How to Maintain Focus

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Jan 3, 2009 8:47 AM EST

Linked to groups: dfaROCHESTER

SUV sales are back up again.  Gas prices are the lowest they've been in 5 years.  It is time to forget about costly off shore oil exploration.  It is time to forget about conservation and alternative fuel.  It is time to go back to our old ways--you know, the routine that caused global warming and is slowing destroying our planet. 

It's weird, with the economy as bad as it is, few are noticing our quick and very direct economic stimulus package that everyone in America has already been receiving.  That stimulus comes in the form of cheap gasoline.  So, while we can temporarily reap the benefits of saving on the cost of fuel, don't we have to wonder at what price this comes to us. 

That large trucks and SUVs will outsell cars in December 2008 tells me the average American has not learned a very hard lesson.  That GM seems to only advertise Hummers and other large gas guzzlers tells me our failing auto industry still has not learned their lesson, which was about 40 years in the making. 

With the bailout of the auto industry, one of my hopes was to require gas mileage estimates in all car advertisements.  And I'm not talking about burying the numbers in the fine print next to the lease information.  I would love to see one inch tall numbers in the upper right of all print and TV ads proclaiming the gas mileage estimates.  It could be quite a learning experience. 

I recently went on a blind date with a man quite a bit younger than me.  I met him at a coffee shop.  I arrived early and watched him pull up and park.  When he came in he asked if I liked his new Jeep.  I explained that the environmentalist in me would not allow to say that I liked it.  He then told me that his new Jeep got 96 miles per gallon according to the salesman.  It didn't matter how attractive this guy was...the date was over at that point.  When I tried to explain that his Jeep did not get 96 miles per gallon, I quickly realized that this young man had no concept whatsoever about what miles per gallon meant. 

It scares me to know that our schools have failed.  It scares me to know that all the information about global warming is failing to connect with young people.  It scares me to know that people are more connected to their wallets than the air, water and living organisms around them. 

I believe the time has come to artifically maintain high gas prices with a variable Federal gas tax.  It may be the only way to drive home the lesson that still hasn't been learned.

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DFA's home for a free form, open-ended discussion of what matters most to committed progressive activists.

Buying American-made Toys

Written by: Stephen Crockett on Dec 28, 2008 2:18 AM EST

Linked to groups: Democracy for Maryland, DEMOCRACY for Baltimore, Democracy for Cecil, PA for Democracy, Philly for Change, Democracy for Tennessee, DFA New Jersey, Progressive Democrats For Delaware, Democracy for Pittsburgh, Progressive Democracy South Jersey, Lower Bucks for Democracy, Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup, Middlesex County DFA, Birmingham DFA / PDA, Alabama For Democracy-Montgomery, Mobile DFA, Salisbury DFA, Democracy for Montgomery County, Prince George's - Democracy for America, Democracy for Howard County, DFA Anne Arundel, Roosevelt Democratic Club, DFA/Greater Bowie DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRACY for America in Frederick, Democracy for Carroll County, Ocean County DFA/PDA, Bergen Grassroots, Essex County, NJ, DFA, Hudson DFA, Morris County DFA, Union County for Democracy, Hoboken Progressives, Hunterdon DFA, Somerset for Democracy, Passaic County DFA, Jersey Shore DFA, Atlantic County DFA, DFA Radio, Montco DFA, Democracy for Chester County, Northeast Philadelphia for Democracy, Lehigh/Northampton Progressive Alliance, Democracy for Lancaster, Capital Area DFA (Harrisburg PA), Democracy for Lititz, Berks for Change

I did not buy any toys for the many children in my life this year. Admittedly, money was very tight after the economy collapsed from eight years of Republican mismanagement. However, the main reason I did the scrooge thing this Christmas is that I simply refused to buy Chinese made toys for the American children I love so dearly.

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Obama's Team says it's our turn to lead

Written by: Susan Rowe on Dec 16, 2008 3:35 PM EST

Linked to groups: DFA-CFD of Fresno & Madera Counties, Democratic Club of Coarsegold, DFA-Link Organizers, DFA Blog Network, California for Democracy, Take Back Red California, DFA of Chowchilla, DFA-CFD of Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties , Blog For America, Sacramento For Democracy, DFA of Stanislaus County, Health Care for America Organizers, blog for America Test and Poll Group, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , Southern California for Democracy, San Diego for Democracy, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Sierra Foothills Democratic Club, Redlands DFA, Plumas County Democratic Club, Netroots Activism!

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Obama's Team wants to hear our ideas about healthcare!

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Those six southern GOP Senators are Traitors

Written by: Kenneth C on Dec 12, 2008 12:23 PM EST

    I am really very upset about the reasons behind those southern GOP senators to block the Big 3 Rescue Bill. For crying out loud, we are only talking about $14B to help the Big 3 over the hump. The same senators did not argue strongly when they debated about the financial sector's $700B bailout bill. They did not say that the workers in the financial sector are getting way overpaid so that one of the conditions to get the bill by them was to reduce the average salary of those Wall Street fat cats (The only relevant condition then was to make sure there was no golden parachute for the executives.)

     Those senators, who represent the states where the foreign car makers set up large factories with the promise of huge tax incentives (in other words, financial help from average tax payers in those states), want to make a statement about the UAW members' pay scale. Or put it more bluntly, they are continuing their (or GOP's) effort to bust the unions. They want to put those conditions in the bill to vastly reduce the ability for the UAW to maintain a decent wage scale for their members to make a living. Some analysts say that their claim that UAW workers are significantly overpaid compared with the southern workers who work for those foreign car makers (none of them are union shops) is simply not true. In fact, many of those workers are getting paid higher than the UAW members.

     In order to bust the unions, they are willing to let the Big 3 die. They are in fact helping the foreign car makers taking over the automobile industry dominance - at the expense of our own automobile industry. They don't give a damn that three million more American workers will join the unemployment lines and thus resulting in a much deeper depression if the Big 3 do fall.

     If that is not traitor behavior, I don't know what is.

     I think we should all write to Ron Gittelfinger to show our support and give him encouragement. I think he is doing a superb job in representing the union's position. He has made sufficient concessions in the negotiation to help enhance the chances of passing of the Big 3 Rescue Bill.

     At the same time, we should start a movement to dethrone those senators (Corker of Tennessee, Shelby of Alabama, DeMint and Graham of South Carolina, David Vitter of Louisiana, and our miserable Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky). The DNC should target them when any of these traitors is up for reelection.

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GOP Copy Cats

Written by: Dave Santucci on Dec 10, 2008 9:09 AM EST

Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzi, a candidate for RNC Chair said that the GOP would be following Gov. Howard Dean's lead, and would like to institute a 50-state strategy of their own as reported by The Huffington Post.

"There is a perception that we are a regional party and that we are a party from the South because that's the region we're consistently winning today," Anuzis told Politico. "I do think we need to have our version of the 50-state program that [Democratic National Committee Chair Howard] Dean had."

There have been several critics of Gov. Dean's 50 State Strategy within the Democratic Party, but he has won them over after two straight Congressional Cycle wins, plus winning the Presidency. Now he has won over GOP critics. 

But the sticking point, as one DNC staffer argues, is ideology. Putting together institutions to make gains in non-Republican regions only will help if the party has a political message that can resonate among non-conservatives.

"By relying on wedge issues to win, they've used issues to divide people and worked to appeal to an increasingly smaller group of people," said the aide. "Dean's point has not just been that we need to show up in all 50-states but also that as a party we need to ask people for their votes, listen to what they have to say and be willing to work to solve issues in areas where we have common ground, even if we don't agree with everything."

So we have Taken Back Our Country and now we are taking back the GOP?  Then again, immitation is the dearest form of flattery.

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager 

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Moving Forward

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Dec 7, 2008 8:37 AM EST

Linked to groups: dfaROCHESTER

Last evening a longtime member of dfaROCHESTER hosted our 2008 Victory/Holiday Party in her family's new home.  There was happy progressives, DFA members we haven't seen in a while and wonderful cookies iced with the Obama campaign logo.  It was a fun, relaxing, happy event...something we have not experienced since the time the Dean campaign was in full swing. 

And while everyone was happy and smiling and not giving any thought to what we will be doing next, I have been working in the background, quietly putting together new and exciting plans for 2009.  Because these plans are still in the works and still being hammered out, I won't get into specifics.  However, I will mention that once again, inspiration for what we will be doing in 2009 comes directly from Howard Dean. 

Here in Rochester, we are building coalitions in our efforts to take Dean's 50 State Strategy and apply it at the county level.  With some interesting collaborations, we hope to erase the political status quo in our county.  dfaROCHESTER's part in the plan is called "More Choices, Better Elections".  The longterm goal is to have no unchalleged races at the county level. 

So, we are moving into 2009 with hope and a plan to change politics in our county...and we will do it.  YES WE CAN!

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The Big Three Bailout

Written by: Dave Santucci on Dec 3, 2008 4:19 PM EST

The Detroit Big Three are back in Washington, this time ditching the private jets, for hybrid cars. The have also incresed their bailout to $34 billon. On The Politico today:

In a series of grim reports, General Motors Corp. and privately-held Chrysler LLC told lawmakers they will be in serious peril by the end of this month and certainly the first quarter of 2009. Given GM’s size, its failure could pull down Ford Motor Co. despite its better cash position. 

Last time, Congress told them to come back with better plans. They have come up with plans, but they have also increased the amount to $34 billion. This time they are promising more efficient cars and slimming down their lines. The problem is they might cut jobs.

A brighter landscape is promised together with a commitment to move toward the production of energy efficient, hybrid electrical cars. But the immediate future is bleak for the 3 million workers impacted, and Michigan Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said both the White House and President-elect Barack Obama must “weigh in heavily” to address the crisis. 

Do the big three deserve a bailout? What do you think?

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager

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Still Waiting

Written by: Dave Santucci on Dec 1, 2008 4:49 PM EST

It has been almost a month since Barack Obama won. And yet we still do not know the outcome of two Senate seats, Al Franken in MN and Jim Martin in GA. 

Today on The Huffington Post:

The Minnesota Senate recount is getting incredibly tight. According to officials from the Al Franken campaign, the margin separating the Democratic challenger and Sen. Norm Coleman is now down to 73 votes out of approximately 2.9 million cast.

...

Even with the narrowing margin, there may not be enough room for Franken to take a lead. That's because, as the Franken camp has argued, the state has declined to publicize rejected absentee ballots. Elias, while claiming that the majority of these 12,000 ballots were rightly thrown out, estimated that "as many as 1,000," could end up being legitimate votes that were wrongfully uncounted.

Meanwhile Jim Martin's run off election is tomorrow against GOP incumbent, Saxby Chambliss....Let's see how it goes. 

Fingers are crossed.

Dave Santucci
Operations Manager 

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Death at Wal-Mart--True Meaning of the Holidays

Written by: Thomas Janowski on Nov 29, 2008 8:00 AM EST

Linked to groups: dfaROCHESTER

First I offered my idealistic vision of the true meaning of the holiday season.  But now, like an election, the people have spoken.  The actual true meaning of the holiday season is bargain shopping--take no prisoners shopping...shopping at any cost. 

Now we have death at Wal-Mart and most people want to blame Wal-Mart.  Those security tapes need to be reviewed.  Every single person who pushed, then stepped over and stepped on the man who died needs to be charged with anything from simple assault to manslaughter.  I think it is called depraved indifference.  I'm sure those who were part of that mob crush feel they have been punished enough already--the store closed immediately and was closed for 8 hours.  I'm sure that seemed like death row for all those bargain hunters. 

As Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.  People can debate the elements of what happened, but now the spotlight is shining right into the eyes of the general public.  Many will wonder what came first--Wal-Mart's drive to sell the cheapest foreign made products or the public's demand for cheap Christmas gifts.  I refuse to put any blame on Wal-Mart.  This is all about the public behaving like animals.  This is all about the lack of respect and concern for our fellow citizens.  This is all about the fact that we create our own disasters because for some odd reason, we don't know any better. 

Are we going to blame the poor economy and say people were only looking for some bargain prices so their families could have a nice Christmas?  Are we going to point the finger at the other person who pushed a bit harder than the rest?  Once the man was down, didn't anyone notice?  Did anyone stop to see how he was?  Did anyone want to help him? 

So now I add Christmas shopping to my list.  The list of things that brings out the absolute worst in people. 

1. Religion

2. Christmas shopping.

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My better nature coming through

Written by: Jack Bucci on Nov 26, 2008 10:21 AM EST

I won't waste any time bashing the Bush administration, as it's been done by finer minds than mine, and to be honest, harping on his legacy of mismanagement at this point is like shooting fish in a barrel.  I would like however to put my best foot (and reconciliatory) attitude forward, and throw out some thoughts on where we go from here.

While I celebrated the Dems and Obama's victory along with the rest of you,  I was apprehensive at the thought of the monumental challenges the party in power would inherit.  Should the ousted party engage in their traditional obstructionist tactics,  our historic win might be thwarted.  I envisioned President Obama's white house looking more like a war-zone bunker than Camelot.

I have to admit that my initial reaction may have been premature.  Seeing how quickly a new cabinet and financial team was put together, and watching President-Elect Obama taking charge already, is a confidence builder for the entire nation, Republican and Dems alike.  He is not content at leaving a lame duck administration to fiddle recklessly while the country slips deeper into the multitude crisis that are affecting millions of Americans.  Never before has the 60 days proceeding a presidency been more important than the first 100 days after inauguration.  While it's true that we only have one President at a time,  having an ineffective one in a time of crisis, puts Mr.Bush in the negative catagory.

While there were many historic aspects of this election, maybe the most relevent may be the fact that despite the barrage of negative ads and misleading commentary leveled against Obama and the rest of the Dems, the vast majority of the country wasn't buying it.  It is obvious that folks are just fed up with the partison and hateful nonsense that has plagued our politics for too long.  This revelation leaves an opening for a leader of Obama's stature to bring together an America that is not just ready for change, they're starving for it.

While more and more missteps, miscues, mismanagement, and dowright illegal acts from the Bush years are revealed to the American public in the coming months,  it will be difficult to hold back the outrage and the urge to be vindictive.  In the interest of moving forward and truly enacting the type of change that is needed to heal this country, it will be necessary that we keep our focus on fixing the mess rather than strictly assigning blame.   I'm not advocating a forgive and forget policy though.  Accountability is needed in order that our Constitution never again becomes a doormat to be trampled on by future administrations.

While the challenges that face us as Americans are great, so is the spirit which our country has faced past difficulties.  I have confidence that we now truly had a leader that can accomplish great things, and that we have now reached a turning point in our politics that will lead us to a brighter future.

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