Tom Stream

When MLK was assassinated

2012-01-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

In 1968, my younger sister and I travelled to Florida and the Bahamas with my mom and her parents. We were on our way home, passing through Savannah, Georgia, when Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Mom said the locals were happy about it, and we didn't see any flags at half-staff until we got to Indiana. Coincidentally, we had toured Lookout Mountain on the way south, and Lookout Mountain is mentioned in MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. I was reminded of it Monday when my son and I attended an MLK ceremony at Concordia College in St. Paul.

Another thing I was reminded of was a two-page magazine spread Mom had posted at the top of our kitchen bulletin board for much of our childhood, showing a black baby and a white baby, and the lyrics to the song, "We Shall Overcome." Mom and I don't always see eye-to-eye on issues of race, but that had an impact on me.

To Do

2012-01-08T17:03:00.000-06:00

Rock'n'Roll Star Spangled Banner

2012-01-08T14:07:00.006-06:00

I endorse Ron Paul

2012-01-03T06:59:00.000-06:00

I endorse Ron Paul from among the Republican candidates in tonight's Iowa caucuses. They're all crazy, but Paul is our best chance for advancing the national conversation in 2012.

Block and Blame

2012-01-01T19:12:00.000-06:00

The Republican strategy is Block and Blame.

2011 Christmas Blog Post

2011-12-24T23:13:00.002-06:00

This will be our first Christmas since Scott's passing, and I will miss hearing him sing the carol bass parts he taught me. I remembered Scott at the memorial service and on this blog. He was also remembered in ceremonies held by the Ordway Education Division, and by Compas, his employing organization. His art lives on, as well as his Alphabet Adventure video, and the memories of all the students who learned from him.

One story about Scott I forgot to mention is when the family, Mom's kids and grandkids, went bowling, and Scott won! Scott was not much into sports, but he beat us all at bowling. I'm reminded of the one time we went bowling with Dad and he scored well over 200. Burton never bowled again because, as he put it, "I didn't want to hurt my average."

2011 was an eventful year, so I'll try to keep it concise.

In January, our Harper relatives from Iowa visited us, and on 1/11/11, I made the Bronze level in ballroom dance.

In March, I uploaded the family history "to the cloud."

In April, I soul-searched about the situation in Libya, and worked on rehabbing injured muscles.

In May, I attended the Powderhorn May Day Parade and carried a war protest sign handed to me by Coleen Rowley, 2002 TIME Magazine Person of the Year. This year, we shared the award with all Protesters around the world. Later in May, my sister Janet spoke at a rally to protest hate crimes against people who are gay. So she was also Person of the Year!

In June, I travelled to Madison with sisters Connie and Janet to attend our cousin's daughter's wedding. It was a great weekend celebrating Julie Soceka and Keven Bump. Later in June, as local union steward I attended the Minnesota Rural Letter Carriers Association convention in Grand Rapids, and stayed with my cousin John Munter and his family while there. In June I also uploaded high school newspapers and linked to them from this blog.

In July I had a soccer party for my 50th birthday, but it was the first day of the heat wave so that part didn't go so great. Two days after my birthday I was playing in an informal over-50 soccer league. I wasn't very good but got a couple assists in one of the games. Later I hurt my achilles but made it back for the last game of the season. Also in July I made a Rock and Roll Star Spangled Banner music video, and attended the Kellogg All-Class High School Reunion.

In August, Spencer and I travelled to Alaska to attend the wedding of another cousin's daughter. This cousin is the brother of the two I had visited in June. Jim's daughter, Katie Munter, married Bryan Thomas. Alaska evokes awe, and we experienced it while kayaking, river and mountain hiking, tram riding, and glacier cruising. We also had a chance to make a side trip to Wasilla and visit Brian Harper, a cousin on my mom's side, and Brian's wife Diana.

In September I went to the State Fair with Janet and her daughter Lydia. I also endured a two-week mail count, and attended a Rally to Save the U.S. Postal Service.

In October I did I tiny bit of campaigning for Farheen, and made my first visit to Occupy MN. I bought a Guy Fawkes/V for Vendetta mask, and wore it both to Occupy MN and to the Halloween Dance Party.

In November I had jury duty, and visited Madison a second time, this time to see Spencer, in college there. While there I saw my second cousin Holly Anderson, her boyfriend Leigh, and her Aunt Pam, as well as my cousin Shelly and her husband. The seven of us attended the Badger/Gopher hockey game on the 12th, the only game any Minnesota team won against Wisconsin that weekend. During an intermission I visited with Spencer's girlfriend Emma and Emma's sister. The next day we had brunch at Shelley's with some of Spencer's second cousins.

In December I danced a "Hustle vs. Cha Cha" solo routine with my instructor at the Holiday Jingle Bell Rock Showcase at Dancers Studio in St. Paul. We also did some West Coast Swing, Tango, and Salsa. It was really fun. With that behind me, I took time on Tuesday to see my brother Bruce do table magic at a local sports bar. I have always looked up to my brothers as entertaining performers, and this year tried to follow their lead a bit.

Ok everybody, Merry Christmas, and when I say Merry Christmas, I mean enjoy the celebration of the birth of Jesus which is part of a faith tradition which is encompassed by worship of the Holy Deity. ( :

2010 Christmas Blog Post

Deism core beliefs

2011-12-18T21:30:00.001-06:00

Praise be to God. And when I say God, I mean the gender-neutral Holy Deity, who may or may not be Jesus or the parent of Jesus.

Holy Deity, we give thanks for this food, and pray that it will be healthy for us and for our planet. So be it.

Holy Deity,
For guidance and forgiveness
We pray. So be it.

Oh Holy Deity, oh Deity we pray,
For guidance and forgiveness
And a cheerful day.
We go along with everything our atheist friends will say
Except for our Deity, oh Deity we pray.

Core beliefs:

Matthew 7:12

The 10-10-10 plan,
10 Commandments
10 Amendments
10 Key Values of the Green Party

The 1-1-1 plan,
Raise taxes of the 1 percent
1 dollar
For 1 year.

Occupation of Iraq

2011-12-15T16:37:00.000-06:00

I have one good thing to say about the Occupation of Iraq. Our servicepeople introduced Iraqis to the "concept" of democracy. However, the decision to go to war was immoral. That's on Bush and Cheney, not our servicepeople.

Witness tampering in Sandusky case?

2011-12-12T21:19:00.001-06:00

Today it was reported that the testimony of Mike McQueary is being questioned. Given the huge amounts of money surrounding the Penn State football program, we need to consider the possibility of witness tampering.

$1 from the 1%

2011-12-04T12:21:00.000-06:00

The Republican field of candidates for President has been called a "clown car" and it's easy to see why. They're crazy. Each and every candidate has fatal flaws. I wouldn't be surprised if the Republican National Convention becomes a media circus, dragging out beyond scheduled adjournment, with a brokered outcome and a surprise nominee coming out of nowhere.

Republicans have also painted themselves into a corner by opposing tax increases. The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to raise taxes. Members of Congress pledge to uphold the Constitution. But Republicans have signed the Grover Norquist pledge against any tax increases.

Taxes can be an important tool, not just to raise revenue, but also to keep inflation under control. When the 99% gets money, it spends a lot of it on needs. When the 1% gets money, it puts a lot of it in the stock market. Does an undertaxed Wall Street fuel inflation? Food prices are going up. With the right incentives, perhaps we could shift our priorities from financial products to food products.

Democrats might be able to get the upper hand by proposing a tax revenue increase of $1 from the 1%. It would really show independents how inflexible the Republicans are. The idea becomes dangerous, however, if Democrats propose deeper and deeper cuts and if Republican suddenly take them up on it. Obama has already put Social Security and Medicare on the table. They're called entitlements for a reason. We really are entitled to them.

However, given that Republicans are locked into the Norquist pledge, it is almost certain they would not agree, even to a hike of $1. Democrats would be turning the other cheek, and Republicans would be striking it.

"Hakeem making strong push"

2011-10-17T06:44:00.001-05:00

"Hakeem making strong push to be first Green Party state legislator"

Good press for Farheen Hakeem. Hayden never gave back the money from the anti-single-payer PAC.

Contact the Hakeem campaign if you'd like to be part of the Get-Out-The-Vote effort. I dropped literature at houses this weekend. "We are the 99%!"

Hakeem defeats Hayden in debate

2011-10-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

Since the news media didn't cover Tuesday's debate for SD61 MN State Senate, I guess I have to. The candidates were Farheen Hakeem (G), Jeff Hayden (D), and Bruce Lundeen (R).

Farheen was the only one who praised OccupyMN. Hayden said nothing about it.

On the subject of Single Payer, she invited everyone to check the campaign finance reports for all the candidates. She doesn't take corporate or PAC money, while Jeff Hayden has taken money from MNDenPAC, which opposes single payer.

She talked about how legislators should not have taken the per diem pay during the shutdown, especially if they live in the metro area. Hayden took the per diem pay during the shutdown, and he lives in the metro area.

When asked about local government aid the state gives to Minneapolis, she said the city could gain credibility by curbing its police brutality problem. Hayden has taken campaign contributions from the police.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-02T13:07:00.001-05:00

One of the goals of the Occupy Wall Street movement should be to close down Wall Street, because it has little or nothing to do with the real economy. Or, at least regulate Wall Street as outlined in "The Web of Debt" by Ellen Brown.

Jeff Hayden corrupted

2011-09-25T13:20:00.001-05:00

Thanks to this beautiful research by Dan Dittmann, people can now make more informed choices about their future. It clearly shows the corruption of Jeff Hayden, as if he was caught holding a gun that is still emitting smoldering smoke. On election day 2008, I was holding a Farheen sign at 35th and 35W. Hayden's car rolled by and he told me to my face that we had common ground on single payer. What a fraud.

Slate of 6

2011-09-21T12:02:00.003-05:00

Maybe Nader wants a slate of 6 for diversity. Here are 3 male and 3 female Democrats who would be better than Obama: Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton, Rachel Maddow, Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Melissa Harris-Perry.

Obama Dollar

2011-09-02T19:02:00.000-05:00

Democratic leaders are now advising the President to "Go Big" in his jobs speech to Congress next Thursday, after Republicans snubbed him for their own debate Wednesday. Most intriguing is the potential introduction of an "Obama Dollar" Wednesday evening, as an emergency measure unilaterally enforced by the executive branch. Using discretionary funds already appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service will oversee the issuance of the new currency, which will have the same hi-tech safeguards against counterfeiting currently in use for Federal Reserve Notes.

The Obama Dollar effectively creates a shadow economy consisting of a network of farmers and infrastructure volunteers who all agree to trust each other. Anyone who wants will be put to work on projects in industries such as housing, clothing, transportation, and renewable energy. Obama Dollar expenditures will be balanced to create a self-contained perpetual circulation, using as input natural resources held or recovered by the federal government. No tax dollars will be spent except in relation to issuance of the new currency. Like Federal Reserve Notes, the Obama Dollar will not be backed by gold or any other precious metal.

For a preview of some of the projects to commence immediately, see the Venus Project web site.

IED Solution

2011-08-31T07:07:00.002-05:00

Monitor with cameras and computers 24-7 the entire length of the roadway.

Tripoli tunnels

2011-08-26T17:11:00.002-05:00

I'm fascinated by the Tripoli tunnels, but the news is overshadowed by Hurricane Irene. It was a rare instance where I used the StarTribune as a news source.

Ron Paul

2011-08-15T20:23:00.004-05:00

BAD

Choice
Civil Rights
Environment
Federal Agencies
Health Care
Immigration
Israel
Revenue
Stimulus
United Nations

GOOD

Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Federal Reserve
NAFTA
Patriot Act
Privacy
Torture
War on Drugs
WTO

Shutdown and Default

2011-07-21T22:39:00.000-05:00

I was not affected by the MN shutdown. I'm afraid that people will carry on as normal and just keeping voting as they have in the past. I don't think the average person will see why government is important.

In the national level debt ceiling debate, what everybody is missing is that the Fed creates money out of thin air, and so can the treasury. To prevent inflation, we just need to put people to work on things that are sustainable.

‎...and if Ed Schultz is going to complain about Obama, he should talk seriously about a primary challenger, if not a third party challenger. Otherwise, Big Eddie is just another tool for the corporations.

Lethal Dayton

2011-06-15T20:54:00.000-05:00

Mark Dayton has a history of depression, is independently wealthy, ran without party endorsement for governor, and only served one term in the U.S. Senate. Like the suicidal Detective Sergeant Martin Riggs in the movie "Lethal Weapon," he's got nothing to lose, and there's no telling what he'll do. The Republicans don't know who they're messing with. I wouldn't be surprised if all hell breaks loose in the 2nd half of 2011 in Minnesota.

Partisan Pakistan

2011-06-15T20:35:00.003-05:00

Today Pakistan arrested people who helped the CIA track down Bin Laden.

Under one scenario, Pakistan worked with Bush but didn't tell Obama, which would explain how things are playing out. Partisan political polarization within the bureaucratic intelligence community labyrinth, spilling out into foreign policy on the other side of the northern hemisphere.

High School Newspapers

2011-06-01T00:35:00.002-05:00

Here are links to PDF files of some issues of the Statesman, newspaper of Frank B. Kellogg High School. These could take a while to load. The file size appears next to each link.

1967-1971 159 MB
1972-1977 112 MB
1977-1978 123 MB
1979-1981 double sheets 131 MB
1979-1981 single sheets 27 MB

We have an all-school reunion planned for July 30, 2011.
Registration

Facebook Group

St. Cloud rally held after assault

2011-05-26T22:35:00.002-05:00

So proud of my sister Janet for taking a high profile, public stand against hate crime.

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011105250076

http://wjon.com/members-and-allies-of-gay-community-gather-to-support-assault-victim-speak-against-hate-crime-audio/

http://wjon.com/attack-sparks-anti-hate-rally-in-downtown-st-cloud-video/

Clinton-Ryan to weaken Medicare?

2011-05-26T17:23:00.002-05:00

The recent Clinton-Ryan conversation sounds to me like Democrats and Republicans are conspiring to weaken Medicare.

http://www.examiner.com/libertarian-in-national/bill-clinton-confabs-with-paul-ryan-warns-dems-against-doing-nothing

MN government shutdown

2011-05-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

If the Republicans don't meet Governor Dayton halfway, I think he should force a government shutdown. The public is not paying attention, and this will help them to see why government is important. Republicans are generally anti-government, and a shutdown would show us the logical conclusion of the direction they've been taking us. When a shutdown occurs, it becomes a question of what side is bargaining in good faith, from the perspective of independent swing voters. Republicans were elected with a mandate, but so was Dayton. If Republicans don't budge, they should get the blame. Split-ticket voting has led to gridlock, with the governor of one party and the legislature of another. People need to decide which direction they want the state to go, and maybe a shutdown will force them to choose, and hopefully boot out the Republicans in 2014.

Debt Ceiling

2011-05-20T17:21:00.001-05:00

"Now that the government has reached its debt limit, the Treasury is set to engage various temporary measures to tread water until August 2.... The next round of these measures -- in which the government liquidates certain investments of a pension fund and blocks other funds from new investment -- is set to commence Monday."

U.S. Reaches Debt Limit, Geithner Warns Of Dire Consequences
www.huffingtonpost.com

"The federal government reached its debt limit Monday, and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner again detailed the disastrous and widespread consequences of Congressional inaction."

Glitter on Newt

2011-05-19T06:53:00.000-05:00

Post-Gabby Giffords this is a bad idea. It's a startling reminder how vulnerable public figures can be, and it gives the Right a talking point every time we call for civil discourse.

9/11 Matrix

2011-05-07T17:23:00.003-05:00

This is tongue-in-cheek.

Bin Laden killed

2011-05-02T06:04:00.002-05:00

Bin Laden killed, in Pakistan, not Afghanistan or Iraq. I wonder if this could somehow be related to the upcoming Gates-Panetta-Petraeus shuffle, or if it was strictly a tactical discovery.

McKinney says democracy doesn't exist

2011-04-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

Cynthia McKinney's article "Hear and Read ALL of This If Nothing Else - Libya, Cote d'Ivoire, We Must Respond!" is long, and I didn't give it the most thorough reading, but this caught my attention. She asks rhetorically if the U.S. and its allies are more democratic than Libya, then writes:

"The answer in fact is a resounding NO, for the plain and simple reason that democracy doesn't exist. This isn't a personal opinion, but a quote from someone whose native town Geneva, hosts the bulk of UN institutions. The quote is from Jean Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva in 1712 and who writes in chapter four of the third book of the famous 'Social Contract' that 'there never was a true democracy and there never will be.'"

Call me an idealist, but the last time I checked, the first Key Value of the Green Party was Grassroots DEMOCRACY. Our current government may be corrupt, but our Green Party mission is not to give up on the electoral process. To the contrary, our mission is to use the electoral process to get Green majorities and reform our government, all-the-while adhering to the fourth Key Value, NONVIOLENCE.

Now, if electoral fraud in the U.S. becomes so egregious that it justifies violent overthrow, that's one thing. But it seems McKinney here is saying in her own words that democracy doesn't even exist, therefore Gaddafi's system is acceptable, even preferable. To me that sounds like a position that is simply untenable in the Green Party.

Maybe somebody should ask Cynthia McKinney why Gaddafi shut down Facebook, and while they're at it, ask her if she would take away our right to vote.

Syria strategy

2011-04-23T15:53:00.001-05:00

It seems that Syrians need to coalesce spontaneously and overrun a police station, then disperse quickly. Peaceful protests are not getting the job done I'm afraid.

GOP regards selfishness as a virtue

2011-04-19T16:37:00.001-05:00

Republicans praise Ayn Rand. Rand Paul is named after her. Ayn Rand released a book titled, "The Virtue of Selfishness." She idolized William Hickman, a cold-blooded child murderer. (Source: Thom Hartmann)

This week, Donald Trump said he would invade Libya to take the oil. Whatever happened to "Thou Shalt Not Steal"? He doesn't even pretend to be honorable.

Government is good

2011-04-11T17:29:00.001-05:00

Government is you. Government is me. Government is God and people working in harmony. It's the only way we ever would work together for the common good. Yes, government is good. Government is good.

Distancing myself from Cynthia McKinney

2011-04-09T06:26:00.002-05:00

Ever since joining the Green Party in 2000, I have felt that running presidential candidates is the most interesting thing we do. I was Cynthia McKinney's top signature-gatherer in Minnesota.

I still feel that nominating Cynthia McKinney in 2008 was the right thing to do, given what we knew at the time. On 9/11 Truth, Depleted Uranium, and Ending the Fed, I agree, and I am still pledged to vote against Obama in 2012.

But we need a new candidate to run against him. Either that or get behind Nader or some other progressive so we don't split the vote. Cynthia McKinney has been great in the past, but now it's her turn to ride securely at the belly of the bus.

Recently in this blog I posted a statement from McKinney, forwarded by the GPUS, where she clearly sides with Qaddafi. She has led two delegations to Tripoli. At the end, she quotes a Chavez communique, "Long live Muammar Al-Qathafi! "

http://tomstream.blogspot.com/2011/03/libya-pros-and-cons.html

I remember when she came to the GPMN state meeting Nov. 7, 2009. We had just finished putting stickers on a white board, and she compared it to Qaddafi's Green Book. And she was supposed to appear Jan. 19, 2011 at St. Joan of Arc church, but she couldn't make it because her plane was delayed in Libya.

As stated earlier, I agree with most of what Cynthia McKinney says. I have worked so hard for her in the past. But this issue is a deal-breaker for me.

According to Wikipedia, Qaddafi's "'revolutionary sector' is not elected and cannot be voted out of office and dictates the decision-making power of the 'Jamahiriya sector'". Also, I don't see anyone refuting reports that Qaddafi has used violence against his own people.

Whether the UN intervention in Libya is a good idea may depend on what sort of constitution and government comes out of it. McKinney makes a compelling case that the US is up to no good. But siding with Qaddafi? Just because his book is Green doesn't mean that he is. Two wrongs don't make a right. The enemy of my enemy should not necessarily be my friend.

Cynthia talked a lot about race in her statement. At one point she writes, "In short, if you want to stop Black people, then one key move is to stop Colonel Qaddafi."

I have tried to remain colorblind in my analysis of the Libyan situation. To me, the key question has been simply whether Qaddafi is a violent dictator.

I generally trust NPR when it comes to war coverage, and I was appalled by the story of the journalists held hostage by the Libyan military, the woman groped, and her life threatened. I was stunned by stories of journalists fed propaganda and not allowed to talk to average people and cover the war. And let us not forget the Lockerbie bombing.

I am not a happy camper. I wore my Cynthia McKinney bumper stickers with pride, but they are coming off soon. I am not one for groupthink. My main loyalty is to the truth.

Libya Pros and Cons

2011-03-21T20:12:00.002-05:00

Pros

Qadafi crazy
Opposition asked for help
Arab League Vote
UN, French involvement
Chance for democracy

Cons

Imperialism
Oil
Hypocrisy
Destruction
Chance for corporate puppet

Nuke fix

2011-03-17T16:14:00.000-05:00

Robot hoses.

Cleland Family History

2011-03-09T19:48:00.004-06:00

Part 1 39.4 MB

Overview of the ancestors and relatives of Spencer Carl Cleland (my son), born 1991.

Part 2 102.3 MB

Family history of Burton James Cleland (my father), born 1925.

Part 3 77 MB

Family history of Marilyn Joyce Harper Cleland (my mother), born 1928.

Part 4 88 MB

Distant past Cleland history, obtained by my cousin John Munter.

Part 5 1.6 MB

Poster-sized, concentric circle chart of Cleland ancestors, created in 1924.

WI prank call

2011-02-24T08:42:00.001-06:00

I played the YouTubes of the 20 minute call, and it shows clearly the rich elite are waging systematic class warfare against the majority. Unions set the bar for wages and working conditions for all of us, and they could be our last line of defense. If we're not careful, we could lose our rights and end up like the sons of Jacob, who, after food shortages and a change of leadership, voluntarily entered into lives of slavery.

Artist of the Alphabet

2011-02-13T11:47:00.001-06:00

Scott Cleland, artist of the alphabet
The traveling artist in residence blended performance and teaching to bring letters to life.

By JAMES WALSH, Star Tribune
Last update: February 12, 2011 - 9:33 PM

http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/116089364.html

Scott Cleland, 1951-2011

2011-02-09T13:04:00.002-06:00

Scott James Cleland
March 19, 1951 – February 8, 2011

My brother Scott died of lymphoma. His husband showed tremendous care for Scott over the years and particularly at the end. As a medical professional, he saw to it that Scott had the best possible medical care. They traveled the world together, created and admired art, and recorded for posterity “The Alphabet Adventure of Scott Cleland.” It was Scott’s life’s work, and combined his passions of acting, history, art, and calligraphy.

Scott acted in many high school plays, including a wonderfully zany character in “The Fantastiks.” He brought down the house as Big Daddy in “Sweet Charity” – the only play all three of my older siblings were in together. Scott was the oldest of the five siblings. Ten years younger, I was the fourth, and was impressed and inspired by his performances and awards.

He went on to get a theater degree from the University of Minnesota. He performed at Stagecoach and Peppermint Tent, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform “365 Days,” a play about the Vietnam War. He was an extra in the original movie “Heartbreak Kid” and had a speaking role, saying, “Hi Kelly” to Cybill Shepherd. I was actually an extra for a play in one of Scott’s acting classes: I played a deceased child and they dragged me in on a sheet.

Scott loved the Renaissance Festival, and it was there that he learned calligraphy. He was always making banners, posters, etc. for us, and he taught us the basics, as he did for his many students over the years. He collected goose feathers to be used as quills, assisting in the production of the St. John’s Bible, and met in association with the calligrapher to the Queen of England.

Scott did sculpting as well as two-dimensional art, and had other hobbies such as beekeeping and exotic pet pheasants. One year they hosted us for Christmas and he scattered corn in their wooded back yard, attracting exactly nine deer, the same number used to pull Santa’s sleigh.

On Christmas Eve growing up we would sing Christmas carols, and it was by listening to Scott that I learned how to harmonize. Scott also had a quick wit and great sense of humor. If I manage to say something funny there’s a good chance it’s thanks to my brothers.

He was great with the nieces, doing spontaneous things like “foot claps” and “knee slaps.” He would give my son rides to family dinner, saving me a 72-mile round trip.

Scott knew architecture. He would point at a building and explain the “egg and dart” pattern there. When I was depressed in 1990, he took me to the museum, which helped me to eventually snap out of it. In 2004, he took Mom to London, where they toured royal palaces, Bath, and Stonehenge.

Scott also inspired me politically. During his college years, I remember him telling us about a protest on campus with teargas and how he had to run between two buildings. Years later, he told a story about how he was in another city, marching in one of the first Gay Pride parades, somebody giving him a banner to hold, being on national TV, and worrying about it, because it was before he came out in 1982. As an activist, I would sometimes march in our Minneapolis GLBT Pride parade, and I ran into Scott a couple times while I was there, and he appreciated my involvement.

With Scott, there is so much, I’m sure I’m leaving out something important. This is just what comes to mind today. Rest in Peace, dear brother. We love you.

Just start governing

2011-01-31T21:29:00.000-06:00

It’s easier said than done to just start governing in Egypt. A communications hierarchy is essential. For now, decisions can be made based on how big each activist group is estimated to be. They can each elect a point person. Without knowledge of and access to the means of production, obtaining necessities could be daunting I’m afraid. Getting food I would say is a priority. Not sure if they have it in the countryside. I recently finished “All New Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholemew. Not sure if there’s time in Egypt to employ his techniques. Instead of a book review, for now I’ll just say I recommend it.

Landwehr could mean land wear

2011-01-24T20:48:00.001-06:00

On MPR today, Mike Edgerly asked Dayton’s new DNR commissioner Thomas Landwehr if he favors letting companies do their own environmental impact statements. Landwehr answered that it should be ok, as long as the contractor provides the same report to the state that they do to the company. I’m not reassured that he’s reassured.

Suburbia

2011-01-17T12:13:00.006-06:00

Click here to read the 1984 Manuscript.
It may take a while to load, and you may need to refresh or resize using the various buttons.

Gabrielle Giffords

2011-01-10T20:24:00.001-06:00

The shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and many others in Arizona Saturday saddens me. This tragedy involves mental illness and Arizona’s lax firearms laws. I also suspect violent Republican rhetoric as a factor. If you listen to AM950 or MPR or watch MSNBC, you will notice that the rhetoric is not violent. There is a better way. Let’s choose love before hate, peace before war, life before death, in keeping with the KV of Nonviolence.

Ageless Body, Timeless Mind

2011-01-10T20:03:00.000-06:00

Book Review: Ageless Body, Timeless Mind by Deepak Chopra

This book says our spirits are beyond time so we can have less stress and live longer. At the smallest levels, there is empty space and we can use it to keep repairing our bodies, maybe indefinitely. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and meditation all help, as well as creativity, purpose, positivity, and love.

Change U.S. Senate rules

2011-01-05T15:17:00.000-06:00

I support changing U.S. Senate rules to end secret holds (anonymous filibusters).

Main Lesson of 2010

2010-12-31T18:27:00.002-06:00

We forced the recount! The main lesson of 2010 is that if Democrats ignore Green Party issues, they risk losing elections.

2010 Christmas Blog Post

2010-12-25T00:52:00.001-06:00

Spencer is a sophomore this year, living off-campus near the University of Minnesota. He has exceeded expectations, taking Pre-Med classes, and made the Dean’s list twice last year. His girlfriend Emma is a freshman at St. Olaf, and is also studying Pre-Med. This summer, the three of us played tennis, and Emma joined us for our family dinner.

I’m so proud of Mom, who quit smoking after 63 years, albeit after a fall and nearly three weeks in transitional care in April. She’s on oxygen now, but still prepares family dinners, including Thanksgiving and part of tomorrow’s Christmas feast. Now if I could just get her to wear her trial hearing aids!

On April 11, we lost my Uncle Robert Cleland, who was an exemplary peace activist. In May, I attended his memorial service, where Aunt Jean and each of their six children spoke, each describing a different aspect of Uncle Bob’s story. All did well, and it was good to see everybody.

This year I had my first community garden plot, where I grew a Native American Three Sisters Garden consisting of corn, beans, and pumpkins. The squirrels ate half my corn, and I only got two pumpkins, but I got a lot of beans. I documented the heck out of it, posting pictures on Facebook, so now you all know what to do if you have to grow your own food. Actually, I haven’t eaten any of the food yet, but I did buy some similar pumpkins at the farmer’s market to make pumpkin bread for the feast tomorrow.

I went to the MN State Fair twice this year. The first time I ran in the 5K with my friend Wendy, her daughter, and her daughter’s boyfriend. The second time I went with my sister Janet and cousin Carolyn, who visited from Chicago.

At work, I made all my deliveries through the Nov. 13 snowstorm, but we were pulled off the street during the Dec. 11 blizzard. I felt fortunate for that. I also feel fortunate that I am not an “at-will” employee, and therefore feel much more at ease in exercising my right to free speech in my spare time.

Politically… In January I lost my seat on the 5CDGPSC, but that’s ok since I was burnt out after three terms. On March 3 I testified at the hearing on the reappointment of Mpls. Police Chief Dolan, and parts of my testimony were covered on TV and radio. On March 14 I was a DFL delegate to my local convention. I did it just so could quit, basically. And on October 2, I attended the One Nation March in Washington, D.C. with fellow activist D.J. Strohl. We left a carbon footprint, but at least we stood up to Glen Beck and the Republicans.

But my proudest accomplishment of 2010 was the work I did for the gubernatorial campaign of Farheen Hakeem and her running mate Dan Dittmann. First we needed to collect at least 2,000 signatures to get them on the ballot, of which I got 500. Then we needed to get our message out. We ran two radio ads. I paid for the first one, and helped write both of them. I also produced some YouTube videos to go with the ads. Farheen had some great appearances on TPT, MPR, and other media, and we had a presence at the tri-county fair in Owatonna, as well as other forums and events. And when Obama came to town for Dayton, I passed out my essay, “Mark Dayton is Too Conservative” to people standing in line.

In the end, we only got 0.29% of the vote, but it was enough to force the recount. Farheen also won the FairVote Ranked Poll. I think we did great for four people: Farheen, Dan, D.J., and myself, plus a few kids dropping literature. We’re up against some powerful forces.

Wishing everyone the best for all the assorted Holidays, and a Merry Christmas!
Tom

2009 Christmas Blog Post

Tell But Don’t Harass

2010-12-19T19:53:00.001-06:00

It’s about time that Congress repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Public opinion is shifting, and opposition has not been polling well for Republicans. It also may have been part of the deal to extend the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2%. Repealing DADT is a social issue that most people can understand, while the tax cuts are economic and their magnitude less understood. The giveaway to the rich is more than the stimulus, and more than the Iraq War. It affects our national debt and how much we owe to China. All these issues should be treated separately, including the unemployment extensions, as I mentioned earlier this month. If each issue is treated separately, then it should be easier to apply political pressure on the Republicans. What I didn’t mention (recently) is that if we followed Ellen Brown’s blueprint, we might not even need an income tax. But given that we have one, it’s ridiculous to have to give astronomical sums to a few just so we can give crumbs to millions. The wrath of those millions should have been brought to bear on the Republicans.

As for the new policy, it should be called, “Tell But Don’t Harass.” Everybody come out of the closet, just follow the same guidelines as heterosexuals in the workplace: No hostility, no abuse of authority, no pressure, no repeated invitations, no lewd conduct.

Anti-Socialism Pledge

2010-12-18T16:35:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I try to get teabaggers to sign the Anti-Socialism Pledge. The full text of the pledge is at http://www.bloggingformichigan.com/diary/4752/will-you-take-the-antisocialist-pledge.

Economic Patriotism

2010-12-18T16:33:00.002-06:00

Economic patriotism is buying American so we can keep jobs in the USA, where unions can protect wages and working conditions. I bought these jeans at http://www.allamericanclothing.com/.

Obama’s crock of shit

2010-12-07T18:08:00.000-06:00

Obama’s press conference today: What a crock of shit. Unemployment extensions should be treated as a separate issue. Raise taxes on the rich and use the money to create new jobs. If nothing else, pay each person to tend a piece of land. Say you’ll sign the Pelosi tax cuts on the bottom 98%, and VETO the Bush tax cuts on the top 2%. (Can you say, “VETO”?) Obama is really frickin’ his base up the arse, if you know what I mean. I predict Bernie Sanders will threaten a filibuster but then back down based on the unemployment extensions. He did something similar on health care. Then the liberal talkers will make excuses. What a sham.

Strib finally covers Farheen!

2010-11-30T18:40:00.000-06:00

We finally received media attention from the Strib!

http://www.startribune.com/politics/recount/111014859.html

Apparently someone wrote “Who?” next to Farheen and Dan’s names on a ballot for Dayton. This must have been a very mean-spirited voter. Anybody recognize the handwriting?

WikiLeaks

2010-11-28T21:05:00.001-06:00

I have high hopes for WikiLeaks:

“The cables show the extent of US spying on its allies and the UN; turning a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuse in ‘client states’; backroom deals with supposedly neutral countries; lobbying for US corporations; and the measures US diplomats take to advance those who have access to them.”

For years, the Green Party has been trying to raise awareness about how our government has been corrupted by the corporate parties. Hopefully this new information will finally convince more people to quit voting for the Democrats and Republicans.

Fewer votes cast than in 2006

2010-11-20T18:35:00.002-06:00

This map shows the drop in votes cast from 2006 to 2010. The darker the shade of red, the deeper the drop in votes. The green counties actually saw an increase in votes cast. It looks like the biggest drops were along the southern and western edges of the state.

Interestingly, although Mike Hatch lost, he received more votes four years ago than Mark Dayton did this year.

Fewer voters choose Dayton

2010-11-11T22:23:00.006-06:00

Year	Office	Candidate	MN%	MNvotes
2006	Senator	Klobuchar	58.06	1278849
2008	President	Obama	54.06	1573354
2010	Attorney	Swanson	52.9	1075536
2004	President	Kerry	51.09	1445014
2010	Secretary	Ritchie	49.1	999382
2000	Senator	Dayton	48.83	1181553
2010	Auditor	Otto	48.39	981822
2000	President	Gore	47.91	1168266
2002	Senator	Mondale	47.34	1067246
2006	Governor	Hatch	45.73	1007460
2010	Governor	Dayton	43.63	919214
2008	Senator	Franken	41.99	1212431
2002	Governor	Moe	36.46	821268
1998	Governor	Humphrey	28.1	587528

As this table shows, Dayton’s numbers this year were lower than other DFL statewide candidates this year and in years past, and lower than what he himself got when he ran for Senate in 2000. Horner, who got 12%, compared to 5% for other IP candidates this year, can explain most of the difference. The IP has haunted the DFL in races for Governor ever since Jesse Ventura won in 1998. But Horner is arguably more conservative than Dean Barkley, Tim Penney, and Peter Hutchinson, IP candidates of years past. Why is the IP still pulling votes from the Democrat? It could be IP party loyalty, or voters being uninformed about how conservative Horner is. But it could also be high negatives for Dayton, and I think the Farheen Hakeem campaign had something to do with that. We know that she forced the recount.

That fewer voters are choosing the DFL offers us a ray of hope that we can one day defeat the corrupt corporate-party system dominated by the Republicans and Democrats. Since Republican voters seem to be less informed about what can be accomplished by reforming government, Democratic voters will likely need to abandon their party first. They may end up doing this for moral reasons. We know that Democratic Party policies have resulted in deaths in Iraq, Palestine, in coalmines, and on oilrigs. Republican Party policies are similar, but it may take longer for Republican voters to become informed and to incorporate altruistic values into their belief systems.

Gubernatorial recount

2010-11-07T11:17:00.001-06:00

Mark Dayton needed just 0.08% more of the total to reach half a percent and avoid an automatic recount. By contrast, Green Party candidate Farheen Hakeem received 0.29% of the total. The people have spoken.

If only Mark Dayton had not voted to fund the Iraq War, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not voted for the Patriot Act, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not supported providing military aid to Israel, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not voted to build a fence along the Mexican border, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not helped pass the Bush tax cuts, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not voted to give billions to coal, oil, nuclear, and ethanol, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not suggested a state-run casino, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had not advocated state support for a stadium, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only Mark Dayton had publicly campaigned on Instant Runoff Voting, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only the DFL had endorsed John Marty, then perhaps this recount could have been avoided.

If only every Dayton voter had voted for Farheen Hakeem, then this recount WOULD have been avoided.

I can’t understand why anyone would want to be part of a corrupt political system. If you voted for Obama, Dayton, or Ellison, you’re responsible for predator drones in Pakistan, depleted uranium in Iraq, and all the deaths caused by Democratic Party policies. Make no mistake, that blood is on your hands.

Just as any suffering caused by Tim Pawlenty or Tom Emmer is on the hands of the Republicans, and theirs alone. Make no mistake. YOU are responsible for what YOU vote for, not for what somebody else votes for.

Emmer should drop out. It would be the decent thing to do, but he is not a decent bet to drop out. He will likely try to destroy our democratic government.

If Emmer does not drop out, he should at least thank Farheen Hakeem. He should express gratitude to a Muslim woman in hijab, who prays to Allah, and who takes part in a Green Party jihad.

Got IRV?

SPOILERS!!!

2010-11-03T08:35:00.003-05:00

I embrace our role as potential spoilers. The lesson here is that if Democrats nominate conservative, big-money candidates, they risk losing elections.

Hakeem Wins FairVote Ranked Poll!

2010-11-01T10:13:00.003-05:00

(Update above: Screen shot AFTER polls closed!)

As of this writing, with less than 22 hours before polls open, Farheen Hakeem has won the FairVote Ranked Poll! This shows that when voters have a chance to rank their favorite candidate first, Hakeem emerges as the best candidate in the field. She had by far the most first-choice votes, with 38%, compared to 26% for Dayton and 24% for Horner.

This poll was never concluded and remains subject to change, so I have pasted the current results below. The formatting may be hard to read, but the numbers are there:

Candidate name Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6
Mark Dayton/Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL Party) 76 76 +1 77 +2 79 +4 83 +54 137 -
Tom Emmer/Annette Meeks (Republican Party) 8 +1 9 +1 10 -10 - - - -
Linda Eno/Howard Hanson (Resource Party) 1 -1 - - - - - -
Farheen Hakeem/Dan Dittmann (Green Party) 112 112 +1 113 +1 114 +13 127 +11 138 Elected
Tom Horner/James Mulder (Independence Party) 70 70 70 +2 72 +5 77 -77 - -
Ken Pentel/Erin Wallace (Ecology Democracy Party) 24 24 +2 26 +1 27 -27 - - -
Chris Wright/Edwin Engelman (Grassroots Party) 5 5 -5 - - - - -

Here is the Fairvote page:
http://fairvotemn.org/fv/frontpage-poll-results/1826

Hakeem for Governor Video 2

2010-10-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

Mark Dayton is Too Conservative

2010-10-24T08:12:00.001-05:00

If you think Mark Dayton is on the Left, think again. Let’s review his record, issue by issue.

Mark Dayton voted to fund the Iraq War.

He voted against the use of military force (Oct. 2002), but then he voted to spend $86 billion for military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan (Oct. 2003). He also voted against redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007 (Jun 2006). The Green Party opposed both wars from the start, and opposed any funding that would keep the wars going. We favored providing enough funding to get the troops home safely, and there was no doubt already enough money “in the pipeline” to do just that.

The Iraq War was unprovoked. No weapons of mass destruction were found. There was never a link to 9/11. The U.S. suffered over 4,000 dead and 31,000 wounded, and Iraq may have lost over a million, many of whom were civilians including children. The torture that occurred at the Abu Ghraib prison was our national shame. To destroy tanks, we used depleted uranium weapons, which left behind poison dust that will remain radioactive for thousands of years. It is thought that the U.S. will maintain a minimum of 50,000 troops until all the oil has been drained from Iraq.

Mark Dayton voted for the Patriot Act.

This was a reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act (Mar. 2006). The original law was passed in 2001. The Patriot Act gave government powerful tools to collect information. The congress and public have still not received real information about these tools and how they are being used. As it currently stands, the FBI can compel Internet service providers, libraries, banks, and credit reporting companies to turn over sensitive information about their customers and patrons. Using this data, the government can compile vast dossiers about innocent Americans. The Patriot Act criminalizes a wide array of activities, such as providing any tangible or intangible good, service, or advice to a terrorist group, even if it was not on purpose.

Since Dayton’s vote, congress has expanded government powers with a new “material support” law that was upheld by the Supreme Court (June 2010). The FBI may have been testing its new powers recently when it raided the homes of peace activists in Minneapolis. It should be noted that the Obama administration argued before the Supreme Court on the repressive side: For expanding the definition of material support.

Mark Dayton supported providing military aid to Israel.

In response to the Minnesota Newspaper Association Election Questionnaire (Jul. 2, 2000), Dayton wrote: “I support providing aid to Israel - both military and economic - at its current level.” This type of aid is often passed as part an omnibus spending bill, where various expenditures are lumped together. Dayton also attended a June 30 meeting of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), America’s Pro-Israel Lobby, held at the University of Minnesota.

It is important to distinguish anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism. It is consistent with the Green Party Key Value of Diversity not only to respect the Jewish faith, but also to celebrate its contributions to U.S. culture and traditions. Opposing the political and military actions of the leaders of Israel is a separate issue.

To some, the construction of a wall seemed a sensible solution to the suicide bomber problem. They may not have been aware that the wall zig-zags so that most of the water wells are on the Israeli side. Even more humiliating are numerous Israeli settlements on the Palestine side of the wall. The Israeli army has used bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes without warning. Palestinians must wait at numerous checkpoints to commute to work or perform routine errands. Unemployment among Palestinians is sky-high, and life is said to be unbearable.

In response to sporadic rocket attacks to its west, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and killed over 1,000 Palestinians. Gaza is blockaded to this day, with only limited medical aid. Cynthia McKinney, our Green Party presidential candidate in 2008, joined the passengers of the ship Dignity as it attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. On December 30, 2008, the Israel Navy rammed the Dignity, and directed gunfire at the water, on international waters, forcing the boat back to Lebanon. On June 30, 2009, McKinney was aboard the ship Spirit of Humanity, which was seized by the Israeli Navy. Along with fellow passengers, she was held in a detention center for a week. On May 31, 2010, Israel killed nine humanitarian members of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

Mark Dayton voted to build a fence along the Mexican border.

He voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Sep. 2006), which allowed for 700 miles of double-reinforced fence along the 2,000-mile border. To build the fence, the U.S. hired the Israeli company Elbit, the same company that built the wall to keep out Palestinians. The multi-billion dollar fence has had setbacks with cameras and other technology, and immigrants use hacksaws, blowtorches, ladders, and ramps to breach the fence. Last year there were thousands of breaches, each costing an average of $1,300 to repair.

Immigration by undocumented workers increased steadily after the start of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which was negotiated behind closed doors and signed by Bill Clinton. Under NAFTA, heavily-subsidized U.S. corn undercut Mexican farmers. Wal-Mart drove out local businesses. The Mexican government crushed unions, driving down wages, with U.S. firms unwilling to pay even minimal taxes. Many Mexicans must contend with sweatshops, subsistence-level wages, pollution, congestion, cardboard shacks, and open sewers. It would seem more progressive to insist on righting these injustices before trying to make the U.S. into a gated community.

The border was drawn as a result of the Mexican-American War in the 1840’s. Most Mexicans are descendants of indigenous peoples, and the fence severs the lands of the O'odham, Cocopah and Kickapoo Native American nations. The fence also disrupts animal migration, with disregard to laws concerning endangered species.

As alternatives to a fence, we can require employers to obey existing laws, provide undocumented workers a pathway to citizenship, and modify U.S. foreign policy to improve living conditions in Mexico. Recognizing the world has limited resources, we can also focus more on feminism. Studies show that when women are empowered, population rates tend to stabilize.

Mark Dayton helped pass the Bush tax cuts.

Dayton voted both for and against this legislation. He voted against the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, but he voted for the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (Feb. 2006), which extended the reductions in capital gains and dividends tax rates from the 2003 act. After the reductions had passed the House, he voted for final passage in the Senate, which allowed the bill to go on to conference committee. In the May 11, 2006 Congressional Record, Dayton said, “Last year, when this body passed a version of this legislation, I voted for it, principally because it included my amendment requiring corporate executives to pay their fair share of taxes when they use their company planes for their personal use…. My amendment would have raised $44 million in Federal revenues during the next 10 years…”

By contrast, according to a report by the Congressional Resource Service, the 2-year cost of the extensions on capital gains tax cuts was $20 billion. This is 2273 times greater than the amount that would have been saved by plugging the corporate jet loophole.

Dayton voted against the conference committee version, but if they had retained his amendment, we can’t be sure how he would have voted.

Mark Dayton voted to give billions to coal, oil, nuclear, and ethanol.

According to Public Citizen, the disastrous Energy Policy Act of 2005 (July 2005) provided tax breaks and subsidies of $9 billion for coal, $6 billion for oil and gas, and $12 billion for nuclear power. Ethanol is also included throughout the legislation.

Coal emits mercury and greenhouse gases. Entire mountaintops are removed in Appalachia, polluting headwaters and destroying entire ecosystems. In fact, the Green Party affiliate in West Virginia is called the Mountain Party. It was in that state that 29 coal miners were killed April 5 after serious unrepentant safety violations at Massey Energy, headed by Don Blankenship.

Oil also emits greenhouse gases and other pollution. Likely more urgent is the problem of Peak Oil, which means that discoveries of new wells have peaked, and world supplies are now about half gone, with demand increasing. Oil is not only needed for gasoline, but also for plastics, rubber, baby oil, and many other things we take for granted. It is believed by some that Peak Oil is the real cause for our current high unemployment, and rising oil prices will halt any growth-based economic recovery. The demand for oil has caused drillers to resort to ever more risky sources, such as deepwater drilling, which led to the catastrophic BP oil leak. According to DFL Rep. Jeremy Kalin, the bill Dayton voted for “gutted environmental safeguards in deepwater drilling.”

Nuclear power emits waste that remains radioactive for thousands of years. Handling the fuel and waste safely is just part of an exceedingly complex process that is extremely expensive.

Ethanol is not an efficient energy source, because fuel is required to power the tractors, combines, etc. necessary to grow the corn. Also, it takes away land that could be used for food production and biodiversity.

On the Energy Policy Act, the Center for American Progress wrote, “Amendments in the House and Senate to raise fuel efficiency standards for vehicles failed. Amendments in the House to remove provisions limiting state and local roles in the siting of oil refineries also failed, as did measures to ensure environmental justice for minority and low-income communities. Senate amendments requiring a renewable energy standard of 10 percent by 2020 and addressing global warming through mandatory limits on carbon emissions were dropped during conference.”

Mark Dayton supports a state-run casino.

Dayton is on record supporting a state-run metro casino as a way to raise revenue. One drawback that becomes immediately apparent is how gambling addictions can ruin personal finances and tear families apart. One might ask, “Why then do we have gambling on Indian Reservations?” The answer is that we can respect tribal sovereignty without adopting their methods of raising revenue.

A more progressive solution is a state-run bank. According to Ellen Brown, author of The Web of Debt: “The Federal Reserve’s charts show that ‘base money’ is rapidly expanding—meaning coins, paper money, and commercial banks’ reserves with the central bank. But the money isn’t getting where it needs to go to stimulate economic growth: into the bank accounts of American businesses and consumers…. The only state that owns its own bank today is North Dakota. North Dakota is also one of only two states (along with Montana) on track to meet their budgets by 2010. It currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the country and the largest budget surplus it has ever had, tallying in at $1.3 billion.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of Aug. 2010, North Dakota had the lowest unemployment in the nation, at 3.7%. South Dakota was second at 4.5%. The highest was Nevada at 14.4%.

Mark Dayton supports taxpayer-funded stadiums.

Mark Dayton, Tom Emmer, and Tom Horner have all come out in favor of spending our public tax dollars for a private sports stadium. Greens not only oppose tax funding for a new Vikings stadium; they also opposed it for the Twins stadium. The Twins stadium tax was supposed to go before the residents of Hennepin County for a vote, but legislators, led by DFLer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, circumvented the referendum process. We need to hold the corporate parties accountable. It’s a question of priorities, putting needs before wants. The homeless shelters next-door to Target Field are a stark reminder. As long as there are people who truly need help, we don’t need to help millionaires.

Hakeem for Governor Video 1

2010-10-17T16:35:00.001-05:00

Farheen on Almanac

2010-10-09T03:16:00.002-05:00

In tonight’s debate on Almanac, Cathy Wurzer asked the candidates where they are on the political spectrum, and Farheen Hakeem seemed to be the only one who didn’t dodge the question: She’s on the Left. For example, she was the only candidate who was at the protest of the FBI raids. Like Chris Wright, she supports legalization of marijuana, but she’s also speaking out on social, racial, and economic justice. I would add that the Green Party has four pillars: Two are Ecology and Democracy, the name of Ken Pentel’s party, but the other two are Peace and Justice, which is what Farheen is all about. Ken’s economic vision is not human-driven. Farheen’s is human-driven, with the expectation that humans want to live in harmony with nature. I was pleased that Ken mentioned earth homes and a Minnesota currency.

If they won’t place themselves on the political spectrum, I will. From left to right, they are: Farheen Hakeem, Ken Pentel, Chris Wright, Mark Dayton, Linda Eno, Tom Horner, and Tom Emmer. The first three are liberal, the last four are conservative. Wright is mostly on the left, but he did mention Libertarianism in conjunction with legalization, his repeated primary focus and emphasis.

Wurzer said the candidates’ web sites don’t address the budget crisis. Farheen said hers does, and here’s an excerpt:

“Fiscal Responsibility…Significantly raising taxes on individuals that are making more than $250,000 is one of the many solutions that I will bring as Governor of Minnesota. Others are creating a Minnesota State Bank so your money is working to benefit you and your community, creating a wind energy company to bring jobs and clean energy revenue to our community, and reducing salaries of state employees that are making over $100,000.”

http://www.farheenhakeem.org/Issues

Eric Eskola asked Linda Eno about how her web site talked about aquaculture, and she said she wasn’t sure. This I just pasted from the Resource Party web site:

“Aquaculture – Fish Farming…The states or federal government should invest more money in the infrastructure needed in water treatment facilities for the expansion of the aquaculture industry. The industry could create new sustainable jobs, new markets for food crops, stop the over harvest of our lakes that is destroying our sportfishing tourism economies and be win, win, win for everyone.”

http://www.theresourceparty.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=3

She also got their Attorney General candidate mixed up with her Lieutenant Governor candidate. At the Lt. Gov. debate Wednesday, when asked about transportation, Howard Hanson talked about a river of crippled babies. I think his point was that kids on drugs lead to deficits and less money for transportation. He was critical of corporations at least, which is why I put them left of Horner. But they don’t recognize tribal sovereignty, they’re in denial of broken treaties, and they’re outspoken critics of the American Indian Movement. If there are problems on the reservations, we can create more economic opportunities on the outside by means of a state-owned bank, rather than a state-owned casino.

This is from the MPR debate, but I still think Chris Wright had the best response to the spoiler argument: “You can’t change the status quo by voting for the status quo.” I was pleased the “wasted vote” question did not come up in this debate. Thank you TPT!

Farheen was not asked about how Dayton helped pass the Bush tax cuts, but she would have been ready to explore that in depth. Basically, Dayton voted both for and against them. He wanted to plug a loophole in the tax on corporate jet flights, but that would have only been a drop in the bucket compared to the revenue lost in capital gains and other tax cuts that they retained. If the Republicans had kept Dayton’s amendment along with the Bush tax cuts, we can’t be sure he wouldn’t have voted for the final conference version.

Farheen did have a chance to say that she would be at least as progressive as Dayton on taxes, which may have prompted the question about where they all are on the political spectrum. Farheen answered last, and I’d say she knocked it out of the park.

Dan Dittmann at Lt. Gov. forum

2010-10-08T17:33:00.002-05:00

Here's an article on the Lt. Gov. candidates' forum:

Leading candidates absent at gubernatorial forum on poor
by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio
October 8, 2010

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/10/08/homelessness-debate/

Dan Dittmann was a little late because he had to bike from work, but he was there alright. The article’s photo caption describes him as the Grassroots candidate, but actually he is the Green Party candidate for Lt. Governor.

I sat next to MPR’s Madeleine Baran, author of the article, in the front row. I also took some pictures, a little blurrier, at the public link below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089116&id=1499503332&l=6980053ca9

Dan talked about a moratorium on foreclosures, and transit passes for homeless that are at least as affordable as what he gets through work. He received loud applause when he said he opposed taxpayer funding for Twins and Vikings stadiums.

GP Press release on FBI raids

2010-09-26T11:49:00.002-05:00

GREEN PARTY OF MINNESOTA SUPPORTS PEACE ACTIVISTS RAIDED BY FBI

News that five homes of well-known peace activists in Minneapolis had been raided and searched by FBI agents yesterday morning brought expressions of outrage from members of the Green Party´s state coordinating committee. They voiced support for the Anti War Committee and other local groups with which the activists are associated. They believe that accusations of material aid to terrorism are intended to intimidate all who protest.

The suppression of democratic rights and the bogus use of terrorism charges continue to intensify under the Obama administration. A number of the activists also received subpoenas to testify at a Chicago grand jury. We will continue to support these activists as they face the grand jury process.

"Following upon the unjustified raids and arrests that took place in 2008, this action throws a threatening shadow over freedom of expression in our state -- as no doubt it was meant to do," says Andy Hamerlinck. He pointed out that empty charges of terrorism against the RNC 8 arrested in 2008 have long since been dropped. Only last week, all other charges were dropped against three of those defendants. "Now we have a new round of bullying."

How to balance the books

2010-09-22T20:21:00.003-05:00

As Obama selects his new economic team, this chart may be a useful resource. It's simplified, of course, but it could be the E=MC-squared of economics!

As a general rule of thumb...

Taxes = Spending
Principal = Lending
Interest = Grants

The grants are needed to halt the vicious cycle of more borrowing to pay old debts. Government can lend to small businesses and use the interest to build green infrastructure.

If deflation is a problem, increase spending.
If inflation is a problem, increase taxes.

Farheen debate audio

2010-09-20T19:08:00.002-05:00

My favorite parts were taxing the rich, state-owned bank, and Dayton's a millionaire. Great job Farheen!

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/09/20/midday1/

Petition forms accepted

2010-09-19T11:11:00.005-05:00

Luckily these forms were accepted by the Secretary of State’s office. The problem was caught about halfway through the two-week petitioning period, which ran from May 18 through June 1. In what appears to be the handwriting of Annie Young herself, the early petition sheets list “Green Party of Minnesota” while the form instructions underneath say “(political party or principle, in no more than three words)”.

Farheen Hakeem Radio Ad 2

2010-09-15T19:08:00.002-05:00

RADIO AD #2

Announcer: He voted to fund the Iraq War. He voted for the Patriot Act. He attended a June meeting of America's Pro-Israel Lobby. He voted to build a fence along the Mexican border, he helped retain capital gains tax cuts for the rich, and he voted to give billions to coal, oil, nuclear, and ethanol. This is what you'd expect from Tom Emmer, but it's what you got with Mark Dayton as Senator.

FH: Hi, I'm Farheen Hakeem, your Green Party candidate for Governor. I will work to defend the rights of indigenous peoples and victims of free trade. Instead of a Dayton-style state-run casino, let's create a state-run bank similar to North Dakota, which happens to have the lowest unemployment in the nation. We can lend to small businesses and use the interest to build green infrastructure. We all know how awful the records of the Republicans are. But in so many ways, Democrats aren’t too far off. This November 2nd, let's vote Green for real change. Please learn more at farheenhakeem.org.

Announcer: Paid for by Hakeem for Governor.

---

SOURCES

Mark Dayton voted to fund the Iraq War.
http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Mark_Dayton_War_+_Peace.htm
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00400

Mark Dayton voted for the Patriot Act.
http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Mark_Dayton_Homeland_Security.htm
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00025

Mark Dayton attended a June meeting of America's Pro-Israel Lobby.
http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/7/3/minnesotans-protest-zionist-lobby-aipac-and-us-aid-israel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCBAcD_m8M4 (described in text by Craig Stellmacher)
Supports Israel: http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Mark_Dayton_War_+_Peace.htm

Mark Dayton voted to build a fence along the Mexican border.
http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Mark_Dayton_Immigration.htm
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00262

Tom Emmer on Immigration: “Illegal immigration is, in fact, illegal. That is why I support Arizona in its efforts to reign in the unchecked flow of illegal immigrants, and that is why I support the implementation of measures to ensure that immigration to Minnesota is both legal and orderly.”
http://www.emmerforgovernor.com/issues/immigration/

Mark Dayton voted to retain capital gains tax cuts for the rich.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Economic/Mark_Dayton_Tax_Reform.htm
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00010
“Last year, when this body passed a version of this legislation, I voted for it, principally because it included my amendment requiring corporate executives to pay their fair share of taxes when they use their company planes for their personal use…. My amendment would have raised $44 million in Federal revenues during the next 10 years….”
[Mark Dayton, Congressional Record, 5/11/2006]
“Internal Revenue Service data show taxpayers who earned at least $1 million reaped 43 percent of all savings from reduced rates on dividends and capital gains…. The Joint Committee on Taxation, a bipartisan congressional panel, estimates that renewing the investment tax breaks will cost the government $50 billion in revenue it otherwise would have received.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aUuyWDCDyRIk

Tom Emmer on Taxes: “Businesses should be rewarded for creating jobs, not saddled with more mandates and higher taxes…. High tax rates ultimately harm those they are intended to help by driving prosperous businesses and individuals away…. The top 10% of income earners pay more than half of Minnesota’s income taxes – the top 1% of income earners pay over 25%, while earning only 15.6% of total income. Raising income taxes will only result in high-income earners leaving the state.”
http://www.emmerforgovernor.com/issues/taxes/

Mark Dayton voted to give billions to coal, oil, nuclear, and ethanol.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00213
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/oil_timeline.html
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=13980
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h6enr.txt.pdf

Tom Emmer on the Environment: “Radical activists are trying to convince us that everyday nutrients are causing cancer, that cows are causing ‘global warming’ and that hogs are getting people sick.”
http://www.emmerforgovernor.com/issues/agriculture/

Tom Emmer on Ethanol: “Today the issue ensnared – sort of – Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, when his opponents said he voted against a biofuels mandate in the state. Emmer said he thought he voted for the mandate, adding he supports alternative fuels…. The old MPR Votetracker (bless its now-dead heart) reveals that on April 27, 2005, Emmer voted for a bill that increased the ethanol content in a gallon of gasoline in Minnesota to 20 percent. The vote came after five hours of debate…. A conference committee worked out a deal which doubled the percentage of ethanol beginning in 2013, if a separate renewable fuel goal is not met. When that bill went back to the House for a vote, Emmer voted against it, according to Votetracker.”
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/archive/2010/08/fact_check_emmer_on_ethanol.shtml

Mark Dayton supports a state-run casino.
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2010/01/26/15328/mark_dayton_casino_support_should_surprise_no_one
http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/82654562.html
http://mendotadakota.com/mn/2010/01/26/non-indian-state-run-casino-in-mn-could-be-coming-sooner-than-you-think/

Tom Emmer on Gambling: “I do not like the negative impact gambling has on our communities and families. Those who support any and all gambling will insist that our communities benefit greatly from tribally owned casinos. That is not true.”
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/pressreleasels85.asp?district=19B&pressid=1566&party=2

North Dakota has a state-run bank.
http://www.banknd.nd.gov/
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation%e2%80%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street
http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/reviving-the-local-economy-with-publicly-owned-banks

North Dakota has the lowest unemployment in the nation.
http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

---

RADIO AD #1

FH: Hi, I'm Farheen Hakeem, your Green Party candidate for Governor.

DD: And I'm Dan Dittmann, your Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor. We hear you, and we share your disappointment with our elected officials. We refuse to ignore the problems and we have the courage to bring the solutions.

FH: For years, the Green Party has raised issues like single payer, IRV, funding peace, not war, and wind and solar, much safer alternatives to oil. At the state level, I will put people before stadiums, make sure Arizona's racist immigration policies never become law in Minnesota, and I will be the pro-equality Governor who will sign same sex marriage into law.

DD: Unallotment shows Democrats and Republicans are only playing political games. We cannot expect the people who got us into this mess to get us out.

FH: Our strategy for victory is simple. You send money, and we keep running ads.

DD: Visit farheenhakeem.org to learn more.

FH: My name is Farheen Hakeem.

DD: And my name is Dan Dittmann.

FH: And we need your vote November 2nd.

DB: Paid for by Hakeem for Governor.

---

STATUS UPDATE

Radio ad #1 aired on AM950 in July and August. Radio ad #2 is ready to roll as soon as Farheen gives the go-ahead. Personally, I would have set aside more for radio ads. We had $11,000, more than enough to run a total of 3 ads at $2,000 each. I can see that buttons, T-shirts, literature, and bumper magnets boost name recognition, but the progressive base is hungry for substance, and the Green Party role is to raise issues each election cycle. AM950’s market share might only be about 1%, but the audience is likely opinion leaders who can propagate our message through word of mouth. If we can keep sawing at the base, then perhaps the DFL edifice will fall. I feel that sometimes progressive candidates are reluctant to say anything negative, because they associate it with personal attacks, when really it’s just respectful differentiation. Dayton is vulnerable because he’s too conservative, and we just need to put the hammer down.

McKinney, Nader, Sheehan endorse Cavlan

2010-09-15T17:17:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Michael Cavlan for picking up the endorsements of Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, and Cindy Sheehan. Michael is running for 5CD US Rep. against Keith Ellison. Ellison betrayed the peace movement on Iraq funding, impeachment, and 9/11 Truth.

Government creates jobs

2010-09-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

Tom Emmer said, “Government doesn't create jobs.”
http://wcco.com/local/tom.emmer.campaign.2.1877958.html

Government created his job. Government created my job. What is he talking about?

This is about core values. I believe it’s ok for government to help people. In fact, government’s purpose is to help people. It’s better to help people than to hurt people. Government is us. Government is what we make it. If you don’t think government can create jobs, just watch us.

Freedom of religion is key

2010-09-09T18:26:00.000-05:00

The difference between the Islamic center in NY and the Quran burning is that one encourages freedom of religion while the other discourages it. However, the burners are themselves practicing their own religious ritual, albeit hateful, and are not physically hurting anybody, so they should be allowed to proceed. I do agree it’s getting too much attention. Betrayus’s comments to me sounded rather political for a military general. If the book-burning goes forward, perhaps it will be an opportunity to educate the world about how we have freedom of religion here. Book-burning becomes super-dangerous when people are denied access to knowledge and the free speech of others. But I don’t think that’s the case here. And now there’s talk about a supposed deal between the Islamic center people and the book burners. I don’t see any need for a deal. Let both proceed. Let people burn Qurans, Bibles, flags, and even copies of the constitution. Let’s just not violate the constitution itself.

Ground Zero Mosque

2010-08-15T16:05:00.000-05:00

I support the Ground Zero Mosque. To oppose it is un-American, pure and simple. Honor the First Amendment, people.

MAK did not concede

2010-08-11T07:33:00.001-05:00

MAK and Ellison abruptly sent exuberant supporters home without telling them the AP had called the race for Dayton.

When I went to bed at around 1:00 am, theUptake showed, with 97% of precinct reporting:

Dayton 178,049
MAK 173,496

5CDGP SC is Demogreen

2010-07-13T17:49:00.002-05:00

The new 5CDGP SC is all Demogreen. None have signed the pledge to vote against Obama.

They are: Tori Johnston, Sue Leskala, Ashley James, Eric Gilbertson, Holle Brian, Dan Craigie, and Kathleen Ruona.

I walked out of Sunday's meeting. There was no point in voting.

CA cop executes unarmed man

2010-07-10T21:33:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zibrvBxsdck&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0P8TSP2YJU&NR=1

You can quote me

2010-07-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

“Let's get government out of the borrowing business, and into the lending business.”

“The public sector is the skeleton, the private sector is the muscle.”

“Tea-partiers sense that something is wrong, but they blame government, when they should be blaming corporations.”

“When they hoard resources, Libertarians encroach on my liberty.”

“Democrats want us to ignore the issues and vote a certain way because more people are less informed.”

Major development in Auditor’s race

2010-06-27T14:54:00.001-05:00

This is a major development in the 2010 race. Kenny Kalligher, Grassroots Party candidate for State Auditor, has signed the pledge to vote against Obama in 2012. His Green Party opponent, Annie Young, has not, which is surprising, because the Green Party exists to provide an alternative to the Corporate Parties. It appears the onus is now on the Young campaign to make the case that she's more progressive than Kalligher.

Tony Hayward is Dr. Evil

2010-06-11T17:57:00.000-05:00

John Gray for Arkansas

2010-06-10T17:12:00.002-05:00

The front page of this candidate's web site looks pretty darn good to me:

http://www.johngrayforussenate.com/

Now that Bill Halter is out of the race, maybe organized labor will kindly give Gray a chance.

Duy Ngo found dead

2010-06-07T20:25:00.000-05:00

It's courageous Duy Ngo was still with the police force, rather than taking the settlement money and doing something else. Coincidentally he was in the news 5 days ago: http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_15214702

Ellison Files For Legal Separation

2010-06-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

The media was all over the Gore divorce but nothing on Ellison. Chalk one up for the Minneapolis Mirror. It's one heckuva scoop...

Use sock to stop oil spill

2010-06-04T00:24:00.000-05:00

Why can’t they use plastic or rubber sheets to contain the oil? Anchor a sheet to the ocean floor in a perimeter around the leak. Work around the outside and then attach the ends together to form an open-ended cylinder. Then, use a drawstring around the top of the sheet to secure it to a wide hose which leads to tankers on the surface. Then ship it to a reservoir and go back for another load.

Meanwhile, Rachel Maddow reported that they need an army of workers to deploy booms to guard the coast. People are willing to help, but they are not being put to work. If true, the blame for this part of the battle can be laid squarely on the Obama administration.

What is the problem? Are they trying to kill us? Are they trying to scare the shit out of us to build popular support for energy reform? Is the Deepwater Horizon to energy reform as 9/11 was to the Gulf War? Is that what it takes? Are world leaders possessed by some sort of perverse yin-yang mentality?

McKinney Mourns Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

2010-06-01T19:04:00.002-05:00

Cynthia McKinney Mourns the Dead of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: People of U.S. & World Must End Israeli Impunity!

http://gp.org/cynthia/display.php?ID=36

"The 12,000 internet squatters/written word grenade throwers, hired by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to defend Israel and attack peace activists online, are already busy spreading their orchestrated disinformation in cyberspace. Be very careful what you read and believe from special interest press and the internet. You could be reading one of Israel's hired hacks."

MN budget is Gov. Pawlenty’s problem

2010-05-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

The Minnesota budget crisis is Governor Tim Pawlenty’s problem. Since he’s not running for reelection, what’s the recourse? Don’t vote for his fellow Republican Tom Emmer for governor. Don’t vote for any Republican. And definitely don’t support Pawlenty for president.

A plurality of Minnesotans voted for Pawlenty, and now Minnesotans must suffer the consequences.

As state senator John Marty points out, “Remember that the legislature offered him a balanced budget last year, but he decided to veto the tax bill to pay for it, and rather than negotiate with the legislature, he chose to resolve the matter on his own.”

“Are you homosexual?”

2010-05-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

I can hear it now. The republican senator asks, “Are you homosexual?” Elena Kagan replies, “Your question is inappropriate.”

UK Election Results so far

2010-05-07T07:15:00.001-05:00

Conservative: 291
Labor: 247
Liberal Democrats: 51
Green: 1
Other fourth parties?: 26
Not counted yet: 34
Total: 650

Earth Day spoiled by spill

2010-04-29T17:46:00.001-05:00

The oil rig explosion occurred on Earth Day. Could it have been eco-terrorism? Or just plain terrorism?

Wall Street reform

2010-04-28T17:47:00.000-05:00

I’m glad this is on the table. They can do banking, energy, and immigration all at the same time as far as I’m concerned. I think the GP approach at this point would be to quick use reconciliation to pass positive things people will notice before November, as well as positive things that will take longer to notice. The blueprint for energy is “Confronting Collapse” by Michael C. Ruppert. The blueprint for Wall Street reform is “The Web of Debt” by Ellen Brown, which I have mentioned several times on this blog.

I have a couple new talking points for you:

“Republicans want to debate financial reform in secret.”

“Too big to fail means too big to be a single company.”

Protest the RSC

2010-04-28T17:25:00.002-05:00

Protesting the RSC.
RSC Welcoming Committee.
Defend the RSC 8!

Kelliher supports single payer

2010-04-25T14:27:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is encouraging, and as one might expect because of the brutality issue, I am relieved that Rybak did not advance.

Interestingly, the Strib reported that ReNEW MN came close to endorsing Rybak, but did not have 60% within their group. So, apparently Rukavina and Marty beat them to the punch. The spokesperson for ReNEW is Erik Peterson, who Cam Gordon and I worked with as part of the 6-member Citizens' Reform Network in 1993. Peterson went on to become Marty's first campaign manager, but they had a falling out which I never got to the bottom of.

I know Kelliher blocked putting the stadium tax to a vote of the people, but I want to hear from opinion leaders Dave Bicking, Farheen Hakeem, and David Shove. Is Kelliher better than Rybak?

Tom Cleland
Golden Valley

Employer immigration tax

2010-04-21T07:11:00.001-05:00

We don’t have an illegal immigration problem. We have an illegal employer problem. The solution: Tax employers who hire non-citizen immigrants. Structure the scale of the tax to split the difference of the margin that is saved by hiring immigrants over U.S.-born citizens, and graduate it on how long the immigrants have been here. Long-time immigrants would be virtually grandfathered in, while new immigrants would provide no incentive for employers. This way, the flow of people could be slowed without sudden disruption, and the government could have a new source of revenue. I’m putting this idea forward as a possible compromise. Ideally, there would be no border controls except for potential terrorists.

Greens in ReNEW MN

2010-04-20T17:53:00.001-05:00

I found the following Greens on this DFL “Supporter List”:

http://renew.mn/about/supporter-list/

Mahamed A Cali
Darrell Gerber
Marcus Harcus
Bill Oldfather

Do these people need to de-activate their Green Party memberships, as I did when I caucused DFL? If any of them are DFL delegates, the DFL says they cannot be active members of another political party.

Even if they are not DFL delegates, it is still extremely disappointing, as ReNEW MN is committed to supporting one of three conservative candidates for governor: Rybak, MAK, or Thissen. I have chronicled some of the problems with these three on my blog: http://tomstream.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-hereby-resign-from-dfl.html

Rybak clearly violates the KV of Nonviolence. This is stunning.

Robert A. Cleland, 1920-2010

2010-04-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

[Below is the obituary for my uncle, Robert A. Cleland. When my father, Burton J. Cleland, died in 1982, Uncle Bob sent checks to my sister Janet and me, to help us with our college expenses. While in college I traveled to Chicago with the U of M Ad Club for a field trip, and met Bob downtown. He was chairing a meeting of activist leaders, and that had a lasting impression on me. More than anyone, Bob persuaded me to leave the Republican Party, which I eventually did around 1990. My most recent trip to Chicago was in July 2008, which I chronicled on this blog. Bob was an inspiration, who led an exemplary life. -- Tom]

Robert A. Cleland, longtime Wilmette resident, 89, died April 11 at home, leaving his wife of 65 years, Jean, nee Rolfing; six children; and three grandchildren. A 1943 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Cleland served as a Naval officer until 1946. In the 1960s he co-founded the Wilmette chapter of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy and organized protests against the Vietnam War. After retirement in 1976 he served as director of NOMOR, an arms-control advocacy group, and co-founded the North Suburban Peace Initiative (NSPI). As members of Wilmette's First Congregational Church (UCC) for 54 years, the Clelands urged the church toward positions against the Vietnam War and in support of civil rights, affordable housing, sanctuary for Central American refugees, and nuclear disarmament. In 1986, Cleland was the Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois's Tenth District, earning the endorsement of the local Pioneer Press newspapers. As an activist, Cleland gave countless presentations at churches, universities, and community forums; organized marches and demonstrations; and regularly composed essays, signature ads, and letters to the editor. Beginning in 1957, "Mr. C." turned the family's backyard into a playground for two generations of neighborhood children, who played on rope swings and flew through the air on an overhead zip line. In winter, tobogganers raced down an iced ramp and across the snowy yard. Cleland enjoyed gardening, singing in the church choir, chopping wood, and writing frequent newsletters to a far-flung network of relatives and friends. A memorial service will take place in May. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions to NSPI (www.nspipeace.org).
Published in Chicago Tribune on April 13, 2010

Moment of Truth for Bicking

2010-04-01T22:33:00.003-05:00

[This post is from Dave Bicking. He is up for reappointment to the Minneapolis Civilian Review Authority, which investigates complaints of police misconduct. I consider Dave to be the city's foremost intellectual and trusted watchdog.]

I attended the City Council's Committee of the Whole meeting this morning. You'll recall that after the hearing at the Public Safety Committee last Wednesday (March 24), they passed a motion to move forward all the applicants' names with no recommendation, for discussion at the Committee of the Whole. As I noted then, the usual process is to move it forward to the City Council meeting directly, and normally the Council is presented with a list of recommended appointees at their meeting - the decisions having been made behind closed doors in the meantime.

So it looked hopeful that this would at least lead to a bit of open discussion today on the merits of the applicants. Or at least a brief discussion regarding the remarkable and unprecedented unwillingness to reappoint a reliable incumbent CRA board member.

Ha! I of all people should know better. That just isn't the way things are done in this city. Instead, when we finally came to the report from the Public Safety Committee (after 2-1/2 hours), Don Samuels, Public Safety Committee Chair, just read off the recommended list of names - three appointments chosen by the mayor, and one "chosen" by the City Council - though one wonders who actually made that choice.

At least that was a little better than the usual process - we know one day ahead of time who the Council will be voting on. One other significant piece of good news - Ward 2 Council member Cam Gordon indicated an intent to introduce a substitute motion during the Friday meeting. He didn't reveal the nature of that motion, and there was no further discussion.

I'll bet you can guess by now that I wasn't on the recommended list. Here's who was: Mayor's choices: Arlene Santiago, Ward 11 Dean Kallenbach, Ward 6 Pramma Elayaperumal, Ward 2 City Council choice: Mary Pargo, Ward 2.

I don't think it is appropriate for me to comment on the merits of any of these appointees, at least until after Friday's meeting.

There is a reason I listed their wards. It is very unlikely that it is just coincidence that the only two applicants from Ward 2 were both chosen, especially since one existing board member is also from that ward. I think the intention was to lessen the likelihood that Cam Gordon would try to amend the list to include me, since that would mean going against someone from his own ward. Given Cam's announcement that he plans to introduce a substitute motion, that appears not to have worked. (Thank you, Cam Gordon!)

IF Cam can find a second for his substitute motion tomorrow morning, there will be a discussion, or at least a vote, regarding my reappointment (assuming that is Cam's motion). That is a very good thing. At least Council members will have to vote for or against my reappointment. Maybe someone will even express a reason publicly. In three emails and in my public testimony, I asked for any Council member with a concern about my reappointment to let me know what that concern is, so I could address it. I have received NO responses.

I want to thank the two brave souls who accompanied me this morning - and apologize for leading them into such tedium. Tomorrow morning's full Council meeting may be more interesting. (9:30am, Room 317, City Hall)

Also, thanks to all who have signed the petition in support of my reappointment. I sent that to the mayor and all Council members early this morning. It lists 4 organizations, and 316 individuals!!! That is beyond all expectations! This petition, and the overall campaign we have waged, is like nothing the City Council has EVER seen for a board appointment. It shows not just good organizing, but also the depth of support and concern regarding the CRA and its mission. If nothing else, the CRA is far better known than before. If this comes to a vote tomorrow, we get to see if any of the City Council members give a damn.

152 of the signatures are online at: http://www.petitiononline.com/CUAPB004/petition.html

I've also formatted the statement, the signatures, and all 42 comments from the online petition into a single 6-page Word file, which I would be happy to send to anyone who is interested.

Still time to call or email your Council member before tomorrow morning!

I'll report to you again after the final vote tomorrow.

Dave Bicking

Student Loans and Government Banking

2010-04-01T22:12:00.003-05:00

Ok, the Dems may have taken a small step in the right direction with this. I trust Ellen Brown: "Student Loans: The Government Is Now Officially in the Banking Business" by Ellen Brown
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-brown/student-loans-the-governm_b_520318.html

But I still think Obama is showing us what we would have gotten under Gore or Kerry: Piecemeal incrementalism. And Obama's recent decision to drill offshore sounds like piecemeal decrementalism. In the face of crisis.

Maybe they're testing Brown's theories with the student loans before making the case to expand the concept. I just hope there's time.

Confronting Collapse

2010-03-25T23:15:00.002-05:00

Book Review: Confronting Collapse by Michael C. Ruppert

“When the energy information bubble bursts and the truth is finally known, it may be too late for our entire species to do anything about it. That will be the ‘bubble’ that kills all of us. This book hopes to prevent that outcome.”

I take the author seriously. If you think I’m crazy, this book will help you make the transition from denial to acceptance.

I have reviewed some important books on this blog, but you can put them on hold. This book is more urgent than The Web of Debt, Christ in Egypt, or Crashing the Party. It is along the lines of The Party’s Over, which I reviewed in 2003, but is more specific to the present moment.

Oil is running out fast, and as the author shows, alternatives are either not realistic or ready. I wrote in 2003 that we can expect the price of just about everything to increase steadily and indefinitely. In 2010 this may be relative to income as unemployment persists.

As someone who is already convinced, I was curious how much of the book would focus on solutions instead of problems. And as someone who has already attempted to raise awareness through electoral politics, I was ready more for advice on how to survive the crisis as an individual, rather than how to persuade voters and politicians to do something. While most of the book is devoted to getting people up-to-speed on the problem, at the end Ruppert includes “An Emergency 25-Point Plan for Action.” And while all the points deal with public policy, the book did include a few instances of survival advice. As Ruppert writes at the end of the first chapter, “There are, in this book, many recommendations that can be taken by individuals, families, and communities without relying on government. A thorough reading of what follows will make that clear and hopefully disclose other steps I have not considered to the discerning reader.”

In the chapter on localization he writes, “There is no hope for any of us outside of a community. We must learn to work with our neighbors in developing sustainable lifestyles based upon reduced consumption and sharing of resources. This is difficult for Americans brought up on rugged individualism and competition and who have been taught to measure success in terms of consumer goods possessed and energy expended.” He goes on to praise Willits Economic Localization at http://well95490.org/.

The chapter on food contains links on permaculture, which is “an organic process intended to preserve soil fertility in perpetuity”:
http://www.permatopia.com/
http://www.holmgren.com.au/

Some of the resources look promising and I hope to explore these sites further. Already I have posted to Ruppert’s blog, http://www.mikeruppert.blogspot.com/, and received recommendations from other readers on what seeds to buy for a garden plot I am renting this summer. The blog has a link to the book and here’s a link to the corresponding film documentary: http://www.collapsemovie.com/. When Ruppert was in town for Q & A after the movie, I asked him where I should build an earth home, and he said the energy savings sounded good, but what I need, even more than a plan, are options, because the future is so uncertain.

Back to the book, after sparring at length with my friend Steve over nuclear power, I found this passage interesting: “There is not enough uranium to build enough reactors to meet energy demand globally.” (Source: “WMC Ideally Placed to Deal with Increased Uranium Demand”, http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=2410)

And I found this passage particularly interesting, given my recent interest in police issues at the local level: “I was a rookie police officer living in Los Angeles when the 73 ‘Arab Embargo’ hit. The rationing that followed, along with economic impacts that lasted for a decade, were devastating. In the Los Angeles Police Department we were ordered to park our cars and sit in them for hours at a time to stretch fuel stocks. Crime soared. The bad guys knew we couldn’t/wouldn’t respond to maybe 50% of the calls. Gasoline thefts were occurring everywhere, ironically because the thieves knew we didn’t have enough gas to arrest them.”

I’m afraid that the recent threats, slurs, vandalism and violence over the new health care law by the “Tea Klux Klan” might be just a small foretaste of the social unrest we may face as a result of Peak Oil. Let’s hope we can find ways to mitigate or avert such an awful future.

Reappoint Dave Bicking to CRA

2010-03-21T15:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.petitiononline.com/CUAPB004/petition.html

I hereby resign from the DFL

2010-03-17T04:26:00.001-05:00

On Sunday I participated in my SD44 DFL convention, seeing for myself once again that the Democratic Party is where progressive politics goes to die.

This year I caucused DFL as explained on my blog Feb. 2. At the time, the Greens did not have a strong candidate for Governor. After hearing all the callers to radio shows, disappointed with Obama, I thought it might be a good time to check back in with the Dems to see how they were coming along.

As an uncommitted delegate to my senate district, I was courted by the gubernatorial campaigns, getting phone calls in the days leading up to the convention, and at the convention I had a chance to speak with four of the candidates in person. I knew that the front-runners for governor were Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and State House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who at nine syllables, I am shortening to MAK. I already knew Rybak was bad, as documented extensively on this blog, but I wanted to confirm MAK’s position on the Twins stadium tax.

There were plenty of workers for the various campaigns, wearing the T-shirts of their respective candidates. I asked a young woman working for MAK about the stadium tax, and she said MAK was against it. This didn’t sound right, so I called Farheen Hakeem, who told me she personally protested outside MAK’s house in 2006, and that MAK opposed putting the stadium tax to a vote of the people in Hennepin County. Later in the day, I spoke with MAK, and asked her about it. She said it was because she was opposed to referendums in general. Well, I happened to know that a referendum was legally required by statute for this type of expenditure, because the people felt it was that important, and so I found MAK’s answer unacceptable.

When I spoke with John Marty about stadium taxes, he said he was the only candidate who is answering with a definite “No.” The other candidates are saying, “Not this year.”

Inside the auditorium, there were plenty of empty seats in the section assigned to my precinct. I selected a seat along the aisle, and filled out a ballot with 72 platform resolutions as I listened to and watched the proceedings, which at the outset were largely procedural, along with speeches from officials and candidates. After MAK spoke, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, in the aisle to my right, got down to my level and urged me to vote for Matt Entenza. I said I was concerned about Entenza’s wife’s ties to UnitedHealthcare. Ellison said she doesn’t work there anymore. I knew she worked for an environmental company now so I asked about Entenza’s position on cap and trade. Ellison didn’t know but he said Entenza supports green energy.

Later in the day, Rybak also greeted me from the aisle, shaking hands and saying, “I don’t think we’ve met.” I said I was Tom Cleland and had taken issue with him about police brutality on my blog. He said, “Sure,” and stepped back, which is what I would have done. Continuing the discussion could have caused a scene. For the record, while I have a much lower profile and don’t expect him to remember me, we have met in the past. In 2001 when he was first running for mayor, I met him and his wife, I think at a house party or fundraiser, not sure if I introduced myself by name. In 2003, when a coworker and I were canvassing for Greenpeace on Nicollet Mall, I recognized him walking with his bicycle and said hi. And in 2009, in the coat check line for the Blue State Ball, I said I was with the Green Party, and he said we need to do all we can to get Cam Gordon re-elected. (I didn’t have a problem with Rybak endorsing Gordon, just the other way around.) I also attended his first inaugural ball, though I don’t think I spoke with him that night. So I suppose my opposition to Rybak has built up gradually over the years.

The other candidate I spoke with Sunday was Paul Thissen. While he said that he supported the referendum, he did vote for the stadium tax. Later, during the walking subcaucus process, I told one of his runners that’s all I need to know.

They only allotted four hours for the convention, and ended up running over. I volunteered for the Rules Committee and probably should have pushed for more time, but I got busy and only attended one committee meeting. If I had to do it over again I would have at least asked to modify the agenda.

They allotted a half-hour for debating resolutions, which was fine by me. But some delegates thought that was too much time, so they introduced a floor motion to skip it, which failed. It would have taken less time if they had simply left it as is. So they debated resolutions, and the high point for me was when a woman criticized Obama on nuclear power. I was also pleased they had a resolution on divestment from Israel, though two people spoke against it and I didn’t hear anyone in favor.

Finally, they got to the most interesting order of business, item 16 of 23, the election of state delegates and alternates. These people will choose the next DFL-endorsed candidate for governor. The DFL typically uses the walking subcaucus method, where people form groups based on combinations of candidates or issues to try to get like-minded people to represent them at the state convention. I believe it was something like 231 SD44 delegates electing 21 state delegates, requiring 11 local delegates to send 1 delegate to state.

On the overhead screen they displayed the procedure text, which said that people would step up to the microphones for a first round to simply announce the name of their subcaucus, and then for a second round to take 30 seconds to describe their subcaucus. This is as I had recalled it from years past. So I waited my turn, and announced the name of my subcaucus, “Uncommitted Ten Key Values.” There was no applause, perhaps because they don’t believe in them, but probably because they don’t know what they are. I then flashed a peace sign, which I think got a little more reaction. So everybody took turns announcing the subcaucus names, but they were running out of time so they passed a floor motion to skip the caucus descriptions! (This is not what I’ve been used to. In the Green Party, we have candidate speeches, then the members ask questions of each candidate, and then the members comment.) If I had been allowed to speak for 60 seconds, I would have said from memory what I had rehearsed:

“Hi, I’m Tom Cleland, and this subcaucus is Uncommitted Ten Key Values. The Key Values are Democracy, Ecology, Peace, Justice, Feminism, Diversity, Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Global Responsibility, and Future Focus. These are borrowed from the Green Party. I was with the Green Party for ten years. As you may know, Greens can sometimes tip the balance. If they had run a candidate for U.S. Senate, Al Franken would not be elected today. I can say that Marty might be acceptable to Greens, but Greens are afraid that Marty might endorse Rybak, who is bad on police brutality, or Anderson Kelliher, who opposed putting the stadium tax to a vote of the people. We can all learn a lot from progressive point person Dave Bicking, I’m wearing his T-shirt. Let’s go, Uncommitted Ten Key Values!”

So we began our first walking process, I held up a sign listing the 10KV, and sadly, no one joined my subcaucus. However, I did have a chance to shout parts of my message to anyone within earshot in the noisy auditorium. A number of runners, both committed and uncommitted to candidates, asked me to join their groups. I said only if I could be the delegate (to state) and of course there was no deal. I also shared some of my talking points with them.

I waited until the second and final walking process, before ceremoniously walking over and joining the Marty subcaucus, led by Lena Katharine Gardner, who recruited me, and who spoke on behalf of Steve Kelley at my precinct caucus, before he dropped out. In the Marty subcaucus, I was pleased to see a couple other familiar faces, Jordan Kushner, also of my precinct, and Diane Steen-Hinderlie’s husband John. Diane is a fellow Green. We were able to get two delegates to state. My understanding is that usually the subcaucuses are supposed to each hold elections within their groups to determine the actual people who will go to state, and allow for some vetting to take place. But to make sure we would get the two delegates, Lena had to cut some deals, giving a delegate to the Tom Rukavina subcaucus, and an alternate to the “No Corporate Personhood” subcaucus. Between that and gender balance, with only two women expressing interest in traveling to state, people scattered and there was no vote. Instead, there was a tense discussion with the Rukavina people over what the deal was. A Rybak worker was standing nearby eavesdropping, so I took the opportunity to tell him about the police brutality videos on this blog. So here’s our delegation, I just hope everybody honors their agreement to vote for Marty by the second ballot at state:

Female delegate: Lena Katharine Gardner
Male delegate: Brian Rice (Rukavina)
Female alternate: Cathy Murphy
Male alternate: Noam Freshman (No Corporate Personhood)

I had some nice visits with members of the delegation. I got to talking with Noam, and said that what I’m looking for in a delegate is a willingness to walk out of the DFL convention. He asked why and I basically said to join the Green Party. He then brought out the old argument about Florida 2000 and I mentioned Lieberman and asked if he was asking us to ignore the issues. He said no and had to go register but I wish we could have kept talking. It may sound arrogant on my part, but I feel he was asking us to ignore the issues and vote a certain way because more people are less informed. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who think like Noam, and so we are stuck, and I’m afraid we will remain stuck until we face a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. I feel like I need to study survivalism or something.

The SD44 delegate count was:

Rybak 8
Anderson Kelliher 5
Marty 2
Thissen 1
Uncommitted 5

Before I left I told DFL superdelegate Eric Margolis that I was going to reactivate my Green Party membership. He asked why and I said I was appalled that Rybak got 8 delegates. He said I inadvertently helped them get another delegate by triggering the second walking phase. As far as I’m concerned, that’s just one more reason to quit the DFL. I know that Lena cut that second deal with the personhood people during the second phase. Not sure how we would have done if we had relied on rounding after Phase One.

On the way out, I saw more Rybak workers and told them about the brutality videos on my blog. I wish someone would make a TV commercial out of them.

DFL rules state that to caucus with them, you cannot be an active member of another political party. So I was an inactive member of the Green Party. I did not caucus Green, and I did not post to the GP listservs. I was very critical of the 5CD Green Party in January when many of the members would not sign a pledge to vote against Obama in 2012. Since then, however, there have been some positive developments, including a 5CDGP press release opposing the reappointment of MPD Chief Dolan, and Green Council Member Cam Gordon voting against Dolan March 3 and March 12. While I now wish to reactivate my membership in the 5CD Green Party, I may identify more closely as a friend of the newly-formed SD61 Green Party, which has a higher proportion who have signed the pledge.

My choice for governor? I want to take a closer look at Richard Klatte. If the Greens don’t endorse him, I might write in Al Flowers or Ken Pentel. Or John Marty, but only if he does not endorse the DFL nominee.