Ferguson Black Tax Continue

Here’s how incestuous and crooked the small-town of Ferguson officials and system has been

"Ferguson Black Tax" contiue and being heavily enforced by Ferguson Prosecutor, Stephanie Karr. The highest court we’ve got took decisive action to address the kangaroo municipal court where Ronald J. Brockmeyer galavants around St. Louis County playing judge sometimes and prosecutor at others. As judge in Ferguson, he essentially operated the city cash register by fining — and then fining some more — Ferguson’s black residents. "BlackTax" or FergusonBlackTax

St. Louis Post-Dispatch story painted Brockmeyer, a lawyer in St. Charles County, as a veritable Pone Express dispenser of legal services, working as a judge or prosecutor in five different municipalities, as well as representing defendants.

Here’s how incestuous and crooked the small-town system has been: “Judge” Brockmeyer once prevailed on Ferguson prosecutor Stephanie Karr to dismiss a traffic ticket he had been issued in a nearby municipality where Karr was also the prosecutor, also Ferguson mayor has had Karr to dismiss tickets for his friend and coworkers.

In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Justice http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf excoriated the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court for routinely violating people’s — mostly black people’s — constitutional rights. The report said Ferguson’s fines were among the highest in the region, with hundreds of dollars levied for such violations as “peace disturbance,” “failure to comply” and “manner of walking.”

Manner of walking?

Citing the need for “extraordinary action,” the Supreme Court appointed Judge Roy Richter of the Missouri Court of Appeals in St. Louis to go in, hear cases and clean up the mess.

But Stephanie Karr is not finish yet with Ferguson Black Tax, one year later she's still pumping out arrest warrants.

A year after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown sparked a firestorm in Ferguson, the city is still pumping out thousands of new arrest warrants and jailing people over minor offenses, according to an exclusive CNNMoney analysis. This practice continues despite a scathing report from the Department of Justice in March that found that Ferguson's police department and municipal court were unconstitutionally targeting low-income and minority residents with tickets and fines for minor offenses -- often in pursuit of revenue. The report noted that there were more than 16,000 people (residents and non-residents alike) with outstanding arrest warrants as of the end of last year, equivalent to around 75% of the town's population. http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/06/news/ferguson-arrest-warrants/

"Ferguson Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer, has since resigned. But Karr -- who by day works for Curtis, Heinz, Garrett and O’Keefe, one of several St. Louis law firms that profit off of the county's network of tiny municipalities desperate for revenue -- is still around and doubles as the City of Ferguson counsel."  http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7707802

Our Pressure is Working

Pushing Forward in Ferguson

Our pressure is working. In backlashes of killing of unarmed men and women by police that has sent shock waves through the world, 1,000's of us, activist and protesters have pledged to continue fighting for justice -  equality that is leading us to life lasting change.
http://m.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ca-gov-signs-law-banning-grand-jury-police-shooting-probes-article-1.2323083

In Ferguson Missouri, life of Black Lives Matter, residents, activists and protesters have opposed the city council and mayor hiring of the current city manger and chief of police. So far—City Officials are feeling the heat. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/13/ferguson-s-police-chief-was-suspended-three-times-from-his-previous-job.html

Activists and residents in Ferguson is still fighting to get Ferguson mayor James Knowles kicked out of office. Hiring of the two African Americans, city manager and chief of police was a unique idea by mayor Knowles to get support from the African American community of Ferguson. Since we have filed a lawsuit asking the court to order the City of Ferguson to immediately certify our recall petition Knowles has been quietly reaching out to dozens to explain his decisions and get them to join his side and support him. We are winning!! But now, we need to pay our attorneys that's fighting this for us. Can you chip in to help us pay our attorney? Yes, I'll chip in

The world is watching what happens next with the recall and oust of Ferguson mayor and his new appointees. They're trying to figure out what has really changed after the one year murder of Mike Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. So this is the moment for us to double down.

Can you chip in to help buy literature to mail to Ferguson residents explaining our contentions, platforms and buy billboards in Ferguson calling out Mayor Knowles to resign.

Yes, I'll chip in https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW

Ferguson Activists and Residents lawsuit in court ordering that their recall petition be certified https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/a0d2040a-7ebd-4dd1-90e8-078ba87a9d66

The board of elections reply to petition https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/781ea652-f113-4f58-a197-4eecd0a4379e 

The City of Ferguson reply https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/4db06a41-4ac3-4868-aed7-0560a5a01b77 

This motion filed by the City of Ferguson is frivolous. I don't know what the attorney motive(s) was in regards to filing this motion to dismiss count 2 of our petition.

In regards to count 2 of our petition, if the City of Ferguson win on count 1, which I don't think they will, count 2 is automaticlly dismissed. So there was no need to file a motion to dismiss count 2.

When we win on count 1, the court will automatically grant count 2.

For these reasons stated above, it's my conclusion that the City of Ferguson understand that they will not win on count 1. So they are now preparing for count 2.
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/f8d00539-87a5-4c81-82e2-b5f8febbae11

Here is an urgent request from some friends in Ferguson, Missouri.

Here's the quick back story: You probably heard that the Department of Justice recently issued an unprecedented report exposing leaders in Ferguson for grave violations of the civil rights of Black residents. Six community officials—including the chief of police—have been forced from their posts.

April 08, 2015 Ferguson added three new council people two blacks and one white, neither is for direct change in Ferguson Missouri.

A group of Ferguson community residents and leaders came together to oust the mayor in a recall petition for allowing the grave injustice committed by officials of the City of Ferguson. Leaders and residents turned in over 3,300 signatures when only 1,815 was needed. The clerk of Ferguson and the Board of Elections coupled together are trying to hinder the process of leaders and residents ousting the mayor.

Ferguson city Clerk who has the duty to verify the petition signatures certified the petition as invalid lacking 27 signatures from initiating the recall process getting the mayor name back on the ballot. Ferguson Clerk is trying to turn our valid petition into an invalid petition by invalidating actual valid signatures, alleging registered voters are not registered when in fact they are.

We have filed a lawsuit in Saint Louis County Circuit Court asking a judge to order the Clerk to certify our petition. NOW. And whether this gets off the ground is up to us—This effort will only succeed if organizers can raise money to sustain there efforts in Ferguson on the ground. Can you chip in now and help community leaders in Ferguson make lasting political change? Yes, I'll chip in. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW

In the wake of crisis in Ferguson Missouri, city leaders have hired two "bonus blacks" http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/ferguson-gets-new-police-chief , 1st, a city manager from Arizona to handle Ferguson day-to-day operations who almost bankrupted the small town he was from in Arizona while working as city manager. 2nd, police chief from Arizona, the small town where the city manager came from who was hard on Latinos and African Americans, nor is he license in the State of Missouri to be a peace officer.

We cannot turn a blind eye to these soring incompetent decisions made by the new and old city officials after the blistering DOJ report. 

"In Ferguson, a city that's two-thirds African American, nearly all police officers are white. Black residents have been routinely harassed and detained by police without provocation. Dogs have been set on kids as young as 14, who were later not even charged with a crime. People have been thrown into crippling financial debt for low-level citations while high-ranking officials engaged in the worst forms of nepotism and cronyism to shirk their own speeding tickets." Can you chip in now and help community leaders in Ferguson make lasting political change? Yes, I'll chip in. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW 

It will be a huge undertaking to make the kinds of structural and leadership changes needed to address these issues that are affecting Ferguson—and many of our communities. But that change begins by having a mayor with leadership who will be responsive to communities of color. And what better place is there to start than Ferguson, Missouri?

Can you chip in right now? Yes, I'll chip in and help create lasting political change in Ferguson. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW

With your support, residents and organizers will elect a new mayor for leadership to advocate for commonsense reforms, and demand leadership that will make competent decisions for the people of Ferguson.

This is the next step that some key local organizers in Ferguson want to take—and we're asking for your help. This is an opportunity to turn the national attention on Ferguson into meaningful action that will improve the lives of local residents while serving as a model for community empowerment that could be echoed and adopted throughout the country. But, because organizers rely on donations to push harder and move to the next step, we can only win if enough of us chip in. Can you chip in to support this important effort?

Yes, I'll chip in. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscrcmd=_sxclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW

We need to make sure that in Ferguson, resignations in the wake of the Department of Justice report are just the beginning.

The officials who committed grave injustices against the people of Ferguson must be held accountable for the lives they altered and ruined. New leadership needs to be elected so Ferguson can rebuild and start again.

The world is watching what happens next in Ferguson—and organizers in Ferguson know what happens in their community has the potential to spur people all over the country to change unjust systems and build communities based on justice and dignity for all of us.

To get started, they need your support. I just chipped in—will you?

Yes, I'll chip in and help create lasting political change in Ferguson. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7T9H7GSZJXPXW

Thanks for all you do.
Ferguson Activist
FergusonActivistPhil.org