“NO-VOTE” McCAIN - NO FRIEND OF THE ENVIRONMENT

John McCain is no friend of the environment. Although he likes to tout his environmental record as positive, he has consistently missed important votes - votes that were considered critical to environmental well-being.

In the 2007 National Environmental Scorecard released by the League of Conservation Voters, John McCain receives a score of ZERO. McCain was the only member of Congress to skip every single crucial environmental vote scored by the organization, posting a score lower than Members of Congress who were out for much of the year due to serious illnesses–and even lower than some who died during the term. By contrast, the average Member of Congress scored a 53 in 2007. McCain posts a lifetime score of only 24.

Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director, had the following to say about McCain:

“We were appalled two weeks ago when John McCain was the only Senator who chose to skip a crucial vote on the future of clean energy in America-dooming the measure to fail by just a single vote. As it turns out, this was merely the most recent example of a clear pattern of missing the most important votes on energy and the environment–as his abysmal LCV score clearly demonstrates.

“McCain missed votes to save his constituents $499 million dollars at the pump and at least $550 million on their energy bills, while creating more than 10,000 new clean energy jobs in his home state.

The following is the League of Conservation Voters 2007 Scorecard Senate votes, all of which John McCain missed:

• Cloture on H.R. 6, the energy bill (6/21, Vote 225)
• Passage of H.R. 6, the energy bill (6/21, Vote 226)
• Maintaining Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in H.R. 6 (12/7, Vote 416)
• Taking away giveaways to Big Oil to subsidize clean energy (12/13, Vote 425)
• Loosening public health and environmental regulations on refineries (6/13, Vote 210)
• Undermining the RES with coal and nuclear energy (6/14, Vote 211)
• Offshore drilling in Virginia (6/14, Vote 212)
• Liquid coal (6/19, Vote 213)
• Environmental safeguards for biofuels (6/20, 219)
• Consider global warming for water projects (5/15, Vote 166)
• Appropriately prioritizing water projects (5/15, Vote 165)
• International family planning (9/6, Vote 320)
• Farm Bill subsidy reform (12/11, Vote 417)
• Farm Bill subsidy caps (12/13, Vote 424)
• Eminent Domain for public parks (12/3, Vote 429)

No doubt as the campaign heats up, we will see more of McCain’s inconsistencies. The environment deserves protection, and we need a president who will protect that environment. We don’t need someone who blithely skips crucial environmental votes and who will perpetuate the last eight years of the Bush Administration’s head-turning, wink-wink policies when it comes to environmental protection.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

LONG THOMPSON APPEARS HEADED FOR A WIN

According to a SurveyUSA poll conducted on April 28th exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville, Kentucky, and WCPO-TV Cincinnati, Ohio, Jill Long Thompson still leads her challenger, Jim Schellinger, by a margin of 12%.

This can’t be the kind of news that Schellinger and his avid followers want to hear. Schellinger just can’t quite seem to catch on. Despite early backing from the Democratic establishment and a much larger bankroll than Long Thompson, he isn’t generating the anticipated support among Hoosiers that he needs.

Long Thompson is running progressively stronger among Moderates, where she started tied with Schellinger but now leads by 28, and among Liberals, where she now leads by 14. Schellinger continues to lead among Conservatives. Schellinger leads by 7 in Central Indiana and by 10 in Southern Indiana. Long Thompson leads by 12 in greater Indianapolis and by 34 in Northern Indiana.

Long Thompson’s lead comes almost entirely from women, among whom she now leads by 23 points. The contest is effectively tied among men. Starting at age 42, women outnumber men. By age 85 and older, there are more than twice as many women as men. It is about time women came out in numbers to support and vote for other women.

Although the election is still six days away, and elections can be unpredictable, unless something unforeseen happens, we are looking at Jill Long Thompson as our nominee to take on Mitch Daniels. I have never liked the phrase I am just about to use, but YOU GO GIRL!

LONG THOMPSON SURGES AHEAD OF SCHELLINGER

A recent SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville KY and WCPO-TV Cincinnati OH shows Jill Long Thompson surging ahead of Jim Schellinger in the Democratic race for governor. With three weeks to go to the Indiana Democratic gubernatorial primary, Long Thompson has picked up momentum and now leads Schellinger by eight points.

The poll places Long Thompson at 46% and Schellinger at 38%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released two weeks ago, Long Thompson is up 7, Schellinger is down 3. Long Thompson, who represented Indiana’s 4th Congressional District from 1988 through 1994, has made inroads among men, where Indianapolis architect Schellinger had led by 21, now leads by 5.

Among women, Long Thompson previously had led by 13, but now leads by 20. In greater Indianapolis, Schellinger had led by 9, but now leads by 3. In Southern Indiana, Schellinger had led by 22, and now is tied. Among white voters, Schellinger had led by 3, now trails by 5. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Governor Mitch Daniels.

With Schellinger’s money and backing, he has had a difficult time in grabbing the attention of Hoosier voters. While Schellinger continues to outspend Long Thompson, she continues to draw more support.

“THIS DAY IN HISTORY” - THE CIVIL WAR BEGINS

On April 12, 1861, General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Bay, thus starting the bloodiest four years in American history - the Civil War. On April 13, U.S. Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort, and two days later, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteer soldiers to quell the Southern “insurrection.”

An ongoing conflict had been boiling between North and South over the issue of slavery since. Southern leadership had begun to discuss a unified separation from the United States, and, by 1860, the majority of the slave states were publicly threatening secession if the Republicans, the anti-slavery party, won the presidency.

With Republican Abraham Lincoln’s victory over the divided Democratic Party in November 1860, South Carolina immediately initiated secession proceedings. On December 20, the South Carolina legislature passed the “Ordinance of Secession,” which declared that “the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved.” Subsequent to the declaration, South Carolina set about seizing forts, arsenals, and other strategic locations within the state. Within six weeks, five more Southern states–Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana–had followed South Carolina’s lead. Texas ultimately joined the secession effort bringing the list of seceding states to seven.

Four years after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, the Confederacy was defeated at the total cost of 620,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead.

When I think of the Civil War here in the United States, or, for that matter, war anywhere, I think of the Guns n’ Roses song “Civil War.” The last sentence is ‘WHAT IS SO CIVIL ABOUT WAR ANYHOW?’

HILLARY HITS THE FORT

Yesterday Hillary Clinton came to town in what will probably be a number of stops in Indiana before our May 6th primary. The location chosen was a small diner in the Village of Coventry. What was formerly a Captain Ds was converted into Sara’s Restaurant, a family-style eatery with an atmosphere of politics and patriotism.

When I got to the restaurant at 2:00 p.m. only a few people were present. The day was sunny, but the wind was cold and biting. We signed up individuals as they strolled onto the parking lot beside the restaurant. We had initially been told that, as volunteers, we would be able to go into the restaurant for the event. It was quit disappointing to find out that this wasn’t accurate. It was also disappointing to find out that those who would be admitted had already been picked early that morning when they showed up to get a wristband. The wristband had either blue stars or red stars and entitled the wearer to enter the event.

But knowing these things are quickly planned, I stayed to help. Slowly the lot began to fill with onlookers. A sound system and stage had been set up in the parking lot. Hillary would speak to the outside crowd first from the stage and then go inside to address the crowd and answer questions.

She arrived about an hour late and signed autographs and chatted with volunteers standing in the front. I had given up at about 5:30 and left. Standing for hours on end is very difficult for me with my physical disability. When I got home though, a TV station was broadcasting the complete question and answer session being held inside the restaurant. I watched the broadcast in the warmth of my living room, admiring how well Hillary related to those in the crowd.

Photo credit: Shirley Hirt

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She definitely excels in the smaller, more informal venue. She appeared relaxed and comfortable as she fielded various questions from the audience. I read in a few Hillary Hater blogs that the audience had been hand-picked to assure that those in the room were Hillary supporters and would not ask uncomfortble or tough questions.

I know from being in the parking lot that that was not true. As I walked around signing up people, I ran into two women who had wristlets that would enable them to enter the event. As I talked to them and asked them to sign up and volunteer, they both told me they were not voting for Hillary. They declined to sign the volunteer sheet and said they just wanted to see Hillary and ask a question. I saw the two women on TV as I watched the recap, and they were sitting about two rows in back of Hillary.

Photo credit: Shirley Hirt

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Even though I did not stay for her actual arrival, I am sure she will return. And, I anticipate her next appearance to be a larger venue where it is nice and warm.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - DANIELS TO MORPH ONCE MORE

Well, we all expected it, and we knew it was coming soon to a theater community near us.  Daniels has dug out his farm hats and dusted off his down-home looking shirts and is all set to travel the state again with his dog and pony show.  Gone will be the polished suits and the CEO style that surfaced the day after his election in 2004.  Back are those quintessential Hoosier items - the farm caps - the rolled up simple cotton shirts - the “aw shucks” demeanor.

But will he travel the state again in an RV, or will he be more conventional this time around?  His RV One must be in mothballs by now although it seems I remember a flap some time ago about his use of the vehicle to attend a political event.  

With his TV commericals beginning soon, we will once again be treated to his attempts to act like “one of us.”  He simply isn’t one of us, and the sooner Hoosier voters realize that, the better off they will be. 

He no doubt will tout his accomplishments from the first couple of years when he had the support of his Republican-controlled General Assembly.  But he won’t have much to talk about for the last two years because he pretty much disappeared after the Democrats took control of the House. 

Ah, let the fun begin!

SIDESTEPPING SENATE VOTES - OBAMA’S RECORD WORST OF REMAINING THREE CANDIDATES

A measure of leadership is taking responsibility for appearing and voting for bills and resolutions.  Of the three remaining candidates, Clinton has the best record, and Obama has the worst.  Obama has been in the Senate the shortest amount of time, yet he has the worst Senate voting record of the three candidates.

Clinton has missed 7% since 2001, McCain has missed 17% since 1997, and Obama has missed 18% since 2005.  Many of the missed votes have come during heavy campaigning with all three candidates’ records showing a spike in the last half of 2007.

The following charts show the voting records of all three candidates since their election to their Senate seats. 

• The absentee rate is in red.
• The lower black dotted line shows the median value for all Members of Congress in that time period.
• The upper black dotted line shows the 90^th percentile. That is, a member above the upper dotted line is in the company of just one out of ten of his or her peers in missing that many votes.

 

Obama’s Senate voting record - missed 18% in 3 years

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McCain’s Senate voting record - missed 17% in 10 years

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Clinton’s Senate voting record - missed 7% in 6 years

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When employers look at potential employees, one of the most important factors - if not the most important factor - is reliability and showing up for work.  We should expect no less from a candidate.  While it may be physically impossible to campaign and completely fulfill the obligation to appear to vote when necessary, Clinton’s voting record shows that she has managed to balance the two competing forces much more efficiently and effectively than Obama.

An employer would not keep an employee if that employee missed almost 20% of the time.  Fortunately, voters have the luxury of knowing the voting records ahead of time and can decide whether demonstrating leadership in the performance of senatorial obligations is, indeed, important or not.  Personally,  I think it is. 

DISRESPECTFUL - DISGRACEFUL - DISINGENUOUS - DISHEARTENING

In May 2004, VA Secretary Anthony Principi accepted the decision of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission to close the inpatient beds at our VA Hospital.  The news triggered outrage and activism among area veterans and veterans’ groups.  Our group, Veterans for Better Health Care, was born of that outrage and activism, and we have now been together for almost four years. 

For almost four years, we have participated in parades, wrote letters, held a rally, and handed out thousands of flyers - all with the goal of keeping our inpatient beds open.  When a new study was announced based on updated and more accurate information, we had hope that our efforts were going to pay off. 

In November 2006, the firm of Booz, Allen & Hamilton came to Fort Wayne and held private hearings as well as a public hearing to gather our thoughts and input.  They returend to Washington, D.C. to prepare their report, and we breathed a sigh of relief.  We actually dared to hope that we had been taken seriously and that Booz, Allen & Hamilton would provide a fair report that would be presented to the new VA Secretary Jim Nicholson.

Photo Credit: Department of Veterans Affairs

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We were told that the report would be ready in about six months which would have been May 2007.  So we waited, and we waited.  May came and went.  Summer rolled into fall, and we received more discouraging news - Secretary Nicholson was leaving and a new secretary would be sought.  More delays.  Supposedly the report was ”on the desk.”  But if it was, it was buried under piles of bureacratic red tape.

The new secretary, James Peake, was nominated and confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate.  Still no report.  Then, out of the blue, an article appeared in the Journal-Gazette in February that another study would be done.  This one would be of the outpatient resources at our VA Hospital.   Another study?  The taxpayers already have footed the bill for $530,000 - half a million dollars - the price of the November 2006 study by Booz, Allen & Hamilton.

Something is wrong - very wrong.  The Journal-Gazette filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get to the study, but it has been met with a disingenous attempt to hide it by redacted - marking out - three-fourths of the document.  The table of contents was even marked out. 

Enough is enough.  The Bush administration and the Veterans Administration are playing fast and loose with the health and care of our veterans.   Perhaps this is simply a game to them.  Years have now gone by with no resolution of the inpatient bed issue at our VA Hospital.  Our area veterans need this hospital, and they have earned this hospital.

Disheartening, disrespectful, disingenous, but most of all disgraceful.   Every citizen in this area - veteran or not - should be hopping mad that the government is treating us with disdain.  And one more “D” word - determined.  We are determined to keep this alive, and we are determined to hold the government to its promise to provide health care to those who served our country.  For us, that means keeping the inpatient beds at our local VA Hospital.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT - BUT NOT IN THE WHITEHOUSE

John McCain makes no secret of the fact that he will keep us mired in the Middle East for decades to come if he assumes the office of the presidency.  While many have talked about the similarities between Vietnam and Iraq, one major difference exists - oil.  Anyone who thinks this foray into nation-building isn’t about oil hasn’t been paying attention to our history with the oil producing countries. 

With oil rising at an almost unbelievable rate, what better course to take than to occupy our own private oil fields in Iraq?  The Bush administration has built the world’s largest embassy in Iraq in order to maintain a presence for an undetermined number of years.  In addition, Bush and Maliki are in the process of negotiating the terms of an agreement which will keep U.S. forces entrenched in Iraq until …. freezes over.  

McCain will simply continue a misguided and disastrous course of action a la George Bush.  Should McCain be elected, Bush will no doubt be smiling broadly as he exits the White House in January 2009.  George Bush, along with his neo-con cohorts, manipulated an American crisis into an invasion of a country which had no connection to 9/11.  But John McCain has no intention of manipulating anything - he blatantly and arrogantly says he will keep us there.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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We have had close to eight years of a president who is out of touch with reality and who has never let sanity and logic interfere with his quest to conquer Iraq.  The last thing that is needed is another tunnel-visioned president who sees Iraq and Afghanistan as nothing more than future American bases.

TAX ABATEMENT - NOT FOR FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS ANY MORE

I don’t get it. Why was Mitch Harper the only one who questioned the propriety of the tax abatement given to the new Harrison Square condo owners and had the wherewithal to vote against the proposal? Why would buyers who can afford the condos need a tax abatement?

I have always supported Harrison Square, but this goes too far. Councilman Pape mentioned that we need to be sure we can draw new development to the downtown. Pardon me, but I thought the condos had already been purchased. I also thought we were well on our way to building Harrison Square. Sounds to me like development is already being created.

Why would City Council need to give an abatement after the fact? Did the purchasers agree to buy the condos with the understanding that a tax abatement was in the air? Or am I missing something here?

First, Council provided tax abatements to such illustrious businesses as fast food restaurants which pay paltry wages and do not do much for the community, and now, it appears that certain lucky private property owners will get the benefit of a tax abatement. Okay - where is my abatement? Why shouldn’t I have the benefit of a 10-year abatement?

The following YouTube video is of Councilman Harper explaining why he voted against the tax abatement. And, you know what, he makes perfect sense.