A meeting that you don't want to miss - especially if you're interested in learning from our local legen, Joel Salatin, about sustainable local food.
Creating a Local Food System that Works with Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin, third generation alternative farmer, creator of Polyface Farms, and author of many acclaimed
Permaculture Design Course: Sustainability Strategies for the Blue Ridge.
This event will be held at the Montessori Community School on Pantops Mountain located at 305 Rolkin
Rd. Charlottesville, VA. The suggested donation for the event is $15, and the proceeds will support the Blue
Ridge Permaculture Network. For more information and to register: contact Terry Lilley, 434-296-3963,
email: tygerlilley@gmail.com
· We are in an overwhelming consensus that our economic recovery plan needs to have a concrete focus, and that this focus needs to be on environmental sustainability. If we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and rely instead on sources of renewable energy, we will be able to solve the economic and environmental crises at hand (which will make us more able to then resolve issues related to education, healthcare, social security, etc.) We need to become more independent in our energy production. The current plan states that the government will double our investment in renewable energy; this isn’t enough. We spend almost nothing on renewable energy right now, and only doubling this investment would be missing a big opportunity for our nation’s development. Other ideas we support to help reduce our dependence on oil include: incentivize energy-efficient home renovations, place a small tax on each barrel of oil to fund renewable development, and apply a feed-in tariff to people who their renewable energy sources into their community grids.
· The second are of most concern that we currently have is in education. We believe that our current educational system is failing and that educational content has been spread out over the course of history; what used to be covered in 12 years is now being covered in college and graduate programs. College and graduate degrees are being valued less and less. We support an idea to restructure the welfare system so that it provides educational opportunities to those receiving welfare. These opportunities could be in the form of vocational training, such as in infrastructure and alternative energy sources, as well as general content knowledge. Another proposed change is that banks offer breaks on student loans due to the current economic crisis.
· Perhaps most importantly, the Obama Crossroads group has determined that we want to become more active and connected as a community. We want to hold a community-wide brainstorming session to address concerns in Charlottesville and the surrounding areas, and how we can unite to resolve each of these issues. Ideally this meeting would discuss the issues of renewable energy and education as described above, and foster bipartisan discussion among diverse members of the area. We believe that there is only so much progress that can be accomplished by the federal government, and that efforts to make these changes will be met with much opposition and bureaucratic “tape” to fight through. Localities need to learn how to depend on one another in order to foster security and progressive action in these troubled times.
· We believe that the current economic recovery plan is too vague. We agree that it needs to be transparent and that there needs to be accountability… but we feel that in it’s present state we don’t have enough information to hold anyone accountable to. We also fear that it is possible that it will be easy to manipulate information to make it seem like these goals are being met in their current vague form.
· We believe that the government at present is spending a lot of time discussing how to resolve our current problems, which is necessary. However, it is also necessary that there be deep analysis into the root causes of how we have gotten into our present situation. Knowing the causes will help us to find reliable solutions, as well as prevent us from making the same mistakes again in the future.
· We spent a lot of time discussing globalization v. localization. We think that both can help serve the welfare of the United States. We believe that we can’t exclude ourselves from other countries, but that we need to resolve our own problems before we will be able to do much good for others. Re-localization needs to be part of America’s long-term goal.
· It has been widely discussed in our group that it is very possible that at the end of this economic crisis, America will be better off that we are at present. Americans have lived beyond their means for too long, and might need this lesson in how to be less wasteful, more community-based, and more active within our government. We hope that this crisis will teach our nation a lesson about irresponsibility and greed, and that we will all take this opportunity to “grow up already”.
Hello,
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ObamaCrossroads
Yours at the Crossroads of Change,
Brian Prax
Registrars are open across Virginia today, click here to find out where and when your registrar is open for absentee voting.
After you vote, you should make sure that others get out and vote by signing up here. And if you do not have time today, you can still vote on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4th!
Enjoy these pictures of people voting absentee in Richmond!
Schmidt emphasized that with only four days left, we need to continue to utilize the technology that has brought us all together.
Sign up here to help Get Out The Vote .
We just sent out this e-mail:
Dear Scott,This is it. Get out the vote -- the final stage of a historic campaign here in Virginia -- has begun. This is when we prove that what we've built is real and can deliver the change America needs.We've talked to thousands of undecided Virginians and formed neighborhood teams to spread our message of change throughout our communities. But all of this work means nothing if we don't get people out to vote.Watch this short video about our strategy to win the commonwealth and sign up for a volunteer shift to get out the vote:We have the chance to make history here in Virginia. This is your chance to be a part of it.This plan won't work without you. What you do or don't do in the next two weeks will decide the outcome of this race.We can't risk waking up on November 5th to four more years of the same failed policies and the same cynical politics.Sign up for a shift and do your part in bringing this campaign across the finish line:http://va.barackobama.com/GOTVThis is our moment. We've worked too hard to let this slip through our hands now.Thanks,MitchMitch StewartVirginia State DirectorObama for AmericaP.S. -- If you will be gone from your locality on Election Day, or will be commuting to work 11 out of the 13 hours on November 4th, you can vote right now. Find out how:http://va.barackobama.com/voteearly
Dear Scott,This is it. Get out the vote -- the final stage of a historic campaign here in Virginia -- has begun. This is when we prove that what we've built is real and can deliver the change America needs.We've talked to thousands of undecided Virginians and formed neighborhood teams to spread our message of change throughout our communities. But all of this work means nothing if we don't get people out to vote.Watch this short video about our strategy to win the commonwealth and sign up for a volunteer shift to get out the vote:
I know many of you have seen or heard about the Hardball interview with Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann from Minnesota. If not, you can see videos in the link below. She made a very risky statement that Barack Obama is anti-American. It would be an injustice to the American political system to let a powerful political figure get away with these types of comments. We can not afford to have individuals in Congress who make these types of allegations. She went as far as hinting liberal = leftist = anti-American. Watch the tapes at the link below!
The upside of this interview is that her opponent in Minnesota raised over $100,000 in one day from outraged citizens. She does not deserve to represent this country making these types of allegations.
Take action and sign the petition against this Congresswoman!
http://www.censurebachmann.com/
McCain senior adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer on MSNBC today.
"As a proud resident of Oakton, Virginia, I can tell you that the Democrats have just come in from the District of Columbia and moved into northern Virginia," Pfotenhauer said, speaking of Democratic gains in that part of the state. "And that's really what you see there.
"But the rest of the state, 'real Virginia,' if you will, I think will be very responsive to Senator McCain’s message," she continued.
This comment reminds me of a child who isn't getting enough attention from someone so they say, "You aren't my friend anymore." I don't know about you all, but I find this statement very offensive. I was born and raised in Central Virginia, went to the University of Virginia, and then lived in Northern Virginia for four years as I began my professional career. I am proud to be a Virginian, no matter where it might be in Virginia that I take residence. The McCain campaign continues with their divisive comments and insults and continually take the low road. We need realy change in Washington, and not dirty politics.
As of today, 10/4/08, I have been straddling the fence as a voter between two candidates
for about 3 months. After avidly, albeit, mostly privately, being a supporter of Obama
gradually over the last 4 years (I lived in Illinois until 2005), I began studying the campaign
of Ralph Nader. I'm a voter who has leaned Democratic nearly 25 years; but twice, in 1996 and
2000, I voted for third parties. And here is why: I did not feel the major party candidates
were qualified or I felt they were ignoring the middle class/middle America section of the country.
But with Obama, I heard a populist's voice, a thoughtful and reflective judgment which I had heard
a few decades back from, yeah, you guessed it-Ralph Nader.
I have seen Obama drift too far into the areas that are not so populist since the summer,
and this is why I am on the Nader/Obama fence. I am fairly tired and bored with the Democratic
party's rag that Nader is a spoiler who is just out for himself. To me, someone who was a
teenager in the early 70s, this seems one of the most politically motivated and stupid evaluations
I have ever heard from either major party. I look on Nader as a national resource who is right now
being untapped-just at a time when we need all of our big brains working for us. I'm looking for
some 10% Obama lead by November, so that I can voice my opinion by voting for Nader-although
I just might go that way regardless. Obama's going to need minds like Nader's on his side-I
wonder if he will seek him out after the election? Or will the party rule govern everything he does
as president?
I canvassed for the first time today and I will fully admit I was very nervous. I walked into the Obama campaign office on the downtown mall in C'ville and sat anxiously through the training session. I was scared I wouldn't know what to say, would be put on the spot and unable to answer questions, or be greeted with unfriendly faces. Well, I can tell you none of this happened. People are very receptive and if they aren't... the beauty is that you can thank them for their time and walk away. While I didn't sign up any new voters (everyone was already registered, which is also a good sign), I did convince several others to volunteer and I consider that a step in the right direction. So my message to you is to consider volunteering yourself... it's worth it and also a great way to meet people in your community! YES WE CAN!
Katie
While I don't like to read too much into polls, and realize the sampling error is enough to fill the gap since it is so close... I've been checking the Gallup poll in a daily basis and am encouraged with the results! Obama gained yet another point today to make him in the lead by 5 percentage points.... hey, that covers the sampling error :-) We are making a difference! Yes we can!
Gallup Poll Friday September 19th - Obama 49%, McCain 44%
Stay encouraged!
I attended a rally for women on Grounds at UVA with Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and Lilly Ledbetter. Lilly is a 70 year old grandmother who retired from Goodyear in Alabama after 30 years and then found out she was paid far less than her male coworkers. She sued the company and was awarded damages by a court in Alabama but that decision was overturned by a controversial 5-4 decision when Goodyear appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that Ms. Ledbetter should have filed her claim within 6 months of the first instance, but ignored the fact that Goodyear kept the inequities secret. Ruth Bader Ginsberg said in her dissenting opinion that the ruling "made no sense".
After a few words from Dr. Biden and Ms. Ledbetter, Michelle Obama wowed the crowd with a rousing 20 minute speech, telling us that Virginia will make the difference in November but that we have to keep up our commitment over the next seven weeks. "Don't let November 5th be filled with disappointing 'What if's'!" she told the crowd.
It was a high octane moment for the group on hand. Michelle said she hoped there were some undecided voters and even some supporters of the "other team" (never mentioned the ticket by name), so that we can begin to convince them that only one team has the best interests of working families in mind -- the team of Obama/Biden!
What if we could put money where John McCain's mouth is?
What if we could use his false mantra of "change" to fuel the REAL campaign for change?
What if we could literally capitalize on McCain's empty rhetoric?
YES WE CAN!!!
How???
By hosting a Change for Change Debate Party. Next Friday, 9/26 at 9pm is the first nationally televised debate. We here in C'ville VA will be watching and hoping for that great "CHANGE" to fly. Every time either candidate says it, we'll be pitching in our pocket change to boost Barack's campaign for the change we really need.
Imagine the reaction in the McCain camp to know that every false utterance of the word from their candidate is helping to put ours one step closer to the White House.
Please join in! Let's make this a simultaneous nationwide fundraiser, and let's let McCain profess his empty message of change all night. In the end, it will only help lead us to victory!
We all need a little motivation! Watch this video of an Obama speech turned into a music video with some well known faces ;-) YES WE CAN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
