Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Event: Once again, the Democrats disappoint.
New York Times: Nomination of Mukasey Sent to Full Senate.
"The vote was 11 to 8, with two Democrats, Senators Charles E. Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California, joining all nine Republicans on the panel in backing the nominee. Eight Democrats voted against Mr. Mukasey." Well, eight of them didn't let us down. The rest have written off the independence of the Justice Department, as well as implied that, yeah, it is somehow ambiguous whether or not simulated drowning and strangulation constitutes torture (?!).
Labels: EVENT, torture, u.s. legislative
3 comments.
Event: Vote Walling for Flint Mayor Today.
More from Blue Skies Falling here.
Complete coverage from the Flint Journal here.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Event: Quick Political Note.
Write your senators (especially if they happen to be on the Judiciary Community) and tell them that they'd better either hear Mukasey declare that waterboarding is torture, or vote the cut off a confirmation hearing.
There are a few political issues in our lives that ought to be emphatic and unambiguous. Torture is one, and a simulated drowning is torture. Period. Mukasey needn't access a security brief to know that.
Labels: civil rights, EVENT, foreign policy
0 comments.
Event: Last Plug Post for Walling v. Williamson.
So here it is... I found out why the Uncommon Sense has been unavailable lately.
More importantly, here is a page with all Flint Journal coverage of the race. It includes footage of several ads and profiles of the candidates, as well as many months of coverage.
In sum, Walling is a qualified candidate; any inexperience he may have is trumped by the diversity and range of experiences he has had. But most importantly, it is his style leadership that sets him above Don Williamson. Dayne has worked in many capacities in which the viability of government is tied to creative and collective initiative. In fact, one of the best summations of this tactic, one essential to Flint, is the Flint Journal endorsement, published this morning:
Walling would lead Flint to a bright future:
As Flint's mayor, Don Williamson operates as a one-man band. Dayne Walling would conduct an orchestra.
If re-elected Tuesday for four more years, Williamson would continue as he has, leading a fragile island contentiously, accepting help grudgingly. Walling, on the other hand, would build a mountain of opportunity with an army of allies.
If this were the 1950s or 1960s, the more-than-adequate record Williamson has compiled on basic services would merit re-election. Even now, in challenging and changing times, Williamson would receive our endorsement if he were running against someone less promising.
Fortunately, Flint voters aren't faced with this choice. In Walling, they have a candidate with the intelligence, vision, and, most valuable, the personal skills to become a true leader if given a chance.
Flint must provide him this opportunity, for the city's, and indeed the entire region's, prospects in the globally competitive 21st century very likely depend on this outcome.
We don't make this assessment casually. While government performance is always important to a community's success, it never has been more crucial to the Flint area's well-being than now because of our insecure situation.
And Flint's mayor is key. He must be the maestro, the creative team-builder who makes everyone perform better.
The right person in such a role can inspire stunning achievement, as exemplified by former Lansing Mayor David Hollister, who turned a city on a downward track into an object of admiration. Flint needs a mayor of this caliber.
Yet Williamson deserves credit. He's paved hundreds of lane miles of streets, made the city cleaner, replaced scores of city vehicles, and, most importantly, kept the books in the black after a state-ordered city takeover ended eight months into his term.
However, most of the deficit prompting the receivership was eliminated before Williamson took power. Recall, too, how he shamefully clashed with a state-appointed manager responsible for much of the recovery because the mayor wasn't yet in charge.
It's that my-way-or-the-highway attitude, which Williamson has exhibited throughout his term, that makes nearly every progressive step a precarious journey.
Credible organizations and individuals with the best of intentions worry constantly that the mayor might erect a roadblock. In fact, much of the redevelopment downtown and accomplishments in various economic and neighborhood initiatives occurred because talented people maneuvered around the city administration, or had its late participation.
Residents might accept Williamson's wars with the City Council, but there's no excuse for holding up projects because of orneriness or professional mediocrity, which describes a good many of the people the mayor has brought to City Hall, often for political reasons.
Such personnel practices may not get noticed because of Williamson's visibly good job with the city's housekeeping, compared to the past. But he doesn't have the skilled staff for Flint to reel in the partnerships and resources essential for prosperity.
Williamson, 73, isn't good at building coalitions because he doesn't have much faith in people. "Greed, animosity and jealousy" are key human motivations he volunteered to The Journal's Editorial Board.
Walling's outlook is refreshingly different. He believes that the "better angels" in people can be inspired to follow a quality leader with a well-conceived program.
Walling's campaign reflects this philosophy: His idealism and character have attracted a diverse body of supporters impressed by his practical plans for Flint's physical, economic and social renewal -- spearheaded by a high-quality city government.
Equally important, they have to admire his down-to-earth way of dealing with people from all walks of life. Walling, 33, would attract powerful players to Flint's cause, not shove them away. The Rhodes Scholarship he won alone would open doors.
Walling's service with Washington, D.C.'s mayor, his agency experience in Minneapolis and a stint at the nationally acclaimed Genesee County Land Bank provide examples of good governance to follow.
Most of all, though, he would lead Flint in a way with which it is not familiar, but would grow fond of. He would pave a road to a future many doubt possible. Voters on Tuesday should put their faith in Dayne Walling by making him their next mayor.
As Flint's mayor, Don Williamson operates as a one-man band. Dayne Walling would conduct an orchestra.
If re-elected Tuesday for four more years, Williamson would continue as he has, leading a fragile island contentiously, accepting help grudgingly. Walling, on the other hand, would build a mountain of opportunity with an army of allies.
If this were the 1950s or 1960s, the more-than-adequate record Williamson has compiled on basic services would merit re-election. Even now, in challenging and changing times, Williamson would receive our endorsement if he were running against someone less promising.
Fortunately, Flint voters aren't faced with this choice. In Walling, they have a candidate with the intelligence, vision, and, most valuable, the personal skills to become a true leader if given a chance.
Flint must provide him this opportunity, for the city's, and indeed the entire region's, prospects in the globally competitive 21st century very likely depend on this outcome.
We don't make this assessment casually. While government performance is always important to a community's success, it never has been more crucial to the Flint area's well-being than now because of our insecure situation.
And Flint's mayor is key. He must be the maestro, the creative team-builder who makes everyone perform better.
The right person in such a role can inspire stunning achievement, as exemplified by former Lansing Mayor David Hollister, who turned a city on a downward track into an object of admiration. Flint needs a mayor of this caliber.
Yet Williamson deserves credit. He's paved hundreds of lane miles of streets, made the city cleaner, replaced scores of city vehicles, and, most importantly, kept the books in the black after a state-ordered city takeover ended eight months into his term.
However, most of the deficit prompting the receivership was eliminated before Williamson took power. Recall, too, how he shamefully clashed with a state-appointed manager responsible for much of the recovery because the mayor wasn't yet in charge.
It's that my-way-or-the-highway attitude, which Williamson has exhibited throughout his term, that makes nearly every progressive step a precarious journey.
Credible organizations and individuals with the best of intentions worry constantly that the mayor might erect a roadblock. In fact, much of the redevelopment downtown and accomplishments in various economic and neighborhood initiatives occurred because talented people maneuvered around the city administration, or had its late participation.
Residents might accept Williamson's wars with the City Council, but there's no excuse for holding up projects because of orneriness or professional mediocrity, which describes a good many of the people the mayor has brought to City Hall, often for political reasons.
Such personnel practices may not get noticed because of Williamson's visibly good job with the city's housekeeping, compared to the past. But he doesn't have the skilled staff for Flint to reel in the partnerships and resources essential for prosperity.
Williamson, 73, isn't good at building coalitions because he doesn't have much faith in people. "Greed, animosity and jealousy" are key human motivations he volunteered to The Journal's Editorial Board.
Walling's outlook is refreshingly different. He believes that the "better angels" in people can be inspired to follow a quality leader with a well-conceived program.
Walling's campaign reflects this philosophy: His idealism and character have attracted a diverse body of supporters impressed by his practical plans for Flint's physical, economic and social renewal -- spearheaded by a high-quality city government.
Equally important, they have to admire his down-to-earth way of dealing with people from all walks of life. Walling, 33, would attract powerful players to Flint's cause, not shove them away. The Rhodes Scholarship he won alone would open doors.
Walling's service with Washington, D.C.'s mayor, his agency experience in Minneapolis and a stint at the nationally acclaimed Genesee County Land Bank provide examples of good governance to follow.
Most of all, though, he would lead Flint in a way with which it is not familiar, but would grow fond of. He would pave a road to a future many doubt possible. Voters on Tuesday should put their faith in Dayne Walling by making him their next mayor.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Event: All Walling / Williamson Posts.
Click on Labels "Flint" below.
From August through November, almost all of the posts on this label will deal with the Mayoral Race in Flint.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Event: Walling Gets a Wild Endorsement. Williamson Gets Schooled.
I know I've pointed out that Williamson has (debatably) taken the most influential endorsements in this race, but I am quite unexpectedly proven wrong.
The Flint Journal: Blistering radio ad targets mayor.
The ad doesn't pull any punches:
A new advertisement airing on several local radio stations says violent crime doubled in Flint under Williamson's watch, calls into question Williamson's values while noting he is a convicted felon, says two men in his administration have been accused of violence against women and says Williamson has been accused of sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
"If we live in one of the most violent cities in America, do you really feel confident knowing that your safety depends on Williamson's judgment?" the ad asks.
...
The advertisement is titled "King Kong" and it ends with the line "King Kong ain't got **** on me," a reference to the movie "Training Day."
The main character, played by Denzel Washington, a corrupt cop, says the line as a show of his power, but the community turns on him, and he is killed shortly thereafter.
But the ad itself isn't what extraordinary. It's that the ad is paid for by the Michigan Democratic Party.
[State Party Chairman] Brewer said the party "very much" wants challenger Dayne Walling elected.
"Dayne Walling is a Democrat. Don Williamson is not," he said.
...
"Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words, and by his actions, he's a Republican," Brewer said.
The Michigan branch is one of the most influential in the nation and in a study conducted following the 2004 Presidential Election, Flint voters came in ninth of over 300 cities by percent of votes cast for Kerry. When I said before that the UAW were the most-coveted endorsement that was, of course, because I assumed that the Democratic Party wouldn't be getting involved in an important non-partisan election.
Ultimately, though, it makes sense. Though Don Williamson has occasionally and conditionally professed to be a Democrat, he donated substantially to the Bush campaign and other Republicans, and his pre-political life was filled with unambiguous conservative endorsements and moments of union-bashing. Perhaps even more to the point, the Democratic Party recognizes a hazard to their viability in Williamson's ability to cripple dozens official municipal positions (all held by Democrats) serving one of their most reliable constituencies.
Let's be honest: the ad is nasty. One could lament that, or make the realpolitik observation that at least this means that weapons are drawn without Wallings having to slop around in the blood himself. Voting fairly reliably Democratic myself, however, I'm just glad to see the party flexing some muscle where a, underfunded fledgling candidate deserves and benefits from it. It's certainly a high stakes move for Michigan Democrats and drives the ball pretty hard into Williamson's court.
A tiny caveat: This could backfire. I'm just superstitious enough not to say how right now. But when the election has "cleared the air," I will. For the moment, though, I'm optimistic.
"If we live in one of the most violent cities in America, do you really feel confident knowing that your safety depends on Williamson's judgment?" the ad asks.
...
The advertisement is titled "King Kong" and it ends with the line "King Kong ain't got **** on me," a reference to the movie "Training Day."
The main character, played by Denzel Washington, a corrupt cop, says the line as a show of his power, but the community turns on him, and he is killed shortly thereafter.
"Dayne Walling is a Democrat. Don Williamson is not," he said.
...
"Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words, and by his actions, he's a Republican," Brewer said.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Event: More Walling vs. Williamson.
This week's coverage of Dayne Walling vs. Don Williamson, courtesy of The Flint Journal:
Economy key part in race. Mostly interviews pared down to single-sentences, but if you read through to the end, the last paragraph-worth is devastating.
Q&A: Walling on Flint's economy and Q&A: Williamson on Flint's economy. These could have the most important and galvanizing moments of the campaign, since they deal with what is arguably Flint's most pressing issue. Unfortunately, because the questions are so generic and the responses so trunchated, nothing of substance is really said. Walling and Williamson have never sounded so similar as they do here.
Current, past City Council members back Walling. The full list is: Jim Ananich, Sheldon Neeley, Jackie Poplar, Carolyn Sims (from the current City Council); Ralph Arellano, Johnnie Coleman, Verdell Duncan, Josh Freeman, Mark Horrigan, Jack D. Minore, Lawrence B. Murphy, Matt Schlinker, Ed Taylor and Barry Williams (the former City Council). I have, and you probably do too, mixed feelings about many in this crowd. It is still a preponderant number, including more than a couple former Williamson supporters. In his campaign's rebuttal, Joe Conroy said "it's ironic that the mayor drove these people out of City Hall, because they were giving contracts away to their friends and overspending." The quote is a nice textbook definition of the pot calling the kettle black.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Event: Don Williamson is Acting Like a Banana Republic Dictator... Once Again.
Just a few weeks to go until the election, and it looks like Walling has taken more endorsements, while Williamson has perhaps taken more influential endorsements.
As usual, though, Williamson is his own worst enemy. I don't know, for example, whether Sheldon Neeley's insisting on an apology in exchange for a lawsuit is really anything other than typical cloak-and-dagger Flint politics. Sheldon has always strongly opposed Wiliamson and, intentional or not, it is problematic to include him in campaign literature. Williamson ought to apologize. While the lawsuit has no legal basis, the threat was sufficient to get Neeley's complaint coverage in the Flint Journal. Again, Flint politics.
THIS, on the other hand, is much more serious. You should read the whole article, but in a nutshell Williamson paid an unspecified amount (the Walling campaign estimates $10,000) to send a statement by mail (with official city letterhead) to all Flint residents. The letter attempts to refute the Walling campaign's arguments on Williamson's budget, although this is more of a deliberate distortion than a rebuttal.
There are several valid grounds for complaint here.
Two are more or less incidental: First, why isn't the amount spent known (a problem that doesn't say much for the city's bookkeeping ability under Williamson's watch), and couldn't that money have been better spent elsewhere? Second, the letters don't address Walling's claims, and in fact, mischaracterize them. Walling has alleged that Williamson has allowed federal grants to expire, a fact that nobody has contested. The city's budget surplus, confirmed in the letter at $6.4 million, is also uncontested. It avoids an issue that Williamson cannot refute by attaching a complaint to Walling that his campaign has never made. So we have valid complaints that public money was poorly spent, and that it was actually wasted in that the letter did not resolve any outstanding issue.
A third complaint, however, is far from incidental. That is that Williamson is essentially laundering taxpayers' money in order to promote his campaign. Worse, by having Flint pay for his statement and using the city's letterhead, Williamson creates the appearance that the city itself, the very municipal structure he is contained within and theoretically beholden to, endorses his mayorality. This is illegal and despicable. It is not only a blatant act of political manipulation that would make a Chicago alderman blush, but it's a weird shadow of the one-party states and single-candidate ballots of the worst governments in the world: Belorussia, Iran, China, North Korea, oh, and if memory serves me, Burma.
This is not the first time Mr. Williamson has behaved in this way... in his first year as mayor he used the city seal in an ad for his wife's car dealership, and during her run for the state legislature, a park in the East Village was remarkably reconstructed days before she hosted a fundraising event there. Yet this present violation is more serious than these embarassing episodes of the past. By mobilizing the municipal government on behalf of his own campaign, Williamson seeks to illegally manipulate the election's outcome in his favor.
Lesson to be learned? Never trust a mayor who signs away on his own paycheck.
What to do in the meantime? Take it to court. Any Flint resident ought to be able to file suit, with consultation. This is a serious matter, and it should result in criminal charges.
On a last note, Andy Heller has been writing a streak of great columns lately. Check them out.
In All quiet on Flint mayoral election front, he actually quotes me from a comment I left on his blog, and I'm flattered, but that's not why I'm giving him props today. How could I say no to an idea like this?:
It's only a few weeks until the mayoral election. Flint, do you know where your Don is? Honest to gosh, where's he been? I see his campaign signs everywhere, so I know he's out there, but other than that, you'd hardly know an election was nigh. This last month is supposed to be the silly season. Where's the Don's customary announcement of some bizarro project that will turn Flint around -- like, say, turning Genesee Towers into the world's biggest haunted house or making the former Forest Park into a hunting preserve?
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Event: And if That Isn't a Good Start to a Tuesday...
... take a look at this.
If only I'd known as I watched Ferris Bueller. My childhood's shaking and shuddering.
1 comments.
Event: Ass.
I have no doubt that global warming exists. I just question the cause and what we can do to ameliorate it. But I wonder why the Sierra Club isn't going crazy about the environmental aspects of massive immigration into the U.S. The fact is, Americans consume more energy than anyone else, so if a person moves here from another country, they automatically become bigger polluters.
No Googling. Guess who said this.
6 comments.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Event: Wiretaps, or, What is a Democrat? (Part 2)
Jeff Danziger agrees with me:
Labels: civil libertues, EVENT, u.s. legislative
0 comments.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Event: Flint mayoral race update, 10/9/07.
From the Flint Journal:
Complete Coverage.
Recent posts: Share your thoughts, Top Pastors Endorse Williamson, Walling, Williamson to speak at Rotary, City of Flint lowers suplus estimate, Time is running out to register to vote, Chamber PAC to host candidates, Prized UAW endorsement goes to no one, Firefighters union backs Williamson, Mayor says city has jail money, Former Stanley aide heads Walling's north-end HQ, Court of public opinion: Lawsuit costs become election issue.
Also updates to the anti-Williamson blog Williamson Watch.
Meanwhile, the Uncommon Sense hasn't been updated since June. What gives? Their fortè is depth in political coverage that outer outlets cannot or will not provide. We need you, Uncommon Sense.
If you look at the headlines above, you might gather that this has been a bad week for Walling. The pastors' endorsement stings hard, and they have been some of the most decisive factors in recent elections. If anything, however, it points to what a close election this is likely to be. Without the UAW endorsement (which would count for much more than the AFL-CIO position), there's a vacuum in the race. There is a chance, of course, that influential individuals in the UAW will endorse a candidate (several already have, on both sides), but logistically speaking, it's hard to make any predictions. Walling's cooperation with former-mayor's Stanley's administration may help to offset the pastors' endorsement in the African American community. And that, itself, may damage Walling's standing in the white community, since there was nothing they ever came together on as strongly as opposition to Stanley. Aren't the messy memories of racial politics just lovely?
One interesting effect, incidently, is that this election could be less even along racial lines than any other in recent history. It may even polarize more by age and occupation than by race. We'll see.
The upshot, of course, is that if you can vote, you need to. This looks like it's going to be a very close race.
Labels: EVENT, Flint, politics
0 comments.
Event: Wiretaps, or, What is a Democrat?
It's a typical week, in that there are plenty of things that you ought to be angry about. High on the list is the New York Times report that Democrats Seem Ready to Extend Wiretap Powers. Of course, given the sound-bite nature of reportage these days, it's easy to lose the sequence of events here. They are fairly laid out in sequence by BarbinMD... specifically that despite Democratic tough-talk ("violence to the constitution" and "the stonewalling is unacceptable and it must end," a la Harry Reid) subpoenas have been slow coming. Now, not only do formal charges in response to an illegal program that puts us on par with Russia seem unlikely, but the program is about to be written into law.
Why can't the Democrats fight as tough as they talk? They don't have to become Republicans in order to do it. They don't have to be mean or hypocritical... just firm and assertive. How does this sound: For every Presidential veto that Congress will not override, the Democratic leadership will (in the absense of pressing legislation) turn its energy toward investigations of the abuse of power in the last decade. It doesn't have to be stated outright: it can be an "understanding." To paraphrase alan1, there's a time for rhetoric and a time for lawyers.
This time, I feel an above average sense of betrayal. Opposition to unconstitutional wiretaps isn't, after all, a fringe liberal position for Democrats to take up, nor are their numbers so soft that they can reasonably defer to perceived expediency.
This is a decade where the Republican party charges to the right in pursuit of their radical and inconsistant base. This is a decade where the Democratic party charges to the right, abandoning their patient and long-suffering base. At what point does a protest "vote of conscience" become acceptable again?
Labels: civil liberties, EVENT, u.s. legislative
1 comments.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Event: Beating an Undead Horse.
New York Times: Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations.
Yeah, I know that a subject so often repeated loses its viscerality.
I also know that a lack of progress or change inspires a feeling of futility.
And I know that the more drastic a comparison is, the more cliche and stale it seems.
Still, we have to recognize the importance of these things, no matter how frequent we hear it and how futile we might feel. Because they're still doing it. All of it. Secretly. Behind closed doors. In freezing, wet, clamorous rooms.
Significantly, one needn't fall back on a cliche likening this administration's "interpretation" of the law to a Soviet political purge. They've taken that step themselves:
With virtually no experience in interrogations, the C.I.A. had constructed its program in a few harried months by consulting Egyptian and Saudi intelligence officials and copying Soviet interrogation methods long used in training American servicemen to withstand capture. The agency officers questioning prisoners constantly sought advice from lawyers thousands of miles away.
It may be that the closest we ever get to a real sense of what the C.I.A. has been doing is this.
Here is, for your mollification, a list of Democrats who voted for the Military Commissions Act, a piece of legislation that allegedly "dealt" with these abominations once and for all, while quite capably taking the matter out of the hands of the U.S. Courts.
SENATE
Carper (D-DE)
Johnson (D-SD)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Stabenow (D-MI)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Andrews
Barrows
Bean
Bishop (GA)
Boren
Boswell
Boyd
Brown
Chandler
Cramer
Cuellar
Davis (AL)
Davis (TN)
Edwards
Etheridge
Ford
Gordon
Herseth
Higgins
Holden
Marshall
Matheson
McIntyre
Moore
Peterson (MN)
Pomeroy
Ross
Salazar
Scott (GA)
Spratt
Tanner
Taylor (MS)
May we never have to accuse anyone of waterboarding our captured troops. It will be a difficult argument to make.
Labels: civil rights, EVENT, politics, war
0 comments.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Event: Michigan, In Tents.
Somehow, between following Ahmadinejad's visit and the UAW Strike, I completely missed this. This is evidently a very interesting month for Michigan, politically. It looks like Granholm took a stand on public services, which is nice, although it was a high stakes gamble for both sides. I'm astonished by how much could go to shit in just four hours.
I am above-average homesick.
0 comments.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Event: Food For Thought (When Hillary Lies)
I won't be able to post today or tomorrow (except this), so I leave you with this fascinating thought: Hillary Clinton lied at the Democratic Debate yesterday. Tim Russert asked her who she would root for in a World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees. She said:
"Well, I would have to alternate sides."
Besides providing ammo for a thousand jokes with that particular answer (and playing right into the hands of last-cycle Kerry detractors), I don't personally believe it. It might not help that Russert is asking her to choose between the two most odious teams in baseball, but it's an answer that disrespects and begs disrespect. Nothing is more unsightly in a baseball fan than playing the numbers of a teams' success (or in this case, the numbers of a teams' fans – both the Cubs and the Yanks are a doozy) like an auction for your support. That's why I saw a girl wearing a shirt saying "I was a Tigers fan before 2006," and felt like I ought to ask her how she felt about them in 2003. Anyway, this question ought to be a no-brainer for Hillary. The Cubs were the team she grew up with. The Yankees are the team of a place she has moved as a political expediency. The Yankees have won a billion times. The Cubs are fated to never win. I don't care how many times a Cubs fan puked on her teenage shoes on the Red Line; she's rooting for Chicago whether she admits it or not. Between this and her reluctance to back the UAW, my confidence is increasingly shaken.
If I can't trust her to be honest about baseball, can I trust her about anything?
Labels: baseball, EVENT, politics
0 comments.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Event: I'm not the only one thinking that the UAW's pretty smart at this go round.
A Daily Kos diary: UAW on Strike for Job Security.
I realize that, with the strike off, there's a perceived lack of urgency to this particular subject, but the issues that caused the strike in the first place are very much intact. And I particularly like the way this notion is shared:
The media seems to think that GM can break the union at will, but they seem to miss that for the UAW killing GM may be the price that has to be paid to provide their members job security. The GM brand isn't going to die, and if it's forced into dire economic straights a sale to private equity is possible. Meaning that a new set of managers focused on creating long term value instead of maximizing stock prices can be brought in. Like just happened at Chrysler.
In short, we don't want our unions, including the UAW, making the same mistake that the Democratic Party makes all the time: letting short-termed number-crunching discretion replace the need to make decision. Any opportunity in such a highly contested field is going to require risks. In this case, the risk has paid off so far.
0 comments.
Event: The Strange Death of Liberal America.
I found this blog post through its own self-promotion on the New York Times website. It's argument isn't as airtight as it could be, but there are still some interesting points here.
0 comments.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Event: Why GM should hope for a UAW victory.
The New York Times' Caucus Blog (which I normally enjoy) has posted a blatantly misleading post on the Candidates and the U.A.W. Specifically, it fails to mention Obama's high-profile support for the union, and even worse, it mischaracterizes the reasons for the strike in general. I managed to post a couple comments, and the better of the two sums up my reasons to support this particular strike (besides a general support for the U.A.W.). Unlike the 1998 strike, this strike is unique in that it is looking toward the horizon. That is, a reasonable U.A.W. victory basically mandates that GM take a reasonable approach toward attaining its own solvency. This is a step that GM's leadership has not taken, itself.
I've corrected my own typos below.
So many of these comments are rehashing the same points. If this post is about the political capital cost/gain of endorsing a strike, then the UAW ought to emphasize the following:
- For a decade the UAW has been making concessions, and not in a combative, strike-eager environment.
- In this round, the UAW has also granted GM their chief demand: a HUGE concession in the form of a trust to manage health expenses.
- Given the percentage of GM workers currently employed in the US (as UAW workers), the benefits everyone here is complaining about are no long a decisive issue for GM.
- The demands that have brought about this strike in the first place concern job security, not wages. GM is reluctant to grant these demands, frankly, because the UAW is the only union left with any power to direct the corporation's policy at all. In short, GM wants to downsize the UAW to irrelevancy.
- Company restructuring in the last several decades (ever since Roger Smith) has driven lines to design similar vehicles with a high margin of profitability. *This* is why a Chevy looks like a Pontiac looks like a Buick (looks like a Saturn). This is also why GM sales have foundered.
All of these observations lead to one interesting result: GM will be much better off if the UAW carries this strike. Why? Because most UAW members in GM have a greater stake in the company's long-term viability than your average GM shareholder. The workers' whole futures are at stake. Shareholder loyalty is only measured one quarter at a time.
In the end, GM has to start selling their cars again. They cannot continue to view their workforce as "excess fat," an excuse to avoid improving their product.
I am glad that Edwards and Obama are supporting the strikers... and I’d been leaning toward Hillary until now. Really, though, I see this as an issue of UAW self-promotion. They have to go public with their real priorities in a big way, and not let unlikely adversaries (like the New York Times) erroniously spin the story that this strike is about wages.
It isn’t.
— Posted by Connor
- For a decade the UAW has been making concessions, and not in a combative, strike-eager environment.
- In this round, the UAW has also granted GM their chief demand: a HUGE concession in the form of a trust to manage health expenses.
- Given the percentage of GM workers currently employed in the US (as UAW workers), the benefits everyone here is complaining about are no long a decisive issue for GM.
- The demands that have brought about this strike in the first place concern job security, not wages. GM is reluctant to grant these demands, frankly, because the UAW is the only union left with any power to direct the corporation's policy at all. In short, GM wants to downsize the UAW to irrelevancy.
- Company restructuring in the last several decades (ever since Roger Smith) has driven lines to design similar vehicles with a high margin of profitability. *This* is why a Chevy looks like a Pontiac looks like a Buick (looks like a Saturn). This is also why GM sales have foundered.
All of these observations lead to one interesting result: GM will be much better off if the UAW carries this strike. Why? Because most UAW members in GM have a greater stake in the company's long-term viability than your average GM shareholder. The workers' whole futures are at stake. Shareholder loyalty is only measured one quarter at a time.
In the end, GM has to start selling their cars again. They cannot continue to view their workforce as "excess fat," an excuse to avoid improving their product.
I am glad that Edwards and Obama are supporting the strikers... and I’d been leaning toward Hillary until now. Really, though, I see this as an issue of UAW self-promotion. They have to go public with their real priorities in a big way, and not let unlikely adversaries (like the New York Times) erroniously spin the story that this strike is about wages.
It isn’t.
— Posted by Connor
Labels: economics, EVENT, labor
0 comments.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Event: What Do We Think of This?
New York Times: Amid Protests, President of Iran Speaks at Columbia.
I'm very curious what you think.
Labels: civil rights, education, EVENT, foreign policy
1 comments.
Event: A Good Post Worth Reading.
Tom's on a roll this month. I always like his blogging, political and otherwise, but this month he's been even more prolific than usual. Last Friday he analyzed God and the religious right as suggested by Oklahoma State Senator Ernie Chambers:
Human beings tend to make Gods in our own image. We imagine Gods that reflect our hopes, our deepest yearnings, what we see as the best in ourselves.
So what does it tell you about the Religious Right when the God they imagine is a violent, vindictive, total shit?
So what does it tell you about the Religious Right when the God they imagine is a violent, vindictive, total shit?
Labels: civil liberties, civil rights, EVENT, politics
0 comments.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Event: We Say Petraeus, Sallust Says Petreius
Evidently, Sallust was also familiar with a General Petraeus:
When he had satisfied himself on every point, Petreius sounded the signal and ordered the cohorts to advance slowly, and the same movement was made by the enemy. On reaching a distance at which the light troops could engage, the two armies raised a great shout and charged each other, standard to standard.
All they have in common is their name, however.
Sallust's Petreius was sent into war by Cicero, one of the greatest political minds of all time, in a decisive strike against Catiline, a wealthy citizen who had successfully raised an army in insurrection against Rome.
Our Petraeus, on the other hand, was sent into war by Bush, one of the most persistantly one-sided political minds of all time, in an decisive bid against Congress to continue a war waged for reasons subject to an unprecedented case of national amnesia.
I wonder what Sallust would write about our Petraeus.
0 comments.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Event: More Political Disappointment Today.
New York Times: Senate Blocks Detainees' Rights Bill.
It would have passed in an up-down vote, but 60 votes are required for cloture.
Who voted for the bill? The Dems minus one, and Republicans Arlen Specter, Chuck Hegel, Richard Lugar, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, and John Sununu.
Who voted against the bill? Lieberman and a bunch of Republicans.
Labels: EVENT, u.s. legislative
0 comments.
Event: Walling / Williamson Crunch Time is Here.
Well, how disappointing.
In a move that may have been decisive, the AFL-CIO has formally endorsed Don Williamson. The Flint Journal article mentions allegations of bias; that the endorsement was very conveniently timed, given the renewal of key contracts. I don't know enough about the scene today to comment on the likelihood of that, but it's not necessary. It may be that ALF-CIO endorsed Williamson because he has set up a modest record of progress of painting over graffiti and repaving roads.
That's why this the endorsement so disappointing. "Modest progress" is insufficient for Flint's needs. Have the graffiti efforts made a real tangible effort in the quality of life? I doubt it. It could be fairly argued that violent crime has increased dramatically during the Williamson administration. Graffiti removal is a firstoff a matter of beautification, not crime control. I live in Brooklyn now, where every sidewalk, wall, and subway post is covered in graffiti, but the crime rate doesn't hold a candle to Flint's. While it's erroneous to think that graffiti is not related to the gang culture that thrives in Flint, it is certainly fair to say that graffiti cleanup has taken on an importance disproportionate to its actual benefits.
The road paving is another achievement that the Williamson administration loves to credit itself with. But it's quickly forgotten that most of that repaving happened through the use of state funds, and Williamson, given his constant feuds with the city council, local unions, and media outlets, can't possibly claim to have brought this home through any sort of diplomacy or negotiation.
Even if he somehow could assume credit for infrastructural improvments, does that really offset the $16 million in federal support Flint has lost under his watch? Remember that a few years ago, a debt of double that amount was sufficient to place Flint into state receivership and make local elections irrelevant. It also breaks down to $4 million a year, which is more than twice as expensive as maintaining an empty and derelict AutoWorld. Again, these are all funds that would have been earmarked for public housing, the schools, and public programs.
So I ask you, ALF-CIO members. Does this endorsement really make much sense?
Here's Winston Smith's manifesto on Williamson's record.
Here are my thoughts on Dayne Walling.
Here is Dayne Walling's website.
Labels: elections, EVENT, Flint, Michigan, politics
3 comments.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Event: A Break from Politics.
Check this out. It's crazy.
National Radio Astronomy Observatory: Astronomers Find Enormous Hole in the Universe.
This isn't quite as much of a break, but it's still interesting:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Segregation in U.S. schools rising.
1 comments.
Event: I give up.
Part 4:
The Flint Journal: A beheaded Snow White latest statue to find its way back to Flint Twp. home.
0 comments.
Event: Please Help Shut This Discussion Down.
The objections are so facile that there is literally no support for them. The Times' own response clearly illustrates a defined policy and precedent.
The New York Times: Cheney Jumps Into Frey Over MoveOn Ad.
The Washington Post: MoveOn Fires Back at Giuliani.
FOX News: New York Times Gave MoveOn.com Discount for 'Betray Us' Ad.
The New York Post: TIMES GIVES LEFTIES A HEFY DISCOUNT FOR 'BETRAY US' AD.
It is worth noting that the last two sources are both owned by the same man who is now in command of the Wall Street Journal.
Labels: EVENT, media, politics
0 comments.
Event: Support the DREAM Act.
Take five minutes and email/write/call your senator in support of the DREAM Act.
It is difficult to imagine any progressive and useful approach to Immigration Reform that does not involve common-sense measures such as are provided by the DREAM Act. Essentially, the acts provides a route to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. As Justice for Immigrants points out: "Students who would qualify came to the United States as children with their parents and entered illegally through no fault of their own. The United States is the only country they have really known. This is not an amnesty bill." It is, in fact, a pretty clear choice between healthy and unhealthy population growth.
Labels: civil rights, EVENT, immigration
2 comments.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Event: No Dwarves, No Cars, No What, Whatever (what ever).
Thank God the Flint Journal has continued it's 24-7 coverage of the Dwarf Decapitation Crisis. This is their third article on the subject in the last week.
Meanwhile, while the Journal gives the ongoing GM/UAW contracts the requisite nod, at least the New York Times is able to do the Journal's job for them.
Seriously, what does it say about a community's daily when local issues of crushing economic importance are better covered by a newspaper 600 miles away?
Labels: economics, EVENT, Flint, labor
0 comments.
Event: California Republicans.
Last week, Tom, my godfather, posted a very interesting analysis of the dilemma facing California Republicans. While California is admittedly atypical, I still think that many of his observations could be extended to the nation at large:
The Republican party is imploding under the "breastplate of righteousness" it has donned at the behest of social conservatives, but because social conservatives dominate the Republican party and aren't going to give up control, I don't see an easy path out of the dilemma.
Labels: EVENT, other states, politics
0 comments.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Event: Stop the Presses! Pocket Lint Found in Pocket!
The Flint Journal continues to follow important stories in the lives 450,000 souls. This week, they're following a veritable Ring Cycle involving the theft of some ceramic dwarves from Sue Austin's front yard. Gee, I can hardly wait to find out what happens tomorrow.
Dear Flint Journal,
How can we take you seriously when you treat yourself like a joke?
This at least, is somewhat better.
0 comments.
Event: Six Years Later.
from bill-in-portland-maine:
Most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, yet that country has paid no price for producing and harboring terrorists. Neither has Pakistan, the country in which Osama bin Laden is now hiding.
The PDB said: Bin Laden determined to Strike in U.S.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. 9/11 had nothing to do with Iraq.
Sitting in a classroom for seven minutes after being told "America is under attack" is a poor display of leadership, especially if you're America's president.
If the administration had tried to sell the Iraq war based on anything other than the fear of weapons of mass destruction, we never would have invaded.
Colin Powell, the most trusted man in the administration, said: "My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence."
There were no WMDs. Not "in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat," and not even in the Oval Office "somewhere."
Four and a half years after declaring that "major combat operations have ended," major combat operations have not ended.
Taunting the insurgents by sneering "Bring 'em on" was really dumb because the insurgents brought it on.
The insurgency wasn't "in its last throes" then, and it isn’t in its last throes now.
The Taliban has bounced back in Afghanistan. The Maliki government has flatlined in Iraq.
Osama bin Laden has not been caught, either dead or alive. He is still making videos.
And here's a bonus from Bill Maher:
New Rule: If you were surprised that the Chinese don't care about toy safety, then the child who needs protecting is you. Over the last couple of months, American consumers have been learning a shocking lesson about supply and demand: if you demand products that don't cost anything, people will make them out of poison, mud and shit. ... They don't care if your precious little Britney sucks a little lead. Because in China, their kids aren't playing with the toys, they're the ones in the factory all day making them. ...
In America, there is nothing more sacred than a bargain. And that even includes the war. Yeah, there's too much lead in the kids' toys, but not nearly enough on the Humvees in Iraq. "Let's have a war and cut taxes; what could go wrong?" "Let's give mortgages to the homeless. Sounds like a plan." "Let's buy toys from a Communist police state. You just know they'll put in a little extra love."
Speaking of which, you know why today's modern Chinese capitalist puts lead in the paint that goes on toys? Because it makes colors brighter. You've got to love America, a country that's literally being killed by the stuff that makes objects shiny.
The PDB said: Bin Laden determined to Strike in U.S.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. 9/11 had nothing to do with Iraq.
Sitting in a classroom for seven minutes after being told "America is under attack" is a poor display of leadership, especially if you're America's president.
If the administration had tried to sell the Iraq war based on anything other than the fear of weapons of mass destruction, we never would have invaded.
Colin Powell, the most trusted man in the administration, said: "My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence."
There were no WMDs. Not "in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat," and not even in the Oval Office "somewhere."
Four and a half years after declaring that "major combat operations have ended," major combat operations have not ended.
Taunting the insurgents by sneering "Bring 'em on" was really dumb because the insurgents brought it on.
The insurgency wasn't "in its last throes" then, and it isn’t in its last throes now.
The Taliban has bounced back in Afghanistan. The Maliki government has flatlined in Iraq.
Osama bin Laden has not been caught, either dead or alive. He is still making videos.
In America, there is nothing more sacred than a bargain. And that even includes the war. Yeah, there's too much lead in the kids' toys, but not nearly enough on the Humvees in Iraq. "Let's have a war and cut taxes; what could go wrong?" "Let's give mortgages to the homeless. Sounds like a plan." "Let's buy toys from a Communist police state. You just know they'll put in a little extra love."
Speaking of which, you know why today's modern Chinese capitalist puts lead in the paint that goes on toys? Because it makes colors brighter. You've got to love America, a country that's literally being killed by the stuff that makes objects shiny.
Labels: EVENT, foreign policy, war
0 comments.
Event: Socialist Convention.
The Democratic Socialists of America are throwing a convention this November 9-11, in Atlanta of all places.
I wish I had more money, so that I could go.
I also wish they had better web design, so that I could read about the convention without feeling like I'm reading about a preschool Easter Egg hunt. That has to be the least flattering picture of Bernie Sanders ever.
Labels: civil liberties, diplomacy, economics, environment, EVENT, health care, politics, poverty, U.S.A., war
0 comments.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Event: Oh, Caucus.
The first batch of comments are better than the actual article. But you'll have to read the article to make sense of the comments. This was nice.
Labels: EVENT, politics, u.s. executive
0 comments.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Event: Once Again, Jeff Danziger is Here to Save the Day.
Priceless.
I have to say, having been busy lately watching episodes of Rome, I really think that this panel does the severed head justice.
Labels: EVENT, u.s. legislative
0 comments.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Event: Dot Dot Dot.
Image from mosesfreeman.
To Rome said Nero: "If to smoke you turn
I shall not cease to fiddle while you burn."
To Nero Rome replied: "Pray do your worst,
'Tis my excuse that you were fiddling first."- Orm Pludge
Labels: environment, EVENT, other states, u.s. executive
1 comments.
Event: And Speaking of Katrina...
... if you need to just swim in it for awhile,
here's a nice piece from Daily Kos with links and articles.
The Flint Journal's take.
The New York Times' take.
Colin and Nora live in the Big Easy.
The Flint Journal's take.
The New York Times' take.
Colin and Nora live in the Big Easy.
Labels: environment, EVENT, other states
0 comments.
Event: If it looks like a rat*...
The New York Times Lede: Leaping to Seantor Craig's Defence.
*By "rat" I mean "hypocritical senator."
Labels: EVENT, politics, u.s. legislative, U.S.A.
0 comments.
Event: Shout Out.
Alberto Gonzales resigned?
There's political tumult in Turkey and Pakistan?
It's the 2nd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's assault on New Orleans?
Nevermind! Nevermind!
0 comments.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Five Years Later...
Wow. They finally admitted it.
THE PRESIDENT: You know, I've heard this theory about everything was just fine until we arrived, and kind of "we're going to stir up the hornet's nest" theory. It just doesn't hold water, as far as I'm concerned. The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.
Q What did Iraq have to do with that?
THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?
Q The attack on the World Trade Center?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing,
Isn't that remarkable? The little things that just slip out, inexplicably?
THE PRESIDENT: except for it's part of --
Here it comes.
THE PRESIDENT: -- and nobody has ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a --
Excuse me? (Note. A Philadelphia lawyer has just informed me that the word "ordered" is operative here. That way Bush can deny earlier attempts to link bin Laden with Hussein, and then point to a technicality if he's called on it).
THE PRESIDENT: the lesson of September the 11th is, take threats before they fully materialize
To paraphrase Eminem:
THE PRESIDENT: Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Rana Terrorism
And so we're back to more of the same old same old. As a well-known Wall Street Journal editorialist recently opined, with some people "progress is always just beyond the horizon."
And yet, for one tiny moment, didn't that just feel great? That
Q What did Iraq have to do with that?
THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?
Q The attack on the World Trade Center?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing,
It kind of opens the chest up so you can fill your lungs with air!
Q What did Iraq have to do with that?
THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?
Q The attack on the World Trade Center?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing,
THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?
Q The attack on the World Trade Center?
THE PRESIDENT: Nothing,
Labels: EVENT, u.s. executive, war
0 comments.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
EVENT: In which Representative Sali shows himself to know very little about the founders of our country, whom he purports to respect.
Unfortunately, my source is the American Family News.
"We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes -- and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers," asserts Sali.
Well this is spectacular. For the 900th time one of our Representatives is talking about the Founders' intentions without having bothered to learn who they were or what they believed. Such luminaries as John Adams and Benjamen Franklin were both Unitarians and surely would have scoffed at the idea that earthly prosperity is somehow meted out in a straightfoward Salian way. Thirteen signers were Freemasons, an organization which is open to both Hindus and Muslims and many other faiths, and has heavily incoporated Islamic tradition and cosmology since its conception. Even the Chrisian majority of the Founding Fathers had a practical and flexible vision of their faith which corresponded with a growing democracy. Conservatives are right to assert that the country was more predominantly Christian at its inception than it is now; they are historically wrong in thinking that the era's Christianity was as rigid and unyielding as their own "faith."
According to Congressman Sali, the only way the U.S. can continue to survive is under that protective hand of God. He states when a Hindu prayer is offered, "that's a different god" and that it "creates problems for the longevity of this country."
The most appropriate question is whether the Founders themselves would have felt comfortable in Sali's congress.
If you like, you can write and ask him yourself.
Labels: civil liberties, EVENT, other states, u.s. legislative
9 comments.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Good riddance.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Karl Rove has left the building.
Labels: EVENT, politics, u.s. executive
0 comments.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Event: The Emphasis? Emphatic.
One of my perennial complaints against the Democratic Party at large is that they play a defensive game. Not in terms of their foreign policy, but in terms of their political strategy. They are too caught up in number crunching and trying to out-tough the Republicans to actually hold their ground against the Republicans in issues in which progressives have the advantage.
Not wanting to make the same mistake, and to be thereby hypocritical, I'm going to deal with something upfront, possibly over-reacting (after all, it seemed like a blogbomb, and I don't know if the guy's even going to come back and hear about how his comment was received), but at least I can make an articulated case for the political agenda that Blue Skies Falling has promoted from the beginning.
Today, on my post Freedom House Rankings I received the following comment from Chris whose blog is here. His comment ran as follows:
United States gets a top ranking. Yet this country continues to be demonized and called the evil empire. If people spent as much time trying to bring about freedom for others as the amount of time they do hating America, perhaps more people in this world would have a chance to live freer lives as they should.
I wrote the following back:
I don't usually delete comments, Chris, but your point only connects with the post by the barest thread. And your point is vague and generalizing and (most likely) simple Republican sloganeering. Though you can correct me if I'm wrong. And you don't offer any evidence to back your claim up.
Sometimes it's hard not to delete comments, but often it's very easy, becase when you post something as carelessly and hastily written as this, you're only making yourself look foolish.
Then I was worried that I might be sticking my foot down my throat. I went to Chris' blog, and after just a few minutes of scanning I found the following directed against that figurehead of irresponsible revolutionary action, Eddie Vedder:
Eddie seems to be of the All Things Bush Are Bad camp, the very same camp who would say, if they found out that they and Bush liked the same music, they'd say he listens to it the wrong way, the moron. This is the group of people who completely shun a Pro-Democracy In Iraq, Let The Troops Win The War point of view. This is the same group that wants a cowardly exit from Iraq, to let the Freedom Fighters win and for the illegally occupying U.S. troops to leave in shame. Shame! When Eddie brings this into a concert then it ruins it and it's dangerous 'cause it poisons the minds of impressionable listeners. Why should the U.S. pack and leave as quickly as possible? If it could happen in three days, wouldn't that be great, Eddie? Allow Iran to take over Iraq. Allow Iraq to become a Free Zone for al Qaida, to live and thrive and train and plan to kill me... and to kill you... and your family.
Now I don't want to be a total prick. To be fair, Chris does link to a large number of (seemingly) non-partisan charities; they're actually his most prominent links. His blog isn't strictly political, and I do think he's well intentioned. But I have to say that I really hate comments like his. I hate them. They're almost as bad as spam. They involve practi
Sometimes it's hard not to delete comments, but often it's very easy, becase when you post something as carelessly and hastily written as this, you're only making yourself look foolish.