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Feeling an Economic Chill
From Kvatch for FranIAm
Tales that help me get it through my head that Democrats can't do
diddly to reslice the economic pie.
The
AMT: It's Not Just For The Rich Anymore
Have you ever paid the Alternative Minimum Tax? I have, and it
sucks. Now admittedly the Frogette and I are doing OK, but the AMT was
never meant for middle-income folk. It was meant for super-rich at a time
when there were so many loopholes in the tax code (late 1960s, early
1970s) that they often got away with paying no tax. Now we have multiple
proposals in Congress that deal with the AMT, and all but one are
practically dead on arrival.
Charles
Rangal (D NY) wants to repeal the AMT and offset the cost by placing a tax
surcharge on families making over 200K/year . He also wants to sock it
to the hedge-fund industry by taxing their lucrative pay packages as
ordinary income rather than as capital gains, as it is now. (Did you know
that the biggest income disparity in the US is the gap between corporate
CEO's with their million dollar pay packages and hedge-fund managers with
their billion dollar pay packages, all taxed at 15%. Sobering isn't it?)
Predictably, Republicans are howling about "class warfare", but
in an ironic twist top Democrats have been slow to endorse Rangal's
proposal due to the huge campaign donations they've been getting from
those very same hedge-fund f*ckos.
The only AMT proposal that has a chance is the Senate's, another extension
of the relief package that has been in place for the majority of the
decade. But here Republicans are threatening to hold up the bill unless
Democrats agree to make all of the Bush tax cuts for the rich permanent.
Considering the recent behavior of Senate Democrats, we'll probably see
them cave and send this one to the House...where it will die.
Guess the only sure fire way way avoid the AMT is to do what the Frogette
and I have done: Become a one income family.
Where's My Goddamned
Fixed Rate?!
There was a reason President Decider "encouraged" but didn't
mandate that the lending industry provide relief to families struggling to
stay ahead of ballooning mortgage payments. By keeping government out of
picture, he could 1) Avoid any blame for delays or inaction on getting
relief to homeowners and 2) Keep Democrats from interfering to spread
economic relief evenly and equitably. So, as it stands, lenders like
Countrywide are putting in place programs to help some
of their borrowers refinance, while others are simply letting their
borrowers twist.
But the question I want answered--and I know I'm going to sound like
whining pansy--is: How come those of us who were careful when we took out
our mortgages don't get some kind of reward? I mean... I didn't put down a
pittance. I didn't buy more house than I could afford (in fact I bought
less than I wanted). Admittedly, I took out an ARM, but on a much longer
term than typical residents of Babylon by the Bay. So in a way, I gave my
lender a gift: Stability. Shouldn't I see some lending relief here? How
about a nice fixed rate, thank you very much? Shall we take bets on the
likelihood?
(And, before I forget my manners, many thanks to Fran for letting me post
on her wonderful blog. - K.)
Stuff the New York Sun where the sun
don't shone
From Distributorcap
NY
Unless you live here in the Wet Apple (it has been
raining a lot the past few days -- i wish this rain would travel 3000
miles west), you might not know The New York Sun . The New
York Sun is a piece of drek right wing rag that is best used to
pick up dogshit on the street. The publisher is Seth Lipsky (what is
with all these right wing members of the tribe like Kristol, Perle,
Libby) who is -- to put it mildly -- deranged.
The New York Sun must have a crack (or on crack) circulation
department -- as they drop this load of feces at my apartment door
every morning with me never having asked to have this crap delivered.
What makes it more fun is that I get a bill every month, which I
promptly fill with monopoly money (once I used a flyer from a porno
movie club) and send back to Seth and his accounts receivable
department. You'd thing they catch on! - NOPE... I still get the rag.
It is a relatively thin newspaper and it does not have a lot of ads.
It claims a circulation of about 50,000 "of New York's most
informed and upscale readers". I claim I have a cure for
Alzheimer's....
So while I don't read the paper, I do scan it. Hey it's free. I do
read the real estate section, which is mostly non-partisan, and pretty
well written. The arts section is SO fracking elitist and snobby, even
the A-list snobs wouldnt read it. But the best part is their complete
devotion and ass-licking of George Bush.
Like today's:
Tropical Gulag
New York Sun Editorial
October 25, 2007
President Bush spoke yesterday of freedom in Cuba, and for all the
negativism these days about Mr. Bush and his administration, his
words reminded us of why we are among his admirers. He spoke
directly about the nature of the Communist regime there. "In
Cuba it is illegal to change jobs, to change houses, to travel
abroad, and to read books or magazines without the express approval
of the state. It is against the law for more than three Cubans to
meet without permission," Mr. Bush said. "They've jailed
and beaten journalists, raided their homes, and seized their paper,
ink and fax machines. One Cuban journalist asked foreigners who
visited him for one thing: a pen. Another uses shoe polish as a
typewriter ribbon."
Said Mr. Bush, "The socialist paradise is a tropical
gulag." He called on Congress to increase funding for Cuban
democracy efforts and to "show our support and solidarity for
fundamental change in Cuba by maintaining our embargo on the
dictatorship until it changes." He said "The operative
word in our future dealings with Cuba is not 'stability.' The
operative word is 'freedom.'"
I can go so many places on this one. First we have been SO
successful in Iraqi democracy-building, lets take on Cuba too! Second,
Castro, for all his complete horribleness, is no dummy George, he has
survived 10 American presidents -- and you can't even eat a pretzel
without falling. Third -- no money for kids, plenty of money for more
regime change. I could go on....but the object of this post is not
Cuba.
or this headline regarding Charles Rangel's tax plan
Taxes Would Rise for 1.7 Million Under Rangel Plan Due Today
I would say this is "tad" misleading as the New York Sun
does not mention until paragraph FIVE that a majority of the tax
increase is on people who make over $250,000 and that --- are your
ready --- 91,000,000 people could see tax relief. What Rangel is
trying to do is help families that are now caught in the alternative
minimum tax web. The AMT is a nasty, nasty tax provision enacted in
1969 (yes, 1969) to ensure that the 155 (yes 155) wealthiest Americans
did not avoid income taxes through loopholes or other deductions. The
AMT was not passed with ANY inflation adjustments -- so by 2007
millions of "1969 wealthy Americans" are now paying much
higher taxes. In reality it is killing the middle class -- especially
in high tax states like New York and California. (if you fall into AMT
all your deductions for home mortgage and other assorted things are
eliminated and you basically get one big deduction ---- you always end
up paying more under AMT).
Nevertheless Seth has deemed it a tax increase for his
"upscale" readers and makes his point.....that like Fox,
fair and balanced means a blonde kid on a seesaw.
I could go on by you get my point. If you have the stomach, venture on
over to New York Sun
for some yuks. Better yet, don't -- just drink some hemlock or watch a
George Bush speech.
Say What Mr. President?
From Windspike for Educational
Whisper
Is any one still tracking "Bushisms?" Here's one I found today:
"All I can tell you is when the Governor calls, I answer his
phone"
Gee whiz George, I sure hope your not reaching into Ahnuld's pocket to
answer his phone. That might end up with you getting slapped with some
kind of sexual harassment suit.Fun with captions!
From Randal Graves for L'ennui
mélodieux
"What's best in life? Heh, heh, to cut brush, see the turrists
bein' waterboarded and to hear, hey, Conan, what's a
la-men-tay-shun?"
[Vy kant I bee zee Prezident? Vat a putz!]
Know a blog that
deserves to be featured on the Blog World Report? Contact Robert.
This explains a lot
By Candace for Chapterhouse
I Stumbled
upon this article from the Yale
Daily News, written almost two years ago. Take a look at what
Dumbya was doing back in 1967:
Cartoon
on Bush recalls Yale frat hazing
Yale Daily News
December 1, 2005
BY KIMBERLY CHOWS AND JACK MIRKINSONS
Contributing Reporters
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau '70 said he thinks a little-known fact
about President George W. Bush '68's past -- that his first
mention in The New York Times occurred in 1967 when, as former
president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter at Yale, Bush
defended the fraternity's practice of branding its pledges with a
red-hot coat hanger -- deserves more national attention.
Bush continues to assert that "American doesn't
torture." The administration's spin on waterboarding is that
it's no worse than hazing. The frat boy brought his "family
values" to the highest office in the land and disgraced this
country in the eyes of the world.
Is the GOP driving
out moderates?
From BAC for Yikes!
 When
a moderate Republican decides to take a pass on running for an
open U.S. Senate seat, I think it's a problem. The WaPo reports:
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III said this morning that he will
not make a run for the U.S. Senate next year in part because
of what he sees as the Republican Party's increasingly
narrow focus on candidates who pass conservative litmus
tests.
Davis (R-Va.), who has been preparing for a Senate bid
for years, said national and state Republicans have failed
to recognize how dramatically the country's electorate is
changing. Continuing to close their tent to such groups as
social moderates, immigrants and those who look to
government to protect public schools or reform health care
will result in further electoral losses, he said.
Would I vote for Davis if I lived in Virginia? No. But I still
think it's tragic how Republicans seem to be squeezing their
more moderate members out.
How do they think this will help them win elections? The
president's approval rating is at an all time low for ANY
president. So why are party faithfuls still listening to the
likes of Karl Rove and James Dobson?
Davis, 58, said his decision to take a pass on the Senate
race next year was fueled largely by the Republican State
Central Committee's decision this month to choose a
convention over a primary to nominate the GOP Senate
candidate in the spring. The choice is widely viewed to
favor former governor James S. Gilmore III, whose
right-leaning positions on taxes and social issues are more
likely to appeal to the conservative Republicans who tend to
participate in conventions.
Still, Davis, a seven-term congressman and former
chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors,
appeared far from ready to withdraw from politics. He said
his decision on whether to seek reelection to the House next
year will come later. In addition, his choice of a roomful
of Washington journalists as his audience seemed designed to
give himself a national platform as GOP critic. It is a role
that could keep him relevant if the party's fortunes
continue to suffer.
I hope he continues to speak out!
Watada Update
From Fran for Ramblings
COURT MARTIAL STAY EXTENDED TO NOV 9
On Oct 19 Judge Benjamin Settle of the US District Court in Tacoma
issued an order extending the stay of court martial proceedings
against Lt. Watada until November 9, 2007 or until further order of
the court. Purpose is to allow sufficient time for review of legal
records.
Friends & Family of Lt. Watada Oppose 2nd Court Martial. Events
Planned on October 19 and October 27, 2007 >>>
Watada supporters across the country are speaking out to demand the
following:
1. Stop the Army from putting Lt. Watada on trial again.
2. Drop all charges against Lt. Watada.
3. Release Lt. Watada from the Army and grant him an honorable
discharge.
The Federal Court is reviewing the charge of Double Jeopardy, since
the first trial had selected a jury, and testimony given.
In Civilian Court he would not be able to be tried again, as that
would be double jeopardy- being tried for the same thing twice.
According to Military law, this same rule applies.
An early Merry Christmas from George
From Demeur
Oil $92 a
barrel
It's expected to go to $100 a barrel shortly. Thanks George and a
screw you New Year to you.
 Ah,
the Democrats. They can't seem to find
a message that resonates:
Democrats are losing the battle for voters’ hearts
because the party’s message lacks emotional appeal,
according to a widely circulated critique of House
Democratic communications strategy.
“Our message sounds like an audit report on defense
logistics,” wrote Dave Helfert, a former Appropriations
spokesman who now works for Rep. Neil Abercrombie
(D-Hawaii). “Why are we defending [the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program] instead of advocating a ‘Healthy
Kids’ plan?”
You need a message? Here's one that would work with
everyone I know:
We will fix everything Bush broke.
A simple answer to a simple question. Write the DNC here.
Making a Mockery of a Free
Press
By Robert Freedland for The
Democratic Daily
Thomas Jefferson had it right when he wrote:
“The most effectual engines for [pacifying a nation] are
the public papers… [A despotic] government always [keeps] a
kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard
to truth or to what should be like truth, [invent] and put
into the papers whatever might serve the ministers. This
suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of
distinguishing the false from the true paragraphs of a
newspaper.” –Thomas Jefferson to G. K. van Hogendorp, Oct.
13, 1785. (*) ME 5:181, Papers 8:632
So was it any surprise to read about a ‘fake’ news
conference today from FEMA?
As reported:
“On Tuesday, FEMA held what was called a “news
briefing” on the California fires, but the questions asked
did not come from reporters. They were asked instead by FEMA
staffers.”
Dana Perino, the White House Press Secretary apologized:
“It is not a practice that we would employ here at the
White House or that we — we certainly don’t condone it,”
Press Secretary Dana Perino said. “We didn’t know about it
beforehand. FEMA has issued an apology, saying that they had
an error judgment when they were attempting to get out a lot
of information to reporters, who were asking for answers to a
variety of questions in regard to the wildfires in California.
It’s not something I would have condoned. And they, I’m
sure, will not do it again.”
Not a policy of the White House to have fake news?
What about the fake
White House reporter, Jeff Gannon?
What about the fake
video news reports?
What about the fake
columns by Armstrong Williams who was paid for his
opinions?
There’s an old expression
in Tennessee….
Shame on you.
|
The Biggest Threats
Facing America
By Polishifter for Pissed
on Politics
This morning I flipped on MSNBC only to be blasted by a 'new' report
that explosives
in shoes are a huge threat to everyone who still flies in
airplanes.. Apparently there is a stepped up increase in shoe bomber
chatter. There's been so many shoe bombings over the past decade that
it, well, there was that one attempted shoe bombing a few years so we
must ... be... very ... afraid ... Yeah, right.
This after a Nasa
Survey "found that safety problems like near
collisions and runway interference occur far more frequently than
previously recognized. ". The survey wasn't released 'casue it
might shake our confidence in flying. Well, no, now the increase in
shoe bombing chatter has done that...
So you might be wondering what are the biggest threats facing
America these days. Some of you might say terrorists determined to
strike in the U.S. Thus which terrorist organizations poise the
greatest risk to our security would seem to be a logical question.
Fortunately for us a front group for the Bush Administration known
as Family
Security Matters has compiled a list of The
Ten Most Dangerous Organizations in America (drum roll
please):
10) ThinkProgress
9) Muslim Student Association
8 ) CodePINK
7) American Civil Liberties Union, National
6) Family Research Council
5) Center for American Progress
4) League of the South
3) MoveOn.org
2) Universities and Colleges
1) Media Matters for America
Wow! The NUMBER ONE threat facing America is Media Matters!! Now
that's something Bill O'Reilly can agree with...
Source
Watch:
Family Security Matters is a conservative front group that claims
to represent "security moms" and supports President George
W. Bush.
Following an appearance on Fox News, Media Matters for America
noted that "Family Security Matters (FSM) is a front group for
the Center for Security Policy (CSP), a conservative Washington think
tank "committed to the time-tested philosophy of promoting
international peace through American strength." (The phone number
listed on the FSM website is answered by the CSP.)
Instant Asshole:
Just Add Money
From RickB for Ten
Percent
People huh? I mean if you match common sense to wealth it
looks like many people are shit over the limit with a twenty
in their hand-
His
younger brother, Jefri, whom the Sultan introduced to
polo, has for decades been one the world’s most notorious
playboys…He once owned a 50-metre yacht called Tits,
replete with tenders named Nipple 1 and Nipple 2.
…the 61-year-old Sultan spent £7.3m and £6.59m on
two house supervisors, and £5.86m on each one of his five
public relations officials, named Janet, Prall, Shelly,
Vicky, and Yoya. He also spent £1.26m on a badminton coach
and £1.25m on masseuses and acupuncturists, as well as £48,859
on the guards for his exotic bird cages.
But won’t someone think of the supermodels? London
fashion week has to ensure their good health yet violent
eating disorder enabling emetics are even now being considered
for the marketplace-
Tony
Blair has signed a deal to write his memoirs of life in
Downing Street,…Mr Blair has strong ties with Random
House: its UK wing is headed by Gail Rebuck, who is married
to Mr Blair’s close ally and former pollster Lord Gould.
Both the publisher and Mr Blair’s spokesman refused to
disclose his fee. But publishing experts suggested the deal
was worth as much as £5m. The single volume memoir will be
published under the Hutchinson imprint in the UK.
Oddly though he was the only Prime Minister (Gordon Brown
and two former PM’s – Baroness Thatcher & Sir John
Major- Sir? Baroness? Give me fucking strength, can’t wait
for Grand Poobah Wizard Duke Oberlieutenant Blair) missing
from the unveiling of a Lloyd George statue-
Harold
Pinter, along with the campaigning journalist John
Pilger and former UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Iraq
Denis Halliday, had crticised the decision to honour Lloyd
George – the Welshman who served as Prime Minister from
1916 to 1922 – because he had ordered British troops to
bomb Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran and Iraq during the First
World War.
Lloyd George’s record of selling honours to boost
party funds, which led to the introduction of the 1925
Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, may also have made some
people at the unveiling in Parliament Square feel
uncomfortable. That legislation led to the abortive “cash
for honours” investigation of Tony Blair and his aides.
Oh, still it’s not like they took bribes from arms
dealers…oh-
A
Labour peer has admitted taking money to introduce an
arms company lobbyist to the government minister in charge
of weapons purchases.
But it’s not like the representatives of the people are a
wealthy elite whose privileged financial position insulates
them from the real life concerns of us people (yeah, no points
for guessing what’s coming next, not an entirely subtle
comedic conceit is it?)-
The
total payments of £87,622,957 in 2006-07 were in
addition to the £60,675 annual salary received by MPs,
bringing the average cost to the taxpayer of a member of the
House of Commons to almost £200,000. Ed Balls, the Schools
Secretary, who was paid £157,076. He and his wife, Yvette
Cooper, the Housing minister, claimed between them more than
£307,000, including a combined £32,000 for the London home
they share. They have been accused of breaking the spirit of
the rules by using allowances to buy property in the
capital.
And of course that’s just what we pay them, not their
total income including directorships, consulting etc.
y’know- bribes. Thing is, even crooks aren’t bothering
anymore, it’s more profitable to use the capitalist system
as it now operates than buck it with old school mafia shit-
The
Mafia, memorably described as “bigger than U.S.
Steel” by mob financier Meyer Lansky, is more of an
illicit mom-and-pop operation in the new millennium…Things
are so bad that mob scion John A. “Junior” Gotti chose
to quit the mob while serving five years in prison rather
than return to his spot atop the Gambino family.
Still it’s not like a vicious system of capital based
filters is stopping people from attaining their potential-
If
you are wondering which university is the cheapest in
the United Kingdom, you now have your answer. It is Bradford
University in Yorkshire, where students pay an average of
only £40.51 a week for rent, according to a cost-of-living
index survey published exclusively in The Independent today.
The most expensive is the Royal Academy of Music in London,
on Marylebone Road, a stone’s throw from Madame
Tussaud’s, where accommodation costs a staggering £147.07
weekly.
Well over three times the weekly rent, should keep those
northern types out of the lovely rich peoples places in the
south, after all if you educate clever people they’ll stop
worshiping, aspiring and realise rich people aren’t like us,
they are way, way bigger assholes and then pull down the whole
sorry corrupt mess. Or…they’ll just watch
Pop/X/Big/Dancing/Factor/Idol and find paying to vote on who
gets to be exploited by corporations the most satisfies their
atrophying desire for self determination. One of the two…
The White House's
new spin: Climate change is good for you!
From
Pookyshoehorn for Ramblings
of a Madwoman
Yay! No more pesky cold
winters!
From White House
spokesperson Dana Perino:
"But it is true that
many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there
are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the
world would help those individuals."
The White House's
environmental lapdog, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ),
tried its best to support Perino with a straight face, saying:
"It is important to
consider both health risks and health benefits of climate
change. We rely on the best available science to guide our
policy decision process," said spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer.
CEQ used findings from the
UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, but
didn't quite give the whole story. From the AFP
the IPCC report states:
"Studies in
temperate areas have shown that climate change is projected to
bring some benefits, such as fewer deaths from cold
exposure," according to the Summary For Policymakers of the
IPCC report.
But "overall
it is expected that these benefits will be outweighed by the
negative health effects of rising temperatures worldwide,
especially in developing countries," it said.
Another section of the
report suggested a "mixed" impact on malaria,
restricting the range of the deadly mosquito-borne illness in
some areas, expanding it in others.
BLOG RECOMMENDATION
Let's try something just a tad bit different
tonight. I give you,
The History of the Button!
The site traces "the history of interaction design
through the history of the button, from flashlights to websites and beyond."
I believe it was Donald Rumsfeld who said that there are known buttons and
their are unknown buttons and there are buttons we have used that we
didn't know about. Or something like that.
REUTERS/K.C. Alfred/Pool (UNITED STATES)
“…naked Twister when y’all git done here?”
In the end to counter Bush's Forever
Wars and Control, Average Americans and the Military will come together to
keep our America Alive!
By James Joiner for An
Average American Patriot
 Yesterday
as we seem to be doing every day of late we discussed Bush's
drive towards World War three that in the end would result in
The collapse of the US, and other Western economies and morals
and a Significant population reduction using natural and
man-made disasters. However in 
what I learned during the course of the day yesterday about the
military and the California fires I see reason for hope and
America coming together again. This time to defeat if not Bush,
the world he has set against us!
This has turned into a crazy world indeed since Bush has been at
the helm. Bush likes to blame it on the world but he and largely
he alone has been driving the world down this horrible world as
it responds to his militancy. I want to thank Polishifter who
sent me this video yesterday to highlight my post and it is
still giving me chills. Watch the video! Tell me over and over
again my friend you don't believe we're on The
Eve of Destruction
I believe we are but I am increasingly buoyed by the knowledge
that we are developing the fortitude to come together and beat
him and what he has set in motion around the world.
It would be nice if the Government would come together and fight
the horror Bush has set in motion instead of bending to his will
in what appears to be a drive to gain favor and a future
position in this unfolding mess but I see from recent
developments that the two most important elements to see that we
avoid the scenario in the video, are coming together and that is
we the people and America's military.
Before this mess started on 9/11 because of growing emotions and
events in the past I was as many were I expect, concerned that
if we were faced with disaster let alone another war that our
youngsters and citizens would not be able to rise to the
occasion. I am happy to see that at least in war, including my
own sons, they are but I saw a lack of society as a whole coming
together to overcome overwhelming adversity. California burning
has shown us that we do have what it takes!
Of course the chief idiot is right there for a photo op and to
take credit for the Governments quick response but except for
the military and their equipment it has not been the Federal
Government that has risen to the task. It has been the citizens
of the country and the community and I am heartend at what I see
because this is what we will need to survive the mess Bush has
created for us around the world for a long time after he is
gone. . But first I want so say Bush the idiot is saying he has
learned from Katrina so this is going to go better but that is
BS because his efforts have yet to come into play. Up to now it
has been all "the people" and the military and that is
what is going to get us out of this mess.
Anyway san Diego's Qualcomm experience starts with a volunteer
Hugger. hugger." Every person she signs in gets a warm,
heartfelt hug. Having lost her own home to foreclosure in March,
Sharey Shores says she has empathy for the suddenly homeless.
Her embraces may not be government-sanctioned, but they are
appreciated. "I can't tell you how many people say 'Thank
you. ... I needed that,'" Shores said. Welcome to Qualcomm
Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers and, for the time being,
thousands of people who have fled the California wildfires that
destroyed nearly 1,600 homes and burned some 679 square miles.
Some 76,000 people stayed in 42 San Diego County shelters
Wednesday night, county emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer
said. Those numbers were dropping as residents were allowed to
return home. Qualcomm Stadium housed 11,000 evacuees at the peak
of the disaster, but that number dropped to 5,000 Wednesday
morning. Those staying in shelters represented only a small
fraction of the nearly 1 million evacuees.
Conceived on paper as a safe -- if uncomfortable -- refuge for
thousands of people, Qualcomm Stadium has become in practice a
wonderland of surprises.Were it not for the absence of a Ferris
wheel, the tent city just inside the stadium's gates could be
mistaken for a county fair. Stiltwalkers stroll around the
grounds waving at gawking children. Food and drink are abundant.
Signs hawk free massages, acupuncture treatments and spiritual
aide. Math tutors -- admittedly not a staple of county fairs --
are available free of cost.
"The real purpose of this midway, however, becomes apparent
only at second glance. At a booth where one might expect to buy
cotton candy, a volunteer pharmacist dispenses aspirin and
antacid. Other tents are labeled "Safeco Insurance"
and "All State." Catholic Charities has erected a
tent, as has a local politician. And, in a cold slap of reality,
there is a drab tent where evacuees can privately read the list
of homes that have been destroyed.
The outpouring of help has been so massive that some volunteers
are being turned away, and donated food and water is being
stored in tents in the far reaches of the stadium's parking lot.
"If you need kosher food, we've got it!," exclaims
Phillip Dewitt, a defense department contractor who is
volunteering at the site. On Tuesday, volunteer teachers
outnumbered kids three to one, said Edwin Lohr, another
volunteer. Anitra Means showed up to volunteer on Tuesday and
found herself managing one of several food banks that seemed to
spontaneously appear on the midway's fringes.
Meanwhile, nearly 400 Red Cross volunteers from across the
country were to arrive in the San Diego area Wednesday, said Red
Cross worker John Degnan, who came in from Massachusetts. Also,
75 emergency response vehicles were coming to the region to
deliver meals and other supplies to shelters. Disaster experts
say planners sometimes focus on the negative consequences of
disasters, such as public panic or rioting, which are rare. And
planners rarely focus on the more likely consequences of
disaster -- massive outpourings of help. But whether by accident
or design, San Diego is offering emergency planners a lesson in
harnessing volunteerism. San
Diego shows what it will take
Anyway what San Diego has shown us in the way of acceptance,
cooperation, and coming together is what the entire country is
going to have to do in order to survive the future horror Bush
has set in play for us. But that is only half of the successful
equation.
The other half will be our loyal to our America, military. Bush
moved a step closer to war with Iran today by unilateraly
increasing sanctions against them in creasing the possability of
the military rebelling enmasse. We are seeing examples of just
that but it must be wider scale and we will discuss this half of
the equation to succeed into the future tomorrow.
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