In this Truthout.org article, ( http://www.truthout.org/lessons-progressives-power-shift-youth/1303843838 ) Amy Dean explains how Young Progressives are taking the lead on clean energy, and helping to move even the President of the United States on this issue.
Could this be a way forward for Democrats disillusioned with an ebbing social compact and far too many Republican gains (read "middle-class losses") in Washington, DC?
I'm certainly interested in finding that answer out.
After watching what's been happening around the Midwest and in the Supreme Court of the United States the past year or so, I've had quite a feeling of the blues. I went to high school in Madison, Wisconsin, and it's hard for me to imagine that the most Progressive city I know could be hosting such a malignant cancer as Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled State legislature there. Even worse, yesterday's Supreme court decision in Washington basically eviscerating the right of consumers to join class-action lawsuits boggles my mind.
Fiscally, Socially, Morally, Technically, the Right has been sawing the legs out from under the structure of this country, making it less able to compete, less democratic, and destroying its greatest strength; the strongest middle class the world had ever seen.
We've lost the top-notch capacity to educate our children and young adults en-mass and pushed ourselves to a point where college is no longer affordable and primary education is highly at-risk to those without wealth.
We've let our infrastructure get old and decrepit, building up a massive "infrastructure deficit" that will haunt us for decades to come.
We've been week-kneed about advancing clean and sustainable energy sources that could create millions of jobs permanently here in the USA.
We've lost the freedom to move about the world in comfort and safety.
We've built a host of antagonists around the world with wars instead of teachers, volunteers, and builders.
We've left our poorest people to hang in the breeze, starving, cold, homeless, and sick.
We're on the verge of losing retirement and heath care security for the vast majority of older Americans, both now and in the foreseeable future.
We've lost our national ability to put humans in space, just before exploiting resources in space is about to become the way of the future.
There is still time to reverse this downward spiral of cutting our country to death. we need to move out of the phase of insane levels of military spending into a drastic increase in domestic spending on education, research, infrastructure, and energy renaissance.
I'm not saying abandon military defense, but bring it to within reason.
I'm saying be helpful to nations who we want as friends or business partners, rather than bullying.
Defend our rights here at home, and treat visitors as well as we treat our own people.
Rebuild our education system to suit the industries of the future, and make sure that young people get all the education they can handle at every level of income.
Rebuild or national industrial, space, energy, and transport capacity.
End the vast disparity of wealth accumulating in too few hands and plugging up the flow of capital through the economy. Too much money is in the hands of too few, and not flowing around the rest of the economy keeping it moving. Haven't you seen the vacant storefronts, the closing shops and restaurants, the foreclosures and vacant homes sitting unsold on the market for months? Every empty storefront means a small business that no longer exists and no longer employs anyone. Every empty house means another family gone broke. I haven't even gotten to the shuttered and rusting factories yet.
The first vote every one of us gets, the one that counts the most, the one that we can be certain counts, is where we spend our money. Are the dollars we're spending helping keep Americans employed or not? Are they supporting the goals we have for our future or not?
A lot of food for thought.
All the best,
Dan
US Flag
United We Stand!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
York PC 112: ROTD2BPC...
...or reason of the day to be a Precinct Committeeman: days like today. It was absolutely beautiful out, and I was out on my 10-speed pedaling around my precinct handing out business cards and meeting voters. If I didn't have to work later, I'd still be out there riding.
All the best,
Dan
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| Click on image to view full-size. |
All the best,
Dan
York PC 112: Precint Map Of York 112
All the best,
Dan
Thursday, April 28, 2011
York PC 112: Daily Herald Reports On Glenn Ellyn Restoral Of...
...economic renewal funding: http://m.dailyherald.com/dailyherald/db_32305/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=ZqTn1dI2&detailindex=2&pn=0&ps=5
I'd like to see what they have in mind. This could be good news.
All the best,
Dan
I'd like to see what they have in mind. This could be good news.
All the best,
Dan
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
York PC 112: You Didn't Expect Me To Let This One Pass...
...now, did you?
President Obama released his full long-form Hawaiian birth certificate to the public this morning.
Would you like some tea with that egg on your face, Mr. "The Donald"?
Go back to your circus. The rest of us have real jobs to do.
All the best,
Dan
President Obama released his full long-form Hawaiian birth certificate to the public this morning.
Would you like some tea with that egg on your face, Mr. "The Donald"?
Go back to your circus. The rest of us have real jobs to do.
All the best,
Dan
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Happy Easter!
I hope all of you are enjoying the pretty weather and time with family or friends. A beautiful day to slow it down, celebrate, and appreciate.
All the best,
Dan
All the best,
Dan
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
75 Continental: Sad State Of Oak Brook Bike Paths...
In the wake of $4.00 + per-gallon gas, an obesity epidemic, and insane 20-over-any-speed-limit maniac drivers, and with the need for destitute persons of extreme Southern origin to staff our restaurants and lawn services, you might think the area could use a real network of useable bike paths that are separated from the insaniacs on our streets.
And I'm sure that sentence ran on further than I rode yesterday on my bike.
Ride on, and all the best,
Dan
Thursday, April 21, 2011
York PC 112: FW- DuPage Democratic Club Meeting Tonight - Thursday, April 21st
From: YORKDEMS@aol.com
Sent: April 21, 2011 10:58 AM
To: YORKDEMS@aol.com
Subject: DuPage Democratic Club Meeting Tonight - Thursday, April 21st
Dear Club Members & Friends.
Just a reminder about our meeting tonight.
Our guest speakers tonight will be Linda Lewison and Maureen Headington from the Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) of Illinois. NEIS is a nuclear energy watchdog group dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of nuclear energy.
Our speakers will be speaking about what we can do - "PF" - Post Fukushima - to prevent nuclear catastrophes from happening here in Illinois, with its 14 nuclear reactors and 8,000 tons of nuclear waste.
As usual our meeting will be held at the Lombard Community Building, 433 E. St. Charles Road, Lombard.
I hope to see you this evening.
Bob Wagner
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
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