Watching big insurance and the ole school Republicans battle to do away with reforms, and democrats, and just about everything and everyone against them brought me to research a little past history. Populist movements aren't new, but their ability to last and to be effective is. Never before have everyday people had the ability to align themselves, communicate, and act as one, as is evident today. Even wiith vast amounts of corporate money being spent on PAC'S, lobbiest's, cable news networks, politicians, and judges; Today, don't be seen attending some elitist style lobbying party these days, not with the internet frely flowing (especially Facebook, myspace, and twitter)youwill be on it. For "It" has changed the world of power brokering, meaning all that money and power that was being spent in purchasing government has gone to waste. It'sneeverbeen more evident than an evening with cable news tv. The populist movement that removed the GOP and their tin-eared breatheren. An historical example of populist movements would be Sid Hatfield, yes of the Hatfield-McCoy fame, and father of the mine workers union, ( Sid Hatfield (1893–1921) was Police Chief of Matewan, West Virginia during the Battle of Matewan, a shootout that followed a series of evictions carried out by detectives from the Baldwin-Felts agency. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sid_Hatfield ").
Chief Hatfield who came to the aid of the poorblue collar city folk and tried to prevent the mine corporation's privately hired detectives from evicting homeowners,(for things like union activity, political adversion, and self determination) was murdered on the courthouse steps along with friend Ed Chambers, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9980 .and became a Martyr. No charges have ever been brought for this public murder.
Sid seemed to have the ability to bring people together in a common goal, and the will to stand firm for what was right. The mega corporations of that time, in control of the town, county, state and federal government wouldn't have this, after all, they were bought and paid for. Of course, there was no internet at that time and certainly a huge corporation's spent money, was money you could count on forever. Today, big Corporation's and their recipients (i.e. GOP Today) appear to be showing the signs of disillusionment over this fact, that is the lasting effect of a financial power base being in demise and no longer in control. "Just can't seem to buy them anymore I suppose".
Anyhow, Sid Hatfield turned a populist movement into reality back then, especially as a Martyr; The West Virginia Mine War ("southern operators, closely linked financially with the big steel and railroad empires, had the statehouse at Charleston and most of the law on their side" (Bush/Cheney years?) http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1974/5/1974_5_58.shtml.
The union effort, atempts to forbid private detectives killing, arresting and beating locals all came to a climax after the murder of Police Chief Hatfield,(Blair Mountain) and comments by Frank Keeney speaksof such; "You’ve got Uncle Sam on your side now, and he won’t let you down. You can fight the government of West Virginia, but by God you can’t fight the government of the United States.”
Makes you wonder if FOX news and Glen Beck ever read this story.., or maybe they have? After all, democrats coming together have made insignificant, the republican machine and left them in dis-array, CEO's fired, Big Insurance now being leveled, politicians like the magnificent Grayson speaking up & out. Jobs and money coming back to our country.
THANKS INTERNET & SID HATFIELD
Today I was reading the excerpts (Dallas Morning News, Airline Biz Blog) concerning all those computer hacks that took place in connection to Kate Hanni's flyer rights activities. It certainly isn't a surprise that an air carrier might engage in computer hacking or acquire others to pursue such inteligience gathering activities. What is troubling was the behavior of the consulting firm (Metron Aviation) hired by the FAA (with our Federal dollars) to investigate the root causes of runway delays, and to seek out a valid outside analysis of the occurences. I would expect that having open discussions to be a vital and necessary tool perform that function. However, that does not seem to be the case, Flyer's rights and those assigned to perform the collection duties have been grossly attacked in an old school fashion. As stated here;
"In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Houston, Hanni is seeking at least $1 million in actual damages and $10 million in exemplary damages from Delta and Metron Aviation, a company hired by the Federal Aviation Administration to look at ground delays for airline flights."
How could something so simple,go so wrong, for the consulting firm (Metron Aviation) to posses, or even want to posses transcripts from such an activity, however it took place, is blatantly criminal on their part, and represents gross misconduct. The consulting company hired by the FAA seems to have ignored all basic conflict of interest concerns, and decidedly misrepresented and mis-used the public money that was paid to them by the government (FAA), blatantly working side by side in a corrupt manner with a carrier's senior management, in a manner not related to the purpose they were contracted. There actions suggest collusion, and in this manner suggests they were more interested in future contracts with the carriers they were studying and working with rather than supplying the FAA, the Administration,and the American people a credible result and analisys, suggesting it to be impossible to trust or rely on any end product that might be submitted.
Flyer's rights should be a simple issue, and one that any air carrier would want to be aligned with, to turn into a positive public relations moment,and give us, the travelers, something to feel good about. Unfortunately, whether it's maintenance;
(The FAA is coming down hard on airlines for safety violations. The government agency has proposed a $5.4 million fine against US Airways (LCC) and a $3.8 million fine against United Airlines (UAUA). The fines are for violations ranging from allowing aircraft to fly too many cycles between proper inspections to not following agency safety directives to discovering shop towels in engines that resulted in the engine having to be shut down mid flight.),
the passengers flying comfort, flight delays, lost baggage, etc.. or any other issue the normal, the plan is attack, just want to say No, and make it go away. Sounds sort of familiar, like an old Republican song from Bush/Cheney days gone by. These issues form a pattern and relate back previously mentioned cost-cutting methods of outsourcing maintenance to countries like El Salvador, or simply not performing maintenance checks altogether, pilot training and experience(as tackled by Congress yesterday), lay-offs at the terminals, and many other such areas. It's a good area for our democratic legislatorsand administrators to tackle, and put back upright. I for one, certainly have absolute confidence the new Obama Administraion, with Ray Lahood and Randy Babbit will "make it happen", It's the new way of hope.
good luck Kate, and thanks.
Attention all virtual phone bankers and volunteers! Our job is not yet done. The Georgia Campaign for Change needs your help to get out the vote for Jim Martin in the Senate runoff race against Saxby Chambliss! If you can make calls to voters in Georgia, or travel to Georgia, please follow the links below. From: Mike Schoengold Jim Martin's Campaign for Change mschoengold@martinvictory.com 941.518.4644Subject: Re: Virtual Phone Bankers Great speaking with you Charlie, here is the email I've been sending out to people in various networks. The main links to make sure people are aware of are the virtual call tool at : my.barackobama.com/call4martin <http://my.barackobama.com/call4martin> and the sign up sheet for paper lists at www.nationalfield.org/phonebank <http://www.nationalfield.org/phonebank> If anyone is interested in traveling, email us at volunteer@martinvictory.com First off, CONGRATULATIONS for being a part of the biggest political movement this country has ever seen. We're writing from the Georgia Campaign for Change headquarters to ask for your help to support Jim Martin's key Senate runoff race against Saxby Chambliss. We came within votes of winning on November 4, and with enough volunteer support we can win on December 2. We're asking you to <http://nationalfield.org/phonebank> organize phonebanks with your friends, neighbors, and teams to make calls into Georgia, and come here for Get Out The Vote, beginning Nov. 29th and running through Election Day, Tuesday, Dec. 2nd. <http://nationalfield.org/phonebank> <http://nationalfield.org/phonebank> Jim Martin is a strong Democrat who would give President-Elect Obama a chance to make change on day one. Senator Chambliss once told a group of supporters that homeland security would improve if the sheriff was able to "arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line" [1] and recently told a room full of Republican donors that "the other folks are voting this time." [2] The challenge is steep: many people here still don't even know there is a runoff. In order to pull this off, we need you to reach out to voters in Georgia, via phone and to come here for GOTV. Please enter your info into the webform: http://nationalfield.org/phonebank Thanks so much for your participation. Please help us elect Jim Martin, give President-Elect Obama a chance to make real change on day one, and show the world that the momentum for Democrats is mighty! Sincerely, The Out-of-State Volunteer Team, Georgia Campaign for Change volunteer@martinvictory.com http://www.martinvictory.com <http://www.martinvictory.com/> 1. http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=1235 , p. 128. 2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/chambliss-the-other-folks_n_139725.html Mike Schoengold Jim Martin's Campaign for Change mschoengold@martinvictory.com 941.518.4644
The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge. The blog 'Leisha's Random Thoughts' has translated the story.It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.“You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway,” the man behind the counter said.Mary had no money. Her new husband had traveled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.“I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions,” says Mary.As tears streamed down her face, she heard a “gentle and friendly voice” behind her saying, 'That's okay, I'll pay for her.”
It has been months since I have blogged here....weeks since I even looked at my page.
I have missed it, and been blessed by more than a few messages that I have been missed.
Thank you.
While quiet here, I have campaigned. The person to person, neighbor to neighbor way.
A few uncomfortable exchanges. Some harsh words.
More smiles, agreements, sense of belonging.
After talks like that, calls across the country, emails, and blogs -
I do have hope.
I also watch too much news.
And from that...I gain fear...even when the news is good.
I am, one who can worry.
Sleep has been uncharacteristically hard for me this last week.
Focus at work wandering.
I wonder...will it all come true?
Will there be another, even worse wrenching loss.
Worse, might there be efforts to steal that work?
And what then for this nation? for this movement? for me and my spouse?
So, I needed a way to respond to that.
First I came back here.
Read.
Went through dozens of emails here and in my private account - reading words and thoughts and hopes
of friends I have made because of this effort.
And...
I donated.
Not a lot. But more than anyone would say is prudent for me to be donating at this time.
And that is what helped.
Looking around at people I know spending days on end on the phone, on the blogs, on the streets helping, working, trying, doing what they can, it became so clear that this is no time for prudence.
It is instead, a time for thoughtful abandon of normalcy, and a two day spasm of effort, built of hope, and fed by my belief that the better world I long for, that I wish for others, ALL others with no exceptions, will have its greatest likelihood, in a Barack Obama Presidency.
So I say to all of you, for all you have done and are yet to do, Thank You.
I say to all who fear and worry as I do, BREATHE, SMILE, HOPE and then ACT - it helps.
I say to the world watching us - hang on and be hopeful with us and for us. I believe we will get this right and then be better friends and neighbors again.
I say to all who may - VOTE.
I say upward and outward with all the sincere desire in my heart- Please.
John
Phonebank Party at Obama HQ, 4925 Lacross Rd in N. Charleston on Wednesday, October 29.
This election will be decided by what we do in the few days left before the election. It's up to us to mobilize and turn out as many Barack Obama supporters to vote as possible.
Gather your friends, family and neighbors at your house to make calls and watch Barack's historic broadcast that will be airing from 8:00-8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 29 on FOX, CBS and NBC. Barack will use this time to talk directly to the American people about the principles and priorities that would define an Obama administration and how he plans to reverse the damage done over the last eight years.
Early voting has started in South Carolina. Charleston County, where I live, got their ballots in Monday. I voted today! Early voting is really easy to do. Just show up at your county voting center with your voter registration and a valid reason (i.e. I have to work all day, I'll be out of town, etc.). I encourage everyone to vote early and get other supporters to do the same. They're open on Saturday as well.
What about organizing some trips to take the college kids to the polls for early voting on Saturdays?
John McCain is saying that leadership is what we need right now, but McCain's leadership experience has lead us down the road to the economic troubles we are in right now! In 1991 he supported former Sen. Phil Gramm's bill that toar down the barriers that were put up after the crash of 1929. Those barriers put up the regulation that keep companies from taking risky moves that hurt the ecomony. Now McCain is saying we need regulation, although important, is not the problem it is greed. Flip-flop? What McCain fails to mension is that his cheif campain manager, Rick Davis, got I believe $15,000 a month from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to keep regulation away so they can make those risky moves and hurt the economy to help themselves and they got into trouble. Greed will always be in companies that is why regulation is essential in keeping companies in check.
McCain is now saying that we need to regulate cronism after 26 yrs. of being a deregulator. Deregulation is what got us into this mess. Do you want to take the risk of a "president" John McCain who will embrace the same policies of deregulation that has gotten us into this mess? I Don't! Yes, John McCain the economy is not your strong point. At a time like this we don't need to take the risk of a person of experience that records show is part of the problem. That is not a risk I or the American people need to take a part of! Thanks but no thanks, John McCain, your experience is not needed!
Jason T. Lowe
Join us at our phone banking center on Wednesday, September 10t. You'll meet our new Regional Field Directors, Ashley and Jane!
Time: 6:30-9pm
Location: Steelworkers Union Hall
1073 E. Montague Ave.
2nd Floor
(Historic North Charleston District - red building - enter at side door)
North Charleston, SC 29405
For those would rather not use your cell phones, we have eight phones!
