Thursday, June 24, 2010

43rd post at the Pure Reform Blog

"When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer."
Bank on it.

I wrote and posted in a thread at the PURE Reform Blog about school choice within Pgh Public Schools so as to make ALL of our high schools magnet schools so as to end all feeder patterns for high schools in the city.

Here is the whole post, placed here, slightly out of context. Sorry about that.




When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer.

Same too with "open enrollment."

It is CRAZY to say that the rich will get richer with choice among schools in PPS. CRAZY.

Presently, there is very little balance. Balance isn't the goal anyway. Fight for balance and then find all at the bottom.

BTW, the real rich (as a class) are not in PPS at all.

With this plan, (well, there isn't much to point to in "THIS PLAN" other than to say the end of all feeder patterns for high school students in PPS) ALL the KIDSs are put into good schools. NOBODY will go to crappy schools. Now plenty are forced to go to bad schools and with choice, the bad schools will need to do a better job -- or else die.

There will NOT be a large group of parents who choose to send their kids to NO SCHOOL -- for whatever the reason. Think again.

The REAL nasty cycle that is very hard to end is FORCE. We end force with CHOICE. We end slavery with freedom.

BTW, we do do single race schools in USA -- its often found in suburbia. The dangerous territory is silly talk that makes little sense.

Noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable

A Post-Gazette news article featured expert quotes from Catherine, my wife.
Noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable

Hearing loss has little to do with the source of the sound and everything to do with the dosage, or the level of the sound and the amount of time spent listening to it, said Catherine Palmer, audiologist and director of UPMC's Center for Audiology and Hearing Aids. MP3 players don't cause hearing loss, and it's not any more dangerous to listen to music from an iPod than it is to listen to music from a stereo or car
speakers, experts said.

'Sound is sound. The ear doesn't care how it got there,' Dr. Palmer explained.

The problem with MP3 players comes when people listen to them for too long at levels that are too high.
The greater the exposure, the greater the chance of hearing loss because it builds up over time, Dr. Palmer said."

Have you checked out the Mount Vernon Statement yet?

New Page 1 THE MOUNT VERNON STATEMENT
CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATISM: A STATEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding. Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government based on the rule of law. They sought to secure national independence, provide for economic opportunity, establish true religious liberty and maintain a flourishing society of republican self-government.
These principles define us as a country and inspire us as a people. They are responsible for a prosperous, just nation unlike any other in the world. They are our highest achievements, serving not only as powerful beacons to all who strive for freedom and seek self-government, but as warnings to tyrants and despots everywhere.

New Meetup: Tsunami planned after golfers depart Oakmont

From: Mike Cornell <cornells@zoominternet.net>
Sender: kayaking-129-announce@meetup.com
Announcing a new Meetup for Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers)!

What: Tsunami!

When: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 9:00 AM

Where: Allegheny River, Harmarville

What happens when a huge bridge falls 100' into a river? Tsunami! Gather up your nerve and your sense of adventure for an all-new way to experience a dynamite-packed implosion. Tuesday July 13, the the old PA Turnpike bridge at Harmarville will drop into the Allegheny River like a sack of potatoes, and we'll be there, bobbing on the water, 1000' away, watching it go down!

Bring food and drink, noisemakers, video cameras, marine radios & police scanners, flags, crazy hats, Frisbees & beach balls; it's a goofy event, so come prepared!

We'll launch from Oakmont or Harmarville, no more than a mile away, and then hang out on the river, waiting for the big moment. When will that moment be? I don't know yet, but I assume that the Turnpike will be closed during the implosion, and all Turnpike closures are publicized in advance. Probably mid-day; for safety, they wouldn't do it at night, and they'll probably avoid rush hours. I'll update the listing as I get more information.

Thrills! Spills! Mayhem! Destruction! Isn't THAT worth a day off work?

Learn more here:
http://www.meetup.com/kayaking-129/calendar/13894387/

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Heart Health in PA

American Heart Assn sent this. I've got a reply at the end.
Urge the PA Senate to bring House Bill 816 up for a vote in Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee!
Dear Mark,

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Pennsylvania, killing more people than the next five leading causes of death combined. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and is the leading disabler among adults. Beyond the toll in suffering and death, these two diseases place a tremendous burden our health care system. And yet, Pennsylvania invests ZERO resources to the prevention and treatment of these diseases!

Urge the Senate to take the next steps to support heart health!

The good news is there is a solution to significantly reduce the impact of these diseases through House Bill 816. House Bill 816 would lay the foundation to expand the Heart Disease and Stroke Program at the state level when implementation funds become available. The bill was voted out of the House unanimously in March, but has yet to see movement in the Senate!

Urge the Pennsylvania Senate to bring this bill up for a vote in the Public Health and Welfare Committee to keep the bill moving!

Thank YOU for all you do to help improve the heart health of Pennsylvania!

Jennifer Ebersole, PA Advocacy Director
American Heart Association

Melissa Brown, Grassroots Director
American Heart Association
Isn't an investment into Physical Education in schools count for SOME spending heart health?

Death generally means that one's heart stops beating. Not always, but often. So, it isn't a real shocker (PUN) that failure of heart beating is a leading cause of death.

We need to do plenty more for fitness in PA, of course. Now I'll go find the bill.

Oversight board balks at funding parking study

Oversight board balks at funding parking study

The OVERLORDS speak! Quick, check for a pulse.

Don't pay $250,000 for a study. That's like paying someone to do your homework. How about if members and staffers of city council do their own homework and only took a paycheck for doing their job -- and NOT paying the consultants a nickle.

Canada-based earthquake felt here

Canada-based earthquake felt here: "An earthquake centered in Canada could be felt by some people in the Pittsburgh area this afternoon.
Reports of buildings shaking came from Carlow University in Oakland and from the South Side."
I felt it. No doubt. Felt like the boards on the floor were moving as a football team marched in the next room. No noise, but the gentle wobble of the floor. I was checking my voice mail.

Nobody cares. Now back to your regular World Cup Victory Party Celebration. Cheers and here is to your face paint gets a touch-up soon!

South Africa may bid on Summer Olympic Games

Rogge plans to discuss possible SAfrican bid with President

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- IOC president Jacques Rogge will discuss the possibility of a South African bid for the Olympics when he meets with South African President Jacob Zuma next month.

Read the full story at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/06/23/south.african.olympics.ap/index.html

Fw: Big Phone. Big Cable. Same $ellout.

From: "Josh Silver, FreePress.net" <info@freepress.net>


SavetheInternet.com

The Wall Street Journal just revealed that the FCC has been convening secret backroom meetings with phone and cable lobbyists to cut a deal on Net Neutrality.
The closed-door meetings have included a small group of lobbyists from AT&T, Verizon and Google. The goal, according to insiders, is to "reach consensus" on rules of the road for the Internet.
This is outrageous. The FCC can’t ignore the public's demand for Net Neutrality and then quietly give control over the Internet to a few massive corporations.
President Obama pledged to "take a back seat to no one" in his support for Net Neutrality. To head the FCC, he appointed Julius Genachowski, the man who crafted his pro-Net Neutrality platform in 2008.
But even after millions of people joined Obama’s call for Net Neutrality, FCC staff is huddling with industry lobbyists in secret to cut a deal that could leave the free and open Internet in jeopardy.
This plot is all too familiar. We've seen it before, during the BP oil disaster and the subprime mortgage meltdown, when government officials put the interests of big business ahead of those of the public.
Now, the same thing is happening to the Internet. We can’t let the one agency tasked with oversight of communications strike secret deals that undermine Net Neutrality.
Sign our letter to President Obama and the FCC to end the secret meetings and guarantee that the public -- including the tens of millions of Americans who use the Internet every day and in every way -- is given a seat at the table.
Thank you,

Josh Silver
President and CEO
Free Press
http://www.savetheinternet.com/
http://www.freepress.net/
P.S. Be sure to sign the letter to Obama and the FCC. Then forward this e-mail to your friends in Pennsylvania and share the action via Twitter.
P.S.S. Check out our full-page ad protesting the secret meetings, which ran in today’s Washington Post.

Fw: College Opportunity for students ages 17-20 with a high school diploma or GED

From: Jacqueline Lyde

Dear Friends,
Do you know someone between the ages of 17-20 years old with a high school diploma or GED in Pittsburgh, PA who would like to go to college or could benefit to going to college.  If so please contact Donielle Owen (donielleowen@aol.com) and/or Deborah Hayes (dhayes@cubm.org) at the the Center for Urban Biblical Ministries.  There are approximately 10 spots available for interested students.  The program starts on July 6th so contact them today!
Please share this information with other groups and organizations for which you are affiliated.
Thank you for your assistance.
God Bless,
Jackie Lyde

Minister Jacqueline Elisa Lyde, M.Div.
Associate Minister and First Lady
Baptist Temple Church
7241 Race Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
(412) 241-1624 - church
I invite you to visit Baptist Temple Church for our Sunday Worship Services at 7:45am and 10:45am!   It is my hope that you will visit with us soon.

Public talk on bikes today at Point Park

Allegheny County will be looking at ways to enhance people powered transportation opportunities over the coming months.

Here's the information you need to participate: If you live, work, study or play in Allegheny County – or even just pass through the County, we encourage you to use your local knowledge to help us make the County a more accommodating place for pedestrians, cyclists, skaters and others.

See links below for more information. 

Allegheny County has partnered with PennDOT's Bureau of Public Transportation to develop a comprehensive active transportation plan. The primary objective of the "Active Allegheny" Plan is to accommodate and encourage walking and biking as an integral part, and common means, of getting around Allegheny County.

To receive input from the public, the following public meetings will be held in open house format: 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:30—7:30 pm Point Park University Ballroom 201 Wood St., Pittsburgh, PA 

Thursday, June 24, 2010 4:30—7:30 pm Carnegie Borough Building One Veterans Way, Carnegie, PA

http://www.activeallegheny.com/ http://bike-pgh.org/2010/06/your-input-is-needed-for-the-countys-active-allegheny-plan/ 
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Public Schools' parents wary of realignment when Peabody closes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Public Schools' parents wary of realignment when Peabody closes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Kelly Howze is worried about how her sons will be affected by the Pittsburgh Public Schools' proposed reconfiguration of East End schools.
'We are strictly opposed to it. I don't think our children would survive in Westinghouse,' said Howze, 30, the outgoing president of the Lincoln K-8 parent-teacher organization.
The plan, presented to the school board yesterday, would relocate Pittsburgh Peabody students to Westinghouse High School or Milliones. Milliones, which houses the university preparatory magnet, is a 6-12 school."

My plan would 'fix' this objection. Do not force the kids to go anywhere. Allow the students and families to choose where to attend.

If space is limited in the other schools -- then performance requirements might be necessary too.

If you don't do your homework at Allderdice, and there is a waiting list, then you'll be asked to leave to make room for students who are going to do their assignements.

If you want to get into a popular school and have missed 20 days of school in the 8th grade -- forget it. That school may not need to take you.

One of her sons is a sophomore at Peabody and the other is in seventh grade at Lincoln K-8. "I think it should have been thought out a little better when they forced us into K-8, and now they're turning around in less than five years (and) forcing us into another transition."

People do not like to be 'forced.' People don't like to be yanked around. And, when they see that happen to others, they vote with their feet. They depart. They leave the city. Or, they stay in the city and go to charter or private schools. Or, they don't move into the city.

If we had a new attitude of closing schools only over time and of giving all kids a choice of where to go to school -- the new pittsburgh pledge -- then we'd have hope of seeing more people keep their students within the PPS -- and even some to move here as well.

Some kids at Pittsburgh Obama, headed into grade 11 for the fall of 2010, will have attended three high schools (buildings) in their four years of high school. That's yank, yank, yank. That's reactionary. That's unpleasant.

So, the move to Peabody could occur in the fall of 2012 for their benefit.

And, end feeder patterns.

And, don't allow kids to enter Peabody as 9th graders in the fall of 2010 -- as they'll be another 'lost class.' Phase out the school starting as soon as possible.

End all FEEDER Patterns for High School Students in Pittsburgh

The PPS does not need feeder patterns any more. Let the kids and the families choose the school of their choice, as space permits.
City school board discusses high school reorganization: "Sherry Hazuda echoed Mr. Sumpter's sentiments as she proposed that the board consider extending open enrollment to all schools, which would allow students from any part of the city to attend any school in the city, if they meet the admission requirements."

Monday, June 21, 2010

Fw: [kayaking-129] Call for safety boaters - 2010 Search for Monongy1.2 & 2.4-Mile Open Water Swim

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From: Mike Cornell <cornells@zoominternet.net>
Sender: kayaking-129-announce@meetup.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:28:38 -0400
To: <kayaking-129-announce@meetup.com>
Subject: [kayaking-129] Call for safety boaters - 2010 Search for Monongy 1.2 & 2.4-Mile Open Water Swim

Event: Call for safety boaters - 2010 Search for Monongy 1.2 & 2.4-Mile Open Water Swim
Date: Sunday July 11, 2010 9:00 AM
Location: Heinz Quay (North Shore @ Heinz Field)


OK 'yackers, time to put your paddling skills to work! Our Meetup group is going support an endurance swimming event - the 2010 Search for Monongy 1.2 & 2.4-Mile Open Water Swim. It's put on by the U.S. Masters Swimmers (USMS) Allegheny Mountain Masters chapter here in Pittsburgh. The course runs between Heinz Field and the Clemente Bridge on the Allegheny River. We will be part of the safety crew, monitoring the swimmers, keeping them from going off-course and calling in help if one of them has a problem.

No special skills or gear are required. All you need is your kayak, PFD, paddle, and basic paddling skills. We will meet at Heinz Quay, the same place as we launched for Paddle at the Point. Please arrive at 9:00 AM. This will give us time to stage our gear, and then meet with the safety coordinator for instructions. Swimmers start warming up at 10:00, and the first swimmers are off at 11:00. The last swimmers will be off the water by 1:30. There may be special perks for the safety boaters, details to follow.

I'm an endurance runner. I really appreciate all of the selfless volunteers that come out to support the trail races that I compete in. So I know how much YOU will be appreciated if you can help out for this event.

By the way, what is "Monongy"? Legend has it that Monongy, the man-fish lives in the river. There are records that go as far back as the French and Indian War that describe encounters between British soldiers and strange aquatic creatures. The local Indian tribes referred to this creature as "Monongy". There was even a Monongy craze in the early 1930's through the late 1950's. Sightings occurred on a weekly basis and the police department created a task force whose sole purpose was to investigate sightings of the creature. No evidence was ever produced to lend credence to the claims until May 12, 2003 when a privately owned fishing vessel was the first to take photos of the creature. The photos were available on line for a short time until they were inexplicably taken down. Speculation persists that the government has procured the photographs and are covering up the existence of Monongy. Crypto zoologists from around the world still frequent the Monongahela every year to catch a glimpse of the elusive water beast.

This Meetup listing will be updated as more details come available. I expect our group to have a big turnout, and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Hope to see many of you there!

For the full listing, see http://www.meetup.com/kayaking-129/calendar/13870986/?from=list&offset=0




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This message was sent by Mike Cornell (cornells@zoominternet.net) from Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers).
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Meetup, PO Box 4668 #37895 New York, New York 10163-4668 | support@meetup.com

Fw: [Locals] Final questions?

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-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Clift <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:32:36
To: <locals@forums.e-democracy.org>
Reply-To: locals@forums.e-democracy.org
Subject: Re: [Locals] Final questions?

I'd definitely like to hear more experiences about online leading to
greater connections in-person. What works?!

This definitely happens across our network - particularly at the
neighborhood level-, but we really don't know if it is a once a month
rare occurrence or something we could design to make happen more
often. I often contemplate what the "Do Something" button might look
like or what tools we might offer/recommend for small groups to take a
discussion from the forum, get into a small online group, meet in
person or facilitate some lighter time effort mix of MeetingWizard
with FreeConference to make telephone group calls easier to promote
AND then importantly report back to the full forum on their progress,
need for larger group input.

Offline Connected Examples:

1. Community garden group launched from online discussion - interest
discovered online, people met offline many many times and reported
back online from time to time - See our recent webinar for story:
http://e-democracy.org/webinars

2. Powderhorn Park - Response to violence - No forum is better at
sharing written notes on public/neighborhood meetings. In response to
recent shooting and gang violence, folks used the forum to promote a
number of in-person gathering including some "Talking Circles":
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/post/1ushRoG1XfIk3iQo3MhHJp

3. Event recruitment - The Experimental College group used our Cedar
Riverside forum to recruit new participants:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/post/40hpcLeboYobvykSRA8qF4
They even included a Somali version of their announcement. Someone
with their confirmed with me directly that a handful of new people
came based on the forum posting.

4. Regular gatherings - For the first six months of the rural Cass
Lake Leech Lake forum they had monthly get togethers to chat local
issues and celebrate the birthdays of the month. They even had their
own inaugural ball fostered by the forum:
http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/189
This participant noted that because of the forum she was interacting
with more non-Native folks since moving to the reservation (this is a
major Native American area) over a decade ago:
http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/509

5. Park Design Input - We used my neighborhood forum to encourage
people to attend a planning meeting on a new splash pad. When no one
reported the highlights, someone who went did and I tracked down the
presentation:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/hVgJbedNeTPfdIHM9Hj7d

Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

Steven Clift
Ericsson, Minneapolis
Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/stevenclift

View all messages on this topic at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/4gTh5Ee97rHKs43s0Q6jTi
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Commonwealth Foundation - Lay Off the Private Sector with Public Sector Layoffs

Commonwealth Foundation - Lay Off the Private Sector with Public Sector Layoffs

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Plans for schools

Hi Mr. Roosevelt:

So, any update on getting our kids into our swim pool this summer?

My insight into the PPS changes for Monday news is:

Do open single gender high schools as distinct campuses and;

Westinghouse H S as an all city PUBLIC boys or girls school makes sense. And then use another building - such as Langley or Gladstone or Oliver or old Schenley or Reizenstein - as the school for the other gender.

Eliminate all feeder patterns for PPS high schools.

Do not force single gender public education nor prohibit other families from around the city to not have the option choose it as an alternative to Central Catholic / Oakland Catholic / Ellis. A forced single gender 6 - 12 is not ideal nor E4All-ish.


Mark Rauterkus

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Saturday, June 19, 2010

Fw: Taking Back Government, One Politician at a Time!

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From: "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:" <alerts@restoretherepublic.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:42:15 -0400
To: Mark Rauterkus<mark@rauterkus.com>
Subject: Taking Back Government, One Politician at a Time!

Taking Back Government, One Politician at a Time!
By Debbie Morgan, Staff Writer, Take Back Washington, June 14, 2010

debbie@bridgestonemediagroup.com  

The early demise of Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Arlin Spector, Utah Republican Senator Bob Bennett, the Kentucky victory of Rand Paul and the recently faced run-off of Blanche Lincoln cannot be better news to those of us seeking "change we can believe in."  Many other incumbents are facing increasingly difficult elections this year, as well.  While pundits and other "experts" try to explain what is happening during these ever-increasing rounds of status quo political blows, the people are quite pleased.  The obvious question to those in D.C. is "Can you hear us now!?!"

We-the-People, tired of waking up to more losses of liberty, never wanted this kind of  "change" and are sending a very loud message to the buddy network at the federal level...Protect our rights or get out of our House!  In a recent Washington Post/ABC Poll, only twenty-nine percent of Americans continue to support their present Congressional representatives.  That says a lot about how Americans feel they are being represented (or misrepresented!), as it is an all time low for incumbent support.  Bloomberg is reporting that a late-May Gallup poll shows that sixty percent of those polled would prefer a candidate that has never run before as opposed to the thirty-two percent of people who would like to see someone with at least some legislative experience.   

A Washington Post article states, "This sour mood has made for nervous politicians, as candidates from both parties have tried to figure out what voters want -- and don't want."  Really?  That means that our REPRESENTATIVES are still not listening!  In an effort to enlighten them, let us take a look at a few key things.  

First, what does representative mean?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority, constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election.  And to represent means to act in the place of or for usually by legal right, to serve especially in a legislative body by delegated authority usually resulting from election.  The first line of the United States Constitution tells representatives whom they will be representing: We-The-People.    

What incumbents need to know is that the people are fed up with their utter lack of representation.  These politicians do not get elected to go to Washington DC so THEY can decide what is best for us and then cram it down our throats.  Let me put it in plain English...Stop deciding for us and just go to DC and protect our rights!  THAT is what we elect and pay you to do!  Is that so hard to understand?   

We know our representatives actually do understand us.  The New York Times reported that Democrats are skipping Town Hall meetings this summer because their constituents are still fuming and they don't want another repeat of last year's devastating get-togethers.  Why would their constituents still be angry?  Because last year's Town Hall meetings saw irate voters livid over the Healthcare debate, and yet, our representatives passed the catastrophic healthcare legislation, anyway.  They can be absolutely sure that we remember their lack of concern for our views.  Now, is that representation?   

The article says that Democratic Party leaders had advised their members to hold "controlled" events, do not engage in unscripted Q&A-type meetings, and get active in the community.  The question for these Congressional representatives is, how are you going to know what the people you represent want you to do for them if you are not going to engage them in conversation?  While a handful of these elected officials said they thought the meetings last year were informative, they are not repeating their Town Hall meetings this year.

So, what happens now?  From the looks of it, the people may get some much-needed new representation in DC.  Incumbents are finding it harder and harder to hold on to their seats, as those who have had enough of their Congressmen and women's do-what-we-will attitude are stepping forth and getting involved.   

The new film, Don't Tread On Me, has become an invaluable tool to educate the masses as to the role government should play in our lives and the duties of our elected officials.  Our country's Founding documents are clear, yet our Congressional representatives continue to let us down.  Congress derives its power to govern from the people, not themselves.  Their duty is simple...Protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies...ALL enemies.  And, for those who may be unsure just who those enemies are, they would be any person or country who would deny us our unalienable right to life, liberty and our pursuit of happiness.  

Just to be sure we understand what we are talking about, let us take a look at a few other important terms.  Liberty, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary means "the quality or state of being free, the power to do as one pleases, freedom from arbitrary or despotic control and the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges."  The root of the word simply means free.  Life, in old English, comes from the word that means to live.  Pursuit means the act of pursuing, and to pursue means to engage in.  The obsolete definition of Happiness may be the most telling.  Happiness used to mean good fortune or prosperity.  The present meaning is still good for our purposes, though; the state of being content...well-being, to experience satisfaction or pleasure.

What does all of this tell us?  It tells us that our Founding Fathers wanted the inhabitants of this new country to have the inherent right to be free to live our life in good fortune and to be able to experience pleasure and satisfaction or enjoyment in our social, political, and economic rights and privileges...to be content in our free lives.  Simple enough!

We have all heard "Constitutional Experts" and others tell us that the Constitution, along with other founding documents, is unclear with regards to what our rights actually are.  We have heard it over and over again, it just says you have these "rights," these "inalienable rights," that cannot be taken, but they are not defined.  I beg to differ!  The Declaration of Independence clearly states that we are given certain unalienable rights.  What rights?  "That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  The Constitution says in the opening line that it's stated purpose is to "secure the Blessings of Liberty"...To whom?  "To ourselves and our posterity."  How much more clearly can this be made?  

Since our infamous Congressional representatives cannot understand it, how do we achieve this?  Our forefathers laid that out for us, as well...by limiting the central government and retaining as many rights as they could for the State governments and the individual people of the United States.  Where can we find this bit of information?  Don't Tread On Me poignantly points out that this most important information is listed in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights: most especially our Ninth and Tenth Amendment rights.   

I am not Ivy League educated (maybe that is the problem!), but I can tell you this; it took me a couple of afternoons of reading through some of the debates during the writing of the Bill of Rights to understand exactly what our country's framers had in mind for their fellow countrymen and women.  So what was that, exactly?  To have a section of the world's population who is actually free to be happy and pursue their own interests, unencumbered by government intrusion.  This bit of information coincides with the information in Don't Tread On Me, and has brought about a major shift in the consciousness of Americans who are frustrated with the utter lack of their Congressional representation.    

The people are getting it as they are beginning to understand what has gone wrong and what it will take to make our country great again.  They are forming new groups or joining others that have been around for a while.  The Campaign for Liberty, the TEA Party and Restore the Republic comes to mind.  They are getting involved with old groups, all in an effort to make a difference. They are paying attention to alternative news...they are waking up and getting involved!  

In the face of harsh criticism on the federal level, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has promoted legislation that will protect her state against the onslaught of illegal immigrants.  Citing that the Federal Government would do nothing to secure the Arizona/Mexican border, she took matters into her own hands and asserted her state's right to take care of itself.   

In Maine, the Republican Party, at the hands of many dedicated individuals, showed backbone this past May when they rewrote their political platform, returning their State Republican Party to it's Constitutional roots, with an emphasis on retaining its Tenth Amendment rights.  Montana and Tennessee were among the first states to tell the federal government that guns manufactured in their respective states, with parts manufactured in their respective states, and that do not cross state borders, are off limits to federal gun laws.  Many other states followed suit.

Many states, in fact, are seeing the benefit of asserting their Tenth Amendment right to govern in the manner to which they see fit, without federal strangleholds on the issues that their citizens find important. The Tenth Amendment Center reveals that several states are introducing or passing legislation to re-establish the Tenth Amendment on the state level.  From the Firearms debate to Medical Marijuana to Health Freedom to Real ID to Cap and Trade and anything in between, the states are taking charge.   

This election cycle is proving to be a very interesting one, as mainstream politicians are realizing that we do, indeed, want that illusive "change we can believe in" and that we were deadly serious during the Town Hall meetings back in 2009.  Politicians better start representing the people they serve or they will face a loss of their lucrative little political careers or, for the newcomers, they better represent the people who chose them or their political careers will be VERY short-lived.  Let it be known now that we, the people of the United States, will be watching every move you make, and if you plan on representing us, you had better know OUR Constitutional rights and protect them.  After all, that IS what we elect you to do!

End Notes:

Don't Tread On Me
http://www.DontTreadOnMeMovie.com/

Voters' support for members of Congress is at an all-time low, poll finds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060800016.html?wpisrc=nl_headline  

Lincoln Wins in Arkansas; Angle to Face Nevada's Reid
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_4ex_PG3sMM&pos=8  

All definitions are from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary  

Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/us/politics/07townhall.html?nl=us&emc=politicsemailema1  
Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html  

Platform of the Maine Republican Party
http://www.mainegop.com/PlatformMission.aspx  

Tenth Amendment Center
http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/
http://RestoreTheRepublic.com
3149 Dundee Rd #176
Northbrook, Illinois 60062, USA

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Fw: [Locals] Quality Online Engagement Brainstorm

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Clift <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:22:12
To: newswire<newswire@groups.dowire.org>; <locals@forums.e-democracy.org>
Subject: [Locals] Quality Online Engagement Brainstorm

Very useful list!


From: Susanna Haas Lyons to NCDD-DISCUSSION

Hi folks,

Last weekend at Vancouver Change Camp I hosted a session on what is
good quality online deliberation, inspired by the conversations we're
having here, the upcoming NCDD confab, and my ongoing work to explore
the use of digital engagement tools in public participation. (note, we
used engagement, deliberation and participation interchangeably while
also noting that they are very different things!)

Below are the bullet point notes from our session. Three top take aways:

* good quality online engagement has many of the same qualities of
face to face participation
* incorporate a tool to quantify degree of support (gradients) or
dislike to feed into ongoing participation and offline actions
* the question of anonymity, privacy, and legitimate public
representation are contentious and highly relevant to conveners and
participants (we had lots of discussion but nothing close to
resolution on this one!)

enjoy!
Susanna


http://vanchangecamp.wikispaces.com/

What is good online engagement?

* diversity of opinion and people
* star power, hook, reason to get involved
* ladders of engagement for people to be involved at different
time / commitment levels
* process is designed with end-product in mind; clear focus /
direction for the dialogue
* expectations are clear for how and why to participate, and what
to expect from reporting back / responses by conveners
* Designed technically and in structure for receiving / using input
* well organized, tagged entries to support easy navigation, avoid
duplications and facilitate building on each others' ideas
* set up for ongoing reporting and easy analysis at back end
* time to explore ideas before making decisions
* people feel heard
* good facilitation
* ground rules are clear
* value-add for participants, not just conveners
* collaborative
* low technical barriers to entry
* collaborative tone


How to improve online engagement?

* have tool to quantify degree of support (gradients) or dislike,
to measure feedback and feed into offline actions
* limit anonymity to certain levels of engagement (scale up based
on willingness to ID)
* need to protect privacy if want to identify contributor in some way
* need language that reflects people submitting ideas are not
usually those who are making decisions (dialogue, deliberation,
conversations?)
* use principles of adult learning
* geolocate attendees to ensure their voice should be counted as
reflective of community priorities
* have strategy to drive people to the dialogue
* have meaningful content
* be clear: what is your goal? Is it really dialogue?
* custom settings for privacy?
* Use software to collate input
* can't remove need for facilitator
* ensure the structure is iterative and responsive to the
dialogue, and allows branching
* people using forum should set boundaries for appropriate participation
* remember the digital divide – and that some people distrust govt

Tim Bonnemann Added:

Here's a couple of things I'd really like to explore further (maybe
starting with the upcoming Confab call):

* How can we enable participants to help with some of these
activities (e.g. outreach, learning, facilitation, content
synthesizing etc.)?
* How can we design online processes so as to better support the "low
commitment" participants?



Susanna Haas Lyons
Public Participation Consultant | AmericaSpeaks Network Associate
MA Candidate 2011, Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, UBC
Board Member, Canadian Community for Dialogue & Deliberation

susanna.haas.lyons@gmail.com
twitter.com/zannalyons


Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

Steven Clift
Ericsson, Minneapolis
Info about Steven Clift: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/stevenclift

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Arts festival spawns free-speech challenge

Arts festival spawns free-speech challenge: "After state rangers at Point State Park recently stopped two Green Party congressional candidates from soliciting petition signatures and twice told a balloon artist that he needed a permit, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote to the state claiming that it was violating First Amendment rights."