Open Thread

11 Comments

1. 

   Daniel DiRito on April 14, 2007 at 7:19 pm

   See a pithy tongue-in-cheek visual that skewers Karl Rove and the Bush administration’s disregard for accountability…here:

   http://www.thoughttheater.com

2. 

   Ed J on April 14, 2007 at 8:01 pm

   I was astounded to learn that they’re currently debating a Universal Child Care Plan:

   The Universal Child Care Plan provides Choice, Support and Spaces

   Canada’s New Government is pleased to introduce Canada’s Universal Child Care Plan, a national plan that provides Choice, Support and Spaces for today’s parents.

   When it comes to child care, the best role for the government is to trust parents and let them choose what’s right for their children. Canada’s Universal Child Care Plan provides parents with resources to help balance work and family as they see fit; a plan that supports families regardless of where they live, whatever their circumstances and preferences.

   There are 2.1 million preschoolers in Canada. Through the Universal Child Care Benefit, all children under the age of six and their families will be helped.

   Amazing. Our bozos in the US Congress don’t have the nerve to push for universal health care yet.

   • 

     olivia on April 14, 2007 at 8:19 pm

     Canada’s New Government™

     Very creepy …

   • 

     Poeschek on April 14, 2007 at 8:22 pm

     We already had a national child care program but Canada’s New Government(TM), the idiot Conservatives screwed it up introducing this new program giving funding directly to individuals. Whoops, BTW, it’s a TAXABLE benefit, so the average family is only likely to come out ahead by a couple hundred bucks. This program is such a big pile of shit so they’re going back to the drawing board.

     But yeah, all of the major parties have some sort of universal child care program policy in the works for the next election, it’s a fairly hot topic. Everyone acknowledges that an aging population could cause problems, but it’s hard to have kids if you can’t afford to lose the income when in most families, both parents work.

     • 

       Ed J on April 14, 2007 at 8:34 pm

       for filling me in on the background. Very interesting.

3. 

   blksista on April 14, 2007 at 9:14 pm

   I’m crossing my fingers and toes.  And praying…

   Got to resolve finances, which is why I haven’t been posting comments or diaries.

   I’d like to come down to New Orleans to help out in some way for a week this summer.  Anyone have any contacts?

   So many killings in the Crescent City that everyone is packing gats…

   Hope Mitch Landrieu runs for Governor, but Kos is saying that he doesn’t stand a chance because he’s too aligned with Blanco…um, HARDLY.

   We’ve got to knock out Bobby Jindal HARD.

   • 

     Cali Scribe on April 14, 2007 at 10:46 pm

     with the publisher.

     You might want to check with your local Habitat for Humanity and see if anyone’s got a group heading down there this summer — maybe some church groups as well if that’s not too offensive to your sensibilities. (Here’s a link to the Volunteer Resources Page for the Office of Disaster Response in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, if you might want to lean in that direction.)

     I don’t care what Markos has to say — IIRC, he said the Democrats didn’t have a chance to take the Senate, and look where we are now (granted, the hold is tenuous at best, but it’s a start that can be built on next year).

     Glad to see you back on the tubes… 🙂

   • 

     Alice on April 15, 2007 at 5:28 am

     Check with Common Ground Collective.

     Wish I were able-bodied enough to go with you.  Do keep us informed.

4. 

   Carnacki on April 14, 2007 at 10:43 pm

   Right-wing partisan site Politico writes on State Sen. John Unger (D) considering a run for WV-02 against our Ms. Leader, the Rubberstamp Republican Shelley Moore Capito.

   The DCCC is looking at West Virginia state senator John Unger as a potential challenger against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.). Unger traveled to Washington recently, meeting with DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen and the committee’s recruitment chair Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.).  According to Unger, Davis told him the race was a “top ten target” for the committee.

   “I’m talking with various people and praying about it.  I haven’t made any decision one way or another.  I’m very honored and flattered that people would contact me,” said Unger.

   Unger said one of the highlights of his career was coordinating the distribution of relief supplies with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India during his work there as a missionary in 1990.  He has been in the state Senate since 1998, and was elected at the age of 29.

   The district is home to many blue-collar Democrats who often vote Republican at the federal level.  It has one of the higher Democratic registration numbers among Republican-held districts, but President Bush received 57% of the vote there in 2004.

   Unger is someone I’ve touted for a while.

5. 

   tylerojai on April 15, 2007 at 2:33 am

   The Ojai Post, a community blog of a couple dozen authors has consistently broken stories in our small town.  The latest is the invasion of a Subway sandwich shop.  Why is that a big deal?  Ojai is one of the last places in America to have virtually no chain stores, and certainly nothing of Subway’s, ahem, caliber.

   Thanks to The Ojai Post’s coverage, a special city council meeting was called, where the council considered an urgent moratorium to block chains from entering, Subway included.  It was scuttled by old-guard pro-business councilmember Joe DeVito, the only one in the room of 70+ to oppose the moratorium.  This is a developing story that the LA Times is starting to sniff around.

   Elsewhere, a citizen that submitted a ballot initiative against chain stores was SLAPPed, sued by the city, and now the ACLU has entered pro-bono on the citizen’s side.

   Check out more at The Ojai Post  There’s a link at the top to a Chain Store Issue Resource Page, which can give you the whole story in a snapshot.

   • 

     Indianadem on April 15, 2007 at 10:05 am

     Wow! For a minute there, I thought our rethug “economic development impaired” county commissioners had changed their names and moved to Ojai! The SLAPP suit is an outrage and thankfully, something our local idiots haven’t thought of yet.

     Our town successfully passed an ordnance a couple of years ago that prohibits chains from locating in a designated “historic district”, but they can still do business along the two state highways leading into town. IIRC, Crested Butte, CO has excluded chains, at least there were none there when I last visited in 1999.

     A catch phrase from way back in the Nixon administration always comes to my mind in connection with these debacles, “Follow the money…” – always good advice, IMHO. Good luck.