Sherrel Johnson was among the 28 appointments by Gov. Mike Beebe announced on Friday. Johnson will succeed Stephen Luelf, and her appointment expires May 1, 2018.
Dr. Terry Yamauchi of Little Rock has been reappointed to the State Board of Health. His appointment expires Dec. 31, 2015.
Other appointments include Stuttgart resident Melanie Baden’s appointment to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, and Helena-West Helena resident Joe St. Columbia’s re-appointment to that commission.
Remember Joe St. Columbia? The Helena-West Helena city council member who sent out this email calling the African American city officials in Helena monkeys:
From: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>
Date: Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 3:23 AM
Subject: FW: Helena in the news again…….
To: <undisclosed recipients>
“The truth will always come out. Where did $13 million each year Go !
Thank God for our new Treasurer and Bob Lee CPA helping dig it all out. … Joe.
This is what happens when you put Monkeys in to run the zoo…
http://www.wreg.com/videobeta/25e7a147-7660-450d-b77e-445f1a858435/News/Helena-West-Helena-IRS-Troubles
Sad news. Where is the Grand Jury?
On top of that, the guy apparently had a track record sending out offensive emails with racist themes, including this little doozy:
From: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>
Date: Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 7:47 AM
Subject: FW: New Definition of “Breadwinner”
To: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>If there’s a way to work the system they’ll find it.
Bread Winner…Making Babies!
I was speaking to an emergency room physician this morning. He told me that a woman in her 20s came to the ER with her 8th pregnancy. She stated, “my momma told me that I am the breadwinner for the family.” He asked her to explain. She said that she can make babies and babies get money for the family. The scam goes like this: The grandma calls the Department of Child and Family Services and states that the unemployed daughter is not capable of caring for these children. DCFS agrees and states that the child or children will need to go to foster care.
The grandma then volunteers to be the foster parent, and thus receives a check for $1500 per child per month in Illinois . Total yearly income: $144,000 tax-free, not to mention free healthcare (Medicaid) plus a monthly card entitling her to free groceries, etc, and a voucher for 250 free cell phone minutes per month. This does not even include WIC and other welfare programs. Indeed, grandma was correct in that her fertile daughter is the “breadwinner” for the family.
This is how the ruling class spends our tax dollars.
We eventually found out that he apparently gets photos for these little emails from a website called “chimpout.com”.
Columbia survived censure over that explosive scandal thanks to the veto of the corrupt Helena Mayor Arnell Willis. At the time, residents of Helena asked Governor Beebe to call for Columbia’s resignation from the MRPC. Beebe ignored them. Now he’s gone and reappointed this man. For all intents and purposes, this is spitting not only in the faces of African Americans, but in the faces of anyone with a sense of decency. Governor Beebe owes everyone an explanation for this, and an apology. It is unbelievable to me that in the 21st Century I would have to write about an appointment like this, especially coming from a governor that’s supposed to be a Democrat.
It’s one thing for Mike Beebe to just be a do-nothing Gov, avoiding anything that might be seen as taking a stand on an issue. If he doesn’t want to spend his political capital helping elect Democrats to the legislature that he has to work with for the next two years, then that’s on him, no matter how much it might bother Democrats.
But this? This should be completely unacceptable to everyone, regardless of party affiliation (Jon Hubbard, notwithstanding). This is disgusting, and Mike Beebe should be ashamed of himself.
I have worked with DHS. I know this “scam” and I have seen it work. It has nothing to do with race. Everything to do with the welfair laws.
I have heard people say ” If I paint my face another color I could get all those beniftits too”. The truth is it has NOTHING to do with race, color or religion. It goes by those huge books of law that every social worker and or thier supervisor must know. I see the comment as a dig against the state system and not against any one race.
Also, “monkey” refers to a mischievous child, who is behaving badly and is annoying. along with non-human primate.
It appears that the complainers here are choosing to pick a fight.
Untill we all start grouping ourselves as Americans and not by racial profiles. We will always have this problem. I was born and raised here I am and AMERICAN, the color of my skin or my racial background is irrevilent and should not be asked.