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(1284411)

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Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy''

Posted by Fred G on Wed Apr 29 12:20:15 2015, in response to Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy'', posted by LuchAAA on Wed Apr 29 12:17:01 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
My frame of reference is a bit vintage, ok.




your pal,
Fred

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(1284413)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:21:12 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by gp38/r42 chris on Wed Apr 29 12:19:42 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
They have the internet on computers and phones these days.

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(1284416)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:21:46 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by cortelyounext on Wed Apr 29 09:55:33 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
He's larger than life.

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(1284417)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 29 12:22:43 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:15:36 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Well you're the one that typed $.

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(1284418)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:23:35 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by LuchAAA on Wed Apr 29 10:36:09 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I think Edwards would.

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(1284419)

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Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 29 12:23:44 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:16:32 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Me too.

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(1284423)

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Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 29 12:24:29 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:17:16 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Show me how do avoid it.

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(1284425)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by Spider-Pig on Wed Apr 29 12:24:55 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:21:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
They have the Internet on computers now?

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(1284433)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:31:48 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 29 12:22:43 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Hmmm, that does seem to be the case.

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(1284436)

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Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:33:18 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 29 12:24:29 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
I'll try.

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(1284440)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:36:11 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by Spider-Pig on Wed Apr 29 12:24:55 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Yes, I think so. I'd have to Google it to be sure though.

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(1284456)

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Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy''

Posted by Olog-hai on Wed Apr 29 13:55:02 2015, in response to Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy'', posted by AlM on Wed Apr 29 11:39:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
How come this "extensive work" seems to have gone in the opposite direction?? Especially to the point where the Crips, Bloods and BGF can even talk openly of forming alliances for the purpose of murdering policemen?

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(1284459)

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Re: Benji Hart: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy''

Posted by Spider-Pig on Wed Apr 29 13:59:45 2015, in response to Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy'', posted by Olog-hai on Tue Apr 28 23:58:46 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Ha. Praise from Caesar.

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(1284460)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave "space" to those who "wished to destroy"

Posted by Olog-hai on Wed Apr 29 14:01:57 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 03:02:58 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Probably a complete waste of time

Yes. The NYT does that a lot. There should have been no need to sweep any glass off the streets. But the Bloods, Crips and BGF didn't want peace.

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(1284463)

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Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy''

Posted by WayneJay on Wed Apr 29 14:04:40 2015, in response to Re: Salon: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy'', posted by LuchAAA on Wed Apr 29 11:43:00 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
No, sir! All lives matter, but on this topic... Black people are outraged when police are seemingly able kill black people (or at least use excessive force) at will, give an excuse of being scared for their life, and rarely get more than a slap on the wrist (if that). I can understand giving a police officer the benefit of the doubt, but it's gone far beyond that to the point where excuse are being made for police when video/evidence clearly shows them to be operating outside of the law/proper procedures.

no Al, I don't. Somehow that news missed my radar. Thanks for informing me.

Of course, and that's part of the problem. The good (including many being honest, hard-working and law abiding) seems to escape everyone, and the whole group gets labeled as anti-police, criminal sympathizer, lazy and others. It happens throughout society, and we get to see it quite often on these boards.

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(1284492)

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Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by WayneJay on Wed Apr 29 16:15:25 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor INADVERTENTLY gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by italianstallion on Wed Apr 29 00:06:10 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Very well said.

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(1284493)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by WayneJay on Wed Apr 29 16:27:43 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 03:02:58 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Here's more of them.

Baltimore residents

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(1284515)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 17:59:05 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by WayneJay on Wed Apr 29 16:27:43 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Black people wanting to be left alone in peace where they live. Imagine that! Of course, since we have subchat, that never happened. :)

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(1284520)

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Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Wed Apr 29 18:02:54 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore - how the COMMUNITY is reacting, posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 17:59:05 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
iawtp

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(1284530)

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Re: Benji Hart: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy''

Posted by Dave on Wed Apr 29 18:28:37 2015, in response to Re: Benji Hart: Baltimore violence, especially wrecking cop cars, is ''legitimate political strategy'', posted by Spider-Pig on Wed Apr 29 13:59:45 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Where's Perry White when we need him?

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(1284558)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by gp38/r42 chris on Wed Apr 29 20:19:55 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:21:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Haven't had time to read news sites either. Haven't even been here that much last week or so either

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(1284576)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by Fred G on Wed Apr 29 22:38:36 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by italianstallion on Wed Apr 29 09:38:07 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Never stopped him before :)

your pal,
Fred

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(1284580)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by TerrApin Station on Wed Apr 29 22:58:41 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by gp38/r42 chris on Wed Apr 29 20:19:55 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
That's sad. Unless it's a Jewish holiday, no one has any excuse for not being aware of what's going on in the world around them.

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(1284581)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by 3-9 on Wed Apr 29 23:01:36 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by terRAPIN station on Wed Apr 29 12:36:11 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
If I didn't read about it on my vt52 terminal, it didn't happen. :-)

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(1284596)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 23:48:04 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by 3-9 on Wed Apr 29 23:01:36 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Aw, man ... REAL geeks have ASR-33's, with paper tape transmitter ready to rip.

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(1284810)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by SLRT on Thu Apr 30 15:41:55 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed Apr 29 02:54:14 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
:)

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(1285814)

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Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy''

Posted by Spider-Pig on Sun May 3 22:28:06 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor gave ''space'' to those who ''wished to destroy'', posted by R2ChinaTown on Tue Apr 28 16:56:47 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Did you study English in school?

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(1290388)

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Baltimore mayor finds "spike" in violent crime "disheartening"—after encouraging it

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 23 18:03:45 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor gave "space" to those who "wished to destroy", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Apr 27 18:44:54 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Baltimore Sun

Baltimore's mayor: Spike in crime 'disheartening'

By Yvonne Wenger
May 21, 2015 11:00 AM
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called the city's recent spike in violence “disheartening” Thursday as police work to address a dramatic increase in homicides and nonfatal shootings.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” the mayor told reporters at a news conference. “It is disheartening, but I am still resolved to continue to reduce violent crime in our city.”

Rawlings-Blake said the city’s faced spikes in crimes in the past and police have been able to successfully reverse them. She said she’s “confident” police will do so again.

The city has experienced 100 homicides this year, compared with 71 at this time last year, the police department said. It's the fastest the city has reached 100 homicides since 2007. Last year, the city reached the mark on July 4. Nonfatal shootings are up more than 70 percent with at least 19 people shot on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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(1290398)

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Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it

Posted by chicagomotorman on Sat May 23 18:34:57 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor finds "spike" in violent crime "disheartening"—after encouraging it, posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 23 18:03:45 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is a racist.

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(1290417)

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Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it

Posted by BILLBKLYN on Sat May 23 19:40:32 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor finds "spike" in violent crime "disheartening"—after encouraging it, posted by Olog-hai on Sat May 23 18:03:45 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
That's what ya get!

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(1290438)

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Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by Olog-hai on Sun May 24 00:07:12 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor gave "space" to those who "wished to destroy", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Apr 27 18:44:54 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Baltimore Sun

Unilever to close last Md. factory

By Natalie Sherman
May 12, 2015 10:25 AM
Unilever plans to move production of vegetable oil and margarine spreads from Baltimore to Kansas beginning at the end of the month, shutting its Baltimore plant and laying off 137 workers.

The consumer goods giant plans to shift operations from its Southwest Avenue factory to Olathe, Kansas, where it performs similar work and embarked on a $152.5 million expansion in 2013.

Unilever informed Maryland regulators of the layoffs, which begin this month, in a notice last month, as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The plant is slated to close by the end of September.

The Southwest Avenue location manufactured Country Crock and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. A spokeswoman for the firm said the move was precipitated by a search for "greater efficiencies."

"Due to overcapacity in our spreads network in the USA, greater efficiencies can be achieved by shifting production," Jaime Stein said in a statement.

The Baltimore plant is the last factory owned by Unilever in Maryland, she said. As recently as 2002, however, the firm was a large employer, with at least three locations.

Unilever sold its laundry detergent business in 2008, offloading its nearly 50-acre plant on Holabird Avenue, which ultimately closed last year. In 2011, it also announced the shutdown of an ice cream factory in Hagerstown, with layoffs of 437.

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(1290440)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:21:38 2015, in response to Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by Olog-hai on Sun May 24 00:07:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
more homelessnes more poverty

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(1290441)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:21:53 2015, in response to Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by Olog-hai on Sun May 24 00:07:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
And so it goes. Better call Sharpton

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(1290442)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:22:40 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:21:38 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
That's right. Look on the bright side. More welfare and unemployment.

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(1290443)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:29:55 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:22:40 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
thats not the bright side
union paid employment is better

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(1290444)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:30:12 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:21:53 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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(1290445)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by WillD on Sun May 24 00:31:11 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:22:40 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
More federal tax money being funneled from blue states to red states to subsidize their "job creating" tax breaks.

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(1290446)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun May 24 00:55:15 2015, in response to Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by Olog-hai on Sun May 24 00:07:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Since they're corn products and oil trains have been delaying shipment (where they CAN order a car to begin with) this comes as no surprise. To lay blame for this at the hands of Maryland though is a bit disingenuous. Unilever's consolidation of their corn products is more due to their getting their asses kicked in the marketplace by ACH/ADM which has pretty much taken their business away in this segment.

Unilever has been heavily divesting this entire business, starting with their primary operations in Mexico which has aleady been sold to ACH. Here:

http://www.achfood.com/overview.cfm

But sure ... use it for politics as usual.

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(1290468)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 12:24:47 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:30:12 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Wake up baldy!

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(1290469)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 12:25:43 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by WillD on Sun May 24 00:31:11 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Wat you talkin about, willis?

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(1290482)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 13:29:57 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 12:24:47 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
i am not your baldy

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(1290506)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by Olog-hai on Sun May 24 20:14:16 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by R2Chinatown on Sun May 24 00:21:53 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
They're already under the bus. We need Sharktongue to throw them under a whole garageful of buses?

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(1290508)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by busdude2 on Sun May 24 20:42:48 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 00:21:38 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
No problem uncle Obumma will give everybody healthcare and food stamps. They will never have to look for work again. It's now the American way.

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(1290513)

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Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun May 24 21:46:24 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore to lose last Unilever plant, with 137 layoffs, posted by busdude2 on Sun May 24 20:42:48 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
they need to all get thier jobs back asap

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(1292122)

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Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it

Posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jun 1 02:21:35 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it, posted by chicagomotorman on Sat May 23 18:34:57 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Nobody's protesting the 33 homicides in the weeks between April 19 and May 16, are they. Hypocrites all.

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(1292123)

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Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Mon Jun 1 02:23:20 2015, in response to Re: Baltimore mayor finds ''spike'' in violent crime ''disheartening''—after encouraging it, posted by chicagomotorman on Sat May 23 18:34:57 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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(1300021)

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Woman who threw water on Baltimore mayor gets arrested

Posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jul 12 21:31:43 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor gave "space" to those who "wished to destroy", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Apr 27 18:44:54 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Lady Rawlings-Blake must be lucky to have been able to summon enough police to get the woman arrested.

Cable News Network

Woman accused of tossing water on Baltimore mayor

By Sheena Jones, CNN
Updated 1:42 PM ET, Sun July 12, 2015
A woman was arrested after allegedly throwing water on Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at a festival in the city's northwest, police said Saturday.

The festival was near Mondawmin Mall, one of the locations where rioting took place earlier this year following the death of Freddie Gray, a man who died while in police custody.

There was no immediate indication that the incident was related to the unrest in Baltimore that followed Gray's death.

Lacheisa Pailin-Sheffer, 37, was arrested on an allegation of second-degree assault. CNN was unable to contact family members Saturday evening.

"A woman tossed a cup of liquid at the mayor," said Howard Libit, director of strategic planning and policy for the city. "The mayor was not injured. She dried off and went on with the event and the rest of her daily plans. An odd incident, but not a big deal."

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(1300062)

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Re: Woman who threw water on Baltimore mayor gets arrested

Posted by LuchAAA on Mon Jul 13 00:30:37 2015, in response to Woman who threw water on Baltimore mayor gets arrested, posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jul 12 21:31:43 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
LOL @ Lacheisa.

There must be a link between bad behavior and these names.

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(1305172)

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Baltimore experiences more murders in July than in the past 43 years

Posted by Olog-hai on Sat Aug 1 00:09:02 2015, in response to Baltimore mayor gave "space" to those who "wished to destroy", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Apr 27 18:44:54 2015.

fiogf49gjkf0d
Associated Press

Baltimore killings soar to a level unseen in 43 years

By Juliet Linderman
Jul. 31, 2015 4:47 PM EDT
Baltimore reached a grim milestone on Friday, three months after riots erupted in response to the death of Freddie Gray in police custody: With 45 homicides in July, the city has seen more bloodshed in a single month than it has in 43 years.

Police reported three deaths — two men shot Thursday and one on Friday. The men died at local hospitals.

With their deaths, this year's homicides reached 189, far outpacing the 119 killings by July's end in 2014. Nonfatal shootings have soared to 366, compared to 200 by the same date last year. July's total was the worst since the city recorded 45 killings in August 1972, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The seemingly Sisyphean task of containing the city's violence prompted Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to fire her police commissioner, Anthony Batts, on July 8.

"Too many continue to die on our streets," Rawlings-Blake said then. "Families are tired of dealing with this pain, and so am I. Recent events have placed an intense focus on our police leadership, distracting many from what needs to be our main focus: the fight against crime."

But the killings have not abated under Interim Commissioner Kevin Davis since then.

Baltimore is not unique in its suffering; crimes are spiking in big cities around the country.

But while the city's police are closing cases — Davis announced arrests in three recent murders several days ago — the violence is outpacing their efforts. Davis said Tuesday the "clearance rate" is at 36.6 percent, far lower than the department's mid-40s average.

Crime experts and residents of Baltimore's most dangerous neighborhoods cite a confluence of factors: mistrust of the police; generalized anger and hopelessness over a lack of opportunities for young black men; and competition among dealers of illegal drugs, bolstered by the looting of prescription pills from pharmacies during the riot.

Federal drug enforcement agents said gangs targeted 32 pharmacies in the city, taking roughly 300,000 doses of opiates, as the riots caused $9 million in property damage in the city.

Perched on a friend's stoop, Sherry Moore, 55, said she knew "mostly all" of the young men killed recently in West Baltimore, including an 18-year-old fatally shot a half-block away. Moore said many more pills are on the street since the riot, making people wilder than usual.

"The ones doing the violence, the shootings, they're eating Percocet like candy and they're not thinking about consequences. They have no discipline, they have no respect — they think this is a game. How many can I put down on the East side? How many can I put down on the West side?"

The tally of 42 homicides in May included Gray, who died in April after his neck was broken in police custody. The July tally likewise includes a previous death — a baby whose death in June was ruled a homicide in July.

Shawn Ellerman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said May's homicide spike was probably related to the stolen prescription drugs, a supply that is likely exhausted by now. But the drug trade is inherently violent, and turf wars tend to prompt retaliatory killings.

"You can't attribute every murder to narcotics, but I would think a good number" of them are, he said. "You could say it's retaliation from drug trafficking, it's retaliation from gangs moving in from other territories. But there have been drug markets in Baltimore for years."

Across West Baltimore, residents complain that drug addiction and crime are part of a cycle that begins with despair among children who lack educational and recreational opportunities, and extends when people can't find work.

"We need jobs! We need jobs!" a man riding around on a bicycle shouted to anyone who'd listen after four people were shot, three of them fatally, on a street corner in July.

More community engagement, progressive policing policies and opportunities for young people in poverty could help, community activist Munir Bahar said.

"People are focusing on enforcement, not preventing violence. Police enforce a code, a law. Our job as the community is to prevent the violence, and we've failed," said Bahar, who leads the annual 300 Men March against violence in West Baltimore.

"We need anti-violence organizations, we need mentorship programs, we need a long-term solution. But we also need immediate relief," Bahar added. "When we're in something so deep, we have to stop it before you can analyze what the root is."

Strained relationships between police and the public also play a role, according to Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Arrests plummeted and violence soared after six officers were indicted in Gray's death. Residents accused police of abandoning their posts for fear of facing criminal charges for making arrests, and said emboldened criminals were settling scores with little risk of being caught.

The department denied these claims, and police cars have been evident patrolling West Baltimore's central thoroughfares recently.

But O'Donnell said the perception of lawlessness is just as powerful than the reality.

"We have a national issue where the police feel they are the Public Enemy No. 1," he said, making some officers stand down and criminals become more brazen.

"There's a rhythm to the streets," he added. "And when people get away with gun violence, it has a long-term emboldening effect. And the good people in the neighborhood think, 'Who has the upper hand?'"

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Re: Baltimore experiences more murders in July than in the past 43 years

Posted by LuchAAA on Sat Aug 1 01:47:41 2015, in response to Baltimore experiences more murders in July than in the past 43 years, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Aug 1 00:09:02 2015.

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Leftists lost this thread in the first post.

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