Turn Maine Blue - Front Page

Friday Night Music: Snark songs

Gerald Weinand — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:15:30 GMT

I was pointed to this by AMG reader Bob MacGregor, and it is pretty funny - and Dave Carroll explains more here.

This Friday night, post your fun gettin' even/snark songs. Ought to be a lot of fun.

Why Won't Central Maine Power Fight for Real Health Care Reform?

TheElectricalWorker — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:50:18 GMT

Via the Huffington Post, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers President Edwin D. Hill asks why Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of Energy East, which itself is owned by the Spain-based Iberdrola, is pushing to cut the health benefits of its own workers in instead of putting its energy and resources into fighting for real health care reform on Capitol Hill.

As political weapons are sharpened for another historic showdown over health care reform, it's important to talk about what this debate means for tens of thousands of workers like Dick Rogers, a 28-year member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1837 in Manchester, Maine.
Rogers is a first-class service worker at Central Maine Power, one of those hearty souls who climb utility poles looking for trouble and fixing it.
Local 1837's contract with CMP expired on May 15. The company is demanding a big bite out of Rogers' and his co-workers' health insurance coverage. But Rogers and his co-workers already spend more than $3,000 per year for family medical coverage, with high deductibles for hospitalization ...
Now consider the financial condition of the company that's driving the hard bargain at the table.
Iberdrola's worth in 2007 was $70 billion, approximately the same value as Verizon Communications Inc., the largest U.S. telecommunications company. In 2008, Iberdrola's revenues were $36 billion. CEO Jose Ignacio Sanchez Galan's salary is a secret, but his contract with Iberdrola -- covering his total compensation -- is nine pages long.
For amusement Galan heads up the company that sponsors Spain's entry in the America's Cup. The yachts cost an average $150 million.

With the millions Iberdrola spends on influencing legislators in Washington and Augusta, Hill asks why Galan and other CEOs looking for take backs at the bargaining table aren't using their influence to support legislation that would reduce health care costs for working people and business owners.

Galan hires the best lobbyists to overcome resistance in getting permits for new utility construction. Wouldn't it make sense for Galan to assign some of his lobbying heavyweights to help win meaningful health care reform to reduce costs here in the U.S.? Wouldn't that be a better way to enhance his firm's profitability in the long haul?

To read the whole story, click here.

On waiting for health insurance reform

Gerald Weinand — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:26:17 GMT

This morning I mentioned that our two senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins had asked for a delay in considering the health insurance reform package now wending its way through Congress. Huffington Post has more on the Gang Of Six Centrist Senators Demands Delay On Health Care Reform:

A bipartisan group of centrist and conservative senators sent a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders on Friday urging delay in consideration of health care reform.
The letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, was drafted by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and is also signed by Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.), who caucuses with Democrats, signed on, as did Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins -- moderates heavily courted by President Obama.

You can read the letter here (pdf warning).

The gang of senators say in their letter that the testimony of the Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf on Thursday persuaded them that delay is needed. At that time, Elmendorf said that the current health care plans under consideration would not considerably reduce costs and would add to the debt burden, an analysis that omits cost savings from prevention or negotiating lower prices.
But the timeline doesn't add up. Reid told the Huffington Post on Thursday that he had spoken to Nelson Wednesday night and Nelson told him he would be sending him a letter. The conversation took place before the budget director's testimony. Elmendorf's remarks, however, may have persuaded uncertain senators to sign on to the letter.

We already know that Sen. Snowe thinks a public option unfair to insurance companies. By coincidence, Sen. Collins sent along a newsletter today which includes these remarks by her:

"Clearly, soaring health insurance premiums have made insurance increasingly unaffordable for many families and small businesses, and there are far too many Americans without health insurance or with woefully inadequate coverage.
"During our meeting, we discussed the contents, the goals, and the timetable for health care reform legislation. I spoke about the importance of delivery system reforms. The State of Maine is a high-quality, low-cost state, and it is critical that our state's health care providers are not harmed by reforms. We must focus on holding on to what is good about our system and improving what is not working.
"This is a major challenge. Health care affects every single person in our country and represents one sixth of our nation's economy. That is why I urged the President not to set an artificial deadline governing such an important bill. We must proceed in a deliberative, bipartisan and careful fashion. Rushed legislation won't be nearly as well thought out as it should be, it will cost more than it should, and the process will be divisive."

Everyone has read the polls that Americans overwhelmingly support a public option, and many support the expansion of our existing Medicare system to include all Americans, not just the elderly (see the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, H.R. 676).

But those members of Congress beholden to industry donations and lobbyists will not even consider such a thing, and will work to make sure that it never happens, even if this means killing any meaningful reform (as we saw in 1994).

Some consider such demands for a delay really just a way to kill reform efforts by slow death. Or, as Rep. Chellie Pingree tweeted this earlier today:

Just returned from White House and discussing health care with President, he is firmly committed to this important issue, as am I.
House must vote before August recess or it leaves much time for special interests who oppose health care reform to lobby in oposition [sic].

And time is of the essence for those about to lose their health insurance. Families USA has this report, The Clock is Ticking: More Americans Losing Health Coverage. From it, these key findings:

With each passing week that meaningful health care reform is not enacted, more families
in every state are losing health coverage (see table on page 2):

* 44,230 more people are losing health coverage each week.
* 191,670 more people are losing health coverage each month.
* 2.3 million more people are losing health coverage each year.
Families USA based its state numbers on national estimates published in the peer-reviewed
policy journal Health Affairs in May 2009. These estimates project that 6.9 million more
Americans, primarily people in working families, will lose health coverage by the end of
2010.3 The Health Affairs analysis, which focused on the time period between 2008 and
2010, is based on a model that assumes that, during this time period, there will be no
policy changes with respect to the health care system. It further assumes that personal
income growth and per capita health spending among insured adults will follow the latest
projections from the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of the Actuary at the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), respectively.

In Maine, this means that each week an average of 110 of us lose their health coverage, 500 a month do so, almost 6,000 Mainers lose their health coverage every year on average.

That's almost the entire population of Rockland.

And it gets worse, as another Families USA report shows that Mainers are actually dying for coverage (pdf warning):

* Families USA estimates that more than one working-age Mainer dies each week
due to lack of health insurance (approximately 80 people in 2006).
* Between 2000 and 2006, the estimated number of adults between the ages of 25
and 64 in Maine who died because they did not have health insurance was more
than 500.
* Across the United States, in 2006, twice as many people died from lack of health
insurance as died from homicide.

Families USA notes that uninsured people are less likely to have a usual source of care outside of the emergency room, often go without screenings and preventive care, often delay or forgo needed medical care, are sicker and die earlier than those who have insurance, and the kicker: the uninsured pay more for medical care.

Isn't it time that Sens. Snowe and Collins worked for the best interest of Mainers, those that actually elected them, than for the industry's corporations and lobbyists that have pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into their campaign chests?

Why do we need to wait? Perhaps you could call their offices and ask - contact info is in the right hand margin.

The war comes home

Maine Owl — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:16:33 GMT

The struggle vets returning from often multiple tours face just begins when they get home. That is discussed in devastating detail in an hour-long talk given a couple of months ago by Aaron Glantz and broadcast recently by University of California television. UCTV is available locally if you have Dish Network. There will be several re-broadcasts over this coming weekend. Or, just watch the full program on YouTube:

Author Aaron Glantz reported extensively from Iraq during 2003-05. His book, The War Comes Home, is the first systematically "to document the U.S. government's neglect of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."
Here are two quotes readers of this Maine Owl and its precursors may remember:

The Owl, March 2003: This war will perhaps be the worst cynical betrayal of the fighting men and women in the military in U.S. history. The American people need to know that it is only the peace movement that truly supports the troops. The only troop support that means a damn thing is stopping the war in the first place. This is a strong statement given the experience of Vietnam and the first Gulf War, but I believe that this is true. Our troops will be thrown into a battlefield where they will be exposed to deadly toxins. The deleterious effects on our troops and the Iraqi population of extensive use of depleted uranium munitions in the first Gulf War is only now coming to light. The new war will feature a ten-fold increase in the release of these toxins. A great deal of information on the suffering of our own veterans may be found at this website: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/.
The imperialism of Bush and his lieutenants is a BETRAYAL of the troops and the American people, while they engender a false image that American troops do not care about human life. This image of our troops as storm troopers enforcing imperial policy, like it or not, will take a quantum leap in currency after an attack on Iraq. We will have lost any remaining legitimacy we have in using our military might against actual terrorists (not that I agree this has been the U.S. aim at any point, but post-9/11 legitimacy in the eyes of the world will have been squandered totally). None of this weight do I want our great country, our troops, and all of our people to have to bear.

This one perhaps gets to the issues vets would soon face even more poignantly:

Stan Goff, Orono, Maine, November 2005: I don't think any of us want to get to the point where we can clearly demonstrate that Iraq is Vietnam. We don't need another wall with 58,000 more names on it. We don't need another generation that melts down in the face of this war. And we're already seeing it happen....Some of us who have lived to my age, or maybe even a little older--we were so hopeful that this would never happen again--that we would never do this to another generation of young people.... And we're doing it right now,... you know,... we're doing it right now. We're killing 'em, we're maiming 'em, we're sending 'em home crazy. And we're not doing anything for 'em when they get back. It's the same thing again.

There is no credit taken here for predicting the future. If anything, the picture Aaron Glantz paints is far more devastating than any of us predicted.

But now President Obama and Secretary of Defense Gates are escalating the war in Afghanistan and want an expansion of the Army by 30,000 troops. Very little is happening to resist. Our peace groups are engaged in some protest planning, but it's very, very quiet so far. It is hard to engage protest against a president in whom many folks want to believe, even though they steadfastly were anti-Bush. Meanwhile, the stories of escalation and civilian killing on one end and despair of vets on the other are afterthoughts on the news, if they are reported at all.

Rep. Weiner to introduce H.R. 676 as an amendment

Gerald Weinand — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:00:00 GMT

On Monday, 20 July, Rep. Anthony Weither (D-NY) will introduce an amendment to the so-called Tri-Committee health care bill. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Weiner will put forth an amendment would replace the private health insurance industry with a single-payer national health insurance program, or more succinctly, replace the current bill with H.R. 676.

This is pretty exciting news, and I hope to bring you more when the time comes.

Open Thread

Gerald Weinand — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:01:04 GMT

Good morning.

In its lead editorial this morning, the New York Times calls for a full investigation of the illegal, warrantless wiretapping conducted and other crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration:

We've known for years that the Bush administration ignored and broke the law repeatedly in the name of national security. It is now clear that many of those programs could have been conducted just as easily within the law - perhaps more effectively and certainly with far less damage to the justice system and to Americans' faith in their government.
---
So why break the law, again and again? Two things seem disturbingly clear. First, President Bush and his top aides panicked after the Sept. 11 attacks. And second, Mr. Cheney and his ideologues, who had long chafed at any legal constraints on executive power, preyed on that panic to advance their agenda.
---
This is not an isolated case. Once the Bush team got into the habit of breaking the law, it became their operating procedure that any means are justified: ordering the nation's intelligence agents to torture prisoners; sending innocents to be tortured in foreign countries; creating secret prisons where detainees were held illegally without charge.
Americans still don't have the full story. Even now, most of what the inspectors general found remains classified, including other wiretapping that Mr. Bush authorized. Mr. Yoo's original memo is also classified.
President Obama has refused to open a full investigation of the many laws that were evaded, twisted or broken - pointlessly and destructively - under Mr. Bush. Mr. Obama should change his mind. A full accounting is the only way to ensure these abuses never happen again.

As if on cue, McClatchy adds more to the growing list of missteps by Bush/Cheney, U.S. helped Chinese interrogate Uighurs at Guantanamo:

U.S. military personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, actively helped Chinese interrogators question members of China's Uighur minority, including physically restraining them so they could be photographed against their will, according to testimony presented Thursday to a congressional subcommittee.
The testimony is certain to add to the controversy over how the U.S. government has handled the Uighurs, who were turned over to U.S. troops in Afghanistan by bounty hunters who were paid $5,000 per captive.
Eventually, the Uighurs were cleared of any connection to terrorism and ordered released from Guantanamo. Nine have been freed; 13 more remain at the prison as officials scour the world for a country that will take them.

Glenn Greenwald has this intereting take on the role the MSM plays in all of this.

The hearings on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor tot he SCOTUS have come to a close, but one issue raised - that a nominee who is not an older white man might bring a different, and wrong, perspective to America's highest court - has provided some interesting moments. Watch as Rachel Maddow gets Pat Buchanan to explain why white men know best:

Buchanan states what some white people really believe - that white people are really the only ones that are capable of succeeding in business or higher education, running our government, and interpreting the Constitution. They bristle at Affirmative Action, a program that by its very nature is biased toward minorities. Many of these people understand that minorities have been discriminated against for decades in this country, and the affect of that is easy to see. But what these people would want is for minorities to achieve balance organically, which will take many generations. Affirmative action, flawed as it is, is designed to accelerate that process, and will end when reasonable goals have been met. For those that oppose it I'll suggest, "You explain to those who have suffered for so long why they should wait even longer for equality representation."

The PPH reports that Senators tell Obama not to rush health bills, echoing the sentiment of Rep. Mike Michaud from yesterday. And much like the stimulus package, the TARP bill, etc. - there really isn't any reason to rush these things through, especially when mistakes can be devastating. This from the article I did find of interest:

Collins said she told the president that there should be more focus on changing the delivery of health care. She pointed to Portland as a low-cost, high-quality location for health care where the per-Medicare-beneficiary cost is lower than the national average.
Collins suggested that lawmakers look at studies done by Dartmouth College to identify other such areas, as well as those where the costs are high and quality is low.
Trying to apply good practices across the board could save as much as 30 percent of health care dollars, Collins said, and that could help fund reform.

Is Collins now supporting a public option or expansion of Medicare to all?

And A.J. Higgins had this story last night on MPBN on how the Sales Tax Veto Effort Struggles To Find Financial Backing.

An open thread.

Preview: Tour de France: Stage 13

Gerald Weinand — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:25:27 GMT

Stage 13 continues the eastward ride toward Germany, and the Alsace area. What would be a very hard day for most of us is just a moderate day of climbs for the pros, with five rated hills, including one Catgory 1 on Vittel to Colmar 200 km:

Deep Thought

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:58:15 GMT

In all this discussion about health insurance reform, and whether to provide access to access to basic care to those that have it, or a public option, etc.

In all this discussion, has anyone mentioned that currently, the typical for-profit health insurance that most Americans now have does not include eye and dental care? Has anyone mentioned that it would be a great idea to include this care in any package proffered?

An open thread.

Scott Fish hired by Stand for Marriage Maine

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:37:57 GMT

Stand for Marriage Maine, the group that opposes equal marriage in Maine, has hired Scott Fish, the owner and editor of the conservative blog As Maine Goes, as its communications director.

AMG has a strong following, and I'm curious if Fish will put his site on autopilot or try to stay away from posts about LD 1020.

Congratulations to Scott - I hope to see you on the losing end of this campaign.

Help Maine People's Alliance reach its goal for this Saturday

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:24:44 GMT

A long-time Maine People's Alliance donor announced that they will match every contribution made during the current fundraising drive for universal health care, as long as we make it to $5,000 by this Saturday July 18th.
We don't often ask for contributions by email, but the next few days will be some of the most critical in the history of the fight for universal health care.
Two days ago, the U.S. House set out a bold vision for health care reform, including a strong public health care plan. Now it's up to the Senate to stand for real reform and it's up to us in Maine to make sure Senators Snowe and Collins do the right thing and support a new public health care plan that guarantees affordable coverage to everyone in America.
Thanks to 77 generous contributors, we've now raised $3,739 towards our goal of $5,000. Please help put us over the top and secure another $5,000 in matching funds.
Contribute here.

Plans for Aerospace Industry in Maine Growing

brucekgag — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:38:51 GMT

The Maine Aerospace Steering Committee has been created to foster an aerospace manufacturing cluster in Maine. See the video of the Aerospace Committee here: http://www.wcsh6.com/life/prog... and more here

http://www.wcsh6.com/life/prog...

The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) board of directors recently approved a total of over $1 million for three Cluster Initiative Program Awards to grow technology-intensive industries in the state. The awards will generate over $1.3 million in outside matching funds to strengthen and grow innovative businesses throughout Maine.

The Manufacturers' Association of Maine will receive $499,605 from MTI and external matching funds totaling $621,665 to create a Maine Aerospace Alliance within the Association. The award will be used to seek out and secure contracts with prime contractors and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) as well as assist companies in securing certifications and training that will strengthen Maine's competitive position in the aerospace industry. This award follows an earlier, smaller-scale project that determined that there was significant interest from OEMs and aerospace firms to support a larger investment in this field, and the effort has potential to build on infrastructure becoming available with the closing of the Brunswick Naval Air Station

http://www.maine-metals.org/pd...

The University of Maine will begin a class in the fall taught by the aerospace industry so we are seeing all the major institutions in the state moving into this area. This is where the money in the US is going in the future - military production - and our role under corporate globalization will be "security export". This does not bode well for our down-and-nearly-out democracy.

They see BNAS closure as an "huge opportunity" for the aerospace industry to expand. In the second video above they say that the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle market is a huge military growth sector.

Also take a look at the web site called Maine Aerospace Consulting http://www.maineaerospace.com/

In the end they will be selling this aerospace militarization of Maine as a jobs solution. This indicates that we must dramatically step up our calls for conversion of the military industrial complex and for the funding of sustainable technology production in our state. Otherwise Maine will become just another way-station on the endless war trip.

Behind the scenes: President Obama in Ghana

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:27:05 GMT

In the late 80's I lived in San Francisco, and for a time had a roommate from Ghana. It was an interesting experience for me, to say the least - Kwasi was then being groomed by a multi-national corporation to later become an exec in Africa, and I learned a lot about his culture.
He was about my age, but our younger lives were so different - in Ghana, most people walked to get where they wanted to go, as vehicles were rare. People would band and unband in groups, and talk and sing along the way (Ghanaians love to talk!). He spoke English, of course, but also French and his ethnic tongue.

President Obama was recently in Ghana, and here is some footage of his arrival as supplied by the White House:

The full text of Obama's address to the Ghanaian Parliament can be found below the fold.

THE PRESIDENT: (Trumpet plays.) I like this. Thank you. Thank you. I think Congress needs one of those horns. (Laughter.) That sounds pretty good. Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there. (Laughter.)
Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. (Applause.) I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America. (Applause.)
I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for his outstanding leadership. To the former Presidents -- Jerry Rawlings, former President Kufuor -- Vice President, Chief Justice -- thanks to all of you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that you've built here in Ghana.
I'm speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I've come here to Ghana for a simple reason: The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well. (Applause.)
This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world's health and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.
So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world -- (applause) -- as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect. And that is what I want to speak with you about today.
We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.
I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's -- (applause) -- my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.
Some you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade -- it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.
My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. (Applause.) Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.
But despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in many parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born. They have badly been outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.
In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. Now, it's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.
Now, we know that's also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. (Applause.) And by the way, can I say that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. (Applause.) And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth. (Applause.)
This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more important to build one's own nation.
So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we've learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you -- the men and women in Ghana's parliament -- (applause) -- the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized.
Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance. (Applause.) That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That's the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.
As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I've pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interests and America's interests. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps people scrape by -- it's whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. (Applause.)
This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I'll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.
First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. (Applause.)
As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.
This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens between elections. (Applause.) Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves -- (applause) -- or if police -- if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. (Applause.) No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top -- (applause) -- or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. (Applause.) That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end. (Applause.)
In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success -- strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges -- (applause); an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. (Applause.) Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people's everyday lives.
Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. (Applause.) We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously -- the fact that President Mills' opponents were standing beside him last night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana -- (applause); victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. (Applause.) We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage, and participating in the political process.
Across Africa, we've seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the country voted in the recent election -- the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.
Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. (Applause.) Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. (Applause.)
Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance -- on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard -- (applause); on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting and automating services -- (applause) -- strengthening hotlines, protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.
And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. (Applause.) We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.
Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.
With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in my country, America. They're doing very well. So they've got the talent, they've got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure that they're succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities -- or a single export -- has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.
So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in their infrastructure -- (applause); when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.
As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. (Applause.) That's why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers -- not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it's no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Applause.)
Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interests -- for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it's good for both.
One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources, and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us -- particularly the developed world -- have a responsibility to slow these trends -- through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.
Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity, and help countries increase access to power while skipping -- leapfrogging the dirtier phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa's crops -- Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.
These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work; it's about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.
Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it's also critical to the third area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.
In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. I just saw a wonderful clinic and hospital that is focused particularly on maternal health. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.
Yet because of incentives -- often provided by donor nations -- many African doctors and nurses go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. And this creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.
So across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an Interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care -- for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.
America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.
And that's why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges -- $63 billion. (Applause.) Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio. (Applause.) We will fight -- we will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation -- we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. (Applause.)
Now, as we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings -- and so the final area that I will address is conflict.
Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war. But if we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.
These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. Now, we all have many identities -- of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. (Applause.) Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families and our communities and our faith. That is our common humanity.
That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified -- never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. (Applause.) It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systemic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in the Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. And all of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.
Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, in Ghana we are seeing you help point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon -- (applause) -- and your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. (Applause.) We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, to keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational forces to bear when needed.
America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there's a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems -- they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.
And that's why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world. (Applause.)
In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.
As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans.
The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans -- including so many recent immigrants -- have thrived in every sector of society. We've done so despite a difficult past, and we've drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos, Kigali, Kinshasa, Harare, and right here in Accra. (Applause.)
You know, 52 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."
Now that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. (Applause.) And I am particularly speaking to the young people all across Africa and right here in Ghana. In places like Ghana, young people make up over half of the population.
And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, and end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can -- (applause) -- because in this moment, history is on the move.
But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way -- as a partner, as a friend. (Applause.) Opportunity won't come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make, the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.
Ghana, freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realized; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Yes we can. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

Preview: Tour de France: Stage 12

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:00:00 GMT

With ten stages to go counting this 12th one, the race is now past the halfway point. Of course, the ride through the Alps awaits, but for now, Tonnerre to Vittel 211.5 km, a lengthy flat day:

Focus on the Family gives $31,000 to opponents of equal marriage

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:55:26 GMT

A political action committee formed by James Dobson's fundamentalist Christian group, Focus on the Family, has donated at least $31,000 to Stand for Marriage Maine, the lead group behind efforts to repeal LD 1020.

The group, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, formed the PAC, called Focus on the Family Maine Marriage Committee, on 18 June 2009, and lists www.focusonthefamily.com on its registration form (pdf warning).

On its Quarterly Filing for July (Schedule B, Expenditures), listed are two donations to Stand for Marriage Maine: one of $10,000 on 18 June 2009 (the day the Focus PAC was created), and the other of $21,000 on 3 July.

Based on the other expenditures listed, it appears the Focus on the Family PAC has also sent some direct mailings in regards to the veto effort, although it cannot be determined where these mailings were sent.

I'll remind you that if you support equal marriage in Maine, and want to help defeat the people's veto, Maine Freedom to Marriage has a variety of ways that you can volunteer. You can also contribute securely via ActBlue here.

Equal Marriage: Who gathered the signatures?

Gerald Weinand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:37:26 GMT

In early June resurgam wrote this diary, Equal Marriage: Who is Signing the Petitions?. I was reminded of that diary while listening to this report by A.J. Higgins at Maine Things Considered this evening, Money Flows Into Both Sides of Gay Marriage Question. From it:

Thus far, the gay marriage repeal supporters have channeled a little more than $190,000 to National Petition Management Inc., a group that organizes citizen initiatives and pays circulators to gather signatures. Mutty says his group already has gathered the 55,000 signatures needed to place the gay marriage question on the November ballot. He says paying out-of-staters to gather petitions is becoming increasingly common.
"They are paid petition gatherers and are very, very good at it," Mutty explains. "Because of the shortened time frame we felt some pressure and some concern about being able to collect within that time range so hired this firm to collect a part of the signatures, but again the bulk of the effort was volunteers, but this is our insurance policy."

resurgam's idea was to create a website to create an inventory of those that have signed petitions.

But in light of Mark Mutty's statement that the bulk of the signatures were collected by volunteers, I think that what is in order is to examine who actually collected them, and to see if what Mutty speculates is true.

It will take some work, but everything ought to be available online. What do you think?