50-State Blog Network

Shorewood wants everyone to read novel; Merrill parents try to ban it

October 5, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Larry Watson, left, author of the best-selling novel, "Montana 1948," is speaking in Shorewood today to kick off a "Shorewood Reads" program in which the whole community is being encouraged to read his book. Elsewhere, they're trying to ban it. Shorewood Patch says:

Shorewood Library Director Beth Carey estimated that the book has been checked out of the library more than 200 times and been read by a number of area book clubs over the last few months...

Montana 1948 has been the featured book in community reading programs numerous times since its publication in 1993, something Watson attributes to the fact that it deals with the kind of moral dilemma that “frequently makes for interesting and productive discussions.”

The novel also has provoked an interesting discussion in Merrill, up the road a piece, where some parents tried to get it banned from high school libraries and out of the curriculum for 10th grade English students.

That effort failed, as the Wausau Daily Herald reports:

Dominion and NRC meet to discuss report of effects from August earthquake

October 5, 2011 by ArticleXI

Dominion VA Power met with officials of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Monday to discuss the NRC's report on the impact of a 5.8 magnitude earthquake at Dominion's North Anna Power Station.

A public meeting with Dominion and NRC officials was also held on Monday afternoon at North Anna's nuclear information center in Mineral.

After the August 23 earthquake, the NRC's inspection team spent 3 weeks at the plant.

According to Dominion, North Anna's two nuclear reactors were shut down by seismic vibrations.

Dominion says that it has found no "significant" damage to structures, safety systems, pipes, valves, or the Lake Anna Dam over the course of numerous inspections.

Nonetheless, the earthquake brought to light the serious possibility of natural disasters causing unforeseen damage to VA's nuclear facilities.

In the wake of Japan's own nuclear disaster, the question of risk, of cost versus benefit, is more prescient now than it has been in decades.

For those that would claim that nuclear power is safe, they probably would not have predicted that an earthquake would have been able to shut down operations at North Anna for as long as it has.

Jerry Brown and His Canoe? WTF?

October 5, 2011 by Calitics

by Brian Leubitz

For over thirty years, Jerry Brown has professed fealty to the canoe theory of politics, that is paddle a little to the left, a little to the right.  Well, there was that We the People period, but we'll leave that out of the story for now.

Jerry can do some really amazing things, stand up and fight for struggling Californians.  And then he does something like vetoing farmworker card check.  Well, he had another one of those moments:

In a major blow to organized labor, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation today that would have let unions organize child-care providers who work out of the home.

"Today California, like the nation itself, is facing huge budget challenges," Brown wrote in a veto message. "Given that reality, I am reluctant to embark on a program of this magnitude and potential cost."(SacBee)

It was a banner day for that right oar, as he also vetoed legislation that would have changed automobile restrictions for a welfare recipients.

Ryan plan could send seniors back to the poor farm

October 5, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Dave Zweifel in the Capital Times:

When Social Security was enacted as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal reforms in 1935, about half of U.S. senior citizens lived in poverty. Many had to live out their lives in shameful places that people at the time called the “poor farm.” It was forever a family’s shame when during the Depression, grandma and grandpa had to go off to live in one of the county’s makeshift homes for the elderly because they couldn’t afford their own places and their children couldn’t afford to help them.

Today, fewer than 10 percent of America’s elderly live in poverty. More than 53 million Americans receive Social Security benefits to at least cover the basics of life. And as Bernie Sanders said, in the more than 75 years since, the program has never failed to pay out every nickel it owed.

Now Ryan and his compatriots want to mess with that success story. They want to begin the privatization of Social Security by turning over part of the funds that America’s working people pay into the program to Wall Street investors — yes, the same investors who have such a great track record, like blowing up the economy and requiring federal bailouts to save them.

Jamie Wall enters 8th CD race

October 5, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Jamie Wall is the first, and perhaps will be the only Democrat, to get in the race against freshman GOP Rep. Reid Ribble in the 8th Congressional District, in the Green Bay area.

Politico says, "Democrats think he's a great recruit-Wisconsin bred, grew up on a dairy farm, first in his family to go to college (Madison grad/Rhodes Scholar) and now a business owner... Democratic strategists say he can wage a serious challenge to the freshman congressman. They plan to attack Ribble for moving outside the district and for not voting in recent Wisconsin elections. Ribble beat Steve Kagen last year."

More from Green Bay Press Gazette and The Hill.

Wall, 40, lost a 2006 primary race to Kagen, who was elected and served two terms.

Dollars, sense and the new American Resistance

October 5, 2011 by Kenneth

(Cross-posted at Saint Petersblog & Daily Kos)

“There’s something happening here

What it is ain’t exactly clear…”

Steven Stills wrote those opening lines of Buffalo Springfield’s classic protest song, “”, in 1966. It wasn’t just the Vietnam War tearing America apart at the time. It was the struggle for Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, and some measure of socioeconomic stability for America’s millions of poor, elderly and disabled citizens.

It’s no accident that the social unrest and political activism marking those years was accompanied by historic enactment of the Civil Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid, by a Democratic Congress and President, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who even declared ”War On Poverty” in 1964.

Republicans Have Given Up on America

October 5, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Defeatism is the new Republican flavor ... telling us about all the things we can't do instead of challenging us to reach for the stars and lead the world.

Chairman Cliff Stearns, who leads the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, told NPR that "We can't compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines."

I heard Stearns make that comment on NPR and my jaw dropped.  A while back on a telephone town hall, Rep. Mo Brooks (R, AL) told constituents we can't afford Social Security any more.  And of course, we can't afford clean air and water, either, and a whole host of other things that used to comprise the American Dream.

When I was little my Daddy always told me, "Can't never could," and it's the absolute truth.  As long as you believe in failure, you're doomed to fail.  Republicans have officially become the "Can't Do" Party.  As long as they've given up on America, America can't afford to have them in power.

Post of the Day

October 4, 2011 by Kenneth

From the Progressive Professor:

Common belief is that 2012 will see the defeat of President Barack Obama, and recent polls seem to indicate such, except, of course, for the fact that polls in the summer and fall of the year BEFORE the national elections are notoriously misleading!

But with such predictions and prognostications, why is it that a long list of Republicans, some of them very attractive possibilities, have decided NOT to seek the Presidency?

There’s more…

Gov. Bentley: Live Up to Your Beliefs!

October 4, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama has expressed his desire to get the Federal Government out of the affairs of Alabama. Governor Bentley (like most GOPers) is a strong supporter of states' rights. When something goes wrong in the State of Alabama, it is the Federal Government's fault. This political belief did not stop Governor Bentley from taking FEMA money during the April 2011 Tornado outbreak, however, Governor Bentley used his states' rights priniciples for another cause.

Governor Bentley signed into law the country's meanest cruelest toughest Immigration Law. Governor Bentley stated he signed the law because the Federal Government was not doing it part. This was a swipe at the Obama Administration. However, the Governor failed to mention how the Obama Administration has deported more illegals in three years than eight years of the Bush Administration. However, the policies of the Governor should be carried out to the fulliest.

Governor Bentley wants to rid Alabama of the Federal Goverment. He believes strongly that illegal immigration is a serious threat to this state. According to the Governor, people who are here illegally are breaking the law. Also the Governor believes anyone who interacts with illegals is breaking the law. In this case, the Governor should apply his beliefs.