Instead of using individual blog posts to highlight stories of interest I've decided to use Twitter. Should be on the right...This is the follow me twitter link...
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Something you can do: Join Pittsburghers for Public Transit
Pittsburghers for Public Transit is holding a rally Saturday against proposed public transit cuts. This is an issue that the Greater Good Coalition certainly supports. Even if cuts are to be made the Democratic Party, let's face it probably the only hope that you'll have of retaining decent public transit, shouldn't make them. Draw a clear contrast between the parties. Or so I would think. Just speaking for myself as a private citizen who takes the bus a lot.
From the press release:
From the press release:
The Port Authority plans to institute an unnecessary and devastating 15 percent service cut on March 27th. Transit riders, workers, and all those concerned about the health of our city must show Port Authority's management and the politicians that run our county and state that we won't stand for this attack against our transit system. Wisconsin and Egypt have shown us the way to fight back!
WE DEMAND:
More transit, not less!
...
Stop the March 27th cuts!
Dedicated transit funding now!
No to privatization!
Port Authority's workers are the heartbeat of our city, not the problem! Defend their livelihoods!
Fund transit instead of bailouts, wars, and tax cuts for the ultra-rich!
Please forward as widely as possible! This issue effects every person living in Allegheny County! The cuts WILL put thousands more cars on the road, so even if you drive, your daily commute will become much longer!
Organized by Pittsburghers for Public Transit and ATU Local 85
www.pittsburgersforpublictransit.org
Questions? Want to help? Contact: SavePGHTransit@Gmail.com
Your Hellish Mexican Future: Half of the Cops Will Be on the Take
Let's get something straight here: We here at the Greater Good Coalition want to move toward Norway and France. The direction you're being taken, especially by this scary array of Republican governors, is the Mexican Narco State, also a country that doesn't have enough gainful employment and a lax attitude toward public education for all. That's just true.
Just to recall: here is the science fictional reality of Norway. Where the ax murderers get a better deal than the average American worker.
Now, here's where the average American or Pittsburgher is headed:
Related: You might remember the story about the very young (young and oh so naive) 20 year old girl who took over the job of police chief. Well, she's seeking asylum now. Who wanted to kill her besides the evil cartels who want to kill everyone? If the preceding Wikileaks story is true, then at least half of her staff. Here's her story, from the AP which enabled embedding:
Just to recall: here is the science fictional reality of Norway. Where the ax murderers get a better deal than the average American worker.
Now, here's where the average American or Pittsburgher is headed:
WikiLeaks: U.S. State Department estimates 50% of mexican police works for drug cartels
03/14/2011 InSight
A U.S. State Department cable, released by WikiLeaks, sheds light on the near-impossible crusade to clean up Mexico’s police force, compromised by powerful drug cartels. As the cable makes clear, despite an intense effort by Nuevo Leon state officials to root out corrupt cops, the results were decidedly mixed, with an estimated 50 percent of the police force still thought to be working for the cartels.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Something you can do: Sign the link against making "linking" a criminal act.
This story needs a much wider play. Ever been on the Internet and done something? Well, you're probably as guilty as this guy.
I'm going to read that complaint.
Go here to sign the petition.Breaking: Newly Obtained Homeland Security Documents Reveal Radical Shift In Internet Policy
FIGHT BACK: Internet user arrested for linking to other websites.
Brian McCarthy ran a website, channelsurfing.net, that linked to various sites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks. A couple months ago, the government seized his domain name and on Friday they arrested him and charged him with criminal copyright infringement -- punishable by five years in prison.
We just obtained a copy of the complaint (below) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made against him -- and they don't even allege that he made a copy of anything! Just that he ran what they call a "linking website" which linked to various sites with copyrighted material. Under that sort of thinking, everyone who's sent around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video is a criminal.
This is another shocking overreach by DHS and ICE -- a steamship-era department that's proving once again that it doesn't understand the Internet. We need to push back -- and fast -- before they try to lock up more Americans.
PETITION TO JANET NAPOLITANO, DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND JOHN MORTON, DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: There's nothing wrong or illegal about posting a link to a website. This is another shocking overreach by DHS and ICE: You need to drop the charges against Brian McCarthy right away.
Just sign on by filling out the form at right -- we'll deliver the petition to DHS and ICE later this month.
I'm going to read that complaint.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Nice art for the Wisconsin Uprising...
Nice art from the Wisconsin uprising. There's the talk of a general strike. Looks nice. What's the symbolism of the cat...? Wildcat strike?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tough love for the Greens Part 2: Why doesn't Labor support the Greens?
Second part of answering Hugh's question, posted here on Facebook. This is a public event so I assume he doesn't mind a public response.
Of course, labor could pretty much take over the Green Party, or run indirect yet competent campaigns through 527s like this one, modeled on America Coming Together. I seriously don't know why they don't do that...really, I don't.
Update: Well, one reason is that the Green Party isn't very effective, see tough love one.Labor doesn't support the greens because, well, you got me. I mean the Wisconsin 14 are fighting for labor. The President and Harry Reid not so much...I mean, they could easily fund house and senate campaigns at the amounts I just mentioned.... Why don't they? You got me. I mean, I hear they got rid of all the Marxists after the McCarthy scares and maybe that's why Labor doesn't have a brain. Labor should have its own press, its own party...doesn't have to contest every seat. Shoot for five senate seats, and 25 house seats. Support dems everywhere else where viable third party candidates can't be fielded. Everyone should thank Hugh for asking the question. Labor organizers are some of the most talented people I've ever met...
Of course, labor could pretty much take over the Green Party, or run indirect yet competent campaigns through 527s like this one, modeled on America Coming Together. I seriously don't know why they don't do that...really, I don't.
The tough love I gave to Hugh Giordano about the Green Party on Facebook...
Hugh Giordano ran a pretty aggressive campaign for a state house seat last November. He got creamed and came in third behind a republican which is why some people, Ted Rall among them, think that the Green Party isn't going to work. I disagree with Ted. I think the Green Party can win but they need to get real about their tactics and their goals. (For example: Hugh probably shouldn't contest that house seat again. The winning dem got 61 percent in a three way race. She seems popular...he should probably go the Cheri Honkala route and go for a smaller seat but one that has influence like the Philly Sheriff. Does Philly have elected district attorneys or controllers?)
Anyway, I gave Hugh some tough love:
Anyway, I gave Hugh some tough love:
I should point out that one reason I created the Greater Good Coalition is that if we could find those 300000 donors who can give 10 bucks a month, or a thousand people from Hollywood who can give 300 bucks a month, then we can indirectly support Hugh Giordano's run for Attorney General.Your hearts are in the right place. But you're not professionals. You couldn't organize your way out of the front door. You're not adults. You don't even have the courage to ask the public to compete in an election. You need to raise a quarter of a million in order to contest a US house seat, 2 million to have a decent shot at any senate seat even before Citizens United. Apparently, you need to raise more than 30000 grand to even win a state rep's seat. You need to ask for those amounts on your site and make the point that very seldom does a candidate win by spending less than those amounts...
You need to put 70 percent of your money into the canvass (paid, so that they go out every day...) and only 30 percent into ads (try ads on liberal blogs (Atrios in Philly) and Facebook. Television and radio ads shouldn't go out until late in the race....
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