* Bumper Sticker of the Week ~ Joe Must Go – Many voices are urging the Democratic Party in the Senate to remove Joe Lieberman from his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee. I believe that this would be the correct action. His campaigning for John McCain and his questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism are at the bottom of the list of reasons for Joe to go. His pathetic record of leadership on this important committee is the overriding justification for his removal. Intentional incompetence best describes his tenure in this post. As Rachel Maddow on her MSNBC show and Heather writing at Crooks and Liars point out, Lieberman over the last two years, never held hearings on the disastrous US government response to the Katrina hurricane disaster nor did the committee look into no-bid contracts awarded to friends and associates of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush. Many of those contracts were implemented incompetently while the US government was overcharged billions of dollars. As chairman of this committee Lieberman did not represent the interests of the American people. Instead, Lieberman represented the interests of the Bush administration that operated in secret and often outside of legal parameters, and at great cost to you and me, the citizens recovering from a natural disaster, and the military men and women who were underserved as they served this country while in harms way. Joe Must Go.
* Remember Typhoid Mary? ~ Meet Leukemia Dick and some of the other dicks who “serve” America –
Drilling for natural gas, a policy being touted as a means of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil, may contaminate water supplies with unsafe levels of chemicals like benzene, a compound that can cause leukemia, according to an investigation by Pro Publica. The drilling process, pioneered by Dick Cheney's former company Haliburton, uses water pressure and chemicals to break rocks and release the gas. It was exempted by Congress from the Safe Water Act after a 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study declared it safe. It now appears that this EPA study was not as conclusive at it claimed to be.
It is well-documented that the EPA often goes out of its way NOT to protect the environment and the American public. It is well-documented that Cheney has been the most ardent advocate for the interests of energy companies and Haliburton. One wonders what influence was imposed upon the EPA that resulted in this exemption from the Safe Water Act. “More than 1,000 other cases of contamination have been documented by courts and state and local governments in Colorado, New Mexico, Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In one case, a house exploded after hydraulic fracturing created underground passageways and methane seeped into the residential water supply. In other cases, the contamination occurred not from actual drilling below ground, but on the surface, where accidental spills and leaky tanks, trucks and waste pits allowed benzene and other chemicals to leach into streams, springs and water wells.” This is but one example where the interaction of the executive branch, the legislative branch, federal agencies and business failed the American people. The majority of the problems and dangers confronting America today are the result of such failed leadership.
* Fly Me to the Moon ~ it may be safer – Sixteen months ago I commented about the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) being accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. It was discouraging to learn that a federal agency empowered to protect air travelers was actually complicit in reducing safe conditions. At a minimum, one would expect that the release of the report would have resulted in personnel changes and an upgrading of the oversight. Not in the current state of our federal government.
ABC reports a new investigation has found “the misclassifying of safety errors had continued” at Dallas-Fort Worth, that FAA employees continued to hide safety errors. It causes one to wonder if the repeated dereliction of duty by the FAA at Dallas-Fort Worth is it also taking place at other airports. What is happening in Boston, NY, LA, Miami and hundreds of other major airports? I imagine that remedial action will be taken when two or three planes collide, resulting in the death of 639 passengers, 19 crew members, 412 people on the ground and the widespread destruction of a residential neighborhood. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security may even hold hearings. Perhaps Republican Texas Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchinson will exercise their fiduciary responsibility by pressing for an investigation into this problem that bodes dire consequences. Perhaps a new administration will coerce a sense of responsibility and accountability into the performance of federal agencies. That would be a refreshing development.
* Change we can believe in ~ it is up to us – The above examples of broken government brings to mind the often-used and cynical phrase, “You can’t fight City Hall.” It is only a truism if good people do nothing. I was reminded of this while reading an article by Gary Younge in the British newspaper The Guardian titled, “Obama's army of supporters must maintain their level of activism.” Younge notes that the characterization of American political life - the notion of a lazy, contented people who do not vote, care or really understand what is being done in their name and leaving governance to big business, and lobbyists – may be changing. I recommend the article because it notes many changes that have been occurring within the American electorate.
I would suggest that the change Younge identifies is a result of two influences; the devastatingly damaging tenure of George W. Bush and the electric and populist rise of Barack Obama. The Bush years awakened a previously unengaged citizenry and the Obama campaign provided the vehicle to channel the disappointment, the losses, the regression and resulting anger and frustration into a movement for change. This new activist citizenry demands responsible and responsive leadership. It opposes narrow ideology agendas and expects federal leadership to address the major issues that challenge our society – challenges that have been ignored over the last eight years. The higher expectations have brought us a new president, senators and representatives that embrace progressive ideas. Their mission is to overcome a bureaucratic government burdened by politicization, ideology and special interests as well as accepted and expected incompetence. Success will require a continually engaged citizenry that keeps a bright light on the ills, vociferously communicates to elected representatives the change that is required and rewards responsible and responsive representatives with re-election.
* All things Progressive – If you have interest in Progressive ideas and activities I recommend the web site The Bucks/Mont Progressive Events. The editor Tom Ulrich does a terrific job each month identifying Progressive events in the Philadelphia area and national broadcasts, publications and videos.
* All things regressive ~ prejudice, hate, ignorance – Much of the Sarah Palin rhetoric during the presidential campaign appealed to this three-headed Hydra. Those susceptible to divisive discourse reveled in the speeches of Palin and other Republican orators. The forces of hate are as real and alive today as they were 50 and 100 years ago. These forces certainly are not as widespread but, certainly as real. One example of such despicable human behavior is the Ku Klux Klan. This organization, originally spawned to repress African Americans, has broadened its “vision” to include Latinos and other minorities. It is fortunate that we have people such as Morris Dees and his organization The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) standing up to forces that debase civil rights and humanity.
In Kentucky on Friday the SPLC gained a decisive jury verdict against members of the KKK, accused of severely beating a Latino in 2006 at a rural county fair. As Dees noted, "The people of Meade County, Kentucky, have spoken loudly and clearly. And what they've said is that ethnic violence has no place in our society, that those who promote hate and violence will be held accountable and made to pay a steep price." The verdict against Imperial Klans of America (IKA), Imperial Wizard Ron Edwards and two former KKK members who have already served prison terms for their involvement was $2.5 million. It is likely the judgment will cripple IKA’s 16 chapters that are located throughout eight states.
The weakening of a KKK group is encouraging but the ugliness of hate that infects the land of the free and the home of the brave will not be eradicated in our lifetime. As noted in an article at the Huffington Post the election of Barack Obama has spurred hundreds of race threats and crimes that include, “Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting ‘Assassinate Obama.’ Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.” America has come a long way in civil rights and human relations. Gay rights are improving with much still to be achieved. There is much to be proud of in America but the road ahead will not be free of prejudice, hate and ignorance. It is a flaw in the human condition that may never be overcome.
* “You cannot hate other people without hating your self.”
Oprah Winfrey
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Sort by date Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
7/17/07
*Intelligent and positive governing! – In spite of Republican opposition the House has passed the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The bill will provide the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill in 1944. Millions of students will benefit. It comes at no new cost to taxpayers and is funded by cutting excess subsidies paid by the federal government to lenders in the student loan industry (an industry recently exposed for excessive interest rates and kickbacks to colleges and college loan advisors).
*Mature approach to terrorism - Sec. of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff tells us that, “Summer time seems to be appealing to them,” he said of al-Qaeda. “We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities… Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on "a gut feeling".
It is time for our leaders to act like adults. When this administration needs political cover for failed policies they trot out the “fear” factor. Recall that leading up to the presidential elections of 2004 each time that Bush slipped in the polls the Department of Homeland Security raised the color that indicated an increase in the threat level from terrorists. For the rest of our lives our nation will have to be alert to terrorist attacks. The threat does not ebb and flow. It is necessary that we always be on guard. An adjunct to this approach should be policies that do not spawn new terrorists.
*New Olympic sport – For each new Olympics a sport is usually added. I would like to suggest television jumping – an event in which I could earn a medal. Almost every time that I watch a Bush administration official offer testimony to a congressional investigative committee I want to jump into the TV to smack them on the side of the head. Maybe veracity would pop out.
*Support the Troops, a Republican shell game – Democratic Senator Jim Webb’s amendment would have required as much down time for U.S. troops serving in Iraq as time in deployment and that reservists and National Guardsmen be home for 3 years after serving one year on active duty. The amendment was killed by Republican opposition.
It is time to stop complaining that the Democrats in congress cannot get anything done. To pass almost any bill in the Senate 60 votes are required (67 votes to override a veto). With only 51 Democratic senators the Republicans have the ability to block most legislation. There is an answer to this problem but it will have to wait until the 2008 elections.
*There is a bill in the Senate that would restore habeas corpus to U.S. detainees. I am disappointed that three of the people I supported in their successful 2006 election to the Senate have not signed on as co-sponsors of this bill. I will be contacting Senators Casey, Tester and Webb this week to voice my concerns.
*Families of our troops are also over-extended – From the Sunday NY Times, “Experts cite three causes of eroding morale among military families: longer and multiple deployments, the continued chaos in Baghdad, and the growing death toll…”
*There have been so many criminal and sexual scandals committed by Republicans that GOP leaders fear that social conservatives will stay away from the ballot box in the 2008 presidential elections. From their lips…
*People who live in glass houses … - Last week the Pope stated that Catholicism was the only way. This week it is reported that since 1950 the U.S. Catholic church has paid out over $2,000.000.000 (yes, billions) to settle sexual abuse charges. Evidence has shown that the church hierarchy covered up these abuses. The problem is not limited to the United States. In any organization there will be individuals with problems. The “sins” of the Catholic Church included: looking the other way and actively covering up rather than admitting to and addressing the problem; abusive clergy did not get help, were not fired, and were thereby enabled to continue and spread their abuses; lives of parishioners were destroyed; dedicated, selfless, caring, and quality priests and nuns became tainted by association.
*Bob Woodward reports that in November 2006 CIA Director Hayden spoke to the Iraq Study Group. In reference to the Iraqi government he said, "the inability of the government to govern seems irreversible." President Bush and Gen. Patraeus admit that the military cannot solve Iraq’s problems. If the military cannot solve Iraq and if the Iraqi government cannot solve Iraq I have a gut feeling that Iraq is unsolvable
*The Prescriber I – President Bush on healthcare in America, “The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America," he said. "After all, you just go to an emergency room." Mr. Bush did not offer his insight for the 45,000,000 Americans who do not have health insurance.
President Bush also said he would oppose any attempt to federalize medicine because it would lead to less innovation. Barbara Ehrenreich at the Huffington Post notes that the only innovations by healthcare insurance companies that come to mind are the deductible, the co-pay, and the pre-existing condition.
*The Prescriber II - The White House said on Saturday that the President would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The current program will expire on September 30, 2007. Over the past year it insured 7.4 million people. Hopefully, the children loosing this coverage live near an emergency room.
*Your tax dollars at work? – The N.Y. Times reports that on July 11th two or three guards stole $282 million dollars (not Iraqi dinars) from the Es Salaam bank in Baghdad. It has not been reported who the money belonged to or who now holds these funds. It was felt that the robbers belonged to one of the militias because of the many checkpoints they would have to navigate in their escape. It is alarming to imagine the destructive devices such a sum could purchase.
*The concentration of wealth in the U.S. continues while globalization drains U.S. manufacturing and decent paying jobs from employment rolls. I am hopeful that Democratic candidates will address these issues in the coming months.
*Now I know why the U.S. invaded Iraq. It took over 4 years for the “truth” to be revealed. From a press conference on July 12th: ‘President Bush, defending his troop surge in Iraq, insisted that the insurgents attacking US troops in Iraq "are the same ones who attacked us on Sept. 11.’ (Please reference television jumping).
*No Fly Zone ~ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport –The Federal Aviation Administration has been accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth. With increasing frequency we learn of another federal agency that is in a holding pattern instead of performing its mandated responsibility.
*Affirmative action – Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin signed into law ethics legislation that includes the requirement that legislators get ethics training. 12 Steps for Politicians?
*Environmental responsibility – At the following website you can sign a pledge and learn about responsible actions for the environment: http://www.algore.com/dccc.
*Bloomberg business news reports that Exxon is the first publicly traded company to be worth over a half trillion dollars. A serious number that is equal to the cost of the Iraq war.
*Creativity in government –The FBI has a solution to its admitted problem of illegally collecting data about Americans. It will address the dilemma by having a private firm hold this information. I was under the impression that it was against the law to accept stolen property.
*Enough said – Last Thursday the NAACP held a forum on civil rights. The 8 Democratic candidates for President showed up. Only Tom Tancredo of the 9 invited Republican Presidential candidates appeared.
* Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General from 2002 until 2006 testified that his work was hampered by political appointees with an ideological, theological or political agenda who censored his speeches or kept him from speaking. In a similar vein NARAL Pro-Choice America has discovered that U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has altered its website: http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_preg.htm. In order to satisfy the anti-choice agenda of Bush and his social conservatives the site offers information that does not have a medical or psychological basis. For example, “abortions make women feel sad; resort to drugs and alcohol”.
*Bush The Historian - Seymour Hersh at New Yorker Magazine reports that Bush likes to compare himself to Winston Churchill. Sources close to the President have heard him “say things like, ‘It’ll be 20 years before they appreciate me. … Yes, I may be at 30 percent in the polls, but in 20 or 30 years, they’ll appreciate what I’ve done.’” Another perspective would be that it will take decades for the havoc that Bush has wrought to be undone.
*Sung to the tune of “Summertime and the Living is Easy” - Facing increasingly difficult negotiations and legislation that might bring a semblance of order and reduced violence to Iraq, the Iraqi parliament is taking the month of August off. No word yet on the vacation schedule for U.S. troops.
*Being married is much more difficult than running the federal government. Each time that the Bush administration is brought to task they seek safety behind “executive privilege”. When my wife asked me why I didn’t repair a clogged drain I said it was because of executive privilege. She proceeded to exercise her right to change the locks on the doors.
*A stain on the honor of our country – Amnesty International reports that after 5 years of Guantanamo prison there are approximately 385 prisoners, 1 has been convicted of a crime and zero have been released after a court proceeding. Many of these prisoners have been tortured. I do not want this to be the present or the future for America. If it is, the terrorists have won.
*Religious freedom is an American benchmark – On July 12th we saw an historic first for religion in America’s civic life. A Hindu was invited to be the guest chaplain for the Senate. As the ceremony began it was disrupted by 3 Christian right activists. I find it ironic that the invocation included “lead us from darkness to light”. At the age of 23 Ghandi said, “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow human beings”.
.
*Mature approach to terrorism - Sec. of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff tells us that, “Summer time seems to be appealing to them,” he said of al-Qaeda. “We do worry that they are rebuilding their activities… Chertoff said there are not enough indications of an imminent plot to raise the current threat levels nationwide. And he indicated that his remarks were based on "a gut feeling".
It is time for our leaders to act like adults. When this administration needs political cover for failed policies they trot out the “fear” factor. Recall that leading up to the presidential elections of 2004 each time that Bush slipped in the polls the Department of Homeland Security raised the color that indicated an increase in the threat level from terrorists. For the rest of our lives our nation will have to be alert to terrorist attacks. The threat does not ebb and flow. It is necessary that we always be on guard. An adjunct to this approach should be policies that do not spawn new terrorists.
*New Olympic sport – For each new Olympics a sport is usually added. I would like to suggest television jumping – an event in which I could earn a medal. Almost every time that I watch a Bush administration official offer testimony to a congressional investigative committee I want to jump into the TV to smack them on the side of the head. Maybe veracity would pop out.
*Support the Troops, a Republican shell game – Democratic Senator Jim Webb’s amendment would have required as much down time for U.S. troops serving in Iraq as time in deployment and that reservists and National Guardsmen be home for 3 years after serving one year on active duty. The amendment was killed by Republican opposition.
It is time to stop complaining that the Democrats in congress cannot get anything done. To pass almost any bill in the Senate 60 votes are required (67 votes to override a veto). With only 51 Democratic senators the Republicans have the ability to block most legislation. There is an answer to this problem but it will have to wait until the 2008 elections.
*There is a bill in the Senate that would restore habeas corpus to U.S. detainees. I am disappointed that three of the people I supported in their successful 2006 election to the Senate have not signed on as co-sponsors of this bill. I will be contacting Senators Casey, Tester and Webb this week to voice my concerns.
*Families of our troops are also over-extended – From the Sunday NY Times, “Experts cite three causes of eroding morale among military families: longer and multiple deployments, the continued chaos in Baghdad, and the growing death toll…”
*There have been so many criminal and sexual scandals committed by Republicans that GOP leaders fear that social conservatives will stay away from the ballot box in the 2008 presidential elections. From their lips…
*People who live in glass houses … - Last week the Pope stated that Catholicism was the only way. This week it is reported that since 1950 the U.S. Catholic church has paid out over $2,000.000.000 (yes, billions) to settle sexual abuse charges. Evidence has shown that the church hierarchy covered up these abuses. The problem is not limited to the United States. In any organization there will be individuals with problems. The “sins” of the Catholic Church included: looking the other way and actively covering up rather than admitting to and addressing the problem; abusive clergy did not get help, were not fired, and were thereby enabled to continue and spread their abuses; lives of parishioners were destroyed; dedicated, selfless, caring, and quality priests and nuns became tainted by association.
*Bob Woodward reports that in November 2006 CIA Director Hayden spoke to the Iraq Study Group. In reference to the Iraqi government he said, "the inability of the government to govern seems irreversible." President Bush and Gen. Patraeus admit that the military cannot solve Iraq’s problems. If the military cannot solve Iraq and if the Iraqi government cannot solve Iraq I have a gut feeling that Iraq is unsolvable
*The Prescriber I – President Bush on healthcare in America, “The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America," he said. "After all, you just go to an emergency room." Mr. Bush did not offer his insight for the 45,000,000 Americans who do not have health insurance.
President Bush also said he would oppose any attempt to federalize medicine because it would lead to less innovation. Barbara Ehrenreich at the Huffington Post notes that the only innovations by healthcare insurance companies that come to mind are the deductible, the co-pay, and the pre-existing condition.
*The Prescriber II - The White House said on Saturday that the President would veto a bipartisan plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, drafted over the last six months by senior members of the Senate Finance Committee. The current program will expire on September 30, 2007. Over the past year it insured 7.4 million people. Hopefully, the children loosing this coverage live near an emergency room.
*Your tax dollars at work? – The N.Y. Times reports that on July 11th two or three guards stole $282 million dollars (not Iraqi dinars) from the Es Salaam bank in Baghdad. It has not been reported who the money belonged to or who now holds these funds. It was felt that the robbers belonged to one of the militias because of the many checkpoints they would have to navigate in their escape. It is alarming to imagine the destructive devices such a sum could purchase.
*The concentration of wealth in the U.S. continues while globalization drains U.S. manufacturing and decent paying jobs from employment rolls. I am hopeful that Democratic candidates will address these issues in the coming months.
*Now I know why the U.S. invaded Iraq. It took over 4 years for the “truth” to be revealed. From a press conference on July 12th: ‘President Bush, defending his troop surge in Iraq, insisted that the insurgents attacking US troops in Iraq "are the same ones who attacked us on Sept. 11.’ (Please reference television jumping).
*No Fly Zone ~ Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport –The Federal Aviation Administration has been accused of covering up mistakes by air traffic controllers at Dallas-Fort Worth. With increasing frequency we learn of another federal agency that is in a holding pattern instead of performing its mandated responsibility.
*Affirmative action – Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin signed into law ethics legislation that includes the requirement that legislators get ethics training. 12 Steps for Politicians?
*Environmental responsibility – At the following website you can sign a pledge and learn about responsible actions for the environment: http://www.algore.com/dccc.
*Bloomberg business news reports that Exxon is the first publicly traded company to be worth over a half trillion dollars. A serious number that is equal to the cost of the Iraq war.
*Creativity in government –The FBI has a solution to its admitted problem of illegally collecting data about Americans. It will address the dilemma by having a private firm hold this information. I was under the impression that it was against the law to accept stolen property.
*Enough said – Last Thursday the NAACP held a forum on civil rights. The 8 Democratic candidates for President showed up. Only Tom Tancredo of the 9 invited Republican Presidential candidates appeared.
* Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General from 2002 until 2006 testified that his work was hampered by political appointees with an ideological, theological or political agenda who censored his speeches or kept him from speaking. In a similar vein NARAL Pro-Choice America has discovered that U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has altered its website: http://www.4parents.gov/sexrisky/teen_preg.htm. In order to satisfy the anti-choice agenda of Bush and his social conservatives the site offers information that does not have a medical or psychological basis. For example, “abortions make women feel sad; resort to drugs and alcohol”.
*Bush The Historian - Seymour Hersh at New Yorker Magazine reports that Bush likes to compare himself to Winston Churchill. Sources close to the President have heard him “say things like, ‘It’ll be 20 years before they appreciate me. … Yes, I may be at 30 percent in the polls, but in 20 or 30 years, they’ll appreciate what I’ve done.’” Another perspective would be that it will take decades for the havoc that Bush has wrought to be undone.
*Sung to the tune of “Summertime and the Living is Easy” - Facing increasingly difficult negotiations and legislation that might bring a semblance of order and reduced violence to Iraq, the Iraqi parliament is taking the month of August off. No word yet on the vacation schedule for U.S. troops.
*Being married is much more difficult than running the federal government. Each time that the Bush administration is brought to task they seek safety behind “executive privilege”. When my wife asked me why I didn’t repair a clogged drain I said it was because of executive privilege. She proceeded to exercise her right to change the locks on the doors.
*A stain on the honor of our country – Amnesty International reports that after 5 years of Guantanamo prison there are approximately 385 prisoners, 1 has been convicted of a crime and zero have been released after a court proceeding. Many of these prisoners have been tortured. I do not want this to be the present or the future for America. If it is, the terrorists have won.
*Religious freedom is an American benchmark – On July 12th we saw an historic first for religion in America’s civic life. A Hindu was invited to be the guest chaplain for the Senate. As the ceremony began it was disrupted by 3 Christian right activists. I find it ironic that the invocation included “lead us from darkness to light”. At the age of 23 Ghandi said, “It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honored by the humiliation of their fellow human beings”.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
