#Teacher Pay Raises In Louisiana

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The only reason John Arthur is able to be a public school teacher is because his wife makes much more money than he does.

Arthur — the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year — testified on Thursday at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the challenges facing public school teachers.

Arthur, who is also a member of the National Education Association and holds National Board Certification, pointed to pay as the main reason for both teachers leaving the profession and parents not wanting their children to become teachers.

“The No. 1 solution to addressing the issues we face must be increasing teachers’ salaries,” said Arthur, who teaches at Meadowlark Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gemayel Keyes, a teacher at Gilbert Spruance Elementary School in Philadelphia, told the committee that even as an educator, he still has an additional part-time job.

The special education teacher spent most of his career in education as a paraprofessional. At the time he moved into that role, the starting annual salary was $16,000 and the maximum was $30,000.

“It’s still pretty much the same,” he said.

MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY

Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, introduced a bill in March 2023 that would set an annual base salary of $60,000 for public elementary and secondary school teachers.

“We understand that the children, young people of this country, are our future and there is, in fact … nothing more important that we can do to provide a quality education to all of our young people, and yet, for decades, public school teachers have been overworked, underpaid, understaffed, and maybe most importantly, underappreciated,” Sanders said in his opening remarks.

“Compared to many other occupations, our public school teachers are more likely to experience high levels of anxiety, stress and burnout, which was only exacerbated by the pandemic,” he said.

Sanders said 44% of public school teachers are quitting their profession within five years, citing “the extremely low pay teachers receive” as one of the primary reasons for a massive U.S. teacher shortage.

For the 2023-24 school year, a whopping 86% of K-12 public schools in the country documented challenges in hiring teachers, according to an October report from the National Center for Education Statistics.

MARYLAND SETS $60,000 MINIMUM

But a minimum annual teacher salary of $60,000 is not far off for every state.

In Maryland, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future raises the starting salary for teachers to $60,000 a year by July 2026.

William E. Kirwan, vice chair of Maryland’s Accountability and Implementation Board, said the multi-year comprehensive plan, passed in 2021 in the Maryland General Assembly, “addresses all aspects of children’s education from birth to high school completion, including most especially, the recruitment, retention and compensation of high quality teachers.”

Kirwan said the “Blueprint’s principle for teacher compensation is that, as professionals, teachers should be compensated at the same level as other professionals requiring similar levels of education, such as architects and CPAs.”

AN “ALLOCATION ISSUE”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, ranking member of the committee, dubbed Democrats’ solution of creating a federal minimum salary for teachers as a “laudable goal.”

But he noted that “the federal government dictating how states spend their money does not address the root cause of why teachers are struggling to teach in the classroom.”

“More mandates and funding cannot be the only answer we come up with. We must examine broken policies that got us here and find solutions to improve,” the Louisiana Republican said.

Nicole Neily, president and founder of Parents Defending Education, a parents’ rights group, argued that “schools don’t have a resource issue” but rather an “allocation issue.”

“There’s a saying: ‘Don’t tell me where your priorities are, show me where you spend your money, and I’ll tell you what they are.’ Education leaders routinely choose to spend money on programs and personnel that don’t directly benefit students,” said Neily.

Neily pointed to a 2021 report from the Heritage Foundation, which found that “standardized test results show that achievement gaps are growing wider over time in districts with (chief diversity officers).” Such staff members commonly encourage efforts at diversity, equity and inclusion in schools.

Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said “higher pay does not ease the burden we place on teachers or add hours to their day.”

“By all means, raise teacher pay, but do not assume that it will solve teacher shortages or keep good teachers in the classroom. Poor training, deteriorating classroom conditions, shoddy curriculum and spiraling demands have made an already challenging job nearly impossible to do well and sustainably,” he added.

[jonesdel]

“ heads up ; if you hear SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER by SAM FENDER blaring, it’s most likely JONESY DELMONT making their way down the shore ! they’re 25 years old and celebrate their birthday on 04/19 - i knew they were an ARIES ! especially since they’re very DAUNTLESS and UNINHIBITED. they are from BATON ROUGE, LA, staying in SILVER SANDS and are currently working as a MECHANIC @ HOT ROD AUTO SHOP, here at asbury park. They always did remind me of sunkissed skin stained with oil smudges, unwittingly following the footsteps that were determinedly dodged, and coconut scented surfboard wax. “

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆: mentions of alcohol/drugs, child neglect, & death.

⸻   BASIC

FULL NAME.    jonesy wayne delmont

NICKNAMES.    jone , delly , jd

BIRTHDATE.    april 19th , 1999

IDENTITY.    cis man , he / him

SEXUALITY.    heterosexual

LINEAGE.    joan delmont nee baker  † ( grandma ) ,  boone delmont  ( father ) ,  delayne merlotte  † ( mother )

⸻  BACKGROUND

boone delmont was a name well known to the authorities and, if anything, that only further coaxed the chief’s rebellious daughter into the dirtbag’s bed. was still just a kid himself at 15 years when jonesy was brought into the world.

unfortunately for the junior delmont, his mom passed due to unforeseen complications after giving birth, and so he was left with only his dad and paternal grandmother. considering boone was a deadbeat, on top of being in and out of jail, grandma delmont was the one to look after jonesy through his childhood.

so without having a hope in hell from the get go, jonesy was raised in the sweltering depths of louisiana in a household that always had some form of drugs or alcohol ( usually both ) at his family's disposal at any given time. therefore, he was exposed to these addictions at a very early age and would eventually follow the same path, but to a lesser degree.

as the apple of his grandma's eye, for some reason, he could do no wrong. when, in fact, he did very wrong, at any given moment. jonesy was labelled a problem child by his teachers. it started off with him being an annoying punk kid, disrupting class and clowning around with his friends. but as he got older, the problem grew with him.

fist fights were a common occurrence whenever he was in attendance at school. so if he didn't skip, he was sent home regularly. however, he never let his grandma know the difference ( if she'd even notice anyway ) and he'd stay out on the streets all day -- drinking, smoking, wreaking havoc on the city -- until school was let out and it'd be time for him to go home.

eventually, jonesy would flip a final fuck you to the system and drop out of high school. who needs big brains?? certainly NOT him. instead of pursing a fruitful career like every other kid on the block, he acquired the necessary license to become a long haul driver because 1) he wanted to travel and 2) what else was he gonna do.

rootin great rapport via walkie talkie channels with all his trucker buds, tootin his loud ass horn down the highway at every little car that tried to cut him off, jonesy was content with this way of life. until he met some guru at some bar, somewhere along the way home. then he was apparently motivated to turn his life around, going on to get his GED and then apply to a college in asbury park - a seaside town he'd stopped in between his routes to stay overnight and fell in love with.

when word spread of this, he inherited ( really was given ) a whole ass trailer home in silver sands from a relative. rumor has it some shady business was going on in there and so having jonesy live there was all a cover up to keep the cops from sniffing around. but whatever the reason, he didn't care. he got a free home, away from his grandma and dad.

without ever having any real big bills to pay, thanks to the inheritance, jonesy did well to save up a huge chunk of his earnings. he quit his long-haul job and was able to live comfortably until kicking off his new career. while attending college, he completed an apprenticeship at hot rod auto shop and then eventually got hired on.

having been a mechanic for hot rod for nearly a decade now, he's been through all kinds of ups and downs. his grandma passed away and nobody told him ( he found out by calling for a wellness check on her ), he lowkey became an alcoholic by trying to drink his sorrows away, and his house was broken into one night by a couple guys he used to run with ( he thinks ), which resulted in him almost getting shot for trying to fight off the assailants. safe to say now, he keeps a pistol tucked away for future intimidation ( which he may or may not legally own ).

⸻  HEADCANONS

spitting image of his dad, much to his dismay.

while he can still be a troublemaker and smartass at times, jonesy has very high golden retriever energy.

homeboy has no qualms when it comes to protecting his territory and his people, and is no stranger to violence.

he has a soft spot for his co-workers aka his found family. to make up for being so shitty when he was younger, jonesy does his best now to help out where he can and looks out for his own.

drives an old volkswagen van to transport his surfboards and sometimes camp on the beach with, but also owns a loud af dirtbike that he rips around on at night to 'clear his head'.

checks in on his dad every so often bc as much as he tainted jonesy's childhood, the senior delmont also showed him some sort of love in his own fucked up way.

deep down, like way deep, jonesy knows he's toeing a dangerous line between maintaining his own path and veering onto the same road his dad went down. it's terrifying, but he won't speak a word about it bc talking about feelings and being vulnerable wasn't taught in his family. so he just bottles that shit up.

[transfloridaresources]

Orlando, FL. Oct. 07, 2023, 12PM Orange & Anderson (near City Hall) Follow transyouthmarch on IG

[Photo ID: Image against a white background of an illustrated raised fist in trans flag colors with surrounding text reading: National March To Protect Trans Youth & Speakout for Trans Rights. Orange & Anderson (near City Hall) Orlando, FL. Sat. 12 Noon. Oct. 7. Stop Racist Attacks on Our Communities. • Reverse DeSantis's bans on trans healthcare, restroom access, Black & Queer Studies. • Stop Censorship & attacks on civil liberties of teachers, students, & libraries. • Hands off Pride! • Free, legal, accessible abortions. • Demand Biden & Congress enforce civil rights coast to coast. • Expand Medicaid and SNAP. • Stop voter disenfranchisement. • Drop charges on the Tampa 5. (Labor donated). Get involved! Add your organization/name. Sign up at: ProtectTransKidsMarch.org. Partial list of endorsers: Women in Struggle-Mujeres en Lucha, Queer Youth Assemble, PRISM, South Florida, Christynne Lili Wrene Wood, 2023 San Diego Champion of Pride, Orlando Come Out with Pride, Center for Constitutional Rights, Equality Florida, Tampa Bay Community Action Committee, Real Name Campaign, NOLA, Pride At Work Eastern Massachusetts, The Queer Notion, Tampa, Transpired Media, Louisiana Women's Rights Action Committee, Red Berets for Queers, United American Indians of New England, Andre Powell, ret. delegate, Baltimore CLC, AFL-CIO*, Baltimore Peoples Power Assembly, Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice, Los Angeles, PFLAG Safety Harbor, Zebra Youth. *for ID only. /End ID]

[Photo ID: Blue background infographic with four white boxes labeled by pink, numbered circles reading: HOW TO GET INVOLVED. 01) ENDORSE: You can have your organization endorse the March at https://protecttranskidsmarch.org/signon/ 02) DONATE: Help us pay for travel and operational costs to make this thing possible. You can do this by holding an event, fundraiser, or just by donating at https://tinyurl.com/TransMarchDonate 03) OUTREACH: Include graphics and info about the Oct. 7 march on your platforms. Print out our leaflets and distribute them at protests, events, and community spaces. Or create your own. 04) ORGANIZE: Sign up on our website to join our organizing meeting, host solidarity events, and join our discord for more info! /End ID]

[boonedelmont]

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌 . 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 . 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐘 . 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 . 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 .

[cis man & he/him] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [BOONE DELMONT]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [BOYD HOLBROOK]. You must be the [THIRTY SIX] year old [BOAT DRIVER AT AIR BUBBLES SCUBA DIVING CLUB]. Word is you’re [PROFICIENT] but can also be a bit [VOLATILE] and your favorite song is [GENTLE ON MY MIND BY STEFIE SHOCK]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [FISHERS COVE]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

———— ◽️ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒

government name.    booker nelson delmont

preferred name.    boone

current age.    thirty six

birthdate.    december 23rd

height.    6'2"

identity.    cis male, he/him

sexuality.    heterosexual

moral alignment.    chaotic neutral

language(s) spoken.    english, very little spanish

occupation.    boat driver at air bubbles scuba diving club

residence.    inherited house in fishers cove

———— ◽️ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐏

without having a hope in hell from the get go, boone was raised in the sweltering depths of louisiana in a household that always had some form of drugs or alcohol ( usually both ) at his parents' disposal at any given time. so he was exposed to these addictions at a very early age and would eventually follow the same path, but to a lesser degree.

as the apple of his parents' eye, for some reason, he could do no wrong. when, in fact, he did very wrong, at any given moment. boone was labelled a problem child by his teachers. it started off with him being an annoying punk kid, disrupting class and clowning around with his friends. but as he got older, the problem grew with him.

fist fights were a common occurrence whenever he was in attendance at school. so if he didn't skip, he was sent home regularly. however, he never let his parents know the difference ( if they'd even notice anyway ) and he'd stay out on the streets all day -- drinking, smoking, wreaking havoc on the small town -- until school was let out and it'd be time for him to go home. as a result, he was held back a couple times in different grades.

eventually, boone would flip a final fuck you to the system and drop out of high school. who needs big brains?? certainly NOT him. instead of pursing a fruitful career like every other kid on the block, he acquired the necessary license to become a long haul driver because 1) he wanted to travel and 2) what else was he gonna do.

rootin great rapport via walkie talkie channels with all his trucker buds, tootin his loud ass horn down the highway at every little car that tried to cut him off, boone was content with this way of life. until he met some girl at some bar, somewhere along the way home. then he was apparently in love.

when word spread of this, he inherited ( rly was given ) a whole ass house in aurora bay from a relative. rumor has it some shady business was going on in there and so having boone and his aforementioned gf live there was all a cover up to keep the cops from sniffing around. but whatever the reason, he didn't care. he got a free home, away from his parents.

while boone wasn't exactly your all american, golden boy or best big brother, he felt guilty ditching his younger siblings, and made a point to keep his door open for them if they ever needed a place to crash. he wasn't the affectionate type by any means, but he tried to be a better influence than their parents ever were.

without ever having any real big bills to pay, thanks to the inheritance, boone did well to save up a huge chunk of his earnings. so when his girlfriend ended up having a baby, he quit his long haul job and bought a boat, eventually landing a solid gig with the local scuba diving club. all the rich people loved disrupting the ocean life, so he thought it was a great investment. big brains.

having been the boat driver for air bubbles for nearly a decade, he's been through all kinds of ups and downs. his girlfriend left him for an accountant and moved across the country with their kid, he lowkey became an alcoholic by trying to drink his sorrows away, and his house was broken into one night by a couple guys he used to run with ( he thinks ), which resulted in him almost getting shot for trying to fight off the assailants. safe to say now, he keeps a shotgun tucked away for future intimidation ( which he may or may not legally own ).

———— ◽️ 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒

he's lowkey insane. like homeboy has no qualms when it comes to protecting his territory and his people, and is no stranger to violence.

however crazy he may get, he has a soft spot for his family & co-workers. to make up for being so shitty when he was younger, boone does his best now to help out where he can and looks out for his own.

drives an old ford bronco, but also owns a loud af dirtbike that he rips around on at night to 'clear his head'.

checks in on his parents every so often bc as much as they tainted his childhood, they also showed him some sort of love in their own fucked up way.

still drinks almost every night, so he's always at a bar or lounge. would probably sing karaoke if he was drunk enough.

does a video call with his kid every day ( or every other day ) and faithfully pays out child support. while he misses his daughter, boone knows she's better off growing up away from his family's antics.

( @aurorabayaesthetic )

[danpuff-ao3]

15 Questions

Thanks for the tag @sitp-recs & @billsfangearring!! 😄 These are always fun!

Tagging: whoever wants to be tagged, I'm too shy to tag rn 🙈

Are you named after anyone? My middle name is Denise after my great-grandfather Dennis! I'm the oldest of 7 and all of us are named after someone, though with all but one it's a middle name. (Just some extra fun facts!)

When was the last time you cried? Oh lordy. Sometime during the week I think I vaguely remember working myself up in my head and getting teary over it 😬 Though full on sniffling and sobbing and tears falling was Sunday because my partner played the song "Traveling Soldier" (he really likes songs that make me cry which is rude.)

Do you have kids? absolutely not nor do I want them. I'm the oldest of 7 remember? I did my time.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? bahahahahaha.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Their energy/vibe. Which sounds weird so my next thought was "voice" 🤔 Which also seems weird so...um. Probably mouth because I can't hear very well so I use lip reading to help. Which also sounds weird so...Eyes? Perfectly not weird answer. Except apparently most people I know don't pay attention to people's eyes which ??? So potentially still a weird answer but maybe the least weird of them 😂

What’s your eye colour? Brown!

Scary movies or happy ending? HAPPY ENDING.

Any special talents? I want to say "no" but my therapist would not be best pleased with that. Um...I pick up new skills pretty quickly. I'm pretty good at self-learning and figuring things out. I can bake very well! I've been told I'm a decent writer 😄

Where were you born? born and raised in the friggin' BIBLE BELT. In the good ole U.S. of A. Born in Mississippi which is only just marginally worse than where I am now. 😂 (Never thought I'd say anything nice about Louisiana, but here we are.) (Just kidding we have crawfish and king cake.) (Also New Orleans alone makes up for everything else imo.)

What are your hobbies? reading, writing, commenting on fic!, listening to music, dancing, organizing (yes it's a hobby please leave me alone), baking, collecting (100% a hobby), refreshing Reddit for new AITA posts 🤣, Tumblr nonsense, pestering my friends on Discord, Wikipedia rabbit holes, pacing (please don't ask), gazing admiringly at my partner (listen...don't judge me) uh...that's it? Oh wait! Also makeup. ALSOOOO...trying to make new friends :) (When I'm not feeling too shy/anxious, that is!)

Do you have any pets? no :(

What sports do you play/have you played? what is this "sport" of which you speak?

How tall are you? 5'6"? ish?

Favourite subject at school? art! Which is funny because I have 0 art talent now but it's still fun and I loved my teacher! English was a close second though.

Dream job? idk I work administration now and I actually really like it?? My specific current job is not the best, but in general I like it. I like data entry, organization, paperwork, etc. But also working at a bookstore would be neat! So maybe doing admin work related to books would be the ultimate dream! But really nothing super fancy or prestigious or anything. I'd never want to monetize anything I'm actually passionate about, so as long as I can make money keeping to myself and staying busy I'm fine!

[michael6618]

We bragged that we're the best country in the world, no we're not no we are not. We pay the teachers the lowest salary to take care of the future of our nation. And now the teachers are residing the teachers are leaving for fish. Looking forward look at California look at Texas. Teaching is a lost profession and we can't even pay our teachers what they deserve.

While I am on my rant I wish to address these idiots and conservative legislators who are practicing medicine without a license. You Republican legislator men claim to be pro-life yet you probably think a vulva is a Volvo. You have no idea what a woman's body is. Some of you are even afraid to talk about menstruation probably you are even afraid to talk to your daughter about The facts of Life bunch of cowards and you wonder why you're morbidity rate for mothers and infants are so high in Louisiana and Alabama because you are idiots. Idaho is another state that needs to lose every OBGYN allied professional to another state. Texas Louisiana Alabama Arkansas Florida all of you States need to have all your OBGYN medical professionals leave and go to a state where they are valued were they are valued for the medical expertise and are able to practice valid science. No we are not the best country in the world.

Let's take a look at the Maui fire. FEMA is going to run out of funds do you think the Republican House of Representatives will fund FEMA again no because they're too much of a coward. They have no interest in this after all it's only Hawaiian people they don't matter. Same goes for the Indian nations why should they care about the Cherokee Nation after all we had the trail of tears with Andrew Jackson if there was ever a war crime that was one of them.

Owen Texas ogwiz Texas they're so frightened of av cars they put a bounty on them. I'm not sure but those things in the Rio grande from what I understand they're on the Mexico side I wonder what would happen if Mexico decided to take them out with mortars. Oh gee

And another thing mommy's and Daddy's especially mom's afraid of hurting their Little darlings feelings because of race Theory. Fun fact we hung black people and sold souvenirs invited our young children to watch them dangle their feet and you're afraid you're going to hurt little Susie's feelings?

No we are not the greatest nation in the world.

Jesus Christ idiot cream cheese bagel we can't even take care of our wounded warriors the men that fought to protect our nation we have to have the wounded warrior program we have to have a wounded warrior non-profit agency because the Republicans don't want to spend the money oh yeah they claim to be pro-military but when you ask them to step up to the plate no.

And don't get me started about President Joe Biden who has been the most effective president we have ever had. Do you even think that Donald Trump would have gone this far with the packages that have been passed during President biden's stent in office hell no. Do you think that any Republican would have passed the kind of programs that help everyday Americans hell no. Do you think any Republican in Congress either senate or house would be pro Union and fight for union jobs? Hell no. My dad was in the military he came out he joined a union this is how he raised my family I joined the union and I was able to raise my family. Check it out people compare Union paying jobs to sector jobs without a union. A union protects its workers.

So go ahead elect Donald Trump for 4 years elect another Republican and the White House for years turn the senate in the house over to Republicans because every time you do that Democrats have to come in behind and clean up the mess that they make all you have to do is look at the history.

No we are not the rules greatest nation because we can't even take care of our own people.

Want another example? St Jude's cancer hospital. What in the hell is happening when we have to depend upon donations to take care of our people when the government can do a better job with the resources and science that we have. Shriners hospital are you kidding me we have to have donations to help little children the debilitating problems? What kind of country are we. Oh yeah I know we can be individualist but individualism only goes so far can only cure so many. Norway Sweden Canada Australia New Zealand Germany take better care of their people than United States cares for its own citizens or military.

No we are not the greatest nation in the world anybody that says that are lying. What did we learn from the British with Rubyrd Kipling in Afghanistan so many years ago? Absolutely nothing. What happened in Vietnam what did we learn absolutely nothing the same thing we learned in Afghanistan absolutely nothing. More recently what did we learn from the Russians in Afghanistan? Absolutely nothing. What happened to us in Afghanistan we got our asses kicked out because we did not understand the culture. There was no centralized government to talk to there are only chieftains and we got our asses kicked. The hubris that we have is outstanding and all those soldiers from Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq died for absolutely nothing they were killed for absolutely nothing you might as well say they were murdered by our own government. I'm sorry families I truly am but your sons and daughters who went to Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq died for absolutely nothing their death was for nothing. Were they brave did they die brave yes they did they followed orders but those orders murdered them.

The hubris and the narcissism that's the United States has is absolutely staggering so no we are not the greatest nation in the world.

[aficsblog]

Low Tax Fee Houston Tx Actual Property 69 Houses For Sale

The following desk supplies 2017 the most typical total mixed property tax rates for ninety three Houston space cities and towns. Southside Place, which has a combined complete price of 1.94 %, has the bottom property tax price in the Houston area and Galena Park, with a combined complete price of three.02 %, has the highest price within the area. The amount that residents pay in property taxes is also primarily based on property appraisals. The Appraisal District is liable for assessing the worth of various properties.

At Jarrett Law, we will stroll you thru the steps you should take to scale back your property tax bill. From initial appraisal to meeting with the three-person panel for a listening to, we're here for you. In the case of different real property, such as land and buildings, the protest deadline is May 15.

This common is unchanged from last year’s costs, a plus for many looking to buy a house within the Houston space. Many homebuyers have property tax charges on their minds as they store for houses properly into 2023. There can be an appraisal evaluation board (ARB) that adjudicates property tax protests. This yr property tax houston alone, the ARB lowered overall property tax assessments by $22 billion, with $3 billion going to householders. That reduces tax bills — and local authorities income — by tons of of hundreds of thousands of dollars. There’s no state earnings tax, so property taxes take on the burden of funding many government companies.

In the Senate, lawmakers want to put up $16.5 billion to switch faculty district property tax revenue. The plan would also raise the homestead exemption for those over sixty five and for disabled householders and prolong $1.5 billion of tax reduction to companies. The property taxes for Hempstead householders are collected by the Waller County Appraisal District, with offices in Hempstead. On average, the Hempstead annual property tax rate 1.67% of a property's assessed honest market value, with the median residence value in the space at $272,000.

This department handles all info relating to land transfers, elections and business license. Plus, it’s not just Texas – WalletHub determined 23 other states and Washington, D.C., additionally do not have automobile property tax rates. Louisiana has the lowest rate out of the remaining states who do pay car property taxes, at 0.10 %.

The proposed tax fee isn't larger than the voter-approval tax fee. As a result, Houston Community College just isn't required to carry an election at which voters might settle for or reject the proposed tax rate. However, you may specific your support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate by contacting the members of the of Houston Community College at their offices or by attending the general public listening to talked about above.

School taxes make up the most important portion of property tax payments, and the upkeep and operation taxes — the supply of districts’ money for teacher salaries and other working costs — make up the biggest share of those. In Fort Worth, however, the town rate is zero.748% and the college district rate is 1.378%, which adds as much as a complete price of 2.36%. If you'll have the ability to qualify for a tax break, you might have the ability to scale back your property tax bill. There are a quantity of completely different exemptions and special tax packages that Harris County residents may qualify for, together with the homestead exemption and the state’s tax deferral program for active military members.

If your tax rates elevated, most likely the worth of your personal home did as properly. This discover issues the 2017 property tax rates for Houston Community College. Last year's tax price is the precise tax fee the taxing unit used to find out property taxes final year. This year's efficient tax rate would impose the identical complete taxes as final yr if you compare properties taxed in both years. This yr's rollback tax rate is the best tax fee the taxing unit can set earlier than taxpayers start rollback procedures. In each case these charges are discovered by dividing the whole amount of taxes by the tax base (the whole value of taxable property) with changes as required by state regulation.

Sugar Land's median value point within the low $500s advantages from the Fort Bend County Appraisal District collecting such a low tax fee as nicely. Located simply west of The Woodlands and about 34 miles northwest of downtown Houston, town of Tomball is almost totally made up of single-family homes. Homebuyers will find Tomball properties for sale ranging anywhere from the low $200s to upwards of $2.four million, but the median price is usually within the low $400s.

[publicistjennifersimpson]

Martin Lemelle: A Proven Leader Poised For Action To Pivot The State Of Louisiana

Martin Lemelle: A Proven Leader Poised For Action To Pivot The State Of Louisiana

Martin Lemelle – Candidate for US Representative -LA 5th District

I stand as a proud fellow Grambling State University Alumni and Louisiana native with the bold efforts of Martin Lemelle as he is in the running to take action as a Congressman in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. With the recent passing of two of our countries most impactful African American Congressmen and civil rights…

[seattlesea]

Percy Jackson Characters as High School Students

Percy: -Waits for the last minute to do an assignment -Is captain of the swim team -Always has Annabeth tutor him when he doesn’t understand something -Dozes off a lot in class -Studies the night before a test but studies hard (he has a lot of good study tips from Annabeth) -Goes to the bathroom at least twice every class cause he drinks so much water -Seems like the slacker troublemaker who will fail every class but he actually works hard and does all his work so he can get into a good college with Annabeth -Friends with everyone in his class -Never raises his hand but usually knows the answer -Has a label as a trouble-maker but hasn’t ever actually done anything bad and tries hard to break himself away from that label

Annabeth: -In all honors and AP classes -Works the hardest out of everyone -Always asks for extra credit even though she has a 5.0 GPA and gets good grades on every test and assignment -Likes to read and study in the library -Everyone goes to her when they’re stuck on something and she’s always willing to help -The one to read in math class -Daydreams about random things during lessons she already knows everything about -Does quite a few extracurricular  -Leader and founder of the school’s book club -Usually has a hot chocolate or coffee with her

Jason: -Captain of the football team -The Golden Boy -Half the class loves him cause he’s so nice and the other half hate him cause he’s such a teacher’s pet -Never breaks the rules or cheats -Nice to everyone and studies hard -Sucks at science -But he’s pretty good at math -Loves gym class -The one to tell people (especially Percy, Thalia, and Leo) to focus when they’re goofing off in class -Super inclusive and will always invite someone who’s sitting or working alone to join him

Piper: -That one kid in class everyone knows but isn’t super popular -Pretty decent GPA but doesn’t want a formal job -Does the best in history class -Chews gum super loudly in class -Uses ten different colored pens for notes -Has a bunch of stickers on all her notebooks and folders -Focuses in class most of the time but will sometimes doze off -Studies well but doesn’t care that much about education -Overall a good student but not the best in some classes -That one girl every guy has a crush on but she doesn’t want to make any new friends cause she’s never sure if they like her for her or for her money

Frank: -The Softie -Everyone loves him, including teachers -Will apologize like he stepped on a puppy if he misses one assignment -Studies really hard but sometimes doesn’t get the lesson -Loves being tutored by Annabeth, she’s one of the only ones who can explain the lesson without making it confusing -Participates in a bunch of extracurricular and sports -Can’t do math for shit -Would never cheat even if his life depended on it -Nice to everyone but won’t hesitate to get all up in a bully’s face -Brings a bunch of snacks to class and shares with everyone

Hazel: -Participates in all the plays and musicals (and usually gets the starring role, she’s a great actress and singer) -Super nice to everyone and people try to take advantage of that but she’s actually tough as hell and her motto is ‘Do no harm but take no shit’ but overall she’s a literal gem (pun intended) -Usually sits in the back but always raises her hand when a teacher asks a question and won’t hesitate to ask a question when she’s confused -Actually super smart and loves reading and does really well in her classes -Loves history class -In French class but it’s super confusing for her cause she grew up learning Louisiana French, not France French -Has a super organized desk, backpack, and locker and all her notes are super neat and pretty -Writes in cursive all the time -Focuses a lot but tends to daydream when the lesson is too boring -Loves listening to music and chewing on ice and pencils while she’s working and studying

Leo: -Can’t pay attention for shit -But he’s extremely smart so he gets good grades in everything, especially math -People are surprised when he gets a 100% on the test almost everyone failed and he always gets accused of cheating -Always willing to help tutor people in math -Fidgets a lot and taps his pen furiously on the desk while taking a test -Always cracks jokes and is the class clown and the teachers secretly love him even though he’s their worst nightmare -The one to put gum under the desks -Doesn’t focus in class but studies super hard and might miss one or two assignments when he’s busy or stressed out and is in all Honors and AP classes -In a bunch of different after-school groups -On the basketball team

Reyna: -Also super smart and seems super intimidating but is actually really approachable and nice and loves helping people who are stuck -Gets good grades in pretty much everything and is one of the smartest in the class and is also in all Honors and AP classes -On the football team and loves gym class (especially weight-lifting class) -Usually quiet and serious but will joke around like Leo during lunch and study hall -Whenever someone’s too shy to ask a question to the teacher, they go to her or she asks the teacher for them -Will punch a bully in the face without question -Everything she has is super organized and neat, especially her handwriting -The best at group projects and everyone chooses her to be in their group first but she’ll always pick Nico over them -Comforts stressed out students, gives the best mom hugs, and even brings them coffee and breakfast at times -Always has a coffee with her that she’s willing to share with anyone along with any snacks she brings and as the Mom Friend she often brings snacks to class to share with everyone

Nico: -The one kid that’s still emo in 2021 -Super quiet but focuses and studies really hard  -Tries his best to get good grades but since he missed the last century or so has a lot to catch up on with math, science, history, etc. and Reyna and Annabeth are always willing to help him -Mixes energy drinks and coffee -Is also- along with Reyna- a great comforter for stressed out students -The teachers worry for him cause he’s so quiet and reclusive but really he’s in a great place, he just doesn’t like social interaction -Does his homework last minute or at 3 AM -Wears a bunch of pride merch to school and sends death glares to anyone who looks at him weird (so will Reyna, Jason, and Hazel) -Studies for finals three weeks before they arrive -Mostly in regular classes but in one or two Honors

Thalia: -The punk and basic trouble-maker -Every teacher hates her but all the students love her cause she’s so hilarious, rebellious, and badass -Won’t hesitate to point out a teacher’s bullshit (‘The bell doesn’t dismiss us my ass it’s called the dismissal bell Karen’) -Gets into fights a lot -All the teachers want to bust her but they can never catch her in the act -Vandalizes the school on a daily basis -Pretty smart but doesn’t bother with the work or focusing even if she knows she can -Though she does have pretty decent grades cause Reyna forces her to do the work -Will protect any and every student against a rude teacher or staff member no matter what -On the track team and is a super fast runner

Rachel: -Art nerd (and theater nerd) -Participates with Hazel in the school’s plays and musicals -The best in art class and can do Van Gogh-level paintings -Always brings iced tea and a variety of fruits to class -Skips lunch to draw and paint more in the library -Friends with pretty much everyone and spoils her friends with super cool and expensive school supplies -The most popular besides Jason -Above average intelligence and does really well in her classes, loves helping others and has a really good GPA, is in quite a few Honors and AP classes, and studies and works hard -The only one who can actually focus but will get distracted with sketching random things (especially things in the class) often -All her notes are super colorful and pretty with a bunch of drawings in the margins and she drew all over her notebooks, folders, and backpacks and will sometimes unintentionally draw really detailed drawings all over the desks

[halfrest]

* olivia holt, cis woman + she/her  | you know freya nilsen, right? they’re twenty-three, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, most of her life? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to suicide blonde by mallrat like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole falling asleep on crowded buses, nights spent anywhere but home, automated ‘to accept this call, press 3 now’ messages seemingly on loop thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is august 2nd, so they’re a leo, which is unsurprising, all things considered. 

pinterest.

death tw, drug use tw, postpartum depression tw / freya comes from a family that has plagued irving for years with their stunning reputation on both her father and mother’s side. death or jail was the common theme there. father, conrad ‘willie’ nilsen, was a menace and there was more than enough stories about him from his heyday. mother, holly koch, came from a family where everyone was constantly at each other’s throats. holly dealt with the drama of it all through defiance. she fell for willie hard and fast and was soon caught up in his world, drugs and petty crimes. as was common in both willie and holly’s familues, an accidental teenage pregnancy was the next step. at first, willie was ecstatic and supportive in the way that he usually got. holly moved out of her family’s place at delphinus creek and into a trailer with him at lilac ridge. of course, willie was flaky and asshole-ish and it only took him three months to disappear from town. a pregnant holly still caught up in love did her best during those months of pregnancy. she remained clean, worked to pay rent, and believed willie would be back any day. her younger sister, fiona, who adored and looked up to holly was there to help every step of the way. freya was eventually born and willie never showed up. holly fell into a deep postpartum depression and had to be moved back in home with her mother and her siblings. she couldn’t care for freya at all. a month and a half later, willie returned to irving and holly was ecstatic despite the initial abandonment. and soon after that, both of them were gone, leaving freya behind. / end tw

it’s not as if her parents suddenly disappeared from existence, although freya prefers to pretend that they did. it’s easier to deal with them as nondescript figures in her life. and, at the end of the day, they ditched her. in reality, collect calls from correctional facilities let her figure out that her dad’s been locked up. memories of a woman in youth that looked so much like her and so much like fiona proved that holly was still in and out in irving. freya also remembers that holly never acknowledged her as her own before disappearing once more. she never figured out if it was done purposefully or if it was because that’s just the way her mother functioned. that being said, all potential contact with either parent was short and brief and freya learned to not let it mean anything. there hasn’t been any substantial contact for years now either way. her dad’s in prison. her mother’s missing. 

freya grew up under the care of her grandmother at first, a bitter woman with a husband long dead, who resented having to look after this baby. that only lasted a handful of years ‘cause soon enough, she wasn’t fit and sent off to a nursing home. fiona, who was of age at that time, took guardianship of freya at lilac ridge or at whichever boyfriend’s home.

fiona raising freya was more of a weird friendship/sibling sort of relationship rather than a proxy mother-daughter one. that meant freya had too much freedom, but it also meant there were a lot of screaming matches between the pair and a lot of times freya was left directionless. her aunt also loved serial dating so there were a lot of strange men in and out. not the most reputable guys either, but truth be told those men were providing them with financial support, so fiona was never quick to let them go despite the way things would go sour.

very independent. freya has a lot of practical smarts, although most of the time it’s used for nothing good (knows how to shoplift without getting caught, can talk her way out of most things, knows how to get what from who). she’s someone who does what she wants. discipline is foreign to her and god forbid if anyone tries it. in typical teenage fashion, heightened by the fact that life was set up for her to fail, she’s always had this aura of apathy. her general approach to life is to accept it as it is but make sure she’s having as much fun as possible. of course, as most people do, there was an inkling of yearning there. the shiny gold possibility that she didn’t have to become another nilsen-koch irving deadbeat staple hung at the back of her mind. that she could possibly get out and have some dreams was encouraged by a few teachers. so she ended up trying as much as she could possibly try in her last few years of high school and proved to herself that she wasn’t completely useless. although, it was soon clear that getting into a good out-of-state college required more than just making an attempt — extracurriculars and money and other obvious yet non-obvious things that freya lacked. at the end of the day, her best option was a local college, which wasn’t a defeat by any means cause she had made it and it was college. still, she was stuck too close to irving. she decided to major in business. good at numbers and can talk the talk baby.

kind of always has her foot out the door though. it didn’t take long for freya to fall back into old habits because her life is her life. there’s always a lack of money, another toxic man fiona’s caught up with, another wrench thrown in the works. her education became spacey and full of cracks. she never made it to graduation, dropping out a few semesters in. unfortunate bc she’s the kind of person who could accomplish things if she cared or tried, but the problem is that she does not and no, she will not ask for help <3 she refuses to take anything seriously.

instead of school, she spent time on the road. she had it in her mind to visit her dad in prison in louisiana, not knowing really why she had that urge. maybe it was to properly meet him, ask about her mother, curse him out. but, she never ended up making it out there. instead she got caught up in a few things and with a few people and at the end of the day she once again just didn’t follow through.

now back at irving, freya’s at her usual job at cutie pie’s as a waitress (wanda has a soft spot for her thankfully so there’s always a place for her). she’s moved out of fiona’s place at delphinus heights, mostly bc freya was sick of dealing with her aunt’s disgusting boyfriends, and into the same trailer that was supposed to be willie and holly’s family home in lilac ridge. she found out that fiona had been making payments on the place, expecting holly to return at any time. from childhood, fiona had held her older sister in revere although frankly freya doesn’t get it. told her aunt off for wasting money like that, but still took the trailer off of fiona’s hands, so. shrugs my shoulders.

let’s plot so good everybody.........

[scribblestatic]

Both hero classes stand outside in their uniforms that morning. For 1-A, there’s a hint of nostalgia coming to them, remembering the first day they officially became students at U.A., while 1-B is curious as to what will happen. 

The paper test that had been handed out to them and filled earlier that day was already weird. Instead of asking questions like “What’s 2+2,” or “How many bottles of dish soap does Johnny have,” it asked more personal things, like “I keep my promises,” or “There is a train heading down the tracks. There is one person tied to the tracks on one side and five people tied to the tracks on the other. You are standing at the lever. What do you do?” None of the questions were multiple choice, only essay statements requiring a one to two sentence answer. It felt different to their normal tests, that was for sure.

All Might, Eraserhead, and Vlad King all stand behind the short girl who appeared just about the age of the students, if not a little younger. She’s suited up in a gym uniform like the rest of them, wearing cute little red sneakers much like Ochako’s pink ones. She’s also got her hair tied up into a ponytail at the back of her head. They can’t see her eyes under her curly green bangs, but her peach lips show a pretty smile. All of them hold clipboards.

“Hiya~!” she greets with a megaphone speaker, standing under the shade of the parasol that All Might is kindly holding for her. If anything, it makes the students pay extra attention to her words. “Thank you all for being so kind as to fill out those little essay questions I gave you! Don’t worry about those, I’ll tell you why I made them later. Anyway, we’re going to do a few physical exercises, after which I will individually evaluate your quirks in a place with air conditioning! After that, I’ll be hard at work, so you likely won’t see me again until tomorrow, okay? Everyone, do your best!”

A few of them cheer with a bubbling of excitement, though others remain fairly muted.

They end up doing some of the exercise tests that 1-A did when they first arrived—ball throws, sit-ups, bar pull-ups, grip strength, standing long jumps, sidesteps, standing long jumps, the works. However, after a short rest period, they would do it again, this time without quirk utilization.

“Uhm,” Kaminari raises his hand. “Why do we need to do that? I mean, not to be rude or anything.”

Kobayashi writes for a moment longer before tapping her pen against Eraserhead’s arm, leading the man to glare at her a bit. “Let’s say you’re in a situation where someone like your teacher here has their eyes on you. Except they don’t have your health and wellness in mind like he does. They’re trying to kill you, so they eliminate your quirk.” She looks up at him, and though he can’t see her eyes, he feels her gaze on him. “You don’t want to be helpless without your quirk to protect you. Also, if you think about it, Eraserhead’s strength is completely separate from his quirk. So the fact he can support and restrain several people with his capture equipment all at once and disarm villains using weapons is purely because of his body strength alone. I find that fantastic, so I’m going to make sure you guys don’t become like the villains he faces and wimp out the instant you can’t use your powers.” She reaches over and taps All Might’s thin arm as well, surprising the man. “Even All Might in his thin form, looking like a willow tree that’s about to blow over, can judo throw a heavy-weight villain, break a wrist with one hand, and incite the fear of God into a villain with just his gaze. Don’t underestimate the power of your muscles and your instincts, and don’t forget to use them!”

The students ooh and ahh a little at the teachers, All Might blushing just a tad and Eraserhead ignoring the new, approving gazes from 1-B. Vlad King simply stands there, trying not to look despondent.

“How exactly did you know about the wrist breaking, Young Kobayashi?” All Might whispers as the classes get ready to do the exercises again.

“October 27th, 2214. New Orleans, Louisiana. News of a thin, lanky man, identified only as a person working with the All Might Agency, broke the wrist of a white American male robbing from the beignet shop he was visiting. It was deemed both self-defense and an accident by police as he hadn’t intended to use such force despite having a knife aimed at him. The robber pissing himself, however, was simply a result of the recognition of his actions. The witnesses agreed, though none of them had seen the expression on his face. A camera inside the beignet shop did catch the expression, however. Police still decided not to punish him for protecting himself and lauded the man as a hero. The shop owners also gave you a free box of beignets.”

“...How did you know that last part?”

She smiles up at him innocently. “You find a lot of things from finding secret camera footage. Besides, I have a skill of finding what I really want to find out by looking at something else entirely.” She turns away again and starts walking over to the ball throw circle to watch the first student to walk up. “Eyes are everywhere at all times, All Might!”

The three teachers are silent for a moment. Vlad King coughs in his fist.

“...I like beignets as well.”

Eraserhead shrugs. “Never had one.”

All Might blinks at him. “You should try one, Aizawa-kun. They’re rather delicious.”

——

The kids didn’t understand why Kobayashi-san was wearing a gym uniform like the rest of them. She hadn’t done any of the exercises, so it wasn’t like she needed it on.

They realized she was preparing for the quirk tests instead.

On the inside of one of the big gyms, she was standing in front of Bondo-san, arms raised to the air, with the sort of glittery smile that didn’t at all match her request.

“Cement the lower half of my body to the ground, please.”

“Eh?! B-But…”

“No buts! Only mine cemented to the ground with your quirk, please!”

“Eeeehhh?!”

“Woooow,” Kaminari murmurs. “Didn’t see this side of her at the cafe.”

“Right?” Mineta murmurs back. “...Kinda like it, though. Weirdly sexy, isn’t it?”

Eventually, Bondo does as she asks and uses cement on her up to her waist. She writes furiously on her notepad as she mumbles, occasionally stopping to ask Bondo questions or to pat the cement-like substance.

“Very similar to Cementoss, but very different, Cannot summon cement from the ground but can produce it like a viscous liquid with a solidifying factor that has the ability to loosen at his will—” Her head whips up to look at him, and he jolts. “Can you create armor or shields with your quirk?”

“I...I-uh…I don’t know? I’ve...never tried that.”

Her head tilts. “Have you ever tried molding this substance to your desires after it’s out of your body, or perhaps imagining it taking a specific shape pre or post-summon?”

Some of the nervousness leaves Bondo as he scratches at his chin. “I...I think I did a long time ago, as a little kid...I haven’t since...should I...try again?”

She nods furiously, then starts scribbling furiously again. “Needs additional, non-human tests for armory potential and defensive uses, must use test dummies for formation and alteration testing to—” She pauses, gasps, then scribbles more. “Check for potential cast creation for on-site first aid medical assistance and—”

Bondo listens for a while, staring at the girl before poking at one of the holes in his head. Some of the things she was mumbling, he’d never considered, or had abandoned after a point. But maybe...she was onto something. Well, the teachers had said she was an expert. He could see it now.

“Alright~”

The singing voice startles him out of his thoughts, and she’s returned back to normal, no longer mumbling up a storm like she’s summoning a demon.

“You can let me out now!”

“O-...oh! Of course…”

The glue-like adhesive loosens and slides off, and she steps out of it without a single stain on her clothes.

“Now harden it again.”

Bondo jolts. “Ah, uhm...I-I kind of...can’t? O-Once it’s loosened, I don’t...can’t control it anymore.”

“Hmm…” She quickly writes something down. “I think it’s within the realm of possibility for you, though. You should start with small amounts and try experimenting there. Your quirk and you are stronger than before U.A., even stronger than two weeks ago.” She smiles at him with a toothy grin. “Never say ‘you can’t’ until you absolutely can’t!”

Bondo feels his chest warm, and he nods firmly. “O-Okay!”

——

The day continues much like that, students able to relax and watch as they each show off their quirks to the best of their abilities. Though, Kobayashi would often throw in some random requests, like with Asui, where she asked her to pick her up with her tongue to test its flexibility while holding objects, or with Kaminari, when she asked him to try shocking her just a bit, though not enough to hurt her to try and test his control. He ended up shocking her stronger than anticipated, leading her to squeak in pain. He stopped immediately, gasping as a worried expression marred his face but she immediately assured him it was alright as she’d asked for him to do it.

“Besides, a shock like that could be vital to restarting someone’s heart! The fact you were able to do one that low means you could attune your power to the level of a defibrillator.” She pats his shoulder with a worried smile of her own. “Your quirk doesn’t only have to increase and hurt people. Besides, I’ve heard that some friends use you as a charging port. That’s only 12 volts of power, and you can do that easily! We just have to bridge the gap between strong and weak charges. Your quirk is more versatile than you think, Kaminari-kun.”

“Defi..brill...ator…” Kaminari blinks, wide eyed. “...That’s those shocky things in movies, yeah? The shocky chest things.”

“Yep!”

Kaminari looks at his hands and doesn’t say another word than his thanks as he heads back to the crowd. He keeps looking at his hands as the tests for others commence.

She asks questions, pries at their quirks, does tests with them, and investigates their own studies. Almost each time, the heroes in training found they hadn’t asked something about their own quirks and were amazed they hadn’t thought about it themselves. Yaoyorozu was getting excited when the students came back and talked about what the two discussed together, too far away to hear everything.

“I can’t wait for her to see my quirk,” Yaoyorozu confesses, her eyes bright and sparkling. “For her to think of so many creative uses for our quirks...it’s thrilling!”

“She’s a bit weird, but her interest reminds me of my little sister being interested in new things, kero,” Asui says, her smile a tad fond.

“Whose class do you think she’ll be in?” Ibara asks. “She’s going to study with us but council us, too. And, well, class 1-A and 1-B will have hero classes together, but not every class. Those are still split up.”

“Hmm...probably our class,” Ochako pokes her chin. “I mean, we’ve been attacked by villains before, but other than that, we’re a normal hero class.”

The students chat and wonder in their groups, but despite Kirishima’s attempts, he hasn’t been able to get Bakugou to say a single word.

He sits with his legs crossed, hands on his knees as he glares strongly at the weird girl. Just looking at her gets him annoyed, like there’s a bubbling of acid in his chest that’s waiting to explode. After all, she was clearly treating him differently. 

And not in a good way, not the way Bakugou sees it.

When he’d been called up, she hadn’t mumbled like the others said she did with them. She’d asked for him to aim at targets and asked to test the temperatures of his select blasts. She’d asked about his wrists, shoulders, and hearing, and had determined that, at the very least, his eardrums seemed to have developed to withstand a lot of damaging noise. But that assertion had been the closest to a mumble he’d gotten, and the closest to any excitement.

She’d been clear, clinical, almost muted.

The fact she wasn’t going gaga over his quick didn’t fucking bother him at all. What did was that he was treated differently than the others. If she’d been a whole stoic scientist for everyone, he wouldn’t fucking bother, but the fact she wasn’t annoyed the hell out of him.

What also bothered him was just how familiar she seemed.

The others described excited mumbling and a touch of recklessness. That she’d asked questions they didn’t think to ask, some going a tiny bit further than they’d thought she would. Nothing sexual, but more like she was trying to dissect something about them.

He knew that feeling. He knew it very well.

Knew it all while he was growing up until Deku finally, officially gave up his fruitless dream in his third year of middle school.

Instead of writing U.A. on his school prospect list, he’d written some nowhere hole called Yamaguchi High, and some other loser spots. The class had grinned at the fucking nerd, and he hadn’t dared to look up from his desk. They all knew the fucking bastard finally knew his place.

But seeing her made him feel like he was watching Deku mumble all over again.

Their similarities didn’t help. She looked like him down to the freckles. He’d only known one person in his life with freckles, and that was Deku. The green hair was different, too. But it was much longer and a bright shade of moss green than Deku’s hair would ever be, their voices were too different, and she was a girl. She also didn’t cower at his presence, just simply didn’t show the same annoying excitement she showed to everyone else.

What, did she think his quirk was boring? That it was powerless? Did she think he was weak?

Katsuki growls under his breath, eyes narrowing.

He’d show her. Rather, he’d shown her. He is strong, powerful. He’s precise, too, able to hit all those moving targets.

If she had anything to say other than glowing praises of perfection for him during the council day, he’d have a bigger bone to pick with her than he’d ever had with Deku. Unless she had a good fucking reason, but he couldn’t imagine what that’d be. He was strong.

He got into U.A. with flying fucking colors. None of those weak losers in his class were able to stand up to him, even though some of them were strong, like Shuriken Hair and Hot-n-Cold, though the latter bitched out during the Sports Festival. And that Cheshire-looking motherfucker cheated his way to the top, so he doesn’t really count that as a full loss, even though he got that stupid silver hunk of useless metal. No, he’s sure. He’s the strongest hero of their year.

He almost can’t wait to hear what that annoying girl would have to say to him tomorrow.

[rockislandadultreads]

2020 Releases in Historical Fiction: suggested reading

Royal by Danielle Steel

As the war rages on in the summer of 1943, causing massive destruction and widespread fear, the King and Queen choose to quietly send their youngest daughter, Princess Charlotte, to live with a trusted noble family in the country. Despite her fiery, headstrong nature, the princess's fragile health poses far too great a risk for her to remain in war-torn London. Third in line for the throne, seventeen year-old Charlotte reluctantly uses an alias upon her arrival in Yorkshire, her two guardians the only keepers of her true identity. In time, she settles comfortably into a life out of the spotlight, befriending a young evacuee and training with her cherished horse. But no one predicts that in the coming months she will fall deeply in love with her protectors' son. She longs for a normal life. Far from her parents, a tragic turn of events leaves an infant orphaned. Alone in the world, that child will be raised in the most humble circumstances by a modest stable manager and his wife. No one, not even she, knows of her lineage. But when a stack of hidden letters comes to light, a secret kept for nearly two decades finally surfaces, and a long lost princess emerges.

The Joyce Girl by Annabel Abbs

The review in the Paris Times in November 1928 is rapturous in its praise of Lucia Joyce’s skill and artistry as a dancer. The family has made their home in Paris—where the latest ideas in art, music, and literature converge. Acolytes regularly visit the Joyce apartment to pay homage to Ireland’s exiled literary genius. Among them is a tall, thin young man named Samuel Beckett—a fellow Irish expat who idolizes Joyce and with whom Lucia becomes romantically involved. Lucia is both gifted and motivated, training tirelessly with some of the finest teachers in the world. Though her father delights in his daughter’s talent, she clashes with her mother, Nora. And as her relationship with Beckett sours, Lucia’s dreams unravel, as does her hope of a life beyond her father’s shadow. With Lucia’s behavior growing increasingly erratic, James Joyce sends her to pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Here, at last, she will tell her own story—a fascinating, heartbreaking account of thwarted ambition, passionate creativity, and the power of love to both inspire and destroy.

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards

A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected.

Paris, 1944

Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse’s position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance.

When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won’t be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. The resistance movement is tasked with silencing her by any means necessary—including assassination. But Genevieve refuses to let her mother become yet one more victim of the war. Reuniting with her long-lost sister, she must find a way to navigate the perilous cross-currents of Occupied France undetected—and in time to save Lillian’s life.

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini

In May 1875, Elizabeth Todd Edwards reels from news that her younger sister Mary, former First Lady and widow of President Abraham Lincoln, has attempted suicide.

Mary’s shocking act followed legal proceedings arranged by her eldest and only surviving son that declared her legally insane. Although they have long been estranged, Elizabeth knows Mary’s tenuous mental health has deteriorated through decades of trauma and loss. Yet is her suicide attempt truly the impulse of a deranged mind, or the desperate act of a sane woman terrified to be committed to an asylum? And—if her sisters can put past grievances aside—is their love powerful enough to save her?

Maternal Elizabeth, peacemaker Frances, envious Ann, and much adored Emilie had always turned to one another in times of joy and heartache, first as children, and later as young wives and mothers. But when Civil War erupted, the conflict that divided a nation shattered their family. The Todd sisters’s fates were bound to their husbands’ choices as some joined the Lincoln administration, others the Confederate Army.

Now, though discord and tragedy have strained their bonds, Elizabeth knows they must come together as sisters to help Mary in her most desperate hour.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?

Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope. Louisiana, 1987 For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

Synopses pulled from goodreads.com

[abalonetea]

updated character list, because i’m procrastinating Work and also I've made major changes since the last one, woops

                                                    Adele Adler  

the handler, the woman in charge. She runs relay between all four teams, doling out missions, handling issues that arrive on and off base, and acting as go between for the Teams and the Council. she’s supposed to keep her distance between them, and had managed that for all the teams before now, but…the men are growing on her! she has a surprising soft spot for most of them, and finds herself more and more willing to turn blind eyes on their shenanigans.

_-_

                                                  West Team

                                                   Jeremy - Speedster

a rough upstart from the streets of Los Angeles. he spent nearly six years bouncing from city to city, and did a very large stint running drugs for a prominent crime organization. with hands that have been broken more than a few times and a serious case of ADHD, paired with a short temper and a habit of fighting dirty, he’s a firecracker out on the field.

                                              Joshua - Sharpshooter

born in Roturoa, but more often found in the wilds away from other people. if it moves, he’s been paid to hunt it before. perpetually tired and with a bad eye from an old shooting injury, it can sometimes be surprising that he’s so fierce out on the field. especially when it comes to people bothering what’s his.

                                                   Feliciano - Rouge

served in the Iradium War just outside of Rome, briefly, and made a living as a bodyguard for a while. he’s used to being neither seen or heard as a result, and it’s led to a very slow process in finding a place for himself on the team. that being said, he’s got a fondness for making poorly timed jokes on the field, directly before stabbing an opponent in the neck.

                                                     Lukas - Techie

a former teacher at the SPFOT, where he created the original prototype for prosthetic limbs fueled by iradium. knows more about the strange element than anyone else, and found himself working for the GSC after being framed for the murder of a former colleague. you’ll often find him building devices that will stop him from having to get involved with hand in hand combat.

                                                     Deiter - Doctor 

after losing everything that he owned during WW2, Deiter found himself working as a black market doctor, trading treatment for food and places to stay. extremely fond of the team that he has now, and very invested in making sure that they consistently come back in one piece - despite the occasional code disruptions that occur.

                                                     Jamie - General

from a small town to the fields of the Iradium War, he’s been fighting from the moment he had the chance. close contact with constant iradum boom’s have left him with some pretty bad hearing loss, and a strong dislike for explosives work. excels in planning and finding the strong points in his comrades.

_-_

                                                     East Team

                                                     Scout - Scout

grew up in Boston, where he was raised by a single mother, with five younger siblings. between the ADHD and the dyslexia, he’s lacking in confidence, and making up for it in bluster. a proud owner of pigeon wings, an iradium baseball bat, and a true master at sleight of hands, including coin tricks.

                                                     Jane - Guard

a former soldier in WW2, who came away from the fight with some hearing issues. very loud and a little too blunt for most people’s likings. has eagle wings, but one of them’s broken and held in place with a handmade strap. takes great pride in his job. very good at sewing, and gets a kick out of Scout’s jokes even if he won’t admit it.

                                                    Corentin - Thief

 he was drafted into the Korean War, where he served a grueling eight months before being attacked by military trained dog-horses and sent home. a chronic insomniac who never settled back into civilian life, and has an abysmally childish sense of humor. usually tasked with cooking meals on his team. lovebird wings.

                                                    Ollie - Arsonist

a firebug from Daytona who was picked up by Seamus, and not Adele. really wants to do his job well and not fuck things up, but has a case of chronic bad luck. paired up with Scout, they become the gruesome twosome, and cause prank-Hell for the rest of the team. collects lighters. sparrow wings.

                                                    Seamus - Gunner

an alcoholic with a penchant for creating updated guns, and a fondness for loud music. he/s a great cook but never bothers with it. got caught in a car bomb when he was younger, and has pretty bad back issues now. Ollie’s proving to be good for him. great skua wings. (subclass - Builder)

                                                    Sasha - Healer

a doctor with a love for guns, and a history with a cult in Siberia. she’s an optimistic person, though large crowds make her a little nervous. has more common sense than the ret of her team mates put together, drinks vodka in her tea, and has vulture wings. heavily linked to a hypothetical angel of death. (subclass - gun enthusiast)

_-_

                                                    North Team

                                                    Tony - Runner 

local loudmouth of North team. you cannot pay this boy to be quiet, and he’s both stupid as a bag of bricks and also incredibly intelligent. from New York, where he had a lovely stint robbing the Italian mafia blind with his husband, Rizzo, until they were both shot up and picked up by Adele. part of a modern day bonnie and clyde.

                                                    Rizzo - Demolitions Expert

pretty adorable if you can get past the fact that he’s incredibly crass and has no filter between mind and mouth. Hopelessly in love with his husband, even if no one else realizes they’re married. he will burn water if you let him cook, so maybe best if you don’t.

                                                    Loto - Archer

from the Louisiana bayous, and great with a cross bow. has an old coonhound-horse that sleeps in bed with him, but who Loto claims to hate. often forgets that he needs to actually go to the kitchen and get food, and that the food he needs is easily available.

                                                     Braeburn - Mechanic

the longest running member of any of the active teams. has a prosthetic arm. really fond of sweet tea, and has more idea of what’s going on than he’s willing to let on. bound up in so many contracts, it’s literally woven into his Intent.

                                                    (N/A - Medic)

                                                    (N/A - Assassin)

_-_

                                                    South Team

                                                    Elias - Soldier

a big softy, under all that gruffness. a pretty shy guy, and any kindness will make him flustered. was pulled into a unit of winged soldiers for the Iradium War on a technicality. spent four years traveling around the states with BJ. has a severe case of HEARTsickness. greater frigate wings.

                                                    BJ - Hurricane 

left an abusive home at fourteen and has been on the streets since. took a contract with GSC to get Elias medical treatment. dyslexic, and often described by his team as “being a lot”. a baseball enthusiast from Orlando, who’s basically Florida Man with hummingbird wings.

                                                    Olek - Firepower 

can probably punch you hard enough to get a KO, but fights with an Iradium powered flare-gun that does serious damage. from Russia, with a strict I won’t tell you anything about my past policy, and a bizarre fondness for bears. great at giving hugs when you’re down. curly goose wings.

                                                    Jakob - Maker 

has a highly advanced prosthetic eye. losing the vision in his other eye. the guy who picked up BJ and Elias. has a real morality struggle between the job he does, and his own views on Mercy. probably needs a hug more than he lets on. rhode island red wings.

                                                    Jules - Spy

one of the longest lasting members of the Compass teams. served in WW2, and the Iradium War. genderfluid, and doesn’t remember their real name. walks a thin line between being distant and flirtatious as fuck, with the bad habit of falling asleep while he’s smoking. used to have cardinal wings

                                                    Gabe - Hunter

a former worker on an Alaskan fishing boat, he’s a remarkable shot with a rifle and can catch most anything in traps including humans. head strong and doesn’t take direction well. falcon wings. (sub class - Field Medic)

[sinfvls]

          hey all you cool cats and kittens !  it’s carole desi from big cat rescue and i’m here to deliver a tubular trio to this glorious group. i’ve been on the hunt for a solid supernatural rp for idk how long and i’m so stoked to find a home in bloodshq  &  begin writing / plotting with every single one of you !  admittedly, their backgrounds are pretty underwhelming because they’re all new muses ( lord help me ) and i’m still getting a feel for them, and i have just a few wanted connections up for grabs listed at the end of each of their blurbs, so if you see any that strike your interest please feel free to slide into my ims ( but i’m also super open to anything, so feel free to hit me with your ideas too ! )  &  now without further ado, i give you  DAMON BELMONT ,  NICHOLAS SPENCER  &  VERONA ADLER. 

damon belmont  has been seen walking the seattle streets. the werewolf has been in town for  one week, and are known to be  aloof  but also very  loyal.  the  thirty seven  year old is the  vice president of the mongrels motorcycle club.  if you tilt your head and look at them in a certain light they might resemble charlie hunnam. their pronouns are  he/him.  damon’s werewolf gene is  triggered.

statistics & connections

doesn’t know who his parents are / were.  he was found abandoned in the woods of hayfork, california as a wee babe by a pair of hikers.  tossed into the social system, he hopped from foster home to foster home, until finally sticking with a woman named delilah belmont, who eventually opted to adopt him.

she lived off the grid, in the backwoods, where she fended for herself by hunting for meat, growing her own produce, and even tended to livestock. damon thrived in this lifestyle, learning how to survive in the wilderness. he didn’t go to public school. instead, he was homeschooled by delilah, who taught him only what she valued to be of great importance. she wasn’t gonna raise no soft, yellowbelly who couldn’t fend for himself.

however, one day while out hunting, the two were attacked by a grizzly bear and it mauled delilah nearly to death before damon put a few rounds of bullets into it. there was no saving her, and she knew it. instead, she begged damon to end the pain. out of mercy, he killed her, and thus triggered the werewolf gene he didn’t even realize was in him. the confusion he had to deal with alone as a result was heartbreaking. he didn’t understand what he was, seeing himself as a monster whenever there was a full moon to unleash his inner beast. damon thought he was the only one of his kind, until he met a group of mysterious travelers.

the mongrels motorcycle club, what everyone assumed to be a band of criminals. damon first met them at a dive bar in town, where he’d been planning to drink himself into a stupor. they knew what he was immediately and offered him a home; a new family with them. while he had so many unanswered questions, the young werewolf also had nothing to lose, and so he joined the bloodmoon pack and never looked back. 

the acceptance and relief from knowing he wasn’t an abomination was overwhelming. never did he think that he would develop such a strong bond with another person, let alone an entire pack of werewolves. the bloodmoon pack has been travelling just about everywhere, stopping in areas to rest before carrying on again, living as vagabonds, and picking up “strays” / other packless werewolves along the way. he’s been with the pack for sixteen years.

( more tba yikes )

wanted connections

bloodmoon pack / mongrels mc members.  still need a president, sgt at arms, road captain, enforcer, chaplain, etc. info can be found on the wanted connections page on the main !

soulmate. listen, he’s been around the block and i think it’s safe to say he’d have found his mate by now asdjkhg. she could have already been with the pack when he joined, or joined after him at some point. completely open to plotting all the details. filled by cleo clarke

( more tba maybe sdjhfg )

nicholas “nick” spencer  has lived in seattle for  twelve years, and are known to be  broody  but also very  altruistic.  the  twenty one  year old human  goes to school at seattle university.  if you tilt your head and look at them in a certain light they might resemble finn cole. their pronouns are  he/him.  nick is  unaware  of the supernatural.

statistics & connections

born in los angeles, california to a pair of admirably gifted parents, nicholas spencer lived a fairly privileged first eight years of his life. his mother, a soap opera actress, and his father, a talented chef, gave both nick and his older sister a life full of love and luxury. yes, everything was absolutely perfect in their world. until it wasn’t.

at barely eight years old, nick was violently thrown along with his sister into one of the most traumatic experiences any child could go through; they lost their parents to a fatal car accident. being forced to move to seattle with his sister to live with their aunt, he didn’t fully understand what it meant; he couldn’t properly process what was going on. the pain of his loss was expressed more out of anger, feeling as though their parents abandoned them. and thus, nick’s out of control behavior was born.

suicide mention tw.  he struggled in school. his emotions betrayed him. instead of relishing a happy childhood, nick found himself pushing everyone away, getting into fights, sneaking out late at night to run around the city with his friends and get into all sorts of trouble with them. he couldn’t count on his hands how many times the police picked him up and brought him to his aunt’s doorstep. it only got worse once one of his best friends was found dead, written off as a suicide, though it didn’t add up in nick’s eyes and seemed so much more sinister. the young man was nearly deemed to be a lost cause, until he discovered his passion for writing.

language arts or literature was the last thing anyone would ever think to group with nick spencer. he was quite eloquent, sure, but the one thing he always did was play basketball at one of the outdoor courts in seattle. anytime he needed to blow off steam, to contemplate life, or just to shoot hoops, you could always catch him at the court. but his english teacher noticed how well he could articulate his thoughts and feelings on paper, and submitted one of his pieces to a writing contest, which earned nick the win and three thousand dollars as a prize.

bewildered by a talent he hadn’t even realized was in him, nick embraced it. he started writing in a journal ( which he keeps safely tucked away beneath the mattress of his bed ), documenting every feeling and thought as a way to express his emotions in a more productive manner. this talent earned him a full ride scholarship to seattle university, where he’s now a literature major with plans of either becoming an author or perhaps an english teacher, to follow in the footsteps of his high school teacher who he came to idolize.

( more will be added later oop )

wanted connections

his three best friends ( see listed in wanted connections on the main ! )

someone he doesn’t see eye to eye with, maybe opposite in personality or morals. most likely someone he went to high school with or someone who also attends seattle university ( bonus points if they’re supernatural )

some bad folk he may have accidentally gotten mixed up with, either in the past or current ( or both sdfhkjg ). could literally be ANYTHING, maybe he saw something he shouldn’t have, maybe there’s some drug scandal he got mixed up in and now can’t get out of ??  

more tba eventually !

verona adler  has been seen walking the seattle streets. the fae has been in town for  three years, and are known to be  restive  but also very  fervent.  the  twenty four  year old works as a  bar & grill waitress.  if you tilt your head and look at them in a certain light they might resemble dove cameron. their pronouns are  she/her. 

statistics & connections

oakdale, louisiana.  born and bred.  she was raised middle to two brothers, one older and one younger, but was the absolute apple of her mom and dad’s eye, being their only daughter. her family was reputable, as were the strawberry fields they owned. people from all over the state would pay a petty price to pick a few cartons full of the famously juicy adler strawberries.

at a very young age, verona had to learn how to better control her emotions, which is very difficult for a child to understand and do. she was known for glowing tantrums, and levitating when particularly elated over something. however, in due time, the young faerie learned to hide these paramount parts of herself from the world surrounding them, out of fear over the potential backlash of human ignorance.

she’s been very personable her entire life, much like a light in a dark room. excelling in school, she mastered both academics and the social aspect, she was on the school’s yearbook committee as well as the cheerleading squad, and played an active part in her community as best as she could, generally through volunteer work. a true southern belle, through and through.

however, verona was exhausted. she couldn’t stand pretending to be something she wasn’t; hiding her true colors from the world just because the world was deemed to be much too censorious when it came to being different. while she adored her family and friends, she wasn’t being true to herself which left her unhappy behind closed doors. so, at the age of twenty one, she found an ad in the paper for a roommate in seattle and the city was evidently huge in comparison to her small town. the thought of living somewhere that was hopefully more accepting was an absolute dream, so she packed her things and made the move.

she’s been living in seattle for three years now, working at the same bar & grill she started off with as a waitress and she loves it. she loves meeting people that come from all different walks of life, the mixture of humans and supernatural is perfect. though she’s still a little put out by hiding her true self, she enjoys being surrounded by a bigger populace of supernatural beings that she generally doesn’t have to hide around.

( more tba probably ... eventually )

wanted connections

exes / flings / one night stands.  her friends calling her a slut is just teasing and gets a laugh out of her, a stranger calling her a slut will put vee in a full on rage, but all in all .... girl gets around.  NOT because she’s a sex fiend, but because she loves the idea of being loved, and therefore looks for it in all the wrong places sdfahkfjg. 

best friend ( supernatural only pls ! ).  she needs someone she can fully open up to without worry of being judged, rant / vent to each other about all the shit in their lives, talk about things they wouldn’t normally be able to talk about in the public, etc. a good wholesome friendship.

someone she annoys / who annoys her / or both.  girl is basically a constant ray of sunshine & agonizingly curious / nosy, and that probably presses at least one person. she can’t stand some who’s a grump without a cause & has an insatiable need to pick people apart in order to find out wtf happened to them / the reason why they are the way that they are.

maybe her brother(s) ?  i mean, if anyone wanted to pick them up, they’re free to snag !!

more tba later !

[workersolidarity]

[Today's Worker's Unity March: Burning of an effigy of Cop as a Pig in uniform and another police uniform in front of the statue of Andrew Jackson in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana 9/27/19 7pm.]

Tonight I marched for Socialism.

I marched for various Socialist and Social causes more generally including Worker's Rights, police and prison abolition, LGBTQ causes and more. The march was organized by a coalition of groups including the New Orleans Worker's Group, the New Orleans People's Assembly, New Orleans Hospitality Workers, and other local, regional and national groups fighting for Immigrant Rights, disolution of our borders, and the various struggles our Immigrant Community is faced with daily among other things. The march was also dedicated to all the incredibly talented Street Musicians in our beautiful city. Our amazing musicians who represent the purist expression of New Orleans culture. This is a culture so rich and unique that it draws in millions of people and millions in tax revenue to our city every year. Even though these musicians are an integral part of the exotic experience of New Orleans culture, they are still being driven out by the gentrification of our city. The rich Bourgeois scum moving into our city suck up the profits WE earn, then turn around and avoid paying THEIR SHARE in taxes, and then profoundly drive up our rents. To top it off, these Bourgeois scumbags have a habit of calling the fucking pigs on these incredibly talented and hard working musicians (conveniently only the Black ones) who've been in the city long before themselves, and will surely be here long after they're gone. Our March was also in Solidarity with our wonderful New Orleans Hospitality Workers! Women and men who cater seemingly endlessly to the Bourgeoisie and their freeloading grown children day in and day out. Hospitality workers display unparalleled patience in dealing with these rich, drunk assholes, and they do it daily for disgustingly low wages, no health insurance or any other benefits, unreliable hours, and Bosses free to fire workers on a whim. These supercilious fucks treat our hospitality workers like human trash. Our Comrades toil away in horrible conditions, living with constant job insecurity. They invest their blood, sweat and tears into the restaurants, stores and hotels in which they work. Many put up with intolerable practices like illegal wage theft, pervasive sexism, sexual harassment and even sexual assaults that go unreported for fear of losing their jobs. Yet, despite working extra hours without overtime pay (a common practice in the city) and other indecencies, these workers at the end of the day can no longer afford to live in their own city. How fucked up is that?

Tonight we also Marched for and stand in Solidarity with our Comrades in the LGBTQ Community, Comrades who suffer these indecencies often to extremes our straight, cis-gendered Comrades would NEVER tolerate. We love you all. Your battle is our battle. Your blood spilled is our blood spilled. Your struggle is our struggle, and we'll gladly stand by your side, and die by your side fighting the injustices you suffer. Our hearts are with you Comrades. ♥️

Of course we also Marched in Solidarity with our incredibly resilient but ever struggling Black Community. I stand in awe of our Black community that rebuilt after Katrina despite the Local and State Government's sickening efforts to permanently prevent black communities from rebuilding; using the immense power of the State to exclude Black Communities, often using zoning regulations designed to be nearly impossible to comply with in order to exclude Black and Brown people from the years long rebuilding effort. These efforts coincided with the firing of all public school teachers in Orleans Parish, a majority of whom were Black and Unionized. They then proceeded to Privatize the entire public school system in Orleans Parish, leading it to become the first school district in the United States to completely privatize the public school system and turning public education in New Orleans into a grand Neoliberal experiment with Black and Brown children playing the part of lab rat. The effect this all had on teacher's wages has been astounding. Some teachers are now making less than $10.00 an hour to educate the majority black students. Most of the public school teachers who were fired after Hurricane Katrina never got their jobs back, leading to thousands of Black educators forced to choose between early retirement, unemployment, or moving out of the city entirely. The city's newly empowered Charter Schools recruited (mostly white) recent college graduates, many of them without ANY teaching experience at all! Just hundreds of deeply inexperienced, completely unqualified, non-unionized "educators" paid starvation wages.

And then of course there is our Immigrant Community. These Comrades give so much back to the rest of us, words could never do them justice. Our Immigrant Communities that do so much to enrich our culture and add so much to our city that we could never repay them for it in a thousand years. And yet, Louisiana is on the frontline of the race to incarcerate, profit off and deport them back to violence filled, corrupt countries with few, if any, opportunities. Despite the fact that their work, their farms, and even their tax dollars form the backbone of American society, this is how to Bourgeoisie choose to thank their hard work. US Imperialism, regional domination big oil and big ag industries and other forms of profiteering has so decimated the countries from which many immigrants seek to escape, that it has become nearly impossible, and downright dangerous to raise a family in countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatamala. The US empire has spent centuries controlling these country's governments for the benefit of the US Bourgeoisie in the name of Capital. Throughout our shared history, the US has been busily overturning those governments we've deemed unsatisfactory to the needs of our mega-corporations, with our CIA sponsoring Right-Wing Military Dictatorships, Fascist Regime's, and death squads. And yet we have the audacity to act surprised when these families seek to escape these auxiliaries for corporate control we call "Independent" governments? They deserve our welcome, our hospitality, and our love. They are our brothers and sisters. They are our working class Comrades.

Maybe one of the most important issues on which to take a stand is that of the history and struggle of indiginous peoples in the Americas. Tonight we proudly march in Solidarity with our indigenous Communities. Indiginous people have endured genocidal slaughter, torture, starvation, and some of the most horrid political, cultural, and educational oppression imaginable. Over the course of centuries of being dominated by the colonization and Imperialism of European Capitalist States, it's unquestionable that the indiginous community lived through the kind of systematic slaughter that only a handful of cultures worldwide have ever experienced. We are not unaware of who's land it is on which we protest tonight. The struggle for indiginous rights, indiginous emancipation, and the continued suffering of indiginous peoples at the hands of their colonizers is a crime of unimaginable proportion that weighs heavily on our minds tonight. Your struggle will no longer be ignored as long as we have air in our lungs to make ourselves heard! We will never forget your struggle. And when the Revolution we seek comes and we can stand together on the piles of Bourgeoisie bones, begins the moment when all the oppressed people of this nation can finally begin the healing process that is so desperately needed. This will be the very moment we begin to dismantle the farce that is the republic of the United States of America. We will dismantle this empire of the rich and our very first governing action will be to return the land stolen so long ago by the Imperial European colonizers to the Indiginous people's it was stolen from. The oppressed will become the oppressor and never again will we allow the interests of a few to dominate the workers of the world again.

That is the future we march for today.  

All of these different groups, with different histories, suffering from different forms of the same Capitalist oppression, are all united on this night as ONE Working Class. We are the Proletariat! We clean your toilets, cut your grass, grow your food, make your dinner, take out your trash, fix your cars, play the music you listen to; we are your designated driver, your waitress, your bar tender, your street cleaners; we fix your roofs, educate your children, check you out at the store, deliver your Amazon purchases. WE ARE THE WORKING CLASS AND WE OUTNUMBER THE RULING CLASS 10'000 TO 1. WHEN WE STAND TOGETHER IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL OUR COMRADES, WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE. WE MUST REJECT THE IDENTITIES GIVEN TO US BY RULING CLASS AND THE BOSSES. WE MUST FIGHT BACK AGAINST ALL FORMS OF OPPRESSION, INCLUDING RACISM, SEXISM, GENDER BIAS, XENOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND ALL THE TOOLS THE CAPITALISTS USE TO KEEP US DIVIDED SO WE CAN NEVER BECOME A THREAT TO THEIR PROFITS. WE MUST ORGANIZE, MARCH, DEMONSTRATE, PROTEST, USE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN THINK OF TO BREAK THE GRIP OF THE CAPITALISTS AND THEIR STATE APPARATUS. WE MUST SMASH THIS STATE APPARATUS THEY'VE BUILT SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF VIOLENTLY ENFORCING OUR CLASS POSITIONS!!!

The time has come for workers to claim the mantle of those Revolutionaries who came before us, and to destroy the Capitalist system and the ruling class once and for all.

Viva La Revolucion!

Viva La Liberte!

Viva La egalite!

Viva La Socialisme!

Viva La Communiste!

Da zdravstvuyet bol'sheviki!

Solidarity to all my Comrades!

Tonight we march!

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Teacher removed from public education meeting in handcuffs after asking why superintendents get raises but teachers don't

Deyshia Hargrave is an English teacher at Rene Rost Middle Schools in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana; on Monday night, she attended a special meeting of the local school board and, when called upon comment period, politely asked why the board superintendants had voted themselves a raise while the teachers in the school district have been subjected to a long-term pay-freeze.

The superintendent ruled her question out of order and then a deputy Abbeville city marshal who works in the parish schools dragged her out of the room, put her in handcuffs and threw her to the floor while chanting "stop resisting."

The board of education says it won't press charges against her. However, the city is holding her on charges of "remaining after being forbidden" and "resisting an officer."

https://boingboing.net/2018/01/09/abbeville-city-marshal.html