virtual march Thur @3; food for thought --Buy Back Our Country; race matters

[Dave]

Yesterday’s Forum (Empire, Climate Disruption and Peak Oil) speaker made the points that “Politicians will not do this on their own.” and that corporations and special interests have too strong of a voice.  John said, “Nothing short of a movement will force the politicians to solve these problems.”

 

http://www.350.org/ has 3559 registered actions in 161 countries.  In addition to many international sponsors, 6 local organizations are sponsoring KC’s participation:

International Day of Climate Action

http://www.350kc.org/

Mill Creek Park on the Plaza

Thur, Oct. 24

2 pm Music, 3 pm Rally, 3:30 Group Photo

For more details, call John Kurmann @816-531-5516.

 

These photos will be sent to Congress, world leaders, Obama Administration… for this virtual march (which reduces the costs and carbon footprint of amassing that many people) to sustain awareness that 350 parts per billion should be the minimum safe limit of CO2 (we’re at 390 ppb).  A photo worth a 1000 words?  Your simple presence and photo will be priceless.

 

Please show up with a smile, and be counted.  Thanx.

Dave

 

 

Food for thought:

Maybe all donors and all grass roots groups should consider expecting a contract for politicians to sign that they will vote 100% of the time for universal healthcare and do their honorable part to usher in a new era of “Healthcare is a Civil Right.” 

 

Though I don’t know what sort of release form/terms they’d have to sign to relinquish their “right” to promise you one thing and do another when they get to Capitol Hill, but your right to honest political exchange, change, voice… should always trump there’s.  Something needs to be done to regain some sort of balance between the voice of voters and the STRONG voice of politicians wheeling-and-dealing with special interests and their future employers.  You didn’t send them to the capitols of our country for the obscenity of them setting themselves up for jobs/consultancies/lobby firms/law firm partnerships that are after-the-fact-payoffs. 

 

 

http://www.kansascity.com/276/v-print/story/1515806.html  Public has to demand a change in ethics    >>>  SUPPORT Jason Kander

http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1515411.html  how wealthy contributors influence legislative work

http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1513951.html  House for sale? A lot of money surrounds Rod Jetton's political consulting work

(KC Star articles usually are available for free for first week, sometimes they’re available thereafter for free, sometimes you they’re only available if you have subscription to their online Star or archives)

 

 

Maybe the contract can have a (punitive) clause that they will voluntarily agree to pay back quadruple for all donations of hours and dollars if they don’t honor their campaign rhetoric and public promises.  Since there is a 98+% incumbency rate, your efforts ($15-20/hr? times four) will then be more uphill (once they’re comfy as incumbents) to find some other person that will actually represent and work for you, and not the overwhelming voice and money of 60 lobbyists to 1 legislator (that’s just “lobbyists” and doesn’t include their army of staff, corporations, banks, advertising, “independent” non-profits, media, strategists, analysts, pay-off jobs/consultants/former legislators and legislative aides now on their payroll…).  It seems fair that politicians should have to pay “quadruple damages” for you to have to go out and support someone else who will actually work for you. 

 

Maybe we can buy back our country (since the dollar is a language they speak).

 

 

http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Health_Care_Lobbyists_Outnumber_Members_of_Congress_6_to_1_90815

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/

 

Lobbyists love spending your tax dollars

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/finance/credos-new-lobbyist-nation/  Lobbyists now run America, own America, rule America. Forget the 537 politicians you thought we elected to the White House, Senate and Congress to run America for us. No, they're mere puppets, pawns for the "Happy Conspiracy," an oligopoly, plutocracy, cabal, monopoly all-in-one -- a private club of America's richest few on Wall Street, in Washington and in Corporate America.

 

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/lobbying/

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06132008/campaignfinance.html

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/about/search_google.html?simplesearch.x=0&simplesearch.y=0&q=lobbyists  Land of Lobby was interesting read

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/21/AR2005062101632.html    http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/6/22/85858.shtml  syndicated article from years ago

 

For those interested in race issues and social justice work:

http://www.drphil.com/shows/  What No One Wants to Admit

How do you really feel about the black person who is standing next to you on the elevator? What really goes through your mind when you pass an Asian person in the grocery store? Dr. Phil tackles hidden racial biases, and he has help from a panel of experts: comedians Paul Mooney, Kate Rigg and Manny Maldonado, civil and family attorney Areva Martin, USC professor of sociology Amon Emeka and radio host Michael Graham. The group busts racial stereotypes at their core and addresses the subtle attacks many feel have been launched against President Obama. Don’t miss this no-holds barred discussion!  
-This Friday, this episode airs at 3 on ABC and is re-run at 10 on CW.

 

 

http://www.gamaliel.org/default.htm  org that trained/employed Obama as a community organizer

http://www.more2.org/?page_id=9   MORE2 is KC affiliate of Gamaliel Foundation (peeps that turn community organizing into an art form)