People are hanging on by a thread...

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Tuesday June 29, 2010 · 11:31 AM PDT

2010/06/29 · 11:31

Read a get post Class Warfare and Austerity Class Warfare and Austerity. Go read it. It has lots of the wonkish policy stuff and economics undergraduate like myself loves.

Left the comment below but felt like it was worth posting here...

I'm running for state senate done here in GA. And as I travel my district (5 counties--from metro ATL to rural middle GA) people are struggling just to get by.

They are angry. They are confused. And they are being fed a lot of misinformation in the press. The fact that I stand on a stage with 4 other people that are utterly clueless about the budget problems the state of GA faces--or the economic picture of the countries economy as a whole--expains how we got into this mess to begin with and send a shudder down my spine at the thought that all across this country Tea Party types are going to get elected via fear mongering and good old fashion lies.

speculativefiction

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Friday June 11, 2010 · 8:56 AM PDT

2010/06/11 · 08:56

So the scholarship deadline is coming up for this years netroots nation. The task I’ve been given is to write about my netroots nation experience in order to inspire you to apply for the DFA scholarship, and to inspire you to send in some money to help fund a scholar if you haven’t sent any in yet.

To do this I’m supposed to tell you all about my scholarship experience.

I’m supposed to Madlib a list of things about my trip telling you how it rocked (it did), how I met some pretty amazing people (I did) and how my life has changed because of it (tis true tis true).

speculativefiction

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Thursday May 06, 2010 · 12:51 AM PDT

2010/05/06 · 00:51

75days 4 hours 18 minutes till the polls open...
5.6.2010

Had an interview yesterday afternoon with a reporter for the Newton Citizen. I had snuck in a nap after work so I could be a little rested for my philosophy test. So I was running a bit late, and kind of flubbed a few of the questions. I talked a little about IRV, getting longitudinal student data so that we can better track high school students, and creating a nonpartisan redistricting for the state. Anyways I kind of muttered though it and... sigh... such is life. I'm still getting messaging down. Got to review some of those DFA trainings to get that down asap.

After my philosophy final, got home, showerd and rushed back up to see our next Attorney General, State Rep. Rob Teilhet speak to the Atlanta Young Democrats. Felt bad when I had to call the wife--as she's coming home from a long day at work to tell her I was out the door and would see her later that night.

Got home about 9:45pm.

speculativefiction

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Wednesday May 05, 2010 · 12:24 AM PDT

2010/05/05 · 00:24

5.5.2010
76 days 4 hours and 48 minutes till the polls open

"Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes" ---Buddha

So I wrap up my finals for school today. And then its off to the races---less than 80 days till my primary

Its going to be a lot of hard work. And yesterday (Tuesday Morning) I had the ungodly nausea in the pit of my stomach thinking am I up for the task. I'm a little scared. Politicians aren't supposed to admit that. What if I can't do it? The question all morning kept popping up in my mind. But then at break time. I sat with my legs hanging off the truck door looking out at the beautiful sky and realized that its okay. I do my best and be done with it. At least no one can say I'm not trying.

One big challenge is discipline.

speculativefiction

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Tuesday April 27, 2010 · 11:50 PM PDT

2010/04/27 · 23:50

I think one of the big reasons I decided to run for office was because of the disconnect between voters and politicians.

CEPR has a new study out looking at poverty that really highlights this.

All over this country you hear the question, "what has happened? Why are things so bad right now." You hear it at Tea Party meetings. You hear it from Democrats, Republicans, Greens, and Socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders

speculativefiction

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Thursday July 30, 2009 · 6:27 AM PDT

2009/07/30 · 06:27

To say that I haven’t learned to balance my home, work, school, and political life would be an understatement. I think one of the challenges that progressives have is talking every day people into contributing something to the political process–something more than just reading the newspaper or blogs. The problem is finding a balance in ones life. You get worn out, apathetic, and disenchanted.

Learning how to organize ourselves, learning how to build communities that are strong, vibrant, and have a positive impact on our community is necessary if we are to establish a more progressive, democratic, and equitable society. But we can only bring in more people by breaking things down into smaller chunks. I think some of us take on too much stuff, giving others the impression that this is what we are asking of them when we ask them to participate. But then that gets me thinking even more (and at this point I'm just rambling)..

speculativefiction

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Saturday July 25, 2009 · 12:31 PM PDT

2009/07/25 · 12:31

Every day I go in to my job at UPS where I load trucks. I watch my co-workers show up to work at 3:45am and work hard for the next 4 hours. From there they go on to second jobs, schools, or home to try and raise their kids the best they can. They are doing their best to play by the rules, yet they continue to fall farther behind and they know it.

They have no faith that politicians will ever represent their interest over those with the money to "buy" campaigns.

From work, I head up to GA State where i'm working on a degree in Philosophy. On campus I see young people struggling to pay for school, get good grades, and start a career--while they work part time and take on student loans that swallow the next decade of their income. I see returning students like myself who are trying to get a degree after the fact--playing catch up in an economy that can quickly leave you behind--with jobs, family, and obligations that stretch them thin. But they stay up that extra hour studying because they want to provide a better life for their families.

speculativefiction

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Thursday June 04, 2009 · 10:05 AM PDT

2009/06/04 · 10:05

This post was on the fly, as it was 11:15pm and I had to be up in 3 hours but reading the Bello speech I had just posted (MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SAME MINDSET) I thought it might be good to reflect on some of the "Obama is a socialist" meme that is very "in" on conservative talk shows and tv.

David Boaz from CATO write on how Obama isn't a socialist...

Is Barack Obama a socialist? Not really. Is George W. Bush a free marketer? Not hardly. In fact, right now they both seem to be pursuing policies that are neither socialist nor laissez-faire but rather corporatist.

I've posted on this before, Obama is not the problem... underfunded government and a heath care crisis are... part deux and French vs. American Market systems... as well as many other times. But this meme is still very popular....

speculativefiction

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Friday May 29, 2009 · 8:00 AM PDT

2009/05/29 · 08:00

I've had many different phases as a blogger and as I've passed through different phases of my life so has my blogging. My home now sits and www.JimNichols4.com but I can't help but reflect on the beginnings.

Tuesday March 26, 2002. 1:16 in the A.M. A 21 year old sit at his computer and writes:

I don't know what i'm doing here. Intentional obfusication of observation, pedantic self-servering diatribes. Or just something to kill time extending to the outside the internal rumblings of the inside, something to scream out loud and clear across the land that I can't spell and have no trouble thinking all at the same time (its a tough job). And maybe i'm here cause i'm too lazy to write in my journal, too infuriating (to others) to email friends on those random things that hit me at 1:13 in the morning, and too self-obsessed to sing sonic youth songs over and over to myself and not share with the group. This may turn into an utterly embarassing failure to create something interesting (once again) but as Woody Allen said "If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative."

It was my first blog post.

speculativefiction

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Wednesday May 27, 2009 · 11:45 AM PDT

2009/05/27 · 11:45

The Health Care debate is a very useful example of how conservatives claim to love markets but when it comes down to it truly don't. Actually from their Ivory Towers they don't like governments and long for the days before the industrial revolution--which is fine, and some of their points to this effect are valid as academic questions,logically consistent, as they opine romantically about some far off utopia.

But theory and the real world are two different things. And when it comes down to it abstract reasoning doesn't matter. What matters are the struggles, challenges, strengths, and humanity of everyday people living their lives. One of my coworkers always says to me... "I load trucks, no book or idea is going to get that truck loaded and those packages to folks who paid me to get them there safely and quickly. And no idea is going to feed my kid or pay for me to go to the doctor. But if it helps improve the quality of my life then its okay in my book"

And he's right.

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People are hanging on by a thread...

Apply for the DFA scholarship!

75 days 4 hours 18 minutes till the polls open

Discipline

"Whats going on in this country?"

What balance? Whose priorities? What am I talking about?

Jim in 2010? Not without your help!

Obama is a Socialist

Thank You DFA

Competition is competition is competition...