Tired of Tea Parties? Help Jobless Ohioans Without Leaving Your Computer!

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday April 15, 2009 · 6:55 PM PDT

2009/04/15 · 18:55

It's been a few months since I brought you the story of Energize Clinton County, a grassroots organization in Wilmington, Ohio, dedicated to rebuilding the economically devastated town by turning it into a federally-sponsored Green Enterprise Zone. The group's founders, recent college graduates Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert, deferred their Peace Corps service indefinitely to focus on giving back to the hometown.

Here's Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown talking about how impressed he is with Mark and Taylor:

Now, there's something new you can do to help Energize Clinton County in a big way.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 25, 2009 · 9:13 PM PST

2009/01/25 · 21:13

Tonight, the TV newsmagazine "60 Minutes" did a story on the economic crisis facing Wilmington, Ohio, a town of 12,000 people nearly all of whom are being laid off by freight corporation DHL. If you missed the heartrending segment, you can watch it here:

Here's what Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes" didn't tell you: there's a promising local effort to help the people of Wilmington -- and there are a few things you can do to help their plan become a reality without getting up from your computer.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 07, 2009 · 9:05 PM PST

2009/01/07 · 21:05

This isn't going to be a popular diary, and that's fine, but I think it's important to get this perspective out there.

From September 2006-October 2007, I ran a community blog using SoapBlox software. My site had about two dozen front-page authors, over 600 user accounts, and was a member of the Liberal Blog Advertising Network. Over the course of the thirteen months in which I used SoapBlox, about two thousand diaries and front-page stories were posted on my site.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday December 09, 2008 · 3:16 PM PST

2008/12/09 · 15:16

On November 21, I introduced you to Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert of ENERGIZE Clinton County -- two ambitious recent college graduates with a bold plan to revitalize their hometown's bleak economy by turning it into a Green Enterprise Zone. Today, I'd like to update you on the most recent developments of this inspirational project.

Before I get to that, though, I'll throw this out there right up front: You can now donate to ENERGIZE Clinton County to help fund their green revitalization campaign. Please follow the link and give whatever you can spare -- $5, $50, $500, or anything in between. Help make this a happy holiday season for Clinton County and Wilmington, Ohio residents by showing your support.

More new developments and ways you can help, and a recap of the history of this project, over the flip.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday November 20, 2008 · 10:09 PM PST

2008/11/20 · 22:09

In Wilmington, Ohio, Sherry Barrett is crying.

Like many areas in the United States, Sherry's hometown of Wilmington, Ohio has been devastated by the economic meltdown. Local employer DHL Express will close its factory on January 30, laying off 8,200 workers like Sherry. In a city of 12,000, with thousands more in the surrounding area, you can bet Sherry isn't the only one crying.

But if you don't enjoy watching Sherry and other Wilmington residents cry, you're not alone -- two recent college grads from Wilmington don't much like it either. Their bold solution: ENERGIZE Clinton County, a bold plan to revitalize Wilmington by recruiting green businesses and turning the county into Ohio's first "Green Enterprise Zone." Over the flip, I'll tell you how they plan to do it, and what you can do to help.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday January 14, 2008 · 10:13 PM PST

2008/01/14 · 22:13

[Cross-posted from ProgressiveHistorians.]

Daily Kos has recently been abuzz with speculation that the coming Presidential election will play out similarly to that of 1932 -- a dramatic realignment election that puts Dems on top for a generation. DHinMI advanced this argument in a very good three-part series last month. Today, New Deal democrat provides more evidence of this phenomenon by pointing out that economic conditions were similar in some ways then to how they are now.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday January 10, 2008 · 11:12 PM PST

2008/01/10 · 23:12

[Cross-posted from ProgressiveHistorians.]

The past isn't dead. It isn't even past.

-- William Faulkner

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 01, 2007 · 11:34 AM PDT

2007/08/01 · 11:34

[Cross-posted at ProgressiveHistorians, My Left Wing, Open Left, Talk Left, and Booman Tribune.]

In the first installment of this series, I introduced the concept that our impeachment system is fatally flawed. In the second installment, I provided evidence of this contention by discussing all eighteen historical cases of federal impeachment. Now, it's time to draw some conclusions.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday July 31, 2007 · 11:54 AM PDT

2007/07/31 · 11:54

[Cross-posted at ProgressiveHistorians, My Left Wing, Open Left, Talk Left, and Booman Tribune.]

In Part I of this series, I explained the purpose behind these diaries: to explore the failed mechanism of federal impeachment and suggest ways to fix its flaws. Yesterday, though, we examined only the instances where impeachment worked: nine cases handled according to protocol, with appropriate outcomes and streamlined processes. Today, we'll look at the flip side of the coin: nine cases where impeachment was inappropriately politicized or should never have occurred at all owing to procedural errors or a lack of other removal methods.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday July 30, 2007 · 3:36 PM PDT

2007/07/30 · 15:36

[Cross-posted at ProgressiveHistorians, My Left Wing, Open Left, Talk Left, and Booman Tribune.]

I'm one of the few bloggers out there who doesn't believe we should be pushing for impeachment of President Bush -- even though I think he's clearly committed impeachable crimes. My reasoning is not based on Bush's guilt or innocence, but on the fact that impeachment as a mechanism is broken and needs significant repair before it can be viewed as a legitimate means of removal from office of any public official, much less a U.S. President.

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday July 13, 2007 · 11:08 AM PDT

2007/07/13 · 11:08

Keeping up my steady drumbeat of meta...if you're not interested in reading the diary, please take the poll anyway, as I'd like to get a sense of where the community is on this issue. And you might want to read the last paragraph.

Yesterday, a commenter for whom I have great respect, but with whom I disagree mightily on the duty of TU's at Daily Kos, wrote this comment:

When someone is clearly attempting to use this site for purposes other than those which its owner has said are acceptable, I am absolutely going to mock and/or attack that. When someone makes a completely off-the-wall claim, of course I'm going to mock and/or attack that. When someone tries to rewrite history, you're goddamn good and right I'm going to mock and/or attack that.

Mockery is a very effective weapon, particularly in an online setting where other common tactics don't work as well. Shaming is another good one. ...

When pressed, this commenter explained further:

Poll

208 votes Show Results

Do you believe that shame and mockery are appropriate tools for Trusted Users to use on Daily Kos?

208 votes Vote Now!

Do you believe that shame and mockery are appropriate tools for Trusted Users to use on Daily Kos?

Yes

84 votes

124 votes

Why I'm Still Here

Nonpartisan

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday July 12, 2007 · 6:53 PM PDT

2007/07/12 · 18:53

Here's a quote from that blogmeister of blogmeisters, Markos Moulitsas:

The community stuff is a seperate beast. It's not my community. But it's also not EVERYONE'S community, either. I have set unofficial guidelines -- it's a site for Democratic partisans. Everyone else is welcome, with the understanding that it's a home for Democrats. So Republicans, Greens, etc, are welcome. But it's not their home.

You don't go to Synagogue to argue Christianity. You don't go to Yoga class and demand to do aerobics. I know I don't make this point explicit, but I prefer a little bit of gray area. As long as it's not written in stone, we won't have well-meaning Greens being kicked off the site by fundamentalist Kosmopolitans.

I can live with that. I really can. It's fine to me that this site is full of Democratic partisans. I'm even one myself, though I'm always shaky about just how partisan I want to be.

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Tired of Tea Parties? Help Jobless Ohioans Without Leaving Your Computer!

What "60 Minutes" Didn't Tell You About Wilmington, Ohio

SoapBlox Needs to Clean Up Its Act

ENERGIZE Clinton County Update: Help Save an Ohio Town!

Ohio Community Needs Your Help to Ensure Green Future

Obama in 2008: More Like 1912 Than 1932

Not Born Equal

The Failed History of Impeachment, Part III: How To Fix It

The Failed History of Impeachment, Part II: When Impeachment Doesn't Work

The Failed History of Impeachment, Part I: When Impeachment Works

TU = Shaming and Mockery? (w/poll)

Why I'm Still Here