My neighbor about a mile down the road is struggling with the job of
building and fitting new cabinets in his kitchen. He tells me that
the house was built back in 1944, out of lumber cut and milled on
site. In other words, the house was built out of green lumber. 70
years and lots of shrinking and twisting, guarantee that there are no
square corners or straight walls. Yet, this old house is built
solidly enough that tearing it down or abandoning it to build a new
house can't be justified. So my neighbor measures, cuts, tries to
fit, and measures again. He's good enough at his trade that he'll
make it work...for a while.
But it brings to mind what we voters do every election. We busy
ourselves trying to fit new politicians into an old, twisted, off
centered House...and Senate.
But that's where the comparison ends. My neighbor has no other option
than to try to make the best out of a house that was not his
responsibility to begin with, but is now all he has to work with. In
other words, he has very little money.
Our government is another matter entirely. While we're were not
responsible for its creation, and we've had very little if anything to
do with its present twisted shape, we really can't afford to continue
to fit new people into the old, failing "house". Our survival as a
species depends on whether or not we have the good sense to tear down
the old structure and build from the ground up. Currently our house
is turning on itself. Rooms are attacking rooms, walls are being torn
down while others are being reinforced with solid rock. Much of the
foundation has become compromised and some is so crooked it's hard to
believe it can still hold up the roof.
Just voting in new faces is a futile effort. We must go back to the
drawing board and begin drawing up brand new blue prints.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/7/14, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@optonline.net> wrote:
> I especially had Ted in mind when I saw this article.
>
> Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
> 10 Bright Spots in the Election
> ________________________________________
> AlterNet [1] / By Steven Rosenfeld [2]
>
> 10 Bright Spots in the Election
>
>
> November 6, 2014 |
> While the political pendulum swung far to the right on Election Day, with
> Republicans winning a U.S. Senate majority, holding governorships and
> slowing the leftward tilt of states like Colorado and North Carolina, there
> were less-publicized victories for progressives-especially on ballot
> measures, where people voted on ideas and not on a candidate's ties to
> President Obama.
> If there is any silver lining to 2014's midterm elections, it is seen in
> these mostly local votes that reflect progressive values-even if those same
> voters sent rightwing lawmakers to Washington and back into governor's
> mansions. Without trying to explain that contradiction, let's look at a ten
> victories that suggest Americans haven't entirely abandoned a progressive
> agenda.
> 1. Minimum wage increases.The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25
> an hour for years-and it is third of that for tipped workers. But states
> can
> raise it, and some states allow its cities to do likewise. Four red states
> passed minimum wage increases, from $8.50 in Arkansas by 2017 (where its
> Democratic U.S. Senator lost his re-election), to $9.75 in Alaska by 2016.
> South Dakota and Nebraska also raised their minimum wage. Wisconsin voters
> (who re-elected their rightwing governor) also passed a non-binding measure
> calling for a $10 wage. At the city level, San Francisco passed a $15 wage
> by 2018, and nearby Oakland passed $12.50 by 2015. It is estimated that
> more
> than 600,000 workers will benefit from these increases.
> 2. Paid Sick Leave. The other big demand of low-wage workers, especially in
> fast food jobs, is paid sick leave. On this front, while Massachusetts'
> voters elected a Republican governor, they also passed a ballot measure
> guaranteeing paid sick leave to an estimated 1 million workers. In local
> voters in three cities, voters did likewise: Trenton, New Jersey;
> Montclair,
> New Jersey; and Oakland, California, where the vote expands a state paid
> sick leave law. The third state that has paid sick leave is Connecticut, as
> do New York City and Portland, Oregon.
> 3. Abortion rights upheld. Here again, voters in two states that sent
> right-wingers to the Senate strongly rejected so-called personhood measures
> that would have granted legal rights to fertilized eggs. Colorado voter for
> the third federal election in a row to reject "personhood," as did nearly
> two-thirds of North Dakota voters. Three years ago, Mississippi also
> rejected personhood. But Tennessee voters added amended [3] their state
> constitution to explicitly say that it does not protect abortion rights,
> which does not change current law but could be used to enact future
> restrictions..
> 4. Gun control expanded. Every so often the National Rifle Association
> loses
> a big gun control fight and that's exactly what happened in Washington
> where
> 60 percent of voters passed a ballot measure extending background checks to
> all gun sales and transfers. It contained exceptions for transfers between
> family members and temporary loans for sporting or self-defense purposes.
> The state has seen some ferocious gun-control fights, such as 1994 election
> where then-House Speaker Tom Foley lost his seat after being attacked him
> for passing two gun laws. Meanwhile, in Colorado and Connecticut two
> Democratic governors who had passed gun control laws after the Sandy Hook
> Elementary School mass shooting were re-elected.
> 5. Prison sentencing reform. In 2012, California voters repealed a portion
> of its notorious "three strikes" law, which sent anyone to prison for life
> if they committed three felonies-by making that apply only to violent
> crimes. On Tuesday, Californians voted to shorten the prison sentences of
> people convicted in non-violent crimes by reclassifying them from felonies
> to misdemeanors. The state has a longstanding prison-overcrowding crisis,
> and the vote is expected to reduce jail time for an estimated 10,000
> people.
> In New Jersey, voters approved a ballot measure that reforms bail laws that
> kept people behind bars while awaiting court action, including for drug
> violations.
> 6. Legalizing marijuana use. The west coast is now firmly in the pro-pot
> camp, with Oregon and Alaska becoming the third and fourth states to
> legalize recreational marijuana use (after Colorado and Washington).
> California allows anyone with a medical card to buy pot and pot products at
> a dispensary. In Guam, the U.S. territory in the Pacific, voters also
> approved medical marijuana. In Washington, D.C., voters approved a ballot
> measure allowing people to grow pot and possess a small amount, but
> Republicans in Congress-which can veto district laws-have said they would
> override that vote. In Florida, a medical marijuana ballot measure fell
> just
> short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass. In New Mexico, voters in
> Albuquerque and Santa Fe also approved measures decriminalizing possession
> of small amounts of marijuana for their counties.
> 7. Richmond, California rejects Chevron. This small city on San Francisco
> Bay has been home to a large Chevron oil refinery for decades. The giant
> corporation has long had a testy relationship with residents and city
> government, as it is both its biggest taxpayer and biggest public health
> threat from emissions, fires and accidents. In recent years, Green Party
> candidates and other progressives dominated city government. In 2014,
> Chevron spent $3 million to elect a slate of candidates to the City Council
> and mayor's office-and every one of them lost to progressives.
> 8. Berkeley, California passes soda tax. This was another big-dollar fight
> where the beverage industry spent $2 million but could not defeat a
> one-cent
> per ounce tax on sugary drinks. However in San Francisco, a similar soda
> tax
> lost because it did not hit the two-thirds approval threshold.
> 9. Locals pass anti-corruption measures. Even though the 2014 midterm
> elections set record spending levels-including by funders who hid their
> identities by using non-profit front groups- some pro-democracy reforms
> passed. Arkansas banned lobbyists' gifts, and direct corporate and union
> contributions to candidates. Montana voters upheld Election Day voter
> registration. In Florida's capital, Tallahassee, voters limited campaign
> contributions, adopted a new system of public financing for candidates
> based
> on taxpayer vouchers, and adopted an ethics code.
> 10. Maui bans GMO Farming. A ballot initiative in Hawaii's Maui County
> ballot to temporarily ban genetically engineered crops narrowly passed
> after
> all the votes were counted. The fight was one of the most heavily financed
> political campaigns in state history, with agri-business giants spending
> $7.9 million, nearly 90 times what opponents spent. The law bans growing
> genetically engineered crops until the county analyzes their impact on the
> county's public health and environment.
>
> [4]
>
> See more stories tagged with:
> 2014 election [5]
> ________________________________________
> Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/election-2014/10-bright-spots-election
> Links:
> [1] http://alternet.org
> [2] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
> [3]
> http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/01/myths-vs-facts-need
> -know-amendment/18282287/
> [4] mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=Typo on 10 Bright Spots in the
> Election
> [5] http://www.alternet.org/tags/2014-election
> [6] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
>
> Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
> Home > 10 Bright Spots in the Election
>
> AlterNet [1] / By Steven Rosenfeld [2]
>
> 10 Bright Spots in the Election
> November 6, 2014 |
> While the political pendulum swung far to the right on Election Day, with
> Republicans winning a U.S. Senate majority, holding governorships and
> slowing the leftward tilt of states like Colorado and North Carolina, there
> were less-publicized victories for progressives-especially on ballot
> measures, where people voted on ideas and not on a candidate's ties to
> President Obama.
> If there is any silver lining to 2014's midterm elections, it is seen in
> these mostly local votes that reflect progressive values-even if those same
> voters sent rightwing lawmakers to Washington and back into governor's
> mansions. Without trying to explain that contradiction, let's look at a ten
> victories that suggest Americans haven't entirely abandoned a progressive
> agenda.
> 1. Minimum wage increases.The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25
> an hour for years-and it is third of that for tipped workers. But states
> can
> raise it, and some states allow its cities to do likewise. Four red states
> passed minimum wage increases, from $8.50 in Arkansas by 2017 (where its
> Democratic U.S. Senator lost his re-election), to $9.75 in Alaska by 2016.
> South Dakota and Nebraska also raised their minimum wage. Wisconsin voters
> (who re-elected their rightwing governor) also passed a non-binding measure
> calling for a $10 wage. At the city level, San Francisco passed a $15 wage
> by 2018, and nearby Oakland passed $12.50 by 2015. It is estimated that
> more
> than 600,000 workers will benefit from these increases.
> 2. Paid Sick Leave. The other big demand of low-wage workers, especially in
> fast food jobs, is paid sick leave. On this front, while Massachusetts'
> voters elected a Republican governor, they also passed a ballot measure
> guaranteeing paid sick leave to an estimated 1 million workers. In local
> voters in three cities, voters did likewise: Trenton, New Jersey;
> Montclair,
> New Jersey; and Oakland, California, where the vote expands a state paid
> sick leave law. The third state that has paid sick leave is Connecticut, as
> do New York City and Portland, Oregon.
> 3. Abortion rights upheld. Here again, voters in two states that sent
> right-wingers to the Senate strongly rejected so-called personhood measures
> that would have granted legal rights to fertilized eggs. Colorado voter for
> the third federal election in a row to reject "personhood," as did nearly
> two-thirds of North Dakota voters. Three years ago, Mississippi also
> rejected personhood. But Tennessee voters added amended [3] their state
> constitution to explicitly say that it does not protect abortion rights,
> which does not change current law but could be used to enact future
> restrictions..
> 4. Gun control expanded. Every so often the National Rifle Association
> loses
> a big gun control fight and that's exactly what happened in Washington
> where
> 60 percent of voters passed a ballot measure extending background checks to
> all gun sales and transfers. It contained exceptions for transfers between
> family members and temporary loans for sporting or self-defense purposes.
> The state has seen some ferocious gun-control fights, such as 1994 election
> where then-House Speaker Tom Foley lost his seat after being attacked him
> for passing two gun laws. Meanwhile, in Colorado and Connecticut two
> Democratic governors who had passed gun control laws after the Sandy Hook
> Elementary School mass shooting were re-elected.
> 5. Prison sentencing reform. In 2012, California voters repealed a portion
> of its notorious "three strikes" law, which sent anyone to prison for life
> if they committed three felonies-by making that apply only to violent
> crimes. On Tuesday, Californians voted to shorten the prison sentences of
> people convicted in non-violent crimes by reclassifying them from felonies
> to misdemeanors. The state has a longstanding prison-overcrowding crisis,
> and the vote is expected to reduce jail time for an estimated 10,000
> people.
> In New Jersey, voters approved a ballot measure that reforms bail laws that
> kept people behind bars while awaiting court action, including for drug
> violations.
> 6. Legalizing marijuana use. The west coast is now firmly in the pro-pot
> camp, with Oregon and Alaska becoming the third and fourth states to
> legalize recreational marijuana use (after Colorado and Washington).
> California allows anyone with a medical card to buy pot and pot products at
> a dispensary. In Guam, the U.S. territory in the Pacific, voters also
> approved medical marijuana. In Washington, D.C., voters approved a ballot
> measure allowing people to grow pot and possess a small amount, but
> Republicans in Congress-which can veto district laws-have said they would
> override that vote. In Florida, a medical marijuana ballot measure fell
> just
> short of the 60 percent threshold needed to pass. In New Mexico, voters in
> Albuquerque and Santa Fe also approved measures decriminalizing possession
> of small amounts of marijuana for their counties.
> 7. Richmond, California rejects Chevron. This small city on San Francisco
> Bay has been home to a large Chevron oil refinery for decades. The giant
> corporation has long had a testy relationship with residents and city
> government, as it is both its biggest taxpayer and biggest public health
> threat from emissions, fires and accidents. In recent years, Green Party
> candidates and other progressives dominated city government. In 2014,
> Chevron spent $3 million to elect a slate of candidates to the City Council
> and mayor's office-and every one of them lost to progressives.
> 8. Berkeley, California passes soda tax. This was another big-dollar fight
> where the beverage industry spent $2 million but could not defeat a
> one-cent
> per ounce tax on sugary drinks. However in San Francisco, a similar soda
> tax
> lost because it did not hit the two-thirds approval threshold.
> 9. Locals pass anti-corruption measures. Even though the 2014 midterm
> elections set record spending levels-including by funders who hid their
> identities by using non-profit front groups- some pro-democracy reforms
> passed. Arkansas banned lobbyists' gifts, and direct corporate and union
> contributions to candidates. Montana voters upheld Election Day voter
> registration. In Florida's capital, Tallahassee, voters limited campaign
> contributions, adopted a new system of public financing for candidates
> based
> on taxpayer vouchers, and adopted an ethics code.
> 10. Maui bans GMO Farming. A ballot initiative in Hawaii's Maui County
> ballot to temporarily ban genetically engineered crops narrowly passed
> after
> all the votes were counted. The fight was one of the most heavily financed
> political campaigns in state history, with agri-business giants spending
> $7.9 million, nearly 90 times what opponents spent. The law bans growing
> genetically engineered crops until the county analyzes their impact on the
> county's public health and environment.
> mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=Typo on 10 Bright Spots in the
> Election mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=Typo on 10 Bright Spots in
> the Election[4]
> See more stories tagged with:
> 2014 election [5]
>
> Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/election-2014/10-bright-spots-election
> Links:
> [1] http://alternet.org
> [2] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
> [3]
> http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/11/01/myths-vs-facts-need
> -know-amendment/18282287/
> [4] mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=Typo on 10 Bright Spots in the
> Election
> [5] http://www.alternet.org/tags/2014-election
> [6] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
>
> _______________________________________________
> Blind-Democracy mailing list
> Blind-Democracy@octothorp.org
> https://www.octothorp.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-democracy
>
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