• News

by Derek Major

August 10, 2020

Democrats Launch Investigation Into Sweeping USPS Changes and Accuse Postmaster General of Trying to ‘Sabotage’ the Mail System

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Democrats have called for the investigation of the United States Postal Service and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after he announced changes to its operations.

According to The Grio, DeJoy, who was appointed postmaster general in May, released a memo Friday saying two top executives would be removed from their roles overseeing day-to-day operations. Additionally, the memo announced 23 postal executives have been reassigned or displaced.

House Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), chair of the House subcommittee responsible for postal oversight, called the reorganization “a deliberate sabotage” to the nation’s mail service and a “Trojan Horse.”

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) tweeted Friday that she is “not going to let Trump & Republicans undermine our postal service.”

Thank you ltr carriers & postal workers! You are our lifelines, especially during Covid. You safely deliver medications, ballots & our cherished mail. I am not going to let Trump & Republicans undermine our postal service. That’s why we have support for USPS in the #HEROESAct.

— U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (@USRepKCastor) August 7, 2020

An anonymous postal service staffer told the Washington Post DeJoy’s choices and efforts to reassign people less than 100 days from the election is confusing.

“One of the things that’s led to a lot of head scratching is how some of these folks have been reassigned. We’re not sure he put the right players in the right spots, but maybe he sees something we don’t,” the staffer said.

Nine Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are now pushing Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb to look into DeJoy.

The Post also reported that DeJoy and his wife have between $30 million and $75 million in assets in postal service competitors or contractors, meaning he could be trying to sabotage the agency to get the jump on replacing it.

Since DeJoy has taken over the USPS, he has canceled overtime, prohibited carriers from waiting for delayed shipments, and making them leave mail at distribution centers if picking it up would delay them from their routes.

In March, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said the USPS would run out of money if it did not receive an infusion of cash,

A bipartisan bill in the Senate known as the Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act would provide $25 billion for the USPS. The act was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, (R-Maine), and co-sponsored by Sens. Diane Feinstein, (D-Calif.), Steve Daines, (R-Mt.), Doug Jones, (D-Ala.), and Jon Tester, (D-Mt.).

The funds would be used to cover COVID-19 related losses or expenses. It would also require the USPS to develop a “plan to ensure the long-term solvency” of the USPS and ensure it has immediate access to the $10 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury that Congress authorized in April.

However, it’s one of more than a hundred bills stuck in the Senate as Mitch McConnell has declined to put them up for a vote.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 10, 2020

Republican Michigan Official Resigns After Defending Use of the N-Word: ‘I’m Not Racist’

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In a mostly white county located in northern Michigan, an elected official, who was heard using a racist slur against Black people, has resigned, according to The Associated Press.

Leelanau County Administrator Chet Janik has stated that Tom Eckerle, a member of the county road commission, would be stepping down after criticism for his racially charged comments.

“I personally and professionally think it’s in the best interests of Mr. Eckerle, the road commission and Leelanau County,” Janik told The Associated Press.

The incident occurred last Tuesday when Eckerle was asked why he doesn’t wear a mask as he made the comments in the commission’s meeting room prior to the start of a public meeting, according to NPR.

“Well, this whole thing is because of them n—–s down in Detroit,” Eckerle said, according to the Leelanau Enterprise.

Commission Chairman Bob Joyce quickly challenged Eckerle’s use of the word, telling him, “you can’t say that!”

“I can say anything I want,” Eckerle reportedly replied. “Black Lives Matter has everything to do with taking the country away from us.”

Later, Eckerle, in a phone interview with Interlochen Public Radio, doubled down on his racist rhetoric.

“No, I don’t regret calling it an n—–,” Eckerle told IPR. “A n—– is a n—– is a n—–. That’s not a person whatsoever.”

He also told The Associated Press, “I’m not a racist. Black Lives Matter is racist. If I believed in Black Lives Matter, I would be racist. … Black Lives Matter has no heart. And that is as offensive to me as the N-word,” he said. “If I could get a few people that, when they see a Black Lives Matter sign up, to think the N-word, I have accomplished what I’m after,” he added.

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement through her spokeswoman.

“His comments are atrocious,” Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said Friday. “The governor has been very clear—there’s no place for hate and racism in Michigan.”

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 10, 2020

Former Police Officer Amber Guyger Files Appeal Against Murder Conviction in Death of Botham Jean

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Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who killed an unarmed Black man in his apartment, has filed an appeal for the murder conviction, according to USA Today.

The attorneys representing the former cop have filed papers for an appeal of her murder conviction. Guyger filed an appeal last week to have her murder conviction overturned after being convicted for shooting and killing Botham Jean, her Black unarmed neighbor, inside his home.

The former police officer is serving 10 years in prison for the crime committed on Sept. 6, 2018. She testified in court that she mistook Jean for an intruder when she erroneously entered his apartment, on another floor, claiming to think it was her apartment, after working a shift. Guyger, 31, who was in uniform at the time but was off-duty, shot and killed Jean with her service weapon while he was eating a bowl of ice cream in his home. 

Guyger’s attorneys are seeking a lesser charge, criminally negligent homicide, and a new hearing for Guyger, according to court documents.

“The evidence was legally insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Guyger committed murder,” her attorneys argued in a court document as reported by ABC News. They stated that Guyger had “the right to act in self-defense since she believed that deadly force was necessary under the circumstances” because of her “mistaken belief” that she had entered her apartment and found an “intruder” inside, court documents show.

Jean’s family responded with disappointment about the legal filing:

“After admitting her crime and asking Botham Jean’s family for mercy — Guyger’s actions in filing this appeal reflect someone who is not repentant but instead was hoping to play on the families sympathies at the time that they were most vulnerable,” S. Lee Merritt, the attorney for the Jean family, said in a statement.

While COVID-19 has ravaged some sectors of the U.S. economy, the pizza industry has experienced unexpected growth. Major pizza franchise brands are announcing they’ve hired tens of thousands of people, and plan to continue. Stephanie Moseley, franchise owner of Marco’s Pizza, took advantage of this opportunity and opened a second location during the coronavirus pandemic.

Moseley, a seven-year veteran of the Air Force, was working as an intelligence analyst with top-secret clearance, running a division that oversaw the highest—and fastest-flying—aircraft ever built. In 2016, she tasted her first Marco’s Pizza and knew right then she wanted “a piece of the pie.” In November 2018, she opened her first location in Newport News, Virginia. In May of this year, she opened her second location in nearby Suffolk.

Stephanie Moseley – Retired US Air Force Veteran

What was your experience like when you opened your first Marco’s Pizza franchise?

Rough! I had the wrong leadership, and I took too long to recognize that and take action. Finally, I came to the realization that if I wanted to succeed and become a multi-unit owner, the structure I had in place would not get me there. To find the right person to fill the key role of general manager, I verbally advertised, and I hired a staffing agency so they could help me identify someone with a wealth of experience and who could understand my vision for growth. In October 2019, I hired Jason Gorman and have never looked back. Almost immediately, I saw an increase in sales. Jason understood operations and people. He focused on the team members that were engaged, and let the others go. He decreased service times for pizza delivery from an unacceptable one hour, to the industry standard of 30 minutes.

We went from poor sales to break-even, and up and up. We recently reached our weekly high sales record and sales are up 150% over last year. Some of the leadership at Marco’s headquarters said they had never seen a turnaround like that so quickly.

My key takeaways from that experience were that right leadership structure matters, and although operations and marketing are equally important, no matter how much marketing you do, you can’t keep and grow customers if your operations are failing.

Wow, that’s quite a start. How did you push through that, when so many people would have given up?

I grew up in the 1960s in the South and was taught that I always had to go out and be self-assured and confident. My parents told me that if I was ever facing adversity channel this: “You’re a Moseley—you can do anything.” I also spent a lot of time reciting the Prayer of Jabez, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”

Both of those helped me tremendously. But also, I couldn’t stand the thought of selling my business, pennies on the dollar, to someone else when I knew all I was missing was a strong right hand, and then watching it thrive under them and all they did was hire a strong general manager.

Lastly, I had a tremendous support system around me. My Franchise Business Leader and Regional Director of Operations, Jennifer Serra, and Angie Lara, really embraced my determination to succeed with the brand and supported me tremendously. Also, the veteran community in this area is strong. As a veteran, I received a lot of support and I’ve been able to return that support by being the sole sponsor of a local contest called “Military Hero of the Week.” We’ve also been able to donate free pizzas to first responders and hospital employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When you were approached by corporate to purchase an existing second location nearby, what was your decision process on saying yes, and how is it performing now?

That was an easy decision, but it was frightening because we are in the middle of a pandemic. As restaurants started closing around me, I didn’t know what to expect. But once we saw our sales climbing, I

knew that we had the right business model at the right time, and I needed to seize on that. I knew that Marco’s would do well in both a good and bad economy and I am honored to be able to safely provide a high-quality product to families as they navigate their new normal.

The second store had a good general manager in place, so I appreciated that. We made some changes using some of our lessons learned at the Newport News location, and in May we started seeing revenues in Suffolk, which started at a pretty low weekly range, move up to more than break even and now we have consistently doubled sales in just two short months, and are up 134% over last year!

With growth like that, what’s next?

I’m currently in negotiations for multi units: five or six more over the next three years. I have promoted Jason to director of operations over both locations, and his wife, Sarah, is my marketing executive responsible for both locations. I anticipate opening our Yorktown store by the end of the year.

It gives me great pride to be able to take young people and watch them grow and fulfill their dreams. I’m helping them reach their goals as they help me reach mine.

I want to eventually grow to 10 locations, providing my employees with growth opportunities to become assistant general managers and general managers as we build a team of strong leaders.

Please share some advice you have for our readers that has helped you be a successful business owner.

• Humble yourself and ask for help
• Be agile
• Eliminate failure as an option
• Go with your gut!

Fifth Third Bancorp has appointed Linda W. Clement-Holmes as an independent director effectively immediately, according to a press release.

“We are delighted to welcome Linda Clement-Holmes to our Board,” Greg D. Carmichael, chairman, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, stated. “As the former chief information officer for The Procter & Gamble Company, one of the world’s leading and most innovative consumer products companies, Linda is uniquely positioned to help us advance in the rapidly evolving technological landscape and embrace the opportunities for consumer-oriented financial services. We also welcome her leadership in diversity and inclusion, which will enhance Board oversight of this important area.”

Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company and the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank. One of the nation’s largest banks, Fifth Third had $185 billion in assets and operated 1,123 full-service branches as of March 30.

Clement-Holmes retired from Procter & Gamble in 2018 after a 35-year career that culminated in the role of chief information officer. She is widely recognized as a leader in information technology, information security, and digital and IT strategy. She has been listed in Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders and Uptown Professional’s Top 100 Executives.

She is a member of the B.E. Registry of Corporate Directors, an annual listing of African Americans who serve on the board of directors of S&P 500 companies. She is a fellow at the IT Senior Management Forum and the recipient of many awards, including the Howard University Global Visionary Leadership Award.

Further, Clement-Holmes has been a pioneer in diversity and inclusion. She served as Procter & Gamble’s first chief diversity officer from 2010-2012 and advanced to become the first African American woman named to Procter & Gamble’s Global Leadership Council.

Clement-Holmes also serves on the boards of Cincinnati Financial Corp., where she is a member of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating committees; and CincyTech L.L.C., a seed fund that provides advice and capital to digital and life science companies.

“I am very pleased to join the Fifth Third Board,” Clement-Holmes stated. “Fifth Third is recognized as a digital innovator and is on record in its commitment to be part of the solution on racial equity. I’m excited about the opportunity to help lead the Bank boldly into its next chapter.”

Clement-Holmes will serve on the Technology Committee.