Progress Now Action

The American Ambassador to Iraq and the Iraqi Foreign Minister have signed an agreement requiring US Forces to leave Iraq. No, this isn't another predictive "dream" story of the pending Obama Administration; the Bushies did (or, allowed) this.

So much for all of the GOP talking points and faux news air-time devoted to "...no arbitrary deadlines." The current news sound-bites are full of controversy and contradiction from inside Iraq. But, the American conservatives are being surprisingly quiet.   Read More »

This was not the one-word headline I expected to see in this morning's Foreign Policy magazine Morning Brief email.  Similarly, the Financial Times brought gloomy articles confirming the depth of the current fiscal decline.

 

"Falling by more than 20 percent over seven straight trading days, the U.S. stock market's recent performance now meets the standard definition of a crash."  - FP Morning Brief, 10 October 2008

 

this is the first attention grabbing fact from FP.  Realistically a seven point consecutively repeated 20% downward trend line is what I've always called a "death-slide." 

 

It's a very effective way to get the attention of executive decision-makers and mid-level managers.  I've seen motivation and attention to detail factors show a marked increase. 

"Investors have lost an estimated $8.4 trillion dollars so far this year, with the Dow Jones industrial average sinking another 678 points or 7.3 percent Thursday."  - FP Morning Brief, 10 October 2008 

My proposal is to add this figure to the existing National Debt burden enacted by the current occupant of the White House.  In addition to being a condemning legacy of this presidency, it should be a lesson in who, and how, to elect the next president.

 

Personally, I'm watching the value of my supposedly solid Federal employee Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account in a similar decline.  Holding a large percentage of my shares in a Standard & Poors 500 fund isn’t such a happy place at the moment.

Johne at SquareState has blogged about how deceptive and injurious this amendment would be to Colorado's working people.

 

   Read More »

I was listening to yesterday's news about the current occupant of the White House on his farewell tour of Europe. This phrase was used by the reporter in the form of, "The last visit to Europe by President Bush."

I realized that this is a very positive development. I'm looking for more "lasts" of anything and everything for the coWH. The case against the mis-administration regarding Iran is particularly damaging.

It's clear that since entering office that the coWH has acted against the best interests of the United States on relations and policies towards Iran; the jumbled focus of his European tour sound bite script. Rather than advancing the best interests of the US, the current mis-administration has consistently played to the advantage of Ahmadi-Nejad and the ruling Iranian radicals.   Read More »

Admittedly, there is a certain personality type that thrives on anonimity and obscurity. I would hope that someone active on ProgressNow would not be part of that group.

So it continues to perplex me when I see piles of "User from, ????" as the name on so many member profiles and blog comments. All of the Groups seem to be over-run with legions of people named "User from, ????" (Oh, and Bobby and Michael and Alan and John K are always there too.) Can it really be that hard to create a pen-name - nickname - logon name, etc?

Consider that I'm so non-creative that I just use my real first name and last initial. I'm not even fun enough to be neon, or something colorful like that.

Point is folks, put a little effort and fun into this. I know your parents and grandparents didn't want to you to be known as "User from."

Colorado's 4th Congressional District representative Marilyn "Miracle Make-over" Musgrave is moving into high-risk territory this Sunday, July 15th. At 6:00 PM she'll be one of the Newsmaker guests on "Your Show" produced by 9News and broadcast on Channel 20 (Channel 9 - lite).

There are a couple of possibilities:

1) That MM's supporters, special interest contributors and staff handlers have been banking up a massive number of soft-touch question submissions for this show, or

2) She has made MASSIVE miscalculation by agreeing to this appearance, and we have a unique chance to deliver a lesson in reality to MM.

Folks it's time to stand-up, brush off those stacks of Marilyn Makes Me Mad press clippings and put MM back in your cross-hairs (OK, make her your target for Progressive indignation for all of the non-hunters/vets). This is just too easy to pass up.

Here's the link to the webpage Link

A short down scroll reveals the "Your Turn" boxes. Either one will activate a pop-up from your email to send your question to 9News.

Don't miss out on the chance to vote in their poll on the Iraq War. The "pull-out" position is currently leading against the current occupant and the Senate Republicans.   Read More »

Either the decision-makers at CBS News have totally lost their nerve following the Don Imus scandal; or Karl Rove's bag of tricks includes a direct line to Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Corporation and Sean McManus, President of CBS News.

Remember when shock-jock Don Imus used racist and misogynistic terms to refer to a women's college basketball team? Well, it took CBS two weeks to fire him for that, but it only took them TWO DAYS to fire a respected General who had served with distinction in Iraq for speaking out against the current occupant of the White House.

General (Retired) John Batiste is one of the deeply courageous few who have joined General (Retired) Wes Clark and VoteVets.Org in speaking the truth about how this nation is being destroyed by the war in Iraq. CBS shouldn't be censoring or firing people for speaking their mind.

A petition urging CBS to re-hire General Batiste is under-way. Reversing the reprisal and intimidation of the original "firing" of General Batiste is a minimal step: I want to see a full-fledged apology -- on the air!

Do what you can to support a distinguished soldier restore some of his honor and reputation.

Link

There's more information on the firing on that page, too.

We had a little fun with 'Foxy' the fox today... NO, not That Kind of Fun!

We heard that Frontier was doing a Campaign Interview style promo for the 'Foxy' Frontier's Favorite Animal at the Civic Center today across from the City Hall. So we thought this would be great test of our Concept of Instant Vigils.

We flew downtown and did a 'one indian' to their 'circle the wagons' maneuver. The media types applauded my arrival but grumbled later when they had trouble getting a shot without our signs in the background.

Our sign on one side said.

Call Foxy and tell her to
Stop the Iraq War
and impeach Bush

and on the other side

Call Foxy and say
Stop the War and
impeach Bush.

Amazing the amount of eyeballs these signs got.

It was Fun...
you all shoulda been there.

Maybe next time, eh! Join Us.
Impeachment can be fun.

John

WeeklyVigilsToImpeach.Us
Link

ProgressNowAction Member
Link

Ever sat down and listened to a filibuster? Sometimes it's interesting, sometimes it's a bunch of petulant Republicans overly enamored with the sound of their own voice. Like today, reports Colorado Confidential:

A bill that seeks to make it easier for labor unions to obtain job shops, places where newly hired workers are required to join a union where a union election has been won, is being debated at this moment in the Senate chambers, with Republican lawmakers looking to attach amendments to the measure.

Sort of. What they're really looking to do is waste everyone's time with speech after inarticulate speech about how they hate unions. Rumor is they'll go all night if they have to.

Here's the deal: this bill does nothing to "hurt business." All it will do when passed is preserve the integrity of union representation in a shop after the employees vote to join one. This bill is the same bill that has been introduced every session for years now. There's nothing radical about it.

Only difference? There's a governor who may actually sign it this time, and Republicans have very little to talk about right now. So little, incremental issues become giant freakouts that allow them to keep talking.

Cheers to our longsuffering progressive legislators, who have more patience than I would have in this situation. I would be the guy loudly ordering take-out on my cell and screwing with their microphone to produce ear-splitting feedback, remembering Ludlow all the while.

Now that the ballot initiatives for this November are being sorted out, we've been working hard to update our 2006 Direct Democracy Center with the latest information.

In the next few days we'll be rolling out an enhanced site, including full information and organizing portals on the judicial term limits and 65% "education solution" initiatives -- in addition to the existing portals on domestic partnerships, minimum wage, and lobbying reform.

Also, several GOTV and election monitoring organizations have contacted us about including portal pages for their efforts. They'll be online shortly as well as part of the Direct Democracy Center.

Watch your email, we'll announce our rollout of these important new resources soon.

Four ballot issues will play a major role in shaping the outcome of this November's election in Colorado: minimum wage, lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, and reproductive choice. It is more important than ever for progressives to be informed on the ballot issues so that we can counter the efforts of the far right to use them against us.

Join us next week in Grand Junction at a special meeting with representatives from the lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, minimum wage, and reproductive choice initiative groups. You can learn first-hand the facts about four initiatives that could help determine the outcome of the election. You'll also learn more about how ProgressNowAction members can get involved in the ballot issue campaigns.

Time: Tuesday, August 15 at 6:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Maria Handley

Location: Garfields Restaurant and Pub
2148 Broadway
Grand Junction, CO 81503

Click here to rsvp: Link
We look forward to seeing you a week from Tuesday.

Just sent to our network:

Dear ProgressNowAction Network Member,

I'd like to extend a personal invitation for you to join me on August 15th to support Colorado's minimum wage workers. A minimum wage worker in Colorado earns just $5.15 per hour, the same as the federal minimum wage rate. Working full time, that's just under $11,000 annually -- not even enough to lift a single parent with one child out of poverty.

In a nation of our wealth, it's just wrong for any American to work full-time and still live in poverty. It's a crisis situation for workers who've been stuck at the same rate for the last decade, but the Bush Administration and conservatives in Congress continue to turn their backs on working families.

That's why a group of Coloradans is placing an initiative on the November ballot that will increase Colorado's minimum wage to $6.85 per hour. As a member of Colorado's largest network of progressives, you have the power to help pass that ballot initiative and to make a difference in the lives of Colorado's working families.

On August 15th at 6:00 PM, ProgressNowAction network members will gather together in house parties all across the state to write letters to other Colorado voters in support of the minimum wage increase. I am honored to join the house party attendees at 6:30 PM for a conference call to talk about this critical ballot issue and how we can make sure it passes.

Click on the following link for details and to organize or attend a house party on the 15th:

Link

I'm excited to be part of this important effort, and I want to thank ProgressNowAction and their coalition partner, the Colorado Progressive Coalition, for organizing it.

I look forward to joining you all on August 15th!

Sincerely,

Senator John Edwards

Four ballot issues will play a major role in shaping the outcome of this November's election in Colorado: minimum wage, lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, and reproductive choice. It is more important than ever for progressives to be informed on the ballot issues so that we can counter the efforts of the far right to use them against us.

Join us next week in Colorado Springs at a special meeting with representatives from the lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, minimum wage, and reproductive choice initiative groups. You can learn first-hand the facts about four initiatives that could help determine the outcome of the election. You'll also learn more about how ProgressNowAction members can get involved in the ballot issue campaigns.

Time: Thursday, August 10 at 6:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Maria Handley

Location: Penrose Public Library (Colorado Springs, CO)
20 N. Cascade St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903


Click here to rsvp: Link

Please also forward this email to your friends and neighbors and invite them as well. We look forward to seeing you a week from Thursday.

Four ballot issues will play a major role in shaping the outcome of this November's election in Colorado: minimum wage, lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, and reproductive choice. It is more important than ever for progressives to be informed on the ballot issues so that we can counter the efforts of the far right to use them against us.

Join us for a series of special meetings with representatives from the lobbying reform, domestic partnerships, minimum wage, and reproductive choice initiative groups. You can learn first-hand the facts about four initiatives that could help determine the outcome of the election. You'll also learn more about how ProgressNowAction members can get involved in the ballot issue campaigns.

Time: Wednesday, July 26 at 6:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Bobby Clark
Location: Harmony Library (Fort Collins, CO)
4616 South Shields
Fort Collins, CO 80526

Time: Thursday, August 3 at 6:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour
Host: Maria Handley
Location: Pueblo Main Library (Pueblo, CO)
100 E. Abriendo
Pueblo, CO 81004

To RSVP for the Fort Collins event, click here.
To RSVP for the Pueblo event, click here.

We look forward to seeing you!

Gays: check.
Women: check.
Mexicans: check.
Working people:

Bid to increase minimum wage nixed

The Republican-controlled Senate refused Wednesday to raise the minimum wage, rejecting an election-year proposal from Democrats for the first increase in nearly a decade.

The vote was 52-46, eight short of the 60 needed.

"I don't think the Republicans get it," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, who backed a proposal for a three-step increase in the current wage floor to $7.25 an hour...

If you take at look at ProgressNowAction's new Direct Democracy Center, you'll see there's a blog feed for each of the four major initiatives we're following this season.

Here's the cool part: the content of those blogs is populated by our bloggers here on the main site: this means you.

Blogging at ProgressNowAction is as easy as MyProgress, where you can easily set up a free account if you haven't already. Once you're there, it's just as easy to help us keep the content of the Direct Democracy Center up to date.

Each DDC blog is a "group blog" feed from ProgressNowAction. All you need to do is join one of these four key groups (subject to addition as other initiatives gain importance):

CO-Equality: Domestic Partnerships Portal
Broom Brigade: Ethics in Government Portal
Corporate Accountability: Minimum Wage Portal
Women's Network: Reproductive Choice Portal

When you're posting a blog from your MyProgress page, there will be a checkbox for these and other groups you've joined. Click the appropriate boxes and your blog will appear on the related feed in the Direct Democracy Center. That's it!

We're getting a substantial amount of traffic to these pages already, so make sure your stuff is there for the people to see. And thanks again for all your contributions. Keep 'em coming.

What if the super wealthy owned more than half of everything?

What if, by one measure of wealth concentration, the top one percent of wealth holders were on course to own all corporate wealth in just twenty-five years?

Extrapolating from an analysis of wealth accumulation derived from data on the Congressional Budget Office web site, that appears to be happening. The TOPs (Top One Percent) of America's wealthy already do control more than half the nation's corporate wealth, according to the report. In twelve years, from 1991 to 2003, they increased their share of corporate wealth by almost nineteen percent.

By this measure, all other categories (the other ninety-nine percent of us) have been steadily losing our share of corporate wealth.   Read More »

Is a Bush administration official offering a phony Colorado excuse?

Or could this little-noted excuse be true, yet reveal something of significance about the administration's values?

The story was reported in the West Virginia Charleston-Gazette:

[Senator] Byrd also used the meeting to "dress down" acting MSHA chief David G. Dye for leaving in the middle of a Monday Senate hearing on mine safety, Rockefeller said. [...]

Byrd said Dye's departure was a "gross error" and a "very arrogant thing for him to do," especially after subcommittee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., specifically asked him not to leave.

"They don't want to answer questions -- that's why this man left the hearing," Byrd said. [...]

Dye told senators the hearing had "diverted" him and other MSHA officials. He said they needed to leave in order to, in part, deal with a mine fire in Colorado.

Apparently, Dye was referring to a fire at Arch Coal Inc.'s West Elk Mine. That fire has been burning since November. The mine is temporarily closed, and there were no reports this week of any emergency situations there. [emphasis added]

But what is the real urgency with the West Elk Mine?   Read More »

Here's an update to the story and podcast about Michael Skolnik that I published last week.

His parents started the group called Colorado Citizens for Accountability (you can join up with this group by clicking here....go get involved!)

They held a press conference on Friday to announce their group and had good attendence. Here is the follow up letter from Patty Skolnik, Michael's mother and the founder of Colorado Citzens for Accountability:

Diane Carman from the Post and Karen Abbott's stories both hit today. As always there were some misquotes but the articles were good for the most part. With the press conference which was a success 120 people. The spot on local CBS news on Sunday and these two press pieces we are off to a great start. This was the first of many. We used Med Mal for this first run but I need for all to get in touch with me about other issues such as workmen comp, defective homes, insurance issues bad faith anythng that you feel people are continually victimized by and no one is doing a thing about it inluding the justice system. I need volunteers to go to legislative hearings, fundraising efforts, marketing for new members.. everyone will need to write to their legislators and I will let you know when.etc. Think about how you would like to help and let me know. Legislation is now in session and we will need to be active. We thank you for your support.

Warm Regards,
Patty
www.coloradocitizensforaccountability.org

Click below to hear Michael's moving story.
Choose a format (select 'MP3' if unsure):

mp3 Versions:
Complete version of the interview, 31:30 minutes, 14.7MB
Long verison of the interview, 25:30 minutes, 11.9MB
Short verison of the interview, 17:00 minutes, 8.0MB

WMA Versions:
Complete version of the interview, 31:30 minutes, 14.9MB
Long verison of the interview, 25:30 minutes, 12.1MB
Short verison of the interview, 17:00 minutes, 8.1MB

Podcast XML

One miner is injured in an explosion and will soon die. Twelve miners walk through the mine without necessary information or direction, their lives also in mortal danger.

The communication system has failed and ventilation controls were damaged during an explosion, allowing the buildup of dangerous gases. The emergency response is deficient, it fails to protect and evacuate miners at risk.

But this was not the Sago Mine in West Virginia. This was Brookwood, in Alabama, September of 2001. There had been a methane explosion, injuring four miners. Three were carried to safety. A second, larger explosion took the lives of the miner immobilized in the first blast, and twelve would-be rescuers. It was one disaster in an endless thread of disasters, a continuing calamity across the ages.

In 1815 a young coal miner transcribed his last thoughts for his mother in the Heaton Main Colliery, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "Fret not, dear mother, for we were singing while we had time, and praising God."

Today we read a bittersweet note penned by helmet's glow, testimonial to another bitter heartbreak: "Tell all I'll see them on the other side. It wasn't bad. I just went to sleep." To the mothers, the families, the close-knit coal communities, we're two centuries on and nothing's changed.   Read More »