Comment Archives: stories: Columns & Blogs: Open Mic
Re: “Surveillance State”
>and the surveillance state are one and the same
You numskull, then what does that make China?
Re: “Surveillance State”
Now that Congress has been schooled in what's really going on at the NSA, maybe they'll get off their asses and do something. That is of course the congressional body is tech savvy enough to ask the right questions. From early reports, the crash course of Domestic Spying for Dummies conducted behind closed doors was enough to piss a few folks off. Thats a start!
Re: “Moving Forward”
To Reply to Ethan:
These are great questions, which are easily answered:
"Whats is the source of renewable energy?"
It depends on what they can negotiate, but will be at least 33% renewable, and could be as high as 100% renewable if you want pay whatever that 100% renewable rate will be. RECs will be used to supplement this -- renewable energy credits from clean energy projects around the country. These are the same credits PG&E likes to brag about using, except SCP will be using them as a bridge to local renewable energy.
"How are we promoting "Go Local" by purchasing energy from out of state multi-national companies… How are we decreasing our carbon footprint through supporting companies with some of highest reported negative environmental externalities?"
The BEST part about Sonoma Clean Power is that the ratepayer money over the years will be invested to both improve local energy efficiency and create local energy projects, which is way above and beyond what any other CCA is going on around the country. PG&E definitely doesn't do this.
These local energy projects will create:
Local jobs
Local energy security
A buffer between us and rising and falling prices of the energy market, which is HUGE.
Do a web search for FAQ and Sonoma Clean Power to find their pdf that addresses a lot of this stuff.
Re: “Moving Forward”
The questions being asked by the people remains the same.....
Whats is the source of renewable energy?
Only 1 out of the four companies generates renewable energy - NRG
How are we promoting "Go Local" by purchasing energy from out of state multi-national companies?
How are we decreasing our carbon footprint through supporting companies with some of highest reported negative enviromental externalities? How are we going to internalize these negative externalities?
Re: “Apples for Grapes”
really? is the an objective piece of journalism that really discusses the issues? Sad to see such biased reporting. How many schools in the county are surrounded by vineyards? What is the positive economic impact in the community? I rather have productive businesses paying local taxes (going towards EDUCATION), than abandoned properties full of drug addicts (we all know too well that our town unfortunately has many). People of Sebastopol, why are you always so against any positive change?
Re: “Rights Left Behind”
This Open Mike piece is shoddy, fact-challenged bloviating.
1. DHS did not "... search people's homes". The search was conducted by Watertown Police, Boston Police, and the FBI.
2. Nowhere does any reporting state that "some guy went out for a smoke". The accounts state a couple went outside for fresh air, when the husband discovered tarp lines had been cut.
3. Colleen McMahon did NOT rule that American citizens can be executed. She ruled narrowly in the Al-Awlaki case that the government could not be compelled to publish its justification for killing Al-Awlaki in Yemen.
4. Likewise, the Supreme Court has not ruled on domestic drone.
5. That "one terrorist for every 50 civilians" trope was from a single Pakistani 2009 report that had internal political motivation. Nowhere else has this claim been made, except in reports citing the original.
Myers is entitled to his OPINIONS, however baseless, but no amount of conspiracy paranoia entitles him to his own "facts".
Feh.
Re: “Road to Destruction”
Mr. Gabe,......No problem...Possibly, unemployable as an engineer, surveyor, archeologist, Teamster, Carpenter, PileButt, Rod-Buster, Mud pump operator, electrician, landscaper, hot plant
employee, shipper-dreyage, concrete column, "steel concrete forms" supplier, or Operating Engineer,.... Gabe?.....Writing must be nice, while depending upon shipping and infrastructure to feed, medicate, house, transport you...
Re: “Quantum Reap”
Beautifully worded Kris. If only we had of had that revolution by now! I believe it's still coming. Btw, WHERE ARE YOU???!!! Sylvana :o)
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
Speaking out is not the same thing as leadership. We elect people to Congress to be leaders. The elderly and other average folks who fret while trying to sleep over their future deserve a leader and a champion. They need to hear that Huffman is fighting for them. To do other is to validate the current movement of austerity falsely conncoted in the name of deficit crisis and to protect the bankers and fianciers from being penalized for collapsing the economy. Our elderly and our future generations should not have to pay for these mistakes. Raise the taxes on the elite wealth holders if you are truly worried about the solvency of these programs and are buying into the GOP drown government in the bathtub scenario. Carry the banner and get out in front and hold the line. DO SOMETHING! Don't shirk into the shadows.
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
Get a spine Mr. Huffman. We don't need more Jellyfish democrats in Congress. The Northcoast deserves better.
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
It’s one thing to say what you hope the president will do. It’s another thing to make a public commitment to what you will do.
The letter that Rep. Huffman has signed and that is on his website says what he hopes the president will do. Rep. Huffman has so far, refused to sign the Grayson-Takano letter. In that letter, the signers make a public commitment to what they will do - and that is, vote against any cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Rep. Alan Grayson signed the letter that Rep. Huffman signed AND he initiated the Grayson-Takano letter, promising to vote against any cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid benefits. Rep. Grayson explains why here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/03/06/gray…
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
Mr. Huffman shouldn't even be allowed in the same room with Norman Soloman. He is puff piece sold out to the democratic machinery so he can climb higher. He is a career politician. Alice Chan is being nice considering events. Because there were thirteen Democrats in the race and the elections standards had been changed Mr. Huffman never even had to make a single promise to his constituents so he is free to be a complete self-interested sell out to the party machinery.
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
"Truth Time"? Really? You're afraid to put your real name to this? At least Alice has the guts to sign her name.
Re: “Pledge of Dignity”
How disingenuous can Alice Chan possibly be? She knows Huffman HAS taken a firm and clear stand against these cuts, because it's a matter of public record that has been available on Huffman's website for almost two months. See http://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-huffman-on-deficit-reduction-and-social-security-medicare. Huffman has spoken out against these cuts (including chained CPI) on the floor of Congress, and recently acted on his statements by voting against cuts to Medicare and chained CPI. It's shocking that Ms. Chan would choose not to mention any of this, and it speaks to her and Norman Solomon's (in)credibility and basic dishonesty. BTW, they did do some very over the top "bullying" -- Chan co-signed a mass email with Solomon that threatened serious political "consequences" if Huffman didn't sign their pledge. Maybe Ms. Chan should reveal that she ran Norman Solomon's losing campaign against Huffman, and maybe she and he should get over their 23-point loss and stop purposely deceiving people about where Huffman stands on protecting Medicare and Social Security benefits.
Re: “Raising My Hand”
I just saw your comment months post facto and have a response. First, there are a handful of mentally ill people in this country who are dangerous. There are millions of criminals with guns who shoot people for profit and for sport. You're focusing on the wrong group of shooters. Yes, identify the dangerous mentally ill and treat them. But don't scapegoat them or other mentally ill people as you are doing. Second, I haven't shot anyone and I am not going to—especially when my Second Amendment rights have been de facto violated by the state of California and the federal government—I'm not allowed to own a gun, even though since I wrote this, my bipolar has gone into remission. Once the government starts taking inviolable rights away from a vulnerable subclass of people, you have to wonder who's going to be targeted next. Bloggers? Hackers? Lawyers? Oh, wait. That's already happening. Third, I highly suggest you (and others who think like you) get educated about what mental illness is—I can tell you that your mental picture of a mentally ill person as hapless and drooling and/or maniacal and paranoid is skewed. I perform extremely complex tasks every day, navigate hundreds of personalities and agendas at work and in my personal life, and give service to thousands of other bipolar wackos online as one of five admins on one of the most amazing Facebook groups for people with bipolar disorder. By far, I am not the only high-functioning mentally ill person. I've met people who have schizophrenia with computer science and math degrees. I deal with them every day. So lay off the mentally ill people, get clued into the realities of mental illness, and read the theory behind the Bill of Rights. Then we can talk. —Kris
Re: “Otherwise Occupied”
Mister Myers needs to get his head out of his 1,000 acre ranch in LA-LA land and actually GO to Israel and learn the facts of the West Bank "occupation". Why does Israel occupy the West Bank? Because in 1967 five (or six) Arab nations, including Jordan attacked and the Israeli army ended the conflict in six days, gaining in ground not only the West Bank but the Gaza Strip AND the Sinai Desert. Lets talk about who is terrorizing who here...lets talk about why my friends who live in the West Bank, one Moshav over from a Palestinian neighborhood get along with their neighbors yet need to ride in bullet proof buses to get to Jerusalem. Lets talk about the countless attacks, bombs, car bombs etc., carried out over the past 30+ years against Israeli citizens - no military strikes, strikes on weddings, movie theaters and city buses, killing and injuring thousands of Israeli men, women and children as well as tourists and yes, their Arab bredren to boot. Yes - the conflict is ancient. Yes - the Israeli government has been less than fair to their Arab residents. But let's not forget that this country lives in a world of "Code Red", something Mr. Myers and the rest of the cushy USA have no idea about, no clue of the duck and cover existence over there. Soda Stream, as well as other organization in Israel are making in-roads in the social situation between "normal" Arabs/Palestinians and "normal" Israelis. I bought a soda stream recently because I love fizzy water and I too am tired of throwing away plastic bottles. I love my Soda Stream because it represents more than just fizzy water now - it represents even the smallest effort to combine and understand cultures. Mister Myers can't see the forest for the trees here simply because he has been overcome with the PC hippy-dippy "don't murder me" attitude so prevalent in Sonoma County, and garnered and encouraged in an effort to be "right and hip". Mr. Myers needs to study the history and situation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more thoroughly before denouncing not Israeli even, but JEWISH efforts to start building a bridge. I don't imagine he knows in his soul how important it is for the state of Israel to continue to exist and thrive. One viewing of the film Exodus should be a start. You can rent that on Netflix.
Re: “Our Voice”
Well said Desiree! I'd like to add that being housed on the Santa Rosa High School campus allows CMCNB to serve not only the ArtQuest program but other school departments and campuses as well. For example, the Life Skills classes that bring the students in to learn how to create Public Service Announcements on health issues, or the behind-the-scenes technical help given by CMCNB staff to video teachers at Elsie Allen High School. Let's not forget that Piner High School staff was able to solicit major capital donations to construct a new building for their science program with the help of a CMCNB Snapshots video. Snapshots is CMCNB's magazine show that highlights dozens of school programs and the good work of local non-profits in the area. http://youtu.be/7NN6udj5q6A
Re: “Spying on Occupy”
Few of us recognize the true security threat to the USA; consider:
trust in gov:
http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v194…
The 'boast of heraldry, the pomp of power' don't address/solve the deadly problems created globally by this God forsaken war waging nation.
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/di…
CJIS USED BY fbi AS A TOOL TO INSTILL F E A R:
http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v194…
Now meet the fbi in the person of homicidal sociopath David Jenkins, aka, J. Robert Upton:
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2013/01/25794…
This Week's Issue
Re: “Surveillance State”
Blessed are the whistle-blowers, for they disclose and denounce injustice and evil in the world.
More than two thousand years ago, a whistle-blower Jewish rabbi named Yeshua from Nazareth publicly denounced the religious theocracy of his time. Seriously threatened and undermined, the then religious establishment persecuted and had the Jewish whistle-blower killed. The world did that then, it still does now.
Bring them (B. Manning and E. Snowden) home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ctvyvAgDu…