Word is that the Obama team is going to look at the treaty after he takes office and work with our allies. Yeah!!!
Bush has refused to even talk about it........

Thank-you Barack....
Your position and vote on cluster bombs is what put me over the fence in support of you.

Here is a petition in support of the ban. It asks Gates to place a moritorium on their use.

peace,
marsha

This is a link to sign a petition.
Sounds like a great idea to me.

http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/page/s/autoregis

peace,
marsha

Many Obama supporters are worried about what kind of organization will emerge from the campaign. Those who are concerned have included top-level leaders from the campaign who have expressed themselves publicly.

Barack can resolve this issue quickly and easily. He can simply tell his staff to spin off an independent organization that is truly dedicated to community organizing. I encourage folks who support this direction to let Barack and/or his people know.

Then we can proceed to build a strong national movement committed to helping Barack implement the goals of his campaign. Without such a movement, we won’t be able to “transform the nation,” as Barack called for during the campaign.

Marshall Ganz, the architect of Obama's grassroots organizing program, is among the concerned. On Nov. 17, he told Micah Sifry, “It's very important what Obama decides. Whether to try to support some kind of organized effort, that's rooted in the campaign, or not."    Read More »

By MARC LEVY Associated Press Writer


HARRISBURG, Pa.â€"Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders are intensifying their search for budget cuts and spare millions as the deteriorating economy continues to unravel Pennsylvania's $28.3 billion spending plan.
The state's bleak revenue collections look certain to make November the seventh straight month that expectations have not been met as Rendell's agency heads draw up a second round of spending cuts to try to avert a deficit.

Some of the biggest recipients of the state's fundingâ€"hospitals and nursing homes that serve the poor and uninsured, and counties that administer safety nets for addiction treatment, mental health needs and neglected childrenâ€"are worried about those cuts.

"Worried is sort of an understatement," said Jim Redmond, a Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania lobbyist.

Public schools this year received a big new injection of money to help them educate students to meet Pennsylvania's academic standards, and now school boards are worried about the future of those programs.

County commissioners warned the state against cutting their funding and simply sending the costs down the ladder to county taxpayers.

"The state cutting its share may save state taxpayers money, but those same taxpayers are hit when we are forced to raise property taxes to make up the difference," said Dave Coder, a Greene County commissioner who is president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.


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Through October, Pennsylvania state government revenue collections were running 7 percent behindâ€"at that rate, the state would be facing a deficit of nearly $2 billion when the fiscal year ends on June 30.

On Oct. 30, Rendell announced that he was freezing $311 million in spending, and asked groups outside his control, including the Legislature and Judiciary, to take similar steps. Two weeks ago, he ordered his agency heads to undertake a second round of cuts, to be revealed Dec. 9 when Rendell briefs legislative leaders.

Decisions on where to cut, and whether to increase a tax, is likely to send partisan sparks flying.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Democratic House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans are saying everything should be consideredâ€"although they diverge on the question of a tax increase.

Evans' spokeswoman said the Philadelphia Democrat is willing to consider a "targeted" tax increase, as opposed to a more general tax increase. Scarnati's spokesman said the Jefferson County Republican believes the budget can be balanced without an increase.

Regardless, there are plenty of suggestions from Capitol observers on what should be done.

"It is a cop out just to do a 5 percent across-the-board cut, because you're rewarding bad programs and punishing good programs," said Eric Epstein, coordinator of RocktheCapitol.org.

For starters, tens of millions of dollars in grantsâ€"known as "WAMs," for walking around moneyâ€"are controlled by state legislative leaders. The grants may go toward worthy causes, such as community non-profits and school groups, but Epstein and others say recipients are selected in a secretive process that is not based on merit.

The state spends tens of millions more on what the libertarian Commonwealth Foundation calls "corporate welfare"â€"grants, tax credits and reimbursements that reward businesses for picking Pennsylvania over another state as a destination to expand or relocate.

The state also has reserves to consider.

That includes a "rainy day fund" of nearly $750 million for hard economic times. The Legislature keeps its own surplus, too, squirreled away since the 1990s in the name of shielding the institution during a budget dispute with a vengeful governor. The last annual audit of the surplus tallied it at more than $240 million on June 30, 2007.

Then there's the tax code.

The liberal Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center pointed out that the state could capture more than $600 million if it closes a loophole through which many businesses avoid paying Pennsylvania's corporate income tax.

In addition, Pennsylvania is one of the biggest natural gas-producing states that does not tax the activityâ€"a free pass that could cost Pennsylvania more money in the future as exploration companies flock here to drill into the potentially lucrative Marcellus Shale gas formation.

Posted by: Tony Phyrillas | 11/26/2008 2:10 PM



A citizens' group that led the fight to repeal the 2005 legislative pay raise is demanding Pennsylvania officials suspend their annual COLA increase.

RockTheCapital.org says the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for legislators, members of the Rendell administration and judges is a "stealth" pay raise.

The base salary of a Pennsylvania lawmaker goes up to $78,315 on Dec. 1. Legislative leaders earn more. For example, the Senate Pro Tempore would earn $118,095 after the COLA kicks in.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are already among the highest paid in the nation. They attempted to pull off a middle-of-the-night pay raise in July 2005, but public pressure forced the Legislature to repeal the pay raise a few months later.

From Eric Epstein, coordinator of RockTheCapital.org:


"At a time when working class families are getting clobbered, the political class is making plans to jet to New York City and whine and dine in the lap of luxury. Those in the 'no whine zone' are prospering. Speaker McCall will be making $122,000, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille will be hauling in $192,000. Rank-and-file lawmakers will have to get by on $78,300 with per diems, a state car, and full benefits."

Epstein said the Dec. 1 pay raise is particularly galling because Pennsylvania elected officials have done such a poor job of managing state revenues.

"No one should be rewarded for creating a $500 million deficit," Epstein said. "Taking a COLA this year is like stealing your children's savings' bonds."

RockTheCapital.org, one of several citizen reform groups that fought to repeal the 2005 middle-of-the-night pay raise, believes that a nonpartisan and independent compensation commission should determine future pay adjustments for elected and appointed officials.

"State government is a publicly held corporation with by-laws that specifically exclude COLAS (Article III, Section VIII)," Epstein said. "If lawmakers want a bonus plan then they need to submit a proposal to taxpayers for ratification."

For more on the group's reform agenda, visit www.RockTheCapital.org

I'm off again, but I wanted to say how thankful I am for all the kindess and support I have experienced in PB. We may not always agree. but I truly love you all and having this place to speak my mind over the last 2 years has been a gift of monumental importance to me.
God Bless you All.
peace,
marsha

It's been three weeks since the election and it's two months until Barack Obama becomes President. I am not sure if we have a bunch of Republicans on hear or just a bunch of Pessimist . So many thing being said about anything not going to work and we are going into a depression. Sure they might not work and yes we could go into a depression. But first we have to act. We have to make Big Bold steps. This is not a time to duck and cover, This is a time to stand up and plant your feet and move forward. Are there going to be missteps, You Bet. Are we going to like everything being done, Not a Chance but it is a trip we must make. Jan 20 is not that far off. We can do this, The choice is yours, Come with us or not.

They will get 20 billion plus the 25 billion they where to get fro the 700 billion and there will be loan guarantees on 300 billion of loans they made
I think it is something that needed to be done. There is much more yet to do.

Citibank is falling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/business/23citi.html?hp
Why? Greed.
What can we do about it?
Stop this!
http://zetabid.com/Real-Estate-Foreclosure-Auctions/Inventory.aspx?aid=1011&eid=1023

Unbelievable!

Stop buying banks and start buying houses.

peace,
marsha

I got this in my email today, Thought it was interesting
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 3:08 PM
Subject: Fwd: Ford, Chrysler and GM's 9/11 Contributions




>
>
> Subject: Fw: Ford, Chrysler and GM's 9/11 Contributions
>

>
> Nothing needs to be said...
> Ford, Chrysler and GM's contributions after 9/11
>
> An interesting commentary...You might find this of interest:
>
> 'CNN Headline News did a short news listing regarding Ford and GM's
> contributions to the relief and recovery efforts in New York and
> Washington.
>
> The findings are as follows.....
>
> 1. Ford- $10 million to American Red Cross matching employee
> contributions of the same number plus 10 Excursions to NY Fire Dept. The
> company also offered ER response ! team se rvices and office space to
> displaced government employees.
>
> 2. GM- $10 million to American Red Cross matching employee contributions
> of the sam e number and a fleet of vans, suv's, and trucks.
>
> 3. Daimler Chrysler- $10 million to support of the children and victims
> of the Sept. 11 attack.
>
> 4. Harley Davidson motorcycles- $1 million and 30 new motorcycles to the
> New York Police Dept.
>
> 5. Volkswagen-Employees and management created a Sept 11 Foundation,
> funded initial with $2 million, for the assistance of the children and
> victims of the WTC.
>
> 6. Hyundai- $300,000 to the American Red Cross.
>
> 7. Audi-Nothing.
>
> 8. BMW-Nothing.
>
> 9. Daewoo- Nothing.
>
> 10. Fiat-Nothing.
>
> 11. Honda- Nothing despite boasting of second best sales month ever in
> August 2001
>
> 12. Isuzu- Nothing.
>
> 13. Mitsubishi-Nothing.
>
> 14. Nissan-Nothing.
>
> 15. Porsche-Nothing. Press release with condolences via the Porsche
> website.
>
> 16. Subaru- Nothing.
>
> 17. Suzuki- Nothing.
>
> 18. Toyota-Nothing despite claims of high sales in July and August 2001.
> Condolences posted on the website
>
>
> Whenever the time may be for you to purchase or lease a new vehicle, keep
> this information in mind. You might want to give more consideration to a
> car manufactured by an American-owned and / or American based company.
> Apart from Hyundai and Volkswagen, the foreign car companies contributed
> nothing at all to the citizens of the United States ...
>
>
> It's OK for these companies to take money out of this country, but it is
> apparently not acceptable to return some in a time of crisis. I believe
> we should not forget things like this. Say thank you in a way that gets
> their attention..
>
>
> ++++ Pass it on, I just did. +

I am not sure how many Ethanol plants there are but one of the Ethanol plants in MI is closing and the company that owns them said as soon as they run out of corn at there other plant they will go out of business. It did not take long for them to fail. I had head gas had to sell at about $3 a gallon for them to make money. I hope the farmers did not plan on the price of corn staying up.

It's been a tough week. The economy shows no singe of stabilizing, There was no decision on the auto bailout loan, Then number of unemployed continues to rise and even we don't agree on how to fix or work toward fixing any of these issues   Read More »

Much has been said about the need for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles as a replacement for the gas or diesel engines. I just want to no where the electricity is going to come from and at what cost. If you look at the boom in diesel engines as an example   Read More »

The Wash. Post is reporting that the Bush administration is embeding political appointees as " civil servants" in key environmental positions. Mining, water quality...etc Which will make it more difficult for us to achive fast change..
Tho this has been done before, it's still a problem.
Pass the word.. We need people to know what is being done.
The article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802730.html?hpid=topnews

peace,
marsha

You proved that change can happen. You built an unprecedented grassroots organization in all 50 states that brought a record number of people into the political process -- many for the first time, many for the first time in a long time.

Our success required unprecedented resources, and the Democratic National Committee played a major role on the ground efforts that generated record turnout up and down the ticket.

Please make a donation to the DNC to help fund the efforts it undertook in 2008.

Please Donate to my DNC fundraising page http://www.democrats.org/page/outreach/view/Obama/RV3

It was on PBS news, and I found it in the Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/10/
AR2008111000347.html

I cried while watching the news... Finally.
The Democratic Party and our President-Elect. The saviours of democracy, our constitution and our international reputation.
Thank-you for keeping your promise.
Thank-you for doing what is right.
I am so proud to be a democrat and a citizen of the United States of America.

PEACE, TOLERANCE, EQUALITY.
marsha

Future of Democratic Talk Radio after the 2008 Elections
November 10th, 2008

Dear Friends,

Democratic Talk Radio wants to thank everyone for their support of our mission. We have been devoted to bringing the Democratic message to America’s airwaves since I first bought airtime the night that the US Supreme Court imposed the Bush Presidency on our nation in December of 2000.

The show went on the air in January 2001 in Tennessee on a small AM station and soon moved to a more powerful FM station reaching a much larger audience in both northern Alabama and central Tennessee. I largely funded the effort out of personal resources. I invested over $35,000 keeping Democratic Talk Radio on the air in Tennessee.

Briefly, we broadcast nationally on the now defunct i.e. America Radio Network which was backed by the United Auto Workers union.

Our show is available free of charge to any radio station in your area that wants to broadcast it.

In the early Spring of 2008, we moved Democratic Talk Radio to the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Our show broadcasts Thursday mornings on WGPA SUNNY 1100AM in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Sponsors paid the majority of the costs although I did invest nearly another $4,000 personally.

I want to thank all our sponsors.

The Mailroom union print shop in Allentown has been hugely helpful and supportive. I am going to be working with them as a new addition to their sales team on a commission basis. I exclusively use them for all my printing needs. The prices, service and quality are just excellent. Please let me know if I can connect you with them to meet your printing needs. We all need to print union.   Read More »

Sorry I did write about this before, the Obama euphoria was still alive and thriving when I heard and I have recently descended back from my previous state of mind, so here we go.

I support those seeking appeal to the ban on marriage between two people of the same sex who love each other so much they want to commit to life together.

I support the protests in California that are taking place. I would in all places California would be the LAST place to do this atrocity - since it has a strong, politically active GLBT population. For those of you in California who depend on others to motivate- from all the way in homophobic Ohio, GET YOUR ASSES IN GEAR! I want to marry in California before I even consider getting married in Connecticut or Massachusetts( no offense, I love New England fall foliage).

The time is now to act.

Change may have come to America, but the same effort we put into electing Barack Obama should be put into protesting this bill and fighting for our equal rights.

It is a change we can all believe in.

I wrote part of this in a comment but wanted to post it in support of my friends.

My daughter says there are riots in CA.
Sound like the civil rights era??? Duh!
Denial of equal rights for all people is the problem.
IMHO, get the rights first, then worry about what you call it.
Was the wording "marriage" or "civil union"?
My grandparents were married by a judge a "civil union". It was not uncommon. The word marriage means nothing after all... it is the equality of rights that matter.

This was a ploy by the Republican party in CA to energize their base and get the RR to the polls. Barack was still elected but the manipulation of truth was good enough to instill fear in many people.
This is about the use of fear and religion for power.
ALL People of faith must remember the most important commandment is "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Equal rights.
Take heart those of you suffering... we will get you there.
This is clearly discriminatory.
Look how far you have come in my lifetime...
In the '50's no-one was safely "out". Tho there is still abuse it is better. Remember Harvey Milk. We will get there... I am in support of equal rights for all people.
God Bless Mayor Newsom, doing the right thing is the most important thing.
Peace and Equality,
marsha

I do apologize to all my friends here because I have been busy with school, work, life, and getting Barack Obama elected I have been unable to frequent much of this board as often. But I do have to tell you something.

I can't believe the reality around me. I'm not addicted to illusion, but I cannot believe that after 8 years, democracy came back full and strong and the man i busted my ass to get in office GOT IN!!! OMG! I could not jumping up and down, screaming, shouting, smiling, crying, etc. Somebody pinch me! I partied for 3 hours with one of my friends and we couldn't help ourselves. Yesterday, because I didn't want to jinx anything( because the last election I got so wired that I fell into a two month depression after hearing about the returns) so I tried being oblivious to politics. I voted absentee, followed my own advice to combat voter suppression, and next thing I know my state is finally BLUE!!! AND BARACK OBAMA IS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best part about hearing this was the gratifying experience that I helped elect him. I blogged, I talked with people, I distributed campaign literature, I phonebanked, I volunteered and attended a debate, I voted in my first presidential election, and for the first time, I feel like a citizen of these great United States of America. It's a wonderful feeling. It really is. I lived history. I helped elect the first African-American president. I feel so good I want to cry! It's finally happened!

Today, in the spirit of President Obama, I did not gloat to my Republican friends. In the past couple elections, they have gloated, which prolonged the partisan bickering. But, no, I managed to successfully put aside my desire to gloat for the sake of the betterment of this country. It feels wonderful.

All this is starting to sink in, and I can say what I learned throughout this whole campaign is many. I am a believer in progress and equality, and I am proud to have racial consciousness.

Yes We Can? YES WE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!