Progress Now Action

For several years now the evidence of the Alberto Gonzales gang's manipulation of the Federal Civil Service within the Department of Justice has been well publicized. The fact that right-wing political ideologues were being approved for career professional positions based on social issue orthodoxy, rather than competence and qualifications, is yet another blight on the scandalous legacy of the current occupant of the White House.

Today's report in the Washington Post reveals that this practice of burrowing right-wing political operatives into the Civil Service is also in-place in the scientific agencies. Perhaps this is the mis-administration's strategy for making permanent the Republican obsession for combating the truth of science with their twisted political and social priorities.

The Center for Public Integrity is soon to release their "Broken Government" study. The fund-raising teaser release promises 120 specific cases. This kind of investigative effort to hold the Bushies accountable as the mis-administration fades into oblivion is crucial.  Revealing and acting on the depth and breadth of this conspiracy is vital to the success of any reforms and corrects to the offenses of the past eight years.

The Obama-Biden Administration will be stretched and tested to uncover and flush-out these right-wing activists who have burrowed their way into the Civil Service like so many termites. The evidence of these infestations must be met with quick action.

Executive appointees selected for positions above these people must be prepared to take every possible action within the laws and regulations of the Civil Service structure to either get them dismissed, or make it too hard for them to stay and accomplish their nefarious goals. Attention to the selection of the Administrator of the Office of Personnel Management will be a key to success in this area.

Various Executive agency inspectors general must be supported in investigating these political opportunists. IF they are found to be substantially unqualified for the job description that they were hired to fill, then it should be clear grounds for dismissal as an unlawful appointment.

The Obama-Biden appointees who are saddled with these burdens must enforce clear, precise and enforceable performance standards. When confronted with qualitative requirements to enforce and perform based upon laws and regulations that these infiltrators are likely to hold ambitions to undermine and avoid, could more easily force them to resign.

Even in its demise the minions of the current mis-administration are appearing to be increasingly unwilling to follow the current occupant of the White House and the vice out of Washington. This certainly adds to the challenge and urgency of establishing the new administration's executive leadership. Too many months and too many acting, caretaker, leaders in the executive departments will make it all the harder to untangle the tentacles of the Bush parasites.

OBAMA CITY, JAPAN:  Banners on parade and dancing in the streets with shouts in English "YES WE CAN"

KENYA:  Dancing in the streets - 2 days of national holiday declared amid chants of "YES WE CAN"

FRANCE:  People pour into the streets of Paris amid dancing and singing there are shouts "YES WE CAN"

LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA....ALL OVER THE WORLD: The REVOLUTION has been legitimized, accepted and praised.

              WE actually won the 2nd revolution for the United States of America.

I wasn't goofing off because it was a holiday weekend, I swear! JUST as I was patting myself on the back last Friday evening for being almost caught up, I noticed I was suddenly awfully congested in my chest. As though it had been booked for a tour by Bronchitis and the Wheezers, the atonal faux-accordion-pop group.

So I was mainly in bed from then until noon or so today. Thank goodness for my trusty laptop, which not only let me keep up virtually with the big world, but is warm and comforting to cuddle when you are sore from coughing.

Could have been worse, of course. In a funny co-incidence, as I was looking over the blogs I read on Wednesdays I found this article on Damn Interesting.com about The Heroes of SARS. It's an excellent overview of the epidemic from start to finish, showing how some things that are often politicized worked RIGHT for once. There's even a whistle-blower who got listened to! And not stomped on later!

By the way, if anyone is interested in ancient history, I did a write-up on my personal experiences and views of the State Assembly and Convention.

First part of Friday

Second part, Friday

Saturday

We have all been horrified by the scenes of devastation in China from the 7.9 Richter scale quake.  What we are seeing is a massive effort by the Chinese government to come to the rescue of its citizens during this time of national emergency.  With 100,000 troops and police being sent to aid in the rescue efforts in the province of Sichuan there has been extensive coverage by Chinese media.

I am wondering at what will Sichuan province look like in a few years? 

The worst natural disaster to hit an American region was Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The city of New Orleans is being rebuilt to a very different standard than what pre-Katrina NOLA was in both population demographics and urban planning to meet that demographic.

Why cannot New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward be restored and why cannot undamaged public housing be simply cleaned up and made livable for those who are now refugees?  There is no need to destroy those thousands of units of housing that had sustained minimal damage.  What is the plan except to raze them for housing that will have no tax burden to the City of New Orleans but will generate income for the city?  Even now there is the underground of protest against the destruction of the city that is called the soul of America. 

Will the province of Sichuan go the way of NOLA?  How will the Chinese deal with this great disaster?  Will the cities of Sichuan still be in a state of rubble and inattention like the Lower Ninth Ward of NOLA in three years?  (Because the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward are seeking the right of return to their homes still.)  Will the Chinese government see this as an opportunity to remove "undesirables" like the communities of New Orleans have done?

China should not imitate the dishonor and shame that is now the hallmark of the recovery of our American City of New Orleans. 

John Kerry sent out this email via Save the Internet Blog for commentary on Net Neutrality:

By Sen. John Kerry

This may be the only place I don’t feel the need to play up the importance of tomorrow’s Commerce Committee hearing on Net Neutrality.

When I’ve talked to other people – and when I post on other blogs – about this hearing, I always try to grab people’s attention and tell them that, even with the primary tomorrow, we need to keep our eyes on the ball when it comes to Net Neutrality and the future of the Internet...

Because – bottom line – our economic and political future is tied up in a free and open Internet, available to all Americans. That involves making sure the content of the Internet flows freely, and it involves expanding broadband to the urban and rural areas that are underserved with our current infrastructure...

So, I ask again: what would you like to see discussed in this hearing? And I’ll check back after the hearing to get your impressions on what transpired.

Thanks, John Kerry

If you have a stake in this then let him know (you have to register to leave a comment) now. 

I was interviewed live on Jason Bradford's The Reality Report on KZXY public radio in Northern California Monday, and this show is archived on the web, so if you're interested, I hope you'll check it out at:

 http://globalpublicmedia.com/hooked_on_growth_on_the_reality_report

We spend the hour discussing the documentary I'm producing, Hooked on Growth: Our Misguided Quest for Prosperity.

You might also want to check out my filmmaker's blog at the documentary web site.

 Dave