Who Won VP Debate?

Help me out with a right winger in my office please.

on Saturday at 2pm at her Heights office.

Can you spare a few minutes this Saturday to preserve the rule of law
in our nation?

Please plan to join Democracy for Houston on Saturday June 23 at 2:00
pm to personally deliver an Alberto Gonzales impeachment petition to
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. The Congresswoman, who serves on
the House Judiciary committee, will recieve the petition in person.
The petition is over 2,000 pages long and contains signatures from
around the nation.

Please help us build a crowd at the Congresswoman's office to show her
that that the voters she represents are serious about restoring the
rule of law to our great nation.

Details follow:

Please attend Shiela Jackson Lee petition delivery on Saturday, June
23, 2007 at 2:00 PM. You can RSVP at:

http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=21034

What: Shiela Jackson Lee petition delivery
When: Saturday, June 23, 2007, 2:00 PM
Where: Rep. Shiela Jackson-Lee's Heights office
420 W. 19th Street
Houston TX 77008

Many Houston DUers know Melinda's husband Jimmy. He's a tireless activist. Fighting corporal punishment is his primary focus. Melinda was a Republican who attended many Democratic social events with Jimmy and I always enjoyed my discussions with her.

Her obit and online guestbook are available at http://www.legacy.com/houstonchronicle/Dea...

But what a scary moment that was for my family. I was at work and didn't hear about it until the death toll was up to 20 and I got a hold of my sister who reassured me that my niece is fine. What an awful thing for those family for whom the news was tragic.

The pundits are all talking up a storm about gun control, but I had another thought.

By conservative estimates, over 650,000 Iraqi's have been killed as a direct result of violence stemming from our invasion of their country. The death toll in Afghanistan is unknown to me. We as a a nation are freaking out over this incredibly tragic shooting at Virginia Tech. But in terms of numbers, we haven't lost as many citizens as an average day in Iraq.

President Bush got on the television today and expressed his shock and offered condolences to the families of those hurt and killed today at my nieces school. Why doesn't he have any compassion for the Iraqi and Afghan citizens who have died? Do we as a people really think it's okay to put a higher value on an American life than we do on the life of a non-citizen? I just can't wrap my head around that.

Cross posted at http://feettofire.com/node/137

http://houston.indymedia.org/publish.php

Come on out to the new location of Sedition Books radical infoshop this Saturday, April 14 @ NOON and get your hands dirty at our super-fun clean up party!



Come on out to the new location of Sedition Books radical infoshop this Saturday, April 14 @ NOON and get your hands dirty!

Enjoy the wicked tunes of DJ Imaginario & Vegan catering by Los Invitados!

Seriously, we have lots of things to move/arrange, and lots to wash the ashes off of - figuratively & literally. Our collective is growing, & we'd love for you to come and be a part of the new space.

Feel free to bring additional non-alcoholic drinks, vegan food, tunes, suggestions, people...

And thanks again to everyone, near & far, for your support!

---------------

Here are some announcements:

-If you are helping to store our books, we now have a place to put them again so bring 'em Saturday, or when you get the chance.

-The same applies if you still have any materials checked out.

The new location is the 2-story house & shack apartment @ 4816 Old Spanish Trail (near UH main campus)

***We have interesting neighbors, so:
Do not park in the large, perfect parking lot right next to the house.

Enter the driveway on the RIGHT of the house..thanks!

Love & Struggle, Sedition collective



http://www.myspace.com/seditionbooks

Interesting stuff happening in the effort to field a candidate against Box Turtle Cornyn.

I posted on it yesterday.
<snip>Why would the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee meddle in our Senate Race? Shouldn't that be the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee? You would think. Yet here it is from Fort Bend Now </snip> http://feettofire.com/node/122

More today:
<snip>Anna tells it like it is at Texas Kaos. But the most interesting thing is in the comments. Yesterday I speculated that the same DCCC players who shot down Morrison's run for CD22 in '06 might offer him the nomination in '08 if he pulls the draft Noriega movement. Galveston Gale reports that the plan "was to offer Richard Morrison two million dollars to run for the 22nd congressional seat. Morrison, in turn, would drop Noriega. You see how far that secret plan went.". I have heard this same number from a couple of different sources. The Draft Rick Noriega is still up so it's safe to assume the offer has not been accepted.</snip>
http://feettofire.com/node/124

Dear Employee

Many of the members of the hiring committee had reservations when we hired you 6 years ago. But we tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. Recently, we've had a number of complaints about your performance from nearly everyone you interface with. Please consider this your final warning.

Customer Service
We have numerous complaints from both internal and external customers. Internally, people feel that you are not a team player and are more interested in covering your ass and accruing power than working for the greater good. External customers tell us that you completely refuse to work with them unless there's something in it for you. There is suspicion of collusion with competitors.

Arrogance
Over and over again, we hear from employees and customers alike that you make it clear you don't feel that you're accountable to anyone except the stockholders. When asked to sign off on company policy, you add ridiculous side notes indicating that the rules apply to everyone but you.

Requests for Help
Several of your divisions have been through difficult times. When pressured, you make commitments to help, but the help never seems to arrive.

Company Policy
This company was built on some very basic principles. Your actions have worked to undermine our conduct and our reputation. We are no longer trusted to treat customers fairly and are often suspected of dirty tricks. You have also engaged us in frivolous lawsuits that are very expensive and result in a loss of stability for the company..

Attendance
You take more vacation and time than any of your predecessors. You claim you are on call, but on more than one occasion, you refused to cut your vacation short when one of our divisions was dealing with a major crisis. The New Orleans division is not likely to recover from this lack of action.

Personnel
Where to start with this one? You have chipped away at all of the benefits this company was so proud to offer – particularly to our retirees and workers compensation cases. You have been known to fire personnel who do not exhibit personal loyalty to you and then blame others for handling the firings badly.

Accountability
You are not known to accept responsibility easily, rather you shift the blame to someone who reports to you when things go wrong. When legitmitately criticized, you blame the critics for trying to undermine you.

All in all Mr. Bush, your performance is unacceptable on many levels. Recently, many of the people who advocated hiring you have indicated that they regret that choice. Please remember that you work for us, not the other way around, or we will have to refer your status to the appropriate department and consider dismissal.

The People of the United States of America

cross posted at http://feettofire.com/node/113 . Please visit and Digg if you like it.

http://feettofire.com/node/95

We had an awesome time and the PACT conference on Saturday. More photos are below the fold. Highlights of the conference:

* TDP SDEC Campaign Finance Committee proposal meeting - Linda Perez spoke about the efforts of some SDEC members to create a Camapign Finance Committee to give SDEC a voic in how the TDP spends campaign funds. In 2006, the TDP spent $400k on campaigns throughout the state, and we will probably never see an accountng of that.
* PPC Annual meeting - in which yours truly was re-elected as Membership chair. The caucus approved some rules changes and the Vice Chair, John Behrman delivered awards.
* Whistle Stop Tour – David Van Os shared a slideshow of his campaign Whistle Stop tour. It was awe inspiring to see how people statewide responded to David's message of bringing the government back to the people.
* Charles Soechting, past Chair, Texas Democratic Party spoke about how the Texas Democratic Party can move forward.
* Impacts of Free Trade on the Progressive Agenda - Panel led by Charlie Urbina Jones in a very interesting discussion of the effects of free trade and what can be done about it. Much of the discussion surrounded the evils of the Trans Texas Corridor. If you're reading this, you probably already know that the TTC will rob good people of their land and be a boondoggle to corrupt corporations, not to mention the adverse environmental impact. Just in case you're from another state or a troll, go here for more information..
* American Civil Liberties Union of Texas - Marti Garza, Associate Director spoke
* Progressive Action Alliance – Bill Crosier spoke about how we as progressives need to build alliances and aggregate our efforts to be more effective.
* Placido Salazar - (pictured, left) Agent Orange has decimated this veteran's health. But he's more concerned about the effects of others, including residents of Houston and Beaumont who may have been exposed to an Agent Orange release in the sixties. And the veterans who are coming home now having been forced to take vaccines that may be detrimental to their health, and exposure to even worse chemicals including depleted uranium. When Dennis Kucinich took questions from the group, Placido gave him some documentation to take back and begin an investigation. Dennis promised to pass it along to the Veterans Affairs committee chair and follow up
* Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party - Sheril Smith, Immediate Past State Chair introduced Dennis Kucinich
* Congressman Dennis Kucinich gave a superb keynote address. It's no secret that I have still not decided who I am going to support for the presidential nomination, but I have all of the admiration in the world for Dennis. He spoke of his and his wife Elizabeth's trip to Lebanon after Israel bombed it, and there was not a dry eye in the house. The PACT conference was followed by a fund raiser. More on that here.

Dennis took questions from the crowd, including John Behrman, who's son Robert had just called him to tell him the bad news that he'd been called up for another tour in Iraq. Many of the attendees met Robert at the convention in June in Fort Worth and we all wish him the best..



Dennis Kucinich with veteran and Agent Orange victim Placido Salazar

More photos at http://feettofire.com/node/95

Our Hearts Burn Brighter:
A Collective Statement on the Arson at Sedition Books

27th February 2007

One year ago this month, Sedition Books opened its doors to the community of Houston, TX. In that time, this collectively-run infoshop has provided a meeting space for various radical groups, functioned as a community resource offering a lending library and free clothing exchange and internet, and hosted numerous events.

On the morning of February 26th, between 3 and 4 AM, a fire was started on the outside back corner of the building. The two resident collective members and cat were asleep inside, and thankfully made it out with their lives. Despite the fire department’s quick response time, the smoke and water damage was extensive and the space is no longer habitable. We managed to save most of the library and clothing, but the majority of the merchandise was ruined.

Because the fire started on the outside of the building, HPD Arson Investigators determined that the fire was intentional; further, since the residents’ cars were parked in the driveway, clearly indicating their presence, we are viewing this not only as an attempt on the building, but also on their lives. In spite of this, some of the first questions that the police asked were regarding the political literature and posters on display. The residents were accused of being “anti-American”, were lectured on the virtues of capitalism, and were told that this is to be expected when one engages in “extreme” political activity. The officer in charge of the unit went so far as to say that these problems will follow us if we continue elsewhere.

Many community members have expressed outrage at the behavior of the police. While we share this anger, our collective wishes for no further involvement with the police. We believe that the attitudes of the individual officers were symptomatic of the reactionary role of law enforcement and the state in protecting privilege and suppressing dissent.

Although our building was destroyed, our collective is intact. We’ve received messages of support from the local community and even across the world. Solidarity knows no borders! We remain committed to our goals and vision. We are currently searching for a new location and will continue to distribute radical literature in the Houston area.

Any contributions of money or literature to help us get back on our feet would be greatly appreciated, and can be sent to:

Sedition Collective
c/o The Alarm
P O Box 66362
Houston, TX 77266-7614

Money can also be sent via paypal to seditioncollective@yahoo.com

The forces of reaction are forever ready to attack those who threaten the established order. Watch your backs, comrades – install smoke detectors and keep fighting!

Love in Struggle,
Sedition Collective
http://myspace.com/seditionbooks

http://feettofire.com/node/63

Thursday night, at a meeting of the Oil Patch Democrats we were treated to a presentation by Tom "Smitty" Smith, State Director of the Texas Office of Public Citizen. It should be noted that TXU was invited to take part in the discussion. And actually feigned interest. They threw up roadblocks by insisting on a format favorable to them and when OPD and Smitty called their bluff and agreed, they didn't have the stones to show up.

I knew going in that letting TXU add 19 traditional coal plants is a bad idea, that there are better alternatives and that TXU’s proposal must be stopped. I came away knowing why and how.

more at http://feettofire.com/node/63

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904

Do you believe President Bush's actions justify impeachment? * 420596 responses
Yes, between the secret spying, the deceptions leading to war and more, there is plenty to justify putting him on trial. 87%
No, like any president, he has made a few missteps, but nothing approaching "high crimes and misdemeanors." 4.5%
No, the man has done absolutely nothing wrong. Impeachment would just be a political lynching. 6.1%
I don't know. 1.9%

New feature on my blog - http://feettofire.com/taxonomy/term/105

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/co...

It turns out that Texas is not the only state with right wing nut jobs.

Check out this defense of marriage initiative that is being pushed in Washington. http://www.wa-doma.org/Default.aspx

If passed by Washington voters, the Defense of Marriage Initiative would:

* add the phrase, “who are capable of having children with one another” to the legal definition of marriage;
* require that couples married in Washington file proof of procreation within three years of the date of marriage or have their marriage automatically annulled;
* require that couples married out of state file proof of procreation within three years of the date of marriage or have their marriage classed as “unrecognized;”
* establish a process for filing proof of procreation; and
* make it a criminal act for people in an unrecognized marriage to receive marriage benefits.

PDittie and I just returned from a PPC meeting in Austin with this fantastic news!

Dennis Kucinich has accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker at5 the Progressive Populist Caucus on March 10th in San Antonio. Details are still being worked for the day's agenda but Progressive Democrats of America and the Progressive Action Alliance will also meet in San Antonio on March 10th, followed by a fundraiser for Mr. Kucinich.

Stay tuned as PPC, PAA & PDA finalize the schedule of events. It will be a great day to be a Texas Progressive in San Antonio, so mark your calendars and make your reservations.

See you there!