Dear Representative Henderson,When do you think we will get a light rail system or decent bus system here in Idaho? I live in north Idaho and it would be so easy up here because we only need 2 routes for a light rail system and it would ease the burden on our roads and make us more energy efficient. One route would go alone I-90 to connect us to Spokane, WA and Montana and the other route would go along Highway 95 to reach the fast growing communities north and help with all the wrecks on the very busy commute route. Please put in a good word for getting Idaho smart, community focused and energy efficient. Thank you, Amylouise Adira
Hello! Well I am very glad that my letter to the editor was published in my local paper and the paper of the county to our north (I got an email from a campaign friend living in Sandpoint). Here is my letter:
RECOVERY: How wise is rejection?
Congress recently passed the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act to prevent the U.S. from sinking into a second Great Depression. In celebration of Idaho values, I would like to suggest that Idaho not partake in the benefits of this recovery.
It is clear from letters to the editor and state and federal voting records that Idahoans enjoy poverty of every kind, from the poverty of ideas to poverty of economy. Idahoans seem to love government buildings that wastefully consume excessive energy instead of streamlined buildings full of energy-saving retrofits installed by employed locals. We enjoy poor roads and crumbling bridges instead of jobs that improve them.
Why fix schools when we are nearly successful with being last in the nation for quality of education? If we improve school buildings to be more cost effective and energy-efficient, the students and teachers might get the wrong idea that we value them.
Healthcare is another area we don't need help. Being sick and without healthcare is our right and we don't want data entry jobs to input medical records into computers or have energy-efficient hospitals. If we employ those people and fix the system, too many would enjoy employment, and if we improve the energy efficiency of buildings and streamline paperwork, it will bring the cost of healthcare down. How can we possibly enjoy a good depression if we stay healthy?
As the rest of America sinks to our level of joblessness and foreclosure they moan and complain. Here in Idaho, a state that has voted Republican for decades just so we could successfully abolish the middle class, clean air and water, and dependable infrastructure, we value our right to fail our population. It is important for Idaho to see the wealthy get tax breaks while we salute their success from the doubled unemployment lines. We revel in the culture wars that encourage citizens to leave the packing up of possessions in foreclosed homes long enough to vote to thwart the civil liberties of neighbors.
Idaho has a plan to fully live out the trickle down theory of economics until every Idahoan has lost their job, failed their children through lack of education, and has no more air to breathe; we don't need the pesky feds coming up with money for jobs. They can keep their "change;" our status quo is failing us just fine. We welcome a Great Depression of our own making, so "thanks, but no thanks" to economic recovery.
AMYLOUISE ADIRA
Post Falls
3/9/09
Hi Obama family,Just writing to share that we can all make a difference - AND that I am really proud of my granny. She is white, 82 years young, lives in an assisted living house and thinks Barack Obama is "a breath of fresh air." Before the MT primary she let me come to her place and we made calls. So I forwarded to her this action about "the View" and she just wrote back:
I'm sorry , but I didn't make a copy of what I said. I just took it out of my head.. As near as I can remember, it went something like this:What co-host Hassleback said on "The View" about Senator Obama being for the Iraq war at the beginning is a complete lie which needs to be corrected on the air, plus an on-air apology to Senator Obama for the false statement. It's just this sort of thing that makes it difficult for honest people to do right. I expect to hear a sincere apology on air on the show and expect the producers to bring her misstatement to her attention in a firm manner. At this point her integrity is in question.I hope it's OK - what I said. When the 3 kids were little, lying got a much more severe punishment than anything else they could have done. I still feel that way, and can get my hackles up in a heartbeat. Thanks for letting me vent. Granny
She has agreed to write for Obama so keep the ACTIONS coming. This one was done so well with:1. a link to get to the responding point 2. a clear description of what was wrong such as the circumstances and who said what 3. it already had a kind of "script" or idea of what needed to be said. This weekend I will visit her and show her the "Digg" sight. That should be fun for her, too. - Lou in IdahoOn Jun 9, 2008, at 3:00 PM, Lisa wrote:The co-host, Hassleback, made a complete misstatement about the position of Senator Barack Obama on the Iraq war. She asserted that Senator Obama was aligned with President Bush on the Iraq War and only now is taking a different position. The show immediately broke for a commercial. After the break, the show returned with the co-hosts on a new subject. Please correct this - and be as public with your correction, as you were with the initial falsehood.Submit to http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/askand CC the following people:Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 jonathan.m.newman@abc.comPeter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) 212.456.5105 peter.salinger@abc.com
Well we are in it now - onto the general election for POTUS! I decided to step up my efforts to help Barack Obama. On Monday night, the night before Obama earned the nomination for the Democratic Party Nominee, I attended a meeting here in Kootenai County Idaho and got inducted as Precinct Captain for Precinct #43.
I was asked to stand up and introduce myself and say "why I wanted to be a precinct captain" (this was because I was appointed into an empty spot and not elected in) and I didn't know I would be asked to speak. So I just stood up and said something to the effect of:
"My name is Amylouise and I would like to be a precinct captain because I have been inspired by my presidential candidate who has said that change happens from the ground up. I would like to do my part locally to help nationally because Idaho continues to be embarrassed on a national level such as on Countdown's 'Worst Persons.' (group acknowledgement) We may not be able to turn Idaho blue for 2008 but I think we can turn it purple and then my plan is help turn it blue to help my candidate in 2012." (applause) I am happy that I got accepted in and then also as Legislative District 4 Secretary.
Now the work begins and I am anxious to get started. I was so thrilled to meet Katia, also a newbie PC (Precinct #46), and fellow Obamamerican who is also looking to get started.
We brainstormed together and came up to form the group "Kootenai County Idaho Precinct Captains for Obama" to connect with other local Obama supporters who are precinct captains and volunteers so we can pool our ideas, work together and cheer each other (and Barack) on. Please join and together we can change the county and if we change the county we can change the state and, well, you know the rest, all the way up to POTUS and beyond!
I just wanted to say, on the eve of these last primaries: Thank you to all of the fellow Obama supporters. This has all been truly amazing to be apart of. We have gotten to be on the winning team that was also the underdog team and the ONLY team that has been positive and stayed on message. After tomorrow, with whatever HRC does regarding the convention, we will be on the team of the Democratic nominee. I am just teary thinking about this. It's so hard to believe and such a relief and just so wonderful. I am so glad that the best candidate will be our nominee and still I am a little sad. Just a little and here is why. So far we have been the true believers working for Obama. After tomorrow we will expand as the only place to be for those who seriously don't want McCain. Of course we have been open and welcoming to all who want to support Barack. The difference will be adding those who may only come to be against McCain and not necessarily FOR Obama. There is a difference. This campaign is the first one in my lifetime that is FOR something. All I can remember, and the reason I was an independent, is the Democrats didn't have any of their own things to be for, they were just against whatever the Republicans were doing. We see that classic model in the rival Democrat campaign. It spent most of it's time being against Obama and not really for anything greater than the candidate's own quest for power.
Obama is a change from that status quo. He is FOR America, for all of us. My sincere hope is that new people will come here and truly be blown away by the positivity and depth and breadth of this campaign. That they will look around and watch some videos and find out they were lied to with the "empty suit" "no details" junk that they were told. I hope they become new true believers.
Going to general election mode will be good. I'm just feeling that same bit of sadness like the last day of the school year. "Yay it's summer! Bummer I'm going to miss our old class!" I just wanted to take a minute to be grateful for what we have had and what we have built together. We've built a strong campaign, from the ground up, ready to house new members. Thanks to a strong leader who leads by example, inspiring us to join, challenging us to get involved, and giving us the tools and thanks to all who saw the vision and answered the call. Thank you, fellows in Obamanation.
-Lou, Fired up to work with you "over the summer" getting ready for fall.
On Friday I got to do something truly fun. I got to make calls for Barack Obama with my grandma.
Growing up I watched Granny RenieLou write letters to have her voice heard and Grandpa Lee displayed his political views on the wall of his garage, so I saw from an early age that what "those folks in Washington" were doing made a difference in our lives all the way in "the sticks" of Washington State, AND that the "little people" (everyday Americans) had a say. Their example led me to always be interested in current affairs and what was going on and I've been, if not very active, a letter writer and a petition signer with Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, etc.
Barack Obama inspired both of us to get involved more than either of us ever have before in a campaign. He asked. Nobody had ever asked, so I never knew it was up to me to help or how. Then Obama comes along with the vision of the America we want, the voice of our struggles in the top-down system we have had my whole life, AND the tools to help! So, I have answered his call and my life is better for it, and I'm not the only one.
When I went to canvass in MT, Granny said something about "being younger" and "doing more." I knew that she had been making donations to the campaign, one through my fundraiser. Then, on the "Coundown with Keith Olbermann Fans for Obama" list serve some wonderful person posted the "how to link" for making calls and several of the examples were of ladies in my granny's generation who also wanted to "do more." Ah ha! I called my mom so see if she would watch my 2 year old - because NOBODY can be on the phone with him around - he doesn't allow it. :) I went to Granny's and we set her up with a profile and clicked to make calls. She and I, with a phone on speaker, made calls into MT and talked to nice people. One in particular was great in that she was "suspicious of all three of them" yet kept an open mind while we chatted about her concerns. After my granny shared her heart about Barack Obama and backed it up by saying that she has seen a lot of 'em in 82 years and she believes Obama is the real deal, the woman said she will "for sure vote for Obama." Then she thanked us for calling her and for granny sharing her insights backed up by so many years watching the same old political games but not in Obama (who granny says is a "breath of fresh air"). She seemed genuinely relieved to have made a decision and grateful for the call.
For me, I had the fun of time spent with my granny doing something bigger than ourselves that is only going to happen when we ourselves take up the task. I am grateful for civic minded grandparents, a mom who loves Obama and her grandson so will do play dates, a candidate who is showing us the way to create the changes we want, and a great coalition of Americans who embody all that is wonderful about this campaign. Thank you. "We are the ones we have been waiting for"
-Lou
I found a great way to keep my mind off the WV primary yesterday; I drove to beautiful Montana and canvassed for the one and only Barack Obama with three wonderful Obamericans. The trip was organized by the ever-positive Susan in Spokane. Nedra, Hope and I all carpooled to Missoula for a day trip. The lovely ladies from Spokane had a 45 minute trek just to get here to my car and then we had a 3 hour drive. We had a great chance to meet and listen to Barack speeches on my ipod (I know, so elitist) through the car speakers and discuss our favorite policy points and what we just love about our candidate and our campaign.
The Montana office is AWESOME! The volunteers are friendly, fun and were super appreciative of our coming to canvass. The office was FULL of volunteers making calls and working and we got to meet Pat from the national campaign who is stationed in Missoula from Chicago. They even had t-shirts to buy on the spot (no back order!!!)
We arrived in the morning and got our clipboards and maps and set out. A few blocks away we drove right past the Hillary office and it was nearly deserted. We got lost and ended up in a ritzy neighborhood and saw an Obama yard sign so we knocked on the door to get help with the directions. The homeowner was a lifelong Republican with 3 business sites in Mexico. He said it was time to stop voting by party and to start voting by candidate and he loves that Barack Obama brings people together and has a strong and positive vision of America. And he gave us directions, so we were on our way.
Our neighborhood was lovely. I had never canvassed before so I was glad to be paired with Nedra who is a pro. The campaign has gorgeous and informative brochures just for Montana, a really elegant brochure with the full text of "A More Perfect Union" speech, and I took my copy of the Blueprint to thumb through.
Who we met: A lot of folks were not home (it was a workday) but several were. We met all types: Republicans, folks who already voted absentee and "don't give out that information," one lady who thought our candidate was a socialist (?) and one who thought Wright was a hateful man (I gently mentioned that Rev Wright brought Obama to Christ, but she was focused on hate so we thanked her and left), some genuine undecideds who were interested in talking and finding out more, and quite a lot of enthusiastic Obama supporters! One lady opened the door and said "Oh no, not for Obama, he would be great for the NBA." I agreed that he is very talented in a lot of areas, including the 11 years experience as an elected official. After a few minutes, she wanted to see more of the Blueprint and she shared her disappointment of McCain, who her Arizona sister warned her against. She ended saying she was impressed that Obama sent us to see her and she was going to "keep an open mind." Yay! What else can we ask for? Barack will be an obvious choice for anyone with an open mind. One gentlemen pointed to his Hillary yard sign (we hadn't seen it until we were at his gate) but as we thanked him and were walking away he motioned for us to come back. He said he would vote for Obama if he is the nominee and that "Obama is looking better every day." I agree! We covered nearly every house on our map and I think we made a real difference.
At the end of a long day we went back to the Obama office and it was still full, with all different volunteers! They are really working for Obama there. The Hillary office was on our way out of town and when we looked in, there was only 2 people in there. Be sure that the Obama Montana team is doing a great job, and is very appreciative of all help - so drive there or make some calls. I am really glad to have been allowed the chance to participate.
Yes We Can in Montana!
Help me help Obama, the candidate that inspires millions of us to step out of our comfort zones to make a difference: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/FirstTime
-Lou in Idaho
I received this in my email today:
Barrack Obama will win the Democratic nomination but still needs your vote! The Idaho primary is coming up soon, on May 27th. We need you to vote in this primary – We need to show that Obama will win in Idaho’s primary as well as our caucuses!
I’d like to help make voting in the primary easy for you by encouraging you to
Vote-by-Mail:
You can print out a vote-by-mail (“absentee”) ballot request from the following website:
http://www.co.kootenai.id.us/elections/AbsenteeBallotApplication.pdf
Note: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ABSENT TO VOTE BY MAIL. “Absentee” ballots are actually “vote-by-mail” ballots.
If you prefer you can call the county election office and ask how to get an “absentee ballot request” form.
Vote-by-mail ballots are available NOW but the signed request form must be received by the election office before May 21st. If you are not yet registered to vote, you must go to the New Kootenai County Election Office. You can register to vote and then vote at the same time. Be sure to bring some proof of residency – like a water bill in your name at your current address.
Kootenai County’s New Election Office is located at:
1808 N. 3rd St.Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814-3407(208) 446-1030Deedie Beard, Supervisorkcelections@kcgov.us
Please take care of this important task before it slips your mind. And while you are voting, be sure to vote for your Democratic Precinct Chair. If no one is running for precinct chair in your precinct, let me know and I’ll help you become one!
Thanks,
Justin StormoGipson
Chair, Kootenai County Obama for America Campaign
Chair, Precinct Organization
This group seems like a great idea. Keith O. is the only one I watch, though, so it's not much of a sacrifice to me.
I'm curious what everyone considers to be the Main Stream Media?
For my 2 cents, to get the conversation started, I consider ABC, CBS and NBC on TV mainstream because those are the "free"* channels that everyone can get. I read most Americans watch those and a lot of people don't watch cable news. *This might change in Feb 2009, right, when everything goes digital?
Does CNN or MSNBC count as mainstream?
What about the magazines and their websites, like Newsweek and Time, etc.
What about the web? If it's on the web is it mainstream since no website is any harder to get to than another? theNation is just as easy to access as ABC, CNN or MSNBC for example.
So, how do we define MSM? Limited to TV? Includes websites? Printed media?
Just curious what you think.
