The AC Phoenix: More than a Newspaper, a Community Institution -- Issue No. 2000, June 2013

The Truth
Will Set You
Free
In Our 30th Year Issue No. 2001 June 2013 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad FREE
Former Inmate Expects to Become
Millionaire for the Second Time
By John Raye
single family homes, cruised around town in several expensive
cars, promoted boxing and entertainment ventures
that brought Don King, Mike Tyson and other celebrities
like Patty Labelle, to town.
Johnny X Williamson
A former Winston-Salem millionaire, Johnny X Williamson,is
on target to become a self-made millionaire for the second
time, a feat rarely achieved by the average American, especially
one faced with a life prison sentence.
Williamson was a well-known, wealthy and successful businessman
before going to prison at age 45. He owned a
newspaper, his own television show, a night club, a variety
store, multiple real estate properties including a half dozen
Blues Legend Roy
Roberts in Concert at
Enterprise Center
He was released two and a half years ago after serving 20
years, six months and six days. During that long prison
stretch, he earned three (3) college degrees and wrote
three (3) books including an expectant best seller, “The
Thought Is Then Cause Of it All”. He’s also on schedule
to earn a Master’s degree in business and economics by
year’s end.
“I expect to be successful again. I’ve always felt that way.
I made a lot of money before I went to prison. I just made
it the wrong way. Now, with my new health, wellness and
wealth-building business, I expect to make back all the
money I lost, he said.
A long time advocate of self-help and business entrepreneurship,
Williamson has become a widely admired
and respected health and wellness business coach, since
leaving prison. His product line includes some 200 items
including one of the world’s most powerful Aloe Vera gels
and weight loss products.
“I show people how to stay fit, physically, mentally and
financially. There’s not much hope for a sick mind or a tired
body”, he said. “Also, it’s hard to be fit or happy when you
performed with some of the nation’
most famous artists, ranging from
the late Otis Redding and Solomon
Burke to Eddie Floyd, B.B. King and
Stevie Wonder.
[continued on page 4]
The Changing Face of
College Admissions
By Dr. Ernie Wade
Dr. Ernie Wade
In my more than 30 years of advising,
motivating, inspiring, educating
and developing students, there was a
constant mantra, “go to college, the
experience is great”. Hundreds of students
took heed of the mantra and
successfully pursued study at colleges
and universities across the country. The
process was pretty simple at the time.
You filled out your application, secured
letters of recommendation, submitted
your standardized test scores and for
the most part were admitted. To this day
that mantra of “ go to college” has not
changed, but the process of preparing
for, applying to and getting accepted
by institutions of higher education has
changed dramatically.
By John Raye
Roy Roberts
The legendary Roy Roberts, the award
winning master musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter,
composer, record label
owner and record producer, will appear
with his band in the long awaited, “Play
Me Some Blues”, concert, Friday, July
12th. 6pm at the Enterprise Center,
1922 MLK Dr in Winston-Salem, it was
announced today.
The winner of numerous awards including,
Producer of the Year, Best Blues
Album and CMBA Blues Song of the Year
for, “I Slipped”, Roberts has played and
“We are really blessed to have a
musical giant like Roy Roberts to
take the stage and perform for us”,
said event coordinator, Roy Williams.
“Its not every day that you can get
a national recording artist like Roy
Roberts to give up a prime time
spot to play for us when he could
be making a lot more money elsewhere”,
Williams said.
In a career stretching back more than
four decades, Roberts has played all
over the world, releasing more than
a dozen albums including his latest
album release, the mesmerizing and
award winning, “Strange Love”.
An accomplished songwriter, singer
and producer, Roberts is the guiding
force behind Rock House Records,
his own record label and recording
studio, which is located in Greensboro.
They say, nobody plays the
guitar like Roy Roberts! “Most people
have no idea that this great musician
is known more around the world
[continued on page 4]
My Story: “After 19
Years In the NBA, I
Have A New
Target”
By BDO
It’s been more than a year since
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal retired
from the court, and he says
he doesn’t miss it. The basketball
champ has his eye on a new target…
Diabetes.
Shaquille O’Neal
“It’s alarming,” says O’Neal. “We
need to come together to try to
[continued on page11]
The college admissions process has
become more competitive. Schools are
requiring more of enrolling freshman
students than ever before. Applicants
are subject to more competition than
ever due to the increased value of a college
education.
[continued on page 11]
Inside This Issue
Jack Pot 3
Black Schools To
Stay In A Daze 3
Medgar Evers Would
Be Proud 5
Best Way To Save
Gas This Summer 13

Page 2 June 2013 The AC Phoenix

Page 3 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
JACKPOT!
By John Raye
John Raye
Jackpot is one of the most famous
words in the English language. It does
not have to be explained or identified.
Its true meaning can never be missed
or misunderstood because it carries
its own meaning, its own recognition!
Jackpot is synonymous with success,
not failure or poverty. It is, says Webster,
“an impressive, often unexpected
success or reward”.
Recently, a great deal of, “unexpected
success” suddenly appeared in my
life in the form of Forever Living, an
Arizona-based health and wellness
company that is now the world’s largest
producer of stabilized Aloe Vera
gel. I joined the company in 1988 while
living and working in Washington,
D.C., and for reasons too numerous to
here, left and stayed gone for 25 years.
Then, three months ago, after being
inactive for 25 years, I found my way
back, re-activated my status and
became an active distributor again.
It had to be destiny or divine favor
because nothing else makes sense.
Then too, God makes nothing by luck,
chance or accident.
Aloe Vera is an ancient herb that
stretches back to biblical time, so most
people are familiar with the miraculous
healing powers of this awesome
plant….one of the most famous and
potent of all natural herbs.
But 25 years ago, we were busy chasing
rabbits and ignored the ancient
Chinese expression that said, “man
who chase two rabbits both get away”.
It’s true because all the rabbits we were
chasing got away…. every last one of
them! And of course, the grass always
look greener on the other side, but as
a very wise man once told us, “indeed,
the grass may be greener but you still
have to cut it!”
So, 25 years after job layoffs, stroke, cancer,
foreclosure, and catastrophic financial
losses, we were blessed to re-discover the
Forever Living company and its famous
stabilized Aloe Vera gel in that little yellow
jug.
It was then that I knew, instantly knew, it
was meant to be. Divine favor!
My long standing desire to help myself
and others achieve financial freedom
and a return to optimum health
was now well within reach. I was now
in possession of a product, stabilized
Aloe Vera, that has stood the test of
time, and a company that has business
operations in well over half of
the world---163 countries all total.
I had to go sit down when told that
Forever Living had mushroomed into
a $3 billion dollar juggernaut with 10
million distributors around the world.
Ten million distributors?
How does one convince 10 million
people to consume and market a
product that does not advertise or
promote itself in mass media, or is
never sold in stores or retail outlets?
You cannot buy this brand of Aloe
Vera by going to stores or shopping
malls. In fact, it can only be purchased
through authorized distributors.
Amazing, I thought. just amazing. But
then there is the issue of money. Lots
of money.
Many of these ten million distributors
are making huge sums of money, so
much money that many have reached
millionaire status. This was somewhat
difficult for me to understand until I
realized that a Rolls Royce also does
not advertise or promote itself.
The best, of the best, does not have to
advertise, Results are all that matters.
As I moved at warped speed in making
my return back to the Forever Living
company, I knew that our day had
come. This was our time, our season.
I’ve always has a deep, embedded desire
to help our people. Don’t know
where it came from, but it’s always
been there. In other words, I want for
my brothers and my sisters, what I
want for myself.
Still, it’s hard to help other people
when your own resources are skimpy,
or when you are close to being broke.
It’s even most difficult when you are
sick, broke, black, bothered and bewildered,
all at the same time! This is
a conditional state of near madness
and unholy mass confusion.
But, I can declare with absolute certainty
that my sick and broke days
are now gone forever. Opportunity,
in the form of the Forever Living gel
has knocked, once again, on my front
door, and this time, I am chasing just
one rabbit!
If you are “sick and tired of being
broke and sick and tired”, then you
are more than welcome to come
chase this one rabbit with me. The
investment I made and left 25 years
ago, is already starting to pay huge
dividends including the possibility of
owning a new car with zero monthly
payments.
Lost your job ? Lost your house or
car? Unemployed? Been to jail or prison?
Little or so-called, no education?
Been let go or downsized? Need more
money? Call me!
I don’t know everything but I do know
a few things; I know when I’ve hit
JACKPOT! This is as good as it gets!
---John Raye, a health-wellness-business
coach, is a seven year cancer survivor.
He lives in Kernersville, NC. (rayeandrosie@aol.com)
336--782-8383 (
johnraye.myflpbiz.com).
Raynard Jackson
Blacks Schooled to
Stay in a Daze
By Raynard Jackson, NNPA Columnist
I was flipping through the TV channels
last week and came across one of
Spike Lee’s best movies, School Daze.
This was a 1988 film written and directed
by Lee. The movie took an inside
look at some of the internal issues that
go on within the Black community—
issues like dark skinned Blacks versus
light skinned Blacks; Blacks that have
“good” hair versus Blacks with “nappy”
hair; Blacks from wealthy families
versus Blacks from poor families. The
movie was funny and serious at the
same time. I always say that comedy
is simply a funny way of being serious.
The movie’s setting takes place on
the fictional Black college campus of
Mission College. Lee’s concept for the
movie was based on his experiences
he had as a student at Morehouse College,
as well as his interactions with
students from Spelman College and
Clark Atlanta University. Spelman and
Morehouse are predominately occupied
by children of the Black elite.
They are all located in Atlanta.
The movie received critical acclaim
and was a financial success. But it
created a firestorm because the elite
Blacks did not take well to criticism of
their disdain of Blacks who were not
part of their clique—just ask Bill Cosby.
Though the school in the movie was
named Mission College, it was actually
shot on the campuses of Morehouse, Spelman
and Clark Atlanta. But, because of the
movie’s portrayal of the Black bourgeoisie,
Lee was forced to stop filming on those
campuses and was barred from being
invited to speak on their campuses after
the movie was released. He was forced
to complete his filming at nearby Morris
Brown College, a lesser known Black college
that was not known to have many
people from wealthy backgrounds.
Not much has changed in the 25 years
since the release of School Daze. As a
matter of fact, one could argue that this
schism within the Black community has
gotten worse.
This view is personified in the person
of President Barak Obama. He is light
skinned, has no connection with the Black
community, Ivy League educated, and
seems very uncomfortable around Blacks
who are not part of the bourgeoisie.
[continued from page 13]

Page 4 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
Blues Legend Roy
Roberts in Concert at
Enterprise Center
by John Raye
Roy Roberts
Former Inmate
Expects To Become
Millionaire for the
Second Time
By John Raye
[continued from page 1]
are broke---but money, like prayer,
changes everything”, he noted.
Currently, Williamson co-host a series
of weekly health and wellness business
seminars and plans to begin
touring later this year with his books
and Aloe Vera product line. “I am interested
in people who want to make
a lot of money because making a little
money in this day and age, just does
not excite me”, he said.
“I believe in good health. I think we
ought to strive everyday to be happy,
healthy and wealthy. But it’s hard to
be happy or healthy when you are
broke or almost broke…and I don’t
like being broke. But with these powerful
herbal products, I expect to
make a lot of money”, he said.
And I am fully committed to helping
others do the same”.
Williamson speaks candidly about his
past but does not dwell on it. These
days he is fully committed to helping
others, especially ex-offenders.
“Yes, I’ve been to prison. Yes, I have
three college degrees, but that’s not
what makes me successful. You are
suppose to learn from your mistakes
and I’ve done that. Now, I can help
others avoid stepping in the same
ditch that I stepped in years ago”, said
Williamson.
biggest cash and carry businesses. It
attracts thousands of new job seekers
or new entrepreneurs primarily because
little start up capital is required.
“I don’t care about your background,
your race, your age, your sex, politics
or religion I’m not interested in how
many degrees you have or don’t
have. I’m more interested in your attitude,
your integrity and your willingness
to go to work and make some
good money by doing what we are
doing”, he said.
Williamson’s audio book and Aloe
Vera product line will be on display,
Friday, July 12th beginning at 6pm, at
the Enterprise Center,1922 MLK Dr in
Winston-Salem.
“If you are not satisfied with your current
financial situation, then maybe
we ought to have a conversation together”,
said Williamson.
[continued from page 1]
idea that this great musician is known
more around the world than here in
his own home town”, Williams said.
“Thank God he is here in this city, otherwise
we would not be able to afford
him”, he said.
The “Play Me Some Blues”, concert is
sponsored by the Forever Living Distributors,
an active group of health
and wellness advocates who promote
and market an exclusive line of
wellness and nutritional products including
the world famous, stabilized
Aloe Vera Gel, an exclusive brand that
is never sold in stores or other retail
outlets.
“You will never feel the same after you
hear our short health and wellness
aloe presentation and feel the energy
coming at you from this master musician.
His music will make you move,
even if you don’t feel like moving”,
Williams said. “And our Aloe will help
keep you moving.”
The concert is free to all guests but
tickets are required. Complimentary
tickets may be secured from any Forever
Living distributor.
For more information, contact:
(336) 782-8383, (336) 817-5890 or
(336) 577-5869
For the past 33 years, I have
looked in the mirror every morning
and asked myself: ‘If today
were the last day of my life,
would I want to do what I am
about to do today?’ And whenever
the answer has been ‘No’ for
too many days in a row, I know I
need to change something.
Steve Jobs
“If you have been on top of a mountain
one time, and fell off that mountain,
well you ought to know how to
climb that same mountain---without
falling off again”, he noted.
An expert advocate of positive thinking,
Williamson wrote, “The Thought
Is the Cause of It All”, during his 20
year prison sentence. The first edition
was released as an audio book last
month.
“There has been so much change in
society since I went to prison 20 years
ago. More people are mobile these
days, and they are busy. I released the
book as an audio book because I figured
more people would listen to it
on a CD than actually pick it up and
read it page for page”, he said. “But
we do have plans to release the paper
back version”.
Williamson selected the wellness
industry because that’s the area, according
to multiple research studies,
where the most new millionaires
will be made. With obesity, diabetes,
kidney and heart disease now the
nation’s leading cause of all health
disparities, the wellness industry has
exploded into a multi-billion dollar
industry.
“I’ve researched this industry. I’ve
done my home work on this company
and its superb product line;10 million
distributors doing business in 163
countries! Wow! That’s very impressive.
I don’t know another American
company with that many people….,
10 million distributors! And they all
are making some pretty good money”,
said Williamson.
Williamson’s gives credit to Minister
Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of
Islam, an organization he joined in
1969, for helping him survive 20 years
in prison.
“I really don’t believe I could have survived
all that time in prison without
the teachings of the honorable Minister
Farrakhan”, he said. “He was my
role model way back then, and is still
my role model today. When despair
and hopelessness tried to set in on
me, all I had to do was to recall what
the minister taught us, and I’m forever
grateful for what he did and continues
to do for us”, said Williamson.
Always adaptable and a seeker
of true knowledge, Williamson’s
never lost his interest in self-development,
self knowledge and
self–employment. Even while incarcerated
he became knowledgeable
about the wellness industry.
The health and wellness business has
mushroomed into one of the nation’s
Grace
Presbyterian Church
Concert Series
The evening begins with Williamson’s
outlining his plans to become a
self-made millionaire for the second
time and how he plans to help others
duplicate his success. His presentation
will be followed by the musical,
“Play Me Some Blues” concert, featuring
the legendary Awards winning
blues guitarist and singer-songwriter,
Roy Roberts and his band. A limited
number of complimentary tickets are
available on a first-come, first serve
basis.
For more information, contact:
(336) 782-8383.
Great is Thy
Faithfulness
Maestro Alexander is a master performer
and will be demonstrating
his talent on the organ, and using his
beautiful tenor voice for this particular
concert. Alexander is nationally
known for conducting the famous
A & T State University Concert Choir
and Gospel Choir, so the public will
now have the opportunity to see and
hear him in a soloist role. He will be
accompanied by Ms. Rochelle Joyner,
who is popular in this area.
However, it was the healing aspect
of the Aloe Vera line that Williamson
says he was most impressed by.
“I’ve always known about powerful
herbal products like Aloe Vera.
I learned that from the old folks like
my grandfather. But you can’t get this
kind of Aloe that I promote and market
because it has never been sold in
stores or in any other retail outlets.
Also, it has never been advertised, the
only way you would know about it is
by word of mouth”, Williamson said.
Travis Alexander
The Concert Series Committee of
Grace Presbyterian Church (USA)
will sponsor Maestro Travis W. Alexander
(Conductor, Organist , Pianist,
Tenor and Teacher) in concert of Sunday,
June 23, 2013 at 4:00 P.M. in the
church sanctuary, located at 3901
Carver School Road, Winston-Salem,
NC 27105. This event will be one of
the hottest things happening in the
area on Sunday!
Ms. Rochelle Joyner

Page 5 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
My Tea Party ‘Taliban’
Comment ... What is
the Lesson Here?
By Julian Bond
proved that the Tea Party has had racist,
anti-Semitic and nativist elements
from its beginning until today.
One source is a study conducted
for the NAACP by the Institute for
Research and Education for Human
Rights.
Medgar Evers Would
Be Proud
By Benjamin Todd Jealous
Medgar Evers
Fifty years after the NAACP field secretary
was assassinated for his work
to expand the vote, a new report reaffirms
that his sacrifice was not in vain.
For the first time in history, African
Americans voted at a higher rate (66.2
percent) than non-Hispanic Whites
(64.1 percent). According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, black turnout increased
by 1.7 million compared with
four years earlier, and the Latino and
Asian communities saw enormous increases
as well.
This is exciting news. It puts to rest
any notion that communities of color
would fail to replicate their record
turnout in 2008, which was hailed as
An Associate Consultant’s
Newspaper
Established in 1983
Rodney J. Sumler, Publisher
Jerome Johnson, Managing Editor
Ann F. Sumler, Finance Director
Advertising Constants
Chenita Johnson, Mary Watson
A Creative Mind, Graphic Design
Ideas expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the
publisher or staff.
(336) 635 4096 Fax (336) 635 4567
e-mail: acphoenix@bellsouth.net
the most racially and ethnically diverse
electorate in history.
While we should enjoy this achievement,
now is not the time to rest. As
we realized after the disappointing
showing in the 2010 midterms, black
voter turnout is far from guaranteed.
Instead, we should recognize that we
succeed when we are invested with
the spirit that Dr. King called “the
fierce urgency of now.”
As we look forward to 2014 and beyond,
we need to consider what
worked and how we can build on our
momentum.
The most important takeaway is that
this was no accident. Some may argue
that the surge in turnout was purely a
fluke, fueled by excitement for a black
candidate and pushback against
voter suppression. Surely, both factors
helped motivate people of color.
But the historic numbers came from
a much more organic and replicable
reason: voter registration and Get Out
the Vote efforts.
The 2010 midterm elections were a
wakeup call. Over the next two years,
the NAACP developed the largest
voter registration campaign in our
history. We deployed 2,300 volunteers
across fifty states; trained 1,000
database experts in 600 communities;
and complemented our boots on
the ground with social media and a
robust mail campaign.
By the night of November 6, our volunteers
had registered 374,553 voters
[continued from page 12]
Julian Bond
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - I have always
suspected that racists didn’t like being
called out for their racism. Now I have
proof.
When I told MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts
on May 14th that the Tea Party was
“the Taliban wing of American politics”,
a firestorm erupted.
Arguing the IRS was correct to target
them for extra scrutiny, I also said,
“Here are a group of people who are
admittedly racist, who are overtly
political” and therefore worthy of IRS
concern.
I was not prepared for the slew of
angry emails, including two from selfidentified
Black people (your worst
nightmare, one said) I received.
Many of them suggested I leave the
country, reminiscent of the “Go back to
Africa” chants racist crowds of Whites
shouted at Black protestors in my
youth.
One said my advanced age - I am
73 - meant I would not be around to
make such mischief much longer, and
I should prepare for that quick eventuality.
A few suggested my employer fire me,
not knowing that I retired from that
job a year ago. Several of the messages
were badly written with misspelled
words, including one from a relative
by marriage - you can’t choose your
in-laws - reading “Your calling folks
Talabans borders on Traitorism.”
This same correspondent noted I had
been “head of the most classic Racist
group in our country,” referring to the
NAACP, whose board I chaired for
eleven years. Others characterized the
NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights
group, interracial in membership and
dedicated to racial integration since
1909, in the same way.
After an exchange of messages with
some of them, trying to convince them
that while I opposed it, I didn’t condemn
every member of the Tea Party,
the interactions became more civil
and less hostile. Some even wished
me well.
But to a person they rejected the
labels “racism” and “racist”, even as I
thought I had
Their study, called “Tea Party Nationalism”,
found “Tea Party ranks to be permeated
with concerns about race and
national identify and other so-called
social issues. In these ranks, an abiding
obsession with Barack Obama’s birth
certificate is often a stand-in for the belief
that the first black president of the
United States s not a “real American.”
It says Tea Party organizations have
given platforms to anti-Semites, racists
and bigots and “hard-core white
nationalists have been attracted” to Tea
Party protests.
The link between the Tea Party and the
Taliban was made by a prominent Republican
office holder.
In 2008, the Washington Post reported
that former Chairman of the Republican
Congressional Committee and
present day Congressman Pete Sessions
likened the GOP House minority
to the Taliban, saying, “Insurgency, we
understand perhaps a bit more because
of the Taliban.”
Just as my arguments failed to convince
my correspondents, so apparently does
the actual evidence: Not the ugly racist
signs and placards displayed at Tea Party
rallies, not the shouts of the “n” word
aimed at members of the Congressional
Black Caucus, not the spittle hurled
at civil rights icon and Congressman
John Lewis, not the racists expelled
from the Tea Party for their venom, not
the association of many members with
the Council of Conservative Citizens, a
lineal descendant of the White Citizen
Council, not the anti-gay slurs aimed
at former Congressman Barney Frank,
not the members whose racism, anti-
Semitism and xenophobia should be
an embarrassment - not all or any of
this could get them to acknowledge
the label “racist.”
My Black correspondents even claimed
that their race prohibited them from
being racists, as if skin color was a proscription
against ignorance. And many
of my presumably non-Black correspondents
accused me of being a racist,
so my race apparently offered me
no protection from this evil.
What is the lesson here? That the label
“racist” has become so toxic that
almost everyone rejects it? That the
toxicity makes the label unacceptable
but its actual practice is still tolerable
for many? Or that it is a defense against
itself? As the relative-I-try-not-to-claim
wrote, “I don’t know any White people
who hate Blacks like you advocate
Blacks should hate whites.” Or only that
while the United States has made much
progress in race relations, we still have
a long, long way to go?
Julian Bond is Chairman Emeritus of
the NAACP and a Professor at American
University in Washington.

Page 6 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
“After the Fire”
Charity Basketball
Game
Donations of essential items such as
toiletries and non-perishable food
will be collected for admission at the
games. The police and fire teams will
play at 4 p.m. with the winner taking
on the Winston-Salem Lady Warcats
at 5 p.m. Between the games and during
halftime there will be such activities
as a Free-Throw/Lay-Up Relay to
benefit the Burned Children’s Fund,
Hot Wing Eating Contest, Sparky’s
Free Throw Contest, Musical Basketball
Chairs and a Team Bond AAU
Half-Court Shot Contest.
Donations are also being accepted at
all city fire stations.
The games are hosted by BDaht of
102 Jamz and the Freestyle Comedy
Show, and are sponsored by the Winston-Salem
Fire and Police departments,
Wing Zone, Omega Sports,
Walmart, Buffalo Wild Wings, Tropical
Café Smoothies, Firehouse Subs,
Team B.O.N.D. and the D.A.H.T. Foundation.
For more information, call Toccara Toland
at 773-7965 or CityLink 311.
Teams representing the Winston-
Salem police and fire departments
and Winston-Salem Lady Warcats, a
semi-professional women’s basketball
team, will participate in the “After
the Fire” charity basketball games
Wednesday, June 26, at Winston-Salem
Preparatory Academy gymnasium,
1215 N. Cameron Ave, to benefit
citizens who have been displaced by
a fire.
Get Your
Tickets
Early for
the NBTF

Page 7 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
As a creative studio, our job is to help you
communicate your company’s story in an
effective and compelling way. This is
achieved through the use of graphic
Graphic Design
Web Development
Brand Identity Packages
Social Media Management
Search Engine Optimization
Mobile Marketing
Copywriting
design, copy writing, strategy and web
development and more. By creating
eco-friendly solutions, together we can
help you promote your business
effectively while implementing
sustainable business practices that help
save our environment. Give Us A Call!
Phone: 336.299.5365

Page 8 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
“
When talking with parents,
These are the students who
what I heard over and over
are most in need and most
again was their school was
desire an opportunity. It is
not meeting their children’s
not a silver bullet to solve all
needs, yet no one did anything
about it. They have no
piece of the educational puz-
educational problems but a
other educational options
zle that these students and
available.
parents need.
Rep. Marcus Brandon
Rep. Rob Bryan
(D - Guilford)
(R - Mecklenburg)
1 2 3 4
Pictures 1-5: Nearly 3,000 supporters packed the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium in April to highlight strong community support for the Opportunity Scholarship Act. Pictures 6-7: Legislat
THOUSANDS UNITE FOR OPP
Guilford legislator among many
supporting program allowing poor
families to better afford schools that could
meet their children’s educational needs
By Stan Chambers
Special to the AC Phoenix
As Rep. Marcus Brandon (D – Guilford)
stood in front of nearly 3,000
people during an April event at the
Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium,
the sophomore lawmaker from High
Point realized that his support for the Opportunity
Scholarship Act was validated by his
constituents.
Brandon joined a number of legislators, including
Speaker of the House Thom Tillis, at
the event, which proved strong grassroots support
for the Opportunity Scholarship Act. The
measure would allow children from low-income
and working-class families to receive
up to $4,200 in scholarships to attend private
schools that could meet their educational
needs.
The Greensboro event was one of a number
of recent statewide efforts illustrating the
strong and growing support for the measure,
from legislators joining private school leaders
and parents on the N.C. House floor to voice
the need for more educational choice to more
than 47,000 contacts made to legislators in
support of the program since May. The Opportunity
Scholarship Act has received bipartisan
support throughout the legislative process and,
as of publication, was included in the House
budget.
“Seeing those faces from across the Triad
and beyond, along with hearing affirmations of
Photo by Stan Chambers
Rep. Marcus Brandon (D - Guilford), one of the primary sponsors
of the Opportunity Scholarship Act, discusses his support
for the program during an event on the floor of the N.C. House
of Representatives on April 10.
support from residents in my district through
e-mail, phone and in-person conversations, has
solidified my support for ensuring that every
child is able to receive the quality education
that best meets their needs,” Brandon said.
An Accountable and Transparent Measure
The Opportunity Scholarship Act has a
number of academic and financial accountability
standards, including:
◆ Applications will be checked to ensure only
qualified children receive scholarship grants.
◆ Audits will be conducted to ensure schools
are properly utilizing scholarship funds.
◆ Participating schools will provide parents
with an annual written explanation of their
child’s academic progress.
◆ Scholarship students will be tested annually.
◆ Participating schools with more than 25
scholarship students will have their aggregate
test scores reported to the public.
◆ An annual program report, which includes a
learning gains comparison between scholarship
and similar public school students, will be
given to state and legislative leaders.
The measure does not start off benefiting
poor children before expanding to those who
can afford private school, said Darrell Allison,
president of Parents for Educational Freedom
in North Carolina (PEFNC), a statewide nonprofit
that advocates for parental school choice
and is a leading supporter of the Opportunity
Scholarship Act.
The program’s initial qualifying income
level is up to 100 percent of free and reduced
lunch and will not go beyond 133 percent of
that amount, explained Allison, who added
that half of the scholarship funds will always
be earmarked for students within 100 percent

Page 9 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
l
The education of all students
is the number one civil rights
issue of our time. Educating
economically disadvantaged
students is something we can
no longer turn a blind eye to.
They have a constitutional
right to this choice.
Rep. Ed Hanes
(D - Forsyth)
5 6 7
This isn’t about dividing
public and private schools,
but looking to the future of
North Carolina and giving
kids the opportunity
to have opportunities that
many of us didn’t have.
Rep. Brian Brown
(R - Pitt)
”
Photos by Natalie Hyde and Stan Chambers
-
r
-
,
-
f
t
of free and reduced lunch – ensuring the most
underserved children will access a scholarship.
“If we want to give our underserved students
quality opportunities for academic success,
it is only right to make sure these programs
are accountable and transparent to
parents and taxpayers,” he said. “This measure
provides low-income and working-class parents
an option to help them find a quality educational
environment that can best meet their
child’s academic needs and also empowers
them to be the ultimate accountability authority
when it comes to their child’s education.”
Bipartisan Effort
Democrats and Republicans joined parents,
educators and community leaders from across
the state at the General Assembly in April for
a special House session to give legislators the
chance to understand the critical demand for
opportunity scholarships. The conversation allowed
lawmakers and the public to hear about
the academic challenges faced by underserved
children, why opportunity scholarships are
needed in North Carolina, the success and affordability
of similar programs in other states
and how private schools are helping students
who need the most help.
Rep. Rob Bryan (R - Mecklenburg), who
was among a number of state lawmakers at the
special session, taught second and third grade
in a public school and spoke about his frustration
regarding quality school options for
low-income students.
“I view this as a collaborative effort with
our public schools,” he said. “We should all be
on the same page where we are desiring great
outcomes for students. Recently I talked with
a headmaster of a private school who said ‘one
islators, parents and private school leaders from across North Carolina stressed the need for more educational options for underserved children during a special session on the N.C. House floor in April.
PORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS
Photo by Natalie Hyde
Rep. Ed Hanes (D - Forsyth), standing far left, discusses his
support for the Opportunity Scholarship Act during an event at
the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium on April 23.
of my goals is to create great citizens of our
state just like public schools.’ That’s what we
want though this program, to ensure that every
child is able to become a great, well-educated
citizen.”
Bryan is one of the original primary sponsors
of the Opportunity Scholarship Act along
with Brandon, Rep. Ed Hanes (D - Forsyth)
and Rep. Brian Brown (R – Pitt).
A Rallying Call
A few weeks later, Brandon and Bryan
joined other legislators on the Greensboro War
Memorial Auditorium stage.
More than 6,000 e-mails were sent by
attendees to state legislators during the event
to voice their support for educational choice.
The large turnout, along with support from
legislators and school leaders across the state,
represented a historic moment for North Carolina,
said Allison, the PEFNC president.
“Democrats and Republicans came together
along with parents and community leaders
to emphatically voice their support for low-income
and working-class children having access
to quality educational options,” he said.
“The event was a rallying call to help ensure
every child receives the educational resources
they desperately need.”
Civil Rights Issue
Brandon often refers to zip code 27260, located
within his High Point district, as the poorest
among North Carolina’s 10 largest cities.
While campaigning, Brandon talked with
parents within this zip code and found their
top issues were the lack of access to quality
schools and that they did not have any other
educational options due to living in a low-income
area.
“I cannot look you in the face and tell you
that you don’t have the right to place your child
where you know they can get a quality education;
to me that’s unconstitutional on its face,”
he said. “I don’t look at this as a Republican or
Democratic issue. I think this is an issue of fairness
and what kind of capacity we can create to
make sure all of the children in our state have
the best quality education. There is no such
thing as a one-size fits all (educational model).”
For more information on
Opportunity Scholarships
visit www.pefnc.org

Page 10 June 2013 The AC Phoenix

Page 11 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
My Story: “After 19
Years In the NBA,
I Have A New Target”
By BDO
[continued from page 1]
help prevent the disease and stay
healthy.”
Nearly 26 million Americans have
diabetes, and another 79 million
Americans are considered prediabetic,
according to the American
Diabetes Association. Approximately
two-thirds of diabetics eventually die
from heart disease or a stroke.
For O’Neal, the fight against diabetes
is personal. He was drawn to finding
a solution after watching close family
members struggle to manage the
disease.
He’s now focusing his energy on
preventing people from developing
diabetes in the first place.
“Childhood obesity is getting worse,”
he says. “People need to know the
problem isn’t going to go away unless
we take control now.”
O’Neal spent years taking flak about
his fluctuating weight throughout
his 19-year NBA career. But the selfproclaimed
“freak of nature” says
there’s always been a method to his
madness.
“(Critics) would automatically say,
‘He’s out of shape,’ but I wanted to
just relax during the summer, hang
out with the family, and then work
my way into basketball-playing
shape,” says O’Neal. “I’ve never been
obese. Even now my body fat is only
13 percent.”
The Changing Face of
College Admissions
By Dr. Ernie Wade
[continued from page 1]
Thirty years ago, when the parents
of today’s pre-college students were
considering college, the process was
less complicated, less stressful, less
expensive and less time consuming.
In the late to mid-1980’s there was a
huge shift in the nation’s college age
population. The US department of
Health and Human Services reported
that the number of babies born increased
from 3.67 million to 4 million
or 9 percent. The result of the increase
was big competition for places in
freshman classes when these babies
reached college age. Each year since
2009 the competition has increased
with more students being rejected or
waitlisted than ever before.
Today colleges are putting forth a
much greater effort to attract students.
There are more open houses
and virtual tours available for students
and parents. College marketing
programs are extensive and it takes a
trained eye to see through the glitzy
pamphlets and brochures. From the
elite schools to the less selective ones
colleges are being swamped with
applications for admission. In some
cases the increase is as much as 30
percent. Students who were readily
accepted 20 years ago are not being
considered for admission.
In the face of increased admission
standards, what must students and
parents do to gain admission to their
school of choice? Students should
move to maximize the likelihood that
they will be admitted by raising their
qualifications. They must take and
excel in the more demanding and difficult
classes and assume leadership
roles in their school.
Additionally, they must understand
admission requirements that are
specific to the school to which they
are applying. For example, there is a
trend developing at large public universities
to factor letters of recommendation
and class rank less and to
put greater emphasis on the personal
essay and the quality (difficulty) of
classes taken.
Students must ask themselves “does
my high school record match the admissions
requirements of my school
of choice” This is the best first step for
students. They must become admissions
savvy in their college choices to
ensure that they are not only finding
colleges where they will be happy
and successful, but also where they
can be admitted.
Parents are making a big financial
investment in their children’s college
education, usually second only
to the purchase of their home. The
overall goal is to find the best fit so
that you lake a sound financial investment.
College Bound Consultants assist
students and their parents with
the college planning and admissions
process. They help families by providing
a realistic assessment of a student’s
strengths and weaknesses as a
college applicant. Matching the students’
high school experience to the
appropriate college is their number
one priority. In addition they provide
guidance on all aspects of the college
application as well as securing scholarships.
Dr Ernie Wade is the former Director
of Minority Affairs, Project Ensure
and the Kaleidoscope Academy of
Math and Science at Wake Forest University.
He is the President and Lead
Consultant of College Bound Consultants.
He can be reached at 336-391-
4136 and ewade@triad.rr.com
Today, the 7-foot tall O’Neal says his
current weight stays around 350,
“plus 10,” but admits it’s not easy to
stay at a healthy weight and reduce
his risk of developing diabetes.
O’Neal says he limits the amount of
carbohydrates in his diet, eats a salad
for lunch everyday and only indulges
in an occasional brownie, his vice. He
also clocks one hour of cardiovascular
activity each day.
“It’s a different world we live in now,”
says O’Neal. “I always urge people to
eat healthy and ask them to try to
help your kids get exercise. I stress
the importance of keeping them in
shape. It’s not about the physical
appearance but for their health.”
In addition to raising awareness on
how to prevent diabetes through
a healthy lifestyle, O’Neal says he
also wants to help diabetics better
manage their disease. He recently
invested in a product called glucose
quick sticks, which he describes as
a healthier alternative for diabetics
when their blood sugar is low.
lORD
I kNOW
I’M NOT
PERFECT
ThANk
YOu FOR
lOVING
ME
ANYWAY
We Serve An Awesome God

Page 12 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
The State of Equality
and Justice in
America:
“We are Dangerously
Close to Regressing”
By Rev. Al Sharpton
Rev. Al Sharpton
This year marks the 50th anniversary
of the great “March on Washington
for Jobs and Freedom”. It was there,
at one of the largest rallies for human
rights, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’
speech.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. King and
all those gathered in Washington,
D.C., addressed the notion of greater
equality and justice in America in a
way which could no longer be ignored.
Thanks to Dr. King’s unyielding
work, and the work of countless
others before and after him, laws
like the Voting Rights Act of 1965
were eventually passed, and victories
were achieved in the struggle for civil
rights.
In the time since, we’ve watched
people of color break down barriers
across the board - including into
the highest office of the land. Progress
over the last five decades is undeniable.
But now 50 years after the
“March on Washington”, we are dangerously
close to regressing on some
of the most fundamental advancements
in our society.
The Supreme Court of the United
States is set to rule on several key
items this year that are at the core
of justice and equality in America.
Shelby v. Holder challenges Section
5 of the Voting Rights Act itself. A key
aspect of the Act, Section 5 requires
jurisdictions that have a history of
discriminatory voting practices to obtain
advanced approval from the federal
government before they can alter
election laws.
Without Section 5, the basic foundation
of the Voting Rights Act would be
destroyed. The floodgates of biased
and disenfranchising practices like
harsh new voter ID laws would open
and the protection of our participation
in the voting process would be
eliminated. Voting rights for all American
citizens was a basic principle of
Dr. King and all those who sacrificed
during the civil rights struggle and
in subsequent years. Ironically, half a
century after Dr. King’s speech, voter
equality is under attack all over again.
In addition to the Voting Rights Act,
one of the greatest advancements toward
equality we achieved in this nation
was the ability of those who were
traditionally excluded from higher
learning to attend our great colleges
and universities. Well, in 2013, affirmative
action hangs in the balance. Two
cases, Fisher v. University of Texas and
a Michigan law banning affirmative
action in public college admissions,
have reached the Supreme Court.
The outcome of these two cases will
have serious ramifications for the admission
practices of schools throughout
the country. At a time when our
educational system is severely leaving
minority and poor students behind,
some are attempting to eliminate
laws designed to create a more even
playing field. Our society is growing
ever diverse, and our institutions of
higher learning need to reflect that
diversity. Affirmative action doesn’t
mean preferential treatment; it means
equalizing an imbalanced scale. The
future of so many students remains in
limbo as the high court weighs in this
year on these crucial cases.
This year marks another milestone
in this nation’s history: the 150th anniversary
of the Emancipation Proclamation.
In the last 150 years, we’ve
witnessed momentous progress
that was achieved only because of
the selfless acts of many. Folks have
marched, rallied, organized, boycotted,
withstood beatings, bombings,
water hoses, dogs and some even
died for the cause of justice.
In a post-civil rights era, laws such
as the Voting Rights Act and affirmative
action appeared etched in stone
permanently. But now the state of
justice and equality in America remains
to be determined because of
these renewed attempts to repeal
such laws. We can either continue on
a path toward greater freedom for all,
or regress back to the wrong side of
history.
The generation of Dr. King, and the
generation immediately behind him
continued fighting until they got voting
rights and affirmative action on
the books. We must not become the
generation that couldn’t sustain and
maintain it.
Rev. Al Sharpton is president/CEO
of the National Action Network and
host of PoliticsNation on MSNBC. This
article - the sixteenth of a 20-part series
- is written in commemoration of
the 50th Anniversary of the Lawyers’
Committee for Civil Rights Under Law,
of which Congressman Lewis is grand
marshal. The Lawyers’ Committee is a
nonpartisan, nonprofit organization,
formed in 1963 at the request of President
John F. Kennedy to enlist the private
bar’s leadership and resources in
combating racial discrimination and
the resulting inequality of opportunity
- work that continues to be vital
today. For more information, please
visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.
Medgar Evers Would
Be Proud
By Benjamin Todd Jealous
[continued from page 5]
and mobilized 1.2 million people
to turn out at the polls. In Florida
alone, the NAACP and our partners
registered over 100,000 voters - nearly
twice as large as the margin of victory
in that state’s presidential race.
In the end, the NAACP was the most
successful organization in the country
for door-to-door voter registration,
and third most successful overall,
trailing the Voter Participation
Network and Rock the Vote. We set
the bar high, and we must continue
to exceed it - even when the presidency
is not on the line.
In 2013, thousands of state and local
elections will decide everything from
county health commissioners to local
boards of elections. Next year, a total
of 36 governorships, 468 seats in Congress,
and thousands of state legislators
are up for election. The winners
of these contests will make critical decisions
about public education, criminal
justice reform, voting laws and
labor laws. They can either move our
country forward or bring it backward.
In the months and years ahead, the
NAACP will rekindle our campaign
to make sure voters are registered,
engaged and active in upcoming
elections. We will continue to train
our army of volunteers in methods
old and new. You can be a catalyst
for change by contacting your local
NAACP unit and volunteering as a
civic engagement activist.
As Medgar Evers said, “Our only hope
is to control the vote.” In 2012, we
did just that, and we proved that organized
people can beat organized
money every time. If we continue to
act with the “fierce urgency of now”,
we will continue to make history. If we
become complacent, we risk letting
our nation’s ugly history repeat itself.
Ben Jealous is president/CEO of the
NAACP.
Benjamin Todd Jealous
Jaiden E. Faison
Change will not come if we
wait for some other person or
some other time. We are the
ones we’ve been waiting for.
We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

Page 13 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
Blacks Schooled to
its fuel economy. Enter a few numbers
at each fill up: the odometer reading,
Stay in a Daze
the number of gallons pumped and
the price per gallon, and it will keep
track fo your fuel-economy.
By Raynard Jackson, NNPA Columnist
[continued from page 3]
He is more comfortable talking about
Newtown than he is Chi-town (Chicago).
He hangs with the likes of Jay-Z,
Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Hill Harper to
give him “street cred.”
Yet, he ignores the very issues that
gave birth to the Hip-Hop nation—
police brutality, Black on Black crime,
teenage pregnancy, the glorification
of the drug culture, etc.
The Blacks that have regular access to
this White House rarely, if ever, lift their
voices to address some of the needs
and concerns of those who can’t afford
to raise thousands of dollars for the
president.
These Blacks have not once criticized
the Obama administration’s lack
of action in regards to the issues of
particular concern to the Black community.
Oh, I forgot, they don’t want
to jeopardize their invitations to the
White House’s Christmas party.
These Blacks rationalize that Obama
can’t afford to be seen doing anything
specifically for Blacks for fear that
Obama will be called a Black president.
Well, I thought he was the first Black
president?
So, let me make sure I understand
this; it’s ok to do specific things for
the Black bourgeoisie—private invitations
to the White House, rides on
Air Force One, private movie screenings
at the White House, but he can’t
do things specifically to address the
high unemployment rate in the Black
community?
Lee’s movie has quite an emotional,
but yet powerful ending. Laurence
Fishburne, one of the main actors in
the movie, awakens from his sleep
(along with the rest of the cast) and
meets in the middle of the campus
with his pajamas on. Then he screams
several times at the top of his voice,
“W-A-K-E UP.”
Unfortunately, under Obama, the
Black bourgeoisie have yet to wake up.
5 Healthy Foods
That Are Still
Making You Fat
By BDO
Is it possible that many people
don’t know how to eat healthy
foods?
According to studies, when
foods are called “healthier,”
people are more likely to do the
one particular thing that inevitably
block successful weight
loss.
1. Protein. Steak houses and
other restaurants typically serve
meats that are easily three times
the size of a healthy portion.
Instead, make sure that your
healthy protein, including lean
beef, chicken or fish, only takes
up one quarter of your dinner
plate…about the size of your
palm.
2. Salad Dressing. In general,
your dressing serving should be
no more than two tablespoons.
An even better idea is to opt for
a tablespoon of olive oil and
vinegar.
The Best Ways to
Save on Gas for
Summer Road Trips
Fluctuating prices mean you could
pay more at the pump. But we’ve
got the best tips to get you on the
road and minimize the expense.
By By Marcy Black
- grandparents.com
If you’ve gone to the pumps lately,
then you know that gas prices aren’t
dropping. And according to AAA, no
one knows just where they’re headed.
But today, holding fast at $3.69 per
gallon, gas is still anything but cheap,
especially if you’re planning on hitting
the road this summer. To save
more at the pumps, try these tips.
1. Prepare yourself. Before you go,
keep a close eye on gas prices at
home, along your route, and at your
final destination. AAA offers an online
Fuel Gauge Report that lets you
track gas prices across the country. By
plugging in your vehicle’s model and
year, and your start point and destination,
the Fuel Cost Calculator tallies
up how much gas will cost you before
you turn the key in the ignition.
2. Drive a car that gets more miles per
gallon. An SUV may hold an entire T-
ball team, but it can be a gas hog. A
small sedan, on the other hand, is far
more fuel-efficient, seats five, and can
hold more in its trunk than you might
think possible. Small grandkids won’t
mind the back seat, and older ones
might chant a few choruses of “He’s
touching me!” but you’ll all arrive at
your destination with a few more dollars
in your wallet.
3. Stay somewhere that pays for gas.
When booking your trip, consider one
of these family-friendly packages that
come with a gas rebate, which typically
ranges from $20-$30 per night,
though some resorts even offer credits
of $50 or $100. Kalahari Resorts, for
example, is offering a $40 gas card.
Making a reservations elsewhere? Ask
about available promotions.
4. Drive conservatively. You’ll get better
gas mileage when you drive at a
steady, moderate speed, and start
and stop smoothly. Cruise control can
help you sustain an even rate on flat
highways. Don’t race a cold engine or
idle for lengthy periods.
6. Check your tires. Low-rolling-resistance
tires will improve your gas mileage
one or two miles per gallon, according
to Consumer Reports. Once
you’ve got the right tires, make sure
they’re properly inflated. The car experts
at Edmunds recently found that
corporate travelers under-inflated
their own tires an average 7 percent.
That was costing them an estimated
$112 a year in reduced mileage.
7. Drive less. If you’ve always spent a
week at the seashore, consider a lakefront
resort closer to home. Instead of
driving all the way to see your grandchildren,
ask your kids to drive halfway
and meet you in the middle.
8. Consider RVing. This may seem
counterintuitive to tip No. 2 (take
your most fuel- efficient car), but it
could pay off overall. Calculate how
much more you might pay in gas for
a recreational vehicle against your
possible savings in food and lodging.
Campground fees are generally
less than staying at a hotel. And an RV
gives you the option of cooking less
expensive meals rather than eating
out every day.
9. Plan your route! Avoid sitting in
bumper-to-bumper traffic with these
online and smartphone apps:
MapQuest app gives drivers the option
to see traffic conditions on their
planned routes. The routes are highlighted
in? green, yellow or red, depending
on how bad the congestion
is. If the route? is black, it means the
road is closed.
Route4me specializes in mapping out
routes for multiple stops. So if you?
want to check out several garage
sales or open houses in an unfamiliar?
neighborhood, Route4Me can map
out a game plan so you don’t waste
gas.
Waze app collects traffic information
through its users. The app gauges
driving? current conditions by measuring
how far users have recently
traveled on? routes within set times.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO
of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC.,
a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government
affairs firm. He
can be reached through his Web site,
www.raynardjackson.com. You can
also follow him on Twitter at
raynard1223.
When you feel like you’re
drowning in life, don’t worry -
your lifeguard walks on water.
3. Red Wine. A 5-ounce glass
of wine contains an average of
125 calories. Don’t think that
just because it’s a beverage,
those calories don’t count. Be
aware of how much you’re
drinking, and consider drinking
sparkling water with lemon or
lime between glasses of wine to
make you feel more satiated.
[continued on page 14]
5. Look for low prices. Gasbuddy.com
can help you find the cheapest gas by
zip code before you leave home. And
if you have a smartphone, consider
downloading one of these apps before
you hit the road:
AAA TripTIK will tell you where the
nearest gas stations are and current
prices.
Gasbuddy’s mobile app can also tell
you where to find the cheapest gas.
Gascubby tips you off to possible
problems with your car by analyzing

Page 14 June 2013 The AC Phoenix
fifth-leading cause of death.
ties, about only half of poor children
One-Third Of Seniors
passed end-of-grade tests last year
compared to over 80 percent of their
Die From…
wealthier peers, according to the
state Department of Public Instruction
(DPI).
By BDO
A new report showing one in three
older adults dies with Alzheimer’s disease
and other forms of dementia is
raising concerns about the disease’s
“pervasive” scope and the spiraling
costs of care, a new study finds.
Deaths from Alzheimer’s and other
forms of dementia have increased
68% from 2000 to 2010, according to
the report being released today by
the Alzheimer’s Association, an advocacy
group. Meanwhile, deaths from
heart disease, HIV/AIDS and stroke
have declined. The numbers are taken
from Medicare and Medicaid reports.
“Urgent, meaningful action is needed,
particularly as more and more people
age into greater risk for developing
the disease,” says Harry Johns, president
and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The report says dementia is the second-largest
contributor to death, after
heart failure. Other findings:
Payments for health care, long-term
care, and hospice care are expected
to increase from $203 billion to $1.2
trillion by 2050 for patients ages 65
and older.
Medicare costs for an older person
with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia
are nearly three times higher
than for seniors without dementia.
Medicaid payments are 19 times
higher.
The stress on caregivers is estimated
to result in the more than $9 billion in
increased health care costs.
The number of people with Alzheimer’s
disease is expected to rise from
5.2 million to 13.8 million by 2050,
putting an increasing burden on
medical costs and caregivers. There
is no way to prevent or slow the progression
of Alzheimer’s or other types
of dementia, including vascular and
dementia caused by degeneration of
brain tissue.
The Alzheimer’s numbers “are simply
staggering,” says Francis Collins,
director of the National Institutes
of Health, the federal agency overseeing
research for 233 areas of disease.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading
cause of death in the nation, and the
only leading cause without a way to
prevent or even slow progression.
Among people 65 and older, it is the
The report says death certificates often
list acute conditions such as pneumonia
as the cause of death rather
than Alzheimer’s, so the number of
deaths primarily due to Alzheimer’s
might be even higher than reported.
Once Alzheimer’s symptoms appear
— memory loss that disrupts life, inability
to plan or solve problems and
poor judgment — it’s too late to reverse
the process, researchers say.
Damage to the brain begins 10 to 20
years before symptoms appear.
Although the government set a goal
to find a way to prevent the disease
by 2025, advocates say funding levels
are too low. Research estimates
for 2013 are $3 billion for HIV/AIDS,
$1.1 billion for diabetes, $1.66 billion
for heart disease and $5.4 billion for
cancer. Some cancers get additional
funding (breast cancer $711 million,
for example.) The money available for
Alzheimer’s research is $529 million.
“We have wanted to see a $2 billion
commitment to research, because
we’ve seen what has happened in diseases
like HIV/AIDS when a big financial
commitment is made,” says Maria
Carrillo, vice president of medical and
scientific affairs at the Alzheimer’s Association.
Funding for research “for Alzheimer’s
is totally insufficient,” says Luigi Puglielli,
an Alzheimer’s researcher at
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Alzheimer’s alone “is predicted to
bankrupt Medicare. It would be wise
to invest now and prevent the above
scenario rather than deal with it when
we get there.”
Answering the call
for our children
By Reps. Marcus Brandon, Ed Hanes,
Rob Bryan and Brian Brown
While standing on the stage of the
Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium
recently, we saw firsthand the
demand from thousands of parents,
students and community leaders to
help low-income and working-class
children access the academic help
they need.
So when we hear from critics that we
should either stop or slow down on
our plan to help these families who
are hanging in the balance, we immediately
thought of the more than
3,000 people who were before us and
the even larger group they represent
across our state. Sadly, we have hundreds
of thousands low-income and
working-class children who failed
state tests last year because a “one
size fits all” educational model did not
meet their academic needs. This is unacceptable.
Though three of us represent urban
districts and the other a rural county,
all of us see similar numbers regarding
the academic performance of
our children. In each of our coun-
5 Healthy Foods That
Are Still Making
You Fat
By BDO
[continued from page 13]
4. Oil. Oils, particularly olive
oil, can be healthy for
your heart, but using too much
will equal excess calories and
weight gain. Always measure
oil so that you’re always aware
of just how much you’re using.
5. Low-Fat…Anything. People
typically see words like “lowfat”
and “fat-free” and assume
that the food is much lower in
calories…and then proceed
to eat much more than just
one serving, often consuming
as many calories as, or even
more than, the regular version.
Remember: one serving
is one serving, no matter what.
Or, you may save calories by
just sticking to the regular version
and eating one portion
of that.Because to us that will
always be home...
“Let food be
thy medicine,
thy medicine
shall be thy
food.”
Hippocrates
If each child has a constitutional right
to a sound, basic education, then our
poorest kids are surely on the short
end of the stick. This crisis is no longer
something we can simply talk about –
something must be done.
That is why we, a bipartisan group of
lawmakers, are the primary sponsors
of the Opportunity Scholarship Act.
This measure will allow the families of
low-income and working-class children
to better afford schools that can
meet their academic needs. We know
that the lower a child is on the socioeconomic
scale, the less access they
have to vital resources and the more
susceptible they are to society’s ills
such as incarceration and dropping
out of school. For these reasons, we
are sponsoring Opportunity Scholarship
Act: because we are elected officials
committed to the well-being of
every one of our constituents, especially
those most at-risk.
We support this measure because
programs allowing private school
choice for low-income and workingclass
children have proven successful.
Independent studies show that Florida’s
program has led to increased test
scores for scholarship recipients and
public school students while saving
taxpayers over $98 million since 2001.
We know that the Opportunity Scholarship
Act is still a work in progress,
but we are all committed to ensuring
that we have good accountability
standards: academic progress of
scholarship students will be reported
annually and participating private
schools will have mandated financial
audits based upon the amount of
scholarship funding they receive. And
most importantly, we seek to empower
parents to be the ultimate authority
on accountability when it comes
to their child’s education.
At the end of the day, we want all
children to have the best resources to
succeed, and that’s the true bipartisan
spirit behind this measure. We simply
want to provide low-income parents
an option with the hope of finding a
better educational environment that
can best meet their child’s academic
needs.
Our ears are not deaf to the challenges
faced by our traditional public
schools and will never relent in
working to find ways to help public
schools. However, as legislators, we
have a responsibility to uphold our
state’s constitutional promise to provide
a quality education to all our students.
Rep. Marcus Brandon / Democrat represents
House District 60 in Guilford
County, Rep. Ed Hanes/Democrat represents
House District 72 in Forsyth
County, Rep. Rob Bryan/Republican
represents House District 88 in Mecklenburg
County and Brian Brown/ Republican
represents House District 9
in Pitt County.

Page 15 June 2013 The AC Phoenix

Page 16 June 2013 The AC Phoenix