Report: Warnock’s Church Cancels Eviction of Vietnam War Veteran
Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-GA) church, which owns Columbia Tower at MLK Village in Atlanta, has reportedly canceled its attempted eviction of tenant and Vietnam war veteran Phillip White ahead of the Georgia Senate runoff.
Warnock’s Ebenezer Baptist Church reportedly tried to evict White in September for past-due rent of $192, while the senator, who is still a pastor at the church, has accepted a $120,000 annual pastoral salary and a $7,417 monthly housing allowance from the church on top of his Senate salary.
“They treat me like a piece of shit. They’re not compassionate at all,” White said in October of the building’s management.
A few weeks after Warnock failed to defeat Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the November midterm election, his church dropped its attempted eviction on Wednesday, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Walker had pledged to pay past-due rents to stop “Reverend Warnock from evicting” tenants who live in a building his church owns. “I will personally pay the $4,900 in past-due rents listed in this article to keep Reverend Warnock from evicting these people,” he stated.
The dropped eviction is the first attempted eviction the building’s property management company has reported canceling since the media exposed the controversial property management policy back in October.
(iStock/Getty Images Plus)
September is not the first time White has had trouble with his landlord. Last year, White was also served an eviction notice for just $179 of past-due rent. The eviction notice was allegedly dropped after he paid outstanding rent and $325 in fees.
Warnock’s church’s landlord tactics are especially noteworthy because Warnock had campaigned in 2020 on eviction protection. During his first Senate campaign, he criticized his political opponents for not going along with federal housing pandemic subsidies, accusing them of being “clearly only concerned with serving their own interests.”
During his time in the Senate, Warnock has more than doubled his income. Warnock’s reported 2021 income encompassed a Senate salary ($164,816), a church salary ($120,964), a church housing allowance ($7,417 per month), and a book deal ($243,750), along with speaking fees ($5,750).
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
Has the Democrat party converted to Islam?
On October 21, U.S. reps. Ilhan Omar and Jan Schakowsky issued a press release introducing a bill titled the "Combating International Islamophobia Act." According the release, the purpose of the bill is "to address the rise in incidents of Islamophobia worldwide."
Specifically, it would require "the State Department to create a Special Envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia, [which would] include state-sponsored Islamophobic violence and impunity [sic] in the Department's annual human rights reports."
The bill was supported by the White House, which, notwithstanding its focus on Islam alone, described it as a measure committed to "defending freedom of religion and belief."
On Dec, 14, 2021, the bill, H.R. 5665, passed in the House, 219 to 212. No Democrat voted against it; no Republican voted for it.
Portions of the bill at §3(k) describe its scope:
(1) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, Muslim people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Muslim community institutions, including schools, mosques, and cemeteries
Under this clause, no reports of any violence and killing committed not against Muslims, but by Muslims against other religious groups, nor the suppression of non-Muslims in Muslim-ruled nations, would be authorized. Only acts against Muslims.
(2) instances of propaganda in government and nongovernment media that attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against Muslim people
The astute reader will notice a difference between this clause and the press release issued by Omar and Schakowsky. That release did not include any mention of "nongovernment media" — that is, "non-government" newspapers, magazines, radio and television programs, internet, social media — as being within its scope of oversight. The press release mentions the mouse but omits the elephant.
The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name. If English is our language, the term "Islamophobia" means "irrational fear of Islam." So we are facing a rise of irrational fear of Islam? Why would that be of concern to anyone except those who are suffering from such irrational fear?
The press release and bill are not really talking about a fear of Islam; they are talking about a hostility toward Islam, which are not the same thing.
One may fear Muslims but not necessarily hate them, or act violently against them. But, in expressing fears about Muslims, is certainly possible that such fears may lead some persons to hostile acts of violence. Does this mean that such fears cannot be raised? What if they are justified?
The bill does not address this issue; instead, it proceeds as if there could be no rational basis for fear of Islam. That would be a Muslim presumption; if based only on Islamic scriptures, however, such presumption would not be an objective one.
Those Scriptures include biographies of Muhammad, which describe his great achievement of uniting Arabs under the standard of Islam, but which also include accounts of callous and unprecedented assassinations of political and religious opponents in order reach that objective. Nonetheless, in the Quran, at 33:21, Allah names Muhammad as a good example for mankind. It is fair to expect that some Muslims, appalled at the degeneracy of the West, but blind to its virtues, have taken that endorsement to heart. And if assassination is justifiable for what is believed to be a greater purpose, then what isn't?
In short, if there is content in the media that could give rise to fear of Islam, such content is not necessarily "propaganda," as the bill effectively assumes.
Need it be said that H.R. 5665 violates the First Amendment at two different levels? First of all, in addressing not the alleged hostile actions themselves, but rather the media that are supposedly instigating those actions, the bill runs afoul of such media's freedom of speech.
Secondly, in focusing on issues relating specifically to Islam and to no other religion, the bill is "respecting an establishment of religion," which, under the Amendment, is prohibited.
One has to wonder if the 219 House members are aware that we have a Constitution, or whether it has a First Amendment?
In addition to constitutional issues is the one of national sovereignty. Two hundred nineteen Democrats have voted for the U.S. to monitor "international Islamophobia." But the U.S. is not an international institution; Islam is. This is Islam's concern, not America's. Or have the Democrats converted to Islam?
Following its passage in the House, the bill, now as S. 3344, was forwarded to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Because of the 50-50 party split in the full Senate, the membership of the Committee was also evenly split, leaving the bill in a deadlock. If Raphael Warnock wins the Georgia seat, Democrats would have a majority in the committee. If that majority accepted the bill as the House presented it, it could move to the Senate floor for a full vote — one in which, if it is passed, will not need reconciliation with the House, which would no longer be controlled by Democrats.
Republicans might try to filibuster such a vote, but, the filibuster being not a law, but only a Senate rule, it could be terminated by a simple majority of senators. Democrats could possibly have the votes to do that, and then vote S. 3384 into law.
As noted, however, the bill is unconstitutional on at least two levels, and so could likely be challenged successfully in court on such bases. Since Republicans would control the House, Democrats would be unable to pack the Supreme Court in order to prevent such outcome.
Even so, it would be far better if such a challenge did not need to be made at all, for the more legislation the Court must strike down, the greater is the appearance that it is legislating from the bench. In either case, a lot rides on the Dec. 6 run-off election between incumbent Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.
Image via Pxhere.
Warnock’s Church Belongs to Coalition That Wants to End Military Aid to Israel
Georgia Dem has history of anti-Israel rhetoric
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.)Alana Goodman • November 17, 2022 11:00 am
SHARE
Georgia Democratic senator Raphael Warnock’s church, where he serves as senior pastor and CEO, belongs to a coalition of far-left congregations that is calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Warnock’s Ebenezer Baptist Church is listed as a member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a left-wing Baptist denominational group that has been a staunch critic of the Jewish state. The senator gave the keynote speech at the PNBC’s annual conference last year, where it passed a resolution accusing Israel of "apartheid" and "ethnic cleansing."
Warnock’s affiliation with the PNBC comes nearly two years after he faced criticism from the Jewish community for signing on to a statement, published by the same organization, that compared Israel to apartheid South Africa. In response to the controversy, Warnock’s campaign said he supported the U.S.-Israel relationship and "opposes ending direct military aid to such a strong ally."
Despite Warnock's own history of anti-Israel statements, such as accusing Israel of shooting unarmed Palestinians "like birds of prey," he pivoted on the campaign trail in 2020 and positioned himself as a supporter of the Jewish state. But his church’s ongoing membership in the PNBC—and Warnock’s decision to headline its annual gathering last year—could reignite questions about his views.
Danielle Repass, the press secretary for the Georgia Republican Party, told the Washington Free Beacon that Warnock’s involvement with the group is in line with his "relentless history of anti-Israel speech."
"Time and time again, Raphael Warnock proves that he is irreconcilably out of touch with Georgians," said Repass.
Warnock served as the PNBC’s social justice committee chairman until 2018, according to the group’s newsletter. The organization has been pushing the U.S. government to cut off military aid to Israel since at least 2019.
The PNBC took an even stronger stance at its annual conference that featured Warnock last year, issuing a resolution that slammed "Israel’s long and violent history of ethnic cleansing throughout all of Palestine" and called for "recognizing the reality that the Israel is an apartheid state, that practices separate-but-unequal treatment of Palestinians and denies Palestinian human rights."
"Therefore be it resolved that the Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc. calls for an immediate end to all U.S. military funding to Israel," said the PNBC, according to a copy of the resolution.
The PNBC said it would establish a "Palestinian Solidarity Campaign" among its member churches and develop an "Action Plan" to "end the Israel’s Military Occupation of Palestine."
The resolution also endorsed the Kairos document, issued by Palestinian Christian leaders in 2009 in an effort to recruit churches into a global anti-Israel boycott campaign. The document defends Palestinian terrorism as "legal resistance" and calls for a "system of economic sanctions and boycott to be applied against Israel."
Warnock came under fire during his last election for signing on to a National Council of Churches statement with other clergy members, which claimed Israel’s policies in the West Bank were "reminiscent" of apartheid South Africa. The PNBC passed the same statement as a resolution at its 2019 conference, which also included a call to cut off military aid, the Jewish Insider reported.
During a 2018 sermon, Warnock also accused Israel of "shoot[ing] down unarmed Palestinian sisters and brothers like birds of prey."
The senator tried to distance himself from these comments during his 2020 campaign, saying through a spokesman that the "reservations he has expressed about settlement activity do not change his strong support for Israel and belief in its security—which is exactly why he opposes ending direct military aid to such a strong ally."
Published under: Georgia Senate, Israel, Palestine, Raphael Warnock
This Vietnam Veteran Paid His Past-Due Rent. He Still Faces Eviction From Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Apartment.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.) claims his church's building does not evict residents
ATLANTA—A Vietnam veteran says he still faces eviction from the low-income apartment building owned by Sen. Raphael Warnock's (D., Ga.) church, even though he paid his past-due rent.
Columbia Residential, which manages Ebenezer Baptist Church’s low-income apartment building in Atlanta, served a dispossessory notice to Phillip White on Sept. 20 for $192 in unpaid rent. White, an African-American Marine veteran who served two combat tours in Vietnam, provided money order receipts to the Free Beacon on Thursday showing he made a $542 rent payment on Nov. 2. But Columbia Residential hasn’t filed a motion to dismiss its case, indicating it still intends to evict White.
It’s not clear why Columbia's dispossessory notice against White remains open following his Nov. 2 rent payment. Warnock said in October that no one had been evicted from his church’s property, a claim undermined by court records showing that authorities have carried out two court-ordered writs of possession against residents since the start of the pandemic.
White said he expects the building to resume evictions after Warnock is clear of his Dec. 6 runoff election against Republican Herschel Walker.
"He said there would be no evictions," White, 69, said. "He knew that was a lie. What he was really saying is there would be no evictions until after the election."
Warnock has repeatedly dodged questions about evictions from his church’s apartment building since the Free Beacon broke the story in October. On Thursday, Warnock refused to tell reporters if he thought the eviction notices were wrongly sent, or if he had even looked into the issue. Earlier, on Sunday, the Democrat railed against the "vicious and venomous" critics of his church, saying they "attack the church of Jesus Christ."
Ebenezer Baptist Church, which pays Warnock a $7,417 monthly housing allowance, owns 99 percent of the dilapidated Columbia Tower at MLK Village. The church tapped Columbia Residential, one of the nation’s leading eviction filers, to manage the property on its behalf.
Walker launched an attack ad on Friday accusing Warnock of preying on the poor while lavishing himself with lucrative benefits from his church. The Republican has also offered to pay the past-due rents of the more than a dozen residents of Columbia Tower who have faced eviction since the start of the pandemic. But White said Thursday he didn’t want the help.
"I help me. I got to tighten my belt and do the things I need to do," the veteran said. "If I do that, I'll feel good. I'll sleep better at night, sleep real good."
Warnock called his opponent’s offer to pay the back rents a cynical ploy to "exploit" the residents facing eviction from his church’s apartment building. He also accused Walker of sullying the name of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. for "short-term political gain."
Thursday was the second time White spoke with the Free Beacon. White, who doesn’t own a phone, told the Free Beacon in early October the building managers at Columbia Tower treat him "like a piece of shit."
The Free Beacon had unfettered access to Columbia Tower and spoke with residents inside the building when this reporter first visited the property in early October. On Thursday, however, a security guard who identified himself as Jones was on site to keep reporters out.
"They don’t want no media in the building," he said.
Warnock Steered $16 Million to Project That Benefited Co-Owner of Church’s Controversial Apartment Complex
Georgia Democratic senator Raphael Warnock steered $16.4 million in federal earmarks to a project that benefited the co-owner of his controversial low-income apartment complex.
The funding was intended to construct a trail connecting a residential and commercial complex known as "Pittsburgh Yards" with other portions of Atlanta's BeltLine. The developer of Pittsburgh Yards is Columbia Ventures, part of the Columbia group of companies that co-owns and operates a low-income housing complex with Warnock's church.
The funding raises questions about whether Warnock's business relationship with Columbia had any bearing on his funding decision. Warnock did not respond to a request for comment.
Warnock's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he serves as senior pastor and CEO, in 2005 "formed a partnership with Columbia Residential to rehabilitate [a] dilapidated high-rise" and turned the building into low-income apartments. Ebenezer and Columbia are co-owners of the business through a joint venture, with Ebenezer owning 99 percent and Columbia owning the remaining 1 percent, according to a state grant application filed by the entities in August.
Last November, Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) announced that they had helped secure the funding for the trail project, which would "construct approximately two miles of the Southside Trail component of the Atlanta BeltLine from Pittsburgh Yards to Boulevard Crossing Park."
"When we connect our communities with pedestrian and bike trails, we provide a pathway for residents to enjoy local green spaces and invest in small businesses," said Warnock in a press release. "We bolster social and economic mobility for hardworking Georgians when we make strong federal investments in projects like the Atlanta BeltLine, and I look forward to securing more infrastructure investments like this one for other vital transportation projects in Atlanta and across our state."
Atlanta's BeltLine, which has been under construction since 2010, has been a lucrative project for property developers and led to a spike in property values. Columbia Residential and its sister company Columbia Ventures have worked on multiple developments along the trail, which when completed is supposed to loop around the city and connect neighborhoods through a light rail. The $16.4 million earmarked by Warnock, from the U.S. Department of Transportation, funded a "critical" segment of the trail that connected the "Eastside and Westside of the BeltLine" starting at Pittsburgh Yards, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
One of the more ambitious projects is Pittsburgh Yards, a 31-acre mixed-use development that includes commercial and residential buildings. The property is owned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and was developed in partnership with Columbia Ventures.
Columbia Ventures directed comment requests to the Casey Foundation, which directed comment requests to Pittsburgh Yards. Pittsburgh Yards said it couldn't comment for Columbia Ventures but said it didn't believe the funding was politically motivated.
"Pittsburgh Yards and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the primary funder of Pittsburgh Yards, are nonpartisan entities and did not, nor would not, have conversations that are political in nature," said Betsy Helgager Hughes, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh Yards. "We also do not provide comments or commentary regarding the position of other businesses."
Warnock's church apartment complex has become an issue in his race against Republican challenger Herschel Walker ahead of Georgia's Dec. 6 Senate runoff. Walker launched an ad campaign last week raising concerns about evictions and living conditions at the building.
Columbia Residential, which manages the apartments, has filed eviction proceedings since the start of the pandemic against over a dozen residents, including one tenant who owed just $28.55 in late rent, the Free Beacon first reported. The apartment building has also been hit with multiple city code violations over rodent and bug infestations, overflowing trash rooms, and mold issues, according to records obtained by the Free Beacon.
No comments:
Post a Comment