Everybody wants to participate in t-shirt politics and half-time trivia talking points.
Politics isn't supposed to be entertaining, politics isn't supposed to be entertainment.
--------------
Jim Nichols
A Speculative Fiction
www.JimNichols4.com
Showing posts with label grassroots politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grassroots politics. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
cutting my political teeth...
Wanted to post this so that i'd never loose the memory. For some reason I was thinking this morning about the Kevin Madden campaign. The day I drove over to Fayeteville to knock on doors. I called Richard Ray--and I can still see it--it was that fall cold/sunny. And I was telling him... "well Richard, I'm lost in Fayeteville looking for voters."
The first, hardest, and most inspireing 517 votes I ever worked for. It was wonderful and I'll never forget it!
The first, hardest, and most inspireing 517 votes I ever worked for. It was wonderful and I'll never forget it!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Phones been ringing off the hook today
Tomorrows picnic www.henrydems.org looks to be a success already.
volunteers have made over 500 phone calls
in newspaper
8 candidates from US Senate to county sheriff will be attending!
volunteers have made over 500 phone calls
in newspaper
8 candidates from US Senate to county sheriff will be attending!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Bob Barr quote
"They have this sort of idea in their minds, bless their hearts, that nobody should do anything to upset the Republican nominee. This notion that the political world swirls around two galaxies only, Republican and Democrat only, and anybody else who enters that fray is going to affect the other two and that's bad —- that's a very myopic notion." --Bob Barr **
Sunday, April 20, 2008
DFA Training works...
Crossposted: http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/25011
Before the run-up to the war I was working as an organizer for Amnesty International an international human rights group. As the push towards war began I actively helped organize the Anti-War efforts on my campus. We did all we could to raise awareness, organize, and stop the Bush machine from using fear to get what they wanted.
When the war happened. I was crushed. This too was one more example of the Democrats failing ME. The Democrats failed ME. They are useless and not worth promoting. It was angry, it was defeatist, it was depression; and it was all about ME. And how the Democratic party had failed ME.
At some point something changed. As the numbers of U.S. soldiers who had died or been wounded started rising, as the Iraqi civilian deaths started imploding, as we became occupiers, and the Middle East was inflamed I started to snap out of it. At some point I looked in the mirror and realized that maybe the Democratic party didn’t fail me? Maybe I failed the Democratic Party? When was the last time I went to a local meeting? When was the last time I phone banked or canvassed? When did I work to make sure that those who would rise to the top would be the kind of people capable of taking on the conservatives without triangulating everything away. When did I work to organize within one of the two parties. In a two party system the lesser of two evils is all you got.
Our founding fathers were both cunning and clever. The mechanisms that defended our Republic from authoritarians were brilliant moves, the mechanisms that harmed slaves, women, and men who didn’t own property were horrendous bigotries of their day and age. But many brave people worked hard to organize and fight against the injustices of their day. Many things have improved, many haven't. It is now my time–our time, and we must do our part to fight the injustices before us.
To skip two steps and jump straight into Utopia is dangerous and defeating. To roll up our sleeves and work to build alliances that will stop conservatives whose goal is to "starve the beast" is vital and necessary. Conservatives don’t care if the lady down the street has health care or not. Conservatives don’t care if our economy doesn’t work for working people. Conservatives want us to stay demoralized, sitting all alone in our houses, angry at the world. Conservatives want to tell people it’s a dog eat dog world, that people can’t trust the government. Every time we show up we challenge those conceptions to the very core of its vacuousness.
Conservatives win if we don’t turn our anger into action, the sadness into wisdom, the hopelessness into determination. We have to look in the mirror and take some responsibility for our political process. Members of DFA know that. Many members of DFA new that years ago... long before I stopped banging my spoon on my high-chair. But at somepoint after the Iraq War started I finally got it.
Not to long after that I went to one of the Democracy for America campaign training’s because I thought highly of a local DFA activists as well as Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign. The next month I went to my very first local Democratic county party meeting–I walked out the door with a mandate to start building an activist base of Democrats who wanted to knock on doors and make phone calls. I jumped into a special election in a neighboring county and helped organize and run the GOTV plan in a heavily conservative district. That county had never seen an actual GOTV plan from a Democratic candidate.
We came in 3rd far behind the better funded Republicans but we walked away with a sense of ownership and a feeling that this was a new day for that Counties Democratic Party. It was a message loud and clear that we weren’t going to sit back quietly. We were going to stand for something. And we were going to make damn sure that everyone knew we were against the recklessness and intolerance of the conservatives.
I now sit here having some how become the Chairman of my county party. We have an energized group of local democrats who are excited to start the process of learning how to walk like a party, talk like a party, and be a party. We will be training ourselves on how to phone bank. We will be training ourselves on how to knock on doors, GOTV, and fight the conservatives tooth and nail on the ground.
DFA helped me learn what I needed to be doing to lead my counties Democrats. Best of all through DFA I have met a core group of people who share a common goal of creating a more Progressive future. People who believe that the purpose of Government is to protect and empower it citizens. People who you can turn to when you have a house party where nobody shows, or a meet-up where two people go. DFA has inspired me to work hard, empowered me with the tools to do it, and has helped me once again stand up and say that : We the Democratic party will never again fail America by being inactive and silent.
I’ve got to run... I have 22 people coming over to my house for Howard Deans DNC Neighborhood Leader training.
Thank you DFA... local progressive on the ground couldn’t do what we are doing without you. And thank you to DFA members, sometimes down here in the south where the Flat Tax reigns king, and getting kids health care is socialism; can feel like a hopeless fight. It isn’t. As my fellow DFA activist Peter Lewin always says: "keep the faith"
Jim Nichols
www.henrydems.org
www.politicalautomaton.blogspot.com
Before the run-up to the war I was working as an organizer for Amnesty International an international human rights group. As the push towards war began I actively helped organize the Anti-War efforts on my campus. We did all we could to raise awareness, organize, and stop the Bush machine from using fear to get what they wanted.
When the war happened. I was crushed. This too was one more example of the Democrats failing ME. The Democrats failed ME. They are useless and not worth promoting. It was angry, it was defeatist, it was depression; and it was all about ME. And how the Democratic party had failed ME.
At some point something changed. As the numbers of U.S. soldiers who had died or been wounded started rising, as the Iraqi civilian deaths started imploding, as we became occupiers, and the Middle East was inflamed I started to snap out of it. At some point I looked in the mirror and realized that maybe the Democratic party didn’t fail me? Maybe I failed the Democratic Party? When was the last time I went to a local meeting? When was the last time I phone banked or canvassed? When did I work to make sure that those who would rise to the top would be the kind of people capable of taking on the conservatives without triangulating everything away. When did I work to organize within one of the two parties. In a two party system the lesser of two evils is all you got.
Our founding fathers were both cunning and clever. The mechanisms that defended our Republic from authoritarians were brilliant moves, the mechanisms that harmed slaves, women, and men who didn’t own property were horrendous bigotries of their day and age. But many brave people worked hard to organize and fight against the injustices of their day. Many things have improved, many haven't. It is now my time–our time, and we must do our part to fight the injustices before us.
To skip two steps and jump straight into Utopia is dangerous and defeating. To roll up our sleeves and work to build alliances that will stop conservatives whose goal is to "starve the beast" is vital and necessary. Conservatives don’t care if the lady down the street has health care or not. Conservatives don’t care if our economy doesn’t work for working people. Conservatives want us to stay demoralized, sitting all alone in our houses, angry at the world. Conservatives want to tell people it’s a dog eat dog world, that people can’t trust the government. Every time we show up we challenge those conceptions to the very core of its vacuousness.
Conservatives win if we don’t turn our anger into action, the sadness into wisdom, the hopelessness into determination. We have to look in the mirror and take some responsibility for our political process. Members of DFA know that. Many members of DFA new that years ago... long before I stopped banging my spoon on my high-chair. But at somepoint after the Iraq War started I finally got it.
Not to long after that I went to one of the Democracy for America campaign training’s because I thought highly of a local DFA activists as well as Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign. The next month I went to my very first local Democratic county party meeting–I walked out the door with a mandate to start building an activist base of Democrats who wanted to knock on doors and make phone calls. I jumped into a special election in a neighboring county and helped organize and run the GOTV plan in a heavily conservative district. That county had never seen an actual GOTV plan from a Democratic candidate.
We came in 3rd far behind the better funded Republicans but we walked away with a sense of ownership and a feeling that this was a new day for that Counties Democratic Party. It was a message loud and clear that we weren’t going to sit back quietly. We were going to stand for something. And we were going to make damn sure that everyone knew we were against the recklessness and intolerance of the conservatives.
I now sit here having some how become the Chairman of my county party. We have an energized group of local democrats who are excited to start the process of learning how to walk like a party, talk like a party, and be a party. We will be training ourselves on how to phone bank. We will be training ourselves on how to knock on doors, GOTV, and fight the conservatives tooth and nail on the ground.
DFA helped me learn what I needed to be doing to lead my counties Democrats. Best of all through DFA I have met a core group of people who share a common goal of creating a more Progressive future. People who believe that the purpose of Government is to protect and empower it citizens. People who you can turn to when you have a house party where nobody shows, or a meet-up where two people go. DFA has inspired me to work hard, empowered me with the tools to do it, and has helped me once again stand up and say that : We the Democratic party will never again fail America by being inactive and silent.
I’ve got to run... I have 22 people coming over to my house for Howard Deans DNC Neighborhood Leader training.
Thank you DFA... local progressive on the ground couldn’t do what we are doing without you. And thank you to DFA members, sometimes down here in the south where the Flat Tax reigns king, and getting kids health care is socialism; can feel like a hopeless fight. It isn’t. As my fellow DFA activist Peter Lewin always says: "keep the faith"
Jim Nichols
www.henrydems.org
www.politicalautomaton.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Its up to us...
...to hold the media accountable. There was a great segment on PBS's news hour...
Paul Sheilds was dead on and I quote his best points below. But its up to us to do something about it. Politicians lie, Politicians pander (on all sides) but its our duty to protect the Republic. If we don't speak out we have to look ourselves in the mirror and realize its our own fault.
Please get innvolved, please write letters to the editor. Also send me links to any good stories, examples of politics of divisiveness, nonsense, or invective. I was shocked at the negativity and also hate of many of the emails that came across my desk at the Georgia Assembly.
If articulate, respectful dialogue is not sustained and rises above the the crassness then we all lose. Share things with me you find, hold others you know (myself included) accountable when we fall short of such standards. Just a quite: Hey thats out of line can go a far way.
Little things like the fact that 40% of our veterans come home disabled in some way and our Presidents Budget has not included the long term costs of taking care of their health--both mental and physical. That should be spoken out loudly against. I'm watching the generation after mine be pulled under every day by our lack of accountability and lazyness.
We are to blame if we don't speak out. I think the condecending tone of Obama's preparitory remarks was a decent question to at the very least question and move on from. But a flag pin?
Paul Sheilds was dead on and I quote his best points below. But its up to us to do something about it. Politicians lie, Politicians pander (on all sides) but its our duty to protect the Republic. If we don't speak out we have to look ourselves in the mirror and realize its our own fault.
Please get innvolved, please write letters to the editor. Also send me links to any good stories, examples of politics of divisiveness, nonsense, or invective. I was shocked at the negativity and also hate of many of the emails that came across my desk at the Georgia Assembly.
If articulate, respectful dialogue is not sustained and rises above the the crassness then we all lose. Share things with me you find, hold others you know (myself included) accountable when we fall short of such standards. Just a quite: Hey thats out of line can go a far way.
Little things like the fact that 40% of our veterans come home disabled in some way and our Presidents Budget has not included the long term costs of taking care of their health--both mental and physical. That should be spoken out loudly against. I'm watching the generation after mine be pulled under every day by our lack of accountability and lazyness.
We are to blame if we don't speak out. I think the condecending tone of Obama's preparitory remarks was a decent question to at the very least question and move on from. But a flag pin?
But there was no more egregious example of sort of the macho-swagger, press-pass, take-no-prisoners prosecutor attitude than asking Senator Obama, "Why don't you wear a flag lapel pin?"
And I'd just give you two quick examples on this, because this is the kind of question -- the explanation to ask? "It's all over the Internet." I mean, so are theories about John Kennedy's assassination and the United States government blowing up the Twin Towers. That's no reason.
I mean, Jim Webb, Democratic senator from Virginia, who was a company commander in the -- Marine company commander in Vietnam and won the Navy Cross, the second-highest award the country can give, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts, and opposed the war in Iraq, does not wear a lapel pin.
Dick Cheney, who during the 1960s sought and received five deferments to avoid military service and explained that he did so because he had other priorities than military service, supported the war in Iraq and wears a flag lapel pin.
So I guess the question then becomes: Why doesn't -- should it be that why doesn't Jim Webb do it? I mean, this really bothered me. Now...
MARK SHIELDS: Judy, we found out on the Rand report this week that one out of five veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome or depression, one out of five. That's over 300,000. We have no plan for them as a people.
Now where is the patriotism? I mean, the flag lapel pin, I mean, is so fatuous, is so absolutely silly. I mean, if one wears -- if one is an uncritical supporter of the United States' invasion and occupation of another country, that makes him a patriot and someone who opposes it isn't? And you wear a flag to show that?
MARK SHIELDS: They've [obama and clinton] locked themselves in and they were dishonest, because let's be very frank about it. Judy, we've seen this week the FAA is not working. The Food and Drug Administration says that they can't even begin to test medicines and medical devices. We've had, in addition to that, we've had, today, the Wall Street Journal reported we can't inspect meat that's going into our children's schools.
You know, the federal government needs more resources. It needs more money to do its job. We need to rebuild bridges. We need to rebuild roads. Everybody says that.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
I feel sometimes at a loss on how to navigate...
Sometimes I ramble poetical. Sometimes I speak and point more towards the data and empirical side of things. But I often wonder if I travel between the two ways of communicating--the artistic world, and the policy/philosophical world--in an effective manner. Or do I end up creating two many distractions. Some times I feel my artistic/poetic way of just saying what i'm feeling is petty and childish.
On the way out the door my gut fell out from under me and I felt guilty for posting this. It can be read as childish and petty... while it was intended as an attempt to speak of an emotion inside me that I want to be able to express with others who may feel the same way from time to time.
I want people to respect my views, I want to build a network of people with whom I can trust and who can trust me. To navigate this complex world. I don't want people to jump on my blog and have a bad first impression which makes them think I don't have anything productive to say or share.
Even if all I bring is an extra eye keeping up with the Josh Marshall's, Dean Baker's, and Brad Delong's of the world--who are every day teaching me via this wonderous tool--and pass them on to others who may not have the time, inclination, or ability to focus on such things. Then at least that is something.
I guess the question is how do I be true to myself, respectful of others, and coherent in my thinking? How do I build bridges and alliances with many different people from many different perspectives. I think this world is too complex for me to say that there are many important insights to take from people across the spectrum and across human history.
How do I do that, without being a pedantic, verbally assaulting, close minded, and divisive. That kind of crap goes on in politics, and especially prone to go on in the blog world.
I dunno, but I want to get better about being open/receptive/accessible in everything I do--more specifically on this blog.
Does the new media have to stay in the gutter? Or is this one more tool towards a more reflective and wise society?
I hope its the latter--from time to time I feel like I tend to jump the gun and do the former.
Sigh... I guess this is something I grow into learning how to accomplish.
On the way out the door my gut fell out from under me and I felt guilty for posting this. It can be read as childish and petty... while it was intended as an attempt to speak of an emotion inside me that I want to be able to express with others who may feel the same way from time to time.
I want people to respect my views, I want to build a network of people with whom I can trust and who can trust me. To navigate this complex world. I don't want people to jump on my blog and have a bad first impression which makes them think I don't have anything productive to say or share.
Even if all I bring is an extra eye keeping up with the Josh Marshall's, Dean Baker's, and Brad Delong's of the world--who are every day teaching me via this wonderous tool--and pass them on to others who may not have the time, inclination, or ability to focus on such things. Then at least that is something.
I guess the question is how do I be true to myself, respectful of others, and coherent in my thinking? How do I build bridges and alliances with many different people from many different perspectives. I think this world is too complex for me to say that there are many important insights to take from people across the spectrum and across human history.
How do I do that, without being a pedantic, verbally assaulting, close minded, and divisive. That kind of crap goes on in politics, and especially prone to go on in the blog world.
I dunno, but I want to get better about being open/receptive/accessible in everything I do--more specifically on this blog.
Does the new media have to stay in the gutter? Or is this one more tool towards a more reflective and wise society?
I hope its the latter--from time to time I feel like I tend to jump the gun and do the former.
Sigh... I guess this is something I grow into learning how to accomplish.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
live blogging S.R. 796
go here...
Richardson is on the floor speaking about his tax proposal. 2:36
...he's talking about this being an opportunity to do something good.
...to let the people of GA vote.
"There is no middle ground"
"We aren't going to vote by section... vote one time and one time only."
2:37
"You let GA say... as a policy decsion. We are not going to tax cars..."
2:38
"329 million tax cut" first year
context
2:40
"We can watch out pennies..." is why we can afford it. Aren't are schools already broke? Isn't peach care already on the rocks?
2:41pm
"We're going to freeze property taxes on 2008 values"
"can go up 2% on residential 3% on nonresidential"
"some certainty on property taxes"
"Cap rate of increase at Governmental inflation rate..."
"using governmental price index..."
"5 year average of that is 5.05%.... in other words will be telling local jurisdiction... you may not increase rev. on property taxes by no more than 5.05% plus growth plus other revenues that come in
"how many of your consitituents get 5% pay increase every year? nobody? so how can you be against it?
"we're going to put a safe gaurd...
"citizens say... they want more services...
"all the people (in that county) that want to increase taxes will vote at county level... if they want to provide some ballfeild... or other service that put it to vote
2:46
"your going to get one chance to do something of trauma care... 10 dollars on each car
"do we trust Georgians enough... to be part of biggest tax cut in GA history...
2:50
Hatefield.... pg 5 of bill line 30 and 31. How will bill effect local property tax freezes... will it superceede those freezes?
Richardson (Rich)... you decide on the local area... provision by local legislative act
2:51
Setzler... true.. pg 6 adval rev. cap just a cap on ad valorum revunue?
Rich: only ad valurm taxes capped at gov. rate
wanted to use consumer price index. But decided Gov. Price Index...
the index already incorrorates unforseen events... also allowing for growth.
Rep Smith 113: how does it effect local controL?
Rich: can imagine more local control?
Rep. Smith: state won't have same rules as local level?
Rich: the sum of the parts exceeds the whole... we've lost touch. State government is reocognized in US constitutions. County,cities, schools... creatures of the state... local officals have exceeded the ability of themselves to pay
2:57
Rep Mills: first year 329 million dollar cut
second 672 million...
3:00
Rep Rich... my own city doesn't collect property taxes... we should learn from them.
Rep. Manning: When will this be on ballot...
Rich: this november 8th
Rich: calls for vote.. isn't it time to do something really good. You mean to tell me you that bunch in Atl gave us the right to vote on paying taxes on cars or not?
Rep Burkaulter: This is an exceptional day in the house of rep. They don't happen very often. This past year a lot have stressed over this discussion. Has been a healthy year. If GA's are watching and hearing whats going on. I think its a good thing.
JIm: I don't... this is a sad day... we have too many needs in this state to to have deficits in 2011!!!
Rep. Burkaulter... Richardsons crusade... is an opportunity to pass on signifigant tax cuts to the people we represent. We have tax relief. Harness the control and growth, harness the unpredicatability of local government spending... eliminates the most onerous tax on the state of GA that is collected on the day of your birth. A tax that 20 other states don't bother to collect. WIll benifit 93% of GA's and their households.
3:07
Rep. Burkaulter : this will eliminate a tax will benift more average ga's than rich ga's more low income Georgians... we don't work on polls... but if you want to look at the polls and they'll rate them for you. But ad val tax on personal vehichile. 87%(?)
Rep. Burk: Luther Colber... everywhere Luther went... he was minority whip. Everywhere he went he carried a copy of the state constitution. He envoked it everywhere he went. He new the importance of it... and importance of when you amend it. Can imagine the those who wrote the constitution in GA. Can't imagine those who wrote or made laws ever intended for your personal vehicle to have government finger prints.
3:13
GBPI: A $672 million hole in the state budget is the equivalent of:
100 percent of the PeachCare budget and 27 percent of the Medicaid budget; or
8 percent of K-12 education; or
29 percent of the Board of Regents budget; or
56 percent of the Department of Corrections budget.
Rep. Burk: some will claim we can't afford this... sure we can... if we want to.
3:15
Rep. ONeil: vote yes as quick as possible... want to talk about intangible aspects
keep hereing the term stability... why government likes the stability than roperty.
No more stable tax than property taxes... yes every level of gov. sees ad val as stable.
Predictability.. yes you have a very predictable revenue flow... to put it in banking terminlogy want 1 dollar put up 100 dollar cd. What about the tax payer? What about its predictable in this state alone of 20% increase? How predictable you think they think ad val. taxes are?
3:20
Rep. ONeil: give Georgians opportunity today to cast your vote on single largest tax cut in history of this state.
3:21
Rep. Roberts : the people are ready for tax reform
3:49
Ringing for vote on bill...
yeas: 110
nos: 62
bill fails to get constitutional majority! Call your Rep. ask them how they voted and thank them for voting no. If they vote yes, let them no about your disapproval.
Richardson is on the floor speaking about his tax proposal. 2:36
...he's talking about this being an opportunity to do something good.
...to let the people of GA vote.
"There is no middle ground"
"We aren't going to vote by section... vote one time and one time only."
2:37
"You let GA say... as a policy decsion. We are not going to tax cars..."
2:38
"329 million tax cut" first year
context
2:40
"We can watch out pennies..." is why we can afford it. Aren't are schools already broke? Isn't peach care already on the rocks?
2:41pm
"We're going to freeze property taxes on 2008 values"
"can go up 2% on residential 3% on nonresidential"
"some certainty on property taxes"
"Cap rate of increase at Governmental inflation rate..."
"using governmental price index..."
"5 year average of that is 5.05%.... in other words will be telling local jurisdiction... you may not increase rev. on property taxes by no more than 5.05% plus growth plus other revenues that come in
"how many of your consitituents get 5% pay increase every year? nobody? so how can you be against it?
"we're going to put a safe gaurd...
"citizens say... they want more services...
"all the people (in that county) that want to increase taxes will vote at county level... if they want to provide some ballfeild... or other service that put it to vote
2:46
"your going to get one chance to do something of trauma care... 10 dollars on each car
"do we trust Georgians enough... to be part of biggest tax cut in GA history...
2:50
Hatefield.... pg 5 of bill line 30 and 31. How will bill effect local property tax freezes... will it superceede those freezes?
Richardson (Rich)... you decide on the local area... provision by local legislative act
2:51
Setzler... true.. pg 6 adval rev. cap just a cap on ad valorum revunue?
Rich: only ad valurm taxes capped at gov. rate
wanted to use consumer price index. But decided Gov. Price Index...
the index already incorrorates unforseen events... also allowing for growth.
Rep Smith 113: how does it effect local controL?
Rich: can imagine more local control?
Rep. Smith: state won't have same rules as local level?
Rich: the sum of the parts exceeds the whole... we've lost touch. State government is reocognized in US constitutions. County,cities, schools... creatures of the state... local officals have exceeded the ability of themselves to pay
2:57
Rep Mills: first year 329 million dollar cut
second 672 million...
3:00
Rep Rich... my own city doesn't collect property taxes... we should learn from them.
Rep. Manning: When will this be on ballot...
Rich: this november 8th
Rich: calls for vote.. isn't it time to do something really good. You mean to tell me you that bunch in Atl gave us the right to vote on paying taxes on cars or not?
Rep Burkaulter: This is an exceptional day in the house of rep. They don't happen very often. This past year a lot have stressed over this discussion. Has been a healthy year. If GA's are watching and hearing whats going on. I think its a good thing.
JIm: I don't... this is a sad day... we have too many needs in this state to to have deficits in 2011!!!
Rep. Burkaulter... Richardsons crusade... is an opportunity to pass on signifigant tax cuts to the people we represent. We have tax relief. Harness the control and growth, harness the unpredicatability of local government spending... eliminates the most onerous tax on the state of GA that is collected on the day of your birth. A tax that 20 other states don't bother to collect. WIll benifit 93% of GA's and their households.
3:07
Rep. Burkaulter : this will eliminate a tax will benift more average ga's than rich ga's more low income Georgians... we don't work on polls... but if you want to look at the polls and they'll rate them for you. But ad val tax on personal vehichile. 87%(?)
Rep. Burk: Luther Colber... everywhere Luther went... he was minority whip. Everywhere he went he carried a copy of the state constitution. He envoked it everywhere he went. He new the importance of it... and importance of when you amend it. Can imagine the those who wrote the constitution in GA. Can't imagine those who wrote or made laws ever intended for your personal vehicle to have government finger prints.
3:13
GBPI: A $672 million hole in the state budget is the equivalent of:
100 percent of the PeachCare budget and 27 percent of the Medicaid budget; or
8 percent of K-12 education; or
29 percent of the Board of Regents budget; or
56 percent of the Department of Corrections budget.
Rep. Burk: some will claim we can't afford this... sure we can... if we want to.
3:15
Rep. ONeil: vote yes as quick as possible... want to talk about intangible aspects
keep hereing the term stability... why government likes the stability than roperty.
No more stable tax than property taxes... yes every level of gov. sees ad val as stable.
Predictability.. yes you have a very predictable revenue flow... to put it in banking terminlogy want 1 dollar put up 100 dollar cd. What about the tax payer? What about its predictable in this state alone of 20% increase? How predictable you think they think ad val. taxes are?
3:20
Rep. ONeil: give Georgians opportunity today to cast your vote on single largest tax cut in history of this state.
3:21
Rep. Roberts : the people are ready for tax reform
3:49
Ringing for vote on bill...
yeas: 110
nos: 62
bill fails to get constitutional majority! Call your Rep. ask them how they voted and thank them for voting no. If they vote yes, let them no about your disapproval.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Dr. Kings National Holiday...
What a wonderful day. What a wonderfully blessed day. Today is the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday here in this country. And for those of us within the social justice movement he is a very important leader.
On a day like today I think it is good to pause, reflect. But I felt called to write today because the one thing I don’t want any of us to do... is reflect too long. Dr. King wouldn’t want that. Its so easy for me to become overwhelmed by the magnificent grace, the humble but steadfast spirit, the tragedy, and sacrifice of an amazing man. But I can’t let myself fall into despair or wavier on what I am supposed to learn from Doctor King. I am asking you to not wavier either. Doctor King tells us what we are called to do. He speaks to us and we must never let Dr. King’s voice die because that would be the worst tragedy of all.
It was such a magnificent voice. He spoke with the commitment of Gandhi and grace of Paul. Dr. King was called to serve. He was called to lead. And he expected others to serve with him. I don’t know about you but I’m gonna listen to Dr. King today like I have never listened before.
In his letter from a Birmingham Jail he responds to his critics who are saying, “What are you doing there? You belong in Atlanta. You’re causing trouble.” And he responded by saying that “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” .
One of his gifts was that he was always able to boil things down to simple issues. Simple, but not simplistic. He was able to remind us all that we tend to forget that the only true question at hand is ‘are you your brothers keeper’? The theme of the letter he composed in that jail cell was in many ways a theme of his life. The message he spoke to those questioning clergy was: I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m here cause there is trouble; and I’m part of something that going to change that!
I wanted to remind us of that today. Dr. Kings voice still speaks to us. It is our obligation to keep his voice alive. His voice says to me as I look around my neighborhood, my country, and across this globe that I too have been called to serve. That I too am supposed to stand up when my neighbor has no health care coverage, when the 19 year old down the way has no education, no good jobs, and even worse no hope. Its not just me is it? Am I the only one who hears his voice when they walk out their door to go to work, or read the paper. Its not just me. He speaks to us, of that I am certain.
He says that we are to stand up and not sit idly by while people across the globe drown in abject poverty, die from diseases we can cure and wars that wouldn’t happen if we used diplomacy and wisdom. We are to stand up and act because right now in a country in Africa, a country called Sudan a genocide is taking place today. It’s the same Genocide that was going on last year. And the year before that.
Something is wrong in our culture when so much violence is perpetuated against other human beings and we sit and do nothing. But I know that something is right about the hearts, minds, and souls of people who stand together and say we’re here not to cause trouble, we’re here because there is trouble. That’s what Dr. King teaches us and it is up to us not to forget.
His voice tells us that wherever injustice goes, we must follow. We organize, we educate, we vote; that is how we never forget. And we stand firm and resolute; peaceful and respectful; and in the most gracious and loving way we can, tell those who aren’t able to hear us yet, that we aren’t here to cause trouble. We are here because there is trouble and we are not going to stop until we change that fact.
Listen to Dr. King's speech: "Why I am opposed to the War in Vietnam"
Please take some time today to make a commitment to do something for our community.
If you are local there are many options. To see of some of the things I’m involved in you can go to 3rd District Common Agenda which is the online location of the grassroots social justice network I founded last year. We have done house parties on issues like Darfur and getting books to people in Prison. Or go look at the political organizing I am helping to build up here in Henry County for the Democratic Party.
Henry County Grassroots Network
These are just two avenues... if you want to help get people health care, or any of the many other causes of human suffering that must be addressed come get involved. If these avenues don’t appeal to your interest get in contact and I can help locate the groups and organizations doing important work.
But its up to each and every one of us to use what we have been blessed with in a way that helps others. We are in the thing together...
Monday, July 30, 2007
Old but still reads true...
Boston Globe has an article on impeachment Its from June but it articulates a position I find dead on accurate. If you want to help every day peoples lives more than you want to make petty political points you don't (in my eyes at least) support open movement towards impeachment. I'd love to see Bush impeached. But I have to step outside of my head and my petty psychological passion and consider the fact that this upcoming election is the Democrats to lose. Impeachment throws everything up in the air, granted it might still turn out in the Democrats favor. But why take a chance, I'd rather see a potential to get some kind of health care reform, and a sane Iraqi policy. I have the utmost respect for many people trying to make impeachment happen. In a perfect world I'd be all on board. But here on the ground, in GA's 3rd district I don't see impeachment doing any good for anyone. I talk to conservatives and republicans every day and impeachment would fire them up about something. You can't bring new ideas or arguments to people who have their passions inflamed to hate you.
Plus it makes me think of the economist who wants to make economics a purely mathematical question and uses great reason and logic to explain why and how the models make sense; and what they miss in all of their accurate number crunching is that economics is a behavioral science from the ground up.
Plus it makes me think of the economist who wants to make economics a purely mathematical question and uses great reason and logic to explain why and how the models make sense; and what they miss in all of their accurate number crunching is that economics is a behavioral science from the ground up.
Monday, July 16, 2007
This is not good...
There is talk of Cynthia McKinney running for the Green Presidential nomination. First let me clarify my position. I don't dislike McKinney. If I were to come across her in my everyday world. I would find her views great. I would love to see more citizens speak more to the social good, and social justice tinge. I cringe because she doesn't handle herself well. If you are going to hold some of the positions she holds you have to not have a personality that allows your opponents to use your behaviors to denigrate your ideas. I don't begrudge her. First off I don't really think she's as bad as people make her out to be, though I have a feeling there is some justification for the sentiment even though the sentiment has more to do with the inability of McKinney to articulate in a manner that is historically and politically accurate to the nth degree. But the average person doesn't do that. Heck the average Representitive in the US house dosen't do that. So I don't dislike Mckinney. But I so desperately don't want the green party to deligitmize itself via a circus act. I want them to deligitimize themselves via policies that are pro social justice and pro democracy.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
US Social Forum
UPDATED
Today was the opening day of the first ever US Social Forum, basicly grassroots social justice groups from all over the country come together for a week of events. The stated goal is
Here I am before it got going in front of the State Capital.
Next time i'm going to start taking notes and asking people more about themselves make it more blogger friendly/citizen journalist thing. But here are the rest of the pics...
And finally... i'm not sure if it was a government paid for counter-protest. Or maybe just an attempt to get a bunch of leftist to give conservative thought and statism "one more shot"....
Today was the opening day of the first ever US Social Forum, basicly grassroots social justice groups from all over the country come together for a week of events. The stated goal is
The US Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more than a reaction to war and repression. The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.I took the day off of work and me and Deana went down to the opening march. I brought my camera!
The USSF sends a message to other people’s movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad.
We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible!
Here I am before it got going in front of the State Capital.
Next time i'm going to start taking notes and asking people more about themselves make it more blogger friendly/citizen journalist thing. But here are the rest of the pics...
And finally... i'm not sure if it was a government paid for counter-protest. Or maybe just an attempt to get a bunch of leftist to give conservative thought and statism "one more shot"....
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