Where there's a Will there's a way

Interview with second citizen arrested for demanding fracking meeting with Governor Quinn

2013-05-23T10:55:00.000-05:00

A second person in two days has been arrested for demanding that Governor Pat Quinn meet with citizens about proposed fracking legislation. Southern Illinois resident Dayna Conner was arrested for refusing to leave the Capitol building Wednesday after two days of waiting outside Quinn's office with others who want a meeting.

Governor Quinn and members of the legislature brag about the fracking bill being negotiated with lobbyists from multiple interests groups. It's how controversial issues are often dealt with in state government. Legislators vote after lobbyists from all sides emerge from a back room with a deal. Fracking negotiations were done behind closed doors by invitation only.

This time, citizens aren't standing for it. Residents in fracking regions like Dayna Conner are demanding that they have a voice in a public process.

I spoke with Dayna earlier Wednesday outside the Governor's office while she waited for a meeting. Here's a short clip of why she felt her arrest was necessary.

She believes that citizens in regions threatened by fracking and grassroots activists haven't been heard by the Governor and his coalition of lobbyists. After 18 months of citizens requesting a meeting, she says the Governor is siding with industry over residents in fracking regions.

After the bill regulating fracking passed the House Executive Committee, opponents told me they felt ignored and dismissed by their elected officials. Southern Illinois was represented in negotiations by the bill's main sponsor, Representative John Bradley. He spoke about how much he cares for water quality in his area, but after taking thousands in campaign donations from fracking interests, he has zero credibility.

Opponents of the bill have many reasons for believing it's inadequate. My biggest concern is that all permit applications must be approved or denied within 60 days. Thousands of permit applications are expected in a short period of time. They'll be processed by a badly understaffed and underfunded Department of Natural Resources that already fails to adequately enforce existing regulation.

When there's no time to thoroughly review a permit before the 60 day deadline, can we expect an agency that's notoriously cozy with industry to exercise caution on the side of public protection? This is the same state that issued an absurd coal mine permit to a company with hundreds of environmental violations.

All of this will be happening in some of the poorest areas of the state where many people don't have the resources to hire an attorney to help protect their property and water rights. I find it difficult to believe there will be meaningful oversight as long as permits must be issued so quickly, regardless of how little they have been reviewed.

This looks like a recipe for a rubber-stamp disaster.

Dayna Conner has been released and the sit-in will continue. Stop Fracking Illinois is encouraging people to join the sit-in outside the Governor's office in the Capitol building and to join a coalition of groups for an event Friday at noon. There's no apparent danger of arrest for peaceful participants unless a person chooses not to leave at the end of the day after warnings from law enforcement.

There really is a Benghazi conspiracy!

2013-05-15T16:49:00.000-05:00

I've been dismissive of the Benghazi conspiracy theorists but now we have proof. Apparently, an ABC reporter and a House Republican staffer conspired to mislead the public in an effort to hype a fake scandal!

Now that we know ABC is doing FOX News' work for them (intentionally or not), will Fox let up for a day or two on their harping that the "liberal mainstream media" is helping Obama? Ha! I know, good one.

Gubernatorial candidate Kirk Dillard takes credit for benefits of Clinton 90's economic boom and cheating state workers

2013-04-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

I noticed Reboot Illinois promoting this recent quote by Republican candidate for Governor Kirk Dillard.

"When I worked as Gov. Jim Edgar's chief of staff, we turned a $1 billion deficit into a $1.5 billion surplus, all without an income tax increase."

That got on my nerves. I guess the implication is that another Governor like Edgar could have balanced the current state budget without tax increases.

Let's recall that Edgar served as Governor from 1991-1999. He entered office during a recession and governed during the Clinton economic boom of the 90's. The recession decreased state revenue when Edgar first entered office. As the economy improved, tax revenues increased.

Of course Edgar balanced the budget and increased revenue! A monkey could have had a state budget surplus in the 90's. Let's also remember that the economy improved after Clinton raised taxes on the rich and increased the minimum wage; policies most Republicans oppose.

I'd like to hear more if Dillard is writing a thank you note to Bill Clinton. Otherwise, I'd like him to talk about things that were more directly under his control. For example, Edgar's decision to underfund the state pension system. It's not nice to brag about a budget surplus when you achieved it by screwing the state workforce.

I'd also like to hear about Dillard's management of the state bureaucracy. Not even George Ryan was brazen enough to openly defend the benefits of patronage hiring, as Jim Edgar did. Witnesses in the Ryan trial testified they were continuing the same practices that existed when Edgar was Secretary of State. Anyone from Springfield knows many stories about how the corrupt patronage system operated while Edgar was Governor. I'd like to know Dillard's role and if that's the kind of governing style he would bring back.

Hopefully, Dillard will talk about that issue as soon as he's done taking credit for the Clinton economy and bragging about shortchanging the pensions of public employees.

Illinois drought and flooding isn't climate change. It's a Climate Clusterfuck.

2013-04-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

Remember the stories about rivers in Illinois earlier this year? They were about a long drought so bad it was slowing barge traffic on the Mississippi River down to a halt.

And here we are in spring with our rivers and half the state flooded. In fact, heavy flooding forced the closure of about a dozen locks on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Sections of both rivers have been closed to barge traffic.

I just took the train from Chicago to Springfield and I saw all kinds of water in places where it isn't supposed to be. It's bad.

(Photo Credit: Chris Young)

In the Quad Cities, WQAD TV news has a story about drought and flooding hitting a Christmas tree farm along the Rock River. Drought had killed 900 trees when they first covered the farm in July. Now, he has to visit his trees in a boat. He says he has never seen it go from one extreme to another this badly before.

As usual, almost no one in the press is pointing it out, but this is exactly what those nagging scientists told us would happen. They warned the Midwest would have more erratic, extreme and unpredictable weather, including more droughts, and more severe storms leading to flooding. A federal report on the impacts of climate change in the Midwest summarized:

The likely increase in precipitation in winter and spring, more heavy downpours, and greater evaporation in summer would lead to more periods of both floods and water deficits.

The 2009 report even warned that low river levels would cause problems for river traffic. It's like they could see into the future. That report was either written by clairvoyant fortune tellers, or a group of scientists who really knew what the hell they were talking about.

So yes, we get both more flooding and more droughts thanks to climate change. Barge traffic is interrupted in both winter and spring.

At this point it's more descriptive to go ahead and call it a Climate Clusterfuck. That's what we're dealing with from here on out.

More attention is given to the threat of rising sea levels on the coats, but the Mississippi River Valley is already being hit hard in ways that harm our regional economy, food supply, and safety. No one can say exactly what the weather would have looked like this year if climate change wasn't happening, but we do know that if we really want more seasons like this and worse, then we should keep burning fossil fuels.

That reminds me of two downstate Illinois Congressmen who see this problem and think we should keep promoting a major cause: coal. Freshmen Representatives Rodney Davis and Bill Enyart held a joint press conference promoting a bill giving the Corps of Engineers more power to keep barge traffic flowing down the Mississippi River.

Yet, Enyart also joined with Davis' mentor, BFF, and fellow coal lover John Shimkus, to form the Congressional Coal Caucus. In their joint statement both said their goal is to create jobs by promoting coal.

Jobs are good. But, when discussing rivers, both Enyart and Davis said keeping barge traffic moving is essential to the regional economy. Whether they realize it or not, they admitted that burning coal is harming the regional economy and costing us jobs due to the impacts of climate change on river traffic.

This is short term thinking. They're introducing a bill to deal with one immediate impact of climate change while simultaneously fighting to expand the industry that contributes most to the problem. Fighting for coal means each year climate change will do more damage to Illinois crops, rivers, cities, and our economy.

Politicians like to make everyone happy, but they have to make a choice. They can either continue to be servants of the coal industry, or they can serve every other industry and citizen in Illinois. They can no longer do both because climate change is the overwhelming threat to us all.

Definition: Sangamon County Republican Leader

2013-04-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

A Sangamon county Illinois Republican leader is someone who bitterly complains about the corruption of Chicago machine Democrats, mostly out of jealousy that their own corrupt machine isn't in charge of state patronage jobs and contracts anymore.

The Lena Dunham press

2013-04-03T13:51:00.002-05:00

I didn't know the Season 2 premier of HBO's Girls was a monumental political event until it was covered like one by my favorite progressive magazines, TV shows, and national blogs. I was confused about why there was an avalanche of stories in political publications that don't usually focus on entertainment.

Then I started looking at the bios of the writers. They were nearly all women in their 20's from New York, Massachusetts, and occasionally California, all with degrees from an Ivy League school or a similarly exclusive, expensive college where the wealthy send their children for finishing school. That's, understandably, who you would expect to write a story about Girls, but I also noticed that the vast majority of stories I read in those publications come from people who share a similar background.

It's no wonder. The shrinking news industry lays off experienced writers and reporters who are then replaced by more recent graduates at lower wages. With very few positions in the national press available, the top jobs go to writers with Ivy League degrees and the most impressive internship their parent's connections could get them. Journalism is a fluid, fiercely competitive profession that increasingly appeals only to those who have the privilege of not needing to worry about job stability or supporting a family on their income.

Consequently, we have a national press and pundit corps filled with excellent, well-educated writers with relatively little experience and a background unlike most of their readers. They find it completely relateable and realistic to watch a show about a young woman living in the nation's most expensive apartment market, whose major life crisis is that her parents might cut her off, making it marginally more difficult to live a lifestyle completely out of reach for 99% of the country.

The national press based in NYC and DC have long had trouble covering stories in "flyover country" and anything related to organized labor. It's hard to see that getting better with a press corps who are more likely to have visited Denmark than a factory in the small town South. It might be why, for example, I see a string of national stories about fracking in New York, but rarely anything about the much more damaging impacts of coal mining in rural Illinois and Kentucky.

I'm skipping this season of Girls. I'll stick with Showtime's working-class dramedy Shameless. My life isn't nearly that crazy, but at least the characters are more relateable to my reality.

I also wouldn't mind if more national news outlets, and my favorite sources of progressive commentary, would keep in mind that having a room full of people considered the most qualified by one narrow set of criteria doesn't necessarily result in having the best product if 90% of them got that stellar resume by being born on 3rd base. Someone who has been a union member, someone from a working class background who struggled to pay for public school, someone from a low-income urban area, or someone from a small hick town in flyover country will probably produce content I'm more interested in reading.

The vast majority who read the news aren't well represented among the 1% who write the national news. But hey, at least we've got local reporters and free blogs.

Illinois Congressional delegation gets greener while Aaron Schock ranks dirtiest

2013-02-22T14:59:00.001-06:00

The League of Conservation Voters released their 2012 scorecard, and it shows that the Illinois Congressional delegation is much greener today than it was last year. Most of those who had the worst environmental voting records were defeated in the 2012 election. One exception, who scored lowest of them all, wants to run for Governor.

Notoriously anti-environment, anti-science Congressmen like Bobby Schilling, Joe Walsh, and Don Manzullo (who all scored 6%) were defeated in the recent election, thanks in part to newly drawn districts.

The lowest scoring Democrat was Jerry Costello, who retired. We can hope for a better record from his replacement, Democrat Bill Enyart, but his pandering to the coal industry is discouraging. You would think more Southern Illinois politicians would have noticed that a coal-based economy has never brought stable prosperity to the region before, and it isn't going to suddenly start working now.

Two members of the Illinois delegation scored 100%! Northside Chicago Congressman Mike Quigley and my favorite Senator, Dick Durbin.

One Congressman holds the dubious distinction of earning 3%, the lowest ranking in Illinois: Aaron Schock. That surprised me because he ran for Congress as a pro-environment moderate. I thought he might have a record similar to Republican Tim Johnson, who at least scored 60%. It takes effort to vote even wrose than a climate-change denying zealot like John Shimkus.

Campaign ads during his first race for Congress featured him in front of wind turbines promoting alternative energy. He gave lip service to clean energy, but voted for large coal and oil subsidies.

In his most environmental ad, he spoke about clean water, floodplain restoration, and promised to "keep fighting" for the Illinois River.

But, in the least session of Congress, Schock voted against most of the clean water bills tracked by the LCV scorecard. That includes voting against regulation of coal ash, which is a major pollution threat at several sites along the Illinois River.

He spoke about the need for more funding, but in 2011 he voted for H.R. 1, which LCV describes as "the greatest legislative assault ever on the environment and public health, including massive funding cuts and policy assaults on our air, water, wildlife, and wild places." On several other bills, he voted against funding and protection of wildlife, public lands, and clean water.

Schock may attempt a move back to the center if he follows through on his rumored run for Governor. When he speaks about environmental issues, he should be expected to answer for the outrageous bait-and-switch he pulled in his first run for Congress. Protecting rivers requires more than using them for a campaign photo-op.

Grumpy Cat reacts to Bonnaroo 2013 lineup

2013-02-20T08:19:00.000-06:00

OK, so this is mostly because I don't expect to go this year, but it's not much of an exaggeration.

Celebrating Rutherford B. Hayes on Presidents Day!

2013-02-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

I prefer celebrating Lincoln's birthday, but the federal government has opted for a generic "Presidents Day" in honor of all former occupants of the office, both good and contemptible. So, for the sake of not repeating past mistakes, why not remember the worst Presidents America has had the misfortune to endure? After all, the tendency to focus on Presidents who had a generally positive impact creates a bias in the teaching of history that distorts our understanding of how the American government relates to its people.

My personal list of the worst Presidents includes:

5. Woodrow Wilson

4. James K. Polk

3. George W. Bush

2. James Buchanan

1. Rutherford B. Hayes

Elected in 1876, Hayes hailed from Ohio, the land of mediocre Presidents. He lost the popular vote and the disputed election was thrown to Congress. At least Congress followed the Constitutional way of dealing with contested elections, as opposed to the Supreme Court's illegal usurpation of power in the Bush v. Gore decision that stole the 2000 election for George W. Bush.

To secure office, Hayes made an unholy alliance with conservative Southern Democrats in Congress. He agreed to end the reconstruction policies of U.S. Grant, effectively giving control of the south to vigilante terrorist groups and the old plantation aristocracy. Hayes ended federal protection of voting rights and allowed former traitorous confederates to usurp states from legitimately elected reconstruction governments.

Not until Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson would America return to the sort of policies Grant used to secure the individual rights and liberties of all Americans, regardless of race. By prematurely cutting reconstruction short, Hayes ushered in generations of political fascism in the South. The stratification of wealth, concentration of power, and denial of basic human rights would keep the South in poverty for generations.

But, that's not all!

Hayes was the first President to order federal troops to break up a strike of union workers, officially making the U.S. Army the Pinkertons of the railroad barons. The Army was used to deny workers the right to organize, but not to guarantee the right to vote.

Even more, his fiscal policies disadvantaged debtors and wage workers. Basing currency on gold, but not silver, made it more difficult for farmers and others to repay debt and reduced the purchasing power of wage workers. Hayes was concerned that alternative policies might lead to inflation that would hurt the robber barons of his era. Hayes instituted the "cross of gold" policies William Jennings Bryan and the Populists would campaign against years later.

And in case racist policies against African-Americans weren't enough, he enacted limits on Chinese immigration.

In one term, Hayes used federal power to do lasting harm to African-Americans, wage workers and farmers across America. Is it any wonder why he's barely mentioned in history classes? He provides the best example of how a President can use his power to the detriment of most Americans in the service of corporate oligarchs. It's part of the legacy left behind by state's-rights, conservative libertarianism that should be remembered.

Happy Presidents Day to you Ruthy, you old bastard!

The greatest American documentary of all time now on Showtime

2013-02-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

I was at a friend's place looking at the "On Demand" programs listed under Showtime and saw that they're currently offering Harlan County, USA. If I've ever seen a better documentary film, I can't think of what it is. I haven't watched it in a few years and it's impact didn't lessen on another viewing.

It's about a coal mine strike in the 70's but, as usual, the core issues remain the same. Coal companies are still trying to bust unions, refusing to take responsibility for accidents, and trying to avoid paying for health care and retirement. And rural mining regions are still poor, as every region that bases their economy on coal mining always has been and always will be.

The Peabody family were building their first mansion on the outskirts of Chicago while Peabody Company miners were living in tents and shacks downstate. Unions made important gains over the years, but most of them are busted, and the exploitative nature of extracting industries hasn't changed. A coal based economy is a recipe for rural poverty, not an escape from it.

Anyway, the soundtrack makes brilliant use of traditional Appalachian music and miner songs. I gathered all the Nimrod Workman music I could find after the first time I watched Harlan. It includes this song, 42 Years

Like any great film, I took away new impressions after watching again. This time I thought more about the amazing, strong women Barbara Kopple caught in action. A couple of the more ornery citizens remind me of my grandmother and great-grandmother. I'm only a few generations removed from the coal mine, and one from the farm, so I guess it makes sense that I relate to the people in the film. Then again, maybe they're just relateable people, no matter what your background is.

You'll notice that the most stubbornly determined and outspoken people in the film are women. The same is true with the Illinois rural coal fights I've been involved in recently. The centers of the intellectual feminist movement may be in the urban northeast, but you'll get a real lesson about female empowerment if you ever organize in rural areas. I won't name any names in this post, but the women I'm thinking of know who they are.

If you haven't seen it yet, don't miss the chance. The Criterion Collection release has excellent unused footage and special features that are worth seeing, if you can find a copy.

Two great leaders born on this date and laid to rest in Springfield

2013-02-12T09:18:00.001-06:00

Happy birthday to Abraham Lincoln and John L. Lewis! Both historic leaders were born February 12 and both currently reside in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.

Everyone knows about Lincoln, of course, but it's odd that Springfield often overlooks the local connection to the most important labor leader in American history. Lewis idolized Lincoln and lived in Springfield while he lobbied the legislature on labor issues.

The AFL-CIO website describes how Lewis helped form many of the nation's largest unions.

President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 1920 until 1960 and founding president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), John Llewellyn Lewis was the dominant voice shaping the labor movement in the 1930s. The CIO owed its existence in large measure to Lewis, who was a tireless and effective advocate of industrial unionism and of government assistance in organizing basic industry.

Saul Alinsky's biography of Lewis is a classic of movement organizing literature.

This must be why everyone will be out partying today with beads and such, right?

Clinton Presidential library provides contrast to Obama's transformative Presidency

2013-02-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

Last month, I visited the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. It was my second visit since its opening in 2004 so it was nice to see it again, this time with completed grounds and the nearby Heifer International headquarters. It's worth a visit if you haven't been.

While walking through the exhibits, I thought back to Obama's comments during the '08 primary about the need for a more transformative presidency. He argued the Democratic party needs a President like Reagan, who changed the trajectory of American politics, as opposed to someone like Bill Clinton, who did not.

Some liberal blogs and Hillary Clinton's campaign tried to gin up outrage by accusing Obama of praising Reagan's conservative agenda. But, when touring the Clinton Library, it's easy to see what Obama really meant.

Most of the accomplishments Bill Clinton brags about were undone within a year of George W. Bush taking office.

The Clinton budget surplus became Bush's record deficits. Responsible fiscal and tax policies that were more fair to the middle-class were scrapped for Paris Hilton tax cuts and government run on credit card debt. Strong job growth gave way to the Bush recession. His reduction in the crime rate ended as soon as the next recession hit. A time of relative peace and good relations with most of the world was squandered by Bush's war of aggression that made the United States more hated than it has ever been.

In contrast, the damaging aspects of the Clinton Presidency are more enduring. Trade agreements destroyed the American manufacturing sector. Clinton's lending and financial deregulation, done near the end of his Presidency, contributed to the housing mortgage collapse. Deregulation left the media in the hands of a few mega-corporations, limiting the diversity of viewpoints in news and homogenizing American culture. All of these were touted as accomplishments in the Clinton Library.

Plus, one can't ignore Clinton's adoption of Don't Ask Don't Tell, the Defense of Marriage Act, his failure to take meaningful action on climate change, and his lack of effort in pushing for universal health care after the '93 failure. The truth is that Obama isn't just cleaning up Bush's mess. He's also fixing the damage done by Clinton.

If Obama's first-term accomplishments are defended against future efforts to dismantle them, they will profoundly change America. Consider:

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Obamacare
Reducing dependence on oil
Saved the US auto industry from collapse and pushed them to modernize their gas-guzzling fleet
Most significant re-regulation of Wall Street, lending, and credit cards since the New Deal
Largest investment in clean energy and efficiency projects in American history
Ended a war, began deescalation of another, and reduced the world's nuclear weapons stockpile
Taking student loans back from the banks
Half a dozen EPA rule changes that will reduce pollution from coal

These are accomplishments progressives spent years fighting for; that previous Presidents have attempted and failed to achieve. The impact of these actions will be felt decades from now. If Obama deals with climate change, he can easily be listed among the most effective Presidents in American history.

The difference can also be seen in how Obama advocates for progressive ideals. Obama often pushes progressive proposals in language that appeals to moderates. The fact that he's still advancing progressive ideals is sometimes lost on the netroots, who would rather be pandered to with fiery Kucinich-style speeches.

In contrast, Clinton sold conservative agenda items like welfare reform, financial deregulation, and free trade in language that appeals to Democrats. Obama introduces agenda items that challenge Congress to move left. Clinton split the difference between the two parties while pulling Congressional Democrats rightward.

Clinton's approach enabled conservatives to build momentum and boosted Green Party membership. Much as Reagan did for conservatism, Obama's approach is laying the foundation for a generation of progressive change.

Political junkies are already talking about who Democrats will run for President in 2016. Many feel that beating Republicans is the most important priority, even if it means electing someone similar to Bill Clinton whose primary appeal is being an electable alternative to the Republican candidate.

The Clinton/Obama contrast highlights what Americans lose by electing a Democratic President who's merely less damaging than a Republican. We squander 4-8 years that could be spent accomplishing much more. The negative consequences of electing a place holder are felt for years, while the benefits are short lived.

Definition: South Loop

2013-02-10T10:21:00.000-06:00

South Loop: A rapidly expanding neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown Chicago, plus points further south which prefer to be associated with the downtown loop rather than other South Side neighborhoods.

ex: "My new restaurant is two miles south of Congress, but I'm calling its location South Loop so northenders won't be afraid to come."

My scouting experience taught me why Boy Scouts should accept gay members

2013-02-04T12:31:00.000-06:00

I loved being in Boy Scouts. Scouting gave me my first experiences with leadership, taught me important practical skills, led to strong bonds with good friends, provided positive adult role models, and helped inspire my life's focus on environmental advocacy. It also taught me why the Boy Scouts' ban on gay members is wrong.

Despite not being so good at tying knots, my time in scouting included holding a long list of positions. The last one was Troop Guide. I was older than most of the troop, but I was so close to completing my Eagle Scout badge that I decided to stick with it. The scout handbook describes the troop guide's duties:

The troop guide is both a leader and a mentor to the members of the new-Scout patrol. He should be an older Scout who holds at least the First Class rank and can work well with younger Scouts. He helps the patrol leader of the new-Scout patrol in much the same way that a Scoutmaster works with a senior patrol leader to provide direction, coaching, and support.

There was a more specific reason for my assignment. The troop had a problem with some of the younger scouts being teased and treated badly. It was the sort of common behavior you'd expect from boys that age, but it did cause a couple of scouts to leave the troop. The Scoutmaster wanted me to help set the tone for the older scouts and stick up for the younger kids.

I don't remember teasing the younger scouts before then, but I wasn't paying much attention to them either. I hung out with the older guys. Socializing too much with the newbies wasn't cool.

I started spending more time talking with the new scouts after accepting the position and tried making them feel welcome in the troop. Once or twice I gave the older kids a hard time about their teasing. After that, everyone started rethinking their behavior and things got better. I think I did a good job.

It was a church-sponsored troop and I heard about a comment one of the younger scouts made in Sunday School class. The students were asked to name people who stand up for justice. One of them said my name. He may have been playing teacher's pet since my mom was giving the Sunday school lesson, but I was very proud to know someone thought of me that way because of how I acted as troop guide.

If there were any gay scouts in our troop they kept it a secret. Back then, I was naively unaware of how much a teenager might go through by coming out of the closet. The killing of Matthew Shepard confronted me with that reality years later.

After that, I helped the LGBT students at my college push for the bill that added sexual orientation to the Illinois Human Rights code (an act co-sponsored by State Senator Barack Obama). It wouldn't be the last time I worked to protect the civil rights of a group I didn't belong to, including my work as state director of a voter registration drive targeted at African-American and Hispanic voters in an old Jim Crow state.

There are many life experiences that influence me to stand up for the rights of everyone. But undoubtedly, an important one was my time as troop guide. I learned that you don't look the other way and ignore what's happening when a bully is picking on the little guy. You speak up. You help set things right. You set the tone for others and lead by example.

Sadly, in the case of their discrimination policy, the Boys Scouts of America organization is the bully. The policy forces people to hide who they are, and sends a message that it's acceptable to treat people badly based on their sexual orientation. By participating in discrimination, they're violating some of the most important values I learned as a Boy Scout.

What saddens me as well is that the future of scouting is jeopardized by the executive board sticking to this policy. Boy Scouts will become marginalized so that fewer and fewer young men will get to have the same positive, life-changing experiences I had.

Letting troops set their own policy will open up participation to additional churches and civic groups that stand for inclusiveness. That's the only way Boy Scouts will grow.

Receiving my Eagle Scout badge is something I still take pride in. I'm glad I stuck with it. I hope many others will be able to learn the same kind of lessons I did, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Online campaign launches to make Apple products in Illinois

2013-01-31T09:53:00.001-06:00

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently spoke about making the Mac and other products in America. Those comments inspired a new campaign and online petition asking Apple to manufacture in Illinois.

It makes sense. Cook said a major barrier is the lack of American expertise in electronics manufacturing since most products are made overseas. Illinois houses the technology infrastructure to make it happen.

The University of Illinois has a long history of advanced computer development, including being the birthplace of the internet browser (not to mention HAL 9000). Now, the University is partnering for development of a Chicago technology research center designed to keep scientists, engineers and other tech innovators in Illinois.

Illinois has excellent transportation infrastructure and manufacturing facilities ideal for Apple, plus eight technology parks with incentives for development. They can even host a parade float for the Murphysboro Apple Festival. It's a natural fit.

State Representative La Shawn Ford pledged to work with the Small Business Empowerment and Workforce Development Committee to advance the effort.

Illinois can't look to the past for jobs. This is the future of economic development for Chicago and the region.

You can Like the facebook page here, and sign the online petition at change.org.

Transportation will be one of Obama's most enduring legacies. Thanks, Ray!

2013-01-30T09:18:00.001-06:00

I was disappointed to read that Ray LaHood will be leaving as Secretary of Transportation, partly because it's nice having one who's personally familiar with infrastructure needs in my native central Illinois, but also because transportation is a great overlooked success story of the Obama administration. Who would have guessed that a Republican in the cabinet would bring so much joy to the hearts of tree-huggers and good planning gurus?

In an excellent Huffington Post interview, LaHood talks about high speed rail, bicycles, livable communities, and everyone owning an electric car by 2025. That puts him about ten years ahead of other central Illinois Republicans.

"Look, we are behind on high-speed rail," he said. "But because of the president's vision and because of the work of those of us here at DOT, we have come a long way ... As long as President Obama is in the White House, whoever sits in this chair will have high-speed rail as one of their top priorities."

In contrast, Republican Congressmen from downstate Illinois, including Aaron Schock, John Shimkus, and Bobby Schilling rode the wave of obstruction by speaking against high speed rail and voting against the rail stimulus funds that were spent in their district. Despite their lack of help, Amtrak trains on the Chicago-St. Louis line are now going faster, and their on-time performance has improved dramatically.

Small changes with big local impacts
LaHood gave the short definition of livable communities: "If you don't want an automobile, you don't have to have one." That's a revolutionary idea in many towns like Springfield where it's nearly impossible to live and work if you don't own a car. Changing the focus federally at Transportation has a huge impact on how cities conduct their planning and what sort of projects are funded.

For example, an outdated focus was a problem with Springfield's community study on rail. They didn't study which location was best for passenger rail, where a multi-modal transit center could spur the most economic growth, or which spot is more pedestrian friendly. They viewed rail only in terms of how it inconveniences automobile traffic. Nothing happens overnight, but the changes LaHood made at transportation will keep nudging backward looking officials with 30 year old ideas about transportation in a new direction as they make decisions for the future.

One of Obama's best comments during the Presidential debates was that the long term solution on oil is to reduce demand. Otherwise, we can stop drilling on the Gulf Coast, but we'll just get oil from tar sands or a country with even worse environmental protections instead. That's one reason why several rounds of fuel efficiency and alternative fuel standards are so important.

As LaHood said, we're still behind on high speed rail. And, much more needs to be done to reshape our transportation infrastructure if we're going to deal with climate change. It's a long-term project that will take significant resources but create many jobs in the process. LaHood made significant changes to help reduce oil dependence and laid the groundwork to do more. If someone else had been President, stimulus funding for transportation could have gone toward nothing but the bottomless money pit of endless highway projects.

Serving the cynics crow
There were many pundits and bloggers on the left who criticized Obama's cabinet choices as proof that he was betraying liberals even before he was sworn into office. One of the most cited examples was keeping Bush's Defense Secretary, Robert Gates. Another was Republican Ray LaHood, who was dismissed for his ties to Peoria-based Caterpillar. Surely, that would mean a focus on highways rather than a modern, green focus on all forms for transportation, they argued.

How did that turn out? Robert Gates managed the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, advocated for major cuts in defense spending, and oversaw the withdrawal from Iraq. Ray LaHood promoted the kind of transportation policies that environmentalists and forward-looking city planners have been hoping for.

Some of the most significant progressive policies of Obama's first term were overseen by Republican cabinet members who did their best to get cooperation from others in their party. Obama's cabinet picks were not a betrayal of ideals, as the cynics speculated, but a sign of an effective leader who can use people with divergent views to work toward common goals.

Take it From Dr. King - Performed by Johnny Irion and Sarah Lee Guthrie

2013-01-21T16:02:00.000-06:00

A Pete Seeger song for MLK Day!

Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion - Dr King (Live) by bbpradi0

Found on the Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion album Exploration.

Liberty Brew & View screening of BUSTED: A Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters

2013-01-15T15:35:00.001-06:00

The next Liberty Brew & View screening will be hosted by ACLU followed by comments and discussion with Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser and criminal defense attorney Michael Costello. As always, the film and good company are free. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Tuesday, January 22, 7pm at Capital City Bar & Grill, Springfield, Illinois.

Humor and helpful tips combine to make this video a must-see for freedom lovers everywhere. Created by Flex Your Rights and narrated by retired ACLU director Ira Glasser, BUSTED realistically depicts the pressure and confusion of common police encounters.

In an entertaining and revealing manner, BUSTED illustrates the right and wrong ways to handle common police encounters and pays special attention to demonstrating how you, the viewer, can confidently protect your rights and yourself.

“Our constitutional rights are worth only the paper they are written on unless we understand and exercise them. BUSTED makes an important contribution toward transforming the Constitution’s paper promises into real rights for real people.” —Nadine Strossen, President of the ACLU (1991-2008)

Five Favorite Lincoln Books

2013-01-10T17:11:00.001-06:00

With all the attention on Lincoln following the movie release, I decided to update and repost my five favorite Lincoln books.

Like many Springfield residents, I make a hobby of studying Abraham Lincoln. I blame my mother, who gave tours at Lincoln historic sites and dragged me to Civil War battlefields for family vacations. I got in the habit of recommending biographies during the summer I worked in the Lincoln Home historic site bookstore. Some friends think I’m a freakishly knowledgeable expert on Lincoln but Springfield is full of enthusiasts who know far more. Of the Lincoln books I've read, these are the top five I like to recommend.

1) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
While working at the Lincoln Home bookstore many people asked me to recommend a good general book on his life. Each one has its pluses and minuses but I recommend this as the best modern one-volume biography by a preeminent Lincoln scholar. It’s easy to read, comprehensive, and well researched. It has fairly been called the authoritative Lincoln biography of this generation.

2) Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness by Paul Simon
Endless books have been written about Lincoln’s life and Presidency, but like Barack Obama, the majority of his time in elected office was spent in the Illinois State Legislature. Former Illinois Senator, Congressman, and State Representative Paul Simon examines Lincoln’s state legislative career in exhaustive detail. So much so that some chapters are best read to cure sleepless nights.

But those who finish it will be rewarded with unique insights. It covers Lincoln’s role in moving the state Capital to Springfield, his strong support for the disastrous program of internal improvements, his relationship with abolitionists like the Lovejoy’s, his performance as a legislative leader, why he jumped out the window during one session, and his career-long rivalry with Stephen Douglas. In the process you’ll learn much about Illinois’ early political history that shaped what Lincoln and the state would eventually become.

Other biographies don't mention that the Sangamon County Sheriff confiscated Lincoln's horse saddle for payment of a debt the day he was to depart for a legislative session. His letter about the justness of a property tax that targets the wealthy adds insight into his later advocacy for a progressive income tax. Incidentally, Lincoln introduced a resolution to ban smoking in the chambers during session. It’s a wonder that no one invoked his name during the indoor smoking ban debate.

If Lincoln ran for President today his state legislative career would be examined as closely as journalists have studied Obama’s record in the same body. Instead, we had to wait for Paul Simon to give that period of Lincoln’s life the treatment it deserves. This book is essential for anyone who wants a more comprehensive understanding of Lincoln's political views, character and career than what you'll get from studying his Presidential years. It also makes a great gift for incoming members of the Illinois General Assembly.

3) A. Lincoln: The Crucible of Congress by Paul Findley
Much like Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness, I enjoyed this book because it shines a spotlight on a period of Lincoln’s career that is often glossed over. Written by a former Illinois Congressman, it focuses on Abe’s single term in Congress.

I sometimes wonder if his Congressional term is so frequently overlooked, despite it being Lincoln’s only experience in federal politics prior to being President, because his most notable act was his outspoken opposition to the Mexican-American War. There are times in American history when it’s politically inconvenient to remember that our most popular President was strongly against foreign wars of aggression and gave multiple speeches haranguing President Polk for misleading Congress about his justifications for war. The Lincoln Presidential Museum, built during the Bush years, is conspicuously silent on Lincoln's term in Congress.

Besides the war issue, Findley covers Lincoln’s relationships with his contemporaries, how he was viewed by others, his admiration for Henry Clay, the interesting way he secured the Congressional nomination for himself after years of effort, the role religion played in his campaign against a fiery Methodist preacher, and the friendships he formed in Washington that would help him as President. As a bonus, it’s full of pictures of Lincoln’s contemporaries, political cartoons, documents and more. Even seasoned Lincoln and Illinois history fans will find provocative new perspectives. You can't fully understand what he did as President without understanding what he learned before he became President.

I provided the link above to purchase the book online, but your best bet for finding a more affordable copy is at the Lincoln Home Historic Site bookstore. They have a secret stash if you know to ask.

4) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
When focusing on such an iconic figure it's easy to lose sight of the broader political context in which Lincoln operated. Team of Rivals provides a fresh perspective on Lincoln’s Presidency by focusing on his relationship with the people who served in his cabinet, including Presidential rivals. Goodwin helped me better understand Lincoln's leadership style and how his actions were influenced by the political scene of his time. It won the Pulitzer Prize, along with mountains of other praise, and a section of it served as the inspiration for the new Spielberg film. It lives up to the hype.

President Obama is known to be a student of Lincoln's life so it's fun for history and political nerds to speculate on how that influences Obama's leadership style. The most obvious parallel is between William Seward and Hillary Clinton. Both were New York Senators, better known party leaders, and primary campaign rivals once considered front-runners for the Presidential nomination. Both were asked to serve as Secretary of State. Seward felt he was better qualified and more deserving to be President than the inexperienced rube from Illinois, but grew to greatly admire Lincoln. One can only speculate if Clinton felt the same.

After reading Goodwin’s book I read The Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield by Kenneth Ackerman. It provided an interesting sequel because some of the young up and comers during Lincoln’s Presidency, who Goodwin mentions in her book, became national leaders during the post-reconstruction era politics covered in Ackerman’s book. Much in the same way Goodwin focuses on those Lincoln interacted with, Dark Horse focuses on the political leaders and rivalries that led to Garfield’s upset election and contributed to the environment that resulted in his assassination. It was interesting to read how Lincoln and the Civil War still dominated politics 20 years later and how an assassination made a generation of leaders reevaluate how they played the ugly game of politics.

5) Herndon’s Life of Lincoln by William Herndon
This biography by Lincoln’s law partner was required reading for John Y. Simon’s Illinois History class at SIUC. As a Lincoln contemporary, Herndon had his own biases that can be called into question, such as his dislike for Mary Todd, but it remains the early work by which all later Lincoln biographies are judged.

Dear Arizona,

2013-01-09T18:59:00.000-06:00

If you don't stop whining about illegal immigration then we're giving your state back to Mexico where we stole it from. Anyone wishing to remain an American citizen can cross the border illegally, just like everyone else.

While you're at it, read Jeff Biggers' new book, State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream

The Fox News of the left: Pundits who forgot their concern for Social Security and Medicare after Obama strengthened both

2013-01-09T15:38:00.000-06:00

Since Obama took office, I've been disappointed to observe that a significant segment of left punditry prizes their ideological hang ups over accuracy. The third party left, whether Green, Libertarian or Socialist, campaign for their party by ignoring anything positive Obama does and exaggerating every negative. They feel they need to undermine support for the two major parties at all costs. Those who advocate direct action tactics in place of electoral politics, do the same. Some progressive Democrats join the chorus, made hardened cynics by years of disappointing third-way politics.

It has become clear that we can't rely on many of these pundits for honest commentary or an accurate picture of what's really going on. They always push the same message of disappointment and cynicism, even when there's reason to celebrate a victory. It's the same pattern of placing ideology over reality that we see from Fox News.

We know what to expect from Fox, conservative talk radio, and House Republicans. Anything Obama supports, they oppose, even if they supported it the week before. Their commentary is a non-stop parade of speculative accusations and exaggeration. It's important that we call out and rebut those voices on the left who engage in the same behavior, lest we mirror the echo-chamber in a bubble that the talk-radio cult of the right has become.

I could catalog a long list of examples over the past four years, but today, I'll stick with the most recent episode. A pundit-blogger complex of hysteria has emerged around threats to Social Security and Medicare. No doubt, we must speak up to protect these programs that are under assault, and Obama must be pressured to stand by them. There's indication that he's at least willing to negotiate with Republicans who want to fundamentally change both programs. But, the effort to defend has escaped into the realm of fantasy by the pundits who cry wolf.

The reality of what Obama says on Social Security and Medicare are things most progressives support. He speaks about minor reforms, like lifting the income cap on paying into the system. He does not publicly advocate major cuts or the privatization schemes favored by Republicans. Despite the lack of any discernible effort by Obama to attack either program, there's a mountain of anonymous-source stories and tortured interpretations of vague statements to prove that Obama is out to put grandma in the poor house!

We were told the Simpson-Bolwes "cat food commission" was proof that Obama was leading the assault on Social Security. That turned out to be a false alarm. The cuts they proposed were not large, and would have made the system more progressive by increasing benefits to low-income retirees. They even proposed lifting the income cap on paying into the system, which is the only change Social Security really needs. But, Obama refused to support even those minor changes because the recommended cuts were too deep. To my knowledge, none of the pundits who predicted the deficit commission was part of Obama's secret plot to destroy Social Security admitted to their error. They readied for the next scare.

Next, we were told Obama was selling out retirees in the debt ceiling fight. Once again, it didn't happen.

Most recently, they were sure Obama was itching to deeply cut Social Security and Medicare. Not just because he was forced to negotiate with a Republican majority in Congress who hate the middle class, but because, as Cenk put it, it's what he really wanted all along. Cenk and others similarly minded would have us believe that, despite years of plainly expressing strong support for Social Security and Medicare, that Obama has been waiting for just the right moment to leap out of the shadows, revealing his true self, thirsting for the blood of poor seniors! Does he remind you of NRA leaders who convince fearful gun owners that Obama is just waiting for the right moment to take everyone's guns away?

False alarm, once again. In fact, the final fiscal cliff deal significantly strengthened Social Security and Medicare by raising payroll taxes. I don't like the regressive nature of those taxes, but it meets the demand of protecting both programs.

How did the cynicism-pundit complex respond? Did they cheer the victory of Obama doing exactly what they had been asking for? Not so much. Most downplayed everything positive about the deal and predicted it was only a setup for Obama to cave during the next debt ceiling negotiation. Obama and Congressional Democrats proved that speculation wrong as well by quickly announcing they wouldn't negotiate on the debt ceiling. Oops. Wrong again Krugman. Wrong again DailyKos. But, good work spinning a victory into a narrative of defeat.

Ok, we get it. You're always going to attack Obama because you're campaigning for your third party or direct action tactics. You want to show everyone you were right all along for thinking Obama is the next third-way sell out and supporting Nader, or Jill Stein, or Hillary, or John Edwards. You want to impress your friends at the faculty lounge by showing want an independent-minded dissident you are. You want to prove you're more metal than the next pundit. Well, I'm not impressed anymore.

If it's about issues first then you'll honestly celebrate victories by the Obama administration. Celebrating even small victories builds momentum and energy to do more.

Just because we need to hold Obama's feet to the fire, doesn't mean we can't make noise in support of his efforts to do things progressives like. When your ideological and egotistical hang-ups cause you to downplay victories, engage in tortured speculation, ignore progressive proposals from the President, and spread misleading exaggeration, then don't expect people to take you any more seriously than we take Bill O'Reilly.

The left should hold Obama accountable for his actions and we should also hold our own punditry accountable for their honesty and accuracy. We should be better than Fox. It's worth calling out the manipulation of the left's fears and cynicism, because there's a lot of work to do during the next four years and the negative, defeatist, counter-productive bullshit isn't helping.

Impacts of burning coal make it harder to burn more coal: Drought hits barge traffic

2012-12-07T15:38:00.001-06:00

I love irony, but this example is costly. Coal power plants are the top source of man-made pollutants that contribute to climate change. Now, the impacts of climate change will make it more difficult to ship coal.

The long drought across the Midwest is causing an extended period of exceptionally low levels along the Mississippi River. Barge operators are worried that river traffic will continue to slow or come to a stop. Much of the barge traffic along the Mississippi and its tributaries is transporting coal.

Any shipment delays or increased costs will make it more difficult for coal to compete with the low price of natural gas, and of course, the cost of delivering more wind to existing wind farms is zero.

A superstitious person could interpret this as the Mississippi protecting itself. Burning more coal will result in even worse droughts in the future. The river is taking smarter action than the fossil fuel politicians.

This is one more example of how the coal industry acts as an economic cannibal. The act of mining and burning coal destroys other forms of economic development; in this case, barge traffic. It's a larger-scale version of strip-mining land until it can't be used for any other purpose.

What about agriculture?
The drought is doing even more damage to agriculture, which is being hit twice. First, during the growing season, and now again since grain is shipped by barge. That's why it's so disappointing to see some ag groups like the Farm Bureau frequently attack any attempt to deal with climate change. Spreading nutty EPA conspiracy theories in farm publications doesn't help.

Groups like the Farm Bureau should seriously reconsider whether their political alliance with the oil and coal industry is worth the harm it will cause to the next generation of farmers. For example, I'm not sure why the Illinois Farm Bureau thinks drilling in ANWR is so important for their members, but I am sure that turning farmers into the puppets of oil and coal industry lobbyists isn't going to keep Illinois agriculture alive 50 years from now. This drought is a taste of things to come.

What makes a good political song? Reviewing The Coup and Local H

2012-12-04T16:21:00.002-06:00

Two politically-charged albums I've been listening to lately got me thinking about what makes a good political song.

A common mistake is the urge to record a slow, serious tune that sounds preachy in both tone and message. There are endless examples and most of them are quickly forgotten. I know of two ways politically-minded musicians often escape the trap of boring, preachy, finger-pointing songs.

One is the storytelling approach, used most famously by Woody Guthrie and his legacy of musicians he inspired. Singing about personal experience, showing the world through another person's eyes, celebrating heroes, and mourning personal losses are very effective ways of spreading a message. People connect with it in a more personal way than a sweeping song about abstract concepts like peace or equality.

Ken Burns' latest documentary reminded me of Woody's heart-wrenching Dust Bowl Ballads, which were later mimicked by Springsteen's Ghost of Tom Joad. Some other favorites of mine are Living For the City by Stevie Wonder, and anything by Aunt Molly Jackson. It even works for country musicians who want to be left-leaning on the sly like Kenny Roger's anti-war hit Ruby, the Dixie Chick's Travelin' Soldier, or Johnny Cash's song about working class angst, Folsom Prison Blues.

The other trick is to dump the "let's slow it down and be serious" melodies with upbeat, catchy music that captures the performer's passion. Rage Against the Machine master that approach and so do The Coup.

The Coup - Sorry to Bother You

I've had this album on heavy rotation. I guess you could call it a hip-hop album but it's too eclectic for any one label. The opening song features an accordion. Their later take-down of inherited privilege features a kazoo, and naturally, the video has puppets using cocaine.

The activist crowd make up most of their fan base, but the Coup's popularity grows because both their lyrics and music are well thought out. I can't give any better review than quoting some of my favorite lines:

We wanna breathe fire and freedom from our lungs. Call homeland security, we are the bomb.

One day, we’re all gonna tip the scales, cause me and my crew are too big to fail.

Let me clarify things with the I strut, so I can shout with my mouth shut.

Home Ec can teach you how to make a few sauces and accept low pay from your Walmart bosses. If your school won't show you how to fight for what's needed, then they're training you to go through life and get cheated.

You are not a riot! You are the tight leather pants on the old ex-general!
You are not a riot! You are a condo complete with wall-to-wall carpet bomb.

But, I like my favorite number from Bother more for it's musical style than the words.

The Coup played last weekend with a full band at the Mayne Stage in Chicago. Great show! I only wish they would have played longer. I tried showing up late to miss the first opener, but I'm glad I failed because Kev Choice has amazing talent.

Local H - Hallelujah! I'm a Bum
Remember Local H? They had an alt-rock hit in the 90's with Bound for the Floor. They're still hanging around in Chicago and I decided to buy their album released earlier this year after reading a good review that bragged of their more mature sound with a political message.

Other than a few sampled quotes from Bush administration warmongers and Sarah Palin, it's hard to tell this album is political without reading the lyrics online. Even with an amusingly titled song like They Saved Reagan's Brain, I'm not sure what their message is. About halfway through I started to think it was getting too predictably 90's, but that's when they they mixed things up for the second half. It worked.

What hooked me in is their song about my favorite form of public transportation, Chicago's L train! They have L sound recordings popping up around the album. "Doors closing." Thankfully, theirs is about the Blue Line, so my unfinished song about the Red Line won't come off like a copy.

Local H didn't produce an overtly political album like you get from the Coup, but there's good music here with some social commentary that's open to interpretation. I think people will enjoy it even if they don't share my unrequited love for the L.

So, the moral of the story is, worry about writing good music first. If people like the music, then you'll have an audience for your message, as long as you don't get too preachy and always stick to what you know.

Innovative bike lane design enters Chicago's Loop. Could it work in Springfield?

2012-12-02T16:27:00.003-06:00

This weekend, I noticed crews painting an interesting bike lane layout in downtown Chicago. I snapped this picture in the South Loop on Dearborn, just south of Harrison.

After taking a second look, I noticed that the lane uses ideas I've heard about but haven't seen together in action. First, it's a two lane bicycle path, even though car traffic on Dearborn is one-way.

The bike lane is along the curb. If you look in the background, you'll see that there's still off-the-curbside street parking. There's a striped buffer zone in between the parking lane and the bike lane so that no one hits a biker while they open the car door. Pretty smart.

It didn't take a monstrous multi-million dollar construction project either. It just took a weekend of work crews repainting lines. It eliminates one car lane but traffic wasn't too crowded on this road anyway.

The bike lane will go through downtown Chicago. I found the city press release and noticed this quote:

“The Dearborn Street two-way protected bike lane project will balance roadway space to ensure pedestrians, transit users, bicyclists and motorists can travel along and across the street safely,” Klein said.

The goal of balancing pedestrian, bicycle and motor use reminds me of a very similarly worded recommendation in Springfield's SDAT study.

Roads in downtown Springfield cater to one type of user. They're designed for workers to get in and out of downtown as quickly as possible. That's understandable since there's a large population who commute from the edge of town, or the surrounding small towns, and go home as soon as the workday ends.

The many one-ways are not so convenient for out-of-town visitors, or anyone attempting to travel from one downtown destination to another. The clear message communicated by Springfield's downtown roads is, "get in and out fast, but don't stick around."

Springfield's narrow focus on cars is a barrier to downtown bike lanes as well. Some city leaders react with shocked indignation at the suggestion of removing a little curbside parking or painting new stripes on a road. But, reaching the goals of attracting new people and business activity to downtown requires rethinking 30-year old assumptions about transportation.

Edit: I'm adding a pic with a better view of the parking lane and buffer zone...

Joe Biden picks up some binders.

2012-11-29T18:04:00.000-06:00

At Costco.

I wonder who they're for.