Altoona Shootings

[morningangel]

The saddest thing about the decline of Altoona, and thousands of other small cities experiencing increase in violent crimes due to the increase in illegal drug trafficking and dependence, is that there will never be enough money to fight the problem while marijuana is still prohibited. If our government would have the balls to say, hey, okay, we made a mistake by villifying pot when it's actually less of a problem than alcohol, and use the money they spend on prosecuting and criminalizing marijuana offenders, they could focus on helping the ADDICTS and stopping the flow of HARD DRUGS. Sometimes you have to pick your battles to win the war, you know?

[AtoMikEnRtiA]

eh i only had a few minutes here, but the idea would not leave my head at all and i couldnt even concentrate on anything but doing this, so fuck it - here it is haha

[Mikey Wax]

That pic in the bottom right can't be altoona girls. NO F'N WAY!

[DirtySanchez]

If you have ever been to a metal show in Altoona (and had way too much to drink) Every girl looks like that. The key is to leave their house before you sober up. Ignorance is Bliss.

[lonewolf]

The saddest thing about the decline of Altoona, and thousands of other small cities experiencing increase in violent crimes due to the increase in illegal drug trafficking and dependence, is that there will never be enough money to fight the problem while marijuana is still prohibited. If our government would have the balls to say, hey, okay, we made a mistake by villifying pot when it's actually less of a problem than alcohol, and use the money they spend on prosecuting and criminalizing marijuana offenders, they could focus on helping the ADDICTS and stopping the flow of HARD DRUGS. Sometimes you have to pick your battles to win the war, you know?

What are you talking about? They don't spend money prosecuting potheads...they MAKE money prosecuting potheads. Ever hear of fines and costs? Garden variety potheads usually just pay fines and costs and go on their merry way. Law enforcement doesn't usually target potheads...its the overt nature of the modern pothead that gets them busted. If you look at these mass busts every so often, you will see that most of them are involved with the hard stuff AND weed.

Prison time is another matter. That's another budget and law enforcement doesn't care about that.

The biggest flaw in the legalize pot movement is teen use. Any legalization is bound to exclude teens anyway, so things won't change much for them. For teens, weed will still be an entry level drug that often leads to smack and crack use in today's high school's. If you don't think so, then I suggest that you talk to a typical teen druggie about it and find out what's really going on.

[bassist_25]

eh i only had a few minutes here, but the idea would not leave my head at all and i couldnt even concentrate on anything but doing this, so fuck it - here it is haha

If that picture doesn't look blurry when resized, I think I may have found my new avatar.

[AtoMikEnRtiA]

eh i only had a few minutes here, but the idea would not leave my head at all and i couldnt even concentrate on anything but doing this, so fuck it - here it is haha

If that picture doesn't look blurry when resized, I think I may have found my new avatar.

one thing that saddens me, is that behind the GTA text.. is a picture of you, and baddazerob.. so you're hidden by text haha

[RobTheDrummer]

Finally! A pic without me on it!

Anyway, what the shootings and stuff come down to is these gang bangers from Philly need to get the fuck out!

[bassist_25]

one thing that saddens me, is that behind the GTA text.. is a picture of you, and baddazerob.. so you're hidden by text haha

*LOL* That's rich. Rob Bonsell did take a picture of me with JP's camera at a Hexhead show where I was throwing up a psuedeo-gang sign. That would be a cool pic to add to the cover.

[AtoMikEnRtiA]

Finally! A pic without me on it!

Anyway, what the shootings and stuff come down to is these gang bangers from Philly need to get the fuck out!

sorry rob, couldn't find a picture of you worth using..

but here is the picture without the GTA logo so you can see bassist_25 and baddazerob sharing an intimate moment on stage..

enjoy!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b205/ ... utlogo.gif

[YankeeRose]

Dammit! Ya just hadda sneak that one in there, didn't you? I choked on my tea. No matter how many times I see it, that pic makes me LMAO!

[morningangel]

While I certainly don't want to turn this thread about Altoona area crime into a debate about the legalization of marijuana, I do feel obligated to reply to lonewolf's request clarification of my previous comment.

Perhaps I wasn't clear in my choice of words. Instead of "prosecuting and criminalizing marijuana offenders," perhaps I should have said "persecuting." That would encompass the expense of manhours our law enforcement spends making marijuana related arrests, the actual legal prosecution, (although I'd still be interested in seeing lonewolf's cost analysis as I personally have never been arrested and had to pay any of the fines and costs he mentioned. And I don't know how much the attorneys- on both sides, as I bet a lot of offenders use Public Defenders, make and how much of their time is used on those cases, etc.) and the resulting cost of housing the "criminals" who do get jail/prison time. It all adds up, no matter whose budget it falls under, and I personally think that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Plus, think of the money that the goverment will make on taxing my favorite plant during the time between it's legalization and the eventuality of everyone growing their own. They could use that money to help battle hard drugs too.

As for his claims about "the overt nature of the modern pothead" and that marijuana would still be an entry level drug for teens, I would just have to disagree. But hey- everyone's entitled to an opinion. : )

[Banned]

Anyway, who are these fucks shooting up our home town???

[FretBored]

Full Story Here: http://www.blairchamber.com/chamber_notes/dec05.php

December, 2005

The tragic consequences of tolerating enablers



Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to be right.

Wasn’t it only about five years ago that the Altoona Crime Commission released its report which predicted that local drug-related crime would turn violent within a five-year period?

Three weeks ago, that prediction came home to roost. An area-wide drug bust took place involving nearly seventy-five suspected drug dealers. Only this drug bust was different from the dozen or so that preceded it. As Attorney General Tom Corbett told the Altoona Mirror, “This area of Pennsylvania could all of a sudden see a spike in violence with competing gangs.”

Gangs in Blair County? Certainly the Attorney General must have been sampling the contraband when he made that statement. This is, after all, a great place to live and work and raise our kids. All our promotional materials say so. It’s a safe place, far removed from the rest of a world that tolerates things like crime and pollution and insensitivity.

And gangs.

Amid our horrified disbelief comes the realization that impolite society has set-up shop in the place we call home. The real question, other than what we do about it, is how did it get here to begin with? Because until we answer that one, we can’t look the demon squarely in the face and take the necessary steps to eradicate it.

[FretBored]

From Same Article.

"I've lived in LA and other large cities and I'll tell you Altoona is NOT ready for what is here and what is coming!"

In the same newspaper article that quoted Tom Corbett was a quote from Randy Feathers, regional director for the Attorney General’s Office, on the influx of gangs into Blair County. “We’re ready for this,” he remarked confidently.

[HarleyRo1]

It's all about the math...what sells in Philly for $5.00....sells in Blair County for $50.00. Yes, hurry and finish the I99 corridor so that shit can get here quicker along with all the shitheads selling it to all the shitheads using it.

Our society continually enables the scum to live here through section 8 housing, welfare and scumbag slumlords. Don't get me wrong, the welfare system has its purpose and truly has benefited some, but the majority will never be off of it and have no intentions of joining the workforce.

Exhibit A:

2 years ago my sweet neighbor Sylvia went to see the big man upstairs. Her son sold the duplex to a slumlord who lives in Claysburg. The place is now Section 8. In the past two years, there have been 2 drug raids - dogs and all, in addition to the numerous phone calls that I have made after being woken up in the middle of the night by the 37 people 'hanging out' at the house screaming - "I am going to Fking shoot you" - while my daughter is laying on the floor sobbing because she thought we were going to have bullets flying through our windows.

I now have my home wired for sound just so my child can fall asleep at night and feel remotely safe.

I have owned my home for 22 years and have worked my ass off paying for it while raising my daughter on my own. Where are MY rights? I have called the cops, I have called the landlord - and the loser still live there. She actually had the balls one day to ask me...as I was outside cleaning up all the trash that her loser friends threw all over my sidewalk...she asked...oh DO YOU WORK? WTF? Needless to say, I told her exactly what I thought of her - and her 'friends' and what she has turned my neighborhood into. It's BS - and I guess I should be thankful that I wasn't shot.

[onegunguitar]

It's all about the math...what sells in Philly for $5.00....sells in Blair County for $50.00. Yes, hurry and finish the I99 corridor so that shit can get here quicker along with all the shitheads selling it to all the shitheads using it.

Our society continually enables the scum to live here through section 8 housing, welfare and scumbag slumlords. Don't get me wrong, the welfare system has its purpose and truly has benefited some, but the majority will never be off of it and have no intentions of joining the workforce.

Exhibit A:

2 years ago my sweet neighbor Sylvia went to see the big man upstairs. Her son sold the duplex to a slumlord who lives in Claysburg. The place is now Section 8. In the past two years, there have been 2 drug raids - dogs and all, in addition to the numerous phone calls that I have made after being woken up in the middle of the night by the 37 people 'hanging out' at the house screaming - "I am going to Fking shoot you" - while my daughter is laying on the floor sobbing because she thought we were going to have bullets flying through our windows.

I now have my home wired for sound just so my child can fall asleep at night and feel remotely safe.

I have owned my home for 22 years and have worked my ass off paying for it while raising my daughter on my own. Where are MY rights? I have called the cops, I have called the landlord - and the loser still live there. She actually had the balls one day to ask me...as I was outside cleaning up all the trash that her loser friends threw all over my sidewalk...she asked...oh DO YOU WORK? WTF? Needless to say, I told her exactly what I thought of her - and her 'friends' and what she has turned my neighborhood into. It's BS - and I guess I should be thankful that I wasn't shot.

JUst curious,where abouts do you live?

[AtoMikEnRtiA]

It's all about the math...what sells in Philly for $5.00....sells in Blair County for $50.00. Yes, hurry and finish the I99 corridor so that shit can get here quicker along with all the shitheads selling it to all the shitheads using it.

Our society continually enables the scum to live here through section 8 housing, welfare and scumbag slumlords. Don't get me wrong, the welfare system has its purpose and truly has benefited some, but the majority will never be off of it and have no intentions of joining the workforce.

Exhibit A:

2 years ago my sweet neighbor Sylvia went to see the big man upstairs. Her son sold the duplex to a slumlord who lives in Claysburg. The place is now Section 8. In the past two years, there have been 2 drug raids - dogs and all, in addition to the numerous phone calls that I have made after being woken up in the middle of the night by the 37 people 'hanging out' at the house screaming - "I am going to Fking shoot you" - while my daughter is laying on the floor sobbing because she thought we were going to have bullets flying through our windows.

I now have my home wired for sound just so my child can fall asleep at night and feel remotely safe.

I have owned my home for 22 years and have worked my ass off paying for it while raising my daughter on my own. Where are MY rights? I have called the cops, I have called the landlord - and the loser still live there. She actually had the balls one day to ask me...as I was outside cleaning up all the trash that her loser friends threw all over my sidewalk...she asked...oh DO YOU WORK? WTF? Needless to say, I told her exactly what I thought of her - and her 'friends' and what she has turned my neighborhood into. It's BS - and I guess I should be thankful that I wasn't shot.

JUst curious,where abouts do you live?

didnt you see man.. it says right under his avatar where he lives..

the corner of walk, and don't walk..

[YankeeRose]

My daughter will be attending Penn State Altoona in the Fall, and I'm planning on moving down there, somewhere...after reading all of this and especially the BS HarleyRo1 has to put up with, Heaven help us.

[lonewolf]

To morningangel. Unlike you, I am not guessing about these things. Except for prison time, I have 1st hand experience with everything you are talking about. I wasn't a garden variety pothead. I never bothered with anything less than a brick, but I got busted for personal.

When you get busted on a 1st offense for personal with less than a Z and they have you dead to rights, the public defender spends 10 minutes plea bargaining all 25 of his cases with the DA for fines, costs & probation. They line all 25 of you in front of the judge to hear your plea and you receive the pre-arranged fine, costs and probation. Don't think the state doesn't make money...big money. I can't speak for the people who are stupid enough to get 2nd & 3rd offenses. If they are that dumb, they deserve jail time.

Law enforcement doesn't spend much time and effort to make these kind of busts. Contrary to pothead opinion, cops don't give a flying F about garden variety potheads. These busts are usually a result of bad behaviour or DUI or other indiscretions and they just happened to be holding some weed.

On the other hand, when you see these big busts in the paper, take a close look at how many dealers were busted for only weed. Not very many of them.

[Dunston540]

I would like to see the statistics of how many of these criminals have prevoiusly been living in the halfway house in town and how many are longtime local citizens.
I personally think the owners of these halfway houses should relocate them in there local communties. From what I've heard some of the owners do not reside in Altoona.
Anyone out there have any info?

Have NO FEAR! Dunston540 is here, JP, I can not only dash a bullet, but have taken a few in past. I can help you on your quest for the PA Musician to be delivered on time! We can get into my Batmobile together. Please, do not fear! These are just the regular Junkies, shooting each other because of drugs, so the lesson here, is if you don't do Drugs, you will greatly decrease your chances of being shot at in Altoona, which I was born in, and it's starting to feel like Harlem, not that Harlem is a bad place, but it feels like it! This wasn't meant to be joke. I just wanted to assure Jim, that he is ok, and shouldn't worry. Believe me, these are all Drug-Related and the Altoona and DEA should start protecting the innocent, and start worrying about the drug invasion and those who sell this shit to Altoids! Don't worry, I am an Altoid, and if you were born here, you are too.

[Dunston540]

And just to capped off this amazing list of ideas ranging from Pot-GTA-Houses with Threats! Born and raised here, so I can speak from not only experience, but what I see, hear , and know. This town is about to become worst, and worst, and worst. I am an Elementary Education Major at PSU-Altoona, when you are in the Teaching Field, you must choose to teach in-state, or out, within your first few semesters. I didn't even think about what I was going to put, and that was out of state. I lived in Upstate NY, Vermont, Colorado, and Altoona. I have seen it all, and I pray every day for this City, that's about to become so corrupt and violent. I would never choose to raise my Family here. For those who don't have that option, my prayers are with you as well. If you have the choice to leave, please do yourself and your family a favor, and get the hell outta here. This place is just a smaller version of Philly,Harlem, Pittsburgh's bad spots! Go STEELERS! But I just can't stand to see how this place went to HELL within a few years, ever since I was in H.S. which was from 97-2000, Drugs were everywhere, anytime, and alot of my friends, got hooked and some I visit every couple of months. But I just don't get to talk to them, because I talk to their Grave Stone. I lost my best friend to this shit, and by shit I mean Dope, not the kind you smoke. The injectable substance that our youth and members of this community are seriously addicted too. And it's no easy feat to get off that shit, but you gotta! That's no way to live, and I know most that are reading this, this doesn't apply to you. And you should, thanks GOD and yourself, for being so Headstrong and keeping your Values, that you never got yourself into this mess, that is Altoona. I don't know what the answer is, if I did, I would give it. But I believe as far as being knowledgable about the Youth, Parental Denial is a big factor into Children getting money for drugs. Parents, don't be neive, it's easy to hide a full blown drug addiction. Even easier to hide it from your parents, ya, I messed around with this and that when I was in H.S., and never once did my parents think, my son is on drugs? But I smoked and choked and all that. But the point is, to prevent your child from continuing this trend. Get to them, talk to them, and really ask yourself, could my child be on drugs. The pupils in their Eyes give it away, like a deer caught in headlights! We gotta stop this Philly Tranist, because innocent lives are being lost to these and I'll quote Tool "hip gansta..wannabee's".

[lonewolf]

My daughter will be attending Penn State Altoona in the Fall, and I'm planning on moving down there, somewhere...after reading all of this and especially the BS HarleyRo1 has to put up with, Heaven help us.

So far, Juniata (near the campus, too) hasn't had much gang related stuff, if any. I don't think their residents have any tolerance for Philly transplants and they nip these things in the bud, at least for now. You will find nice neighborhoods and relatively low real estate prices there.

[cruseaudio]

Juniata doesn't have problems because there is nothing in Juniata! The "gangstas" don't fuck around over there because that would hurt college sales, in other word they are there to sell and make money NOT to bring attention to it. That is just good business sense.

As far as the citizens being in an uproar NOW, Let me remind you that the police force has repeatedly warned us over the last 10 years that this kinda shit was coming.

What did they get for their troubles- budget cuts , a recent cut in benifits, NO funding for new equipment, an almost 40 percent cut in manpower, and now they have to listen to people blaming THEM.

People spent more time bitchin about lowering taxes the last couple of years than worring about important shit.

ALTOONA brought this on itself, The CITIZENS brought this on themselves!! Now you want it fixed???? Now we are going to have to cough up 100 times the amount to irradicate this problem but they will just bitch about that too.

Over ten years ago the council decided that it would be easier for them to take free money ( fed and state) to just bring in the rehabs instead of bringing in factories. Where were the good citizens then??

Now they are at the council meetings bitchin about property values goin down.

Folks you get what you pay for.

Altoona police force is SHORT at least 30 officers according to federal guidlines.FACT

[FretBored]

Feeling a little insecure, paranoid?