This week in progressive state blogs is designed specifically to focus attention on the writing and analysis of people focused on their home turf. Let me know via comments or Kosmail if you have a favorite state- or city-based blog you think I should be watching. Inclusion of a diary does not necessarily indicate my agreement or endorsement of its contents.
At Delaware Liberal, jason330 writes—The absence of organizational values is crippling the Democratic Party:
1 in 150 employees who say their organization does not have a set of values are “Fully Engaged.”
Okay. That’s a survey of employees. Just imagine what the ratio must be for “members” of organizations that don’t have clear organizational values? How many of them are fully engaged? 1 in 500? 1 in 2,000? 1 in 10,000?
That we have “third way” Democrats like Tom Carper, John Carny, and (let’s be honest) Hillary Clinton constantly muddying the water as to what it means to be a Democrat is literally handing the reigns of government over to the one American political party that DOES have core values, and by extension, does have “Fully Engaged” members.
Why do Democrats constantly lose in mid-terms?
Why is participation so low across the board for Democrats relative to Republicans?
These are not mysteries. The GOP literally has nothing other than core values, and core values alone (as whacked as they are) are enough to consistently beat the listless and directionless Democrats.
As Democrats we take pride in being the rational party. The party that values reason and science. Except on this topic. It is the one area where we can’t accept the behavioral science. Where we cling to mythology about centrism and the sacred holy ground called “the middle.” We substitute the mystical incantations that rise from the DC punditry, for hard numbers and proven facts.
At Democratic Diva of Arizona, Donna writes—Diccicio Walked Right Into the Trap the Satanists Sprung for Him:
Those wily Satanists have struck again! This time, they have requested to lead the prayer at the Phoenix City Council chambers. Mayor Greg Stanton and Councilwoman Kate Gallego have, smartly, not opposed them but other members of the Council have not been so prudent. Councilman Sal DiCiccio has taken it on as his personal mission to demonstrate clearly the point the Satanists (who openly admit to not being true believers in Satan) are making about what a farce “religious liberty” is, as publicly practiced by conservatives. It’s difficult to argue that you’re not favoring certain religions, and even going so far as to establish them as “official” religions (contra the First Amendment) when you deny some religions access to a public prayer because you don’t like their message.
Of course, consistency has never been a strong suit of reactionary conservatives, which is why we get garbage decisions like Hobby Lobby, where a boss’s butthurt over uh I mean “sincerely held religious objections to” female employees using birth control gets codified into law. But if you want a clue as to why people, especially youth, are abandoning organized religion in droves, look no further than the way conservative politicians have hypocritical conniption fits whenever the Satanists show up. Sal DiCiccio et al should try taking a chill about it instead.
At Colorado Pols, Colorado Pols writes—Enough Is Enough: Durango Demands Superfund:
As the Durango Herald’s Jonathan Romeo reports, patience in the city of Durango with continued dickering by officials in upstream San Juan County and Silverton over requesting Environmental Protection Agency National Priorities List designation for the cleanup of disused mines near Silverton has reached its limit:
Nearly six months after the Gold King mine blowout, and with Silverton still in limbo over Superfund, a sense that downstream communities should take a larger role in negotiations regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s hazardous cleanup program is growing.
At the San Juan Citizens Alliance’s quarterly meeting Wednesday, several Durango and La Plata County residents urged local officials to take the reigns in pursuing a Superfund designation in time to make the EPA’s March listing.
“San Juan County’s concerns are speculative,” said La Plata County resident Frank Lockwood. “Our concerns are not speculative. Ours are real. We’ve defined them economically, and I think our government officials should move forward.”
Last month, the wheels appeared greased for all of the local governments affected by the August mine water spill above Silverton into a tributary of the Animas River to put aside dreams of resumed mining and finally allow the Environmental Protection Agency to bring the full resources to bear to clean up the massive problem. It was an EPA work crew that accidentally triggered the release of millions of gallons of contaminated mine waste water, but their mishap was little more than ripping the scab off a much bigger and older problem–a problem that has threatened the health, safety, and prosperity of tens of thousands of people downstream along the Animas River for many years. Resistance from mining and commercial interests in San Juan County (population 692) is the principal reason that Superfund status wasn’t granted to this area, and the reason why only this ill-prepared investigative crew was working the problem.
At Juanita Jean’s of Texas, Susan DuQuesnay Bankston writes—He’s Comfortable Anywhere He Goes, Mr. Weird Heads.:
Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are up in arms about President Obama going to a Mosque.
Rubio’s objections are far more sinister, of course, because he’s a pro at this.
Rubio then compared anti-Muslim bigotry to friendly sports rivalries, and argued that Obama’s speech was really the thing causing division. “But again, it’s this constant pitting people against each other — that I can’t stand that. It’s hurting our country badly,” Rubio said.
So, it’s really okay to hate Muslims. Hey, you hate the Dallas Cowboys, don’t you? Same exact deal.
Trump, of course, wanted headlines so he said some outrageous things so the press would pay attention to him.
“I don’t have much thought, I think that we can go to lots of places. Right now I don’t know if he’s — maybe he feels comfortable there,” Trump said of Obama’s mosque visit during an appearance on Fox News. “We have a lot of problems in this country … there are a lot of places he can go, and he chose a mosque.
Men who are comfortable in their own skin can pretty much go anywhere and be comfortable. You know, like Jesus did.
I need to say something. Rubio and Cruz scare me far worse than Donald Trump does.
At 43rd State Blues of Idaho, MeAndG writes—How Not to Run a Rebellion:
STANDOFF: "We're not going to leave unless ... Oh Crap!"
Thanks to Ammon Bundy and his cast, we have a nice list of suggested ways to screw up a protest, or anything like one...
Begin by demanding the release of two "Patriots" from jail. Throw in demands for return of federal lands to "the people."
NOTE: be sure to deprive thousdands of people of the land while you demand its "return" to people you want to have it.
End up with all 16 of your final protestors in jail, charged or otherwise stuck.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Newly released documents show the four remaining occupiers at an Oregon wildlife refuge, including a couple from Idaho, are facing charges.
An indictment unsealed Thursday names a total of 16 defendants, including standoff leader Ammon Bundy and other occupiers who were arrested last week.
A federal grand jury charged all with felony conspiracy, accused of using intimidation to prevent federal officers from doing their work at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
The armed holdouts have said they wouldn't leave until receiving assurances they wouldn't be charged. (emphasis ours)
At Louisiana Voice, tomaswell writes—They helped create current problems; now retread legislator, bureaucrat being asked to solve them—at six-figure salaries:
It was bad enough Friday when Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that career politician and former national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council Noble Ellington as his legislative director.
But at the same time, he announced the appointment of Marketa Garner Walters as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) at $129,000 per year.
Ellington, besides serving as national chairman of ALEC, was twice named Legislator of the Year. He left the legislature to take a cozy $150,000-a-year job as Chief Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Insurance in 2012 even though he had no background in the insurance industry.
And it was during his tenure as ALEC’s national chairman that Bobby Jindal was presented the organization’s Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award (you may want to check with the descendants of Sally Heming on that freedom part).www.alec.org/...
It’s beginning to look a lot like business as usual for the new administration. Like pro football and major league baseball, Louisiana’s elected leaders seem to keep recycling the same old familiar faces in and out of various state offices. The problem is, they are the ones who helped create the problems. So what makes anyone think they have the solutions now?
At Bluestem Prairie of Minnesota, Sally Jo Sorensen writes—Juba Coffee and Restaurant owners thank Grand Forks for kindness after Dec. 7 arson attack:
On December 7, Matthew William Gust allegedly "filled a 40-ounce beer bottle with gasoline, broke the window of Juba Coffee and Restaurant and threw the bottle inside, resulting in an explosion that caused $90,000 in damage."
The Grand Forks Herald reports that Gust hurled the Molotov cocktail through the window just days after words “go home” along with Nazi-like symbols were spray-painted on the restaurant, leading many to suspect that the small business was targeted because the owners are Somali. He's in custody after pleading not guilty, waiting for a March 15 trial.
But the story doesn't end there.
A former resident of Grand Forks set up a Go Fund Me account--and the Herald reported of December 20 that Donations for Grand Forks coffee house exceed expectations. The Washington Post reported about the episode and the Post article on Juba arson netted national support.
On Saturday, the Grand Forks Herald published a letter from Juba cafe owners: Thank you, Greater Grand Forks:
We are writing to express our deepest gratitude to the Greater Grand Forks community for its residents' most kind wishes and donations.
We are deeply grateful to be part of this community. We have hope in this country because of you residents. Thank you for your generosity.
All of the donations will help us rebuild our restaurant, Juba Coffee and Restaurant, which served all people — any color and religion.
Juba provided free meals to the unemployed and to newcomers. We don't see color and religion. We see humans first.
The horrible act that happened to our restaurant has no place in the Greater Grand Forks community. We know that this hate does not represent North Dakota. The welcoming comments and best wishes from members of the community are truly appreciated.
At Blue NC, scharrison writes—Duke Energy-funded "advisory board" recommends they not spend billions relocating coal ash:
How can you afford advisory boards if you spend all that money?
An advisory board created by Duke Energy says all of the company’s coal ash ponds in North Carolina can safely be capped in place.
When asked by the Charlotte Business Journal about possible criticism that the Advisory Board is “bought and paid for” by Duke Energy, Daniels said: “All these reports have been submitted, signed and sealed by professional engineers and scientists… They are professionals, and that matters more than who they are working for.”
The first thing that popped into my head reading that declaration of professionalism was the Bush quote "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity." Just because you're a professional it doesn't mean you're not prone to bias or withholding information that could be damaging to your clients. Lawyers are professionals too, and "who they are working for" is a consideration that eclipses all others, including the truth.
At Bleeding Heartland of Iowa, desmoinesdem writes—Pollster Ann Selzer: I'm fine with being "demoted to 'silver standard':
The Des Moines Register’s longtime pollster Ann Selzer identified the surge of first-time Democratic caucus-goers who would carry Barack Obama to victory in 2008. Her final poll before the 2012 Republican caucuses caught the strong upward momentum for Rick Santorum. Her last snapshot before this year’s caucuses for the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics correctly saw a close race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with fewer first-time participants than eight years ago.
But Selzer’s view of the GOP campaign was unfortunately off the mark in several respects: putting Donald Trump ahead of Ted Cruz, underestimating turnout overall and particularly among evangelicals, and missing the late swing toward Marco Rubio that some political observers sensed by watching the campaign on the ground.
Yesterday Selzer commented to David Weigel of the Washington Post,
“In all the press I did in the last two days—and it was a LOT — I talked about the fluidity,” she wrote in an email. “Up to the last moment — including inside the caucus room — campaigns and supporters are working for change! Surprise! Big evangelical turnout — no doubt the biggest.” […]
“Trump was disliked by vast majority of caucus-goers who didn’t support him,” Selzer said. “Bernie’s extraordinary strength was with first-timers, who showed up in above-projected numbers. […]
“If I’m demoted to ‘silver standard,’ I’m fine with that,” she said. “I was never all that comfortable with the hype.”
Selzer can take some comfort in knowing that the last ten Iowa polls released before the caucuses all put Trump ahead of Cruz.
At Dakota Free Press of South Dakota, Cory A. Heidelberger writes—Krebs Keeps Medical Marijuana Off 2016 Ballot; Backers Seek Legislative Hail Mary:
Secretary of State Shantel Krebs and her team finally finished reviewing the medical marijuana petition circulated by Melissa Mentele of Emery and determined it does not have the 13,871 signatures necessary to place it on the ballot with the seven other voter initiatives, two voter referenda, and one legislatively referred amendment on the 2016 ballot.
New Approach SD said they submitted 16,631 signatures on November 9, 2015. Secretary Krebs calculates the group submitted 16,543. The Secretary’s 5% random sample found a 45.48% error rate, meaning she calculates the medical marijuana petition only had 9,019 valid signatures.
If I went for the stereotypical shot, I’d say I wasn’t surprised. If a petition has “marijuana” in its text, expect error. The 2010 medical marijuana initiative had a 40.5% error rate. The circulators of the broader marijuana decriminalization petition last year couldn’t even get enough signatures to submit.
But Melissa Mentele didn’t strike as the stereotypical pothead playing at politics. When I interviewed her at the Brown County Fair last summer, she struck me as a serious and effective organizer.
At Beach Peanuts of Florida, Martha Jackovics writes—Rubio Steps On A Rake While Taking A Stand For GOP Bigotry
It's well known among observers of Marco Rubio that he seems to live in an alternate reality from the rest of the world, as does his entire party these days, but Marco truly stands out over the rest. [...]
Rubio simply won't tolerate any speech or action that steps on his narrative of religious bigotry:
“I’m tired of being divided against each other for political reasons like this president’s done,” Rubio, a senator from Florida, said at a town hall in New Hampshire. “Always pitting people against each other. Always.”
“Look at today: he gave a speech at a mosque. Oh, you know, basically implying that America is discriminating against Muslims. Of course there’s discrimination in America, of every kind. But the bigger issue is: radical Islam. And by the way, radical Islam poses a threat to Muslims themselves.”
President Obama gives a speech reaching out to those very people who have been hurt by angry rhetoric and worse, by many, including Rubio and his party, in an effort to bring people together, yet in Rubio world, this is "pitting people against each other?"
At Green Mountain Daily of Vermont, Sue Prent writes—A Pox on Both Their Houses:
Now that Donald Trump‘s suit of alligator armor has suffered a rent in Iowa, I feel it is safe to say that on one thing we agree: Ted Cruz’s campaign is guilty of fraud.
No matter how you parse the story, Ted Cruz’s tightly run campaign dispersed a false storyto Iowa Caucus goers, that Ben Carson was stepping down and his supporters should switch their vote to Cruz. The record of communications clearly demonstrates that this was an attempt to move voters over to Cruz by deliberate deception.
The Cruz campaign attempted to hand-off the blame to CNN. Fortunately, in this era of wall-to-wall records, it’s perfectly clear that the Cruz campaign took the legitimate story carried on CNN that Cruz was not flying to New Hampshire that night but rather to Florida “for a change of clothes,” and transformed it into a boldface lie.
That goes well beyond ‘dirty tricks,’ of which Donald Trump has no doubt played plenty.
Cruz has apologized to Ben Carson, and it is questionable how much of an effect the ruse had on the outcome; but defrauding voters is ‘voter fraud’…something which Republicans are always allegedly combatting in their efforts to suppress votes by minorities.
How is this kind of voter fraud consistent with Ted Cruz’s supercilious holier-than-thou Christian values?