Related Company jointly responsible for the apartments. The development will surround a revitalized 5 acre City Park and Lion creek, which will also be restored by the city. The first phase of this development includes 115 apartments and 7,500 square feet of space for community services.

This phase is under construction with a second phase of 146 apartments and another 7,500 square feet scheduled to start late in 2005. Community services anticipated include a Head Start Child Care Center, youth and after school programs, health programs, career counseling and business development opportunities. A third phase is being planned with over a hundred family apartments and townhouses that will overlook the restored Lion creek and city park.

These brand new Lion Creek Crossing apartments are ready for occupants. Contact EBALDC today at (510) 287-5353 for details.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ [CHAMBERS CONSTRUCTION] http://www.chambersconstruction.com/ Carolyn Silva. Chambers, owner of Chambers Construction CHAIRMAN & C.E.O. CHAMBERS COMMUNICATIONS Home-86220 DERY Rd or 86054 DERY Rd. PLEASANT HILL, OREGON 97455  (541) 746-1510 -- (541) 988-5732 (Born September of 1931) Political Donations (2004) to George W. Bush $2,000 -- $500 contributed to the RNC

Carolyn Silva. Chambers' business empire includes real estate, a construction company, a vineyard, and the crown jewel, Chambers Communications Corp.

Local -- Chambers Construction Co (510) 569-3081 7506 Macarthur Blvd Oakland, CA.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Search Results for Lion Creek Crossing from Related website:

Lion Creek Crossing Location: 	800 69th Street Oakland, CA 94612 Property Type: 	Affordable Rental Multifamily Rentals Neighborhood Revitalization Organizations: 	Related California

---EBALDC Partnership With Related Companies--- EBALDC -- East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

(Lynette Jung Lee is the Director of EBALDC)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ [Related Companies]

Related Corporate Structure

Stephen M. Ross is head/CEO of Related Companies...

STEPHEN M ROSS (Born in May of 1940) (Home) 956 5TH AVE NEW YORK, NY 10021 (212) 772-1196 or  (212) 772-7659

---Stephen M. Ross resides at 956 Fifth Avenue, in New York--- Home of Stephen M. Ross at 956 Fifth Avenue. This finely detailed building has an unusual and ... by in 1920 the Real Estate Board of New York, the City Club and the Fifth ...  _______________ Related of California

RELATED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Stephen M. Ross Jeff T. Blau Michael J. Brenner David J. Wine About Stephen M. Ross / CharterMac

Board of Trustees Stephen M. Ross Chairman

Stephen M. Ross is non-executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CharterMac. Mr. Ross is the founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing General Partner of The Related Companies, L.P. ("TRCLP"). Mr. Ross began his career working for the accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand in Detroit as a tax attorney. Later, he moved to New York, where he worked for two large Wall Street investment banking firms in their real estate and corporate finance departments before founding TRCLP in 1972. Mr. Ross graduated from The University of Michigan School of Business with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and from Wayne State School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree. He then received a Master of Law degree in Taxation from the New York University School of Law. Mr. Ross endowed the "Stephen M. Ross School of Business" at The University of Michigan. Mr. Ross is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Board of New York and is a trustee of the National Building Museum. Mr. Ross also serves on the Board of Directors of Kerzner International Ltd. (NYSE: KZL), Equinox Holdings, Inc. (an affiliate of TRCLP), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Guggenheim Museum. Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Lion Creek Crossings Open House of Phase 1 and Groundbreaking of Phase 2 Lion Creek Crossings will create a new community in the blighted and neglected Central East Oakland district and will be the catalyst for revitalizing the entire Coliseum BART station into a Transit Village. This HOPE VI development will provide up to 437 units over four phases of permanent affordable rental housing and 28 for-sale units for first time homebuyers. This is a joint venture between EBALDC, Related Companies of California and the Oakland Housing Authority.

Location: 915 69th Avenue, Oakland Ca, 94621 Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sponsored by: Sponsored by East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) For more information: Joyceland 510.287.5353 / jfarrow@ebaldc.com

---Stephen M. Ross Gives Away $100,000 Million Dollars--- University of Michigan -- (Stephen M. Ross gives away $100,000 million) New York City real estate developer Stephen M. Ross gives $100 million to University ... chairman and chief executive officer of The Related Companies, LP, ...

[Oakland Budget Summary for 2006 - Oakland Redevelopment Agency] Personnel Services and Related Overhead Costs - FY 2006-07. ... Lions Creek Crossings (Coliseum Gardens) Phase I. $1,500,000. Lions Creek Crossings (Coliseum ...

Page 1) Executive Off Oakland Housing Authority MEMORANDUM

To: Board of Commissioners From: Jon Gresley, Executive Director

Subject: Resolution Approving Use of Additional Local Funds for Park Construction at the Lion Creek Crossings HOPE VI Primary Site and Amending the Predevelopment Services Agreement to Effect the Change

Date: September 19, 2006

This correspondence transmits for your consideration and approval a resolution authorizing the use of $287,593 in Authority Local Funds for construction of the preliminary phase replacement park at Lion Creek Crossings. This proposed additional allocation of funds to the park is part of the $7 million previously approved by the Board for use in the Lion Creek Crossings redevelopment.

Background: The Authority was awarded a HOPE VI grant in the amount of $34.5 million in 2000 to revitalize the 178-unit Coliseum Gardens public housing development. The Board approved the selection of East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), The Related Companies of California (Related) and Chambers Construction Company (Chambers) as co-developer partners for redevelopment of the original public housing site and several adjacent or nearby properties (the “Primary Site”), now renamed Lion Creek Crossings. EBALDC and Related are co-developing the rental portion of the Primary Site, which will include 157 units of public housing. The total number of rental units, including public housing, now planned is approximately 440. Twenty-eight (28) units of for-sale housing are planned to be developed by Chambers. The construction of new streets and utilities and the reconfiguration of a public park are planned as part of the rental housing development.

The remaining 21 units of public housing are included in a recently constructed 65-unit development on Foothill Boulevard in Oakland.

In addition to the rental housing, the project includes the reconfiguration of Coliseum Gardens Park and the restoration of a portion of Lion Creek. The City of Oakland is managing the restoration of a portion of the creek that runs through the park. A grant from the California Pollution Control Finance Authority and the City of Oakland is providing funds for park planning. Pacific Gas and Electric Company has awarded $175,000 for park construction. The California Housing and Community Development Department has awarded the City of Oakland approximately $500,000 which is planned to be used for park construction. Our developer partners and staff are searching for additional sources of funding for park construction.

Page 2- In a Land Exchange Agreement that was executed between the Authority and the City, the Authority agreed to construct a temporary replacement park during the period when the existing park is taken out of service. The Developer has received an estimate of $388,735 from its general contractor for the cost of constructing a temporary replacement park. The Developer plans to start construction on Phase III of the rental housing on the site of the existing City park in October, and the temporary park is required to be in place prior to the start of construction on this phase. The grant funds described previously are not yet available, but will be in the future.

All park facilities related to the development are to be constructed by the Developer under the terms of an Amended and Restated Predevelopment Services Agreement (PSA). The current PSA includes a provision for the use of $101,142 in Authority Local Funds for park construction. The proposed resolution would authorize the use of an additional $287,593 in Authority Local Funds for the immediate construction of the preliminary phase replacement park, for a total of $388,735.

It is expected that the Authority will be reimbursed for the use of this additional allocation of its Local Funds as the above-described grant funds become available. If that occurs, the Local Funds will be available for reallocation within the project.

Proposed Action:

It is recommended that the Board of Commissioners adopt the attached resolution approving the use of an additional $288,593 in Authority Local Funds for construction of the preliminary phase replacement park at Lion Creek Crossings, and authorizing the Executive Director to amend the Predevelopment Services Agreement to incorporate this change, and to take all actions necessary to implement the resolution. Attachment: Resolution

(7/24/06)

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

On Motion of Commissioner Seconded by Commissioner and approved by the following vote:

AYES: Commissioners NAYS: ABSTAIN: ABSENT:

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED: NUMBER RESOLUTION APPROVING A CONDITIONAL COMMITMENT FOR AN INCREASE IN THE HOPE VI FUNDS CONSTRUCTION AND PERMANENT LOAN FOR THE COLISEUM GARDENS HOPE VI DEVELOPMENT PROJECT KNOWN AS LION CREEK CROSSINGS, PHASE III BETWEEN OAKLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY AS LENDER AND CREEKSIDE HOUSING PARTNERS, L.P. AS BORROWER

WHEREAS, the Oakland Housing Authority (Authority) previously executed a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pursuant to its grant of HOPE VI funds for a revitalization plan that proposed the demolition and redevelopment of Coliseum Gardens and nearby properties, (collectively the “Primary Site”); and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners approved the selection of East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), The Related Companies of California (Related), and Chambers General Construction (Chambers) as co-developers of the Primary Site at its meeting on October 21, 2002; and

WHEREAS, the Authority owns the land on which the Coliseum Gardens revitalization development known as Lion Creek Crossings will be constructed, and the Authority leases the land to the partnership formed with EBALDC and Related for each phase of the development, which is known as Lion Creek Crossings;

WHEREAS, EBALDC and Related (the “Developer”) have joint responsibility for the development of the family rental housing at the Coliseum Gardens site and formed a limited partnership known as Creekside Housing Partners, L.P. (CHP) for the development of Lion Creek Crossings, Phase III, which consists of one hundred six units of public and affordable family housing; and

Page 2) WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 3685 authorizing the execution of the Phase III Disposition and Development Agreement which included a HOPE VI loan to CHP in the amount of $5,194,638; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commission subsequently passed Resolution 3766 approving closing evidentiaries including HOPE VI loan documents with a lesser loan to CHP in the amount of $3,350,000; and

WHEREAS; CHP’s financing structure for Phase III included a loan from CalHFA based on increased rental income from Project-Based Section 8 funds available through the Authority; and

WHEREAS, the City of Oakland approved a loan amount of $4,600,000 for Phase III of which $600,000 was intended to offset a HUD rule change decreasing the value of rents available under the Project-Based Section 8 program; and

WHEREAS, as an MTW participant, the Authority has approved the use of market rents in its Project-Based Section 8 program, which reduced CHP’s documented need for $600,000 in City funds; and

WHEREAS, the City may then reduce its loan commitment to CHP by $600,000 as a result of the Authority’s approval of market rents for Phase III; and

WHEREAS, bids for construction of Phase III are anticipated to be higher than originally budgeted, creating a funding gap of $600,000.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA:

THAT, the Authority will provide an increased construction and permanent loan of HOPE VI funds in the amount of up to $600,000 increasing its previous commitment of $3,350,000 to $3,950,000 contingent on the City of Oakland reducing its loan commitment for Phase III by $600,000, and if the construction bids are such that the funds are needed by CHP as determined by the Authority; and

THAT, the Executive Director is authorized to take all actions and execute such other documents as may be necessary and appropriate to implement the foregoing resolution.

Page 3) I certify that the foregoing resolution is a full, true and correct copy of a resolution passed by the Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Oakland, California on July __, 2006. _____________________________________ Secretary / Executive Director ADOPTED: RESOLUTION NO.

09/13/06

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

On Motion of Commissioner Seconded by Commissioner And approved by the following vote: AYES: NAYS ABSTAIN: EXCUSED: ABSENT:

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED: NUMBER:

AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A PERFORMANCE-BASED SUB-GRANT AGREEMENT, NOT TO EXCEED $ 218,750 (TWO HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS) FOR ONE YEAR, WITH THE EAST BAY ASIAN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (EBALDC) TO PROVIDE HOPE VI COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES RESIDING AT LION CREEK CROSSINGS AND FOOTHILL PLAZA.

WHEREAS, the Authority received HOPE IV revitalization grants for Coliseum Gardens, now renamed Lion Creek Crossings; and

WHEREAS, the Authority issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) which was mailed directly to over 65 agencies and organizations and advertised in the Oakland Tribune; and

WHEREAS, EBALDC was selected as a program that best meets the needs of the residents and the requirements of the Authority for the provision of personal budgeting, consumer finance education, individual development accounts with matching, peer support groups and seminars, home buyer training and small business/micro-enterprise development; and

WHEREAS, the original RFP and Board resolution authorized the Executive Director to alter HOPE VI CSS sub-grant agreement scopes and selection of providers to address changes in resident services needs; and,

(Page 2) WHEREAS, EBALDC, as development partner for the Lion Creek Crossings HOPE VI development, has a daily presence on-site at Lion Creek Crossings, has experience providing comprehensive resident services at other EBALDC residential sites, and has the capability of providing all the resident services needs identified during the 2006 Lion Creek Crossing resident needs assessment.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA:

THAT, the Executive Director, on behalf of the Authority, is hereby authorized to execute a one year performance-based sub-grant agreement not to exceed $218,750 with EBALDC to provide on-site services for school age youth and workforce development/ self-sufficiency services; and

THAT, the Executive Director, on behalf of the Authority, is hereby authorized to take all actions necessary to implement the foregoing resolution.

I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a full, true and correct copy of a resolution passed by the Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Oakland, California on _________________. ________________________________ Secretary / Executive Director ADOPTED: RESOLUTION NO.

08/09/06

Executive Office

Oakland Housing Authority MEMORANDUM

To: Board of Commissioners From: Jon Gresley, Executive Director

Subject: Lion Creek Crossings Security Contract Date: August 3, 2006

As you are aware, the first phase of Lion Creek Crossings is now housing residents. Related, the Authority partner and property manager, has contacted the Authority and has requested increased patrol due to several incidents of criminal activity since the property has opened. Related employs a private security firm at Lion Creek Crossings, but many of the problems exceed their capacity for response. OHAPD has been providing sporadic increased patrol; however, due to the fact that the Authority does not own the buildings nor manage the property and the Authority passes operating subsidies to the property for the purpose of subsidizing operating expenses, we have indicated to Related that the policing of the property is the responsibility of the Oakland Police Department.

After several meetings between Related and the Oakland Police Department (OPD), as well as the continuance of increased criminal activity, Related contacted Phillip Neville, Deputy Executive Director of Real Estate Development, and Carel Duplessis, Chief of OHAPD, to explore the feasibility of Lion Creek Crossings contracting with the Authority to supplement OPD’s policing of Lion Creek Crossings with officers from OHAPD. Through discussions, an agreement has been reached for Related to pay the cost of two full-time Police Officers for a two year contract.

A written agreement between Related and the Authority is currently being drafted for OHA’s Board approval at the August 28 Commission meeting. Preparatory to that meeting staff will brief the Commission at the workshop session of August 9. Chief Carel Duplessis will provide the briefing and address any questions.

[Creekside Housing Partners, L.P. take control of the Coliseum Gardens/Lion Creek Crossings]

(Lion Creek Crossings used to be known as Coliseum Gardens public housing (178 units) of Oakland) (EBALDC and Related Companies, LLC., created Creekside Housing Partners, L.P., to take control of Oakland's public housing property in Oakland. )

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Melissa Flores Phone: 916.324.4647 Fax: 916.322.2345 mflores@calhfa.ca.gov www.calhfa.ca.gov

Financing for Affordable Family Housing in Oakland

SACRAMENTO, June 6, 2006 – A new affordable housing project will soon be built in the City of Oakland’s master planned community, Lion Creek Crossings (formerly known as Coliseum Gardens), to create rental housing for an additional 106 families. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) Board of Directors approved nearly $23 million in construction financing and $4.8 million in permanent financing for Lion Creek Crossings, a family apartment community, to be owned by Creekside Housing Partners, L.P., which is a joint venture between East Bay Asian Local Development and the Related Companies, LLC. The property management services will be provided by Related Management Company. Cahill Contractors will begin construction in August 2006 with completion expected in February 2008.

The 106-unit complex is designed to provide affordable rental housing to those with household incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income. This project is the third phase in the master planned community of Lion Creek Crossings. This unique urban infill project is replacing public housing units developed in the 1940s. CalHFA has provided financing for all three phases of the master development, creating 367 new affordable housing residences.

- more - Page 2 The 2.49 acre project site will feature seven buildings with units ranging in size from one to four bedrooms and styled as flats or town homes. The residents will also enjoy the use of the master community’s shared common recreational facilities and community rooms currently available to Phase I residents.

CalHFA will provide nearly $23 million in construction financing with a variable interest rate for 22 months. Upon completion, a permanent loan of $3.815 million will be provided by CalHFA, as well as, CalHFA subordinate financing for slightly more than $1 million. Other funding sources include the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Multifamily Housing Program, the Housing Authority of the City of Oakland (OHA), HOPE VI loan from HUD to OHA, the City of Oakland, and the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program.

The California Housing Finance Agency was created in 1975 with the goal of helping more Californian’s live in a home they can afford. CalHFA’s Multifamily Division has invested more than $2 billion for the construction and preservation of 36,000 affordable rental housing units assisting nearly 85,000 very low and low income Californians. More information on Multifamily Loan Finance programs and the full complement of CalHFA programs, visit www.calhfa.ca.gov or call toll free 877.9.CalHFA (877.922.5432).

The Related Companies Related develops, manages and finances the world's finest real estate developments. Our skills and experience are enhanced by a passion for quality and a unique entrepreneurial spirit. Related properties are more than structures - they are a union of energy, creativity, forward thinking and collaboration. Founded in New York in 1972, we are proud to call this great city our home. For more information on Related, visit our About section.

"THE SWEET LIFE" IS RISING IN MANHATTAN AT THE VENETO, A NEW EAST SIDE LUXURY CONDOMINIUM RESIDENCE FROM RELATED

^^^^^^^^^  Related of California

Related of California was formed in 1989 to focus on the development of multifamily housing in California. It is an affiliate of Related, L.P., a fully integrated real estate firm based in New York City with divisions specializing in development, property management, and financial services.

Since its inception, Related has developed over 6,000 units of housing in California, with properties in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, San Diego, and San Diego County.

Its projects run the gamut from award-winning apartments for low- and moderate-income seniors and families to a 487-unit high-rise apartment development in downtown San Francisco that is the tallest residential building in the city.

Related's team of professionals brings hands-on experience and expertise in project management, finance, construction, and property management, along with the financial backing of one of the country's premier real estate companies.

Contact Us -- Lion Creek Crossing -- Related Companies:

To forward your questions or comments, simply click below, fill out forms and we'll send your request to the appropriate person.

Related California Properties in California

Lockwood Gardens, Coliseum Gardens and Lower Fruitvale HOPE VI Site Profile

City:	Oakland Official PHA Name:	Oakland PHA Name of Site:		Lockwood Gardens, Coliseum Gardens and Lower Fruitvale HOPE VI Coordinator:		Philip J. Neville Phone:	510-874-1520 Fax:	510-874-1674 E-mail:	pneville@oakha.org Address:		1619 Harrison St. Oakland, CA 94612 Site Profile:

FY 1994 Implementation Grant: $25,510,020 FY 1996 Assistance Award/Amendment Funds: $1,000,000

OHA’s HOPE VI program in East Oakland involves the extensive renovation of 372 out of 550 housing units in two complexes and four scattered sites (consisting of 60 units) located in Lower Fruitvale. Fourteen scattered-site units are scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt. A site-based management strategy is currently being tested at Lockwood Gardens, which has 372 housing units.

The HOPE VI program enabled OHA to expand its collaboration with the Mayor’s office, which began with the City’s 1991 campaign to reduce violence and drug trafficking within and around the Coliseum and Lockwood communities. The Mayor’s Office was very supportive in preparing the original HOPE VI application and has been heavily involved in the effort ever since.

The joint successes from both the Mayor’s program and OHA’s HOPE VI development process have positively impacted the Coliseum and Lockwood sites. There is marked improvement in the environments at both sites. Resident-planted gardens are not vandalized and children and adults can remain outside after dark, which was considered unsafe just a few months earlier. Policing services are provided by the Oakland Police Department to all authority sites. Officers from the Oakland Housing Authority’s Security Services Department supplement the City’s services. To supplement security at Coliseum and Lockwood, iron fences are used to surround the complexes.

OHA was the recipient of several HUD grants in 1995, including a HOPE VI planning grant for the West Oakland area. Additionally, there are two major modernization programs currently in progress in West Oakland.

^^^^^^^^^^^ Coliseum Gardens HOPE VI Site Profile

City:	Oakland Official PHA Name:	Oakland PHA Name of Site:		Coliseum Gardens HOPE VI Coordinator:		Philip J. Neville Phone:	510-874-1510 Fax:	510-874-1674 E-mail:	pneville@oakha.org Address:		1619 Harrison St. Oakland, CA 94612 Site Profile:

FY 2000 grantee in the amount of $34,486,116.

The Housing Authority of the City of Oakland will receive a HOPE VI Revitalization Grant in the amount of $34,486,116 that will enable the Housing Authority to revitalize the Coliseum Gardens public housing development. A total of 178 severely distressed units will be replaced on-site with 30 public housing units, 20 tax credit rental units, and 85 affordable homeownership units. In addition, 148 public housing units and 46 tax credit rental units will be developed on underutilized land and scattered sites nearby. A significant number of the off-site public housing units will be within new housing developments in non-impacted areas. A new park and community center will be the focus of the new, on-site community. The revitalization of Coliseum Gardens, located in the Central East Oakland Target Area within the Coliseum Redevelopment Area, will benefit from a $134 million investment in the Coliseum BART Station and the new rail connection between the Station and the Oakland International Airport. Oakland's HOPE VI Grant will leverage a total of $56.2 million other public and private funds.

For details, read HUD's Fact Sheet:

Lion Creek Crossing (Funding for the streets at Lion Creek Crossing from Oakland Redevlopment Agency)


text:
Interview with Vicky Dhillon, City Council candidate for Wards 9 & 10 in Brampton, Canada

October 26, 2006 The upcoming 2006 Brampton municipal election, to be held November 13, features an array of candidates looking to represent their wards in city council or the council of the Peel Region.

Wikinews contributor Nick Moreau contacted many of the candidates, including Vicky Dhillon, asking them to answer common questions sent in an email. This ward's incumbent is Garnett Manning; also challenging Manning is Stella Ambler, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Daljit Gill, and Nalem Malik.

Interview
Q: List the three most important issues in your campaign.
 * A:
 * Property Tax Increases Too High.
 * Infrastructure Deficiencies.
 * Green Space needing protection.

Q: What one election issue do you feel is most relevant to your ward in this election?
 * A: There are many important issues facing Wards 9 & 10 Constituents and other people living and working in Brampton. Taxes have increased significantly, over ten percent in the last two years yet we see the infrastructure progressing too slowly. Schools aren't being built in new areas, highways (410/427) remained virtually unchanged and the list grows daily. We have an ‘Official Draft Plan' for the City of Brampton. The City Council and Region should start delivering on the promises.

Q: What qualities or experiences do you possess, that make you more desirable than the incumbent?
 * A: I believe Mr. Manning has been insensitive to the needs of the Constituents in Wards 9 & 10. As an example, I have seen where he has been quoted as saying City Council has done a good job keeping tax increases to the 5 – 6% range. If this was the case in Toronto, he would be unemployed as Toronto voters wouldn't be so accepting. The average wage has only increased by 3 % in the same time period. We need to make sure families can afford to live in Brampton and that they get purposeful infrastructure in place.

Q: Why do you want to represent your ward on council?
 * A: I have a strong and committed desire to contribute to my community to make it the best place it can be to live and work. I make sensible decisions with the best interests of my Constituents in mind.

Q: How are you currently involved in the community?
 * A:
 * Current President of the Brampton-Springdale Federal Liberal Riding Association.
 * Member of the Peel Multi Cultural Council.
 * Recipient of a Volunteer Appreciation Award from the Peel Multi Cultural Council.
 * President of the Pearson Airport Limousine Driver's Association.
 * Member of the National Association of Indo-Canadians.
 * Former member of the Great Lakes Public School Parent Council.
 * Former member of the Amalgamated Transit Union.
 * Founding member of the Bathinda Sports and Culture Club.
 * Recipient of President Scouts Award.

Q: Much of Brampton's existing council is seasoned in the civic political process. What could you bring to the table as a "rookie", above and beyond the current roster of councillors?
 * A: I don't feel like I am a "rookie" since I have been very involved with Federal politics for many years.

 * The South Asian community now represents about thirty percent of Brampton's population yet there is no representation from the community on City Council. My goal is to be a strong voice for all of my constituents and to bring diversity to City Council.

Q: Of the decisions made by (region/city) council since the last election, which do you take the most pride in, and why?
 * A: I was pleased Council put a development freeze in place. We need infrastructure to catch up and will need the revenue from increased development charges in the future to help finance projects.

Q: The Rose Theatre recently launched. What are your thoughts on this facility? Have you had a chance to tour it yet?
 * A: The facility itself is spectacular but came with a heavy priced tag for tax payers. Although, I haven't been able to verify, I have heard local residents complain that local Brampton amateur theatre groups have not been able to use the facilities. I hope this facility is available for the people of Brampton, not just the elite since it belongs to all of the people of Brampton.

Q: The province has strongly encouraged the development of high-density residences near the downtown. Do these buildings fit in with your vision of the downtown? How much say should other levels of government have in urban planning?
 * A: I believe that Brampton has not encouraged enough high-density housing. For a City to remain prosperous it needs affordable housing for young people, the less fortunate and for seniors. Not everyone can afford to live in a 3000 square foot house. The people who want to remain in the City need alternatives. We don't want young people to move away from the community because they can't afford their own place.  I believe all levels of government have a role to play in urban planning since they all contribute in varying degrees to infrastructure and social programs.

Q: How do you feel about Brampton's rate of expansion? Council recently capped the annual amount of new development; do you agree completely with this decision, would you have slowed development even further, or not have imposed a cap at all?
 * A: I have already commented on this but let me expand a little. The City lost significant revenue from development charges when they approved many more building lots than usual before implementing higher development charges. Millions could have been added to the City's revenue if we had spread out the development over a longer period of time.

Q: What are your opinions on Brampton's congestion and the level of public transit funding?
 * A: Brampton seems to have been forgotten by government while other large communities like Mississauga and Markham got major expansion to transit and road systems. Brampton's transit system is one of the largest expenditures for the City but has not been efficient in serving the people. We need to improve this immediately.

Q: Why should businesses be attracted to locating in Brampton?
 * A: We have a large well trained local labour force, affordable housing costs compared to other GTA communities for employees to live and Brampton is located near major highways, rail and airports.

Q: How could Brampton further itself in attracting corporate investment?
 * A: Improve infrastructure (highways and transit) and keep property taxes low! We should make sure affordable housing is available so our local workforce can expand. Businesses need affordable workforce and low overhead to operate successfully.

Q: Why have you chosen to involve yourself in the political process?
 * A: Since an early age I have shown an interest in the political process. I feel so fortunate to live in a country like Canada. We have to protect it. This is why I want to be a leader in my community.

Q: What does Brampton mean to you?
 * A: Brampton is my family's home. My children go to school here, I work in the Brampton area and we shop here. We worship in Brampton and many of our friends live in Brampton. This is why I am so passionate about making Brampton a great community to live and work.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Seven British soldiers face war crimes charges

October 26, 2006

The first charges under the new U.K. International Criminal Court Act have been brought against seven British servicemen. The charges relate to the mistreatment of civilians and the death of Baha Mousa (26) a hotel receptionist in Basra in 2003.

The charges include manslaughter, inhumane treatment, causing actual bodily harm, and common assault of Iraqi civilians. A Warrant Officer and a Major in the British Intelligence Corps and the former commander of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (now the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment) are charged with negligently performing duties.

The first British serviceman to give evidence, a senior aircraftsman in the RAF, testified that he saw prisoners with bags over their heads being kicked and verbally abused. He said that he had never seen anything like it before and didn't know what to do. He had not intervened "because they (the soldiers) were bigger than me, and I didn't know what their orders were".

The court martial at the Military Court Centre, Bulford Camp, Wiltshire continues.


text: File:Head shot vicky dhillon.jpg

title: File:Head shot vicky dhillon.jpg


text:
Talk:Interview with Vicky Dhillon, City Council candidate for Wards 9 & 10 in Brampton, Canada

(I, N): List the three most important issues in your campaign.

1. Property Tax Increases Too High.

2. Infrastructure Deficiencies.

3. Green Space needing protection.

(I, N): What one election issue do you feel is most relevant to your ward in this election?

There are many important issues facing Wards 9 & 10 Constituents and other people living and working in Brampton. Taxes have increased significantly, over ten percent in the last two years yet we see the infrastructure progressing too slowly. Schools aren’t being built in new areas, highways (410/427) remained virtually unchanged and the list grows daily. We have an ‘Official Draft Plan’ for the City of Brampton. The City Council and Region should start delivering on the promises.

(N): What qualities or experiences do you possess, that make you more desirable than the incumbent?

I believe Mr. Manning has been insensitive to the needs of the Constituents in Wards 9 & 10. As an example, I have seen where he has been quoted as saying City Council has done a good job keeping tax increases to the 5 – 6% range. If this was the case in Toronto, he would be unemployed as Toronto voters wouldn’t be so accepting. The average wage has only increased by 3 % in the same time period. We need to make sure families can afford to live in Brampton and that they get purposeful infrastructure in place.

(I, N): Why do you want to represent your ward on council?

I have a strong and committed desire to contribute to my community to make it the best place it can be to live and work. I make sensible decisions with the best interests of my Constituents in mind.

(I, N): How are you currently involved in the community?

·        Current President of the Brampton-Springdale Federal Liberal Riding Association.

·        Member of the Peel Multi Cultural Council.

·        Recipient of a Volunteer Appreciation Award from the Peel Multi Cultural Council.

·        President of the Pearson Airport Limousine Driver’s Association.

·        Member of the National Association of Indo-Canadians.

·        Former member of the Great Lakes Public School Parent Council.

·        Former member of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

·        Founding member of the Bathinda Sports and Culture Club.

·        Recipient of President Scouts Award.

(N): Much of Brampton's existing council is seasoned in the civic political process. What could you bring to the table as a "rookie", above and beyond the current roster of councillors?

I don’t feel like I am a “rookie” since I have been very involved with Federal politics for many years.

The South Asian community now represents about thirty percent of Brampton’s population yet there is no representation from the community on City Council. My goal is to be a strong voice for all of my constituents and to bring diversity to City Council.

(I): Of the decisions made by (region/city) council since the last election, which do you take the most pride in, and why?

I was pleased Council put a development freeze in place. We need infrastructure to catch up and will need the revenue from increased development charges in the future to help finance projects.

(I, N): The Rose Theatre recently launched. What are your thoughts on this facility? Have you had a chance to tour it yet?

The facility itself is spectacular but came with a heavy priced tag for tax payers. Although, I haven’t been able to verify, I have heard local residents complain that local Brampton amateur theatre groups have not been able to use the facilities. I hope this facility is available for the people of Brampton, not just the elite since it belongs to all of the people of Brampton.

(I, N): The province has strongly encouraged the development of high-density residences near the downtown. Do these buildings fit in with your vision of the downtown? How much say should other levels of government have in urban planning?

I believe that Brampton has not encouraged enough high-density housing. For a City to remain prosperous it needs affordable housing for young people, the less fortunate and for seniors. Not everyone can afford to live in a 3000 square foot house. The people who want to remain in the City need alternatives. We don’t want young people to move away from the community because they can’t afford their own place. I believe all levels of government have a role to play in urban planning since they all contribute in varying degrees to infrastructure and social programs.

(I, N): How do you feel about Brampton's rate of expansion? Council recently capped the annual amount of new development; do you agree completely with this decision, would you have slowed development even further, or not have imposed a cap at all?

I have already commented on this but let me expand a little. The City lost significant revenue from development charges when they approved many more building lots than usual before implementing higher development charges. Millions could have been added to the City’s revenue if we had spread out the development over a longer period of time.

(I, N): What are your opinions on Brampton's congestion and the level of public transit funding?

Brampton seems to have been forgotten by government while other large communities like Mississauga and Markham got major expansion to transit and road systems. Brampton’s transit system is one of the largest expenditures for the City but has not been efficient in serving the people. We need to improve this immediately.

(I, N): Why should businesses be attracted to locating in Brampton?

We have a large well trained local labour force, affordable housing costs compared to other GTA communities for employees to live and Brampton is located near major highways, rail and airports.

(I, N): How could Brampton further itself in attracting corporate investment?

Improve infrastructure (highways and transit) and keep property taxes low! We should make sure affordable housing is available so our local workforce can expand. Businesses need affordable workforce and low overhead to operate successfully.

(I, N): Why have you chosen to involve yourself in the political process?

Since an early age I have shown an interest in the political process. I feel so fortunate to live in a country like Canada. We have to protect it. This is why I want to be a leader in my community.

(I, N): What does Brampton mean to you?

Brampton is my family’s home. My children go to school here, I work in the Brampton area and we shop here. We worship in Brampton and many of our friends live in Brampton. This is why I am so passionate about making Brampton a great community to live and work.


text:
Three men sought after serial rapes in Karmiel, Israel

November 1, 2006

Three unidentified men have been accused of kidnapping a young Israeli woman in Karmiel last Monday, and driving her to Safed where they allegedly raped her repeatedly, over several hours.

They then drove her back to where they took her from and she found her way to Nahariya hospital, where she has been hospitalized for several days and required several operations for her injuries.

The police suspect that the men are a gang of serial rapists who committed several other rapes in Karmiel recently.

The victim stated that the men were Arab and drove a white BMW.


text:
Talk:Three men sought after serial rapes in Karmiel, Israel

Comment
The Jerusalem Post write about a gang ? Don't understand the clean up? Jacques Divol 21:02, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
 * In english, saying simply "Arabs" refers to the ethnic group, not the specific serial rapist gang. I changed it to say "Arab serial rapist gang" which conveys the same information without the ethnic implications.  Nyarlathotep 22:37, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Brought Forward?
This article was originally written on the 26th of October - and the date has been changed by 3 days. I also don't beleive it is publishable in it's current state - it is far too short to be considered a news article. --Skenmy(t•c•w•i) 09:52, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

 * Bumps are standard procedure. We've had problems with users filibustering articles.  And bumps keep life sane.  Nyarlathotep 22:35, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Why "arab" in the title ?
Why is "Arab" specified in the title ? If nationality of the aggressors is significant, the term seems ambiguous.

In what is the "origin" of the aggressors important ? Would it not be just as ridiculous to use a title such as "Dark haired serial rapist gang claims another Israeli victim in Karmiel", or some other attribute ?

 * Unsolved crime stories always give as much information about the assailant(s) as the police want to publish. If dark hair was what the police said, we'd repeat it.  If they gave even more info, like Lebanese, we'd say that too.  Gangs usualy form along ethinc lines, not based upon hair color.  Anyway, here "Arab" appears to be significant infrmation for locals.  Nyarlathotep 13:13, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
 * If some Israeli rapes a Palestinian, would you agree to having "Jew" in the title? Yes, gangs form along ethnic lines, but that doesn't mean I can get away with referring to OJ as a "homeboy", does it? PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 13:50, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
 * (replying to Nyarlathotep's post) that, i don't think, is significant enough for use in the title, especially if the resulting title will turn out as "loaded" as this one. — Doldrums(talk) 13:44, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

 * "Jew" isn't a useful identifying trait. We'd say Israeli, white, etc. depending upon the available information.. we'd post a sketch if we had it too.. especially for a serial rapist group.  But I do see one very thing missing from the title, the number of men.  Nyarlathotep 14:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Anyway, I'm quite happy to chat about the title, but I think "Karmiel" and "serial rapist" are essential information. Arab & trio are also essential information as the represent the identifying information. BMW driving would be good too, but I couldn't fit it in. Victims ethnicity isn't important, but I wouldn't have known where Karmiel is, and its more information this way.

Yes, I did think about various versions like "Three Arab men rape ..." which further reduce any loadedness, but none said "serial rapist", and that overrides all other concerns.

But thanks for making me think about the title agin, the number of men is extremely important information. Nyarlathotep 14:15, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
 * What proof exists that she was raped? Have the accused been convicted? if not, we must assume that they are innocent until prven guilty. Also, what proof do you have that they were Arabs? Which court has convicted Arabs in this case? PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 14:18, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Three arabs sought/wanted/suspected/accused over/in/of/over serial rapes in Karmail, Israel?. — Doldrums(talk) 14:21, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Suspected is the most commonly used term. I'm still unsure of how "Arab" makes for a useful identification tag. There are millions of men who may be considered "Arab", it wouldn't be feasible for anyone to check all of them out. Like I said, it's similar to saying "Jew rapes Arab woman" - Millions of Jews, which one are you looking for? PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 14:24, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Infact, I removed "Arabs" from the original title, replacing it with "Arab serial rapist trio", as pluralizing an ethnicity kinda makes a generalization. So it'll be "Three arab men ..." not "Three arabs ...", big big difference there. But yes, sought is the word that'll make it fly. Plus it makes adding info like "abducted" easier.

I removed the victims ethnicity. If ethnic tensions are ever shown to be a factor in crimes, we'll have a seperate story. Nyarlathotep 14:41, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

If nobody has any objections, I would like to change the title to Serial rapist trio suspected of raping another Israeli woman in Karmiel for the following two reasons :-
 * Wikinews is not, and has not claimed to be, a judicial authority, and hence it is not upto us to decide whether or not the accused are guilty of raping the woman.
 * There are millions of people who may be considered Arab, and it is highly unlikely that our clarifying the Arabic descent of three men would help anybody catch the alleged criminals. Also, the use of ethnic tags (especially when the alleged crime is still under investigation) reflects badly on the project, especially when reporting crimes. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 14:39, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Women care about the ethnicity of a serial rapist, period. Only question is if we add BMW driving.

As I tried to explain before, "Arabs" would be racist, "three arab men" is not. Big diffrence. Nyarlathotep 14:43, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, "suspected" is for when more information is known, "sought" is for about this level of information, i.e. not cought, no suspects, just a little identifying information. Nyarlathotep 14:48, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Who says the rapes were "brutal", you? Add what you want to the title, it only makes you look like a racist (which I am sure you aren't?). PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 14:50, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Use the source, it makes it pretty clear that the abduction & rape were brutal. Nyarlathotep 14:55, 30 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Brutal is so subjective. One Israeli getting raped is "brutal", 4000 Lebanese civilians being incinerated by phosphorus bombs isn't....PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 14:59, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

The title made me smile: "Three Middle-Eastern men sought after serial rapes in Karmiel, Israel". Upon reading the title, the reader breathes a sigh of relief as he realizes that the alleged rapists did not fly in from Australia.--DCo1 06:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Whether we like it or not, the most important facet of this article is that the victim and alleged perpetrators are of their respective races. Compare: Duke lacrosse season ends, coach resigns. I highly doubt that, if Israeli jews were gang raping Israeli Jews, it would recieve mention in the press. (Nor would, say, Jordanian arabs raping Jordanian arabs.)--DCo1 06:33, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Rape is rape, irrespective of who is raping whom. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 10:13, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * We don't have any reason to believe the rapes are racial motivated per se, unlike the case of the Lebenese-Austrailian gang rapes, although race is almost always a factor in gang formation. My assertion was merely that the most important information was "Serial rapist in [city]" followed by identifying information, which is three arabs in a BMW here.  I've backed off a bit about the identifying information in the title, as I believe people will read the article if they see "Serial rapist in [city]".  However, I object to rampant use of "alleged" after she spent time in a hospital.  Nyarlathotep 09:59, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I understand your outrage at what happened, but the fact is that until a judicial authority convicts the suspects, or for that matter confirms that a crime has been committed, we have to use the word "alleged" or something to that effect. There are many lawyers out there who would seek out loopholes that would compel a judge to claim a rape has not been committed even in the fact of proof that would otherwise seem irrefutable. Thus, in the interest of NPOV, we must not assume anything till we are informed of the magistrate's decision. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 10:10, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * It has nothing to do with outrage, its about prevention by letting possible victims know about identifying charateristic. And that is why I don't care about the title anymore, "serial rapist in [city]" is enough to make any woman read the article.  Nyarlathotep 16:28, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Re Nyarlothotep's comment: you could be right, I have not seen the race of the victim disclosed anyways, so perhaps this case is an exception to the rule, but virtually all the major gang rape stories I can think of involve people of different races (as in the | Mahmudiyah_incident, or the above mentioned Lebanese-Australian rapes, or even the above mentioned Duke University incident.) It isn't that intraracial rape doesn't exist, merely that it isn't as interesting.--DCo1 10:27, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * No, they don't give her race, only her nationality (Israeli, I'm not even sure anyone said she was Jewish).
 * Okay, I only know a little but about the subject, but you may be right about gang rapes always being partially about race. I don't know.  Nyarlathotep 16:28, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Although I understand your point, I still have to point out that there is no proof that the maniacs had racist motives for their crimes. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 16:52, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Compromise
I propose a compromise regarding the ethnicity issue- add the "Arab" thing to the article and/or the title, but also add the Israel-relations map showing that the "Arab" world does not recognise Israel's existence. I am sure everyone would agree that the Israeli-recognition issue is relevant to an article that concerns Israel and the "Arabs". PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 10:21, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I now see that Pakistan is an "Arab" country.--DCo1 10:42, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Picture/caption
What relevance does the caption regarding Arab nations rejecting the existence of Israel have to this article?

--Tom12384 16:57, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
 * None. So I removed the irrelevant map. This article does not touch on nations that have refused to recognise Israel.  Events reported on are wholly within Israel. --Brian McNeil / talk 17:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Most "Arab" nations dispute Israel's existence. This article deals with "Arabs". PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 01:20, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
 * What's with the quotes, Arabs are Arabs, aren't they? And so what if most Arab nations dispute Israel's existence, what does that have to do with this Article beyond the fact that the perpetratores are suspected to be Arabs? Its like posting a map of Christianity through the world for a story on the European Space Agency because most of Europe identifies itself as Christian.

It seems clear to me that certain users, who seem to have full faith in the indisputablity of Israel's existence, will never allow that map to be put in any article. I cannot waste time o this any more, everyone knows the truth about the Zionist blot irrespective of what Wikinews censors. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 10:55, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Why the ""?
How is saying they are Arab racist? When the police are looking for someone in North America they descirbe the person, and the media does too. If the person is white, they say they are looking for a white guy, if they are looking for a black guy, they say that too. They also mention ethnicity if it could be important, such as they are a member of the Chinese or Francophone or whatever community. sure there are millions of Arabs in the world, but there are a lot less in Israel then the world. It also excludes Israeli Jews, which is important as the suspects have been identified as Arabs so wasting time on Jews is pointless unless leads are discovered pointing that the perpetrators may be Jewish and not Arabs.

What I am really wondering though, is why the "" around Arabs? Either the police are searching for Arab suspects or they aren't. An ethnicity doesn't need quotation marks for any reason I can think of except perhaps to imply that they aren't looking for real Arabs, but members of some other ethnic group which is often lumped in with Arabs and called Arab in common usage.

 * I removed the quotes and moved the Arab identification to a sentence attributed to the victim. -- IlyaHaykinson 03:07, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Their ethnicity has nothing to do with the alleged crime, which is why we won't mention it in the title. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) [[Image:Flag_of_India.svg|25px]] 10:53, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree that mentioning it in the title is unnecessary. -- IlyaHaykinson 17:21, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

 * Women can comit rape as well. If arab is left out to prevent being racist as in topics further up, shouldn't men be left out of the title too to prevent being sexist? If a gang is ethnically based then their ethnicity is definetly something important.

Who says the gang is based on ethnicity? Maybe they were just a bunch of perverts who got together. PVJ(Talk)(Articles I have written) 09:28, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

By putting Arab in the title we are suggesting that the rape was baised on ethnicity. Since we don't know that I think the current title works well. --Shaoken 02:31, 4 November 2006 (UTC)


text:
U.S. Republican Party television ad bashes Canada

October 26, 2006

A "critical" campaign ad, launched by the US Republican Party, that took a swipe at Canada has been pulled.

"Canada can take care of North Korea," a man in the television ad says. "They're not busy."

The ad's purpose was to blast Democratic Senate candidate, who is running against Republican. The comment about Canada is secondary to the ad's first purpose.

An official for the Republican National Committee told the ad had been pulled because it had "run its course," just one day after party chairman  defended the ad and said it would continue to run.

"Just imagine if I registered a complaint every time my country or president was criticized," said the U.S. Ambassador to Canada,. "Compare that (one ad) with the criticism early this year during the (federal) election that happened every day in Canada ...ads that were run consistently throughout your country."

A source within the Canadian government told the that Canadian ambassador to the U.S.  called the  to remind the Republicans of the heavy load Canada is carrying in Afghanistan.

The has been on an advertising campaign, plastering subway stations in Washington with posters depicting Canadian troops in Afghanistan. There is also a website featuring military cooperation between Canada and the U.S.

The Canadian ambassador to the U.S. has issued a complaint to Washington in response to the television ad.

The 30 second ad (see source below) can now be viewed on.


text:
User talk:63.79.198.2

Welcome!

63.79.198.2, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
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If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! F e  llow  Wiki  News   (W)  22:56, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:63.79.198.2


text:
User:Emperorbma

Directory Structure
commons.wikimedia User Page meta.wikipedia User Page wikibooks User Page wikinews User Page wikipedia User Page wikiquote User Page wikispecies User Page wiktionary User Page
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title: User:Emperorbma


text:
User talk:Emperorbma

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! Jason Safoutin 23:06, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
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 * Introduction - overview of the site
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title: User talk:Emperorbma


text:
Category talk:Admins open to recall

If a lot of users in good standing request a de-adminship, I would think there would be a de-admin vote based on that admin has lost the trust of the comunity, regardless of if there name was on this list. Bawolff ☺☻ 23:47, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
 * No. You cannot just request an admins de-adminship just because they are on this list. — F e  llow  Wiki  News   (W)   (sign here!)  02:15, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
 * Umm, That would make this list absolutely pointless. If they did something wrong, they can always be de-admined Bawolff ☺☻ 02:48, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

title: Category talk:Admins open to recall


text:
User talk:70.50.77.173

Blocked
This IP address has been blocked for one week due to being a block evasion of Neutralizer. Jason Safoutin 23:52, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:70.50.77.173


text:
User talk:203.10.121.83

Blocked
This IP address has been blocked for 24 hours for silly vandalism. Jason Safoutin 00:09, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

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Testing
Hi, thanks for testing a contribution to Wikinews. Your test worked and has been deleted. -- IlyaHaykinson 23:30, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:203.10.121.83


text:
User talk:190.55.25.226

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions; I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!
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 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Additionally, thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and has now been reverted or removed. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles will be reverted quickly. Bawolff ☺User:Bawolff/Sandbox☻ 00:40, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

you may be intreasted also in other wikinews languages:

title: User talk:190.55.25.226


text:
User:Konstable~enwikinews

Unused account, main user page: w:en:User:Konstable

title: User:Konstable~enwikinews


text:
Canadian foreign affairs minister accused to have called Liberal MP a "dog"

October 27, 2006

Foreign affairs minister Peter MacKay was accused last week of calling Liberal MP Belinda Stronach a "dog" in the House of Commons.

Stronach, a feminist, said the comment was offensive to all women.

NDP leader Jack Layton said on Saturday that MacKay should apologise or resign.

MacKay said that he did not call her a dog. "I made no such gesture. I made no derogatory or discriminatory remark toward any member of the House," MacKay said yesterday in the House of Commons.

Despite MacKay's comment, the Liberals are still asking for an apology.


text:
User:Alphachimp

I'm an administrator on English Wikipedia. You can check out my primary userpage here.

title: User:Alphachimp


text:
User:Read-write-services

Hello My name is Richard.

I am a Writer with a Diploma in Human Biology.

I hold qualifications in Radio Electronics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Nuclear Medicine as an Electronics Engineer. My day job is as an Instructor. I teach Electronics, Radio Communications and Navigational Aids to technicians and engineers.

--Read-write-services - (talk) 02:21, 23 April 2008 (UTC)

title: User:Read-write-services


text:
User talk:Read-write-services

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! Thunderhead (talk) 03:35, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
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 * Introduction - overview of the site
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title: User talk:Read-write-services


title: File:27October2006.sxw


title: File:27October2006.pdf


text:
New Zealand school children put fight videos on YouTube

October 27, 2006

Approximately seven videos showing school children beating their peers have been put on the Google-owned video service, YouTube.

The videos are recorded using cellphone cameras from students at Auckland Grammar School, Tauranga Boys' College and Saint Kentigern College and other unidentified schools, according to New Zealand newspaper, The Press.

Auckland Grammar has three videos of bullying and Tauranga Boys College and St Kentigern College both have one video each.

According to The Press one video filmed in Auckland Grammar shows two students, surrounded by a large circle of boys, knock another boy unconscious. The boy appears to have convulsions. The clip was put on YouTube by I0pex a month ago and was titled "Some guy getting KNocked the fuck out." It had a rating of four and a half stars out of a possible five.

The video was not accessible on YouTube by 27 October, 2006 at 7.36 a.m. UTC, a notice displayed said, "This video has been removed due to terms of use violation." The Press said an unidentified clip shows two girls fighting, which was also removed for the same reason.

YouTube guidelines state: "Real violence is not allowed. If your video shows someone getting hurt, attacked or humiliated, don't post it."

According to NewsRoom the video showing the bullying from Tauranga Boys' College shows three students, one student holding another while being punched on the ground in the face. When a teacher breaks up the fight, the comments for the video criticise the teacher for doing so.

One other video shows one Asian student bullying another Asian, according to The Press.

Annabel Taylor, Family Help Trust chairwoman, said: "The clips represented the worst aspects of bullying. It is premeditated, organised, intentional, choreographed even, and that's what distinguishes it from common schoolyard bullying."

Tauranga Boys' College deputy principal, Robert Naumann, said: "While appropriate disciplinary action was taken against the boys involved in the incident, and none of those filmed had given their permission for the footage to be posted on the web, the film has remained within the public domain despite attempts by college staff to have it removed," he said, "Youtube has continued to support its placement". The video was not accessible on 27 October, 2006 at 7.36 a.m. UTC. Graham Young, principal of Tauranga Boys' College, said: "A video posted on the Internet showing two of his students fighting is inappropriate and bizarre, but not unusual. Unfortunately technology allows teenagers to put all sorts of material about each other on websites."

Martin Crocker, Netsafe director, said that while posting the videos did not break any law, the actions filmed in the videos did. "The terrible thing is that the aim of online notoriety is driving people to do quite extreme things," Crocker said.

Dave Turnbull, principal of Cashmere High School, said that he is unaware of anything like that has happened in Christchurch. "The reality is it could have been any school."

According to Paul Shamy from Stopping Violence Services Christchurch, "[I am] not surprised that the violence was in well-to-do schools such as Auckland Grammar as violence is spread throughout society."


text:
California wildfire kills four firefighters seriously injures one

October 27, 2006 A wildfire has been reported near Palm Springs, California.

At least 4 United States Forest Service firefighters were killed and 1 seriously injured, with burns on nearly 95% of his body. The firefighters were overcome by fire while attempting to put out a blaze inside a home. The fire has burned nearly 10,000 acres and has destroyed 5 houses including 5 other buildings.

"We had a lot of fire activity overnight. Normally the fire dies down and the winds let up but that didn't happen last night. It burned like it was daytime," said California Department of Forestry spokesman, Bill Peters.

"[The] chances of survival are low when you have that bad of an injury," said Arrowhead Regional Medical Centre surgeon, Doctor Dev Gnanadev who also added that the firefighter has suffered "severe respiratory damage."

Witnesses have reported that 2 males were seen leaving the area of the fire at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Authorities have determined that the blaze was due to arson and are offering a $500,000 [USD] reward for information leading to an arrest, but no information on how or why the fire was set has been released. Authorities say that murder could be among the arson charges who whoever is responsible.

"This is an arson fire. This is a deliberately set arson fire," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, John Hawkins.

Nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated from the area.


text:
User talk:Matthewsmith

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! — Doldrums(talk) 04:53, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
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 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

title: User talk:Matthewsmith


text:
User:Kuartas

Kuartas

title: User:Kuartas


text:
Dilbert creator Scott Adams talks again

October 27, 2006

Scott Adams, creator of the popular U.S comic strip Dilbert, posted Tuesday in his blog that he spontaneously recovered from Spasmodic Dysphonia, a voice disorder that rendered him incapable of speech.

His blog post, titled Good News Day, describes various efforts he had undergone to self-treat the disorder and "re-map" his brain connections to normal speech. According to Adams, the condition was described to him by a specialist who diagnosed it as incurable.

Hundreds of well wishers have commented with support on his blog page after what Adams said was an 18-month-long battle with the affliction.

"My theory was that the part of my brain responsible for normal speech was still intact, but for some reason had become disconnected from the neural pathways to my vocal cords," Adams wrote.

In what Adams wrote was the "weirdest part of this phenomenon", is a person's ability with the disorder to sing, or to speak in public, or in other contexts of vocal interaction, but not in normal conversation.

For him, the breakthrough to recovery came with the rhyming found in poetry. By reciting "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jumped over the candlestick." he was able to find the reinforcement to talk again.

title: Dilbert creator Scott Adams talks again


text:
Two Pakistani militants arrested in south Indian city of Mysore

October 28, 2006

Two members of the Islamic militant group Al-Badr have been arrested in Mysore after a gun-battle with police early Friday morning.

Police said that they were planning a "devastating" terrorist attack in the state by attacking Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore, which houses the state secretariat and legislative assembly.

According to Karnataka DGP B S Sial, they were intercepted by police when they were riding a bike early morning and apprehended after a shootout. The gunfight took place near the city's Vijaynagar extension. Two police constables and one of the militants sustained minor injuries.

Sial said, an AK-47 rifle, a foreign made pistol, a cell phone, detonators, a digital camera and passports were also recovered from them.

The two Pakistani militants have been identified as Mohd Ali Hussain from Karachi and Mohd Fahad from Manshera. The men were hiding in Mysore for the last two or three months.

Husain is thought to have crossed the Line of Control in June this year through the Rajwar forests in northern Kashmir. He hid himself in the Harwan area until he received instructions to travel to Mysore.

Al-Badr operatives have financed Rs. 300,000 to the Srinagar cell led by an operative code named "Imran". Hussain has been linked to this cell. Investigators believe that Hussain was one of several Al-Badr operatives despatched to execute terror strikes outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Al-Badr was allegedly formed by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in June 1998.


text:
Talk:New Zealand school children put fight videos on YouTube

OR
I went to YouTube and tried to find the videos. Managed to find the link but when I attempted to watch them (purely for investigative purposes) I was told that it had been removed. --Nzgabriel | Talk 07:50, 27 October 2006 (UTC)


text:
Manmohan Singh threatened on e-mail

October 27, 2006

The Kerala police have received an email threatening Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his trip to the state. Singh is scheduled to visit Kerala on November 1 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the state's formation.

Three persons have been taken into custody by the Kerala police after an e-mail was received by the Prime Minister's Office from a cyber cafe in Kochi. This includes two boys who were using the cyber cafe between 9 and 9.30 on Friday morning and the woman owner of the cafe.

Top police sources said the message was sent to Director General of Police Raman Srivastava and the Home Secretary Sri Prakash Jaiswal. Taking serious note of the e-mail, Kerala police are interrogating the accused persons suspecting they had played a prank.

After this incident, the authorities are on high alert. This threat can have serious connotations considering the arrest of 2 Al-badr militants from down south.

Sources said, according to a senior official of Prime minister's office, "As of now there is no change in the prime minister's trip but his security is being constantly under review and a decision could be taken keeping in the mind threat perception".

title: Manmohan Singh threatened on e-mail


text:
Delhi University to honour actor Amitabh Bachchan, four others on 4 November

October 27, 2006

The Delhi University will award an honouris causa degree to its superstar alumnus Amitabh Bachchan on the 4 of November for his contribution to the Indian film industry. Notable cartoonist (and creator of the iconic Common Man character) R. K Laxman, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister C N R Rao and Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dixit will also be presented with honorary degrees at the ceremony.

The University will also honour historian Romila Thapar, industrialist Ratan Tata (who recently negotiated the largest overseas takeover by an Indian company) and writer Mahashweta Devi at a separate convocation.

Mr. Bachchan, who has acted in blockbusters such as Sholay and Don, was conferred an honorary doctorate by the De Montford University of Leicester in July. The French Government has also decided to present him with its highest civilian award- the Legion d'Honneur at an award ceremony which will be held at a later date.


text:
User:The Halo~enwikinews

''' The Halo can be found at the English Wikipedia. '''

title: User:The Halo~enwikinews


text:
User talk:Shridharan~enwikinews

Welcome
, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! — Doldrums(talk) 12:21, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

post-publish changes
hi, just wanted to let u know that wikinews articles, once published, shouldn't be updated with new information. instead, u can start a new article to report further developments in the story. if the updates are likely to be too "small" to merit a new article, the options are to keep the first story in develop for a day or so, report all the info available, and then publish or to publish the article as Breaking news, which alerts readers that further updates can be expected on the article.

for the Mysore article, i've retained the changes and bumped the date of publish to 28 this time, but this is not the preferred solution - nobody likes y'day's story on today's newspaper. — Doldrums(talk) 04:58, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Shridharan. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Shridharan~enwikinews that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:22, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 06:37, 21 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Shridharan~enwikinews


text:
Bush signs law to build fence at US-Mexico border

October 27, 2006

Today {{w|President of the United States|U.S. President}} George W. Bush signed into law the {{w|United States–Mexico barrier|Secure Fence Act of 2006}}, a plan to build a 700 mile (1,125 kilometer) fence between the United States and Mexico, to prevent {{w|illegal immigration}}. Mexico has expressed strong opposition to the fence, which covers about one third of the total border length.

"Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush was quoted saying. "Ours is a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of law... We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility seriously," the President explained.

{{w|United States Congress|Congress}} passed the bill last month with a convincing majority, but the signing has been delayed until now, 12 days before the mid-term elections in the U.S. Yesterday the president already envisioned funding and manpower increases for border control, and extra beds to counter the "catch-and-release at our southern border".

Earlier this month, Bush arranged a $1.2 billion budget for the fence, along with cameras, sensors, satellites and other security measures, to create a "21st-century" border —but the fence alone is roughly estimated to cost twice that amount. A U.S. poll this week showed that there are more Americans in favor of an increased number of {{w|United States Border Patrol|Border Patrol}} agents, while less then half of those questioned agreed with the fence.

According to the BBC, about 10 million Mexicans live in the U.S., and about four million of them are estimated to be illegal. Though, since illegal immigrants are not registered in any official sense, this number may be much higher, and other figures have circulated in the press. Bush has declared he will attempt to counter "widespread document fraud", and opposes the idea of granting illegals who work in the U.S. quick citizenship, or {{w|amnesty}}. According to Bush, "There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation, and I look forward to working with Congress to find that middle ground."

Since Bush took office, he said, about 6 million have been intercepted and deported. Mexico previously said it deplored the idea, and considers taking this to the {{w|United Nations}}. The {{w|Organization of American States}} also expressed "deep concerns" over the fence, calling the proposal "a unilateral measure that goes against the spirit of understanding that should characterize how shared problems between neighboring countries are handled and that affects cooperation in the hemisphere." The outgoing {{w|President of Mexico|Mexican President}} Vicente Fox has compared the fence with the {{w|Berlin Wall}}, while President-elect Felipe Calderon thought it was a "grave mistake", and also that "the fence doesn't resolve anything", causing more casualties along the border. Other politicians in Mexico accused the U.S. of hypocrisy, benefiting from cheap Mexican workers but not allowing them to acquire citizenship.

T.J. Bonner, who heads the National Border Patrol Council, told AP that "A fence will slow people down by a minute or two, but if you don't have the agents to stop them it does no good. We're not talking about some impenetrable barrier."

The immigration issue has divided the U.S. Republican party recently, and has brought many demonstrators to the street. The plan could have been balanced with measures to legalize some immigrants already in the U.S., and a {{w|foreign worker}} program, but Bush couldn't convince many of his Republican Party colleagues.

{{haveyoursay}}


text:
Category:George W. Bush

de:Kategorie:George W. Bush es:Categoría:George W. Bush fr:Catégorie:George W. Bush hu:Kategória:George W. Bush it:Categoria:George W. Bush pt:Categoria:George W. Bush ru:Категория:Джордж Уокер Буш sr:Категорија:Џорџ В. Буш sv:Kategori:George W. Bush zh:Category:乔治·W·布什

title: Category:George W. Bush


text:
Expert calls for less vaccination and more research

October 27, 2006

Following fears earlier this month that, in Britain, flu vaccine would not be available for all those due to be vaccinated this autumn, a contributor to the British Medical Journal now wants resources diverted from vaccination towards research to establish the efficacy of vaccination.

There have been warnings that production problems have delayed delivery of sufficient vaccine to complete the programme on time. The Department of Health had said there should be enough doses in the long-term but some patients would have to wait. This is the third year in which this problem has arisen.

Now writing in the British Medical Journal, Tom Jefferson, a coordinator at Cochrane Vaccines Field, Rome, calls for resources to be diverted from vaccinating people to research into the value of vaccination. Criticising the present policy, calling it "availability creep", Mr. Jefferson says that "it uses up resources that could be invested in a proper evaluation of influenza vaccines or on other health interventions of proven effectiveness".

Another paper, of which T. Jefferson is a co-author, accepts that vaccinating the elderly in institutions reduces the complications of influenza and vaccinating healthy persons under 60 reduces cases of influenza.


text:
Youths burn buses in Paris one year after riots

October 27, 2006

Youths attacked & burned three buses in western Paris suburbs.

A gang of about 30 youths stopped each bus with a road block, forced passengers off, doused the bus with petrol and set it ablaze, destroying the bus and causing damage to cars parked nearby. When firefighters arrived, the youths threw stones at them.

No injuries were reported in the Paris attacks, but one woman was seriously burned in a related attack in Marseilles. There has been one arrest for the Paris attacks.

The attacks mark the one year anniversary of the 2005 French riots, when cars and public buildings were set on fire, mostly by young North African Muslims immigrants.


text:
User:Duja

wikipedia:en:user:Duja

title: User:Duja


text:
Talk:Dilbert creator Scott Adams talks again

Is there any medical or other evidence this really happened? As it stands now its just what a person stated about himself. At least! the title should be changed. This guy also stated he became the most successful cartoon writer because he wrote this wish on a scrap of paper and concentrated on it every day (The Dilbert Future, Chapter 14, Page 246ff). 80.135.247.100 13:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)


text:
User talk:217.154.45.231

Welcome!

217.154.45.231, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information, and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages, please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! — Doldrums(talk) 15:10, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

testing
Additionally, thanks for experimenting with Wikinews. Your test worked, and you've reverted it. Please use Sandbox for any other tests you want to do, since testing in articles will be reverted quickly. — Doldrums(talk) 15:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

For Sale: Digg
hi, thanks for ur interest in Wikinews. i saw the article For Sale: Digg that you created, do note that Wikinews is a news site and not a blog. particularly, articles in the mainspace should report factual and sourced news, without any specualtion. all that wikinews can report about this topic are facts about this rumour, that somebody is speculating about it. also, any discussion about the news event should take place onj the article talk page, not in the article itself. Writing and article and Content guide has more on this. — Doldrums(talk) 15:29, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:217.154.45.231


text:
User talk:80.135.247.100

Welcome!

80.135.247.100, welcome to Wikinews! Thank you for your contributions I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews:
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Here are some other hints and tips:

 * I would recommend that you get a username. You don't have to log in to read or edit articles on Wikinews, but creating an account is quick, free and non-intrusive, requires no personal information, and there are many benefits of having a username.  (If you edit without a username, your IP address is used to identify you instead.)

 * When using talk pages, please sign your name at the end of your messages by typing four tildes (~~). This will automatically produce your username (or IP address) and the date.

If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome!--Steven Fruitsmaak (Reply) 15:39, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

title: User talk:80.135.247.100


text:
Greek blog aggregation service administrator jailed, service censored

October 27, 2006

Antonis Tsipropoulos (Αντώνης Τσιπρόπουλος), the administrator of the Greek blog aggregating service blogme.gr, has been sued, arrested and jailed, because one of the linked RSS feeds on his site had satirical content. Although the service was unrelated in any way other than linking to the allegedly offending blog, the blogme.gr server was shut down and its hard drives were confiscated.

Mr Tsipropoulos posted an explanation for the service's downtime, describing his arrest but naming neither the satirical blog nor the plaintiff. Tsipropoulos later removed the explanation at his lawyers' advice because it might appear to be contemptive to the authorities, because it stated that an aggregating service has nothing to do with the various feeds' content. Although Tsipropoulos gave no clues to the identity of the plaintiff, the only satirical blog known to appear in blogme.gr lampooned televangelist and national mysticist Dimosthenis Liakopoulos. It is suspected that Liakopoulos is the plaintiff. More will be known in the upcoming trial.