Global
There is a solution that most of us are not seriously considering but should be. We are all increasingly aware of the problem: a world that lacks peace, democracy, an equitable distribution of resources, and practices that can be sustained without risking the viability of human life.
We can shift blame to the powerful, but were we all willing to do a bit more, we would ourselves become the powerful. There are no excuses. We must look at ourselves and our neighbors and ask what it is about us that allows us to tolerate such injustice, cruelty, and destruction of resources needed by future generations.
There are habits of thought that prevent us from putting up a sufficient fight for life and decency, habits that can be dropped much more easily than we can create a democratic media or put some spine in the Democratic party or end the war on Iraq. In fact, if we drop these habits of thought, each of those tasks and many others will become much easier.
We can shift blame to the powerful, but were we all willing to do a bit more, we would ourselves become the powerful. There are no excuses. We must look at ourselves and our neighbors and ask what it is about us that allows us to tolerate such injustice, cruelty, and destruction of resources needed by future generations.
There are habits of thought that prevent us from putting up a sufficient fight for life and decency, habits that can be dropped much more easily than we can create a democratic media or put some spine in the Democratic party or end the war on Iraq. In fact, if we drop these habits of thought, each of those tasks and many others will become much easier.
The Ohio EPA and U.S. Army at Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant are seeking public comment on whether or not to clean up contaminated soils at an area known as the Winklepeck Burning Grounds. Obviously the proposed cleanup of the 200-acre site is necessary; the Army’s own studies verify that contaminant levels constitute a significant risk to human health. The real question is – is this enough?
You should know that proposed cleanup goals (the highest allowable contaminant concentration that can be left after soils are excavated) at Ravenna will not afford adequate protection of human health and the environment when compared to facilities elsewhere. This is due in part to the fact that Ravenna limits its evaluation of risk to soldiers to direct dermal contact with soils and fails to address other equally plausible routes of exposure such as inhalation of fugitive dust and emissions, incidental ingestion, and exposure through the human food chain (consumption of food crops, wild game, dairy products, fish, etc.).
Columbus, Ohio - The Strickland for Governor campaign today announced that Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland has won the unanimous support of the Cleveland AFL-CIO, Federation of Labor.
"The Cleveland AFL-CIO rarely makes early recommendations like this. But we feel that Ted Strickland is the best candidate to lead Ohio forward," said John Ryan, executive secretary of the Cleveland AFL-CIO. "That is no slight to other candidates who are thinking of entering, or who have put their name in, the race from our backyard in Cuyahoga County. But we feel Ted Strickland will best represent all of Ohio, especially around issues of jobs and education."
"I am very grateful to the Cleveland AFL-CIO for their decision to support my candidacy to be Ohio's next governor," said Strickland. "I look forward to working with the thousands of members of the Cleveland AFL-CIO and all Ohioans to put our state back on track."
"The Cleveland AFL-CIO rarely makes early recommendations like this. But we feel that Ted Strickland is the best candidate to lead Ohio forward," said John Ryan, executive secretary of the Cleveland AFL-CIO. "That is no slight to other candidates who are thinking of entering, or who have put their name in, the race from our backyard in Cuyahoga County. But we feel Ted Strickland will best represent all of Ohio, especially around issues of jobs and education."
"I am very grateful to the Cleveland AFL-CIO for their decision to support my candidacy to be Ohio's next governor," said Strickland. "I look forward to working with the thousands of members of the Cleveland AFL-CIO and all Ohioans to put our state back on track."
The Senate on Friday rejected attempts to reauthorize several provisions of the USA Patriot Act as infringing too much on Americans' privacy and liberty, dealing a huge defeat to the Bush administration and Republican leaders.
In a crucial vote early Friday, the bill's Senate supporters were not able to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a threatened filibuster by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and their allies. The final vote was 52-47.
The Libertarian Party played a crucial role in bringing together conservative and liberal opponents of the PATRIOT Act to form Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (http://www.checksbalances.org/index.php). The Patriots lobbied Congress intensively over the past year to allow the controversial provisions to expire on Dec 31 2005.
In a crucial vote early Friday, the bill's Senate supporters were not able to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a threatened filibuster by Sens. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and their allies. The final vote was 52-47.
The Libertarian Party played a crucial role in bringing together conservative and liberal opponents of the PATRIOT Act to form Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances (http://www.checksbalances.org/index.php). The Patriots lobbied Congress intensively over the past year to allow the controversial provisions to expire on Dec 31 2005.
In a new twist, Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell has distributed emails to his supporters using Libertarian candidate Bill Peirce's campaign theme, "Freedom to Prosper".
Peirce, an economist from Case Western University, unveiled his "Freedom to Prosper" plan during the initial announcement of his campaign for Ohio Governor this past summer.
The plan proposes to cut taxes across the board, eliminate Taft's increases, protect homeowners and business people from eminent domain abuse, and create real school choice for parents and teachers.
"I’m well aware of the linkage between low employment and high tax rates. There’s a growing consensus among many economists that economic freedom is closely linked to economic growth," notes Peirce. "The only way to get more rapid growth is to get more economic freedom."
Peirce, an economist from Case Western University, unveiled his "Freedom to Prosper" plan during the initial announcement of his campaign for Ohio Governor this past summer.
The plan proposes to cut taxes across the board, eliminate Taft's increases, protect homeowners and business people from eminent domain abuse, and create real school choice for parents and teachers.
"I’m well aware of the linkage between low employment and high tax rates. There’s a growing consensus among many economists that economic freedom is closely linked to economic growth," notes Peirce. "The only way to get more rapid growth is to get more economic freedom."
AUSTIN, Texas -- Uh-oh. Excuse me. I'm so sorry, but we are having a constitutional crisis. I know the timing couldn't be worse. Right in the middle of the wrapping paper, the gingerbread and the whole shebang, a tiny honest-to-goodness constitutional crisis.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country: Damn the inconvenience, full speed ahead. On his own, without consulting the Congress, the courts or the people, the president decided to use secret branches of government to spy on the American people. He is, of course, using 9-11 to justify his actions in this, as he does for everything else -- 9-11 happened so the Constitution does not apply, 9-11 happened so there is no separation of powers, 9-11 happened so 200 years of experience curbing the executive power of government is something we can now overlook.
That the president of the United States unconstitutionally usurped power is not in dispute. He and his attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, both claim he has the right to do so on account of he is the president.
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country: Damn the inconvenience, full speed ahead. On his own, without consulting the Congress, the courts or the people, the president decided to use secret branches of government to spy on the American people. He is, of course, using 9-11 to justify his actions in this, as he does for everything else -- 9-11 happened so the Constitution does not apply, 9-11 happened so there is no separation of powers, 9-11 happened so 200 years of experience curbing the executive power of government is something we can now overlook.
That the president of the United States unconstitutionally usurped power is not in dispute. He and his attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, both claim he has the right to do so on account of he is the president.
“If there was ever a time in history to impeach a President of the United States, it would be now. In my opinion, it is two years too late … Shouldn't war be an absolute last resort? We went to war because we were misled. And we should be angry because of the 2,000 American soldiers and the 200 armed coalition forces that have died. We should be livid because of the 15,000 American soldiers that have been horribly maimed and wounded. We should be disgusted because of the 30,000 innocent Iraqi civilians that have been killed and the 20,000 that are wounded after administration officials claimed that the US was going to liberate the Iraqi people. When does it stop? It stops with the indictment and impeachment of this corrupt, power-hungry, greedy group of incompetent leaders. How many more have to die before this happens?”
- Barbra Streisand
In its 5/22 editorial on absentee voting, the Dispatch declared that long lines were the biggest problem "in what turned out to be a clean election in this state."
Sonoma State University's "Project Censored" in its spring newsletter said for one to say the election was honest he would have to ignore the ease with which electronic totals can be changed without a trace; suppress the fact that Diebold, Sequoia and ES&S--the major manufacturers of touch screen voting machines and central tabulators--are owned and run by Bush Republicans, who have made no secret of their partisan intentions; deny the value of exit polls which were "mistaken" only in the swing states; and ignore the bald chicanery of the Bush supporters who ran the central polling station in Warren County, Oh., forcing out the press and poll monitors so they could count the vote in secret.
Sonoma State University's "Project Censored" in its spring newsletter said for one to say the election was honest he would have to ignore the ease with which electronic totals can be changed without a trace; suppress the fact that Diebold, Sequoia and ES&S--the major manufacturers of touch screen voting machines and central tabulators--are owned and run by Bush Republicans, who have made no secret of their partisan intentions; deny the value of exit polls which were "mistaken" only in the swing states; and ignore the bald chicanery of the Bush supporters who ran the central polling station in Warren County, Oh., forcing out the press and poll monitors so they could count the vote in secret.
The county famous for its ironic phrase: "Vote early, vote often" may have to look for a new tag line this year.
Cook County Clerk David Orr, who spoke to Palatine Township residents, is confident the security and uses of the county's new electronic voting machines will preserve the integrity of the election process.
"Cook County has the longest and most complicated ballots in the nation," Orr said. "Probably because we have all sorts of different units of government and retention of judges."
Two people living next door to each other might have different state representatives, live in different park districts, or have different school districts, Orr said, so there are multiple ballot styles -- as many as eight or nine in one precinct.
Orr said electronic vote machines would cut down the complexity of knowing which voter gets which ballot style.
Cook County Clerk David Orr, who spoke to Palatine Township residents, is confident the security and uses of the county's new electronic voting machines will preserve the integrity of the election process.
"Cook County has the longest and most complicated ballots in the nation," Orr said. "Probably because we have all sorts of different units of government and retention of judges."
Two people living next door to each other might have different state representatives, live in different park districts, or have different school districts, Orr said, so there are multiple ballot styles -- as many as eight or nine in one precinct.
Orr said electronic vote machines would cut down the complexity of knowing which voter gets which ballot style.