Enhancing Freedom,
Opportunity and Cooperation in
Through informing
and networking Liberals and Liberal Organizations.
Our vision is
hundreds of thousands of well-informed
Our Website
Our Editor To Unsubscribe Table of Contents *Featured
Articles Opportunities,
Petitions and Feedback Commentaries from Our Members Noemie
Maxwell Interviews Corrections Chief Todd
Boyle on Hosting a KC Neighborhood Meeting Liberals and Democrats Links to the
Beef How Much Is Racism
Helping John McCain?* As Expected,
the McCain Campaign is whining.* State and Local Links to the
Beef Sound
Transit’s Proposal is Short-Sighted and Costly. Only 1/3 of
Trips are work related. Our State
Tax System Is Becoming Less Productive.* Dino Rossi
Hides His Conservative Social Views. Nation and World
Links to the Beef Naomi
Klein: Shock Crony Capitalism** To Revive our
Economy, Investment or Consumption* Free Choice
Act -> Unionization -> Social Benefits Our Liberal Spirit Fear as a Political Economic Strategy* 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 ·
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 ·
Replacing
Republican Legislators Quotes of the Week No passion
so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as
fear. Edmund Burke
(1729 - 1797), "A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of Our
Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful", 1756 It is when
power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable. Emily
Dickinson
(1830 - 1886)
Calendar of Events
Saturday, August 2 at Noon at the
Sunday, August 3 at 1 PM at
Monday, August 4 at 1 PM at home of Beth Brunton
(dead end at 29th and Holgate) - Potluck Picnic and Dialogue with E.P. Menon on the State of the World,
sponsored by Rainier Valley Neighbors for Peace and Justice.
Tuesday, August 12 at 6:30 PM at Temple B’nai Torah
(
Saturday, September 6 at 6 PM at Mainstage Comedy
Club (
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.
Opportunities, Petitions and Feedback
Communication with Our
Members and Feedback
Our
Website has been improved. Our Basic
Training menu now offers more commentaries.
Our Commentary menu offers four new pages formed by combining
commentaries which have appeared in our newsletter:
· Three
Crises: Peak Oil, Financial Bubble and Global Warming
· Reforming
Our Washington State Tax System
· Affordable
Housing and Urban Transportation
These
will be updated as more relevant commentaries are published.
Opportunities
See What the Iraq Occupation has cost us to this minute.
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.
See Paul Loeb’s organizing
tools: one, two, three.
Wellstone
Action canvassing instructions
Take
a quiz concerning how green is your vacation.
See the Story of Stuff (video).
Barack Obama invites
you to join in writing our Democratic Party’s platform.
Do you want a
job with Russ Feingold’s 2008 Patriot Corps?
Sign up for Democracy for
America Night School featuring George Lakoff.
See Barack Obama’s
speech on national security and the war in Iraq (video).
Petitions and
Donations
Endorse the Global Marshall Plan proposed by the Network of
Spiritual Progressives.
Tell
your congress members to reject President Bush’s attempt to restrict use of
contraceptives.
Tell
your congress members to reject drilling sensitive places for oil.
Tell
your congress member to protect black bears from poaching.
Commentaries
From Our Members
Conversation
with Chase Riveland, Head of
When Chase Riveland came to
This was a key turning point for the
state and Riveland was instrumental in setting a course that brought Washington
through these years with fewer negative impacts than many other states have
experienced. He not only resisted the political fads of the day but also
actively reached out to the policy community and the public. In 1993, for
example, he and other corrections and criminal justice professionals founded
the Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy, which sought to break through the
rhetoric on crime and bring information to policymakers on "what
works" to reduce it. For complete
interview.
Email from Todd Boyle on Hosting a KC
Neighborhood Meeting
During the last election you may recall, the ballot
initiative passed, calling for establishment of neighborhood meetings on
critical subjects--- to provide advice and consent to the
I recommend you all participate in the next round, by hosting these
meetings. At the meeting I hosted, everybody who came was
rightwing, pro-cars and freeways, favoring more real-estate and business
development, anti-social services, etc. While spreading lies and
gutter talk about the bus system and sound transit, they rarely rode the
system, and couldn't care less about global warming or peak oil, or the oil
wars, Todd Boyle [See report
of previous meetings and sign up as host.]
Liberals and Democrats
How Much Is Racism Helping John McCain?
Based on unsure assumptions, this commentary is
speculative. Suppose that Barack Obama
leads John McCain 52% to 48%. Polls show
that 15% to 20% of voters won’t vote for an African American. Let’s assume that these 15% racist voters are
supporting John McCain. Subtracting 15%
from 48% gives McCain 33% among non-racist voters.
Assume that if the 15% racist voters (many of whom
live in our Conservative South) weren’t racist, 2/3 would support McCain and
1/3 would support Obama. Then 52% + 5% =
57% would support Obama and 33% + 10% = 43 % would support McCain. Instead of leading by 4%, Obama would be
leading by 14%.
According to these assumptions, racism is costing
Obama 10%, which he has been able to make up and some more by appealing better
to the non-racist voters. These figures
may be wrong, but they suggest a way of thinking about the racist aspect of our
presidential contest.
As Expected, the McCain Campaign is whining.
John McCain repeatedly called for Barack Obama to
visit
Now the McCain campaign is whining that the media
isn’t being fair. They should give more
coverage to John McCain. Who has
primarily been repeating again and again and again that Obama didn’t support
the long so-called lsurge.
Notice that when the media were repeatedly covering
Barack Obama’s difficult relations with his pastor Jeremiah Wright and his
statement about bitterness, Obama’s campaign never whined. Conservatives are whiney victims. Liberals are happy warriors. With very few exceptions on either side.
Bush, the Decider-in-Chief
It is appropriate to call George Bush a
decider. When running for election in
2000, he deceived us about his enormous tax cuts for the rich, his desire to
cut government spending, his willingness to leave debt to future generations, his
support for corruption, his anti-environmentalism, his non-compassionate
conservatism, his foreign policy, his partisanship and other positions.
Since taking office in 2001, Bush has consistently
decided to impose his real political views on our government and our
people. Bush has been remarkably
successful, especially through executive action. With support from our House of
Representatives from 2001 to 2007 and Senate from 2003 to 2007, he passed tax
cuts, the ‘No Child Left Behind’ bill, the Medicare prescription drug bill and
cuts to many social programs. He failed
his attempt to wreck social security and dismantle other social programs to the
extent he wanted.
Bush also deceived us by saying that he was
following the advice of generals concerning the occupation of
In 2004, John Kerry was accused of
flip-flopping. More recently, both
Democratic and Republican candidates have been accused of flip-flopping. Some such as Mitt Romney and John McCain have
flip-flopped big-time. Virtually all
have sometimes modified their positions.
Don’t we wish that President Bush had been less a decider and more a
flip-flopper since taking office?
On the other hand, Bush’s stubborn consistency has
wrecked the Republican Party, while not achieving various things that he might
have achieved through being more pragmatic.
It will take time and effort to recover our American Dream which Bush
has so badly damaged, but Bush’s legacy will be of shorter duration than has
been pragmatic Ronald Reagan’s legacy.
Here’s the Beef
What
health care proposal to put in Democratic Party platform will be key struggle.
Our do-nothing
congress is doing nothing due to President Bush and Congressional Republicans.
Commercial media
uncritically accept John McCain’s claim that surge alone has reduced violence.
Commercial
media ignore impeachment testimony.
New
York Times says people moving to middle.
Data shows them becoming more consistently Liberal.
The
most optimistic poll numbers for Barack Obama yet.
Evangelical PAC
‘Matthew 25 Network’ supports Obama and reducing financial inequality.
Our
Hispanic vote may give Barack Obama various western and southern states. For
more. For
more.
Young
people will vote in record numbers, mainly supporting Barack Obama.
Obama’s
campaign is superior in grass roots, internet, financing, message and staff
cohesion.
Obama
campaign is advertising in 20 Red States, which may force McCain to spend
resources there.
Barack
Obama is raising more money than John McCain in red state Idaho.
See
what Barack Obama has done to support our veterans.
John McCain may lose his home
state of Arizona, perhaps due to Hispanic voters.
John McSexist? Hillary Clinton on
President Bush’s making contraceptives less available.
John
McCain and oil industry lobbyists. Oh,
so close. (Video) For more. For
more.
Republicans
propose more drilling for American oil.
Our public opposes it.
Not just McCain. Obama’s advisers also include people
responsible for our credit collapse.
Barack
Obama away and back home.
Overseas, Barack Obama filled
a vacuum of American leadership.
Barack Obama spoke of
European walls, but not of the Israeli wall.
Failed to study Palestine.
Barack Obama
opposes U.S. government support for Chevron’s abuse of Ecuadorian people.
Both
Barack Obama and John McCain are planning for their transition to president.
MoveOn doesn’t
organize so much as it enables mass expression of political views.
Liberals
need to emphasize need for balance between Individual and Common Good.
State and
Local
Sound Transit’s Proposal is Short-Sighted and
Unduly Expensive
Sound
Transit is placing a $17.9 billion light rail proposal on our fall ballot. Unfortunately, Sound Transit doesn’t give us
sufficient information about alternatives.
In the absence of such information, we can’t reasonably respond to their
preferred alternative. Suppose they
begin with a vision of connecting all population, work and shopping
centers. Then develop a phased plan for
doing this.
They certainly haven’t done this for our
Eastside. Sound Transit last updated its Long Range Plan in 2005. But they chose for our fall ballot the
transit service expansions that they say would make the biggest and quickest
improvements for commuters for the least cost.
Unfortunately their Eastside
proposal isn’t compatible with their long range plan. Nor is it at the least cost.
Sound Transit proposes paying for light rail extensions by
increasing our regressive sales tax by 0.5%.
More fair would be to pay for it with a payroll tax, which would affect
commuters who will benefit most from light rail alternatives.
Letter
published by
While King County Executive Ron Sims believes Sound Transit's
Phase 2 Plan is the "the wrong investment at the wrong time" [Times,
guest commentary, July 23], and the honorable Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels cites
many lame reasons to delay in his tongue-in-cheek support for the plan, it is a
distinct lack of real leadership that has us in the commuter version of a
pickle jar.
The proposal
to extend the rail project to Overlake does not adequately address the total
region's dire needs. Lack of leadership
is the reason we are only dreaming of connecting the Eastside to downtown
What we lack is a credible leader with vision to put a plan
together to make our whole region the beneficiary of a real Sound Transit plan
and alleviate the cluster job of commuting for as many as possible. Any
plan that does not reach far into the bottlenecked regions is shortsighted. Where
are the true visionaries and leaders in this community? Isn't this area
continuing to grow and expand in all directions?
Why are we stuck in the inactive study mold and not already
building light rail north and south, across I-90 and out to the hills? Look in
the mirror, Mr. Sims and Mr. Nickels. We
give you our trust to lead, and you both came up lame. Dave
Sharpy
Letter
published by
The answer to your $18 billion question is "no." Sound
Transit proposes nothing that will directly benefit me or my family: The
light-rail system doesn't go to or from anywhere we ever go. The alleged
indirect benefits, such as reduced road congestion, are amorphous at best.
Sound Transit has demonstrated its ability to give us about 10
cents worth of transit for each tax dollar they get from us. Now they want $18
billion, including about $12 billion for 34 miles of rail service — that's $353
million for each mile. We already have the highest sales tax in the nation, and
they want to raise it still higher.
This bloated
bureaucracy has too many directors assigned to too many committees and
subcommittees, and too many consultants, advisers and employees to ever operate
efficiently. The best thing they can do is to finish the projects now under
construction and turn those projects when completed over to local transit
authorities. Harry Petersen
Only 1/3 of Trips (Tours) are work related.
|
Table 1. Number
of |
| |
Table 2. Number
of Stops |
|||||||
|
TOUR
PURPOSE |
1999 |
2006 |
CHANGE |
| |
TOUR
PURPOSE |
1999 |
2006 |
CHANGE |
|
|
Work |
1,290,809 |
1,389,928 |
7.7% |
| |
Work |
3.10 |
3.04 |
-1.7% |
|
|
School |
573,634 |
580,984 |
1.3% |
| |
School |
2.49 |
2.47 |
-0.7% |
|
|
Escorted |
313,539 |
368,102 |
17.4% |
| |
Escorted |
2.67 |
2.66 |
-0.4% |
|
|
Personal Business |
290,762 |
400,661 |
37.8% |
| |
Personal Business |
2.81 |
2.84 |
1.0% |
|
|
Shopping |
353,117 |
346,188 |
-2.0% |
| |
Shopping |
2.84 |
2.83 |
-0.5% |
|
|
Eating Out |
108,326 |
169,183 |
56.2% |
| |
Eating Out |
2.72 |
2.60 |
-4.3% |
|
|
Social/Civic |
140,666 |
263,729 |
87.5% |
| |
Social/Civic |
2.60 |
2.72 |
4.5% |
|
|
Recreation |
484,106 |
445,737 |
-7.9% |
| |
Recreation |
2.63 |
2.54 |
-3.3% |
|
|
Total |
3,554,959 |
3,964,511 |
11.5% |
| |
Total |
2.73 |
2.72 |
-0.1% |
|
|
No Travel (persons) |
116,615 |
91,604 |
-21.4% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
How Travel Behavior is Different in 2006 over 1999:
·
Tour growth matching population growth at 11 percent
·
More tours are being made for personal business, social/civic
activities, and eating out
·
Fewer tours being made for work, school and shopping
·
21 percent more people are forgoing trips altogether
·
People are making fewer stops on work and school tours
·
Escorted tours (where someone is picked up or
dropped off) are taking 6 percent longer
From July 2008 Regional View,
published by Puget Sound Regional
Council
Rapidly changing gasoline prices may change these
patterns.
Our State Tax System Is Becoming Less
Productive
From 1996 to 2005, the proportion of our personal
income which we paid for local taxes stayed the same at 3.8% of income ranking
us at 32-34 compared to other states.
The proportion of our income which we pay for state taxes has declined
from 8.2% to 6.8%, with our ranking declining from 13 to 27. We pay a lesser proportion of personal income
for state and local taxes than is the average for other states. In 2005, we paid 10.6% compared to 11.3%,
placing us 37th among all states.
For
more. For more.
Our Washington State Budget &
Policy Center reports:
A Shrinking Revenue Stream
In fiscal
year 1995, state and local taxes as a share of personal income was 11.7 percent
in
At the state level, it is estimated that the 1990s
tax cuts cost the state eight percent of its revenue. During the following
economic downturn, the state was faced with cutting important programs and a
downgraded bond rating.
The most recent data available does not include the
biennial state budget recently passed by the legislature. However, earlier
analysis by the Center found that state government spending levels in the
current budget, when measured relative to the growth in personal income, is
broadly in line with the spending trends established in the 1990s.3 While
Washington State’s exact present-day ranking may differ from the 2005 ranking,
there is little reason to believe that current taxation levels materially alter
Washington State’s current position among the lower tier of states.
The
structural deficit
The steep tax cuts in the 1990s have exacerbated a
basic revenue structure that does not grow in step with the economy. If left
unreformed, it will threaten the state’s ability to fund important public
priorities including education, transportation, health care, and preparation
for another economic slowdown.
Our
The current state budget dedicates just over six
percent of the economy (measured by total personal income) to fund public
priorities such as education, transportation, and health care. This investment
in our state is at a level that has been consistent for over a decade.
State economists expect that revenue in the next ..two-year budget cycle will be insufficient to maintain
current vital commitments, threatening our ability to fund public priorities
and respond to emergent needs.
Revenue increases are an appropriate response to ..the expected deficit. Proposals for
deep budget cuts are unwarranted given the steady level of public investment
over the last decade and the importance of public investments to all
Washingtonians.
A
June 20, 2008 report
states:
Forecast further underlines need for revenue
As
a state, we have rightfully made significant long-term investments in public
education, health care, and early learning. As the overall economy weakens, residents
rely even more on public structures to thrive and prosper in times of
insecurity.
Today
, the state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council revised their estimate of
the amount of money available for the state budget. They expect a $167 million reduction
in revenue due to ongoing economic problems including oil prices and the
housing slump. Others factors contribute another $57 million decrease.
The
new revision does not significantly alter the fiscal challenges we face. As we
have said before, these challenges arise from an ongoing structural deficit in
which state revenue does not keep up with spending. In the upcoming legislative
session, it is expected that the state's budget writers will have to deal with
a budget deficit of over $2 billion, endangering the state programs that people
need.
The
continuing projection of a significant deficit is a matter of public concern
and a deliberate conversation about how to close the gap should begin in
earnest. It is important to note, the problem is not one of spending; current
budget figures are largely in line with past budgets as a share of the economy
(see figure above). Instead, changes to our revenue structure must be part of
the discussion. For more about our
Washington State Budget and Policy Center’s partners and sources.
Our
Over the past 30 years, actual expenditures have
grown at about the same rate as the economy (as indicated by personal income).
Since revenues (without tax changes) tend to grow
more slowly than personal income, taxes and fees were raised periodically to
keep pace.
Reserves have not been allowed to grow very large
during good economic times. They were quickly depleted due to increased
spending or tax cuts.
In the future, General Fund revenue would roughly
keep pace with spending pressures –provided all caseloads and costs per case
increase by population growth and general inflation.
However, health care “inflation,” together with the
future effects of tax cuts and spending initiatives, contributes to large
projected structural deficits.
Some
implications of government spending growing more slowly than personal income
It will be hard for salaries and benefits to keep
pace with those in the private sector. Private sector salaries grow faster than
inflation, capturing the productivity gains in the economy.
It will be hard for spending on education, health
care, and safety (comprising 80% of current budget), to keep pace with citizen
demands.
On the other hand, Productivity gains and less
spending on the rest of government(20% of budget) could help make room for a
portion of the growth pressures in compensation, education, health care, and
public safety.. For
complete report.
Dino Rossi Hides His Conservative Social Views
Dino Rossi portrays himself as favoring smaller
government and fiscal responsibility.
Since our government mostly provides education, social services and transportation,
reducing our state government requires reducing these. Is it fiscally responsible to underpay our
teachers and state employees? Is it
fiscally responsible to make our unfair taxes more unfair by enacting tax breaks
for the wealthy while reducing services to our poor? Is it fiscally responsible to support private
insurance companies which seek to provide fewer services at greater cost?
Dino Rossi’s campaign doesn’t exhibit his
Conservative social views, which greatly differ from those of our
Here’s the Beef
See who’s filing to run for Washington state and federal offices.
Washington
building industry to spend $1.4 million to elect Dino Rossi. For
more. More. More.
House
foreclosures and falling prices offer opportunity to increase affordable
housing.
Communities
are requiring banks to maintain foreclosed properties.
Senator Maria
Cantwell demands safe affordable housing for all Americans/
Provisions of the Affordable
Housing Investment Act of 2008, sponsored by Maria Cantwell
Senator Maria
Cantwell commends local affordable housing efforts.
Senator Patty Murray
supports Sound Transit’s decision to put transit proposal on fall ballot.
Sound
Transit is short sighted, not planning to eventually connect our many
population centers.
Sound Transit is bloated. Their plans unduly expensive. They only plan to serve a few centers.
How
about car free Sundays in Seattle?
Governor
Christine Gregoire emphasizes need for cleaning up Puget Sound.
Portland
General Electric is experimenting with electric car recharging stations.
Farm employers push
for a new guest worker program.
See
how your state legislator scored on environmental issues.
Nation
and World
Naomi Klein: Shock Crony Capitalism
Several months ago,
Naomi Klein has shown that a
series of apparently unrelated events are part of a pattern. Great books often introduce a new paradigm
for understanding reality. Naomi Klein
gives us a fuller understanding of events described by such books in our Books
for Liberals list as:
·
Norm Chomsky, 1979, The
·
Christopher Hitchens, 2002, The Trial of Henry Kissinger
·
John Perkins, 2004, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man*
·
Jeffrey D. Sachs,
2005, The End of Poverty, Economic
Possibilities for Our Time
·
Zbigniew Brzezinski, 2004,
The Choice: Global Domination or Global
Leadership*
·
George Soros, 2004, The Bubble of American Supremacy*
·
John Newhouse, 2004, Imperial
Our American foreign policy has
always been influenced by the foreign interests of American businesses. During the Cold War, we supported numerous
foreign dictators who treated American businesses favorably at the expense of
their own workers, small businesses, consumers, taxpayers, resources and
environment. We assisted the overthrow
of Democratically elected leaders in
Naomi Klein describes the
increasing influence (beginning in the 1950) of the
·
Removing all rules and regulations which prevented
maximizing profits.
·
Privatizing all public activities through which
private businesses could make a profit.
·
Reduce funding of the physical and social
infrastructure.
·
Reducing taxes, especially for the wealthy (who
supposedly would invest their money).
The neo-conservatives are wrong. Wherever this agenda has been adopted, the
result has been a crony capitalism, increasing income and wealth disparity, and
reduced prosperity for the great majority of people.
In addition, the Neo-Conservatives
quickly learned that democracies resisted the adoption of this agenda. They realized that they first had to destroy
democracy and popular resistance. In
Neo-Conservatives then
discovered that even democracies could adopt much of their agenda, if they were
first subjected to an economic shock. In
the aftermath of oil price increase influenced stagflation, Ronald Reagan was
elected
South American and other
countries returned to democracy in the mid-1980s. Under dictators, many countries had borrowed
large sums of money which were never invested to be able to service these
loans. Foreign capital also came. Then when U.S. Federal Chairman Paul Volker
raised interest rates to quell American inflation, indebted countries could not
service their debts. They found it
necessary to ask the IMF to arrange new loans to service their debt. Acting as an enforcer or collector for the
American banks who had made the loans and staffed by Neo-Conservatives, the IMF
required indebted countries to adopt the Neo-Conservative Agenda in order to
secure needed loans. This resulted in
further plunder of their public assets, declines in their infrastructure and
economic collapse.
One major breakthrough for the
Neo-Conservatives was the 1989 adoption of the Washington Consensus by the
American Government, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). This included the opening of
borders to foreign trade and capital and the adoption of the Neo-Conservative
Agenda.
In 1989, the Berlin Wall came
down, followed by the collapse of Soviet communism. But new leaders were unsure of what economic
system should be adopted. Instead of
adopting the managed capitalism model which was so successful in western
Europe,
I believe that Naomi Klein is
wrong when she suggests that
Following
In 2000, Neo-Conservative George
Bush became
The 2005 tsunami produced
similar results in
Since 1980, our
Having read the books listed
above, I was aware of many of the events which Naomi Klein describes, including
To understand how to inoculate
countries against Neo-Conservative crony capitalism, we must understand how
some countries have been able to resist it.
Was the Marshall Plan implemented oppositely from the Neo-Conservative
vision because the Neo-Conservatives were not yet formed? Why weren’t the funds used to pressure
The answers to these questions
are important, so we can understand how to roll back Neo-Conservative
crony-capitalism in the
To Revive our Economy, Investment or
Consumption
When depression threatens, there
are two ways to increase demand. One is
to make it easier to consume, by providing tax cuts or making it easier for
people to borrow and spend, through easier access to credit with lower interest
rates. The other is to expand investment
through government investments in infrastructure or encouraging private
investment, especially in the creation and development of new
technologies.
Since at least the 1960s, when
John Kenneth Galbraith argued that our economy was imbalanced with too much
consumption and too little investment (especially public investment), Liberals
have argued for more public investment.
Conservatives also say they are for more investment, but their tax cuts
encourage consumption, while their budgets cut public investment. As a result they kill the goose that lays the
golden eggs. Our economy always does
better when Democrats control our government, especially consistently Liberal
Democrats.
George Bush cut taxes and claims
that this has helped the economy. But in
spite of heavy government consumption (particularly military spending and
corrupt privatization), our economy has been very weak. John McCain and Republicans want to continue
and extend these tax cuts. Although our
government, businesses and households have accumulated record debts, our
Federal Reserve lowers interest rates and increases access to loans to increase
our debts further. At some point, this
must result in an enormous crash, which may already be developing as a result
of the sub-prime loan and credit collapse.
What the Democrats must do next
year is shift large sums of money from consumption to investment. Higher taxes on our wealthiest must be
restored, Subsidies to industries which
pay record returns to their mostly wealthy stockholders or buy their
competitors while not investing must be reduced. Money must be invested in restoring our
physical and social infrastructure. And
in creating and developing new technologies, especially conservation non-carbon
based energy production technologies.
For economic fairness, Democrats
must also shift from consumption by our wealthiest people to consumption by our
less wealthy people. Through limiting
home loan interest deductions, increasing our minimum wage and earned income
tax credit, shifting our payroll taxes to a value-added tax, facilitating
unionization, encouraging retirement saving and other such programs.
Free Choice Act -> Unionization -> Social
Benefits
On July 28, 2008,
SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger told their convention:
“The Employee Free Choice Act is a simple law that does 3
profound things:
·
It
says a majority of workers can decide to have a union
·
Imposes
big penalties on employers who violate worker rights, and
·
Gives
newly-unionized workers guaranteed first contract through binding arbitration
No government interference. No corporate intimidation. No
ridiculous rules and roadblocks set up to block your rights.”
“Imagine a
world where five years after the Employee Free Choice Act is signed into law,
SEIU is organizing a million or more workers a year and the labor movement has
added 20 million members to its ranks. Through the Employee Free Choice Act
we've built a principled, permanent workers movement that will redefine
politics for the next century. Then just imagine what our movement could do:
·
A
real living wage for every single worker
·
Healthcare
for every child, guaranteed from birth
·
Guaranteed
retirement security
·
Quality
child care everyone can afford
·
A
tax system that rewards work
·
An
immigration system that is fair to everyone, everywhere, always
·
Environmental
policy that puts our planet and our children first. Forever.” For
more.
Here’s the Beef
Could Iran obtain
a restraining order in the world court against U.S. and Israeli military
threats?
U.S. Navy illegally
destroys Puget Sound fish.
Industry now
completely dominates the military-industrial complex.
Reducing military spending
is necessary; but won’t be easy.
Bush
Administration achieves record government deficit this year, not including war
expenditures.
For 30 years,
deregulation has been bipartisan, leading to corruption, abuse and economic
collapse.
Environmental
Protection Agency chief Stephen Johnson lied to congress about Whitehouse
influence.
To reduce
prices for broadband and cable, we need to increase competition.
Our physical infrastructure is not
being maintained. An opportunity to
create jobs is being missed.
A large
and increasing demand exists for wind farm technicians.
5.3
million (3.7% of all employed) are involuntarily working part time.
Women are still paid less
than men for the same work.
600,000
African Americans are infected with HIV.
Big oil companies are becoming bigger and
richer.
High gas prices are
reducing demand for exurban houses, producing slower sales, falling prices. More.
Rising food prices
may cause massive starvation in East Africa. For more.
Our Liberal Spirit
Fear as a Political Economic Strategy
Most
of us Americans have not experienced great fear of others. Unless we have been continually abused
(possibly by a family member, companion, false caretaker, boss, or playground
bully) or have been stalked by a former companion or law enforcers. For more. Some of us experienced this fear, during the
McCarthyism of the 1950s, when we might lose our careers and even be jailed if
we did not expose others to the same risks.
We have not known the fear of oppressive governments, which may capture,
torture, kill and disappear us and our loved ones.
This
is the fear that Naomi Klein describes as preceding or accompanying many of the
attempts to implement the Neo-Conservative agenda. Capture, torture and killing is done openly
to frighten others into submission. With
such fear, we are less likely to be concerned with changes in the economic
rules which produce crony capitalism with greater economic inequality, less
safety net, and declines in economic production.
One
can only wonder what we would do under such circumstances. Would we resist such power at tremendous risk
with little chance of success? If
captured, would we under pressure betray our ideals and acquaintances? It is like asking, if we were caught by
hostiles in a box canyon, would we die with arrows in our back or our
chest. While none of us can be sure of
what we would do in a foxhole under fire, thinking about it may guide the way
we judge others.
Recommended Books –
See our list of books for
Liberals
Naomi Klein, 2007, The Shock Doctrine, The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Free Member Advertising
Hire Our Lake Hills Neighbors
·
Auto Repair, price varies depending
on job (but always fair), Jaime Speicher (AAS Auto Repair Technician)
(425-746-2353)
·
Babysitting for infants (occasional evenings
and weekends) - $5 per hour-
·
Data Entry- $10 per 12 font, double spaced page-
·
Debt Elimination
Counseling, Seminars and Workshops – price negotiable – Sherry Brandt
(206-356-8034, somerev2@comcast.net)
·
Home Repair- prices vary, depending
on job-
·
Home Repair and
Remodeling,
·
Housekeeper, price negotiable –
·
Life Support Therapies,
·
Private Piano Lessons (students must have a
piano), afternoons - Anna Khosrowian (378-7938), price negotiable
·
Psychotherapist, accepts insurance
- Sandy Mathews (462-7889, www.sandramathews.com)
About
In October, 2005, we founded our Lake Hills
Liberals as an experimental demonstration of creating neighborhoods where
liberals thrive and multiply and maximizing our vote for Liberal
candidates. In January, 2006, we began our
newsletter.
During our
first year, we focused upon Lake Hills neighborhood development, experimenting
with a variety of activities and events.
To elect Liberals, we canvassed our 12 precincts to increase the number
of identified likely Democratic voters from 33% to 90% and stimulated them to
vote, which assisted election of our 2006 Democratic candidates. We recruited
30% (500) of them. We encouraged house
parties to allow neighbors to meet each other to be able to prevent crime, to
assist each other in a disaster, and to protect and assist our children. We created our website. We began a monthly discussion group, called
the Lake Hills Liberal Salon.
During our
second year, we recruited many members from throughout our
As we
begin our third year, we continue our past activities, especially electing Liberals,
canvassing Lake Hills, promoting house parties, educating and enabling
cooperation among Liberals, and promoting Public Campaign Financing. Our new political priority is promoting a fair
To get our free services, including our newsletter,
our ‘Proud Liberal, Time for a Change’ yard signs or ‘Proud Liberal’ bumper
stickers, volunteer or make a donation, contact
Our weekly newsletter is currently distributed to 2300 members by email each Friday. Submit your news to Editor Dave Thomas.
We are
seeking reporter-reviewer-editors with knowledge of particular political groups
and issues. We have asked
the following experts to help us.
·
African Americans –
·
Blogs –
·
Campaign Finance –
·
Democratic Party –
·
Drug Policy –
·
Education – Dennis Gerlitz, John Stokes
·
Environment –
·
Gays and Lesbians – Jack Greenlaw
·
Green Party – Trey Smith
·
Health Care – Larry Kalb, Bob Fithian
·
Hispanics – needed
·
Immigration - Grosvenor Anschell
·
Housing and Poverty –
·
Labor Unions –
·
Law and Justice –
·
State Legislation –
·
Veterans –
·
Women’s Issues –
Additional Resources
See our website at www.PugetSoundLiberals.org, with our basic training about
being Liberal, our archive of all past newsletters, resources for liberals,
tools for Democratic legislative district organizations and more.
To learn about particular issues, further your interests and meet
colleagues, visit websites of advocacy and
caring organizations. Also
see our list of helpful websites. Craig’s List Seattle
For
news about NW sustainability, visit Sightline
Daily. We recommend the Pacific NW Portal for
displaying many blogs through which Northwest Liberals exchange their knowledge
and opinions. See also Lefty Blogs. We recommend you go to Washblog to find blogs containing
information and opinions about
Learn about our State Democratic Party. About 2008 Caucuses and Elections. Contact your national and state officials. Report Card on your congress member For many Congressional Report Cards.