President Barack Obama was gracious and considerate enough to include Macon County, Alabama Public Schools in his five-point Education Road Tour to assess the Nation's educational climate. The President assigned the task to Rev. Alfred "Al" Sharpton, Mr. Newt Gingrich and U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Neither Gingrich or Duncan was able to come to Macon County, Alabama. Gingrich sent a letter and Judge Glenda Hatchett came in Secretary Duncan's place. Local businessman Greg Calhoun is credited with the blessed attention given to the rural community by the President and the Tour group. What could have been a very comprehensive fact-finding venture on educational traditions, practices, patterns and needs were hijacked by Attorney Fred Gray, Sr's crew and Milton McGregor, the owner of VictoryLand Greyhound Dog Track and Triple 7s Bingo Casino. Gray and McGregor diverted the Tour Team to Gray's Museum and McGregory's Bingo Casino. Thanks to Rev. Al Sharpton and Judge Glenda Hatchett all was not lost - because when they finally made it to Booker T. Washington High School - excellent dialogue occurred between them and students, as well as inspirational and challenging speeches to the entire student body. Greg Calhoun was very inspirational for the students also. Milton McGregor spent his time praising former Mayor Johnny Ford for his extraordinary contributions to bingo gaming (gambling) in Macon County, and misleading some that he was going to invest $50 million in education. The reference to the $50M is the game that they use to mislead people, while referring to what McGregor has contributed to education over the last 25 or so years. The problem with him, Johnny Ford and his others misleading sources, the Tour Team and public officials may interpret such a falsehood to mean that McGregor's VictoryLand is a cash-cow for public education in Macon County, when he is only passing out crumbs: a little over $100.000 per year; when Greene Track in little Greene County, Alabama contributes a million dollars or more to their public schools. The saving grace here is the the Tour Team promised to return to Macon County in November. Good unselfish citizens: students, parents and professionals must be available for the Tour Team to ensure that they get what President Obama sent them to Macon County, Alabama for, and not allow the likes of Fred Gray and Milton McGregor to politically hijack the Tour Team's time and attention. To stand, or sit-by and allow the greedy and selfish among us to continue raping the citizens of opportunities that could mean better growth and development for our public schools will be foolish. Rev. Sharpton is encouraged to communicate with the Concerned Citizens for Justice Coalition in Tuskegee for the real problems with the public schools, as well as the "group" that set out to hijack their Tour and distort the issues. The Victoryland group is suspected of engaging in offensive efforts with the Tour Team, Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, to develop a defensive posture to combat illegal gambling allegations and lawsuits that are underway in Alabama.
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President Education Tour: Tuskegee #6by lefrazier292 views
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