Puget Sound Liberals Weekly Newsletter #129

Enhancing Freedom, Opportunity and Cooperation in Puget Sound and Beyond

Through informing and networking Liberals and Liberal Organizations.

 

Our vision is hundreds of thousands of well-informed Puget Sound Liberals working together.

 

   2300 members                                                               July 4, 2008                                                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

                                                     

Our Website                                   Our  Editor                  To Unsubscribe

 

                        Table of Contents  *Featured Articles

 

About Puget Sound Liberals

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Commentaries from Our Members

Marilyn Watkins on Unaffordable Health Care

Donald A. Smith’s Video about Bush Deception

Larry Shannon: Supreme Court’s Exxon Decision

Rabbi Michael Lerner on a New American Bottom Line*

Ray McBain on Pressuring the President

Rich Austin on Time to Be Politically Active

Linda Boyd on Media Ignoring Impeachment*

Ted Cox on Reacting to High Gasoline Prices

Joe Martin: Many Weren’t Deceived by Bush’s War

John Repp on Iraq Occupation and Wrecked Economy

Laura Barnes on Wesley Clark on John McCain

 

Liberals and Democrats Links to the Beef

Local Barack Obama ‘Unite for Change Gatherings*

Barack Obama on Campaign Organizing and Funding

It’s Tough to Run a Schizophrenic Campaign

Gerrymandering now works against Republicans

 

State and Local  Links to the Beef

Budgeted Political Donations*

Taxing High Incomes to Improve Public Services and        Reduce Regressive Taxes*

 

Nation and World  Links to the Beef

Hello Debt.  Bye Bye Credit.

Physicians Support a Single Payer System

Our military personnel are still dying in Iraq

 

Our Liberal Spirit

Recovering from Compulsive Shopping*

 

Recommended Books

 

 

 

 

Our Political Priorities

 

·       Fair Clean Elections and Open Government

·       Fair Taxes and Competent Spending

·       Investment for Productivity

·       Quality Health, Education, Jobs, Income and Retirement

·       Environmental Protection and Energy Independence

·       Security and Equal Rights

·       Justice and Peace Everywhere

·       International Cooperation and Leadership

 

Conservatives oppose all of these

 

     Let’s End Our National Nightmare

 

         Let’s Restore Our American Dream

 

More on Conservative opposition to our American Dream

 

 

Washington State’s 4 Major Needs

·       Federal Funding for Health and Education

·       A Progressive Income Tax

·       Public Campaign Financing

·       Replacing Republican Legislators

 

 

Quote of the Week

Today, as in the Gilded Age, we live in a world where a morality of personal responsibility rubs shoulders with a culture of greed and of flagrant social irresponsibility.  Charles Derber, Corporation Nation, p2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

 

King County Democrats - LD Meetings            Some 2008 Legislature Lobby Days

 

Thurston County Progressive Net                  Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

 

Alliance for Democracy                                Democratic Underground.Com                          

 

Town Hall Seattle Calendar                            Sierra Club Cascade Chapter Calendar          

       

Washington Public Campaigns Calendar          Conversation Cafe      Drinking Liberally                              

 

Washington State Labor Council                     Whatcom County Peace and Justice Calendar 

 

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice – Friday Night Movies      Liberal films on PBS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Calendar of Events

July 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (44048 Delridge Way SW, Seattle) – Edge Theatre Ensemble presents Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children.  For tickets.

Tuesday, July 15 at 6:30 at Holy Family Catholic Church (5315 Tieton Drive, Yakima) – Washington Health Care Caucus. Sponsored by Healthy Washington Coalition.  For info or carpool.

Thursday, July 17 at noon at WaMu Theater at Qwest Field (800 Occidental Avenue South, Seattle) – Governor Christine Gregoire Fundraiser with Michelle Obama.  $200 and up.

 

Barbara Rader of Black Widow Web Development created our Puget Sound Liberals Website, to which I can easily add, modify and remove files.  Learn more about this unique company, which offers a 50% discount for organizations that promote social justice and environmental stewardship.  Dave Thomas

 

Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback

 

Feedback

 

I spend as much time finding commentaries and creating links to them as I do writing my own commentaries.  Do you use selected links, or am I wasting my time?  Dave Thomas

 

Opportunities

How Would You Spend $3 Trillion instead of Iraq?

Try MoveOn’s new game: What’s the difference between President Bush and Senator John McCain?

Wellstone Action provides organizing tools online.

Take a quiz concerning how green is your vacation.

See lots of videos of Barack Obama’s speeches and appearances.

Dress up your emails with smiley faces, funny animations, and more.

 

Petitions and Donations

Endorse the Global Marshall Plan proposed by the Network of Spiritual Progressives.

Tell your congress member to oppose starting a war with Iran.

Tell your senators and congress member to oppose drilling for oil in sensitive areas.

Tell the president and congress to enact the Employee Free Choice Act.

Tell the AFL-CIO your priority issues.

Tell FOX television to stop their fear, prejudice and racism campaign.

 

Commentaries From Our Members

 

Marilyn Watkins on Increasingly Unaffordable Health Care Insurance

Excerpted from commentary published by Everett Herald on June 29, 2008

 

“Overall, government data show jobs in Washington still edging up, but growing at only half of last year's rate. From May 2007 to May 2008, Washington gained 38,000 jobs -- while the state's working-age population grew by 83,000.”

“Over the past year, aerospace added 6,300 new jobs, software and computers 5,500, restaurants 4,500, and health care delivery 2,600. Washington is also continuing to do far better than the nation. In fact, the new jobs in our state over the past year make up 36 percent of the job gain in the entire U.S.

 

“Health insurance emerges as one of the biggest concerns for people facing unemployment. A serious illness or accident can happen at any time. Monthly premiums are costly, even when able to tap into a company plan. A recent AARP poll of Washington businesses found an average increase of 32 percent in individual premiums since 2005.

Washington's Legislature took a good step in 2007 by allowing young adults to stay on their parent's plans until age 25. At least Hannah now has the option of coverage.

This year the Legislature took another step, approving a study of five proposals to make health care more affordable and extend coverage. The Healthy Washington Coalition, representing faith communities, unions, businesses, women's groups and others, is hosting seven forums around the state to comment on those proposals. The first was in Seattle last week. Other locations include Bellevue on August 12 and Everett on September 9. Details are available at
healthywacoalition.org.”  Marilyn Watkins, Policy Director, Economic Opportunity Institute (EOI)

 

EOI is keeping the American dream alive for Washington's working families through groundbreaking public policies that promote personal opportunity, economic security and shared prosperity for all:

·       A strong minimum wage that keeps up with inflation, so our workers don't fall behind.

·       Paid family leave, so no one has to choose between going to work and caring for family.

·       High-quality early childhood education, so every child gets a strong and healthy start in life.

 

Donald A. Smith Video about Bush Administration Deception

 

I made this Flash animation, with guitar and voice:  http://truthsite.org/politics/Presentations/FavoriteThingsGuitar.html