Hi all...
Let us know asap if you can join us for this, folks-- the more the merrier!...
14th Annual Dutchess County Labor Day Rally Sept. 7th Noon
In front of Poughkeepsie Post Office (at intersection of Mansion and Market streets)
Speakers will include:
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Mike Salvia (District #8; also CWA 1120 Pres., HVALF Treasurer)
-- Tom Midgley (President of http://www.AllianceIBM.org )
-- Teamsters #445 Shop Steward for Dutchess County LOOP Bus System
-- Seventh Ward City of Poughkeepsie Councilwoman Gwen Johnson
-- Second Ward City of Poughkeepsie Councilman Joseph Rich
-- Fifth Ward City of Poughkeepsie Councilwoman Penny Lewis
-- City of Poughkeepsie Common Council Chair Brian Doyle (schedule permitting)
-- Co. Leg. Joel Tyner (Clinton/Rhinebeck)
-- Co. Leg. Pete Wassell (Dover/Union Vale)
-- Co. Leg. Alison MacAvery (Beacon/Fishkill/East Fishkill)
-- Co. Leg. Steve White (City of Poughkeepsie)
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Angela Valles (Fishkill)
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Ron Ray (Beacon)
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Ed McCormick (LaGrange)
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Gretchen Lieb (Town of Poughkeepsie)
-- Dem/WFP Co. Leg. Candidate Mel Eiger (North East/Stanford/Pine Plains/Milan)
-- Long-time community activists Mae Parker-Harris and Ann Perry
-- Folksingers extraordinaire Pat Lamanna and Chris Ruhe
So far these are the 10 things we'll focusing on (your ideas?...local unemployment now double '07 rate):
[see: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090802/NEWS01/908020358 ]
[note-- also standing in solidarity with Utility Workers Union against anti-labor Covanta re: incinerator:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090816/NEWS01/908160345 ;
http://www.cjcw.org/notice/Covanta_Fact_Sheet.pdf ]
1. Create green jobs: energy-efficiency retrofit loans: homeowners/businesses; save $ on electric bills;
Cambridge, Babylon, Berkeley, Bedford doing this; homeowners can be cash-positive from beginning
[see: http://www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org ; http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR ;
http://www.LIGreenHomes.com ; http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/issues/green-jobs-green-homes/ ;
http://www.newrules.org/energy/news/municipal-energy-financing-efforts-push-renewable-energy-development-and-efficiency -- all of these models create green jobs and help homeowners save on el. bills!]
2. Green jobs w/zero-waste resource recovery-- recycling creates 10 times more jobs than incineration
[see http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes ; http://www.ilsr.org/recycling/recyclingmeansbusiness.html ]
3. Living wage for all workers in county (exemptions for small biz/nonprofits/youth as in San Francisco)
[see: http://www.LivingWageCampaign.org ; http://www.petitiononline.com/livwage ]
4.Health care for all in Dutchess, NYS, U.S.-- fact is single-payer has been guaranteed up/down vote(!)
[see: http://www.PNHP.org ; http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/01-1 ]
5.Project Labor Agreement for Dutchess County-- to make sure construction jobs in county hire locally
[see: http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/July09/10/DCC_PLA-10Jul09.html ]
6.Accountabiility for county IDA/DCEDC tax dollars/breaks/jobs http://www.petitiononline.com/statewar
[see http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090713/NEWS01/90713035 ]
7. Oversight forum over federal stimulus dollars coming in to Dutchess to make sure local workers hired
[see: http://www.commoncause.org/ny/stimulus Mike Lonigro of SEIU 200D long pushing hard for this;
NY Stimulus Oversight Working Group includes Jobs With Justice, Good Jobs NY, Drum Major Institute]
8. Americans for Financial Reform: for real regulation of Wall Street to restore fundamentals to economy
[see: http://www.OurFinancialSecurity.org AFL-CIO is part of national coalition on this w/AARP, NYPIRG]
9. Employee Free Choice Act-- to make it much easier for workers to exercise choice to unionize on job
[see: http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/ ; http://www.petitiononline.com/yourback ]
10. Common sense revenue alternatives to avoid state/county budget cuts and massive layoffs
[see: http://www.ABetterChoiceforNY.org http://www.petitiononline.com/stopcuts ;
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ILikeIke (wealthy now paying third of what they paid under Eisenhower)]
Each one reach one, folks-- fwd this far 'n wide to all u know!...
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
Friday, August 28, 2009
BPA laws passed unanimously in Suffolk, Schenectady, Albany co.'s-- time for Dutchess!...
Hi all...
You're all cordially invited to a very special forum this Monday, August 31st at 5:30 pm at the Rhinebeck Town Hall at 80 East Market Street-- "Dutchess 2020: Imagining a Clear Vision for Ten Years"!...
[much more: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/dutchess-progressive-help-make-it.html ]
Note-- our forum Monday will have three expert speakers with PowerPoint presentations:
-- Bobbi Chase Wilding, Organizing Director for Clean NY (re: BPA-- for Du. Co. law like Suffolk/Alb.)
-- Dr. Arthur Rothschild, Public Policy Director for WasteZero (re: cost-saving PAYT recycling program)
-- Jim Fitzgerald, Project Manager for Hudson Valley Clean Energy (re: payback of solar/geothermal)
Fact: Clean NY Organizing Director Bobbi Chase Wilding (see http://www.Clean-NY.org ) got Albany and Schenectady Co. Leg.'s in Aug. to unanimously pass laws banning baby bottles/sippy cups w/BPA.
[see: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=830114&category=SCHENECTADY ;
http://www.keepitorganic.org/category/packaging-concerns/bisphenol-a-bpa/ ]
Fact: In Mar. Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously to ban sale of BPA baby bottles/sippy cups.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/health/ny-poban0412513812mar04,0,3333946.story
Fact: For months now I've been trying to ban BPA in baby bottles/sippy cups with G.O.P. Co. Leg. Marge Horton and Dem Co. Leg.'s Diane Nash & Peter Wassell (hopefully Monday's forum on this will help).
Fact: The Environmental Working Group has extensively documented cover-up of FDA re: BPA.
[see: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bpatimeline ; http://www.jsonline.com/news/53515392.html ;
http://www.utne.com/Environment/FDA-Might-Crack-Down-on-Bisphenol-A-or-BPA-1812.aspx ]
Send a letter to all 25 of us now at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for BPA law in '09-- not 2525!...
[scroll down a bit to see actual text of BPA law from yours truly (co-sponsored by Horton, Nash, Wassell]
Not every day I get folks of this caliber to come speak at my forums, folks-- please fwd this far 'n wide...
[thx!]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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Fact: WasteZero has a proven track record of saving municipalities money, increasing recycling, and cutting trash-- actually guaranteeing a positive revenue stream with any community that enters into agreement. WasteZero contracts with municipalities mean no start-up costs whatsoever to towns, cities, villages. WasteZero has proven track record of increasing recycling rates for municipalities 43 percent, and contracts with over 270 communities across the U.S. for pay-as-you-throw recycling. WasteZero has many contracts with towns w/transfer stations-- not just cities w/curbside pick-up-- and is really the only turnkey pay-as-you-throw company in the U.S. that does what it does (endorsed by EPA too!...see:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/bulletin/spring09.pdf -- re: Malden, Mass. example.
Fact: I was extremely impressed at a Palace Diner breakfast a week ago with Artie Rothschild, Michael LaPorte, and Bob Zirlin of http://www.WasteZero.com (note: Rhinebeck Village Boardmember Barbara Kraft and Beacon Conservation Advisory Council Chair Tom Baldino were there as well).
Fact: Assemblymembers Cahill, Skartados, Ball, Miller, Molinaro all voted: ban BPA in toys/food cans.
[see: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A06919 (but legislation for this has stalled in Senate)]
Fact: G.O.P. Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell signed into law bipartisan legislation in June to ban BPA from infant formula, baby food cans, baby food jars, and reusable food and beverage containers; in May G.O.P. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed in to law a ban on BPA in kids' products.
[see: "Connecticut Bans BPA" by Susanne Rust-- http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/47001387.html ;
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/08/minnesota_bpa_ban/ ]
Fact: Chicago City Council voted unanimously in May-- ban sale of baby bottles/sippy cups w/BPA.
[see: "Chicago Bans Bottles with BPA Plastic"-- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14plastic.html ]
Fact: It only costs $5000 to install solar hot water, only $10,000 to install solar photovoltaic, and only $20,000 to install geothermal on a typical home/property, after all new federal/stimulus/state/NYSERDA tax breaks and incentives are taken into account, according to Jim Fitzgerald of http://www.HVCE.com .
Fact: I've spearheaded passage through County Legislature of two resolutions to create a local version here of the green-jobs Cambridge Energy Alliance-- http://www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org .
Babylon, Bedford, Berkeley, Boulder have all similarly moved to make energy-efficiency retrofits and solar much much affordable and accessible for local homeowners and businesses; we need this here.
[see: http://www.LIGreenHomes.com ; comments from 30 at JT's http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR ]
Fact: A.8862/S.6073 was passed overwhelmingly in both houses of our state legislature this year-- so now every town, city, village can follow the great example of the Town of Babylon's Long Island Green Homes program-- and create special garbage/carbon waste taxing districts to help homeowners finance energy audits & energy-efficiency improvements (note: in Babylon, homeowners cash-positive from the beginning!). [see: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S6073 for much more on this]
[also see: "Municipal Energy Financing Efforts Push Renewable Energy Development and Efficiency"
http://www.newrules.org/energy/news/municipal-energy-financing-efforts-push-renewable-energy-development-and-efficiency -- all of these create green jobs and help homeowners save on electric bills;
http://www.votesolar.org/linked-docs/Solar%20Finance%20Paper_100808_Final.pdf ;
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos%202009/59_MuniGreenEnergyEffLoans.pdf ;
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=7611 ; http://www.NewYorkStateSolarFarm.com ]
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Recall-- Steve Hastings, Vice President of http://www.HudsonBaylor.com , told Tyner recently that Rockland County recycled 41,000 tons of cans, bottles, plastics, and paper last year-- with a population almost identical to that of Dutchess County (both about 290,000-- and both with G.O.P. County Executives and Dem County Legislatures)-- fact is that for a while now Dutchess has only been recycling about 5,000 to 10,000 tons a year (e.g., last year only 8,000 tons were recycled here in Dutchess-- Tyner recently confirmed for himself in person at our county's Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) on Fulton Street in Poughkeepsie)...
[Dutchess County population: 292,878-- http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36027.html ]
[Rockland County population: 298,545-- http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36087.html ]
[recall-- see http://www.RocklandRecycles.com -- Rockland County also recycles plastics #1 through #7, as Wayne and Yates counties has long done as well; obviously there are markets in our region for plastics #4 and #6; it's time that Dutchess recycled all plastics #1 through #7, instead of just #1, #2, #3, #5, #7 (see: http://www.WFingerLakesAuthority.org )]
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From Artie Rothschild, Ph.D., Manager, Policy and Public Relations of http://www.WasteZero.com ...
[cell: 646-592-1963; office: 800-866-3954 x104; arothschild@wastezero.com]
Implementing WasteZero pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) in a town of 50,000 would reduce GHG emissions the equivalent of taking 9,500 cars off the road. That originated with an EPA statement that a reduction of 9,380 tons of material from the waste stream would reduce GHG emissions by nearly 45,000 metric tons of carbon, equivalent to the annual emissions of 9,500 cars. WasteZero PAYT communities have reduced the amount of trash they throw away by an average 400 pounds per person per year. In a town of 50,000, that comes to 10,000 tons of annual waste diversion, significantly higher than the 9,380 tons the EPA cites-- seehttp://www.epa.gov/waste/partnerships/wastewise/pubs/comm-fs.pdf end of page 2.
Florida state EPA officials have recommended PAYT to Florida local communities-- you can see that recommendation by googling "Preliminary Recommendations For Achieving Florida's 75% Recycling Goal" and locating the PDF file; see pages 14 and 15.
Regarding our discussion Thursday morning on approaching the benefits of PAYT in terms of a town's carbon footprint, the EPA has a good deal of material on this subject at
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/payfact.htm .
They've also designed a model (WARM) that identifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences of various waste management practices, including source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting, and landfilling. You can find more on that here:http://epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/Warm_home.html .
Here's a list of some of the pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) programs we're responsible for in the Northeast.
New York, in fact, is home to our very first program, Binghamton, which we've been handling for almost 20 years now. Another large PAYT program that we run in the northeast is Worcester, Mass.
In Connecticut, we run the PAYT programs for several towns, including Sprague, Coventry, Portland, and Stafford. The DPW heads in each of these towns -- in all of our municipalities, in fact -- are always happy to share their enthusiasm for PAYT with potential "converts."
One of our newest programs, which has been receiving a lot of press lately, is Concord, NH. Here's a recent sample of what's being said about that program:
"Recycling Soars, Trash Sinks" by Shira Schoenberg [Concord Monitor 8/8/09]
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090808/FRONTPAGE/908080302/1001/NEWS01&Template=printart
"Pay-As-You-Throw Largely Successful" by Schira Schoenberg [Concord Monitor 7/8/09]
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090708/FRONTPAGE/907080308/0/NEWS01
"Weekly Recycling Starts Monday with New Pact" by Patrick Anderson [Gloucester Daily Times 6/25/09]
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_175230308.html "
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As the EPA has noted, "Communities with programs in place have reported significant increases in recycling and reductions in waste, due primarily to the waste reduction incentive created by PAYT. In communities with pay-as-you-throw programs, residents are charged for the collection of municipal solid waste- ordinary household trash- based on the amount they throw away. This creates a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste. Traditionally, residents pay for waste collection through property taxes or a fixed fee, regardless of how much-or how little-trash they generate. Pay-As-You-throw (PAYT) breaks with tradition by treating trash services just like electricity, gas, and other utilities. Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of service they use. PAYT is an effective tool for communities struggling to cope with soaring municipal solid waste management expenses. Well-designed programs generate the revenues communities need to cover their solid waste costs, including the costs of such complementary programs as recycling and composting. Residents benefit, too, because they have opportunity to take control of their trash bills"...
[see: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/index.htm ;
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/index.htm ]
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[local law here below drafted by Tyner, co-sponsored by Nash and Wassell-- trying to pass in 2009!]
LOCAL LAW NO. -2009, A LOCAL LAW ESTABLISHING THE TOXIN FREE TODDLERS AND BABIES ACT
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS, as follows:
Section 1. Legislative Intent.
This Legislature hereby finds and determines that Bisphenol A (“BPA”) is a chemical commonly contained in polycarbonate plastics, including baby bottles, cups, pacifiers, and replacement nipples for bottles designed for use by young children and epoxy resins used to line the interior of commonly used food and beverage cans.
This Legislature also finds that studies have shown that BPA is a synthetic estrogen which disrupts healthy human development and can lead to such complications as an altered immune system, hyperactivity, reproductive health problems, increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
This Legislature further finds and determines that BPA is released into food and beverages in food and drink containers manufactured with the chemical when those containers are warmed.
This Legislature also finds that BPA has been shown to pose a significant health risk to infants and young children as this age group has been found to have the highest levels of BPA exposure.
This Legislature further finds and determines that several states and the federal government have started considering a ban on BPA in food and beverage containers and other products that are intended for use by children.
This Legislature finds that Dutchess County is committed to protecting the public health and welfare of our County’s infants and young children, whose growing bodies are vulnerable to the health hazards caused by BPA.
Therefore, the purpose of this local law is to protect infants and young children from the harmful health effects of BPA.
Section 2. Definitions.
As used in this law, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
A) “CHILDREN’S BEVERAGE CONTAINER” shall mean any bottle, cup, cup lid, straw or other container intended to be used by children under the age of three (3) years old for the consumption of liquids.
B) “BPA” shall mean Bisphenol A.
C) “PERSON” shall mean any natural person, individual, corporation, unincorporated association, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, joint stock association, or other entity of business of any kind.
Section 3. Prohibitions.
No person shall sell or offer for sale children’s beverage containers, pacifiers, or replacement nipples for bottles that contain BPA within the County of Dutchess.
Section 4. Enforcement.
This law shall be enforced by the Dutchess County Department of Health.
Section 5. Authority to Promulgate Rules and Regulations.
The Commissioner of the Dutchess County Department of Health is hereby authorized and empowered to promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary to implement this law.
Section 6. Penalties.
Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this law shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for an initial violation of the law and a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent violation.
Section 7. Applicability.
This law shall apply to any and all actions occurring on or after the effective date of this law.
Section 8. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or part of this law or the application thereof to any person, individual, corporation, firm, partnership, entity, or circumstance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or part of this law, or in its application to the person, individual, corporation, firm, partnership, entity, or circumstance directly involved in the controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.
Section 9. Effective Date.
This law shall take effect on the ninetieth (90th) day immediately subsequent to filing in the Office of the Secretary of State.
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Again-- besides all above-- twelve ideas for "Dutchess 2020: Imagining a Clear Vision for Ten Years":
[sometimes time to think big re: ideas on creating green jobs, saving tax dollars...your ideas, please!]
-- Dutchess County Green Homes program like Babylon; see http://www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org http://www.LIGreenHomes.com http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR (energy-efficiency retrofit loans)
-- solar farms in communities across Dutchess; solar hot water, solar photovoltaic available for homes
http://www.NewYorkStateSolarFarm.com (get towns, cities, villages off the grid completely-- on solar)
-- zero-waste approach to resource recovery to save tax dollars, create green jobs, cut carbon levels
http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes (as in Tompkins, Rockland, Onondaga, San Francisco, Seattle)
-- funding for microenterprise-- not chain stores-- real $ for Gateways to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows
http://www.GetHudsonValley.org (there's nowhere nearly enough real funding for microloans right now)
-- TimeBanks.org-- new jobs w/networking/bartering (Kristine Flones in Woodstock is example)
http://www.TimeBanks.org http://www.Rhinebucks.org (help Bob Miglino get local currency off ground)
-- senior transportation/home care-- not institutionalization (avoid nursing homes if possible)
http://www.ITNAmerica.org http://www.NYSenior.org http://www.ADAPT.org (came up at TRI forum)
-- preventive health care for all before emergency room (as in Miami-Dade Co./San Francisco)
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=31087 http://www.HealthySanFrancisco.org http://www.petitiononline.com/duhealth
-- truly effective tax breaks for volunteer fire and rescue squad volunteers (as in Suffolk/Nassau)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/nyregion/emergency-workers-will-get-tax-breaks.html
-- installment option for county property taxes (as Sullivan County voted to do last August)
http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/06/sullivan-county-voted-unanimously-last.html
-- keep lever voting machines (19 counties passed resolution since mine passed last Dec.)
http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/save_ny_levers (help Andi!)
-- stop NYSPSC from allowing Central Hudson to jack up our electric bills even more
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090731/NEWS01/90731019/1001/news
-- campaign finance reform (as the Poughkeepsie Journal has twice editorialized for)
http://www.petitiononline.com/cleangov ($100 limit on campaign donations from county vendors-- now!)
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Fact: Dutchess could save a million dollars a year allowing county employees/retirees to be reimbursed for prescription drugs they have option to get from Canada- like Rensselaer, Schenectady, Albany, St. Lawrence, and Lewis counties (see http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveOnRx ).
Fact: Hundreds of thousands of Dutchess tax dollars could be saved on our county buildings' electric bills annually if Dutchess followed Putnam, Ulster, Sullivan, and over twenty other counties-- and joined the Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance (see http://www.MEGAEnergy.org ).
Fact: The Democratic majority's proposed 2009 county budget cut spending by five million dollars to keep the total property tax levy almost a million dollars below the 2008 levy- and the County Executive's vetoes ended up adding nine million dollars to the 2009 tax levy.
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Four more ideas proven to save money elsewhere that we shouldn't have to wait until 2525 on here:
1. Health benefits consortium for towns, cities, and villages with county to save on employee costs
[see: http://www.tompkins-co.org/news/detail.aspx?ContentID=1111 -- as in Tompkins County; see:
http://www.tompco.net/legislature/highlights/20090217.html ]
2. Home Heating Oil Cooperative to help homeowners save on heating oil (as in Town of Cortlandt)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/nyregion/westchester/28oilwe.ready.html
3. Reform county investment policy: make banks doing business w/county to report home loan policies
[see: http://www.co.rockland.ny.us/Legislature/LNews/09/021709.pdf (Rockland passed unanimously)]
4. Save tax dollars spent on services for homeless by keeping families in homes (and not foreclosed)-- with a pre-foreclosure mediation program similar to the extremely successful Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion program in Philadelphia (over 80% effective in keeping homeowners in houses).
[see: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/us/28philadelphia.html ; http://www.ACORN.org ]
[again-- email all 25 of us now at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for these in 2009-- not 2525!]
You're all cordially invited to a very special forum this Monday, August 31st at 5:30 pm at the Rhinebeck Town Hall at 80 East Market Street-- "Dutchess 2020: Imagining a Clear Vision for Ten Years"!...
[much more: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/dutchess-progressive-help-make-it.html ]
Note-- our forum Monday will have three expert speakers with PowerPoint presentations:
-- Bobbi Chase Wilding, Organizing Director for Clean NY (re: BPA-- for Du. Co. law like Suffolk/Alb.)
-- Dr. Arthur Rothschild, Public Policy Director for WasteZero (re: cost-saving PAYT recycling program)
-- Jim Fitzgerald, Project Manager for Hudson Valley Clean Energy (re: payback of solar/geothermal)
Fact: Clean NY Organizing Director Bobbi Chase Wilding (see http://www.Clean-NY.org ) got Albany and Schenectady Co. Leg.'s in Aug. to unanimously pass laws banning baby bottles/sippy cups w/BPA.
[see: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=830114&category=SCHENECTADY ;
http://www.keepitorganic.org/category/packaging-concerns/bisphenol-a-bpa/ ]
Fact: In Mar. Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously to ban sale of BPA baby bottles/sippy cups.
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/wednesday/health/ny-poban0412513812mar04,0,3333946.story
Fact: For months now I've been trying to ban BPA in baby bottles/sippy cups with G.O.P. Co. Leg. Marge Horton and Dem Co. Leg.'s Diane Nash & Peter Wassell (hopefully Monday's forum on this will help).
Fact: The Environmental Working Group has extensively documented cover-up of FDA re: BPA.
[see: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bpatimeline ; http://www.jsonline.com/news/53515392.html ;
http://www.utne.com/Environment/FDA-Might-Crack-Down-on-Bisphenol-A-or-BPA-1812.aspx ]
Send a letter to all 25 of us now at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for BPA law in '09-- not 2525!...
[scroll down a bit to see actual text of BPA law from yours truly (co-sponsored by Horton, Nash, Wassell]
Not every day I get folks of this caliber to come speak at my forums, folks-- please fwd this far 'n wide...
[thx!]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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Fact: WasteZero has a proven track record of saving municipalities money, increasing recycling, and cutting trash-- actually guaranteeing a positive revenue stream with any community that enters into agreement. WasteZero contracts with municipalities mean no start-up costs whatsoever to towns, cities, villages. WasteZero has proven track record of increasing recycling rates for municipalities 43 percent, and contracts with over 270 communities across the U.S. for pay-as-you-throw recycling. WasteZero has many contracts with towns w/transfer stations-- not just cities w/curbside pick-up-- and is really the only turnkey pay-as-you-throw company in the U.S. that does what it does (endorsed by EPA too!...see:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/bulletin/spring09.pdf -- re: Malden, Mass. example.
Fact: I was extremely impressed at a Palace Diner breakfast a week ago with Artie Rothschild, Michael LaPorte, and Bob Zirlin of http://www.WasteZero.com (note: Rhinebeck Village Boardmember Barbara Kraft and Beacon Conservation Advisory Council Chair Tom Baldino were there as well).
Fact: Assemblymembers Cahill, Skartados, Ball, Miller, Molinaro all voted: ban BPA in toys/food cans.
[see: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A06919 (but legislation for this has stalled in Senate)]
Fact: G.O.P. Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell signed into law bipartisan legislation in June to ban BPA from infant formula, baby food cans, baby food jars, and reusable food and beverage containers; in May G.O.P. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed in to law a ban on BPA in kids' products.
[see: "Connecticut Bans BPA" by Susanne Rust-- http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/47001387.html ;
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/08/minnesota_bpa_ban/ ]
Fact: Chicago City Council voted unanimously in May-- ban sale of baby bottles/sippy cups w/BPA.
[see: "Chicago Bans Bottles with BPA Plastic"-- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/us/14plastic.html ]
Fact: It only costs $5000 to install solar hot water, only $10,000 to install solar photovoltaic, and only $20,000 to install geothermal on a typical home/property, after all new federal/stimulus/state/NYSERDA tax breaks and incentives are taken into account, according to Jim Fitzgerald of http://www.HVCE.com .
Fact: I've spearheaded passage through County Legislature of two resolutions to create a local version here of the green-jobs Cambridge Energy Alliance-- http://www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org .
Babylon, Bedford, Berkeley, Boulder have all similarly moved to make energy-efficiency retrofits and solar much much affordable and accessible for local homeowners and businesses; we need this here.
[see: http://www.LIGreenHomes.com ; comments from 30 at JT's http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR ]
Fact: A.8862/S.6073 was passed overwhelmingly in both houses of our state legislature this year-- so now every town, city, village can follow the great example of the Town of Babylon's Long Island Green Homes program-- and create special garbage/carbon waste taxing districts to help homeowners finance energy audits & energy-efficiency improvements (note: in Babylon, homeowners cash-positive from the beginning!). [see: http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S6073 for much more on this]
[also see: "Municipal Energy Financing Efforts Push Renewable Energy Development and Efficiency"
http://www.newrules.org/energy/news/municipal-energy-financing-efforts-push-renewable-energy-development-and-efficiency -- all of these create green jobs and help homeowners save on electric bills;
http://www.votesolar.org/linked-docs/Solar%20Finance%20Paper_100808_Final.pdf ;
http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos%202009/59_MuniGreenEnergyEffLoans.pdf ;
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=7611 ; http://www.NewYorkStateSolarFarm.com ]
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Recall-- Steve Hastings, Vice President of http://www.HudsonBaylor.com , told Tyner recently that Rockland County recycled 41,000 tons of cans, bottles, plastics, and paper last year-- with a population almost identical to that of Dutchess County (both about 290,000-- and both with G.O.P. County Executives and Dem County Legislatures)-- fact is that for a while now Dutchess has only been recycling about 5,000 to 10,000 tons a year (e.g., last year only 8,000 tons were recycled here in Dutchess-- Tyner recently confirmed for himself in person at our county's Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) on Fulton Street in Poughkeepsie)...
[Dutchess County population: 292,878-- http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36027.html ]
[Rockland County population: 298,545-- http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36087.html ]
[recall-- see http://www.RocklandRecycles.com -- Rockland County also recycles plastics #1 through #7, as Wayne and Yates counties has long done as well; obviously there are markets in our region for plastics #4 and #6; it's time that Dutchess recycled all plastics #1 through #7, instead of just #1, #2, #3, #5, #7 (see: http://www.WFingerLakesAuthority.org )]
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From Artie Rothschild, Ph.D., Manager, Policy and Public Relations of http://www.WasteZero.com ...
[cell: 646-592-1963; office: 800-866-3954 x104; arothschild@wastezero.com]
Implementing WasteZero pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) in a town of 50,000 would reduce GHG emissions the equivalent of taking 9,500 cars off the road. That originated with an EPA statement that a reduction of 9,380 tons of material from the waste stream would reduce GHG emissions by nearly 45,000 metric tons of carbon, equivalent to the annual emissions of 9,500 cars. WasteZero PAYT communities have reduced the amount of trash they throw away by an average 400 pounds per person per year. In a town of 50,000, that comes to 10,000 tons of annual waste diversion, significantly higher than the 9,380 tons the EPA cites-- see
Florida state EPA officials have recommended PAYT to Florida local communities-- you can see that recommendation by googling "Preliminary Recommendations For Achieving Florida's 75% Recycling Goal" and locating the PDF file; see pages 14 and 15.
Regarding our discussion Thursday morning on approaching the benefits of PAYT in terms of a town's carbon footprint, the EPA has a good deal of material on this subject at
They've also designed a model (WARM) that identifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences of various waste management practices, including source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting, and landfilling. You can find more on that here:
Here's a list of some of the pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) programs we're responsible for in the Northeast.
New York, in fact, is home to our very first program, Binghamton, which we've been handling for almost 20 years now. Another large PAYT program that we run in the northeast is Worcester, Mass.
In Connecticut, we run the PAYT programs for several towns, including Sprague, Coventry, Portland, and Stafford. The DPW heads in each of these towns -- in all of our municipalities, in fact -- are always happy to share their enthusiasm for PAYT with potential "converts."
One of our newest programs, which has been receiving a lot of press lately, is Concord, NH. Here's a recent sample of what's being said about that program:
"Recycling Soars, Trash Sinks" by Shira Schoenberg [Concord Monitor 8/8/09]
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090808/FRONTPAGE/908080302/1001/NEWS01&Template=printart
"Pay-As-You-Throw Largely Successful" by Schira Schoenberg [Concord Monitor 7/8/09]
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090708/FRONTPAGE/907080308/0/NEWS01
"Weekly Recycling Starts Monday with New Pact" by Patrick Anderson [Gloucester Daily Times 6/25/09]
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_175230308.html "
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As the EPA has noted, "Communities with programs in place have reported significant increases in recycling and reductions in waste, due primarily to the waste reduction incentive created by PAYT. In communities with pay-as-you-throw programs, residents are charged for the collection of municipal solid waste- ordinary household trash- based on the amount they throw away. This creates a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste. Traditionally, residents pay for waste collection through property taxes or a fixed fee, regardless of how much-or how little-trash they generate. Pay-As-You-throw (PAYT) breaks with tradition by treating trash services just like electricity, gas, and other utilities. Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of service they use. PAYT is an effective tool for communities struggling to cope with soaring municipal solid waste management expenses. Well-designed programs generate the revenues communities need to cover their solid waste costs, including the costs of such complementary programs as recycling and composting. Residents benefit, too, because they have opportunity to take control of their trash bills"...
[see: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/index.htm ;
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/tools/index.htm ]
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[local law here below drafted by Tyner, co-sponsored by Nash and Wassell-- trying to pass in 2009!]
LOCAL LAW NO. -2009, A LOCAL LAW ESTABLISHING THE TOXIN FREE TODDLERS AND BABIES ACT
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS, as follows:
Section 1. Legislative Intent.
This Legislature hereby finds and determines that Bisphenol A (“BPA”) is a chemical commonly contained in polycarbonate plastics, including baby bottles, cups, pacifiers, and replacement nipples for bottles designed for use by young children and epoxy resins used to line the interior of commonly used food and beverage cans.
This Legislature also finds that studies have shown that BPA is a synthetic estrogen which disrupts healthy human development and can lead to such complications as an altered immune system, hyperactivity, reproductive health problems, increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
This Legislature further finds and determines that BPA is released into food and beverages in food and drink containers manufactured with the chemical when those containers are warmed.
This Legislature also finds that BPA has been shown to pose a significant health risk to infants and young children as this age group has been found to have the highest levels of BPA exposure.
This Legislature further finds and determines that several states and the federal government have started considering a ban on BPA in food and beverage containers and other products that are intended for use by children.
This Legislature finds that Dutchess County is committed to protecting the public health and welfare of our County’s infants and young children, whose growing bodies are vulnerable to the health hazards caused by BPA.
Therefore, the purpose of this local law is to protect infants and young children from the harmful health effects of BPA.
Section 2. Definitions.
As used in this law, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
A) “CHILDREN’S BEVERAGE CONTAINER” shall mean any bottle, cup, cup lid, straw or other container intended to be used by children under the age of three (3) years old for the consumption of liquids.
B) “BPA” shall mean Bisphenol A.
C) “PERSON” shall mean any natural person, individual, corporation, unincorporated association, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, joint stock association, or other entity of business of any kind.
Section 3. Prohibitions.
No person shall sell or offer for sale children’s beverage containers, pacifiers, or replacement nipples for bottles that contain BPA within the County of Dutchess.
Section 4. Enforcement.
This law shall be enforced by the Dutchess County Department of Health.
Section 5. Authority to Promulgate Rules and Regulations.
The Commissioner of the Dutchess County Department of Health is hereby authorized and empowered to promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary to implement this law.
Section 6. Penalties.
Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this law shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) for an initial violation of the law and a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each subsequent violation.
Section 7. Applicability.
This law shall apply to any and all actions occurring on or after the effective date of this law.
Section 8. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or part of this law or the application thereof to any person, individual, corporation, firm, partnership, entity, or circumstance shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional, such order or judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, section, or part of this law, or in its application to the person, individual, corporation, firm, partnership, entity, or circumstance directly involved in the controversy in which such order or judgment shall be rendered.
Section 9. Effective Date.
This law shall take effect on the ninetieth (90th) day immediately subsequent to filing in the Office of the Secretary of State.
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Again-- besides all above-- twelve ideas for "Dutchess 2020: Imagining a Clear Vision for Ten Years":
[sometimes time to think big re: ideas on creating green jobs, saving tax dollars...your ideas, please!]
-- Dutchess County Green Homes program like Babylon; see http://www.CambridgeEnergyAlliance.org http://www.LIGreenHomes.com http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SOLAR (energy-efficiency retrofit loans)
-- solar farms in communities across Dutchess; solar hot water, solar photovoltaic available for homes
http://www.NewYorkStateSolarFarm.com (get towns, cities, villages off the grid completely-- on solar)
-- zero-waste approach to resource recovery to save tax dollars, create green jobs, cut carbon levels
http://www.petitiononline.com/zeroyes (as in Tompkins, Rockland, Onondaga, San Francisco, Seattle)
-- funding for microenterprise-- not chain stores-- real $ for Gateways to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows
http://www.GetHudsonValley.org (there's nowhere nearly enough real funding for microloans right now)
-- TimeBanks.org-- new jobs w/networking/bartering (Kristine Flones in Woodstock is example)
http://www.TimeBanks.org http://www.Rhinebucks.org (help Bob Miglino get local currency off ground)
-- senior transportation/home care-- not institutionalization (avoid nursing homes if possible)
http://www.ITNAmerica.org http://www.NYSenior.org http://www.ADAPT.org (came up at TRI forum)
-- preventive health care for all before emergency room (as in Miami-Dade Co./San Francisco)
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=31087 http://www.HealthySanFrancisco.org http://www.petitiononline.com/duhealth
-- truly effective tax breaks for volunteer fire and rescue squad volunteers (as in Suffolk/Nassau)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/nyregion/emergency-workers-will-get-tax-breaks.html
-- installment option for county property taxes (as Sullivan County voted to do last August)
http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/06/sullivan-county-voted-unanimously-last.html
-- keep lever voting machines (19 counties passed resolution since mine passed last Dec.)
-- stop NYSPSC from allowing Central Hudson to jack up our electric bills even more
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090731/NEWS01/90731019/1001/news
-- campaign finance reform (as the Poughkeepsie Journal has twice editorialized for)
http://www.petitiononline.com/cleangov ($100 limit on campaign donations from county vendors-- now!)
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Fact: Dutchess could save a million dollars a year allowing county employees/retirees to be reimbursed for prescription drugs they have option to get from Canada- like Rensselaer, Schenectady, Albany, St. Lawrence, and Lewis counties (see http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveOnRx ).
Fact: Hundreds of thousands of Dutchess tax dollars could be saved on our county buildings' electric bills annually if Dutchess followed Putnam, Ulster, Sullivan, and over twenty other counties-- and joined the Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance (see http://www.MEGAEnergy.org ).
Fact: The Democratic majority's proposed 2009 county budget cut spending by five million dollars to keep the total property tax levy almost a million dollars below the 2008 levy- and the County Executive's vetoes ended up adding nine million dollars to the 2009 tax levy.
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Four more ideas proven to save money elsewhere that we shouldn't have to wait until 2525 on here:
1. Health benefits consortium for towns, cities, and villages with county to save on employee costs
[see: http://www.tompkins-co.org/news/detail.aspx?ContentID=1111 -- as in Tompkins County; see:
http://www.tompco.net/legislature/highlights/20090217.html ]
2. Home Heating Oil Cooperative to help homeowners save on heating oil (as in Town of Cortlandt)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/nyregion/westchester/28oilwe.ready.html
3. Reform county investment policy: make banks doing business w/county to report home loan policies
[see: http://www.co.rockland.ny.us/Legislature/LNews/09/021709.pdf (Rockland passed unanimously)]
4. Save tax dollars spent on services for homeless by keeping families in homes (and not foreclosed)-- with a pre-foreclosure mediation program similar to the extremely successful Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion program in Philadelphia (over 80% effective in keeping homeowners in houses).
[see: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/us/28philadelphia.html ; http://www.ACORN.org ]
[again-- email all 25 of us now at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for these in 2009-- not 2525!]
Re: Hope for Kai, bone marrow registry-- get Dutchess on board!...
Hi all...
Just three days left for the Fair!...(see http://www.DutchessFair.com )...
First-- while you're checkin' out all the livestock-- go over to the Wool Room to say hi to my Mom (the inimitable Judy Malstrom)-- and congratulate her for all her first place prizes ribbons she won year!...
[info re: Elmendorph Spinners Guild: http://fiberarts.org/directories/guilds/Elmendorph_Handspinners ; http://www.fiberart.com/guilds_spin_ny.html ; recall "The Magic of Spinning" by Frances Sandiford ;
http://www.abouttown.us/dutchess/articles/winter04/spinning.shtml (from Winter 2004 About Town)]
Second-- don't miss Hilby (recall "Send In the Skinny, Juggling, German Clown Hilby" by Deborah Sontag-- made it to cover of Sun. NYT A + L: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/theater/23sont.html )!...
Third-- if you haven't checked out the Green Tent with Laurie Rich et. al. (inside racetrack)...go see it!...
[see: http://www.CleanTechTradeAlliance.org ; http://www.HVCE.com ; http://www.GreeninGreene.com ;
Monday PoJo article-- http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090824/NEWS01/908240324 -- and don't forget forum tomorrow 11 am Rhinebeck Town Hall 80 E. Market St. w/CTTA Ex. Dir. M. Frost!]
But perhaps most importantly...
If you haven't gotten over to one of the two Hope for Kai booths at the Fair [one in building A, the other inside the track (close to grandstand, in between kettle corn and sheriff's booth)]-- get over there!...
Rhinebeck's own Michelle, Joe, Nicole and Alyssa Cassarino have organized a special bone marrow donor drive for a five-year-old leukemia, Kai Anderson-- see http://www.HopeforKai.com !...
[also see http://www.DKMSAmericas.org ; contact Michelle at mcassarino1@aol.com for much more; recall-- Michelle, Nicole, Alyssa Cassarino were on our WHVW 950 AM show Aug. 8th on this]
"Joining the DKMS Americas bone marrow registry takes 10 minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for 10 seconds."
[from "How Does a Bone Marrow Donation Work?" by Adam Sege [Wicked Local Brookline 7/15/09]
http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x631629488/How-does-a-bone-marrow-donation-work
[I did this myself folks-- SO EASY/SIMPLE TO SAVE A LIFE YOU'RE A LOSER IF YOU DON'T DO THIS!]
"Every day 6000 patients search the NMDP Registry for an unrelated bone marrow/cord blood donor."
[see: http://www.miafoundation.org/bonemarrow.asp ]
"Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every day over 6,000 men, women, and children desperately search the national bone marrow registry for a life-saving bone marrow donor."
[see: http://sites.google.com/site/denisebertholinfabrega/national-bone-marrow-registry ]
So-- get to the Fair-- be there or be square!...
[pass it on]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
[and don't forget: join Rhinebeck's Joel and Kate Kopp-- sign http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI !]
p.s. Just seems like common sense to me that our county's Health Department and Office for Computer Information Systems should asap add a link to http://www.HopeforKai.com to the main webpage of the official Dutchess County website-- and allow local residents to become members of the national bone marrow registry with a simple ten-second cotton swab test at the Dutchess County Health Department building on Main St. in Poughkeepsie...
...but I've learned over the years that, unfortunately, many, many common-sense things don't come to fruition...so...
If any of you care about this-- send a letter today to all 25 of us-- countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!...
[...for the resolution below to be passed in our County Legislature asap on this-- up to you all now folks]
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WHEREAS, every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and every day over 6,000 men, women, and children desperately search the national bone marrow registry for a life-saving bone marrow donor, and
WHEREAS, every year thousands of patients in desperate need of bone marrow transplants go without, due to a lack of available compatible matches; less than 20% ever get the transplant that may be their last chance for survival; the technology is there; it's the donors who are not, and
WHEREAS, 70 percent of patients seeking a bone marrow transplant have no perfect match within their family according to DKMS Americas; there are 12 characteristics that determine whether someone is a blood marrow match, and
WHEREAS, joining the DKMS Americas bone marrow registry takes ten minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for ten seconds; donating bone marrow is a simple outpatient procedure; all it takes is one day to give another person a whole lifetime, and
WHEREAS, more than 17,000 DKMS Americas donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow; DKMS is the largest and most experienced bone marrow donor center in the world with close to 2 million registered donors, and
WHEREAS, adding someone to the bone marrow registry costs $65, but DKMS pays the fee for its donors; donors must be between 18 and 55, and generally healthy; once registered, a potential donor stays on the list until their 61st birthday, and can be called on at any time if there is a match, and
WHEREAS, if there's a match, the transplant will take place one of two ways; seven or eight times out of 10, the transplant consists of a peripheral blood stem cell donation; for four days, the donor receives a daily injection of synthetic proteins; blood is then drawn from one of the donor's arms for about four to six hours, and after the blood stem cells are removed, the remaining blood is returned to the donor's other arm; on a pain scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most painful, peripheral blood stem cell donation is about a 1, and therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature requests that our county's Health Department and Office for Computer Information Systems evaluate the cost and feasibility of adding a link to HopeforKai.com to the main webpage of the official Dutchess County website and allow local residents to become members of the national bone marrow registry with a simple ten-second cotton swab test at the Dutchess County Health Department building in Poughkeepsie, and be it further
RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to County Executive William Steinhaus, County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Caldwell, and Commissioner of the Office of Computer Information Systems Timothy Mahler.
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From http://www.hopeforkai.com/Ways_to_Help.html ...
Hope For Kai
Kai Anderson has a rare form of leukemia. He is five years old.
Bone Marrow Drives
Please come to a bone marrow donor drive in Kai's Honor:
Hope For Kai Bone Marrow Donor Drive
Tuesday August 25 to Sunday August 30
10 AM to 10 PM Daily
Dutchess County Fair
Dutchess County Fairgrounds
Rt 9
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
www.dutchessfair.com
Bone Marrow Drive Contact: Nicole & Alyssa Cassarino
845 876 0515
Mcassarino1@aol.com
Self-Test Kits
• The test is simple: just a cotton q-tip swab in your mouth!
• If you are a match, donating bone marrow is a simple outpatient procedure.
• All it takes is one day out of your life to give another person a whole lifetime.
• Kai's own father was diagnosed a year ago with incurable lymphoma.
Kai was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia: Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He is being treated with a cocktail of seven chemotherapy drugs. Only, for this acute, high-risk form of leukemia, chemo may not be enough. Kai's best hope may be a bone marrow transplant.
That's where you come in.
The Anderson family absolutely need your prayers, kind words, home-cooked meals, practical assistance and generous donations for the enormous medical costs ahead (please click above "donate" button). More than you can know. You see, last year, Kai's dad and special buddy, David, was diagnosed with a type of cancer (also rare and complicated) called Mantle Cell Lymphoma. That's right. Two cancers in one small family. Kai's parents are operating day-to-day with unimaginable levels of stress and heartbreak.
Thanks to amazing refinements in medical technology, a miracle may yet be possible. But it will take all of us.
Bone marrow transplant is probably very different from what it was the last time you heard about it. Getting tested for compatibility takes only seconds. Dab a swab on the inside of your cheek and register with the national bone-marrow registry. If the marrow is a match, donors are asked to undergo one of two minor, non-invasive outpatient procedures that extract some of your healthy stem cells to replace a patient's unhealthy cells. It is that simple to give someone a second chance at life.
Astonishingly, despite these advancements, every year thousands of patients in desperate need of bone marrow transplants go without, due to a lack of available compatible matches. Less than 20% ever get the transplant that may be their last chance for survival. The technology is there; it's the donors who are not. That's not only shameful, it's short-sighted. Because this is something that can happen to any of us, to any of our children.
If you can't attend a bone marrow drive, please visit www.dkmsamericas.org for a free kit you can use at home or for a drive near your home. Then help spread the word about how easy it is to get tested to everyone you know.
The only assurance we can offer our children, and the most valuable lesson we can teach them, is that while bad things in life can't be prevented, their load can be shared. Please do what you can to help us share this one.
Who knows?
The thing that could happen to any of us may just be cured by one of us.
Thank you!
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From http://www.DKMSAmericas.org ...
The DKMS mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. More than 17,000 of our donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow. DKMS is the largest and most experienced bone marrow donor center in the world with close to 2 million registered donors.
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How does a bone marrow donation work?
By Adam Sege/correspondent
Wicked Local Brookline
Posted Jul 15, 2009 @ 03:42 PM
http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x631629488/How-does-a-bone-marrow-donation-work
Brookline — Jonathan Haupt is among the 70 percent of patients seeking a bone marrow transplant who have no perfect match within their family, according to DKMS Americas, an organization supporting the Team Haupt registration drives and others like them across the country.
That makes the Haupts one of thousands of families searching each day through the 7 million blood marrow profiles on the national Be the Match registry, as well as national registries in other countries. Joining the registry takes 10 minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for 10 seconds.
Adding someone to the registry costs $65, but DKMS pays the fee for its donors. Donors must be between 18 and 55, and generally healthy.
Once registered, a potential donor stays on the list until their 61st birthday, and can be called on at any time if there is a match.
“Registering is not just a cheek swab,” says Maria La Gamba, a spokeswoman for DKMS. “It’s a commitment to save a life.”
If there’s a match, the transplant will take place one of two ways, said West Roxbury native Kelly Taylor, a donor recruitment representative for DKMS. Seven or eight times out of 10, the transplant consists of a peripheral blood stem cell donation. For four days, the donor receives a daily injection of synthetic proteins. Blood is then drawn from one of the donor’s arms for about four to six hours, and after the blood stem cells are removed, the remaining blood is returned to the donor’s other arm.
On a pain scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most painful, peripheral blood stem cell donation is about a 1, said Leslie O’Malley of Lawrence. O’Malley, 48, was tested in February 2007, and she became a marrow donor last year.
“What little inconvenience for me,” she said. “To think that you’re potentially saving a life … It’s just worth it.”
In other cases, doctors opt for a bone marrow extraction. While the donor is given either local or general anesthesia, doctors removed bone marrow through a needle inserted into the donor’s pelvic bone. It’s an outpatient procedure.
The method of transplant used is decided by the doctor on a case-by-case basis, Taylor said. However, bone marrow extraction is more frequently used in transplants for children.
There are 12 characteristics that determine whether someone is a blood marrow match. Lynne and Jonathan are a “half-match,” meaning they share six out of the 12 characteristics. If the Haupts are unable to find a perfect match by the end of the month, Lynne may end up being her brother’s donor, but using a half-match as a donor is very risky for the recipient.
As Lynne and Team Haupt race against time to register donors in the hopes of finding a perfect match for Jonathan, Lynne said she hopes to one day be that perfect match for someone else.
Just three days left for the Fair!...(see http://www.DutchessFair.com )...
First-- while you're checkin' out all the livestock-- go over to the Wool Room to say hi to my Mom (the inimitable Judy Malstrom)-- and congratulate her for all her first place prizes ribbons she won year!...
[info re: Elmendorph Spinners Guild: http://fiberarts.org/directories/guilds/Elmendorph_Handspinners ; http://www.fiberart.com/guilds_spin_ny.html ; recall "The Magic of Spinning" by Frances Sandiford ;
http://www.abouttown.us/dutchess/articles/winter04/spinning.shtml (from Winter 2004 About Town)]
Second-- don't miss Hilby (recall "Send In the Skinny, Juggling, German Clown Hilby" by Deborah Sontag-- made it to cover of Sun. NYT A + L: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/theater/23sont.html )!...
Third-- if you haven't checked out the Green Tent with Laurie Rich et. al. (inside racetrack)...go see it!...
[see: http://www.CleanTechTradeAlliance.org ; http://www.HVCE.com ; http://www.GreeninGreene.com ;
Monday PoJo article-- http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090824/NEWS01/908240324 -- and don't forget forum tomorrow 11 am Rhinebeck Town Hall 80 E. Market St. w/CTTA Ex. Dir. M. Frost!]
But perhaps most importantly...
If you haven't gotten over to one of the two Hope for Kai booths at the Fair [one in building A, the other inside the track (close to grandstand, in between kettle corn and sheriff's booth)]-- get over there!...
Rhinebeck's own Michelle, Joe, Nicole and Alyssa Cassarino have organized a special bone marrow donor drive for a five-year-old leukemia, Kai Anderson-- see http://www.HopeforKai.com !...
[also see http://www.DKMSAmericas.org ; contact Michelle at mcassarino1@aol.com for much more; recall-- Michelle, Nicole, Alyssa Cassarino were on our WHVW 950 AM show Aug. 8th on this]
"Joining the DKMS Americas bone marrow registry takes 10 minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for 10 seconds."
[from "How Does a Bone Marrow Donation Work?" by Adam Sege [Wicked Local Brookline 7/15/09]
http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x631629488/How-does-a-bone-marrow-donation-work
[I did this myself folks-- SO EASY/SIMPLE TO SAVE A LIFE YOU'RE A LOSER IF YOU DON'T DO THIS!]
"Every day 6000 patients search the NMDP Registry for an unrelated bone marrow/cord blood donor."
[see: http://www.miafoundation.org/bonemarrow.asp ]
"Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every day over 6,000 men, women, and children desperately search the national bone marrow registry for a life-saving bone marrow donor."
[see: http://sites.google.com/site/denisebertholinfabrega/national-bone-marrow-registry ]
So-- get to the Fair-- be there or be square!...
[pass it on]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
[and don't forget: join Rhinebeck's Joel and Kate Kopp-- sign http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI !]
p.s. Just seems like common sense to me that our county's Health Department and Office for Computer Information Systems should asap add a link to http://www.HopeforKai.com to the main webpage of the official Dutchess County website-- and allow local residents to become members of the national bone marrow registry with a simple ten-second cotton swab test at the Dutchess County Health Department building on Main St. in Poughkeepsie...
...but I've learned over the years that, unfortunately, many, many common-sense things don't come to fruition...so...
If any of you care about this-- send a letter today to all 25 of us-- countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!...
[...for the resolution below to be passed in our County Legislature asap on this-- up to you all now folks]
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WHEREAS, every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and every day over 6,000 men, women, and children desperately search the national bone marrow registry for a life-saving bone marrow donor, and
WHEREAS, every year thousands of patients in desperate need of bone marrow transplants go without, due to a lack of available compatible matches; less than 20% ever get the transplant that may be their last chance for survival; the technology is there; it's the donors who are not, and
WHEREAS, 70 percent of patients seeking a bone marrow transplant have no perfect match within their family according to DKMS Americas; there are 12 characteristics that determine whether someone is a blood marrow match, and
WHEREAS, joining the DKMS Americas bone marrow registry takes ten minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for ten seconds; donating bone marrow is a simple outpatient procedure; all it takes is one day to give another person a whole lifetime, and
WHEREAS, more than 17,000 DKMS Americas donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow; DKMS is the largest and most experienced bone marrow donor center in the world with close to 2 million registered donors, and
WHEREAS, adding someone to the bone marrow registry costs $65, but DKMS pays the fee for its donors; donors must be between 18 and 55, and generally healthy; once registered, a potential donor stays on the list until their 61st birthday, and can be called on at any time if there is a match, and
WHEREAS, if there's a match, the transplant will take place one of two ways; seven or eight times out of 10, the transplant consists of a peripheral blood stem cell donation; for four days, the donor receives a daily injection of synthetic proteins; blood is then drawn from one of the donor's arms for about four to six hours, and after the blood stem cells are removed, the remaining blood is returned to the donor's other arm; on a pain scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most painful, peripheral blood stem cell donation is about a 1, and therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature requests that our county's Health Department and Office for Computer Information Systems evaluate the cost and feasibility of adding a link to HopeforKai.com to the main webpage of the official Dutchess County website and allow local residents to become members of the national bone marrow registry with a simple ten-second cotton swab test at the Dutchess County Health Department building in Poughkeepsie, and be it further
RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to County Executive William Steinhaus, County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Caldwell, and Commissioner of the Office of Computer Information Systems Timothy Mahler.
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From http://www.hopeforkai.com/Ways_to_Help.html ...
Hope For Kai
Kai Anderson has a rare form of leukemia. He is five years old.
Bone Marrow Drives
Please come to a bone marrow donor drive in Kai's Honor:
Hope For Kai Bone Marrow Donor Drive
Tuesday August 25 to Sunday August 30
10 AM to 10 PM Daily
Dutchess County Fair
Dutchess County Fairgrounds
Rt 9
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
www.dutchessfair.com
Bone Marrow Drive Contact: Nicole & Alyssa Cassarino
845 876 0515
Mcassarino1@aol.com
Self-Test Kits
• The test is simple: just a cotton q-tip swab in your mouth!
• If you are a match, donating bone marrow is a simple outpatient procedure.
• All it takes is one day out of your life to give another person a whole lifetime.
• Kai's own father was diagnosed a year ago with incurable lymphoma.
Kai was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia: Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He is being treated with a cocktail of seven chemotherapy drugs. Only, for this acute, high-risk form of leukemia, chemo may not be enough. Kai's best hope may be a bone marrow transplant.
That's where you come in.
The Anderson family absolutely need your prayers, kind words, home-cooked meals, practical assistance and generous donations for the enormous medical costs ahead (please click above "donate" button). More than you can know. You see, last year, Kai's dad and special buddy, David, was diagnosed with a type of cancer (also rare and complicated) called Mantle Cell Lymphoma. That's right. Two cancers in one small family. Kai's parents are operating day-to-day with unimaginable levels of stress and heartbreak.
Thanks to amazing refinements in medical technology, a miracle may yet be possible. But it will take all of us.
Bone marrow transplant is probably very different from what it was the last time you heard about it. Getting tested for compatibility takes only seconds. Dab a swab on the inside of your cheek and register with the national bone-marrow registry. If the marrow is a match, donors are asked to undergo one of two minor, non-invasive outpatient procedures that extract some of your healthy stem cells to replace a patient's unhealthy cells. It is that simple to give someone a second chance at life.
Astonishingly, despite these advancements, every year thousands of patients in desperate need of bone marrow transplants go without, due to a lack of available compatible matches. Less than 20% ever get the transplant that may be their last chance for survival. The technology is there; it's the donors who are not. That's not only shameful, it's short-sighted. Because this is something that can happen to any of us, to any of our children.
If you can't attend a bone marrow drive, please visit www.dkmsamericas.org for a free kit you can use at home or for a drive near your home. Then help spread the word about how easy it is to get tested to everyone you know.
The only assurance we can offer our children, and the most valuable lesson we can teach them, is that while bad things in life can't be prevented, their load can be shared. Please do what you can to help us share this one.
Who knows?
The thing that could happen to any of us may just be cured by one of us.
Thank you!
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From http://www.DKMSAmericas.org ...
The DKMS mission is to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors for leukemia patients. More than 17,000 of our donors have helped save lives by donating their bone marrow. DKMS is the largest and most experienced bone marrow donor center in the world with close to 2 million registered donors.
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How does a bone marrow donation work?
By Adam Sege/correspondent
Wicked Local Brookline
Posted Jul 15, 2009 @ 03:42 PM
http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x631629488/How-does-a-bone-marrow-donation-work
Brookline — Jonathan Haupt is among the 70 percent of patients seeking a bone marrow transplant who have no perfect match within their family, according to DKMS Americas, an organization supporting the Team Haupt registration drives and others like them across the country.
That makes the Haupts one of thousands of families searching each day through the 7 million blood marrow profiles on the national Be the Match registry, as well as national registries in other countries. Joining the registry takes 10 minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing each cheek for 10 seconds.
Adding someone to the registry costs $65, but DKMS pays the fee for its donors. Donors must be between 18 and 55, and generally healthy.
Once registered, a potential donor stays on the list until their 61st birthday, and can be called on at any time if there is a match.
“Registering is not just a cheek swab,” says Maria La Gamba, a spokeswoman for DKMS. “It’s a commitment to save a life.”
If there’s a match, the transplant will take place one of two ways, said West Roxbury native Kelly Taylor, a donor recruitment representative for DKMS. Seven or eight times out of 10, the transplant consists of a peripheral blood stem cell donation. For four days, the donor receives a daily injection of synthetic proteins. Blood is then drawn from one of the donor’s arms for about four to six hours, and after the blood stem cells are removed, the remaining blood is returned to the donor’s other arm.
On a pain scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the most painful, peripheral blood stem cell donation is about a 1, said Leslie O’Malley of Lawrence. O’Malley, 48, was tested in February 2007, and she became a marrow donor last year.
“What little inconvenience for me,” she said. “To think that you’re potentially saving a life … It’s just worth it.”
In other cases, doctors opt for a bone marrow extraction. While the donor is given either local or general anesthesia, doctors removed bone marrow through a needle inserted into the donor’s pelvic bone. It’s an outpatient procedure.
The method of transplant used is decided by the doctor on a case-by-case basis, Taylor said. However, bone marrow extraction is more frequently used in transplants for children.
There are 12 characteristics that determine whether someone is a blood marrow match. Lynne and Jonathan are a “half-match,” meaning they share six out of the 12 characteristics. If the Haupts are unable to find a perfect match by the end of the month, Lynne may end up being her brother’s donor, but using a half-match as a donor is very risky for the recipient.
As Lynne and Team Haupt race against time to register donors in the hopes of finding a perfect match for Jonathan, Lynne said she hopes to one day be that perfect match for someone else.
Help make sure co. leg.'s pay 15% for health insurance!...
Hi all...
This from today's paper...(send letters to countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for swift passage of this)...
[excellent news!...(I agreed last fall to co-sponsor w/G.O.P. Co. Leg. Bob Sears similar legislation)...
recall my petition to gather support for this-- http://www.petitiononline.com/cutlgpay -- sign on today!]
"Higgins: Managers, officials should help pay health benefits: 15% of insurance premiums suggested"
BY JENNY LEE-ADRIAN • POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL • AUGUST 28, 2009
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090828/NEWS01/908280324/1006/RSS01
[go to link for entire article]
Dutchess County Legislature Chairman Roger Higgins plans to propose a local law requiring all county elected officials, managers and confidential employees to contribute 15 percent of their health insurance premiums.
In February, Journal research found 195 employees and elected officials did not contribute to their health benefits. These include 152 managers, five confidential employees hired before Jan. 1, 1982, five full-time elected officials, 20 part-time county legislators and nine jail employees and four deputy sheriffs hired before Nov. 1, 1979. Another 1,451 county employees paid 5 percent to 20 percent of their premiums, depending on when they were hired.
If the 195 employees and elected officials were to pay 5 percent to 20 percent of their premiums, the county could save about $127,000 to $509,000 this year, Journal research showed in February.
Higgins said he is looking for ways to save the county money.
"We're ensuring down the road people who are paying nothing are paying something," Higgins, D-New Hamburg, said. The proposed law would be up for discussion early next month...
Personnel Commissioner Earl Bruno said Higgins did not give a copy of the law to the administration.
"We do not know any of the details or the possible implications of the chairman's proposal," Bruno said.
Health insurance for the employees and elected officials is not really "free," Bruno said. All county employees and elected officials have "co-pays" for doctors' visits, lab tests and drug prescriptions.
Confidential employees have access to information leading to managers' decisions that involve contract negotiations, agreements or personnel administration. Any confidential employee hired after Jan. 1, 1982 contributes 10 percent of their premiums...
Minority Leader Gary Cooper, R-Pine Plains, said he would need to read the proposal before commenting on it.
Higgins' proposal comes after a task force he created finished its second report comparing the salaries and benefits of 13 management/confidential positions in 13 counties, including Dutchess. The compensation and benefits task force also submitted a report in June comparing the salaries and benefits of elected officials.
Although not every county provided information, only Dutchess and Orange counties were consistent in not requiring all elected officials and managers to contribute to their health insurance premiums, according to the Center for Governmental Research in Albany, which compiled the data. The research compared Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Sullivan, Oneida, Broome, Niagara, Rensselaer, Albany and Rockland counties.
[pass it on!]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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Some comments here below from http://www.petitiononline.com/cutlgpay effort...(sign on, fwd along!):
Alice Wilbeck of Rhinebeck: "This is a good idea for these times."
Margaret De Wys of Rhinebeck: "Re: contractual wage increase for hard-working employees and freezing salaries for high paid Dutchess county executive officials."
Duane Watson of Rhinebeck: "All employees of the county regardless of the level should contribute to the cost of health care and no sector should be favored over another."
Chris Hackenbrock of Rhinebeck: "No more free rides please-- pay your share like everyone else!"
Kate Farrell of Millbrook: "Leaders should set an example."
Connie Hogarth of Fishkill: "It is perfectly reasonable in these growing difficult times for those who work for the County to respond to what Pres. Obama has ordered on the federal level and freeze high paying salaries. We all must tighten our belts but people at the bottom of the ladder have already done so to their limit. Some moves toward equity must prevail!"
Carmen McGill of Poughkeepsie: "Give the people a break!"
Diane Sommer of LaGrange: "It is only just and fair. We are in this together, and each of us must help carry the burden by making sacrifices."
Wendy Ewald of Red Hook: "I agree."
Richard Anderson of Poughkeepsie: "Everyone should contribute to help contain costs and reduce tax levy."
Dana Tompkins of LaGrange: "We are all tightening our belts. It's time for leaders who knows this."
Doris Soroko of Red Hook: "Considering the cuts to so many programs, salaries of high level officials should be frozen."
Ed Pittman of Poughkeepsie: "I support collective struggle and shared burden."
George Quasha of Red Hook: "Yes, fair pay."
Rich Carlson of Wappinger: "All indications are that we in for some tough times,we need to cut where it will not hurt."
This from today's paper...(send letters to countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us for swift passage of this)...
[excellent news!...(I agreed last fall to co-sponsor w/G.O.P. Co. Leg. Bob Sears similar legislation)...
recall my petition to gather support for this-- http://www.petitiononline.com/cutlgpay -- sign on today!]
"Higgins: Managers, officials should help pay health benefits: 15% of insurance premiums suggested"
BY JENNY LEE-ADRIAN • POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL • AUGUST 28, 2009
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090828/NEWS01/908280324/1006/RSS01
[go to link for entire article]
Dutchess County Legislature Chairman Roger Higgins plans to propose a local law requiring all county elected officials, managers and confidential employees to contribute 15 percent of their health insurance premiums.
In February, Journal research found 195 employees and elected officials did not contribute to their health benefits. These include 152 managers, five confidential employees hired before Jan. 1, 1982, five full-time elected officials, 20 part-time county legislators and nine jail employees and four deputy sheriffs hired before Nov. 1, 1979. Another 1,451 county employees paid 5 percent to 20 percent of their premiums, depending on when they were hired.
If the 195 employees and elected officials were to pay 5 percent to 20 percent of their premiums, the county could save about $127,000 to $509,000 this year, Journal research showed in February.
Higgins said he is looking for ways to save the county money.
"We're ensuring down the road people who are paying nothing are paying something," Higgins, D-New Hamburg, said. The proposed law would be up for discussion early next month...
Personnel Commissioner Earl Bruno said Higgins did not give a copy of the law to the administration.
"We do not know any of the details or the possible implications of the chairman's proposal," Bruno said.
Health insurance for the employees and elected officials is not really "free," Bruno said. All county employees and elected officials have "co-pays" for doctors' visits, lab tests and drug prescriptions.
Confidential employees have access to information leading to managers' decisions that involve contract negotiations, agreements or personnel administration. Any confidential employee hired after Jan. 1, 1982 contributes 10 percent of their premiums...
Minority Leader Gary Cooper, R-Pine Plains, said he would need to read the proposal before commenting on it.
Higgins' proposal comes after a task force he created finished its second report comparing the salaries and benefits of 13 management/confidential positions in 13 counties, including Dutchess. The compensation and benefits task force also submitted a report in June comparing the salaries and benefits of elected officials.
Although not every county provided information, only Dutchess and Orange counties were consistent in not requiring all elected officials and managers to contribute to their health insurance premiums, according to the Center for Governmental Research in Albany, which compiled the data. The research compared Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, Columbia, Greene, Sullivan, Oneida, Broome, Niagara, Rensselaer, Albany and Rockland counties.
[pass it on!]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Some comments here below from http://www.petitiononline.com/cutlgpay effort...(sign on, fwd along!):
Alice Wilbeck of Rhinebeck: "This is a good idea for these times."
Margaret De Wys of Rhinebeck: "Re: contractual wage increase for hard-working employees and freezing salaries for high paid Dutchess county executive officials."
Duane Watson of Rhinebeck: "All employees of the county regardless of the level should contribute to the cost of health care and no sector should be favored over another."
Chris Hackenbrock of Rhinebeck: "No more free rides please-- pay your share like everyone else!"
Kate Farrell of Millbrook: "Leaders should set an example."
Connie Hogarth of Fishkill: "It is perfectly reasonable in these growing difficult times for those who work for the County to respond to what Pres. Obama has ordered on the federal level and freeze high paying salaries. We all must tighten our belts but people at the bottom of the ladder have already done so to their limit. Some moves toward equity must prevail!"
Carmen McGill of Poughkeepsie: "Give the people a break!"
Diane Sommer of LaGrange: "It is only just and fair. We are in this together, and each of us must help carry the burden by making sacrifices."
Wendy Ewald of Red Hook: "I agree."
Richard Anderson of Poughkeepsie: "Everyone should contribute to help contain costs and reduce tax levy."
Dana Tompkins of LaGrange: "We are all tightening our belts. It's time for leaders who knows this."
Doris Soroko of Red Hook: "Considering the cuts to so many programs, salaries of high level officials should be frozen."
Ed Pittman of Poughkeepsie: "I support collective struggle and shared burden."
George Quasha of Red Hook: "Yes, fair pay."
Rich Carlson of Wappinger: "All indications are that we in for some tough times,we need to cut where it will not hurt."
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Re: grass roots, health care, Obama, Kennedy, Afghanistan...
Hi all...
How did Obama win the Democratic nomination for President?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots (for health care for all, for our troops to come home)...
How did Obama win the White House?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots (for health care for all, for our troops to come home)...
How can we truly take back Washington from special interests?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots!...
How does it start?...tomorrow-- with you calling Congress re: below at (800) 828-0498...
...and calling into our "Real Majority Project" show from 5 to 6 pm tomorrow on 91.3 FM at 437-7178!...
[also webcast online @ http://www.wvkr.org ]
Let us be newly reawakened to our own power-- if the people lead the leaders really will follow!...
[pass it on]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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A few here below we'll be discussing tomorrow...(join in the mix on the air as you like!)...
"The Case for Busting the Filibuster" by Thomas Geoghegan
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090831/geoghegan
[note-- go to http://TomGeoghegan.com to sign his petition to end filibuster in Senate forever!]
"Health Care Industry Contributes Heavily to Blue Dogs" by Halimah Abdullah
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27
"Obama Can Honor Kennedy Best By Making Eulogy a Call to Action" by John Nichols
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/466902/obama_can_honor_kennedy_best_by_making_eulogy_a_call_to_action
"Who Is Obama Playing Ball With?" by Amy Goodman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-9
"The Majority in Favor of Universal Health Care Needs to Speak Up" by Brian Gilmore
http://www.progressive.org/mpgilmore082509.html
"Opposing Escalation in Afghanistan" by David Cortright
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090914/cortright
"Conference Takes on Economics of Organic Food" by Avery Yale Kamila
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-4
"The Afghanistan Gap: Press vs. Public" by Norman Solomon
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-4
"We Don't Want to Rule the World" by Mark Weisbrot
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-10
"It's Not a 'Free Market' System When Taxpayers Are Financing the Profits" by David Sirota
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-5
"Bernie Sanders Denounces Bernanke Reappointment" by Matthew Rothschild
http://www.progressive.org/wx0825b09.html
"Coops Superior to Corporations" by Amitabh Pal
http://www.progressive.org/mag/pal082109.html
"Water Utilities Lack Proper Filters for Weed-Killer" by Danielle Ivory [posted today to Huffington Post]
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-8 [recall cover article in last Sunday's Times]
[recall-- two separate polls (CNN, ABC News/Washington Post) independently conducted this month show vast majority of us across this country now OPPOSE war/escalation in Afghanistan, folks!...see:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/headlines#4 ;
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/06/poll.afghanistan/ ]
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-5 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Open Left
It's Not a 'Free Market' System When Taxpayers Are Financing the Profits
by David Sirota
Thanks to both the focus on health care and the storm over President Obama's comments on Henry Louis Gates, few bothered to note a deeply troubling moment during last month's White House press conference in which the president displayed genuine stupidity, willful ignorance, intelligence-insulting dishonesty - or some combination of all three (I bring this up now, because it's the very same argument we're going to hear from supporters of Ben Bernanke in his renomination process). Referring to the recent news that banks like Goldman Sachs reported big profits, he said:
"What you're seeing is that banks are starting to make profits again. Some of them have paid back the TARP money that they received, the bank bailout money that they received. And we expect more of them to pay this back. That's a good thing...And we also think it's a good thing that they're profitable again, because if they're profitable that means that they have reserves in place and they can lend. And this is America, so if you're profitable in the free market system then you benefit." (emphasis added)
Yeah, sure - economically speaking, it's a great thing when a business makes a product or delivers a service and is able to make a profit from that endeavor in a free, unsubsidized market. However, that's not what's going on in the financial industry...at all.
As Matt Taibbi noted a full week before Obama's press conference, "this is not free-market earnings but an almost pure state subsidy." In a TrueSlant article that followed his original Rolling Stone gem, he breaks down all the subsidies and handouts the financial industry engineered for itself outside of just the TARP bailout. He concludes:
One of the most hilarious lies that has been spread about Goldman of late is that, since it repaid its TARP money, it's now free and clear of any obligation to the government - as if that was the only handout Goldman got in the last year. Goldman last year made your average AFDC mom on food stamps look like an entrepreneur...
Taken altogether, what all of this means is that Goldman's profit announcement is a giant "fuck you" to the rest of the country. It is a statement of supreme privilege, an announcement that it feels no shame in taking subsidies and funneling them directly into their pockets, and moreover feels no fear of any public response. It knows that it's untouchable and it's not going to change its behavior for anyone. And it doesn't matter who knows it.
So in light of the evidence Taibbi lays out - evidence that has been reported in the business press for the last many months - it's clear President Obama's claim that the big banks are back to being "profitable in the free market system" is stupid, willfully ignorant, or dishonest, because they're quite obviously operating inside the opposite of a "free market system." Their profits are a direct taxpayer subsidy.
Is that a "good thing?" Well, I guess it's a "good thing" that after all the subsidies, the banks didn't report more losses. However, I'd prefer the phrase "the absolute least that should have happened" to "good thing." Why? Because the idea that they did something right or smart or brilliant or moral or newly responsible by generating their recent profits is absurd.
Had they been given so much taxpayer cash and not reported a profit - that would have been an embarrassment. Put another way, there was almost no possible way for the banks to report anything other than profits when they were the recipients of so much taxpayer cash. The president praising them for being "profitable in a free market system" is like him signing legislation transferring $1 million from the U.S. Treasury into my bank account, and then a month later, sending me a letter of commendation for having mustered the brilliance and hard work to earn $1 million.
OK, fine, you get that this isn't a free market. But you're still wondering about motive. Why would Obama go on national television and tell the American public that big bank profits are a "good thing" like any other endeavor that is "profitable in the free market system?" What motive might he have? I'd guess defending Wall Street and the ongoing subsidies/bailouts.
Remember, Obama is the guy who raised more campaign cash from Wall Street than any other candidate in American history - and he was the guy who played a pivotal role in passing the bailouts in the first place. And while, sure, it's seems like a positive that Obama wants financial "reform," we don't really know what "reform" means. It could mean nothing - or, based on administration proposals to actually put more power into the very secretive agency that allowed the mess to happen, it could mean an even worse regulatory system.
So it's entirely possible - if not probable - that Obama is just doing his part to tamp down popular anger at financial firms and the bailouts so as to help prevent any kind of serious regulatory reform and/or political backlash against Wall Street. I mean, the guy is a smart guy - he of all people knows that the banks are not earnestly generating profit in a "free market." The fact that he can't even bring himself to acknowledge that and provide some straight-talk to the American people about such an obvious reality suggests an ulterior motive.
© OpenLeft 2007-2009
David Sirota is a bestselling author whose newest book is "The Uprising." He is a fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and a board member of the Progressive States Network-both nonpartisan organizations. His blog is at www.credoaction.com/sirota.
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From http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090914/cortright ...
Opposing Escalation in Afghanistan
by DAVID CORTRIGHT
August 27, 2009
The war in Afghanistan is an albatross that risks dragging down the Obama administration and undermining its progressive policy agenda. Afghanistan is now Obama's war, and its failure would be Obama's failure, with disastrous political consequences for other issues. The president's political standing, the Democratic Party's electoral prospects in 2010 and 2012, the government's ability to fund health reform and other social priorities--all will be jeopardized if US policy in Afghanistan continues to falter. Progressives who care about this administration and want it to succeed must rally to protect the president. We must argue for a more effective and less militarized strategy in Afghanistan and work to prevent further military escalation.
The Obama administration will soon have to decide whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. Even as the White House announced the deployment of 21,000 additional troops in March, some military commanders were arguing that additional forces would be needed. National Security Advisor James Jones told commanders not to expect more troops and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has expressed reluctance about further escalation, but pressures for additional forces are increasing as the military and political situation continues to deteriorate. Violent attacks have increased tenfold in recent years, civilian and military casualties are mounting, and Taliban influence is spreading.
Senator John McCain called for more troops during a recent visit to the region. A senior adviser to the Pentagon returned from an assessment mission calling for up to 45,000 more troops. US experts are predicting that the military struggle in Afghanistan will last at least a decade and cost more than the war in Iraq, which has totaled approximately $650 billion. Commanding General Stanley McChrystal is scheduled to release a Congressionally mandated report in September that will likely become the focal point for debate about sending more troops.
Many observers have grave doubts about the prospects for achieving military success in Afghanistan. The country's reputation as the graveyard of empires is well earned and based on a long history of fierce resistance to foreign military intervention, most strikingly in the defeat of the Soviet occupation of 1979-89. A similar pattern of resistance has emerged now, most intensely in the Pashtun region but spreading throughout the country and into Pakistan as well. The meager results so far of eight years of US/NATO military operations reinforce doubts about military viability. Empirical evidence confirms that war is not an effective means of countering terrorist organizations. A recent RAND Corporation study shows that terrorist groups usually end through political processes and effective law enforcement, not the use of military force. An examination of 268 terrorist organizations that ended during a period of nearly 40 years found that the primary factors accounting for their demise were participation in political processes (43 percent) and effective policing (40 percent). Military force accounted for the end of terrorist groups in only 7 percent of the cases examined.
Sending more troops will further militarize an already overly militarized policy. A recent report of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace cited "the presence of foreign troops" as "the most important factor in mobilizing support for the Taliban." In Pakistan, US military policies and drone airstrikes are "driving more and more Pashtuns into the arms of Al Qaeda and its jihadi allies," according to former Washington Post correspondent Selig Harrison. When the United States invades and occupies Muslim countries, it bolsters Osama bin Laden's false claim that America is waging war on Islam. Polls in Muslim countries show that up to 80 percent of respondents believe that US policy is intended to weaken and divide the Islamic world. The latest Gallup Pakistan poll found that people in that country consider the United States a far greater threat than the Taliban. As long as these attitudes prevail, there will be no end of recruits willing to blow themselves up to kill Americans and their supporters.
Opposition to an endless war strategy is growing. Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold has spoken out against further escalation. In May Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern introduced an amendment to the defense authorization bill requiring an exit strategy for US troops. The amendment was defeated in the House of Representatives but received 138 votes, including a majority of the Democratic Party caucus. Some antiwar groups have called for immediate military withdrawal, but this is not a widespread view. A narrow emphasis on military withdrawal implies indifference to the plight of the Afghan people and a willingness to cede the country to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Many Americans believe that the United States has an obligation to help the people of Afghanistan, especially its women. Many who oppose current war policies have urged an increase in civilian assistance, including expanded programs for economic development, human rights protection and democratic governance. The call for removing foreign troops, in this view, needs to be linked to greater civilian support for development, diplomacy and democracy.
Many uncertainties exist about the best way forward in Afghanistan, but a consensus is growing that further military escalation is unwise and risky. In choosing such a path the Obama administration would face the prospect of rising human and financial costs, with little hope for military success--a formula that could bring political disaster. Progressives must unite in saying no to military escalation, and demanding new, less militarized strategies for building security in the region and preventing violent extremism.
David Cortright is the director of policy studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He is also co-chair of the Win Without War coalition.
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-4 ...
Published on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
The Afghanistan Gap: Press vs. Public
by Norman Solomon
This month, a lot of media stories have compared President Johnson's war in Vietnam and President Obama's war in Afghanistan. The comparisons are often valid, but a key parallel rarely gets mentioned -- the media's insistent support for the war even after most of the public has turned against it.
This omission relies on the mythology that the U.S. news media functioned as tough critics of the Vietnam War in real time, a fairy tale so widespread that it routinely masquerades as truth. In fact, overall, the default position of the corporate media is to bond with war policymakers in Washington -- insisting for the longest time that the war must go on.
In early 1968, after several years of massive escalation of the Vietnam War, the Boston Globe conducted a survey of 39 major U.S. daily newspapers and found that not a single one had editorialized in favor of U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. While millions of Americans were actively demanding an immediate pullout, such a concept was still viewed as extremely unrealistic by the editorial boards of big daily papers -- including the liberal New York Times and Washington Post.
A similar pattern took shape during Washington's protracted war in Iraq. Year after year, the editorial positions of major dailies have been much more supportive of the U.S. war effort than the American public.
In mid-spring 2004, a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll was showing that "one in four Americans say troops should leave Iraq as soon as possible and another 30 percent say they should come home within 18 months." But as usual, when it came to rejection of staying the war course, the media establishment lagged way behind the populace.
Despite sometimes-withering media criticism of the Bush administration's foreign policy, all of the sizable newspapers steered clear of calling for withdrawal. Many favored sending in even more troops. On May 7, 2004, Editor & Publisher headlined a column by the magazine's editor, Greg Mitchell, this way: "When Will the First Major Newspaper Call for a Pullout in Iraq?"
Today, the gap between mainline big media and the grassroots is just as wide. Top policymakers for what has become Obama's Afghanistan war can find their assumptions mirrored in the editorials of the nation's mighty newspapers -- at the same time that opinion polls are showing a dramatic trend against the war.
While a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 51 percent of the public says the war in Afghanistan isn't worth fighting, the savants who determine big media's editorial positions insist on staying the course.
Recycled from the repetition-compulsion department, a spate of new hand-wringing editorials has bemoaned the shortcomings of Washington's allied leader in the occupied country. Of course the edifying pitch includes the assertion that the Afghan government and its armed forces must get their act together. (Good help is hard to find.)
"President Obama has rightfully defined success in Afghanistan as essential to America's struggle against Al Qaeda," the New York Times editorialized on Aug. 21. Yet Al Qaeda, according to expert assessments, is scarcely present in Afghanistan any more. There are dozens of countries where that terrorist group or other ones could be said to have a much larger presence. Does that mean the U.S. government should be prepared to wage war in all of those countries?
Paragraph after paragraph of the editorial proclaimed what must be done to win the war. It was all boilerplate stuff of the sort that has littered the editorial pages of countless newspapers for many years during one protracted war after another -- in Vietnam, in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
When congressional leaders and top administration officials read such editorials, they can take comfort in finding reaffirmed support for their insistence on funding more and more war. If only public opinion would cooperate, there'd be no political problem.
But, increasingly, public opinion is not cooperating. While the media establishment and the political establishment appear to belong to the same pro-war affinity group, the public is shifting to the other side of a widening credibility gap.
In a word, the problem -- and the threat for the press and the state -- can be summed up as democracy.
Now, one of the pivotal questions is what "liberal" and "progressive" online organizations will do in the coming months. Many are led by people who privately understand that Obama's war escalation is on track for cascading catastrophes. But they do not want to antagonize the leading Democrats in Washington, who contend that more war in Afghanistan is the only viable political course. Will that undue deference to the Obama administration continue, despite the growing evidence of disaster and the sinking poll numbers for the war?
A cautionary note for those who assume that the impacts of public opinion will put a brake on the accelerating U.S. war in Afghanistan: That assumption is based on a misunderstanding of how the USA's warfare state really functions.
Under the headline "Someone Tell the President the War Is Over," the New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote: "A president can't stay the course when his own citizens (let alone his own allies) won't stay with him." That was way back in August 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html
(The next day, I wrote a piece headlined "Someone Tell Frank Rich the War Is Not Over.") http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0815-24.htm
The war on Vietnam persisted for several horrific years after the polls were showing that most Americans disapproved. The momentum of a large-scale and protracted U.S. war of military occupation is massive and cataclysmic after the engine has really been gunned.
That's one of the most chilling parallels between the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. The news media are part of the deadly process. So are the politicians who remain hitched to some expedient calculus. And so are we, to the extent that we go along with the conventional wisdom of the warfare state.
Norman Solomon is the author of many books including "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death," which has been adapted into a documentary film. For more information, go to: www.normansolomon.com
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-10 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by The Guardian/UK
We Don't Want to Rule the World
by Mark Weisbrot
Americans are famous for not paying much attention to the rest of the world, and it is often said that foreign wars are the way that we learn geography. But most often it is not the people who have little direct experience outside their own country that are the problem, but rather the experts.
The latest polling data is making this clear once again, as a majority of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, but the Obama administration is escalating the war, and his military commanders may ask for even more troops than the increase to 68,000 that the adminstration is planning by the end of this year.
This gap between the average American and the foreign policy elite has been around since the Vietnam war and long before. The gap is also large between Democratic voters, three-quarters of whom oppose the war in Afghanistan, and the politicians and thinktanks that represent them in the political arena. A few decades ago there was a real voting base of cold war liberals - people who were progressive on social and economic issues but rightwing on foreign policy. That base has largely disappeared. Yet amazingly, the foreign policy establishment - including most of the media - has managed to maintain this political tendency as a very influential force.
The gap between the public and the foreign policy elite is not due to the ignorance of the masses, as the elite would have it, but primarily to a different set of interests and values. Very few foreign policy decision-makers - just a handful of members of Congress, for example - have sons or daughters who actually fight in the wars that they decide are "wars of necessity". The tax burden for these wars is more affordable for most foreign policy experts than it is for an American with median earnings. And perhaps most importantly, the average American doesn't have the same interest in trying to have the US rule the world.
For the foreign policy elite, the importance of running the world - as much as it is possible - is taken as given. Walter Russell Mead is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, one of the most influential foreign policy organisations in the United States. He represents the more liberal end of the political spectrum at the CFR. In a recent interview with The Brazilian Economy, he argued that all countries must accept what he called "the Anglo-American system". For him, the lessons of history show that there is no alternative:
To me, there is one clear lesson: by joining the [Anglo-American] system and becoming part of it, you can achieve far greater results, whether measured by international power, state security or the prosperity of your people. You actually do much better by co-operating than resisting.
While one can argue that Europe and Japan have done reasonably well as subordinate partners to the US in the post-second world war era, the same cannot be said for the majority of countries in the world. This is especially true in the years since 1980, which have seen a sharp slowdown in economic growth, and reduced progress in social indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality, in the vast majority of low-and-middle-income countries.
The biggest exception is China - which succeeded by rejecting the Anglo-American policy prescriptions and opted for state control of their banking system, foreign exchange, foreign capital flows and a host of other important economic decisions. China also remained outside the World Trade Organisation until 2001, when they were economically strong enough to take advantage of it. Resistance, it seems, is not always futile.
Foreign economic policy is even more removed from public input than foreign policy in general, with unaccountable institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and WTO making decisions that affect the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.
It is this one-step-further removal from public accountability - there are no voters that these institutions have to answer to - that makes them so attractive to the elite in rich countries. In the current economic downturn, the IMF can use taxpayer dollars to bail out western European banks who made imprudent loans in eastern Europe, something that the contributing governments might not be able to get away with politically if it were done directly.
Policies that primarily cause harm in other countries, such as the failed macroeconomic and development policies that the IMF, World Bank and WTO have pressured other countries to adopt, would not get as much support from the public as they do from the elite. The average American has a moral sense that seems lacking in policy discussions here in Washington, where it is the custom to appear amoral, almost like an insect.
In 2006, when television newscasts were showing regular footage of Iraqis killed and maimed by explosions, Americans were horrified, and opposition to the war increased substantially. It is only by keeping the ugly reality of our foreign occupations away from the public that our government can even get enough support to keep funding them.
Conversely, where there are independent citizens' organizations that can exert influence, some of the crimes involved in US foreign policy can be successfully challenged. For example, the American Civil Liberties Union waged a five-year battle that led to attorney general Eric Holder's decision this week to appoint a special prosecutor to look into some of the instances of torture and abuse of prisoners by the CIA.
But the powerful and rigid institutional arrangements of our foreign policy establishment, the sloth and weakness among the intelligentsia, as well as the corruption from the interests of military contractors, makes it an uphill battle for common sense to prevail.
It is not that the American people are so backward and ignorant, or bellicose. Rather the main problem is that the public has so little input into foreign policy decisions. That is what must change if we are to get away from the prospect of never-ending wars and conflicts, and from a foreign policy that continues to be one of the greatest obstacles to social and economic progress in the world.
© Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington, DC
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From http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-4 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Portland Press Herald (Maine)
Conference Takes on Economics of Organic Food
by Avery Yale Kamila
Only rich people can afford to eat locally grown, organic food. Have you heard that one before? I have, and it's sure to come up during the "Can Maine Feed Itself?" keynote discussion taking place at next month's Maine Fare festival in the midcoast.
The panel brings together a number of movers and shakers from Maine's food scene for a conversation centered on how the state can become more self-reliant when stocking our grocery stores and filling our dinner plates.
According to well-known organic Maine farmer and author Eliot Coleman, who farms year-round in unheated greenhouses and will participate in the panel, the No. 1 barrier preventing more Mainers from eating food grown and raised locally is the competition from cheap eats trucked in from California.
A whole book could be written (and has been) about the reasons factory farms and agribusinesses can produce food that costs so little. However, the simple answer, as Coleman pointed out, includes physical scale, illegal immigrant laborers, polluting farm practices and government subsidies.
At the same time, the idea that only the well-off can eat fresh, locally grown eats ignores the obvious and inexpensive solution of growing your own garden. You can't get any more local than food grown steps from your kitchen. And with seeds that sell for pennies apiece and with compost an essentially free fertilizer that anyone can make from table scraps and dried leaves, it becomes clear that price alone is not the true issue.
I'd argue that the real barrier is psychological. Part of this can be traced to the American obsession with animal protein.
Meat, dairy and eggs are all expensive ways to include protein in our diets, and these ubiquitous staples of our national cuisine can be produced cheaply (think a dozen eggs for $1.69 at the grocery stores versus $4.50 at the farmers' markets) only when the farms cut costs. That can lead to mistreating the animals, the workers or the environment. The price at the checkout may be low, but we pay the full cost eventually in food poisoning outbreaks, slaughterhouse workers with post-traumatic stress disorder and polluted rivers.
The other piece of this mental obstacle comes from our national cult of convenience. Our 24/7 consumer culture means we expect markets to be open whenever the shopping whim strikes us. We expect their shelves to be stocked with items that haven't been in season for the past six months.
So I wasn't surprised when John Harker, a development agent for the Maine Department of Agriculture, said research shows that the current market for direct-to-consumer sales from small farms in Maine is confined to the pool of consumers with higher incomes and higher levels of education.
These are the folks who have read books such as "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Fast Food Nation" and know shelling out a little more for high quality food saves a lot of headaches and heartaches (literally) down the road.
But what about the moms who are too busy changing diapers to tackle such troubling tomes? Unfortunately, many still view food as a commodity similar to back-to-school clothes rather than the ultimate in preventative health care.
"In the consumer focus group we just finished up in Bangor, young mothers with children said, 'Price, price, price,'" Harker recalled.
Since Americans on average spend less than 10 percent of our disposable income on food, a case can be made that a frugal home cook can find a way to pay more for better quality food.
At the same time, Harker sees opportunities for lowering the price of locally grown food and getting it into supermarkets and convenience stores (where he said 97 percent of food in Maine is purchased).
His message to farmers: "You've got to either get bigger or get together as a collective."
He points to the Locally Known organic salad farm in Bowdoin as an example of a farm that got bigger to become more competitive on price. He cites the group of 10 organic dairy farmers who lost their contract with Hood and are now forming a limited liability corporation in hopes of getting their milk into supermarkets as an example of collective marketing.
On the consumer side, Harker said the department is encouraging neighbors to form buying clubs, such as the Portland Food Co-Op, where they can purchase food at or near wholesale prices.
"One of the projects I'm working on is online ordering for consumer buying clubs," Harker said.
Aside from price, Maine farmers and eaters do face other obstacles to achieving food independence.
Cheryl Wixson, the resident chef and marketing consultant for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, is working on a report that will look at 20 categories of Maine food to determine whether or not farms are producing enough to meet local demand.
If they're not, the report will also help figure out what factors stand in the way. These obstacles are varied and include lack of food processing plants, limited distribution opportunities and inadequate storage facilities.
But when it comes to price, Wixson is blunt: "You're either going to pay for it now, or you'll pay for it later."
Or as Coleman said: "Local food is more expensive because it's better."
How did Obama win the Democratic nomination for President?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots (for health care for all, for our troops to come home)...
How did Obama win the White House?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots (for health care for all, for our troops to come home)...
How can we truly take back Washington from special interests?...
Millions of us across the country in the grass roots!...
How does it start?...tomorrow-- with you calling Congress re: below at (800) 828-0498...
...and calling into our "Real Majority Project" show from 5 to 6 pm tomorrow on 91.3 FM at 437-7178!...
[also webcast online @ http://www.wvkr.org ]
Let us be newly reawakened to our own power-- if the people lead the leaders really will follow!...
[pass it on]
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
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A few here below we'll be discussing tomorrow...(join in the mix on the air as you like!)...
"The Case for Busting the Filibuster" by Thomas Geoghegan
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090831/geoghegan
[note-- go to http://TomGeoghegan.com to sign his petition to end filibuster in Senate forever!]
"Health Care Industry Contributes Heavily to Blue Dogs" by Halimah Abdullah
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27
"Obama Can Honor Kennedy Best By Making Eulogy a Call to Action" by John Nichols
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/466902/obama_can_honor_kennedy_best_by_making_eulogy_a_call_to_action
"Who Is Obama Playing Ball With?" by Amy Goodman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-9
"The Majority in Favor of Universal Health Care Needs to Speak Up" by Brian Gilmore
http://www.progressive.org/mpgilmore082509.html
"Opposing Escalation in Afghanistan" by David Cortright
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090914/cortright
"Conference Takes on Economics of Organic Food" by Avery Yale Kamila
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-4
"The Afghanistan Gap: Press vs. Public" by Norman Solomon
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-4
"We Don't Want to Rule the World" by Mark Weisbrot
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-10
"It's Not a 'Free Market' System When Taxpayers Are Financing the Profits" by David Sirota
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-5
"Bernie Sanders Denounces Bernanke Reappointment" by Matthew Rothschild
http://www.progressive.org/wx0825b09.html
"Coops Superior to Corporations" by Amitabh Pal
http://www.progressive.org/mag/pal082109.html
"Water Utilities Lack Proper Filters for Weed-Killer" by Danielle Ivory [posted today to Huffington Post]
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-8 [recall cover article in last Sunday's Times]
[recall-- two separate polls (CNN, ABC News/Washington Post) independently conducted this month show vast majority of us across this country now OPPOSE war/escalation in Afghanistan, folks!...see:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/20/headlines#4 ;
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/06/poll.afghanistan/ ]
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-5 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Open Left
It's Not a 'Free Market' System When Taxpayers Are Financing the Profits
by David Sirota
Thanks to both the focus on health care and the storm over President Obama's comments on Henry Louis Gates, few bothered to note a deeply troubling moment during last month's White House press conference in which the president displayed genuine stupidity, willful ignorance, intelligence-insulting dishonesty - or some combination of all three (I bring this up now, because it's the very same argument we're going to hear from supporters of Ben Bernanke in his renomination process). Referring to the recent news that banks like Goldman Sachs reported big profits, he said:
"What you're seeing is that banks are starting to make profits again. Some of them have paid back the TARP money that they received, the bank bailout money that they received. And we expect more of them to pay this back. That's a good thing...And we also think it's a good thing that they're profitable again, because if they're profitable that means that they have reserves in place and they can lend. And this is America, so if you're profitable in the free market system then you benefit." (emphasis added)
Yeah, sure - economically speaking, it's a great thing when a business makes a product or delivers a service and is able to make a profit from that endeavor in a free, unsubsidized market. However, that's not what's going on in the financial industry...at all.
As Matt Taibbi noted a full week before Obama's press conference, "this is not free-market earnings but an almost pure state subsidy." In a TrueSlant article that followed his original Rolling Stone gem, he breaks down all the subsidies and handouts the financial industry engineered for itself outside of just the TARP bailout. He concludes:
One of the most hilarious lies that has been spread about Goldman of late is that, since it repaid its TARP money, it's now free and clear of any obligation to the government - as if that was the only handout Goldman got in the last year. Goldman last year made your average AFDC mom on food stamps look like an entrepreneur...
Taken altogether, what all of this means is that Goldman's profit announcement is a giant "fuck you" to the rest of the country. It is a statement of supreme privilege, an announcement that it feels no shame in taking subsidies and funneling them directly into their pockets, and moreover feels no fear of any public response. It knows that it's untouchable and it's not going to change its behavior for anyone. And it doesn't matter who knows it.
So in light of the evidence Taibbi lays out - evidence that has been reported in the business press for the last many months - it's clear President Obama's claim that the big banks are back to being "profitable in the free market system" is stupid, willfully ignorant, or dishonest, because they're quite obviously operating inside the opposite of a "free market system." Their profits are a direct taxpayer subsidy.
Is that a "good thing?" Well, I guess it's a "good thing" that after all the subsidies, the banks didn't report more losses. However, I'd prefer the phrase "the absolute least that should have happened" to "good thing." Why? Because the idea that they did something right or smart or brilliant or moral or newly responsible by generating their recent profits is absurd.
Had they been given so much taxpayer cash and not reported a profit - that would have been an embarrassment. Put another way, there was almost no possible way for the banks to report anything other than profits when they were the recipients of so much taxpayer cash. The president praising them for being "profitable in a free market system" is like him signing legislation transferring $1 million from the U.S. Treasury into my bank account, and then a month later, sending me a letter of commendation for having mustered the brilliance and hard work to earn $1 million.
OK, fine, you get that this isn't a free market. But you're still wondering about motive. Why would Obama go on national television and tell the American public that big bank profits are a "good thing" like any other endeavor that is "profitable in the free market system?" What motive might he have? I'd guess defending Wall Street and the ongoing subsidies/bailouts.
Remember, Obama is the guy who raised more campaign cash from Wall Street than any other candidate in American history - and he was the guy who played a pivotal role in passing the bailouts in the first place. And while, sure, it's seems like a positive that Obama wants financial "reform," we don't really know what "reform" means. It could mean nothing - or, based on administration proposals to actually put more power into the very secretive agency that allowed the mess to happen, it could mean an even worse regulatory system.
So it's entirely possible - if not probable - that Obama is just doing his part to tamp down popular anger at financial firms and the bailouts so as to help prevent any kind of serious regulatory reform and/or political backlash against Wall Street. I mean, the guy is a smart guy - he of all people knows that the banks are not earnestly generating profit in a "free market." The fact that he can't even bring himself to acknowledge that and provide some straight-talk to the American people about such an obvious reality suggests an ulterior motive.
© OpenLeft 2007-2009
David Sirota is a bestselling author whose newest book is "The Uprising." He is a fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and a board member of the Progressive States Network-both nonpartisan organizations. His blog is at www.credoaction.com/sirota.
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From http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090914/cortright ...
Opposing Escalation in Afghanistan
by DAVID CORTRIGHT
August 27, 2009
The war in Afghanistan is an albatross that risks dragging down the Obama administration and undermining its progressive policy agenda. Afghanistan is now Obama's war, and its failure would be Obama's failure, with disastrous political consequences for other issues. The president's political standing, the Democratic Party's electoral prospects in 2010 and 2012, the government's ability to fund health reform and other social priorities--all will be jeopardized if US policy in Afghanistan continues to falter. Progressives who care about this administration and want it to succeed must rally to protect the president. We must argue for a more effective and less militarized strategy in Afghanistan and work to prevent further military escalation.
The Obama administration will soon have to decide whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. Even as the White House announced the deployment of 21,000 additional troops in March, some military commanders were arguing that additional forces would be needed. National Security Advisor James Jones told commanders not to expect more troops and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has expressed reluctance about further escalation, but pressures for additional forces are increasing as the military and political situation continues to deteriorate. Violent attacks have increased tenfold in recent years, civilian and military casualties are mounting, and Taliban influence is spreading.
Senator John McCain called for more troops during a recent visit to the region. A senior adviser to the Pentagon returned from an assessment mission calling for up to 45,000 more troops. US experts are predicting that the military struggle in Afghanistan will last at least a decade and cost more than the war in Iraq, which has totaled approximately $650 billion. Commanding General Stanley McChrystal is scheduled to release a Congressionally mandated report in September that will likely become the focal point for debate about sending more troops.
Many observers have grave doubts about the prospects for achieving military success in Afghanistan. The country's reputation as the graveyard of empires is well earned and based on a long history of fierce resistance to foreign military intervention, most strikingly in the defeat of the Soviet occupation of 1979-89. A similar pattern of resistance has emerged now, most intensely in the Pashtun region but spreading throughout the country and into Pakistan as well. The meager results so far of eight years of US/NATO military operations reinforce doubts about military viability. Empirical evidence confirms that war is not an effective means of countering terrorist organizations. A recent RAND Corporation study shows that terrorist groups usually end through political processes and effective law enforcement, not the use of military force. An examination of 268 terrorist organizations that ended during a period of nearly 40 years found that the primary factors accounting for their demise were participation in political processes (43 percent) and effective policing (40 percent). Military force accounted for the end of terrorist groups in only 7 percent of the cases examined.
Sending more troops will further militarize an already overly militarized policy. A recent report of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace cited "the presence of foreign troops" as "the most important factor in mobilizing support for the Taliban." In Pakistan, US military policies and drone airstrikes are "driving more and more Pashtuns into the arms of Al Qaeda and its jihadi allies," according to former Washington Post correspondent Selig Harrison. When the United States invades and occupies Muslim countries, it bolsters Osama bin Laden's false claim that America is waging war on Islam. Polls in Muslim countries show that up to 80 percent of respondents believe that US policy is intended to weaken and divide the Islamic world. The latest Gallup Pakistan poll found that people in that country consider the United States a far greater threat than the Taliban. As long as these attitudes prevail, there will be no end of recruits willing to blow themselves up to kill Americans and their supporters.
Opposition to an endless war strategy is growing. Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold has spoken out against further escalation. In May Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern introduced an amendment to the defense authorization bill requiring an exit strategy for US troops. The amendment was defeated in the House of Representatives but received 138 votes, including a majority of the Democratic Party caucus. Some antiwar groups have called for immediate military withdrawal, but this is not a widespread view. A narrow emphasis on military withdrawal implies indifference to the plight of the Afghan people and a willingness to cede the country to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Many Americans believe that the United States has an obligation to help the people of Afghanistan, especially its women. Many who oppose current war policies have urged an increase in civilian assistance, including expanded programs for economic development, human rights protection and democratic governance. The call for removing foreign troops, in this view, needs to be linked to greater civilian support for development, diplomacy and democracy.
Many uncertainties exist about the best way forward in Afghanistan, but a consensus is growing that further military escalation is unwise and risky. In choosing such a path the Obama administration would face the prospect of rising human and financial costs, with little hope for military success--a formula that could bring political disaster. Progressives must unite in saying no to military escalation, and demanding new, less militarized strategies for building security in the region and preventing violent extremism.
David Cortright is the director of policy studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He is also co-chair of the Win Without War coalition.
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/26-4 ...
Published on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
The Afghanistan Gap: Press vs. Public
by Norman Solomon
This month, a lot of media stories have compared President Johnson's war in Vietnam and President Obama's war in Afghanistan. The comparisons are often valid, but a key parallel rarely gets mentioned -- the media's insistent support for the war even after most of the public has turned against it.
This omission relies on the mythology that the U.S. news media functioned as tough critics of the Vietnam War in real time, a fairy tale so widespread that it routinely masquerades as truth. In fact, overall, the default position of the corporate media is to bond with war policymakers in Washington -- insisting for the longest time that the war must go on.
In early 1968, after several years of massive escalation of the Vietnam War, the Boston Globe conducted a survey of 39 major U.S. daily newspapers and found that not a single one had editorialized in favor of U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. While millions of Americans were actively demanding an immediate pullout, such a concept was still viewed as extremely unrealistic by the editorial boards of big daily papers -- including the liberal New York Times and Washington Post.
A similar pattern took shape during Washington's protracted war in Iraq. Year after year, the editorial positions of major dailies have been much more supportive of the U.S. war effort than the American public.
In mid-spring 2004, a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll was showing that "one in four Americans say troops should leave Iraq as soon as possible and another 30 percent say they should come home within 18 months." But as usual, when it came to rejection of staying the war course, the media establishment lagged way behind the populace.
Despite sometimes-withering media criticism of the Bush administration's foreign policy, all of the sizable newspapers steered clear of calling for withdrawal. Many favored sending in even more troops. On May 7, 2004, Editor & Publisher headlined a column by the magazine's editor, Greg Mitchell, this way: "When Will the First Major Newspaper Call for a Pullout in Iraq?"
Today, the gap between mainline big media and the grassroots is just as wide. Top policymakers for what has become Obama's Afghanistan war can find their assumptions mirrored in the editorials of the nation's mighty newspapers -- at the same time that opinion polls are showing a dramatic trend against the war.
While a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 51 percent of the public says the war in Afghanistan isn't worth fighting, the savants who determine big media's editorial positions insist on staying the course.
Recycled from the repetition-compulsion department, a spate of new hand-wringing editorials has bemoaned the shortcomings of Washington's allied leader in the occupied country. Of course the edifying pitch includes the assertion that the Afghan government and its armed forces must get their act together. (Good help is hard to find.)
"President Obama has rightfully defined success in Afghanistan as essential to America's struggle against Al Qaeda," the New York Times editorialized on Aug. 21. Yet Al Qaeda, according to expert assessments, is scarcely present in Afghanistan any more. There are dozens of countries where that terrorist group or other ones could be said to have a much larger presence. Does that mean the U.S. government should be prepared to wage war in all of those countries?
Paragraph after paragraph of the editorial proclaimed what must be done to win the war. It was all boilerplate stuff of the sort that has littered the editorial pages of countless newspapers for many years during one protracted war after another -- in Vietnam, in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
When congressional leaders and top administration officials read such editorials, they can take comfort in finding reaffirmed support for their insistence on funding more and more war. If only public opinion would cooperate, there'd be no political problem.
But, increasingly, public opinion is not cooperating. While the media establishment and the political establishment appear to belong to the same pro-war affinity group, the public is shifting to the other side of a widening credibility gap.
In a word, the problem -- and the threat for the press and the state -- can be summed up as democracy.
Now, one of the pivotal questions is what "liberal" and "progressive" online organizations will do in the coming months. Many are led by people who privately understand that Obama's war escalation is on track for cascading catastrophes. But they do not want to antagonize the leading Democrats in Washington, who contend that more war in Afghanistan is the only viable political course. Will that undue deference to the Obama administration continue, despite the growing evidence of disaster and the sinking poll numbers for the war?
A cautionary note for those who assume that the impacts of public opinion will put a brake on the accelerating U.S. war in Afghanistan: That assumption is based on a misunderstanding of how the USA's warfare state really functions.
Under the headline "Someone Tell the President the War Is Over," the New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote: "A president can't stay the course when his own citizens (let alone his own allies) won't stay with him." That was way back in August 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/opinion/14rich.html
(The next day, I wrote a piece headlined "Someone Tell Frank Rich the War Is Not Over.") http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0815-24.htm
The war on Vietnam persisted for several horrific years after the polls were showing that most Americans disapproved. The momentum of a large-scale and protracted U.S. war of military occupation is massive and cataclysmic after the engine has really been gunned.
That's one of the most chilling parallels between the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. The news media are part of the deadly process. So are the politicians who remain hitched to some expedient calculus. And so are we, to the extent that we go along with the conventional wisdom of the warfare state.
Norman Solomon is the author of many books including "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death," which has been adapted into a documentary film. For more information, go to: www.normansolomon.com
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From http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/27-10 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by The Guardian/UK
We Don't Want to Rule the World
by Mark Weisbrot
Americans are famous for not paying much attention to the rest of the world, and it is often said that foreign wars are the way that we learn geography. But most often it is not the people who have little direct experience outside their own country that are the problem, but rather the experts.
The latest polling data is making this clear once again, as a majority of Americans now oppose the war in Afghanistan, but the Obama administration is escalating the war, and his military commanders may ask for even more troops than the increase to 68,000 that the adminstration is planning by the end of this year.
This gap between the average American and the foreign policy elite has been around since the Vietnam war and long before. The gap is also large between Democratic voters, three-quarters of whom oppose the war in Afghanistan, and the politicians and thinktanks that represent them in the political arena. A few decades ago there was a real voting base of cold war liberals - people who were progressive on social and economic issues but rightwing on foreign policy. That base has largely disappeared. Yet amazingly, the foreign policy establishment - including most of the media - has managed to maintain this political tendency as a very influential force.
The gap between the public and the foreign policy elite is not due to the ignorance of the masses, as the elite would have it, but primarily to a different set of interests and values. Very few foreign policy decision-makers - just a handful of members of Congress, for example - have sons or daughters who actually fight in the wars that they decide are "wars of necessity". The tax burden for these wars is more affordable for most foreign policy experts than it is for an American with median earnings. And perhaps most importantly, the average American doesn't have the same interest in trying to have the US rule the world.
For the foreign policy elite, the importance of running the world - as much as it is possible - is taken as given. Walter Russell Mead is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, one of the most influential foreign policy organisations in the United States. He represents the more liberal end of the political spectrum at the CFR. In a recent interview with The Brazilian Economy, he argued that all countries must accept what he called "the Anglo-American system". For him, the lessons of history show that there is no alternative:
To me, there is one clear lesson: by joining the [Anglo-American] system and becoming part of it, you can achieve far greater results, whether measured by international power, state security or the prosperity of your people. You actually do much better by co-operating than resisting.
While one can argue that Europe and Japan have done reasonably well as subordinate partners to the US in the post-second world war era, the same cannot be said for the majority of countries in the world. This is especially true in the years since 1980, which have seen a sharp slowdown in economic growth, and reduced progress in social indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality, in the vast majority of low-and-middle-income countries.
The biggest exception is China - which succeeded by rejecting the Anglo-American policy prescriptions and opted for state control of their banking system, foreign exchange, foreign capital flows and a host of other important economic decisions. China also remained outside the World Trade Organisation until 2001, when they were economically strong enough to take advantage of it. Resistance, it seems, is not always futile.
Foreign economic policy is even more removed from public input than foreign policy in general, with unaccountable institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and WTO making decisions that affect the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.
It is this one-step-further removal from public accountability - there are no voters that these institutions have to answer to - that makes them so attractive to the elite in rich countries. In the current economic downturn, the IMF can use taxpayer dollars to bail out western European banks who made imprudent loans in eastern Europe, something that the contributing governments might not be able to get away with politically if it were done directly.
Policies that primarily cause harm in other countries, such as the failed macroeconomic and development policies that the IMF, World Bank and WTO have pressured other countries to adopt, would not get as much support from the public as they do from the elite. The average American has a moral sense that seems lacking in policy discussions here in Washington, where it is the custom to appear amoral, almost like an insect.
In 2006, when television newscasts were showing regular footage of Iraqis killed and maimed by explosions, Americans were horrified, and opposition to the war increased substantially. It is only by keeping the ugly reality of our foreign occupations away from the public that our government can even get enough support to keep funding them.
Conversely, where there are independent citizens' organizations that can exert influence, some of the crimes involved in US foreign policy can be successfully challenged. For example, the American Civil Liberties Union waged a five-year battle that led to attorney general Eric Holder's decision this week to appoint a special prosecutor to look into some of the instances of torture and abuse of prisoners by the CIA.
But the powerful and rigid institutional arrangements of our foreign policy establishment, the sloth and weakness among the intelligentsia, as well as the corruption from the interests of military contractors, makes it an uphill battle for common sense to prevail.
It is not that the American people are so backward and ignorant, or bellicose. Rather the main problem is that the public has so little input into foreign policy decisions. That is what must change if we are to get away from the prospect of never-ending wars and conflicts, and from a foreign policy that continues to be one of the greatest obstacles to social and economic progress in the world.
© Guardian News and Media Limited 2009
Mark Weisbrot is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington, DC
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From http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/27-4 ...
Published on Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Portland Press Herald (Maine)
Conference Takes on Economics of Organic Food
by Avery Yale Kamila
Only rich people can afford to eat locally grown, organic food. Have you heard that one before? I have, and it's sure to come up during the "Can Maine Feed Itself?" keynote discussion taking place at next month's Maine Fare festival in the midcoast.
The panel brings together a number of movers and shakers from Maine's food scene for a conversation centered on how the state can become more self-reliant when stocking our grocery stores and filling our dinner plates.
According to well-known organic Maine farmer and author Eliot Coleman, who farms year-round in unheated greenhouses and will participate in the panel, the No. 1 barrier preventing more Mainers from eating food grown and raised locally is the competition from cheap eats trucked in from California.
A whole book could be written (and has been) about the reasons factory farms and agribusinesses can produce food that costs so little. However, the simple answer, as Coleman pointed out, includes physical scale, illegal immigrant laborers, polluting farm practices and government subsidies.
At the same time, the idea that only the well-off can eat fresh, locally grown eats ignores the obvious and inexpensive solution of growing your own garden. You can't get any more local than food grown steps from your kitchen. And with seeds that sell for pennies apiece and with compost an essentially free fertilizer that anyone can make from table scraps and dried leaves, it becomes clear that price alone is not the true issue.
I'd argue that the real barrier is psychological. Part of this can be traced to the American obsession with animal protein.
Meat, dairy and eggs are all expensive ways to include protein in our diets, and these ubiquitous staples of our national cuisine can be produced cheaply (think a dozen eggs for $1.69 at the grocery stores versus $4.50 at the farmers' markets) only when the farms cut costs. That can lead to mistreating the animals, the workers or the environment. The price at the checkout may be low, but we pay the full cost eventually in food poisoning outbreaks, slaughterhouse workers with post-traumatic stress disorder and polluted rivers.
The other piece of this mental obstacle comes from our national cult of convenience. Our 24/7 consumer culture means we expect markets to be open whenever the shopping whim strikes us. We expect their shelves to be stocked with items that haven't been in season for the past six months.
So I wasn't surprised when John Harker, a development agent for the Maine Department of Agriculture, said research shows that the current market for direct-to-consumer sales from small farms in Maine is confined to the pool of consumers with higher incomes and higher levels of education.
These are the folks who have read books such as "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Fast Food Nation" and know shelling out a little more for high quality food saves a lot of headaches and heartaches (literally) down the road.
But what about the moms who are too busy changing diapers to tackle such troubling tomes? Unfortunately, many still view food as a commodity similar to back-to-school clothes rather than the ultimate in preventative health care.
"In the consumer focus group we just finished up in Bangor, young mothers with children said, 'Price, price, price,'" Harker recalled.
Since Americans on average spend less than 10 percent of our disposable income on food, a case can be made that a frugal home cook can find a way to pay more for better quality food.
At the same time, Harker sees opportunities for lowering the price of locally grown food and getting it into supermarkets and convenience stores (where he said 97 percent of food in Maine is purchased).
His message to farmers: "You've got to either get bigger or get together as a collective."
He points to the Locally Known organic salad farm in Bowdoin as an example of a farm that got bigger to become more competitive on price. He cites the group of 10 organic dairy farmers who lost their contract with Hood and are now forming a limited liability corporation in hopes of getting their milk into supermarkets as an example of collective marketing.
On the consumer side, Harker said the department is encouraging neighbors to form buying clubs, such as the Portland Food Co-Op, where they can purchase food at or near wholesale prices.
"One of the projects I'm working on is online ordering for consumer buying clubs," Harker said.
Aside from price, Maine farmers and eaters do face other obstacles to achieving food independence.
Cheryl Wixson, the resident chef and marketing consultant for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, is working on a report that will look at 20 categories of Maine food to determine whether or not farms are producing enough to meet local demand.
If they're not, the report will also help figure out what factors stand in the way. These obstacles are varied and include lack of food processing plants, limited distribution opportunities and inadequate storage facilities.
But when it comes to price, Wixson is blunt: "You're either going to pay for it now, or you'll pay for it later."
Or as Coleman said: "Local food is more expensive because it's better."
Clinton folks-- help support our town's library now before Sept. 5-- sign on to petition!...
"Public Libraries Are Needed Now More Than Ever" [Pittsburgh Business Times editorial 6/1/09]
http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/06/01/editorial3.html
"Save the Library, Save the Planet" by Roger Valdez [Sightline Daily 4/9/09]
http://rss.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2009/04/09/saving-your-local-library-might-help-save-money-and-the-planet
"Save Money Using Your Public Library's Resources" [Charlotte Small Business Examiner 4/17/09]
http://www.examiner.com/x-6454-Charlotte-Small-Business-Examiner~y2009m4d17-Save-money-using-your-public-librarys-resources
"Save Money By Using Your Local Library" [Free Money Finance April 2008]
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2008/04/save-money-by-u.html
"How to Save Money By Going to the Library" by Brooke Lorren [Associated Content 1/30/09]
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1412997/how_to_save_money_by_going_to_the_library.html
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From Clinton's own Sandy Thompson (thompson@vassar.edu)...[get over to Lib. this week and sign!]...
[scroll down a bit to see great Aug. 19th letter to the editor in Poughkeepsie Journal from Alyssa Kogon too]
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:13:54 -0400
Subject: CHAPTER 414 LIBRARY INITIATIVE
Below is some information that should help members of the Clinton Community understand more about the Chapter 414 Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Sandy
Alexander M. Thompson III, PhD
Professor of Economics
Vassar College Box 400
124 Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0400
845-214-0001
thompson@vassar.edu
###########################################
CLINTON COMMUNITY LIBRARY SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
The Clinton Community Library Board of Trustees is currently collecting signatures for a petition to place the Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative on the ballot this coming November. You can sign this petition at the Clinton Community Library between now and Saturday, September 5 during Library hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00AM - 5:30PM
Friday: 12:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Sunday: closed
The Clinton Community Library is in the Town of Clinton building, located less than 1/4 mile north of Schultzville on Centre Road.
This Library Sustainability Initiative will allow your library to maintain its level of services to our community. Without this initiative, unwelcome compromises will need to be made, such as restricted hours of operation, reduced new book and DVD acquisitions, or termination of other services to the community. The Library Sustainability Initiative will also provide needed budgetary stability to enable effective long term planning for the future of your Clinton Community Library.
Services currently available from the Clinton Community Library include not only the traditional free availability of books and DVDs to the members of our community, but also include, for example:
Borrowing privileges from all libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System (66 libraries in all!), with free delivery to the Clinton Community Library.
Free remote Internet access to browsing, borrowing and many other resources at: http://clinton.lib.ny.us/
Free in-library use of computers for adults and children for Internet browsing, email, word processing, games, etc.
Summer camps for boys and girls
Free monthly Family Film Nights
Free Adult Computer Classes
Established clubs for reading, poetry, knitting and spinning
Free concerts on the Library lawn
Free remote Internet access to College preparatory and many other academic resources
Free remote Internet access to Consumer Reports
Free remote Internet access to Chilton Auto and Truck Repair manuals
Free remote Internet language lessons for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Greek, Chinese and Japanese, plus English as a Second Language
Several Special Events for the Clinton Community every year
For a further descriptions of these and many other available resources provided by your Clinton Community Library, please log on to: http://clinton.lib.ny.us/
Above all, the Clinton Community Library is very fortunate to have an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable Director and Staff who are all eager to support and expand your use of our Library’s many resources.
These several services provided to Town of Clinton residents by your Community Library have grown dramatically in the past several years. For example, over the past year:
Early literacy attendance more than doubled
Adult circulation increased 37%
Children's circulation grew 26%
Total materials borrowed increased 47%
Library computer use grew 55%
Total Library visits nearly doubled
Interlibrary loans of books and DVDs have expanded 45%
Should the voters of Clinton approve the Library Sustainability Initiative in November, then the line item for the Clinton Community Library will be set in the town budget to equal our current budgetary needs. It will not establish a new, separate tax district for the Clinton Community Library. Furthermore, the library line item in the town budget cannot be increased in the future without town voters approving an entirely new referendum.
The impact of the Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative on your taxes depends upon the overall town budget. The maximum impact is that your January tax bill might rise slightly, about 1%. Thus, if your January tax bill was $1000 this year, had the Library Sustainability Initiative been in place for 2009, your overall taxes would have risen by at most $11, less than the cost of one book or DVD that you could have borrowed for free from your Clinton Community Library. Your taxes would increase even less, or perhaps not at all, if the Town Board decides to allocate existing town revenues to the Clinton Community Library in 2010.
The Trustees of the Clinton Community Library are very grateful for your continuing support, and cordially invite you to contact them with any questions you may have regarding the Library Sustainability Initiative. We also welcome any suggestions you may have for the future direction of your library.
Pat Cortese, President
plcortese@optonline.net
Chris DiFrancesco, Treasurer
chrisdifrancesco@yahoo.com
Alyssa Kogon
flnyqt2@aol.com
Judy Malstrom
mummink@earthlink.net
Katherine Mustello
kmustello@optonline.net
Sandy Thompson, Secretary
thompson@vassar.edu
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Recall as well this Aug. 19th letter to the editor in the Poughkeepsie Journal from Alyssa Kogon...
Vote Will Give Library Financial Stability
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090819/OPINION02/908190304/Letters-to-the-editor---8/19
I am writing to you regarding the upcoming funding vote on the Clinton Community Library.
As a board member of the library, I know what an incredibly valuable resource it is to our small town. In many ways, the library is the only social, intellectual, free and fun place to go in our vicinity. Library Director Terry Sennett is to be applauded for bringing a vast variety of programming to our town's people. Free movies, children's camp and programming, musical entertainment and discussion groups are all just a fraction of the offerings at the library. For the library to continue to grow and be able to offer our library employees decent wages, we are asking he public to support our quest for sustainable funding through the state's 414 statute vote. This would allow the library to be financially stable as well as continue operating at its current level.
Alyssa Kogon
Board of Trustees
Clinton Community Library
http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/06/01/editorial3.html
"Save the Library, Save the Planet" by Roger Valdez [Sightline Daily 4/9/09]
http://rss.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2009/04/09/saving-your-local-library-might-help-save-money-and-the-planet
"Save Money Using Your Public Library's Resources" [Charlotte Small Business Examiner 4/17/09]
http://www.examiner.com/x-6454-Charlotte-Small-Business-Examiner~y2009m4d17-Save-money-using-your-public-librarys-resources
"Save Money By Using Your Local Library" [Free Money Finance April 2008]
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2008/04/save-money-by-u.html
"How to Save Money By Going to the Library" by Brooke Lorren [Associated Content 1/30/09]
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1412997/how_to_save_money_by_going_to_the_library.html
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From Clinton's own Sandy Thompson (thompson@vassar.edu)...[get over to Lib. this week and sign!]...
[scroll down a bit to see great Aug. 19th letter to the editor in Poughkeepsie Journal from Alyssa Kogon too]
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:13:54 -0400
Subject: CHAPTER 414 LIBRARY INITIATIVE
Below is some information that should help members of the Clinton Community understand more about the Chapter 414 Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Sandy
Alexander M. Thompson III, PhD
Professor of Economics
Vassar College Box 400
124 Raymond Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0400
845-214-0001
thompson@vassar.edu
###########################################
CLINTON COMMUNITY LIBRARY SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE
The Clinton Community Library Board of Trustees is currently collecting signatures for a petition to place the Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative on the ballot this coming November. You can sign this petition at the Clinton Community Library between now and Saturday, September 5 during Library hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00AM - 5:30PM
Friday: 12:00PM - 8:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Sunday: closed
The Clinton Community Library is in the Town of Clinton building, located less than 1/4 mile north of Schultzville on Centre Road.
This Library Sustainability Initiative will allow your library to maintain its level of services to our community. Without this initiative, unwelcome compromises will need to be made, such as restricted hours of operation, reduced new book and DVD acquisitions, or termination of other services to the community. The Library Sustainability Initiative will also provide needed budgetary stability to enable effective long term planning for the future of your Clinton Community Library.
Services currently available from the Clinton Community Library include not only the traditional free availability of books and DVDs to the members of our community, but also include, for example:
Borrowing privileges from all libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System (66 libraries in all!), with free delivery to the Clinton Community Library.
Free remote Internet access to browsing, borrowing and many other resources at: http://clinton.lib.ny.us/
Free in-library use of computers for adults and children for Internet browsing, email, word processing, games, etc.
Summer camps for boys and girls
Free monthly Family Film Nights
Free Adult Computer Classes
Established clubs for reading, poetry, knitting and spinning
Free concerts on the Library lawn
Free remote Internet access to College preparatory and many other academic resources
Free remote Internet access to Consumer Reports
Free remote Internet access to Chilton Auto and Truck Repair manuals
Free remote Internet language lessons for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Greek, Chinese and Japanese, plus English as a Second Language
Several Special Events for the Clinton Community every year
For a further descriptions of these and many other available resources provided by your Clinton Community Library, please log on to: http://clinton.lib.ny.us/
Above all, the Clinton Community Library is very fortunate to have an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable Director and Staff who are all eager to support and expand your use of our Library’s many resources.
These several services provided to Town of Clinton residents by your Community Library have grown dramatically in the past several years. For example, over the past year:
Early literacy attendance more than doubled
Adult circulation increased 37%
Children's circulation grew 26%
Total materials borrowed increased 47%
Library computer use grew 55%
Total Library visits nearly doubled
Interlibrary loans of books and DVDs have expanded 45%
Should the voters of Clinton approve the Library Sustainability Initiative in November, then the line item for the Clinton Community Library will be set in the town budget to equal our current budgetary needs. It will not establish a new, separate tax district for the Clinton Community Library. Furthermore, the library line item in the town budget cannot be increased in the future without town voters approving an entirely new referendum.
The impact of the Clinton Community Library Sustainability Initiative on your taxes depends upon the overall town budget. The maximum impact is that your January tax bill might rise slightly, about 1%. Thus, if your January tax bill was $1000 this year, had the Library Sustainability Initiative been in place for 2009, your overall taxes would have risen by at most $11, less than the cost of one book or DVD that you could have borrowed for free from your Clinton Community Library. Your taxes would increase even less, or perhaps not at all, if the Town Board decides to allocate existing town revenues to the Clinton Community Library in 2010.
The Trustees of the Clinton Community Library are very grateful for your continuing support, and cordially invite you to contact them with any questions you may have regarding the Library Sustainability Initiative. We also welcome any suggestions you may have for the future direction of your library.
Pat Cortese, President
plcortese@optonline.net
Chris DiFrancesco, Treasurer
chrisdifrancesco@yahoo.com
Alyssa Kogon
flnyqt2@aol.com
Judy Malstrom
mummink@earthlink.net
Katherine Mustello
kmustello@optonline.net
Sandy Thompson, Secretary
thompson@vassar.edu
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Recall as well this Aug. 19th letter to the editor in the Poughkeepsie Journal from Alyssa Kogon...
Vote Will Give Library Financial Stability
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20090819/OPINION02/908190304/Letters-to-the-editor---8/19
I am writing to you regarding the upcoming funding vote on the Clinton Community Library.
As a board member of the library, I know what an incredibly valuable resource it is to our small town. In many ways, the library is the only social, intellectual, free and fun place to go in our vicinity. Library Director Terry Sennett is to be applauded for bringing a vast variety of programming to our town's people. Free movies, children's camp and programming, musical entertainment and discussion groups are all just a fraction of the offerings at the library. For the library to continue to grow and be able to offer our library employees decent wages, we are asking he public to support our quest for sustainable funding through the state's 414 statute vote. This would allow the library to be financially stable as well as continue operating at its current level.
Alyssa Kogon
Board of Trustees
Clinton Community Library
Save No Child Left Inside in Dutchess!...
Hi all...
On Tuesday morning (Aug. 25th) I participated in tour with other county legislators like Margaret Fettes and Jim Doxsey of the great work that Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County (CCEDC) and 4-H do at the Dutchess County Fair and beyond...
During the tour I learned that the three-year $75,000 grant from Cornell University for the wonderful No Child Left Inside program that CCEDC has been running is over at the end of this year-- and indications have not been positive from DEC lately that this program's funding could be picked up by them; the great NCLI students bittersweetly informed county legislators like myself at the tour this morning that "this is our last year" because the three-year grant is over(!)...
No Child Left Inside is an incredibly valuable program that would cost the taxpayers of Dutchess County only an extra $25,000 annually (out of a $400 million yearly county budget)-- so sign on to this brand-new petition if you agree:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI !
[note-- thx much to Rhinebeck's Joel and Kate Kopp for signin' on to this already; join 'em!]
Send a letter to all 25 of us in our County Legislature at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us too folks...
[would be crime and obscenity if we can't save NCLI; we should all hang our heads low]
CCEDC's No Child Left Inside program has consistently done great work with spring, summer, and fall afterschool programs with environmental games and activities at schools like Krieger Elementary and places like the Catherine Street Community Center-- five youth getting paid three to five hours a week-- who end up educating over five hundred other youth (with an adult staff supervising paid part-time as well)...
For example, Tuesday morning at the Fair exhibit booth they were manning, the inner-city NCLI kids had on display aquatic worms, crayfish, stoneflies, water pennies, waterstriders, caddisflies, hellgrammites, dobsonflies, mayflies, dragonflies, and midges-- and spoke knowledgeably about the health of streams and watersheds can be gauged by how populated streams are by these creatures...
[see: http://www.bgsd.k12.wa.us/hml/jr_cam/macros/docs/macro_ID.pps
It's not just kids in sports who stay out of courts-- kids who study streams follow their dreams!...(heh)...
One more time-- sign on to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI -- pass it on...
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
p.s. Calls to Congress at (800) 828-0498 and Albany at (877) 255-9417 don't hurt either!...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From the flyer itself about Dutchess NCLI program distributed this week at the Fair:
"Current Projects:
-- Training teen leaders about environmental and water issues through Project WET, DEC Hudson River Snapshot Day, CCEDC + 4-H programs
-- Taking youth on regular hikes and wilderness trips to experience nature; participate in sails on the Clearwater Sloop
-- Participating in hands-on projects with watershed groups and with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (Eel Monitoring Project)
-- Working with local school districts to provide ecology school field trips, and pilot ecology after-school enrichment programs (Krieger and Violet Avenue Schools)
-- Educating adults and the public about NCLI programs through public presentations, and improving public speaking through 4-H presentations
The mission of NCLI is to train teens to be environmental leaders, and work with them to teach their peers and younger youth about the environment, and raise awarness in their community.
Collaborating organizations working together to make NCLI happen include:
-- Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Program and 4-H Programs
-- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
-- Cornell University
-- DEC/Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
-- Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
-- Hyde Park School District
-- Poughkeepsie School District
With funding from a grant from Cornell University, staff from the CCEDC Environment and 4-H Programs work with teens from Poughkeepsie High School to provide them opportunities to get outdoors and learn about their environment. The teen environmental leaders undertake hands-on activities with local watershed and environmental organizations. Teen environmental leaders then teach younger children from area schools about their environment and how to protect it.
Key Ecology Concepts:
-- Watersheds and Water Quality
-- Streams, Hydrology, and Wetlands
-- Biodiversity and Critical Species
-- Outdoor Education and Wilderness
-- Climate Change and Conservation
-- Thinking Globally/Acting Locally
-- Youth Teaching Youth"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On that note-- this from http://www.ecostudies.org/ecofocus_2009-02-01.html ...
"No Child Left Inside"
by Kim Notin, Cornelia Harris, and Alan Berkowitz
[Kim Notin and Cornelia Harris are educators at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook; Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz heads the Cary Institute's education program.]
This column originally appeared in the February 1, 2009 issue of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
What if our children could recognize the birds, plants and insects in their backyards as well as they know the brands of shoes on their feet or the secret weapons they need to get to the next level in a video game? When is the last time you saw a child climb a tree, build an outdoor fort or keep a nature journal? If you have seen such a rare event, you and that child are lucky.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, most kids under 6 spend about two hours a day in front of a screen. Kids and teens 8 to 18 spend nearly eight hours a day watching TV, doing non-academic work on a computer, or playing video games. As ecology educators, we ask ourselves, "If the sounds, sights, textures, and smells of nature no longer excite the senses of children, how will they come to value the living environment?"
In addition to replacing outdoor play with indoor screen time, most children have fewer opportunities for outdoor study at school. Many elementary school teachers are forced to spend less time teaching science, including nature studies, so they can focus on math and English language arts. These are the skills measured in the tests federally mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools are under intense pressure to increase student performance.
Positive Impact Multifaceted
Unfortunately, this comes at a cost that goes beyond a diminishing understanding of the natural world. Research studies have shown that, in addition to increasing people's positive attitude toward the environment, meaningful time spent outdoors can have a positive effect on self-esteem, attention spans, short-term memory, and cooperation and conflict resolution skills. It can also reduce childhood obesity and the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Our desire to "feel connected" to each other is validated through Facebook and Second Life, but these virtual communities likely do not provide the benefits of time outdoors.
In recognition of the benefits of outdoor studies, a coalition of concerned citizens has crafted an amendment to the highly contested No Child Left Behind Act - the No Child Left Inside Act. This act, which has passed the House and will be presented to the Senate this year, will ensure that environmental education is incorporated in all core subject areas in schools. The act also mandates environmental education training for teachers and provides incentives for states to increase their students' environmental literacy.
We place our children in front of screens so they will be better prepared for a technology-pumped society. A complete disconnect from the virtual world is impossible and undesirable, but there must be a way to strike a balance.
All students would benefit from creative outdoor play, such as a stroll along the shores of the Hudson, inquiry of their schoolyard ecosystems, or a hike in the woods. Adults would benefit from outdoor time, too. Yet, our priorities often place the virtual world above the real world.
So what can we do? Call your senator and ask them to support the No Child Left Inside Act.
At home, try practicing the new Secular Sabbath, by unplugging everything one day a week. Suddenly, there is time for a walk in the park, a picnic, or a conversation with neighbors. In this extra time, you can also go to public events and educational programs held at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and other like-minded organizations.
Turn Off The Gadgets
You are likely reading this on a Sunday morning. So here is our advice: Finish your paper, turn off the phones, the computers and anything else that beeps for your attention - and go outside. Take a deep breath and look around. Find tracks in the snow. Hunt down the best icicle in your neighborhood. Try observing birds and figuring out what they are eating in the middle of winter. Or just grab a sled and have some fun. Repeat, at least once a week.
On Tuesday morning (Aug. 25th) I participated in tour with other county legislators like Margaret Fettes and Jim Doxsey of the great work that Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County (CCEDC) and 4-H do at the Dutchess County Fair and beyond...
During the tour I learned that the three-year $75,000 grant from Cornell University for the wonderful No Child Left Inside program that CCEDC has been running is over at the end of this year-- and indications have not been positive from DEC lately that this program's funding could be picked up by them; the great NCLI students bittersweetly informed county legislators like myself at the tour this morning that "this is our last year" because the three-year grant is over(!)...
No Child Left Inside is an incredibly valuable program that would cost the taxpayers of Dutchess County only an extra $25,000 annually (out of a $400 million yearly county budget)-- so sign on to this brand-new petition if you agree:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI !
[note-- thx much to Rhinebeck's Joel and Kate Kopp for signin' on to this already; join 'em!]
Send a letter to all 25 of us in our County Legislature at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us too folks...
[would be crime and obscenity if we can't save NCLI; we should all hang our heads low]
CCEDC's No Child Left Inside program has consistently done great work with spring, summer, and fall afterschool programs with environmental games and activities at schools like Krieger Elementary and places like the Catherine Street Community Center-- five youth getting paid three to five hours a week-- who end up educating over five hundred other youth (with an adult staff supervising paid part-time as well)...
For example, Tuesday morning at the Fair exhibit booth they were manning, the inner-city NCLI kids had on display aquatic worms, crayfish, stoneflies, water pennies, waterstriders, caddisflies, hellgrammites, dobsonflies, mayflies, dragonflies, and midges-- and spoke knowledgeably about the health of streams and watersheds can be gauged by how populated streams are by these creatures...
[see: http://www.bgsd.k12.wa.us/hml/jr_cam/macros/docs/macro_ID.pps
It's not just kids in sports who stay out of courts-- kids who study streams follow their dreams!...(heh)...
One more time-- sign on to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SaveNCLI -- pass it on...
Joel
489-5479/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net
p.s. Calls to Congress at (800) 828-0498 and Albany at (877) 255-9417 don't hurt either!...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From the flyer itself about Dutchess NCLI program distributed this week at the Fair:
"Current Projects:
-- Training teen leaders about environmental and water issues through Project WET, DEC Hudson River Snapshot Day, CCEDC + 4-H programs
-- Taking youth on regular hikes and wilderness trips to experience nature; participate in sails on the Clearwater Sloop
-- Participating in hands-on projects with watershed groups and with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve (Eel Monitoring Project)
-- Working with local school districts to provide ecology school field trips, and pilot ecology after-school enrichment programs (Krieger and Violet Avenue Schools)
-- Educating adults and the public about NCLI programs through public presentations, and improving public speaking through 4-H presentations
The mission of NCLI is to train teens to be environmental leaders, and work with them to teach their peers and younger youth about the environment, and raise awarness in their community.
Collaborating organizations working together to make NCLI happen include:
-- Cornell Cooperative Extension Environmental Program and 4-H Programs
-- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
-- Cornell University
-- DEC/Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
-- Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
-- Hyde Park School District
-- Poughkeepsie School District
With funding from a grant from Cornell University, staff from the CCEDC Environment and 4-H Programs work with teens from Poughkeepsie High School to provide them opportunities to get outdoors and learn about their environment. The teen environmental leaders undertake hands-on activities with local watershed and environmental organizations. Teen environmental leaders then teach younger children from area schools about their environment and how to protect it.
Key Ecology Concepts:
-- Watersheds and Water Quality
-- Streams, Hydrology, and Wetlands
-- Biodiversity and Critical Species
-- Outdoor Education and Wilderness
-- Climate Change and Conservation
-- Thinking Globally/Acting Locally
-- Youth Teaching Youth"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
On that note-- this from http://www.ecostudies.org/ecofocus_2009-02-01.html ...
"No Child Left Inside"
by Kim Notin, Cornelia Harris, and Alan Berkowitz
[Kim Notin and Cornelia Harris are educators at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook; Dr. Alan R. Berkowitz heads the Cary Institute's education program.]
This column originally appeared in the February 1, 2009 issue of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
What if our children could recognize the birds, plants and insects in their backyards as well as they know the brands of shoes on their feet or the secret weapons they need to get to the next level in a video game? When is the last time you saw a child climb a tree, build an outdoor fort or keep a nature journal? If you have seen such a rare event, you and that child are lucky.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, most kids under 6 spend about two hours a day in front of a screen. Kids and teens 8 to 18 spend nearly eight hours a day watching TV, doing non-academic work on a computer, or playing video games. As ecology educators, we ask ourselves, "If the sounds, sights, textures, and smells of nature no longer excite the senses of children, how will they come to value the living environment?"
In addition to replacing outdoor play with indoor screen time, most children have fewer opportunities for outdoor study at school. Many elementary school teachers are forced to spend less time teaching science, including nature studies, so they can focus on math and English language arts. These are the skills measured in the tests federally mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools are under intense pressure to increase student performance.
Positive Impact Multifaceted
Unfortunately, this comes at a cost that goes beyond a diminishing understanding of the natural world. Research studies have shown that, in addition to increasing people's positive attitude toward the environment, meaningful time spent outdoors can have a positive effect on self-esteem, attention spans, short-term memory, and cooperation and conflict resolution skills. It can also reduce childhood obesity and the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Our desire to "feel connected" to each other is validated through Facebook and Second Life, but these virtual communities likely do not provide the benefits of time outdoors.
In recognition of the benefits of outdoor studies, a coalition of concerned citizens has crafted an amendment to the highly contested No Child Left Behind Act - the No Child Left Inside Act. This act, which has passed the House and will be presented to the Senate this year, will ensure that environmental education is incorporated in all core subject areas in schools. The act also mandates environmental education training for teachers and provides incentives for states to increase their students' environmental literacy.
We place our children in front of screens so they will be better prepared for a technology-pumped society. A complete disconnect from the virtual world is impossible and undesirable, but there must be a way to strike a balance.
All students would benefit from creative outdoor play, such as a stroll along the shores of the Hudson, inquiry of their schoolyard ecosystems, or a hike in the woods. Adults would benefit from outdoor time, too. Yet, our priorities often place the virtual world above the real world.
So what can we do? Call your senator and ask them to support the No Child Left Inside Act.
At home, try practicing the new Secular Sabbath, by unplugging everything one day a week. Suddenly, there is time for a walk in the park, a picnic, or a conversation with neighbors. In this extra time, you can also go to public events and educational programs held at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and other like-minded organizations.
Turn Off The Gadgets
You are likely reading this on a Sunday morning. So here is our advice: Finish your paper, turn off the phones, the computers and anything else that beeps for your attention - and go outside. Take a deep breath and look around. Find tracks in the snow. Hunt down the best icicle in your neighborhood. Try observing birds and figuring out what they are eating in the middle of winter. Or just grab a sled and have some fun. Repeat, at least once a week.
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