http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-09-29-income-gap-census_N.htm?obref=obnetwork
The above link is a very good article by USA Today featuring some recent census data. Among other things, it points out something very relevant to the next election:
"Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had higher poverty rates than the national average, many of them in the South, such as Mississippi (21.2%), Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana (each with 17.3%). That's compared with 19 states and the District of Columbia that ranked above U.S. poverty in 2007."
I can remember growing up in the 50’s, when our communities were more self-sufficient. To me, Affirmative Action divided and destroyed what semblance of togetherness we had as a people. Affirmative Action was designed to Window Dress, creating a crabs in the barrel black society.
Affirmative Action is kinda like the Pyramid schemes. Most of those educated and skilled, who understood the scam, took advantage of the opportunity. They were the ones, who were serving as role models, that began moving on up and out of the neighborhoods.
When Malcolm talked of self-sufficiency, he was accused of separatism. The reality is that within the 50 states we are many nations in one nation. During this presidential campaign it was made clear that family and social values were paramount in connecting with candidates. We African Americans are a family and it is time that we begin working toward our own families’ interests. “Charity begins at home”, is not separatism nor selfishness. The neglecting of ourselves and relying on others to provide for us, nurtures that negative perception other families have of our community.
Until we as a people take ownership of our own financial, political and social destiny we will be seen as not deserving of others’ respect. Today it is not a whole lot about fighting for our rights: it is more of how we should exercise our rights. For one, making sure that we are being treated fairly with the allocation of government contracts, loans, grants, scholarships, etc. and with the contracting of capital improvement projects. With a unified voice some of these infrastructure projects will be developed and buil[t]d by us in our communities.
This new world market, which can only expand, provides opportunities that abound; we have family and in-laws around the world, and when the companies and industries begin finding that potential clients and customers are looking to patronize businesses that are more reflective of their family members, those qualified will be in high demand and will be represented from the top executives to the receptionist.
Those of us who are more fortunate should become entrepreneurs in revitalizing our communities. We as a family need to get out of debt and pool our resources, and make our children, our elders and the legacy of our Ancestors, Proud!
Ivan Butcher II
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Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
After loosing the elections to Obama. John Mccain goes home with hope of having a wonderful Thanksgiving with his immediate family. Mccain flew into his hometown on his private jet but when he reached the airport, his usual guest didn’t greet him. There weren’t any balloons, the bands weren’t playing or crowds weren’t cheering. This was unusual, he didn’t even see Sarah Palin. He looked into the distance but all he could see was snow and his cold breath in the air. He looked at his secret service and even they looked shocked about what was happening. For 40 years his town greeted him every Thanksgiving, so WHAT HAPPENED.
He looked at his wife and gave her a smile then said, “Moneys been tight this year for everyone baby. Maybe the town couldn’t afford a celebration this year”
Mrs. Mccain looked at her husband with her devilish grind, “You’re probably right baby. Everyone can’t afford the things we have!”
Mccain grabbed his wife arm and helped her through the snow. He looked at his wife then said, “At least we still have our limo!”
Mccain’s limo was black and warm inside. The bar was filled with Champaign, just like years before. His secret service followed the limo in their black Yukon. Mccain could see despair in his wife’s eyes. He looked at her and said this while he rubbed her thigh, “Baby, I’m still your little P.O.W, right”
Mrs. Mccain’s wife batted her eyes then ran her finger thru Mccain’s hair and gave him a hug as he continued to rub her thigh, “You are my little soldier. Don’t worry!”
Mccain leaned back in his leather seats proud of what he just heard. But when he looked out his window it all disappeared, “What’s going on here?”, Mccain yelled.
Mrs. Mccain rushed to the window because she wanted to see. But what she saw she couldn’t believe, “Why do everyone in your town have Obama campaign signs in there yards!’
Mrs. Mccain looked at John and she immediately knew he was scarred. His eye lit up like a deer staring into your headlights, “I can’t believe it. My own people voted for Obama. What’s going on?”
Alarms kept ringing in John’s ears as he looked out the window and things slowly started to become clear. Most of the people he knew was in Obama’s below 250 thousand dollar tax bracket. While Mccain was trying to help the rich, he was forgetting about the poor. This is something that Republicans have done thousands of times before. As Mccain’s thoughts lingered as his wife started to scream.
Mrs. Mccain, “What the hell did you do? You lost to a black man. Now our lives are ruined. No one will ever remember you for being a prisoner of war. Now everyone will look at us and laugh. And our friends want come to our parties or to any of our functions because you were the first White Republican Man to loose to a Black Democrat.”
Mccain couldn’t believe what was ringing in his ears. He looked at his wife because he felt like he had to make things clear, “LooK!”, pointing, “This race wasn’t about color. I lost to a great man. A-----smart guy!”
Mrs. Mccain laughed, “You lost to a Smart Guy… You lost to a great man”, She paused, “You didn’t say that when you were running around calling him a terrorist. You didn’t say that when you made allegations that Obama was a socialist or he wasn’t fit to be President for the last 23 months”
John looked his wife dead in her eyes, “Now you listen here. I only said those things because your family was about to be taxed because of his policies, if your family loose money then I loose money. I didn’t marry you for only your body, Baby. I married you for power and your family seen me as an opportunity to increase their power.”
Mrs. Mccain was furious about what she just heard. Her eyes was red and her vision was blurried, “You little short dwarf. I know you are angry right now, so I’m going to act like I didn’t hear what you just said. But remember one thing! I made you and I’ll break you… Believe it..You had a chance to get power but you lost, I never lost and I can changed your world with a flick of the wrist”
Apologies, I've been in doors sick all week (just my luck) & I am just getting up this morning. However, nothing will keep me from pushing myself to the polls today.
My condolences to Senator Obama and his family re: the loss of his grand-mother. I admire his strength at this difficult time.
I pray that everyone will continue to donate the financial support that Mr. Obama will need to run & win again in 2012.
Even after our victories today, our work is still not done.
Stay in-tune. Stay in touch. Stay involved.
Someone shared this with me once. I think I will share it with you (including my own additions/insertions) as I read & meditate this morning, before starting my day:
FROM MY MOUTH TO GOD'S EARS. . . .
Father, I come before you this morning to thank you for waking me up this morning. I enter into your courts with thanksgiving and your gates with praise. I declare, Father, that this is the day that YOU have made and I shall rejoice and be exceedingly glad in it.
Father, I thank YOU for all of your blessings. I do not take any of your generous blessings for granted, but commit myself to performing every task assigned to me as unto YOU and not unto man. I will show myself a faithful steward over what you have given me and in return, the blessings of God shall abound in my life. For your word says a faithful man shall abound in blessings.
Give us strength, Lord, and move in us through this day, regardless of circumstances or situations. Help us to operate in the fruit of the Spirit at all times. That means, when we feel like losing control of our tongues, whether it is to speak forth gossip, to curse man or anything that is considered corrupt communication, we won't because your spirit abounds in us and...YOU said, "I am the light...and let my light shine".
We choose to let our lights shine as edification of YOU and anything that does not edify you, Lord, we will cast away.
Thank you, Father, for being the Rose of Sharon in our lives, our banner, our shield and our strong high tower. You are the one who fights our battles; therefore we don't have to. Instead of trying to handle difficult situations or people ourselves, we'll turn them over to YOU, Lord. We know you will work it out for us, because you care that much for us. We know we will never find anyone to be as good to us as you are. We love you, Lord.
We pray for new leadership today, Lord. We pray for positive change. As we pray for strength and guidance today for ourselves, we also pray the same for the Obama family. We pray that you bless Senator Obama's deceased grand-mother today, Lord, and continue to bless and protect President Obama and his family tomorrow, Lord. This is also a prayer for balance, Lord: Strength, yet peace. Empowerment, yet collectively...A collaboration to achieve & reflect only the best of ourselves as one people of one nation.. .A nation admired by others abroad, not feared nor despised.
In Jesus' name, I pray, while I am aware that others may call on you as Jehovah, or Allah, or Jah, or Buddah, or names unknown to me, or simply as God. In every tongue of every culture and religious background I pray that we feel the connection that we are all praying as one people for the same cause. I pray that those who do not believe in you (or prayer) will stop to simply meditate today. This is also a prayer for positive energy, this day forward, Lord And, without further delay,
Amen.
It is a one step process.
It has to be symbolic of everything Senator Obama has talked about from the beginning to the end of this fascinating campaign.
Starting immediately, we need to have the maps across America that shows blue states, changed to Red, White & blue.
Senator Obama has said, we are NOT red America, we are NOT Blue America, we are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
So, change the blue to red, white & blue!
Who would want to vote any other way?
Reposting from Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bart-motes/obamas-smart-targeted-web_b_135249.html
Obama's Smart Targeted Web Campaign
Add another headache to the McCain campaign's faltering efforts. Barack Obama, avid Iphone user (see video) is employing state specific web sites to hammer John McCain. Websites specific to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio point out the disastrous impact of a McCain presidency on the lives of voters in each state. Though the websites employ the same basic format, they include statistics specific to each state.
The websites aren't quite as sexy as the new Obama for Iphone application, which gives you a ready made call list of your friends, uses the Iphone's GPS to tell you where your nearest office is, and provides users with position papers on every imaginable issue. But they may be even more effective.
For instance, the Ohio website notes that "Bankruptcies Rose 19% In Ohio In The 12 Months Leading Up To June 2008; 54,160 Bankruptcies Were Filed During This Time."
Specific data such as this arms local supporters and helps convince undecided voters that John McCain will directly and negatively impact their lives.
The program is another example of the Democratic National Committee's 50 State plan. States like North Carolina and Virginia would have been ignored by a less aggressive (read previous Democratic) campaign. But because the Obama campaign built on Howard Dean's decision to build a presence in every state, not just reliably Democratic states, the McCain campaign is forced to use its limited resources to play defense in North Carolina and Virginia.
Most provocatively, the North Carolina and Virginia sites allow voters to click on their area and see funding for local projects opposed by McCain.
Websites cannot substitute for the hard work of grassroots campaigning: particularly phone banking and canvassing. But they can augment the work of local organizers and volunteers. Since the names of the state specific websites are catchy and memorable "McCain Versus Ohio," it is easy for volunteers and staff to mention them to voters and magnify their impact.
The Obama campaign is pioneering the merger between high technology and grassroots campaigning begun by Howard Dean and Joe Trippi. The results will be felt long after this election.
Note that since this post, several other state sites have been targeted. These include:
www.McCainvsMontana.com
www.McCainvsNM.com
www.McCainvsMichigan.com
A few months ago, I attended a luncheon with several of the most influential leaders of the Hawaii community. These leaders discussed the chracteristics, the personalities, and the actions of a good leader. Open-mindedness, time management skills, sincerity, trusthworthy, and enthusiasm ranked among the top. They further noted how numerous members of the Hawaii community possessed these skills. Unfortunately, the community lacks the most important skill. Voice.
I am a high school student in Honolulu, and am currently taking an Advance Placement class on the History of the United States. One of the class's major projects this year is to volunteer at a political campaign, and write a reflection on the experience: feelings, thoughts. Basically, the good and the bad stuffs.
I was very excited about the project. But, as I started to search for Barack Obama campaign events that provide volunteer opportunities, I was quite dismayed at how uninvolved the community is. I searched, and searched, and searched, and searched, and nothing. I found nothing.
When I came across this website, I thought I finally found hope-- awesome webpage design, teen-friendly interface, social networking-- what else can you ask for? But, as I search for events that are going on at my community (96818, 50 miles radius), the curtains were once again shut as the search only came up with 12 results.
What is going on Hawaii? Sen. Barack Obama is from our land! He is a member of our community, our ohana! We should be the one in front of the battle lines, campaigning, fundraising, painting our bodies with blue and red like the crazy football fans (only if necessary--sounds fun though). But instead, we do nothing!
I write this blog not just to vent out, but to raise the Hawaii awareness of how UNAWARE we are. How UNINVOLVED we are. How we LACK, and NEED VOICE.
It's not too late. We have each other, and Sen. Barack Obama on our side.
Let's go Hawaii, Let's go OBAMA!
Update for September 12, 53 days to election day.
DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!
Our simulation this week yielded a 51% chance of an Obama victory with an expected vote total of 270. That's a 46 percentage point drop from last week. It's a coin flip at this point.
We entered new poll results from 14 states this week. Of these, three states, Colorado, Maryland, and New Hampshire, moved in Obama's direction. Colorado went from a one-point McCain lead to a three-point Obama lead.Maryland, already firmly in Obama's column, lengthened Obama's lead from ten points to 14 points. Last week Obama had a one-point lead in New Hampshire; this week he leads by six. Two other states, Alaska and Georgia, added to McCain's lead and did not affect the outcome.
The remaining nine states all went from an Obama lead to a McCain lead, or a narrow McCain lead to solidly McCain. The most devastating were changes in Florida, Michigan, and Ohio. Obama held narrow leads in all of these states as of last week. This week, McCain holds narrow leads in Ohio and Michigan, and an eight-point lead in Florida. There is one ray of hope in these results: we used an Insider Advantage poll of 503 Michigan likely voters which showed McCain with a one-point lead. A Rasmussen poll of 700 likely voters taken during the same period shows Obama with a five-point lead. If I plug the Rasmussen poll into the model, Obama's chances increase to 70% with an expected vote total of 279. Generally, I'm a "glass half-full of scotch" optimist, but I take a worst-case scenario approach to this election.
One other state that showed conflicting poll results was North Carolina. Obama trailed by three points in God's Country last week, but a Research 2000/DailyKos.com poll of 600 likely voters puts McCain ahead 55% to 38%. No one could accuse DailyKos of Republican bias. A Civitas Institute/Tel Opinion Research poll of 600 registered voters puts the McCain lead at 3 points. Civitas is a conservative, North Carolina-based organization. So I guess I'm not the only one who looks on the dark side, respectively speaking.
Virginia has been getting quite a bit of attention this cycle. Usually a reliable Republican stronghold, Virginia has elected two Democrats in a row to the governorship and a Democrat, Jim Webb, to the Senate. And Democrat Mark Warner leads Republican James Gilmore in this year's senate race. Changing demographics have made this state a real battleground. Last week we had Obama up by two points, and this week McCain enjoys a four-point lead. That's 13 votes that could decide the election.
Some other disappointing results came out of the ranks of the "single-digit" states - those with fewer than ten electoral votes. Montana was tied last week; McCain has an eleven-point lead this week. Obama led by five in Nevada last week, and trails by one this week. New Mexico favored Obama by 13 last week and McCain by two in the latest poll. And North Dakota, Obama's answer to Alaska, fell from a three-point Obama lead to a 14-point deficit.
The one major change in the senate race was the contest in North Carolina between incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democratic challenger Kay Hagen. Hagen led by five points last week and trails by six in this week's poll. But this is another case of conflicting polls - another poll taken at the same time still shows Hagen up by one.
States rights vs. Federal Constitution
License of Marriage vs. Union of Same Sex
Only when the political tide shifts to elections and seekers of public station come out to beg for their next employment, do they look towards the masses. When all other ideas, feats, fads and communications fade away, do they look towards that ‘one simple idea’ to gain the so called trust of the masses.
Odd how, when up against a wall of negativity, those clamoring for a seat upon a royal pillow will turn all this negative energy towards a group of people they think are below their social circles in nationality, sex, religion, race, origin and now, sexual orientation. The popular belief of the day will dictate which group of people will be against another group of people. It will be clan against clan or father against son with no end in sight.
So, this century will be remembered for the rights of those who love someone who is of the same biological sex than their contemporary counterparts. It has started in the lands north of us, Canada. It has begun to take shape in isolated states in our own land. In this country of ‘opportunity and freedom’, these States united with each other are now being torn apart because love, commitment and family are not recognized equally.
Food, shelter, water, clothing, medical care and education are the things we are born into and others must fight and die to achieve. Love, commitment and family are part of the human genetics. For centuries, mankind has struggled to survive. It was only achieved when humans had the love and commitment of their family to achieve and work through its struggles. This support system is something that has been inherent within every one of us.
Reality TV was an idea to gain ratings. It has done that. But, what part of this reality is real? Children are starving in our own country, the land of ‘milk and honey’ is real but you don’t see a TV show around that. Babies are born addicted to alcohol and controlled substances is real but you don’t see that either. A person’s view of the world around us is truly warped if viewed only through the median of moving pictures in a box in your living room. Yet, many people do believe what is told to them through such a median or similar medians like newspapers, videos, radio and even the internet. Truth is believed through experience and/or education. Fear can drive anyone to hate anything is scared enough to go there. Belief in such is harder to obtain when you have experienced it yourself or have been educated to understand it.
What you see and hear is not always true just because someone in the elected public says it is so. Experience it or educate yourself about is so that the fear and dread fed to you is understood and either accepted in your own mind or rejected by you. Never allow others to drive fear in your heart nor into your thoughts. Think for only yourself and each thought will gain a new presence in your being.
Sanctity of Marriage???
The following situations are all around us. You may be involved in one such relationship.
When celebrities and ‘everyday people’ marry on a whim, they have immediate rights to their spouse’s property, livelihood, and decision making in legal and healthcare situations.
Those who marry for convenience, insurance benefits, military benefits, to gain property or status with or without children are living through the so called “Sanctity of Marriage”?
When older adults marry in later life after having raised one family, they really can’t be married because they have no children to raise?
When a man and a woman marry and together decide not to have children, should they lose their rights and have the marriage annulled?
Turn the tables around for a moment. In your mind, think of the reverse situation for a moment. The world and countries living their lives as they believe are ‘justifiable’ in the eyes of the law of the land.
Now, turn the tables back to the present day in which you live. Those are the realities that are being afforded to those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in identity. Fear of the unknown and different can be enough fuel to ignite the being of contempt.
Law makers and those of political power who understand and have educated themselves to understand what same sex couples are wishing to have the same rights for their family as opposite sex couples are only going so far to accomplish this. The word “Marriage” and all the reveal that goes with that word are hard for a lot of them to fathom. Civil Unions, Certificates of Union (makes it sound like you just completed a six month program at the local community college), and any other of a half-dozen terms used to describe a lawful if not holy binding commitment between two loving individuals of the same sex do not afford this couple the same right across the states. It is good until you get to the border of the country or state or city that performed the marriage-like ceremony or, thanks to MA, a wedding/marriage. Same sex couples would have more rights and legal protection within loving couple if they had enough paperwork signed and money to complete the transaction. How romantic is that? Opposite sex couples can marry in any country or state and have protection for themselves and their spouses without question. Be it a quick trip to a Vegas drive-thru wedding chapel or a half-a-million dollar ceremony and celebration with friends and family.
Jonas Barrett Read
You can get mail-in PDFs of voter registration forms for any state right here...
http://www.longdistancevoter.org/voter_forms
Get out the vote!!
Barack Obama Rocks!
I wrote what I think is a compelling post earlier, but I labeled it more than slightly intemperately. I used the "pimping out" phrase as a conscious homage to the mini - storm when an MSNBC host used it to describe Chelsea Clinton's campaigning. I'm not going to change the title - it is what I wanted to say then, and I do think that calling out a slepping infant for political points pretty much meets the connotation of pimping someone in the sense of shamelessly using them for your own gain. Anyways, it would be dishonest to retreat now. But I do want to take another look at Gov. Palin's assertion she would be an "advocate" for people with special needs - or at least some of them.
Initially, I'm not sure anyone is well served by high profile advocates whose only known qualification is the biological fact of having a child with special needs. I know that some parents are falling all over themselves at the idea of having "someone like them" in office. Personally, though, I have seen zero indication that Gov. Palin actually knows what the issues she will face as a parent of a DS child are, much less any grasp of the needs of people accross the special needs spectrum. Without that knowledge, power can often become a way of multiplying ignorance rather than enlightenment.
In fact, her own words show a pretty low level of knowledge about the people with special needs she claims to want to help:
"To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."
There are at least three problems with that statement. First, many people with special needs object to the phrasing she uses. These aren't special-needs kids, or Down Syndrom kids, or autistic kids - they are kids with special needs, kids with Down Syndrome or kids with autism. That might seem like a little thing, but people centered language is one of the key issues to advocates in this area, as it grants people with developmental disabilities the same sort of basic dignity you would confer on any one else. They are, after all, kids first, and any condition they've been diagnosed with comes second.
Second, its technically the people with special needs, regardless of age, who need an advocate, not the parents. Parents are tremendous fighters for their kids, but they aren't looking for something for themselves. Rather, what they want is a better present and future for their kids. At the end of the day, it is the child or adult with special needs who should be the focus of any government attention, rather than making them supporting players in their own struggles. Again, putting the family over the child or adult suggests that they are somehow not people first.
Third, children with special needs do eventually become adults with special needs. They don't stop having needs or needing advocates, though. To the extent they can, they often advocate for themselves, but they need assistance at 22 (and 33, and 44) every bit as much as they do at 2. Arguably, even more so, since by that age many of them will no longer have parents around to help them in their struggles and the world tends to be far less generous to adults with behavioral or developmental problems than it is to children.
I really don't know what to think about the narrow nature of this statement. Is it a reflection of ignorance, or does she really think children are the only people at issue here? Maybe her speech writer Mike Scully just doesn't have a clue how to discuss the issue? No matter the reason, the implications of this cramped understanding of the issue bothers me.
Assuming for the moment that her whole focus is children with special needs, that doesn't suggest she'll be a good advocate for that community, either. I don't doubt her commitment as a mother. I'm sure she will fight for her kid tenaciously, as virtually all parents do, and parents of kids with special needs almost universally have to in order to get a fair shake in a world that still doesn't like to acknowledge that a person with special needs is a person first. I also don't doubt, given her willingness to be so open about his condition (unlike so many other issues she has been questioned on) she will raise the profile of Down Syndrome. However, I doubt the ability of anyone in a McCain administration to effectively advocate for the needs of special needs children, much less the special needs community as a whole. Doing so would require a wholesale reversal of fundamental tenets of the GOP, central policy goals of the McCain campaign and McCain's own words.
Initially, the GOP is known as the party of "small government" and "states rights." Ignoring the areas in which this isn't true (defense, social restrictions, etc.), a typical GOP approach will make advocacy for folks with special needs at a federal level pretty pointless. Right now, states are the primary aid deliverers for special needs people, not the Federal Government. The states get matching funds under Medicaid, but they have to commit to the initial funding levels. As a result, whether you get services at all, how quickly and at what level, is a local issue, not a national one. Some states can and do offer 40 hours a week of therapy for most kids with autism in their state, but may have nothing for kids with other developmental disabilities. Indiana has a 8+ year long waiting list for core services for children with autism, despite having dedicated funds for that category of person. Moreover, once people hit 18 ("age out" in the parlance of the system) the availability of the services they had as children is subjected to a different set of factors and calculations, oftentimes resulting in significant alterations in the level of care provided. Barring a complete reversal of the core Republican belief system, I can't see how a McCain adminsitration could ensure a level playing field for all people with special needs.
Owing to the lack of any universal provision of services, one of the things people in the special needs community, especially parents, are constantly fighting against are threats to their insurance coverage. Insurance companies consider most developmental disabilities "pre-existing conditions" and unless there's a state mandate in place, won't cover people with conditions like autism or Down syndrome at all. They are in business to get more from you in premiums than they pay out in care, after all, and that just doesn't happen when you are dealing with people with special needs. When companies do cover these conditions - typically because they are forced to by state law - the key therapies that help children and young people with these conditions often aren't covered, or only at a level that isn't effective according to prevailing research. The one way I know of right now to get decent coverage is if you are lucky enough to work for a company with good benefits, where the cost drain of your kid averages out with everyone else.
John McCain's central healthcare reform would make this harder, not easier. He wants to tax company insurance benefits to encourage people to seek individual plans. By comparison there is a tax credit if you give up your employer credit and buy your own, a blanket number that is about half the current cost for a "typical" person. The stated rationale for this plan is that it will eventually lower costs for people by increasing competition in the private market. If all people were equally attractive to insure, true competition might occur. However, there will be no incentive for companies to compete to cover people who are less than desirable to insurance companies as clients, at least not without charging them much more. While Elizabeth Edwards has pointed out the general problems with this model for people with pre-existing conditions, the problems for people with special needs are arguably more acute. I have yet to meet anyone from an insurance company that wants to cover, much less compete to cover, children or adults with special needs. There is no mandate in McCain's plan to force companies to cover everyone or some kind of Federal alternative. Instead, he wants states to create last gasp coverage plans like they have for high risk drivers. There doesn't seem to be any good model for these systems, or any one blueprint that states would be expected to follow. At best, a lot of people with special needs who don't get Medicaid funded services right now would wind up confronting a system just as crazy-quilted and inconsistent as the people who do have such services. At worst, people will die from inadequate care and lack of access to services. It really is that simple and horrifying.
McCain's educational policy is also troubling for people with special needs. While he does claim to support fully funding IDEA (the statute that is supposed to fund special ed in America) that hasn't happened in the entire time the law's been on the books. Republicans seem to always find a way to cut, rather than enhance, special ed funding at a Federal level. Because IDEA isn't fully funded, the services public schools legally have to provide for students with special needs often come out of general funds. Given this fact and the budgetary pressures schools are currently under, schools will push to limit special ed costs whenever to they can - which is just about any time a parent doesn't insist on the services legally required. Coupling that with his advocacy for vouchers and "school choice" creates a truly scary scenario. While he hasn't actually proposed to fund vouchers anywhere but in DC (because after all that would be "fiscally irresponsbile"), if such a plan were to become widespread it would likely mean that special education funding would be crippled further. That's because private schools typically won't take kids with behavioral problems or who need special assistance in accessing the curriculum - i.e., children with special needs. While there are schools geared towards these kids, most parents just can't afford them with or without vouchers. So in most cases there would be a higher concentration of kids with special needs in public schools with fewer funds to pay for them. Vouchers are an idealogical tenet of the GOP, and again I see no reason Gov. Palin would or could change that.
While John McCain just lambasted the failures of Washington, there's no indication the way No Child Left Behind treats kids with special needs is one of those failiures in his book. Because the system is geared towards rewarding school mandatory test scores and not looking at progress generally, schools are under pressure to boost their averages. Right now, they can and do try to excuse children with special needs from taking the tests, typically under a claim the child can't fully access the curriculum. However, if a child is thus excluded from a mandatory test, in many states the child cannot graduate from high school (they get a certificate of attendance, not a diploma), even if they otherwise have passed required subjects. That, in turn, bars the child from most higher education programs, including both college and vocational schools. Limiting the career options of people with special needs to protect a test average is hardly in keeping with the core belief underlying NCLB that we need to enhance educational opportunities. Again, though, the GOP has resisted calls to move away from the all or nothing test model, and I have no confidence in McCain to suddenly change the one thing Republicans have succeeded as selling to many people as a domestic success in the last decade.
Finally, there is one critical area of advocacy for people with special needs, primarily adults, where proposed Federal assistance would really help. Unfortunately, John McCain is personally and unequivocally on record as opposing that assistance. For a long time, getting state services with the highest level of care meant a person with special needs had to be placed in what are called State Operated Developmental Centers. For example, children would become wards of the state, taken from their families and placed in these centers where they would stay for the rest of their lives unless the family or the adult person with special needs chose to forego the care. I can only imagine the gut wrenching choice it had to be for parents to put minor children in these settings, and for adults to have to stay there.
SODCs were the state of the art in their time, based on prevailing understanding of the capacities of people with special needs. However, their time has generally passed, as our society has become much more aware of the potential of such people to be vibrant, full members of the communities they live in. SODCs are not the type of setting most people would ever want to live if they had another choice. Residents typically live in dormitory type settings, with severe restictions on their privacy and the personal goods they can have. Since Medicaid limits the income they can have, this only enhances the limitations on creature comforts. They eat in mess hall/cafeteria settings with limited input into their dietary intake. They have lockdown at night for security reasons and the grounds are typically fenced and patrolled. While family can certainly visit, they are not typically allowed to stay overnight. Residents also typically don't have individual caregivers, but rather are collectively assisted by a rotating staff. That, in turn, limits the ability of any person to individually go anywhere off grounds, because the institution can't spare staff to make sure they get back. Imagine, for example, being an adult who just wants to go across the street to a convenience store and buy a snack for yourself, and being told you can't because you can only run errands when a group goes on an outing. For that matter, imagine being someone with an average or above average intelligence, as many people with special needs are, and being told you can't walk to the end of your street, much less take a bus to a job or meet a friend for lunch. If this sounds a little like prison to you, imagine how it feels for the residents.
There is supposed to be a training element to SODCs, too, but it typically isn't focused on life skills that would help someone live in a community setting or have what most of us would consider a "real job." Rather, in many cases the institution will run what is known as a "sheltered workshop," where menial tasks are done day after day. These are things like stuffing envelopes for mass mailings, or putting together piecework under private contracts. While it is work, and something to do, it hardly expands the minds of the residents or challenges them. The residents do get paid, by the way - but not even the minimum wage. Again, not exactly what most people would choose. But the states argued for years that the residents had no choice - they either had to accept residential services or get nothing at all.
This practice of a one sized fits all model with no provision for choice by the individual was struck down by the Supreme Court in the Olmstead case several years ago. As a result, in theory states are supposed to have to place a person in a setting of their choice, so long as it costs the same or less than placing them in the facility would. Some states create a pool of money and let the person use it as they and their case manager feel best fits the person's needs. Others have contracted to provide enough group homes that they have managed to shut all their SODCs. Still others, though, are just beginning the process of creating transition plans and beginning to create a full spectrum of choices. Sadly, many states lacking the political will to do anything have had to be harried along by lawsuits to even make partial progress.
Just as sad has been the lack of assistance to states by the Federal government in carrying out this transition. While the ADA mandates that people with disabilities and special needs be given reasonable accomadations and treated in the manner that creates the least intrusive environment, there has been no funding to back this up and really give states a push in the right direction. Tom Harkin, the primary author of the ADA, has sought to rectify this. In a bill called the Community Choice Act, he, joined by Sens. Obama, Spector, and about 20 others, lay out provisions to enhance Medicaid funding for community based settings (to get for folks out of both SODCs and Medicaid funded nursing homes), create funding for state pilot programs and otherwise provide the foundation so that maybe, just maybe, the life a person with special needs can live and the basic dignity they can have won't be tied to their state of residence.
John McCain, who did help pass the ADA 18 years ago, is on record as opposing this bill. He was asked about it by a self advocate in one of his town halls and was less than pleasant in rejecting it. He offered no reason for his opposition at the time. On July 26 of this year, despite suggestions from staff that he had come around on this issue of basic dignity, he took the opportunity on the 18th anniversary of the ADA to again reject the bill.
The reason? Cost.
Never mind the savings in shutting down out of date institutions. Never mind the cost in lost productivity and wages people with special needs could help generate for our economy. Without any meaningful analysis of the full ramifications of the situation, he simply rejected the idea of federal money being spent in this manner as too costly.
This is an amazingly callous view, given McCain's oft repeated story of his own confinement. He has movingly described how the loss of his freedom drove him to the very brink of despair and thoughts of suicide. Yet he apparently has no compassion for the toll similar restrictions and confinements impose on people with special needs every day. It is said a society is judged by how it treats the least powerful of its members. In John McCain's view of America, the cost of treating people with special needs with basic dignity and respect costs too much. Given that view, and the fact that he has repeated his position in the face of fervant advocacy by people with special needs, I don't see how the mere fact that Gov. Palin is the parent of a child with special needs can make her or a McCain Administration the sort of advocate people with special needs deserve.
I by no means posted this for use to start partying because we still have alot of work to do in order to get Obam into the White House and get Obama's message out to folks who want to know but don't or are on the fence due to misinformation. I just want to prove the point that we cannot focus on the media polls. They can be manipulated to give whatever message they want to give for the day. it is my thought process that they [media] are keeping this election close for ratings and relovence. The only numbers that matter are the Electoral Votes.
With all the breathlessness over the minute movements in the irrelevant national polls, the one thing no one seems to be noticing is that the electoral map is still trending very poorly for John McCain (R).
I realize that it cuts against the media narrative right now to focus on anything that doesn't suggest a dead-heat, but it's quite instructive to see how the independent groups (and even right-leaning ones) currently see the state of the race through the only prism that matters -- the Electoral College:
Obama McCain MarginReal Clear Politics 322 216 Obama +106Electoral-Vote.com 316 209 Obama +107FiveThirtyEight.com 303 235 Obama + 68Pollster.com 284 147 Obama +137 AVERAGE 306 202 Obama +104
Obama McCain Margin
AVERAGE 306 202 Obama +104
If you think about the reporting of the fluctuating state polls lately that show a tight race, all of them involve red states that McCain can't afford to lose: Colorado, Montana, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Alaska, Georgia, etc.
Despite the media narrative that a number of blue states are competitive, the truth is none of the recent polling shows McCain making any significant inroads in the blue states. Consider:
So, while the media breathlessly reports the national tracking polls which shows a close race, the state polling is still showing a pretty significant Obama lead.
P.S. -- Again reminding us how big of a joke CNN's political reporting has become, their current electoral map has it Obama 221, McCain 189. What a farce.
I hope this motivates people to get out there and do all you can...we need all we can get!
ALABAMA LinkALASKA LinkARIZONA LinkARKANSAS LinkCALIFORNIA LinkCOLORADO LinkCONNECTICUT LinkDELAWARE LinkDC LinkFLORIDA LinkGEORGIA LinkHAWAII LinkIDAHO LinkILLINOIS LinkINDIANA LinkIOWA LinkKANSAS LinkKENTUCKY LinkLOUISIANA LinkMAINE LinkMARYLAND LinkMASSACHUSETTS LinkMICHIGAN Link MINNESOTA LinkMISSISSIPPI LinkMISSOURI LinkMONTATA LinkNEBRASKA LinkNEVADA LinkNEWS HAMPSHIRE LinkNEW JERSEY LinkNEW MEXICO LinkNEW YORK LinkNORTH CAROLINA LinkNORTH DAKOTA LinkOHIO LinkOKLAHOMA LinkOREGON LinkPENNSYLVANIA LinkRHODE ISLAND LinkSOUTH CAROLINA LinkSOUTH DAKOTA LinkTENNESSEE LinkTEXAS LinkUTAH LinkVERMONT LinkVIRGINIA LinkWASHINGTON LinkWEST VIRGINIA LinkWISCONSIN LinkWYOMING Link
Just found this great new item in the Obama store. A South Carolina shaped, enameled lapel pin featuring the Obama Campaign Logo. Surely destined to become the must-have fashion accessory for fall. Get yours before they're gone, wear it with pride, and let's show everyone what good judgement and discernment in taste look like!!
http://store.barackobama.com/product_p/lp00010.htm
I have read previous blogs about turning red states blue. I went over to OpenSecrets.org to see how we were looking by states. Please note that June figures are not yet in. In my home state of Alabama, the polls show McCain leading Senator Obama 51-35. Looks like the money and poll result are running hand in hand. How are the rest of you looking by comparison. Alabama has got to be one of the reddest of red states, but we are aiming to change this with voter registration drives.. Looks like we need to focus a lot more on fundraisers, as well. I'm not sure, but I believe the campaign contributions include candidates for US Senate, Congress, and DNC. But either way we are still lagging behind.
(see also 2008 Alabama General Election: McCain vs Clinton)
Contributions by state
http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/statetotals.php
As Independance Day approaches the questions concerning Barack Obama's patriotism continue to pour whether from the press or the opposing party. These accusations often cite his inability to don a flag pin or lay his hand over his heart during a playing of the national anthem. Although, Obama should have carried out these acts, his minute mistakes should not have sparked major controversies that denied his patriotism. Besides, Barack Obama took a job as a community organizer because he desired to assist America in any way possible. This came at a time where he could have quite easily become a lawyer.
In addition, when Barack speaks, each and every member of the audience around the world knows he speaks with passion. He speaks from his heart. He speaks every word because he sincerely wants to make the United States a better place to live.
Now, perhaps he has made his share of miscues. However, when it comes down to the serious issues, nobody can deny that Barack Obama will follow through.
Jerry Zhang
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/2/164430/9517/585/545554
I've been reading with dismay the messages on the newest, fastest-growing MyBO group, SenatorObama-PleaseVoteAgainstFISA. Many (not all) of those people are really taking things too far. They are withdrawing all support from Obama and even asking for refunds for all previous donations made to the Obama campaign.
I am appalled. Who in their right mind would rather see a President McCain who would strengthen and expand spying programs and invade more and more of our privacy. There are many ways to put pressure on Obama, but threatening to put in office someone who is much, much worse on the very issue you are upset about... well, that's just stupidity.
Let's get real here, people. Obama is supporting a compromise. You know you've got a compromise when people on both sides are unhappy... and, well, that's what we've got. People on both sides are definitely unhappy. I'm unhappy, a lot of people on this site are unhappy, conservatives are unhappy. Meanwhile, McCain is laughing and loving this.
Obama's central platform has always been compromise versus gridlock. He has told us over and over that he will compromise rather than allow gridlock to rule the day. Did these people not listen? Or did they just choose to ignore that. Obama has told us over and over that the pursuit of perfection is the enemy of improvement. Entrenchment is the enemy of progress.
This bill is a first step, not the end game. It's up to us to ensure that we keep moving forward on this issue. Now, I'm not saying that I like this compromise, but I am saying that moving forward an inch by electing Obama is much better than moving backwards by a mile by electing McCain.
I think the reason we're seeing so much opposition is because Democrats are feeling too comfortable about November. People are taking it for granted that Obama is doing so well now that he is a shoo-in (as a matter of fact, many of the FISA activists are saying so explicitly). But he is not a shoo-in. This race will be much closer than it appears now. Remember the Republican primary when everyone thought McCain's candidacy was dead? Heck, remember when everyone thought that Hillary was inevitable? Remember 2004 when everyone thought that the hatred for Bush was so wide and so deep that he had to lose???
Many presidential candidates have been considered inevitable and then lost. Many times a candidate has been way ahead and then America had buyers remorse close to the election. Many things could also change between now and then to make Americans more fearful, more willing to accept a war-monger like McCain. We need to be building a lead, a cushion of support, if you will -- not taking it for granted that we can do whatever we want right now and still win in November.
If Obama gets into office, I believe we will see movement in the direction we want on this issue. But I also believe with all of my heart that if McCain gets into office, we're going to see movement in the opposite direction. Do we really need to be reminded of all of the things that are different about Obama and McCain, including FISA?
Obama is in a no win situation right now, and it is unreasonable supporters who have put him there. If he did not compromise on FISA, he would have lost support from Independents and moderates who he needs to win in November. At the same time, he is being treated by some purity trolls as a traitor (or worse) for compromising.
The best way to get support for the position we want on FISA is to change public opinion. Obama made the compromise he made because public opinion is what it is. You can have an opinion, but so can the rest of America. And guess what... numbers matter most!
So, the bottom line... do what Obama has asked of you all along: Get out there and work to make change, don't expect him to do all of the heavy lifting without support and involvement from the grassroots. How many times has Obama said he can't do it without us? Did you really understand what that meant? Give it some thought. Much of the work and support he was talking about was about changing public opinion and putting pressure on other elected officials to support these very positions.
Obama told us what he needs us to do so that he can accomplish the goals we set forth. Instead of doing that, some people have chosen to attack him instead, even asking for donations to be refunded from months and months back.
Well, I will be donating as much as I can scrape together this month to make up for those who are resorting to such nonsense. Who's with me?
* My words*
Have we become so imature, selfish and politicaly unethical that if we don't get what we want we vote outside of everything we believe in? Remove our support and donations? How is it "a win" if your losing big time? That being the case self distruct on your own. Don't try and bring Obama down with you. In my eyes you were never truly for his vision, positins or policies to begin with. Real Obama supporters, please stand up against those looking to destroy us from within for thier own selfish short sited agendas!
I'm utterly appauled by adults who act like children and refuse to compromise on an issue that isn't even on the list most effecting Americans today. Is this FISA bill going to put gas in my car, food on the table, keep me employed, bring down the cost of health care, bring home our troops? NO! Has anyone even read it in full or is everyone just jumpin on the "I hate Obama because he isn't doing what "I" want him to do toaday" band wagon?!
While you guys are throwing meaningless hissy fits McCain is chummin in up in Colombia with known terrorist sypothysers, deafulting on taxes he hasn't paid in three years on one of seven properties he owns, while doing another one of his famous flip flops on his ability to know somethig about how to run an economy; let alone managing his wife's hundreds of thousdand dollar spending sprees. I think your frustration is way off base. Get back on message and take your drama to your local congressman...it's their fault...oh wait they are on vacation...
One of the most important tasks we have moving forward as we campaign for an Obama victory and a democratic landslide in the fall is to safeguard our vital public infrastructure from demands to sell it off to pay for cash-starved federal, state and municipal operating costs without having to raise taxes. This is especially urgent since these privatization demands will be inevitably emanating from the very politicians and their backers that got our nation into this current fiscal mess, for their own benefit, no less, and were voted out of office as a result. Perhaps a campaign for a constitutional amendment banning the sale of public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels, reservoirs, parks, schools, libraries, prisons, police and fire departments to private or foreign parties might do the trick!
Anyone else see the emergence of this likelihood and the need for such necessary pre-emptive action?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leu7GBt-8hs
DOWNLOAD THE MUSIC on iTUNES
http://www.songcastmusic.com/profiles/mypoojan A very catchy Music Video, which makes the whole America rock. The beauty of the song is that it brings the fulfillment of every American to become Obama..............Obama's winning is also Clinton's winning...! America's winning and the World's winning...!
Make this music video reach every corner of America and the world across by forwarding this youtube video. WE WANT A BETTER WORLD..!
EACH OF YOU BE A PROUD OBAMA...!
