After making fun of it (and everyone who uses it) for years, I finally gave in and created a profile on MySpace today. I probably won’t use it much…after all, there are only so many hours in a day and I’m already pretty much maxed out on social media applications. So far, MySpace looks much more like Facebook than it did the last time I checked it out and although I do like that it is a bit more flexible with allowing you to add code to your profile, I don’t see that it offers any other real advantages over Facebook. Anyway, you can check it out at www.myspace.com/courtnaysb
09
Feb
10
myspace
I’ve been involved with Freecycle for several years now and not only have I seen first-hand the good they’ve done in my own community, they also impact the lives of people worldwide. The Freecycle Network now has over 6 million members all over the world and keeps 24,000 items out of landfills every single day. They are currently in the running for a $250K grant from Pepsi that would allow them to expand the technology that powers this global gifting network. If you believe that Freecycle’s dual mission of conserving the environment & building local community is a worthy one, please take a moment to vote for them at http://www.refresheverything.com/votefreecycle
25
Jan
10
Democracy should not be for sale
Somewhat muted by the hoopla over the Senate race in Massachusetts was the announcement of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. With this decision, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government…certainly this was not what our Founding Fathers intended when they drafted the Constitution. In an attempt to right this grievous wrong, the Campaign to Legalize Democracy has launched MovetoAmend.org, a site that is collecting petitions from citizens who believe the Constitution should be amended to make it clear that only people, not corporations, are entitled to free speech rights. The petition reads as follows:
We Move to Amend.
We, the People of the United States of America, reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United, and move to amend our Constitution to:
- Firmly establish that money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
- Guarantee the right to vote and to participate, and to have our votes and participation count.
- Protect local communities, their economies, and democracies against illegitimate “preemption” actions by global, national, and state governments.
From the Arizona Education Association:
Last Friday, Governor Jan Brewer released her budget proposal, which includes cuts to education programs, funding for health and services for children and mentally ill. View a summary of the major items and the education budget impact online.
The governor’s budget proposes permanently eliminating several non-formula education programs as well as funding for full-day kindergarten. The proposal also targets health care for Arizona’s children and families by cutting funding for several health and human service programs such as KidsCare, which provides health insurance for nearly 47,000 children, and AHCCCS, which provides health care coverage to over 300,000 Arizonans. In addition, the budget eliminates behavioral health services for people who aren’t eligible for Medicaid, impacting over 17,000 seriously mentally-ill adults.
The budget proposal also includes a three-year, one-cent sales tax increase, which requires a super majority vote (40 in the House and 20 in the Senate) in order to approve.
This budget outlines the dire situation Arizona’s children and families are facing. With a $1.4 billion deficit this year and a $3.2 billion deficit next year, the governor’s proposal balances the budget with deep cuts to programs that service Arizona’s most vulnerable and high-needs population – even with the sales tax increase.
Arizona’s governor and legislature need to look at other budget options. The Joint Appropriations Committee will review the governor’s budget with legislators on Wednesday afternoon. The governor’s budget is only a proposal at this time. There will hopefully be bi-partisan negotiations that take place to resolve the deficit for both FY10 and FY11. E-mail the governor and legislators today to consider a comprehensive, bipartisan approach to balancing the budget without raiding funding that services our children and families.
Additionally, make sure to take this message out to your community. It isn’t enough to send one message to lawmakers. You need to get your community involved and get people you know to send messages and take action. On March 4, 2010, at 4 p.m. thousands of education supporters across the state will be mobilized in concurrent community outreach activities. Get involved with the AEA March4Schools Statewide Day of Action by visiting www.march4schools.com.
15
Jan
10
Stop the STEP Act
From the National Iranian American Council:
When Shahram Hashemi, a university student from Iran, saw an airplane fly into the second World Trade Center building on 9-11, he immediately took action. As many ran away from the wreckage, he ran towards it, joining a group of civilian volunteers to extinguish fires and clear rubble for the search and rescue teams.
That day, Shahram helped save over a dozen lives – while here in America on a student visa.
Shahram is one of the many Iranians who have contributed to American society, but Rep. Gresham Barrett has chosen to ignore that.
On January 13th, he reintroduced the STEP Act. Thanks to you and 4,500 others, Rep. Barrett removed language which sought to deport all Iranians—but the bill still labels all Iranians as “terrorists” and would ban them from getting US visas.
This bill would prevent Iranians from visiting their family in the US, and at a time of increasing repression in Iran, would impose even greater burdens on Iranians seeking refuge.
This is unacceptable.
Write your representative today, telling them that you object to the STEP Act!
Ask them to consider true common sense reforms that open doors between the Iranian people and the US—not close them.
We’ve won part of the fight, now let’s win the battle!
P.S. Ask your friends to write their Congressional members too by e-mailing them this link www.niacouncil.org/stopstep.
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