Yesterday, Mayor Arnell Willis of Helena vetoed a censure resolution of Helena city councilman Joe St. Columbia for sending out an email that described blacks as “monkeys”. At the time, Willis protested that:

“To allow the passage of this resolution is an insult to one of our community’s most respected leaders,” stated Willis. “I will state again that Alderman Joe St. Columbia is not a racist and he owes no apology to the Helena-West Helena City Council or the citizens of Ward 2.
“Therefore, I, Arnell Willis, as mayor of Helena-West Helena have no choice but to veto the city council’s actions taken on April 5,” he concluded.

The good mayor may ought to rethink that stand though, as another email, apparently sent out by Columbia before the one that inspired the controversy, has emerged, sent to Blue Arkansas (and forwarded to God knows how many other people) by a reader after seeing our initial reporting.  This email, in fact, is even more offensive than the last, and comes complete with a picture to show us exactly what the people it is referencing look like:

From: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>
Date: Sat, Mar 5, 2011 at 7:47 AM
Subject: FW: New Definition of “Breadwinner”
To: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>

If there’s a way to work the system they’ll find it.

Bread Winner…Making Babies!

I was speaking to an emergency room physician this morning. He told me that a woman in her 20s came to the ER with her 8th pregnancy. She stated, “my momma told me that I am the breadwinner for the family.” He asked her to explain.   She said that she can make babies and babies get money for the family. The scam goes like this: The grandma calls the Department of Child and Family Services and states that the unemployed daughter is not capable of caring for these children. DCFS agrees and states that the child or children will need to go to foster care.

The grandma then volunteers to be the foster parent, and thus receives a check for $1500 per child per month in Illinois .  Total yearly income: $144,000 tax-free, not to mention free healthcare (Medicaid) plus a monthly card entitling her to free groceries, etc, and a voucher for 250 free cell phone minutes per month.  This does not even include WIC and other welfare programs. Indeed, grandma was correct in that her fertile daughter is the “breadwinner” for the family.

This is how the ruling class spends our tax dollars.

Nothing racist about that at all, is there?  It’s time for this man to resign, and it’s time for Helena’s puppet mayor to stop protecting him and defending the indefensible.

Update: As reader Dave pointed out, there is a fact check that shows the email’s information to be patently false.

Additionally, there is an EVEN MORE offensive email out there that this guy sent out back in February to honor Black History Month.  And now that the traditional media has picked this up, Columbia is sounding paranoid and suggesting that this is some conspiracy by former Mayor James Valley and Councilman Marvin Jarrett.  While I’ll never stop protecting anonymous reliable sources and whistle blowers, I will say this.  Neither of those two men ever spoke with me or sent me an email and I have never met or even corresponded with either of them.  In fact, I had never heard of Marvin Jarrett until today, and was only vaguely aware of who James Valley was.  Perhaps Mr. Columbia should wake up and realize that not everyone in his community enjoys getting racist emails.

The Helena city council attempted to censure Joe Columbia for sending out his racist email.  However the censure was vetoed by Mayor Arnell Willis.

“To allow the passage of this resolution is an insult to one of our community’s most respected leaders,” stated Willis. “I will state again that Alderman Joe St. Columbia is not a racist and he owes no apology to the Helena-West Helena City Council or the citizens of Ward 2.
“Therefore, I, Arnell Willis, as mayor of Helena-West Helena have no choice but to veto the city council’s actions taken on April 5,” he concluded.

Willis again proves that he really is a Republican puppet, but we already established that, and this shows why he’s there-to protect them when they do racist shit like this.

Okay, I just watched some of the live feed from the Helena city council meeting (it’s ended now but will hopefully be archived; will update then) of Joe “Monkeys Run The Zoo” Columbia defending himself from some really ticked off black city council members.  And who can blame them after the email he sent out? Anyway, Columbia’s (God I can’t get over that name) defense(s) have proven to be quite entertaining.

First he goes through the whole I’m not “racial” at all.  I swear, his word, not mine.  Then he goes off on how he’s Italian and doesn’t carry a chip over all the names Italians have been called, the implication being that blacks are carrying a chip on their shoulder for not liking being compared to monkeys.  And for good measure he throws in the “some of my best friends are black” line.

But the best one of the evening had to be where the guy said he didn’t write the email, he just attached, this part and forwarded it on after someone sent it to him:

From: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>

Date: Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 3:23 AM

Subject: FW: Helena in the news again…….

To: <undisclosed recipients>

“The truth will always come out.  Where did $13 million each year Go !

Thank God for our new Treasurer and Bob Lee CPA  helping dig it all out. …       Joe.

When asked about forwarding it out despite the “monkeys” line, Columbia said he didn’t even notice it, much to gufaws from the black council members.  Now, here’s the full email again, with the part that would be the first (and the offending) line in bold that Columbia swears he never saw before he added that other part in:

From: Joe St Columbia <pasquale@suddenlink.net>

Date: Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 3:23 AM

Subject: FW: Helena in the news again…….

To: <undisclosed recipients>

“The truth will always come out.  Where did $13 million each year Go !

Thank God for our new Treasurer and Bob Lee CPA  helping dig it all out. …       Joe.

This is what happens when you put Monkeys in to run the zoo…

http://www.wreg.com/videobeta/25e7a147-7660-450d-b77e-445f1a858435/News/Helena-West-Helena-IRS-Troubles

Sad news.  Where is the Grand Jury?

So he forwarded out an email after not reading the first line?  Really?

Now I haven’t seen all the video-got interrupted by a phone call-but when I know more I’ll update.  But boy, I was laughing like the Joker while watching that video.  Hopefully Mr. Columbia will treat us to more someday soon!

Update: Here’s the video of Columbia’s hilarious tirade!