NOLA Needs Books

Please donate what you can.

The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books for people of all ages in an effort to restock the shelves after Katrina. The staff will assess which titles will be designated for its collections. The rest will be distributed to destitute families or sold for library fundraising. Please send your books to:

Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

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Our Public Lands Are Not For Sale!

Please take action to save our national wilderness heritage.

Bush plans to privatize 800,000+ acres of public land to make ends meet. Chunks of our national treasures -- from Montana's Bitterroot National Forest to California's Sierra Mountains range -- are slated for the auction block. In my home state, Oregon, parts of the Columbia Gorge are even up for sale. Wow.

Supposedly the lands are "worthless".

Great - they're worthless! So, there's no market for selling "worthless" land, right? We've got enough money to maintain tax cuts for the rich and spend $200 billion on war, but need to sell of national treasures to fund rural schools? I don't think so.

Contact your congresscritters, write those LTE's (the first link above has a lot of great articles against the sell-off) and what the hell - call the White House, too. Light up the switchboard.


Tags: public lands, Columbia Gorge, environment, Bush, BLM, US Forest Service

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TX-28 - Elect a Real Democrat

Bumping because the election is a week away! And it looks like Cuellar's already up to some dirty tricks:

An abnormally high number of voters in Webb County aged 90 years or older prompted an attorney for the Ciro Rodriguez congressional campaign to request an investigation by the Texas Secretary of State. During the first 4 days of early voting, 93 votes were cast by people 90 or over and 51 were 100 or older.

...According to the 2002 Statistical Abstract of the United States, something like 1.5 percent of the nations' population is over 85 (linked census data here). So, this does seem to be an abnormally large number, although to determine if it is out of whack, we'd need to know the total votes cast. Either way, though, it seems suspect.

Volunteer/Donate/Phone Bank

and now, back to the original post

Instead of DINO Cuellar:

For the speech Tuesday, Mr. Cuellar positioned himself along the president's route and grabbed a seat on the Republican side of the aisle. Custom dictates that the Democrats stay to the speaker's right and Republicans to the left, making it easier to gauge party-line splits on applause lines.

Cuellar's only challenger is Democratic candidate Ciro Rodriguez; there are no Republicans in this race. The winner of the primary is the winner of the seat. And Rodriguez needs all the support we can muster.

Rodriquez is running a full campaign with tremendous local support. Yet when I checked the FEC records as of 12/31/05 he has a terrible financial disadvantage.

While Cuellar, who may well jump Republican in 2006, has 279K cash on hand, Rodriquez has only 43K on hand.

The Rodriguez fundraising has been effective with a lot of funds from individuals and Union PACs. We just need to get behind this man and give him the push to beat this Repubican in disguise.

The Primary for TX-28 (click here for a map of the district) is just 34 days from now. If you are in this district, please get involved in the local campaign. If you're not, please donate or otherwise do what you can to defeat the Club for Growth-endorsed Cuellar.

Ciro Rodriquez's campaign site is here. And ActBlue has a website for him here. You can also join in on the conference call tomorrow.

And don't forget this.



Tags: Ciro Rodriquez, TX-28, ActBlue

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Boycott South Dakota

Let them know you don't appreciate their abortion ban that doesn't even provide exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the woman.

Things from and in South Dakota to boycott:

Iam's pet foods (nutro and hund 'n flocken are excellent, better-quality alternatives)

Gateway computers

the legendary Wall Drug

citibank credit cards (get a card through a credit union and close any citibank accounts you have. Juniper bank is also good)

SD is a large beef producer - boycott all beef, but especially theirs - http://www.southdakotacertifiedbeef.com/ContactUs.asp


South Dakota trade directory (a list of SD companies) - http://www.sd-exports.org/sdibi/trade_directory/trad111000.htm

Sturgis motorcycle rally - http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/
I clicked on the rally's page and discovered that the city of sturgis has an office devoted to the rally:

The City of Sturgis
Rally Department
1147 Sherman Street Ste. #201
Sturgis, SD 57785
Phone: 605-720-0800 Fax: 605.720.0801
info@sturgismotorcyclerally.com

appeal to any bikers you know to boycott the event and contact the advertising sponsors - their participation in this is key.

In addition to boycotting companies, it might be a good idea to network with their employees - internal pressure from Microsoft's employees was invaluable in making MS support the gay rights legislation. Perhaps similar pressure can be brought on by the employees of these SD firms?

Also implore these companies to lobby the governor to veto the bill. If the state's biggest revenue streams/employers bring the pressure, the Governor might have to listen. If the companies are uninterested in petitioning the Governor, it's boycott city.


Mt. Rushmore

Badlands national park


info@southeastsouthdakota.com

http://www.state.sd.us/governor/

Department of Tourism and State Development
711 East Wells Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-3369
(605) 773-3256, fax

Economic Development
(605) 773-5032, phone
www.sdgreatprofits.com

Tourism
(605) 773-3301, phone
www.TravelSD.com

Tribal Government Relations
(605) 773-3415, phone
www.sdtribalrelations.com

South Dakota Arts Council
800 Governor's Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2294
(605) 773-3131, phone
www.state.sd.us/deca/sdarts/

State Historical Society
900 Governor's Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2217
(605) 773-3458, phone
www.sdhistory.org

If they want to live in 19th century mindsets, let them live in 19th century isolation.

Tags: South Dakota, abortion, roe v wade, Bush, civil rights, supreme court, abortion rights, theocracy, boycott South Dakota, Sturgis biker rally

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Oregonians: Fight Measure 37

Oregon's supreme court recently validated this craptacular law, but it's never over until the fat lady sings. July is the deadline for filing ballot initiative measures.

The Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning, established under Senate Bill 82 (2005), has scheduled its first meeting for Friday, March 3, 2006, at 1 p.m., in Hearing Room F at the Oregon Capitol building. [Click here for Meeting Notice warning: pdf]

The first meeting will focus on the organization of the task force and providing task force members with an initial overview of SB 82, the Oregon land use program and Oregon's economy, to establish a context for their work. An agenda of the meeting will be published on this website prior to the meeting.

The meeting is open to the public:

March 3, 2006
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
State Capitol Building
900 Court St. NE
Hearing Room F
Salem, OR 97301

Please read the entry linked above and contact every public official you have - this idiot measure has the potential to completely ruin Oregon.



Tags: public lands, Columbia Gorge, environment, property rights, Tom McCall, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Oregon, Washington, measure 37, land use law

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Columbia Gorge In Danger

They're simply shameless:

The US Forest Service is proposing to put 300,000 acres of what they call "disposable public lands" out to the highest bidder, including 730 acres in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. [...] Properties on both sides of the Columbia Gorge are named on the potential sale list. These include lands in Corbett, above Sheppard's Dell and near Cascade Locks in Oregon. On the Washington side, land near Cape Horn, Wind Mountain and above the flooded Celilo Falls would be available to the highest bidder.

You know what to do...


Tags: public lands, Columbia Gorge, environment, Bush, BLM, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon, Washington, US Forest Service, Friends of the Columbia Gorge

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Nebraska Voting Reform

Let's play "guess the voting tendencies!" In today's edition, we examine the Nebraska communities who are actually seeing any benefits of voting reform.

In December of 2004 the Vote Nebraska Initative released it's Final Report which included recommendations for increasing "Accessibilty to the Election System" one of these was a plan for "Satellite Voting", which means setting up small voting hubs in convenient places throughout the district, where people can come and register to vote, and vote, in the days leading up to the election.

...A trial version of Satellite Voting was started in Lancaster County, home of the capitol city, Lincoln. In October of 2005, Gale announced the first prospective Satellite Voting Sites. All three of the sites were located in areas of town where Democrats are heavily under-represented.

..."the decision regarding the locations is being made arbitrarily by the SOS and the County Elections Commissioner" said [Barry] Rubin [Executive Director, Nebraska Democratic Party].

...If you're a Nebraska Voter, Democrat or Republican, who cares about fair voting then you should write or email the Secretary of State John Gale and tell him that Accessible Voting is too important to be relegated to back-room deals, and that transparency and accountability are necessary to keep voters engaged in the democratic process.

john.gale@sos.ne.gov
John Gale, Secretary of State
Main Office, Suite 2300
State Capitol
Lincoln, NE 68509
(402)471-2554; Fax: (402)471-3237

At the top of the page is a link to fax via the web. I'm just sayin'...


Tags: Nebraska, Satellite Voting, election reform, John Gale, republicans

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Good Friday: It's the New Black

Mark your calendars:

Somewhere near you is a
Federal Building.
If there still is a planet
at 12 noon PST (3pm Eastern)
April 14th,

Be there
Wear black.
Be Silent.

As crows on a wire.

This is organized disorganization.
We will stare silently, deliberately, intently.
We will do no harm.

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Keep Diebold Out of California

California's Secretary of State, Bruce McPherson, has recently granted Diebold conditional certification for 2006 elections. So let's create some conditions.

Additional info here:

State Senator Debra Bowen, working feverishly on the forefront of election integrity, wrote me last night to request that we email her offices rather than call. Her words:

"Email is great because it is easy for us to log and report -- and we can actually prove how many emails we've received!"

"We are going to need an enormous amount of people power in the next couple of weeks. Together we can change this whole pathetic mess. Let's stand up for our democracy RIGHT NOW."

"Please email me in support of issuing subpoenas rather than calling -- you will save my staff a great deal of time logging calls, and you know what kind work we have
to do right now. You can always call and fax later!"

There's no good reason to certify them, especially since they've lied to California before.

2003-12-18 09:32:00.0

An audit of Diebold Election Systems voting machines in California has revealed that the company installed uncertified software in all 17 counties that use its electronic voting equipment.

...The audit uncovered discrepancies between what Diebold said was installed in counties and what auditors actually found.

...Although the last version of GEMS certified in California was 1.17.17, auditors found that no county was using it. Instead they were using later versions such as 1.17.20, 1.17.23 and 1.18.18.102. Versions 1.17.20 and 1.18.18.102 were never qualified by federal independent testing authorities.

Tags: California, Diebold, election reform, Bruce McPherson, republicans

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Senator Byrd on Domestic Spying

Atrios brings us these lovely excerpts from a floor speech earlier:

…We cannot continue to claim that we are a nation of laws and not of men if our laws and, indeed, even the Constitution of the United States itself, may by summarily breached because of some determination of expediency or because the President says “trust me.”

…In the name of “fighting terror” are we to sacrifice every freedom to a President’s demand? How far are we to go? Can a President order warrantless house-by-house searches of a neighborhood, where he suspects a terrorist may be hiding? Can he impose new restrictions on what can be printed, broadcast, or even uttered privately, because of some perceived threat to national security? Laughable thoughts? I think not. For this Administration has so traumatized the people of this nation -- and many in the Congress -- that some will swallow whole whatever rubbish that is spewed from this White House, as long as it is in some tenuous way connected to the so-called war on terror.

…I plead with the American public to tune-in to what is happening in this country. Please forget the political party with which you may usually be associated, and, instead, think about the right of due process, the presumption of innocence, and the right to a private life. Forget the now tired political spin that, if one does not support warrant-less spying, then one may be a bosom buddy of Osama Bin Laden.

…There is a need for a thorough investigation of all of our domestic spying programs. We have to know what is being done, by whom, and to whom. We need to know if the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act has been breached, and if the Constitutional rights of thousands of Americans have been violated without cause.

…I want to know how many Americans have been spied upon. I want to know how it is determined which individuals are monitored and who makes such determinations. I want to know if the telecommunications industry is involved in a massive screening of the domestic telephone calls of ordinary Americans. I want to know if the United States Post Office is involved. I want to know if the law has been broken and the Constitution has been breached.

Tags: Byrd, Republicans, NSA, Bush, spying

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Demand a Spygate Investigation

The vote on the bill to legalize the spying is tomorrow. This, of course, raises the interesting point that if they have to pass a bill to legalize it, isn't it then, by definition, an illegal program?

The White House is bringing serious pressure to bear on the Stepfor Senators - tell them to respect themselves as an independent branch of government. Demand that they provide oversight for this program.

There's still time to contact Senate Intelligence Committee members and demand an investigation. Rather than calling Democratic members who are the ones calling for an investigation, we'll be more effective acting against the WH pressure on Republican committee members. The toll-free number for the Senate switchboard is 888-355-3588.

Here is a list of the Republican members:

Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
Phone: (202) 224-4774

Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Phone: (202) 224-5251
Fax: (202) 224-6331

Mik DeWine (R-Ohio)
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Fax: (202) 224-6519

Kit Bond (R-Missouri)
Phone: (202) 224-5721

Trent Lott (R-Mississippi)
Phone: (202) 224-6253
Fax: (202) 224-2262

Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia)
Phone: 202-224-3521

Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
Phone: (202) 224-4224
Fax: (202) 224-5213

Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
Phone: (202) 224-5344
Fax: (202) 224-1946

Particular attention should be focused on Hagel and Snowe. Remind them that even IF they buy into the President's inherent authority argument, we have absolutely no idea how the President is exercising that authority. That is why even Republican senators should support an oversight investigation.

[UPDATE] Read these diaries from Rep. Louise Slaughter and John Conyers, Jr.


Tags: DeWine, Republicans, NSA, Bush, spying

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Save Our Public Lands

They're trying to sell them for a song again.

Though many details of President Bush's 2007 budget are still murky, some, regrettably, are painfully clear. Amid serious cuts to public lands programs (already grossly under-funded) there now comes a blatant proposal to begin selling off our public lands themselves.

It's not a new idea. The anti-environmental right has long cherished a fevered pipedream of selling off America's public estate. The President's budget proposal is a dangerous escalation of the crusade that now shows signs of becoming a trend.

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD

Just two months ago, Rep. Richard Pombo included in a budget reconciliation bill a provision to sell off millions of acres of land to mining interests and developers. The measure passed the House. But unified opposition from western conservationists, hunters, anglers, local elected officials, businesses, governors and Democratic and Republican Senators alike forced its removal.

Similar coalitions have blocked other such extreme proposals, including one in which Pombo actually identified units of the National Park System to sell.

OVER 800,000 ACRES COULD BE LOST TO THE PUBLIC

Please visit The Wilderness Society's action page and write your own letter to protect these national treasures.

More from Knight-Ridder:

Details about what plots of land would be put up for sale are expected to be revealed at a noon press conference by Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey, a former timber industry lobbyist. The Forest Service owns 193 million acres of land and plans to sell about 175,000 to 200,000 acres, according to Forest Service spokeswoman Heidi Valetkevitch.

...Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., attacked the plan as "crazy," saying: "Here the administration wants to pass more tax cuts for the rich, and to pay the bill, they want to sell off public land - our nation's natural heritage."

Tags: public lands, Pombo, environment, Bush, BLM

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Little Miami Scenic River vs. Exurban Sprawl

A "planned community" of 2400 homes threatens the Little Miami River of Ohio, even though it is federally-protected.

But we have until next Thursday to make our voices heard by contacting the Warren County Commission - let them know how important it is to preserve one of Ohio's few remaining wild places.

County commissioners will soon consider approval of rezoning sought by the developers of San Mar Gale, a planned community to be built over the next 30 years on 3,239 acres east of Lebanon owned by the family of the late industrialist and farmer Ralph J. Stolle.

On Tuesday, Gable and the state program's regional manager alerted commissioners that Hines-Griffin Land Development Co.'s plans apparently fail to adequately protect the Little Miami and its tributaries.

Gable's program has approval authority on public projects, but no legal power on private projects, within 1,000 feet of the state's scenic rivers. Warren County's Little Miami corridor plan, approved in 1979, recommends protections like those sought by the state. Only a few Ohio counties and communities have included river protections in local zoning codes.

...The commissioners will resume a hearing, begun in December, at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 on rezoning sought by Hines-Griffin. The county could push for the Little Miami protections as conditions included in the planned unit development or during later site review hearings.

Wildlands and rivers need to be protected against development - they cannot be replaces once they are gone. This point needs to be impressed upon the city planners - please help to do so!

[UPDATE from 1/19] We have a temporary reprieve. The next meeting will be on Feb. 23rd. Residents of Warren County - call, call, call! The link above has tons of resources and info.



Tags: Little Miami River, San Mar Gale, environment, conservation, Ohio

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Cities Passing Impeachment Resolutions

Will your city play along?

The past month has seen a burst of resolutions supporting impeachment in city councils, state democratic parties, and even chapters of Democrats Abroad. On January 6, the City Council of Arcata, Calif., passed a resolution demanding the impeachment or resignation of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, citing violations of international and constitutional law.

Be sure to visit the impeach bush coalition blog!



Tags: impeach, Cheney, Bush

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BLM Sells off the Valle Vidal Without Public Input

Yesterday, the Bureau of Land Management announced a compensatory royalty agreement with the El Paso Exploration and Production Company of Houston, Texas for the gas under New Mexico's Valle Vidal.

...We are deeply troubled that the public's resources were sold to El Paso without public notice or public input. These agreements are consistent with the 'behind closed doors' nature of this entire process. Further, this brings development right to the door of the Valle Vidal. The Valle Vidal is public land, not the Administration's little fiefdom.

...Please use this opportunity to again press Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) to support and co-sponsor Rep. Tom Udall's Valle Vidal Protection Act.

Call your own congressmembers, too. Public lands are for the entire public. Lots of contact info and other stuff here.




Tags: Valle Vidal, Heather Wilson, environment, Bush, BLM

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Save the Vote!

Mark Crispin Miller has tons of wonderful and amazing information on HAVA, Voting Reform and civil rights projects happening right now. I highly recommend bookmarking his blog.

Please call your members of Congress today and every day until this bill is law. Please tell your Congressperson to co-sponsor H.R. 4666. Please ask your Senator to introduce companion legislation to H.R. 4666 in the Senate.
U.S. House of Representatives contact information here.
U.S. Senate contact information here.

Please call the following members of the House Administration Committee and ask them to move H.R. 4666 through as quickly as possible since primary season is upon us

Be sure to read the one about Lynn Landes' court case as well.





Tags: voting reform, Lynn Landes, diebold, Bush

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They're After PBS Again, Still Not Funding Vets

The new budget includes a $157 million cut to PBS. Bastards.

poor children in this nation face school systems that have less then adequate resources, since the federal government has given them a ton of "no child left behind" mandates without funding them, and PBS represents a stop-gap for a lot of these kids in terms of early childhood learning. Since you've already cut the budget for head start, for child support payments and for medical assistance for these poor children, I'm drawing the line at Elmo.

It's time to hit the fax machines and the phone lines, gang. Contact your Representatives in Washington and tell them this is a budget cut too far. Do it for Elmo.

Do it for Elmo and others afflicted by this budget:

President Bush's budget calls for elimination of a $255 lump-sum death payment that has been part of Social Security for more than 50 years and urges Congress to cut off monthly survivor benefits to 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts...

This budget will almost uniformly hurt those who need help most and further dishonors our veterans and service members. Please contact your reps and tell them this will not be tolerated. The proposed budget is patently offensive.




Tags: budget cuts, PBS, Social Security, Bush, military

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Lucky D.C. People

You get to attend a rally tomorrow with Max Cleland and 40 Fightin' Dems!

Rally with Sen. Max Cleland & Forty Fighting Dem Candidates

When: 10am, Wednesday, February 8th
Where: 7th st. SW betw. Madison Dr. & Jefferson Dr., on the National Mall

As I've said before, if you're angry about the swiftboating of Rep. Murtha, the lack of body armor for our troops, cuts in veterans benefits, and the simple, undeniable fact that George Bush has made us less safe, this is your chance to help make a difference. Let's make this a major media event and make sure these issues stay on the table throughout the 2006 elections and beyond.

(P.S. Please note the location change. This rally will be held on the Mall, not at the Capitol.)

Tags: Murtha, Fighting Dems, D.C., Bush, body armor

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Give NARAL a Clue

They obviously need it.

Thanks to Jane Hamsher for pointing out that NARAL is asking its members to thank Joe Lieberman and 16 other Senators who helped kill the filibuster of Samuel Alito before voting against his confirmation to the Supreme Court.

...Please contact NARAL and ask them to remove the names of all Senators who voted to kill the Democratic filibuster of Samuel Alito from their list of people to thank for their vote.

Tags: Alito, NARAL, Chafee, Bush, Supreme Court

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Because

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. - Edward Abbey

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Feingold + Gonzales = Perjury?

It's lookin' that way...

On Monday, Senator Russ Feingold will resume his questioning of Alberto Gonzales in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "Wartime Executive Power and Surveillance Authory. You may recall that Gonzales appears to have perjured himself in his responses to Feingold's previous round of questioning on the administration's warrantless wiretapping of American citizens.

This note is a call for action requesting bloggers to help shape the terms of the debate in the media both before and after the hearing by contacting editorial boards at major daily newspapers in your local community to encourage them to take a position against attempts by the Executive Branch to circumvent the law.

...Progressives have been complaining for some time that we don't have a noise machine. This is an opportunity for us to proactively shape the terms of the national debate on warrantless wiretapping rather than simply react to the news of the day.

Read the whole thing - there's lots of great info. Here is another great read about Senate Republicans expressing support for the domestic spying - please call them, especially if they're your Senators.

A little humor

Media contacts


Tags: Feingold, Gonzales, NSA, Bush, spying

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Same Sex Marriage Ban in West Virginia?

West Virginia recently introduced House Joint Resolution 106 - the "Marriage Protection Amendment" - to codify a ban on any formal, recognized union between same-sex couples.

Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for same-sex relationships to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage.

Lots of action items at the link.



Tags: West Virginia, same sex marriage, amendment

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Checkpoints On the Information Superhighway?

Internet Freedom is under fire! Free Press has a letter you can sign. Here's what they say:

The CEOs of the largest cable and telephone companies are hatching a scheme that would give them control over what content you can view and what services you can use on the Internet. Their plan would do away with the principle of "network neutrality" and shut down the open roadway we've come to expect on the Internet.

Sounds like a real money-maker for them! Anyway, click here to send your letter to your Congresspeople and the CEO of your internet provider.

Common Cause also has a letter you can send to all the CEOs of the telecom corporations. Tell these CEOs to stop trying to privatize the internets!

Lots more information here, courtesy of Elise.



Tags: internet, telecommunications, Bush, cable

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