September 29, 2005

It can not be good news for a country when we hear that the leader of the Senate, Tom DeLay of Texas is indicted for criminal conspiracy in campaign fund raising.

It is not good news for America when the White House official in charge setting purchasing policy for the entire government, David Safavian, is indicted for corruption and blocking a criminal investigation.

It is certainly not good news for the world to hear that more than 30% of the Arctic ice caps have melted in the past 10 years.

But if these news stories of the last several weeks are an indication that the national press corps and Americans in general are emerging from a painfully long hibernation THAT is a good sign.

If you are concerned that American citizens are not getting the true story of what is happening here and abroad-

If you are concerned about the direction that the country has taken in the last five years under the Bush administration -

Come to the next South Haven Area Democratic Club and meet people who share your concerns. You do not have to be a member of the Democratic Party to attend.

Together we can create the change we long to see in the world!

Next meeting Tuesday October 25 at 7:00 PM at the Warren Senior Center on Williams Street in South Haven.

Posted by Julie at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2005

Joke

Question: What is George Bush's position on Roe versus Wade?

Answer: He doesn't really care HOW people get out of New Orleans.

Posted by Elaine at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2005

Next meeting: South Haven Area Democratic Club

September 27- Tuesday-7:00 PM Warren Senior Center.
Mark your calendars for the first fall meeting of the South Haven Area Democratic Club. We will be electing officers, discussing working closely with the Van Buren County and State Organizations to elect Democrats and determining which actions will be our primary efforts over the next year. All members and supporters invited!

Posted by Julie at 10:35 PM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2005

Where's the airplane..inquiring minds want to know.....

Where Is The Airplane...That Crashed into Pentagon...? VERY HEAVY!!
Don't miss this. Really...where are the airplane parts?
Go on this website and watch this film...do it quickly as it has been pulled off several websites already - and YOU'LL SEE WHY!

http://www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php#Main

Posted by Elaine at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2005

Who Do You Want to Represent You in City Government

South Haven is Facing Many Challenges
Who Do You Want Your Decision Makers to Be?

Meet the Candidates for South Haven City Council

Tuesday, June 28

7:00 PM

Lake Michigan College
South Haven

South Haven voters are invited to meet the candidates for City Council and Mayor.
Candidates will introduce themselves to voters and answer questions
about their campaign platform and their visions and goals for South Haven.

Sponsored by the South Haven Area Democratic Club

Posted by Julie at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2005

What does it take to be heard?

This is a letter to the Editor published in the Sunday Herald-Palladium. It voices the frustration that many of us feel over our inability to have any impact on the decision making process in the City.

Editor,

Well, the meeting is over, the vote is in, and height restrictions were waived for the 815 E. Wells project in South Haven. I feel I must make a comment regarding the petitions opposing the height and density of this project that were signed by approximately 600 people. Here is exactly what was atop each page of the petition:
"We, the undersigned citizens of South Haven, are concerned about the drastic increase in the building height and density being considered for the Schlack Condominium Development on the Black River and the former Bohn Building on Huron and Kalamazoo Street.

"We believe that the Planning Commission and City Council should not grant waivers or variances of height and density on such a large scale. Changes to the essential character of the city should not be made without careful study, citizen input, and, if appropriate, amendments to the zoning ordinance."

All commission members were given a copy of the signed petition, and it was noted in the council proceedings. I want to defend the integrity and intelligence of each person who both signed and/or circulated the petition. Although the heading of each petition was worded as above, and each person who signed could read the heading, some council members discounted its importance. In particular, Ms. Fahs, representing the 1st Ward, found it "confusing," "troubling," and "difficult." She implied that the person asking for the signature or circulating the petition didn't explain it correctly. Quoting Ms. Fahs: "I feel like it matters, if who was asking for the signature is making a presentation that kind of leads one way or the other, and that if someone else made a presentation we might get a different result." So where is the petition with 600 signatures that approves and promotes these heights?

I would like to think that we have a citizenry that is intelligent enough and literate enough to not just sign anything that someone presents. The petition was calling for careful study and citizen input. Is that extreme and hard to support?

The question is - how should we communicate with our elected city officials? What would they suggest? If you signed or circulated the petition, it might be helpful to write or call your council member, who did not take that signature into account, and state that you did know what you were signing, you did not cajole others into signing, and you would like to have a voice. How would they suggest you make yourself heard?

Pat Gaston

Posted by Elaine at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)

April 17, 2005

Now Here's Good Use of Our Donations!

You really have to see this good work by the DCCC. Type in your State Name to see how your legislator has gone all the way with "The Bug Man of Alcatraz" Tom Delay!

Want to take any bets on Mr. Upton?

Posted by Hope at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

Why I am a Democrat - ???

I don't know about the rest of you, but the unrelenting worker-deadly voting records of some of our Democratic legislators is making me nervous. Is making me wonder what, exactly, we are up to. Is making me think fondly of The Purge.

So, I believe I'll start posting them. Or links to real blogs where you can find them.

Here is an entry from The LeftCoaster - from April 14.

The list of names appears below the fold. And here's the quotable quote:

"Take a look at how many of these names also showed up on the list of those Democrats who voted for the estate tax repeal yesterday, and then wonder what the hell happened to the party. And then tell Rahm Emmanuel that none of these bastards deserve DCCC money next year.

They can get it from the ABA and MBNA instead."

Continue reading "Why I am a Democrat - ???"

Posted by Hope at 10:30 PM | Comments (0)

April 14, 2005

Anti-Social Security Phase-Out Forums in Van Buren County

Van Buren County Democrats are Hosting several PUBLIC FORUMS throughout the county.

The next scheduled forum will be held in South Haven, and

WE HOPE YOU'LL BE THERE!

UPCOMING FORUM

WHEN: Wednesday, April 20th

WHERE: LMC's South Haven campus - conference room SH141

6:00 PM - - -ESSAY AWARDS*

7:00 PM - - -SSA SPEAKER Vonda Van Til (Grand Rapids, MI)

7:30 PM - - -NCPSSM SPEAKER** Jan Witt (Washington, D.C.)

*Students are invited to submit an essay on SS.
Essay Topic: Privatization is not a "good deal" for young Americans because. . .

If you know a student writer(high school or older - part or full-time), please pass the word!

Cash awards will be presented in the amounts of:

1st- $125.00

2nd- $ 75.00

Non-cash awards will be presented to participants!

Essays should be submitted by April 18th to:

Essay
c/o SHADC
P.O. Box 461
South Haven, MI 49090

**National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

Highly Recommended Sources of Information for the Anti-Social Security Phase-Out Crowd
Talking Points Memo
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Economic Policy Institute
Center for Economic and Policy Research
The Century Foundation

Posted by Hope at 02:45 AM | Comments (0)

March 04, 2005

Bankruptcy - Maybe closer than you think

Bad to Worse

By Molly Ivins, AlterNet

http://www.alternet.org/story/21402/

The bankruptcy bill was a gift to big bankers and credit card companies to begin with, in return for copious showers of campaign contributions to our very own elected representatives in Congress. Same old, same old.

The big lenders, the kind who can legally jack up your interest rates at any time for any reason (read that fine print, folks), have a problem. More and more Americans are going broke. So they declare bankruptcy under Chapter 7, which wipes out their credit for 10 years, but gives them a chance to start over without debt. So, naturally, the banks want to make it harder to declare bankruptcy by forcing people to file under Chapter 13, only a partial diminution of debt.

According to a study by two associate medical professors at Harvard, published in Health Affairs, bankruptcies are indeed shooting up. Between 1981 and 2001, personal bankruptcies rose by 360 percent, but those caused by medical debts rose an astronomical 2,200 percent. Only job loss now slightly leads medical crisis as the reason for bankruptcy – it's ahead of divorce.

Another cause, as well the usual usury, is that the card companies push accounts on people whose credit is only marginal – your teenager has doubtlessly been offered several. Ooops, it turns out many of those with shaky credit can't pay (!), so of course the banks want the law changed even more in their favor. Poor little card companies – only $30 billion in profits last year.

If you have not lived long enough to know that anyone can be hit by financial catastrophe, just wait. Your job, too, can be outsourced. And if you think health insurance can keep you out of financial trouble if you get sick – surprise! Three-fourths of those who filed for bankruptcy because of medical costs had health insurance.

The study in Health Affairs reports that the middle class actually suffers most from the health crisis, accounting for 90 percent of all medical bankruptcies: Drug costs alone drive many into bankruptcy.

In a classic example of moral accounting, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the bill's chief sponsor, said, "People who have the ability to repay some or all of their debt should not be able to use bankruptcy as a financial planning tool so they get out of paying their debt scot-free, while honest Americans who play by the rules have to foot the bill."

That's a startling example of the "straw-man" school of argument. The study by the Harvard profs shows that in the two years before filing for bankruptcy, 19 percent of families went without food, 40 percent had their phone service shut off, 43 percent could not fill a doctor's prescription and 53 percent went without important medical care.

So, who are these feckless, irresponsible moochers using bankruptcy to avoid paying legitimate debts? Why, look at this: The New York Times reports "legal specialists say the proposed law leaves open an increasingly popular loophole that lets wealthy people protect substantial assets from creditors even after filing for bankruptcy."

What, our Republican Congress passing a bill that favors rich people at the expense of "honest Americans who play by the rules and have to foot the bill"? If you have a lot of money (most people filing for bankruptcy don't have this problem), you just put it in an asset protection trust and walk away. You don't even have to set up the trust offshore anymore – five states have made it legal to set them up in their borders, and you don't even have to live in any of the five to do it.

If you don't like that feature of the bankruptcy bill, try this one: You may have read of the hardship on the families of those who have been called to fight in Iraq, including, of course, severe financial stress leading to many bankruptcies. Democrats in the Senate tried to put an amendment on this bill exempting military personnel, and the Republicans voted it down.

Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard law professor, pointed out in testimony before Congress that the bill assumes everyone is in bankruptcy because they're spendthrifts. "A family driven to bankruptcy by the increased cost of caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimer's disease is treated the same as someone who maxed out his credit cards at a casino. A person who had a heart attack is treated the same as someone who had a spending spree at the shopping mall. A mother who works two jobs and who cannot manage the prescription drugs needed for a child with diabetes is treated the same as someone who charged a bunch of credit cards with only a vague intent to repay."

But hey, that's the conservative idea of justice – treat 'em all the same, except for the rich.

© 2005 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21402/

Posted by Julie at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2005

From Rock The Vote - "Generations Unite!"

We don't have many young readers or members - so it may be instructive - and heartening - to take a look at what Rock The Vote is up to.

The adventurous can receive RTV email alerts/updates by signing up (no birth date required).

What fun.

Note how skillfully RTV links the VA legislature's proposed ban on low-hanging trowsers to the Social Security phase-out proposal.

Continue reading "From Rock The Vote - "Generations Unite!""

Posted by Hope at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2005

BUY BLUE

From Dennis Baer of "Boycott AARP" (soon to be renamed)

Please pass this on to other people.

Join the revolution for progressive legislation

http://www.boycott-republicans.com

Write this url on your one, five and ten dollar bills.

http://www.Buyblue.org

http://www.2005blue.com

http://www.choosetheblue.com

http://www.imblue.net

Continue reading " BUY BLUE"

Posted by Hope at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2005

Department of Labor Signs Diabolical Pact with Wal-Mart

Go figure. Elaine Chao cares deeply about working people.

The best part of this agreement is where you'll find it outlined - at the Barbara Boxer for President Blog.

Posted by Hope at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2005

Fafblog Speaks for Leroy* on the matter of Alberto Gonzalez

If you're still not convinced that Fafblog offers the most brilliant analysis of current events,

Here's "The Great Omelet" on the matter of John McCain's vote to confirm Alberto Gonzalez.

*And other "Righteous Gentiles"

Continue reading "Fafblog Speaks for Leroy* on the matter of Alberto Gonzalez"

Posted by Hope at 02:53 AM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2005

FafBlog's SOCIAL SECURITY CRISIS!: The FAQ!

Social Security - "It's a ticking bomb!"

You may think Fafblog isn't for you.

But only if you haven't actually READ Fafblog.

From the Fafblog Research Institute

If you don't laugh out loud . . . You haven't been paying attention! :>)

Continue reading "FafBlog's SOCIAL SECURITY CRISIS!: The FAQ!"

Posted by Hope at 11:47 PM | Comments (0)