Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thankful for our Community

Good Morning Neighbor:

I would like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving - a holiday I so cherish.  I am continually thankful for our community and all that we have been able to accomplish.  May you truly enjoy the day and travel safely as you journey to be with friends and family.

I know that many will begin decorating for the holidays so I wanted to include an article to remind us how we can help our environment at the same time.


Blessings to all -

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.




Monday, November 16, 2009

And Then There Was SILENCE

Good Morning Neighbor: 

You were all so close to my heart this past Friday.  I cannot thank you enough for the prayers and support as I ventured off to Baltimore to be a part of the National Working Group for Chemical Emergencies.  The morning started with introductions of the group - we set at tables facing one another with large nameplates in front of us (of course everyone had an acronym under their name).  Part of the introduction was to interview the person beside you - the gentleman I met was Todd Jordan from OSHA (Occupational safety and Health Administration) who told me that he works with the responders anytime something blows up in the nation - he said anything we see on Fox or CNN he is there.  And, as the day went on, I met many others in the group that also carry very high ranking jobs that are created to help the workers and the citizens of this nation.  

We had a working lunch and this is when I gave my presentation.  I was only given 10 minutes to speak and I tried to make it as concise as possible but the truth is I did not care about the time.  I felt the citizen story is the most important story and my talk ended up being 22 minutes and thankfully no one tried to stop me.  I created a handout with a litany of failures from agencies and elected officials that they could look over as I spoke - I also included Dr. Glickman's PowerPoint with the obvious spike of animal illness in our area in the summer of 2006.  By the time I completed my presentation, there was stone, cold silence.  I felt it midway through my presentation - they were all sitting there in absolute shock.  You can only imagine if you are the one to design disaster response plans on many, many levels and they were never implemented in reality how that must of felt.   

Many came up to me later to tell me how glad they were that I was there and it was said to the group by one member that he had never heard a story with so many failures to not protect the citizens - I interjected this story is not unusual whatsoever this is happening to thousands of communities all across this nation.  

We broke into two groups to begin making strategic plans for tackling our group charge to redesign how to best respond to a community toxic exposure.  Our story is to be incorporated within a matrix to look at the failures and then create the appropriate response within that matrix.  It was really fascinating watching these great minds work together and create this very involved matrix within a matter of 30 minutes.   It was even more wonderful as the day progressed to be asked, "Is this process okay with you Connie?"  It felt very sincere - is this meeting the needs of the citizens - and I can say for now that this group intends to put their best foot forward.  You must also know that these agencies are not all happy with one another - there is still a lot of anger with regard to the response of 9/11 and Katrina so there is still healing that needs to take place on that level as well.  

I am so very, very grateful and humbled to be a part of all of this.  I still cannot believe that setting up a card table, making a few signs and a petition has brought me to this.  Thanks for your continued support and we still need more signatures on the petition so I am pasting it below.

Your neighbor,


Connie

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/toxicgeorgia/index.html

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.




Thursday, November 12, 2009

Pressing for Action in Baltimore

Good Morning Neighbor:

Well, I am off to Baltimore tonight to give my presentation to the National Working Group for Toxic Emergencies tomorrow.  As I was compiling the data, a very, very deep sadness came over me again.  This should have never happened - no one deserves to be harmed in such a way!!  Knowing all I know now and the fact that this is so wrong to the depth of my being  -  I am totally focused on what the goal must be and it must be that the Government realign itself with the citizens they serve and do everything in their power to provide protection.  Our founding fathers would be horrified to see that our Government has aligned itself with corporations.  

As I was talking to Ben Nelms yesterday of The Citizen Newspaper, he reminded me of the FIFRA Act written in 1948 which inherently protects the corporation so it will always has the first out and it leaves it up to the citizen to prove harm.  So this is what we are up against when all is said and done - we must turn our nation back towards the care of the people.  I know this appears a daunting task but I see more and more people willing to take a stand and I truly think the climate is changing.  America has the potential to stand for the higher good of all but it will only be if we decide that change is needed!!!  I have made my decision - how about you?

We still need numerous signatures for our petition!!  I am pasting the link once again below.  Thanks to all those who have signed so far.  


Your neighbor,

Connie


Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.




Thursday, November 05, 2009

Please Sign Petition

Good Morning Neighbor:

Please see this vital petition that needs your signature.  We need a thousand signatures by next Wednesday so that it can be forwarded to our Governor, State House and Senate, Mayor of Atlanta and City Council.  

Please forward this to all you know.  There are links provided to educate the public as to the need for this petition.  The absolute worst thing we can do is standby and do nothing.  Georgia is now set for the perfect storm - there will be no high-end corporations settling here due to this report - our only commerce will be toxic industries and we have an EPD Director now in place who will easily permit these type of companies.  We must take a stand for not only our physical and economic well being but for generations to come.


Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.




Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Forbes - Atlanta Most Toxic City in the U.S.

Good Morning Neighbor:

I am not stunned at all by the report below.  It is not only Atlanta - it is the entire State of Georgia.  Our legislators have created an absolute nightmare for us all and it has got to stop!!!!  We must wake-up!!!  Please send this out to everyone you know - we must elect officials who care about the actual people of Georgia.  The perfect storm has been created by the Governor -  his recent appointment of an Environmental Protection Director whose firm is a main contributor in seeing to it that Georgia is over-run by toxic waste!!   Please see both links below - the Forbes Report and the clip from WSB.  

Your neighbor,

Connie


http://www.wsbtv.com/video/21456595/

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.